Giveaway: Barefoot Contessa’s How Easy Is That?
Y’all know how I feel about the Barefoot Contessa. When it comes to relaxing tv entertainment, she and Rick Steves top the list. I’m crazy about her pure white kitchen, the bouquets of hydrangeas she seems to have in every corner, her soothing voice, her extra shiny hair, and the way she’s so gaga for her husband. Also, her recipes: haven’t had a bad one ––or even just a disappointing one––yet. That’s why I’m so super jazzed that Clarkson Potter is giving away one copy of Ina’s hot-off-the-presses book to a Pink of Perfection reader named after one of our favorite signature phrases: How Easy Is That? Ina’s cookbooks and recipes always have the feeling of being at once simple and luxurious, which makes them great for short-notice guests on weeknights or when you’re just trying to knock someone’s socks off in a breath of blasé “oh, this?” Filled with big, glossy photos, I’m already chomping at the bit to make the roasted shrimp with feta and the spicy turkey meatballs. Leave a comment by Friday, November 12 at midnight EST about your favorite easy-but-elegant recipe. One winner will be chosen at random.
Update 11/15: And the winner is Pattie! Thanks everyone for these tidbits. I got so many great ideas reading your comments!
Kate: I’d have to say whisking up a batch of whipped cream turns any old thing into a pretty and thoughtful dessert. Thanks for the giveaway!1 year ago
Samantha Angela @ Bikini Birthday: French Bread. So easy to make, and yet such a crowd pleaser.1 year ago
Aleta: Truffels would have to be my favorite. Everyone oohs and ahhs but they are so easy to make.1 year ago
Jodi Anderson: I am really crossing my fingers about this giveaway because I want this book SO bad.
Thank you for the opportunity!
1 year ago
Jenna: Herbed goat cheese puffs! I always thought they looked so intimidating and elegant when I saw them served. Once i learned how to make them, it was a snap.1 year ago
Haley: Chocolate souffle in individual ramekins. So easy: melt, whip, fold, bake, nom. So good, even the extras the next day out of the fridge, even when they’ve fallen. So fancy feeling.1 year ago
Becca Smith Hill: LOVE Ina Garten–seriously! My favorite elegant but easy as pie recipe is baked brie served with Ginger Snaps.
I use the Pepperidge Farm frozen phyllo sheets, wrap around a round of Brie, brush with egg wash and bake. Served with Ginger Snaps, this is a really frou-frou-seeming appetizer, and so simple and delicious!1 year ago
Christy: I love Ina. My favorite easy recipe is not even a recipe. I just love throwing together a meat and cheese platter. Guests can help themselves, and the platter can look very elegant.1 year ago
Jane: Roast chicken with herbs and garlic tucked underneath the skin – from Alice Waters the Art of Simple Food. Super easy and impressive to guests!1 year ago
Ginger: Oh! I’ve been eyeing this book for a bit now. She is fantastic. Her easy cinnamon rolls have changed my life (and my scale, but we won’t talk about that)…1 year ago
Kristie: I love to make chocolate fondue just by melting chocolate chips and serving with cut up fruit, so easy and yet so delicious!1 year ago
Katy: Puff pastry is my fallback for easy entertaining. Keep it in the fridge and bake it up with whatever is on hand.1 year ago
Christina: I love Ina, her show and her recipes
. My favorite easy & elegant (and crazy delicious) recipe of hers is for roasted carrots and parsnips. You never knew how much you liked parsnips until you’ve tried this 
.1 year ago
Angie (Telly's Tasty Tidbits): Champagne Risotto is easy and oh so elegant… I mean, come on, it has champagne in it already!1 year ago
Melissa: Palmiers! You can roll anything in puff pastry and it will look fancy, taste amazing and take only a few minutes to assemble! Love ‘em!
And I totally agree about Ina’s soothing voice! Can’t wait to get my hands on this book. Her others are fabulous.1 year ago
Nicole: I make chocolate beggars purses from pastry dough and mini-chocolate bars. It’s 5 minutes of prep time at the most and they are always a crowd-pleaser.1 year ago
Fran: i love ina. for all the reasons you stated and more. i LOVE how she emphasizes a low-pressure environment for in-home entertaining, never cooking more than 2 of the dishes you’ll be serving. love it.
