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This list of every single Barefoot Contessa cookbook, the Ina Garten memoir, and the cookbooks she says have inspired her includes sample recipes from our family’s favorite dishes.
After listening to Ina Garten’s memoir, Be Ready When the Luck Happens, I was so inspired I had to do two things:
Share the ULTIMATE Barefoot Contessa cookbook collection, including the cookbooks she mentions as strong inspiration for her career.
As a food blogger and home cooking advocate for over 15 years, Ina Garten has been an enormous inspiration for me and changed the way I feed my family.
As a small business owner, hearing about her incredible career path and the challenges she’s faced in running a specialty food store and cookbook empire, I found myself clinging to every word of her memoir.
While it may seem strange to share an article about all of the Barefoot Contessa cookbooks on a book club blog, part of my mission here at the Peanut Blossom Book Club is to encourage you to get together in real life with your bookish friends.
You’ll find book club party menus attached to every single book club book I recommend. If you’re new to cooking or just want to up your game, Ina Garten has countless tips for easy entertaining and is a wonderful source of recipe inspiration.
I’ve gathered together some of my own favorite party recipes and tucked them in among each of her books on the list below.
I hope this helps you to plan an amazing book club party with your special people.
BONUS: I 100% believe that reading is reading, the book itself doesn’t matter. So if you’re looking for a fun 3×3 reading challenge this year, why not include a few cookbooks on that list! Take the time to read the chapter openers, the introduction, and the end notes. You’ll be shocked by just how much amazing information is packed in those pages!
What Ina Does Best
Honestly, every single recipe Ina Garten writes is likely one of the best of its kind. She has a very particular audience in mind and uses top-quality (read: “expensive”) ingredients to bring out the best flavor for each dish.
For an average home cook with medium-level skills who is feeding a family on a budget, you’re most likely to enjoy the following Barefoot Contessa recipes:
Desserts
Ina shares dozens of budget-friendly and easy desserts for home bakers including cookies, cakes, tarts, and pies. It is easy to swap out the pricey ingredients for something a little more budget-friendly if you’re clever.
Breakfast / Brunch
The Barefoot Contessa leveled up our weekend brunch game and over the last two decades we’ve enjoyed cozying up to a plate of eggs, scones, muffins, and more thanks to her easy recipes.
Vegetables
As a former picky eater, the Barefoot Contessa cookbooks absolutely saved my family from eating an endless repetition of frozen or canned vegetables. I finally learned how to cook vegetables so that they are an anticipated part of our dinner and not just a must-have chore. For the vegetable recipes alone, her books were worth every single penny.
Recipes I Usually Skip
Since the intended audience for the Barefoot Contessa cookbooks includes those who would not shy away from expensive ingredients, many of the main entree recipes include prohibitively expensive items that are not part of our typical every-week grocery budget.
I’m only cooking for a small family of 4 and many recipes are worthy of a whole dinner party in size and quantity.
Heavy Roasts
If the recipe calls for a roast that would serve more than 4 people, I generally skip it unless I’m planning a holiday meal.
Expensive Meats and Seafood
Most of the cookbooks have options for the most expensive cuts of meat and priciest seafoods (especially if you don’t live near the coasts.) For example:
Lobster
Beef Tenderloin
Thankfully, she does have several shrimp, salmon, chicken, and pork recipes that are much more in line with our average grocery budgets.
My Favorite Barefoot Contessa Recipes By Book
Now let’s get to the fun part! After listening to Be Ready When the Luck Happens, I had a blast reminiscing over all the cookbooks in my Barefoot Contessa library.
My family even gifted me copies of some of the cookbooks she mentioned in her memoir as being inspirational to her as my Christmas gifts last year.
Below you’ll find every book Ina Garten has written along with her inspirational sources. I’ve listed my favorite recipes from each book.
The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook
The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook
Published: April 6, 1999The original cookbook in the Barefoot Contessa collection. This is also the only one to not feature Ina Garten on the cover.It is a fun mix of recipes from her specialty foods shop in the Hamptons with plenty of options for special meals during regular weeks as well as upgraded dishes for entertaining.
Cheddar Corn Chowder: I modified her recipe to be cooked in a Crock Pot, you can try my slow cooker corn chowder here.
French Potato Salad: I added a few shortcuts to the process, try my easier French potato salad here.
Turkey Meatloaf: As a young newlywed, I followed the recipe for her turkey meatloaf right down to the tiniest detail. I was cooking for just my husband and myself and didn’t realize that 5 pounds of ground turkey might be just *a bit* too much. I froze the leftovers and we were eating turkey meatloaf for months. Yet, it is still my favorite meatloaf recipe ever.
Barefoot Contessa Parties!
Barefoot Contessa Parties!
Published: March 27, 2001I received a copy of Barefoot Contessa Parties! as a wedding shower gift and it remains my favorite of all Ina Garten's cookbooks to this day. I love to mix and match the items from her party menus and have used several of them for special family celebrations during the holidays.
Carrot Cake: I turned her cupcakes into a layered carrot cake that is an Easter centerpiece.
Apple Crisp: I make a freezer-friendly version of this apple crisp every fall.
