The Cookbook Ina Garten Recommends Beginners Start With - Mashed (2024)

The Cookbook Ina Garten Recommends Beginners Start With - Mashed (2)

The Cookbook Ina Garten Recommends Beginners Start With - Mashed (3)

The Cookbook Ina Garten Recommends Beginners Start With

The Cookbook Ina Garten Recommends Beginners Start With - Mashed (4)

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Ina Garten really is just like us. No, seriously. Garten is everyone's favorite celebrity home cook who creates such incredible dishes and ingredients — did anyone say DIY vanilla extractas a holiday gift?You would never guess that the one-time White House administration worker is a self-taught cook. Per Eating Well, the host of Food Network's "Barefoot Contessa" taught herself to cook by working her way through Julia Child's cookbooks. On an episode of "Radio Cherry Bombe," Garten shared that her mom didn't really let her cook at home. So Garten did the next best thing when she was older: "I got Julia Child's 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking' and really started working my way through those two volumes. I was 'Julie & Julia.' ... It's funny. Some people have told me that I'm their Julia Child for 'Julie & Julia,' which is really flattering."

Since then, Garten has become a cookbook author herself, sharing how she whips up mashed potatoes with lemon zest or uses booze as her secret weapon for desserts. Garten has a lot of wisdom, tips, and tricks to impart to us. If you are a fan of the "store bought is fine" chef, then you might wonder which of Garten's cookbooks is best for the newly-minted cook. You are not alone, and fortunately, a fan from Lincoln, Nebraska asked Ina this very question on Garten's "Ask Ina" website forum.

Try Garten's first cookbook

Garten answered her fan from Nebraska's pressing question by suggesting she start with "The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook." Garten wrote, "I always recommend that beginner cooks start with 'The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook,' which is filled with the easy recipes that I used to make at my specialty food store in East Hampton, New York." Perhaps it is its simplicity that makes it the perfect cookbook to use to get started on your Ina Garten cooking journey.

One reviewer on Good Reads wrote, "Gotta love the Contessa! Simple, accessible ingredients, delicious food — full of the love of feeding loved people." While the book's Amazon Review also cited this cookbook's simplicity, noting this book is not about "getting outrageous" with your recipes, a point proven with Garten's inclusion of recipes for both hummus and guacamole. The review goes on to quote Garten's thoughts on food, "Food is not about impressing people. It's about making them feel comfortable." The celebrity chef also shares a number of tips and tricks in this cookbook that will surely add to the ease of your cooking experience.

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The Cookbook Ina Garten Recommends Beginners Start With - Mashed (2024)

FAQs

The Cookbook Ina Garten Recommends Beginners Start With - Mashed? ›

Ina's Answer: I always recommend that beginner cooks start with The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, which is filled with the easy recipes that I used to make at my specialty food store in East Hampton, New York.

What is the best Ina Garten cookbook for beginners? ›

Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics is the essential Ina Garten cookbook, focusing on the techniques behind her elegant food and easy entertaining style, and offering nearly a hundred brand-new recipes that will become trusted favorites.

Who is the Barefoot Contessa's husband? ›

Ina and Jeffrey Garten have been married for over 50 years, having tied the knot in 1968. Throughout their marriage, the couple have lived in many places together including Paris, Washington, D.C., Manhattan and East Hampton, New York.

Will Ina Garten have a new cookbook in 2024? ›

She is currently working on her next cookbook. Her long-awaited memoir, Be Ready When the Luck Happens will be published by Crown on October 01, 2024. In 2002 Food Network approached Ina Garten to do a cooking show based on her cookbooks and her love of entertaining.

How much is Barefoot Contessa worth? ›

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Ina Garten's net worth in 2024 is estimated at $60 million. When combined with that of her husband Jeffrey, that amount is estimated at a whopping $120 million.

What is Ina Garten's favorite meal? ›

Instead of a chicken pot pie, Ina Garten likes to make a chicken stew and top it with flaky biscuits. She names it as one of her all-time favorite comfort foods, and we can easily see why. We think she would approve of this soup version on a cold night.

What is Ina Garten's newest cookbook? ›

Go-To Dinners

Cooking night after night during the pandemic inspired her to re-think the way she approached dinner, and the result is this collection of comforting and delicious recipes that you'll love preparing and serving.

Why doesn't Ina Garten have children? ›

In a new interview for Julia Louis-Dreyfus' podcast, Wiser Than Me, Garten admitted that it "wasn't a struggle at all" to decide against having children. "I had no interest in having children," she told Louis-Dreyfus. "I had a terrible childhood, and it was nothing I wanted to recreate.

Is Ina Garten Catholic? ›

Garten is Jewish by birth and heritage, as is her husband, but rarely refers to her religion and ethnicity, though they are showcased through the inclusion of classic Jewish cooking in her television show and cookbooks, when she makes such dishes as rugelach, challah, and brisket.

Is Barefoot Contessa divorced? ›

What age did Ina Garten get married? Ina and Jeffrey tied the knot on Dec. 22, 1968, and the pair is still going strong today. Just this year, the couple played the "Not the Newlyweds Game," on Ina's Instagram, which is just as charming as you'd imagine.

Are Bobby Flay and Ina Garten friends? ›

Flay and Garten have been friends and colleagues for decades, so it's no surprise that Flay has such respect for her person and her cooking. And Garten has returned that love in kind. In an interview with the Food Network, Garten waxed impressed about the staggering achievements and stamina of Flay.

Which president did Ina Garten work for? ›

One of those places was Washington, D.C., where Garten worked as a budget analyst for presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter.

Does Ina Garten cook in her own home? ›

Several years ago, Garten built a second kitchen in a barn on her property so she could have somewhere to film episodes of Barefoot Contessa (she told Oprah Daily all about it in 2021). But Garten's home kitchen, where she still cooks meals for friends and family, has remained untouched for 25 years—at least until now.

Who is the richest chef in the world? ›

Alan Wong takes the top spot as the world's wealthiest chef by a long shot, with a jaw-dropping estimated net worth of $1.1 billion (£870m). Wong is best known as the co-founder of Hawaii Regional Cuisine, a company set up to showcase Hawaii's locally grown ingredients and diverse culinary styles.

What is a famous quote from Ina Garten? ›

Ina Garten Quotes

You can be miserable before you have a cookie and you can be miserable after you eat a cookie but you can't be miserable while you are eating a cookie. Food is about nurturing: not only physical but also emotional nurturing.

How much does Ina Garten's house cost? ›

Garten and her husband Jeffrey paid $4.65 million for the stunning home, located at the corner of Park Avenue and 62nd Street in Manhattan.

What food scale does Ina Garten use? ›

Oxo Good Grips Food Scale

Ina uses this Oxo food scale to keep everything precise — and delicious.

Is Ina Garten a chef or a cook? ›

Her fame may be relatively quiet — she doesn't have a line of cookware, there isn't a namesake restaurant — but make no mistake: Ina Garten is a powerhouse celeb chef.

What food nationality does Ina Garten focus on? ›

After her husband had completed his military service, the couple went on a four-month camping vacation in Europe including time in France which sparked her love for French cuisine. During this trip, she was introduced to open-air markets, produce stands, and fresh cooking ingredients.

Which food processor does Ina Garten use? ›

Cuisinart Custom Pro 11-Cup Food Processor.

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