favorite easy yet elegant dish would have to be her tarragon chicken salad. creamy and predictably delicious, yet glamorous with the fresh tarragon. yum!1 year ago
kayduh: My go-to appetizer is boursin cheese with fig jam. Spread the jam on top of the cheese and serve with crackers. It’s super easy and tastes great! My mom has to make 2 for family gatherings because we eat the first one before the guests arrive.1 year ago
KJ: Ragout is my favorite easy but elegant!1 year ago
Phoo-D: My favorite elegant but easy appetizer is a simple goat cheese log rolled in fresh chopped herbs. It comes together in seconds and tastes fresh and clean.1 year ago
Amanda Hines: I heart Ina (and Jeffrey).1 year ago
Forrest: My favorite is Ina’s creme brulee. It looks and tastes crazy complicated but it’s the easiest thing ever! And so impressive looking!1 year ago
Kalee: Two of my grandmother’s appetizer recipes, crab bites, and hot chicken dip. I always have the ingredients on hand, so I can entertain with no notice!1 year ago
RH: Roasted asparagus with balsamic reduction. So easy. Can’t get enough.1 year ago
kat: It’s not so much of what I make, but that people are amazed that I cook at all. “You made brownies? From scratch?” Um, yeah. 40 mins from opening the recipe book to putting them out for everyone to enjoy. People who don’t like to cook are just shocked.1 year ago
Anne: Gougeres, ever since I found out in Dorie Greenspan’s new book that you can freeze them portioned out just like cookies! I love having things in the freezer that are ready for unexpected guests.1 year ago
Nim: I would love to win Ina’s new book! Thank you for the opportunity.
One of my absolute favorite elegant recipes is prosciutto-wrapped, blue-cheese-stuffed figs. Guests have always been completely blown away by this dish, and I barely have to do any work at all. And while some of the individual ingredients are a little bit pricey, a little goes a very long way, even if you’re having a large party. I love it.
PS: I’ve never commented, but I adore your blog. I come here often when I need to destress or cheer up.
So thank you!1 year ago
Amy Farrington: I like to make Julia Child’s Moroccan chicken- it’s one-pot cooking with complex flavors. Voila!
I’ve also done the phyllo dough thing- put a bunch of apricot jam on brie, wrap it up and bake. Fancy noms!1 year ago
Sarah F: Lemon bars. The first time I made them, I couldn’t believe how very simple they were, and when they are done…well, I feel like I’m ready to have tea with the queen.1 year ago
janet: Elegant but easy: Cream puffs! Yum!1 year ago
Katie @ cakes, tea and dreams: Oh, how fun! I love to make delicious desserts – pumpkin bread, fruit cobblers topped with dumplings, scones in different flavors. Not super complex, but always delicious and always appreciated.1 year ago
Miss Petite Treat: love, love, love Barefoot Contessa!!
This one is super easy but feels elegant
http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/moo-shu-noodles/
and
the creamy cauliflower from your dinner party for eight post! Made it this weekend for this first time…could not believe how easy it was and how well it went over!!1 year ago
Missy: Oddly enough its an Ina Recipe. Her Penne with 5 Cheeses is my go to recipe for wowing people when I’m short on time.1 year ago
Pink Frenchie: Oh how I wish Ina were my friend so I could have lunch in her herb garden or dinner in her barn or drinks on her porch!
Anyway, back to the topic at hand—easy food. I think just about anything that can be thrown into a slow cooker is easy. Last weekend I made a Moroccan chicken tagine that was simple and delish:
http://pinkfrenchie.blogspot.com/2010/11/weekend-trip-to-morocco.html1 year ago
Emily morrice: My go to is always toasted baguette (I live in Montreal so it’s easier to find than sliced wonder bread lol!) topped with chopped tomatoes, parsley, evoo, garlic, and salt and pepper. SO fast, so yummy
1 year ago
Stephanie @ Confessions of a Trophy Wife: I honestly can’t think of anything I make that could be construed as “elegant”. I guess I’m more of a comfort food type
But I’ve always wanted to make a Brie en Croute or a Brie smothered in some sort of warm pecan sauce. Basically, to me, Brie = elegance!1 year ago
Truc: Warm homemade ricotta on little baguette toasts with a few things (nuts, salt, olive oil, honey) to drizzle on to your taste. Making the ricotta is shockingly easy, but nobody knows that it’s easy, and it always gets a big wow reaction.1 year ago
Kate: I love her Company Pot Roast recipe. Its amazing – and not difficult!1 year ago
Jen: I’m like Stephanie up there: heavy on the comfort food, light on the elegant. But my favorite “impress the heck out of everyone” recipe is anything involving my grandmother’s pie crust. It’s the easiest thing, but nobody has to know!1 year ago
jj: A favorite easy, elegant soup I love is from over at 101 cookbooks, a spinach + zucchini soup, blended simply with garlic, onions, veggie stock, and plenty of cilantro, plus a squeeze of lemon and a drip of olive oil on top. It’s a simple hit! I have to admit once seeing the idea for whipped cauliflower here, I’m totally converted from mashed potatoes too — the cauliflower is much more interesting & classy! Anyway, thanks for the giveaway! =)1 year ago
Chrissy: Wow, lots of incredible sounding dishes already in the comments! The closest I can come to elegant is lemon pudding cakes in individual ramekins.1 year ago
Anna: I tell everyone I know that Ina is my girl crush. I would love to live at her house. I’d even stay in the shed. She is absolutely divine!