Barefoot Contessa Family Style
Barefoot Contessa Family Style
Published: October 29, 2002If you regularly feed a large number of family members at one time, this is the Barefoot Contessa book for you. Each of the recipes yields a large amount of servings so is perfect for hosting big family dinners and special events.
Favorite Recipes from Barefoot Contessa Family Style:
Parmesan Chicken: While Ina serves hers with arugula and parmesan rather than the classic tomato sauce and mozzarella topping, I love her chicken base for my crispy parmesan chicken.
Parmesan Roasted Asparagus: This was a game-changing vegetable for me and completely changed how I cook vegetables for my family. Parmesan roasted asparagus is on our table at least once a month.
Barefoot in Paris
Barefoot in Paris
Published: October 26, 2004Barefoot in Paris made me believe that I could cook just about anything and gave me a profound sense of confidence in the kitchen. Experimenting with authentic French desserts and elaborate sauces for tender meats had me planning dinner parties just to play with the recipes. If you're looking for everyday dinners, this is not the book for you. If you want to discover the true joy of cooking, grab a copy stat.
Lemon Meringue Tart: This is my mom’s all-time favorite dessert. I was thrilled to finally learn how to make a homemade lemon meringue tart for her birthday.
Lemon Curd: When my husband’s harvest of Meyer lemons come from our patio tree, I use them to make a giant bowl of this lemon curd.
Creme Brulee: If I hadn’t seen how Ina did it, I would never have thought I could successfully make Grand Marnier creme brulee at home.
Creme Anglaise: I dare you to make this creme anglaise and not want to drink it with a straw.
Barefoot Contessa at Home
Published: October 1, 2006
Barefoot Contessa at Home
Published: October 1, 2006Barefoot Contessa at Home is an especially great pick if you're looking for tons of veggie-heavy side dishes to add to your meal rotations and more classic Ina desserts like a layered coconut cake version of her famous coconut cupcakes.
Lemon Fusilli with Arugula: This just might be my all-time favorite Barefoot Contessa recipe.
Mustard Roasted Potatoes: I’ve made these mustard roasted potatoes so often for so many years, I honestly forgot that this is where I first got the inspiration!
Irish Soda Bread: Ina’s Irish soda bread is a staple of our St. Patrick’s Day celebrations every year.
Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics
Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics
Published: October 28, 2008Back to Basics is a perfect example of what Ina does best — appetizers, soups, side dishes, and desserts. I've found that one of the best ways to keep our weekly family dinners interesting is to rotate through the same main dishes (baked chicken, roasted pork, etc.) and then mix in a fancier side dish to keep it fresh. There are tons of delicious options in this book and it would be a great pick if you want more ideas for incorporating seasonal produce into your nightly dinner.
Roasted Shrimp Cocktail: This was the first recipe I ever made shrimp at home without fear and roasted shrimp is the only way my family enjoys this classic appetizer.
Barefoot Contessa, How Easy is That?
Barefoot Contessa, How Easy Is That?
Published: October 26, 2010When Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That? was published, I was juggling a newborn and a toddler. This book has gotten the least amount of attention from me but as I page through it I spot so many veggie side dishes and fabulous desserts I want to revisit.
Favorite Recipes from Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That?:
Mocha Chocolate Icebox Cake: I made this for our Christmas dessert this year and the whole family raved about it.
Recipes I Plan to Try: Chocolate pudding cream tart, roasted pear and apple sauce, tomatoes roasted with pesto, Greek panzanella, panko crusted salmon, snap peas with pancetta.
Barefoot Contessa Foolproof
Barefoot Contessa Foolproof
Published: October 30, 2012When Barefoot Contessa Foolproof was first published, we had just completed a life-changing cross-country move and I had my hands full with two little kids. The recipes in this cookbook are elegant and very adult, not what a mom of two little ones needed when it came to getting dinner on the table.The photos are stunning and you can still learn so much from reading recipes even if you don't cook them yourself. Paging through my copy of the book now, I can't say there are any I'm eager to add to my must-try list outside of a couple pasta dishes but there are some seriously delicious looking options for the fall holiday season including a pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice cupcakes, and a carrot cake with ginger mascarpone frosting.
Published: October 29, 2014I'm so glad I pulled my copy of Make It Ahead off the shelf to page through for a quick review. It will be moved straight to my kitchen counter for recipe sampling in the coming weeks.This book must have gotten lost among my Barefoot Contessa collection because there's not one recipe I've tested despite finding tons of delicious options with a quick flip of the pages.Parmesan chive smashed potatoes, twice baked sweet potatoes, apple chutney, slow roasted spiced pork, salt and pepper biscuits, overnight Belgian waffles, and lemon poppy seed cake all caught my eye.
Published: October 25, 2016Ina and Jeffrey are #couplegoals. I have mad respect for a woman who dared to publish an entire cookbook of her husband's favorite foods.Whether or not you share the same tastes as Jeffrey, this book is such a lovely peek inside their relationship and a wonderful example of expressing your love through cooking for your special person. A Barefoot Contessa fan cannot be without this book.
Hermit Bars: I’ve made these for Christmas cookies and my dad said they were my best-ever.
Cook Like a Pro
Cook Like a Pro
Published: October 23, 2018By the time Cook Like a Pro came out, I was neck deep in writing and photographing my own cookbooks and completely skipped this book. After reading her memoir, I realized it was missing from my shelf and I ordered a copy a couple months ago.One of my very favorite things about Ina is that she is unashamed to admit she couldn't cook when she got married because neither could I. Yet here she is literally writing a book about how to "cook like a pro" because no one would dare argue she is anything else!The recipes and tips in this cookbook are absolutely phenomenal but easy and approachable for home cooks. I'm eagerly anticipating sampling some of the recipes.
Published: October 6, 2020By the time Modern Comfort Food was released, I already had my own favorite versions of several recipes included in this book but for a new home cook just starting out this would be an excellent resource.Tasty essentials like steak fajitas, spicy arrabbiata sauce, baked rigatoni with outrageous garlic bread, lemon chicken with orzo, beef stew, upgraded grilled cheese and tomato soups, and plenty of amazing dessert and brunch items are included.
Chicken Pot Pie Soup: I had several chicken soup recipes I already loved but this one caught my eye. In classic Ina tradition, she includes several expensive ingredients which I’m sure make for amazing flavor but I simplified it for budget-friendly home cooks with my chicken pot pie soup recipe here.
Go-To Dinners
Go-To Dinners: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook
Published: October 25, 2022With her first book published in 1999, you can tell that Ina Garten has come a long way by the time you open Go-To Dinners. The recipes are amazing, the photography is stunning, and this is by far the best cookbook she's published in many years.Listening to her memoir, it is clear that Ina has a strong sense of self and it shines through gloriously in her most recent cookbook. While other books have essential Barefoot Contessa recipes, if you're just starting out with an Ina Garten library, I'd recommend Go-To Dinners as your first purchase.
My favorite chapter in the whole book covers “Breakfast for Dinner” where Ina shares how to make classic breakfast dishes more appropriate for the evening meal.
Irish Oatmeal: With a pinch of salt and hearty toppings, I’ve taken to making bowls of Irish oatmeal for my mid-day lunches regularly.
Eggs in Purgatory: When my husband is working remotely, I love to make a skillet of these eggs in purgatory for our lunches but it has also appeared on our table as a meatless dinner on Fridays in Lent.
Be Ready When the Luck Happens
Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir
Published: October 1, 2024There are so many things I could say about Ina's memoir, Be Ready When the Luck Happens, that I had to write a separate review of it here. However, one of my favorite parts was listening to her behind-the-scenes story of how each of her cookbooks came to be and the challenges she faced in producing each one.It adds so much insight and context to the experience of paging through her cookbook library and made me excited to sample some of the recipes she specifically mentioned. Even if you only have a couple of her titles on your shelf, I strongly encourage you to get download a copy of her audiobook and listen to her narration yourself.
Published: May 2, 1995Ina mentions Lee Bailey as an inspiration several times in her memoir and has a special call-out page to him in Make It Ahead. Bailey wrote several cookbooks in the 80s and 90s but many are difficult to get unless you can still find them in your local library. I was able to hunt down a copy of Country Weekends on Amazon. The book is laid out in menus for different times of the weekend and meant to help you meal plan for entertaining overnight guests. The food is relatively simple and made from wholesome seasonal produce. Compared to the popular Betty Crocker cookbook my mom always referenced, you can see Lee Bailey's influence on Ina clear as day.The photography in the book does not illustrate every recipe but rather shares collages of lifestyle photos featuring the food. It is refreshingly real and un-food-styled. It represents how the dish would look if you made it yourself far more than the over fussed photos often seen online today. I'm looking forward to sampling some of the easy dishes soon.
Published: 1985Anna Pump, the author of The Loaves and Fishes Cookbook, was Ina Garten's mentor at the Barefoot Contessa. In her memoir, Ina talks about how much Anna taught her in the kitchen and how they came close to becoming business partners but things didn't work out.Anna was the proprietor of The Loaves & Fishes in the Hamptons and shares many of her recipes in this classic cookbook. My family gifted me a copy as a Christmas present and I can see her impact on the way Ina writes her own recipes on every page! The instructions are helpful but not too wordy. The recipes use a short list of ingredients for maximum impact on flavor.While several dishes, like salmon mousse and snails, are not things I'd attempt for my own family, I'm looking very forward to trying her breakfast dishes, veggies, and desserts.As was very common with cookbooks published at this time, be warned there are no food photos on any of the pages.
Published: 1999What draws me to the Barefoot Contessa style of cooking is the heavy focus on seasonal produce to flavor the dishes. Anna Pump's Country Weekend Entertaining is an excellent addition to your Barefoot Contessa library because the dishes are broken down by season when the produce included would be available.This book was another gift from my family and since we are such huge fans of soup season, Anna's delicious sounding soups are jumping to the top of my list to try. There are also several delicious veggie side dishes and brunch items including a granola recipe that looks amazing.As with her prior book, there are no food photos included but the recipes are spaced out with a little more breathing room on each page so that they will be easier to follow when you're in the kitchen.
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