1 year ago
Dana: Crabcakes, corn salad, asparagus, and a cherry cream tart for desert… that was a fabulous but easy dinner. I hope i have a chance at the giveaway.1 year ago
Christina T.: Maple-glazed salmon with pineapple and jalapeno–sounds fancy, looks beautiful, tastes great, and takes less than half an hour (including the time to chop the pineapple).1 year ago
Morgan: Oh. My. Gosh. I cannot tell you much I am in love with Ina Garten!!!!! I’m a student so her books are too pricey for me, but I want one soooo bad. I always watch her show!
p.s. I love your blog!1 year ago
LShira: Oh my, lovvveeee all things Ina! I have to say her roasted vegetable recipes are some of my favorites- it’s so nice when hosting to throw those in the oven while working on more hands-on recipes. People are shocked by how great roasted broccoli and roasted cherry tomatoes are!1 year ago
Lauren: Second only to my mother’s massive recipe collection, the “Barefoot Contessa” is my go-to source for amazing meals on any occassion. Fortunately, the aforementioned mother has nearly all of Ina’s lovely, expensive cookbooks and likes to share. This little gem isn’t in “our” library, though…1 year ago
Sara Rose: Flatbreads with shallots, roquefort, and pears or fig jam. Served with bubbly. Yes.1 year ago
Jenna: Crostini with mashed avocado, smoked salt, and sliced radishes. Inspired by Clotilde of Chocolate & Zucchini and completely delicious.1 year ago
amanda d: this book would make me very happy! i love Ina! thanks!!1 year ago
Katy: Without a doubt, my favorite easy-but-elegant recipe is Curried Split Pea soup (courtesy of Alton Brown). All it takes is a little bit of chopping and measuring and then I get to sit back and let the magic happen. The true perk, however, is the way the lovely scent of curry powder spreads throughout my apartment.1 year ago
Rebecca: My go-to for entertaining is a baked brie with jam. Roll out one sheet of frozen puff pastry (thawed), put the whole brie in the middle, spread jam on top of brie (I love apricot) and then bundle it up like you’re wrapping a present. Bake it according to directions on the box of dough!1 year ago
Ells: Without a doubt: Fresh figs stuffed with cheese (a good roquefort or chevre) rolled in prosciutto and tossed on the grill for just a minute. If I’m feeling saucy I’ll drizzle with a really good honey and olive oil. So good! So lovely!
I heart Ina. Crossing my fingers!1 year ago
Elizabeth: i loooooove ina…. and her “engagement chicken” is definitely my go-to easy elegance recipe. we just made it this weekend for the in-laws! so excited for the new book.1 year ago
Emily: Using a homemade jam that I’ve already canned and baking up a tart with it. A simple shortbread crust or store-bought puff pastry filled with jam, baked up and topped with lightly sweetened whipped cream. So good!1 year ago
Jessica Burmaster: Roasted chicken is super simple and always impresses. Ina is certainly the best!1 year ago
Faith: Gougeres are really deceptively simple and yet are so elegant and everyone is always amazed that you went to “all that effort.” Baked brie is another favorite in this regard.1 year ago
Jessica: if i have a frozen pie crust in the freezer, an apple gallette is the easiest but most impressive recipe in my arsenal. roll the crust out flat, pile sliced apples in the middle, sprinkle with cinnamon, nutmeg and dots of butter, fold the sides around the apples and pop in the oven. whip up some fresh whipped cream and you’re done. made one last weekend and my guests were super impressed. i didn’t tell them it only took 5 minutes to assemble!1 year ago
Starlene: I thought I was the only one who noticed her shiney hair! How the heck does she do that?
My go to for a dinner party when I want to impress? Braised short ribs and polenta. Yum and yum. Easy and elegant!1 year ago
Alyssa: Chocolate covered strawberries. Just melt chocolate over double boiler. Then dip strawberries (or any dried fruit, nuts, etc.) and cool on parchment paper until hard.
I love Ina!1 year ago
Kelly: Ina’s Penne with Five Cheeses manages to be both comfort food and impressive fare at the same time. I love its unctuousness on a chilly November evening, even more how it’s served in individual portions, so nothing disturbs the bubbly presentation.1 year ago
Gretchen Alice: Italian Lime Chicken. Prep time is literally five minutes–you throw it in the crockpot and deliciousness comes out four hours later!1 year ago
Lauren: Not really one for elegant food… but I do love making a nice crusty french bread.1 year ago
Karen: I think a roasted chicken with herbs, new potatoes and a veggie like roasted asparagus is the perfect elegant, no-fuss meal. Add some bread, a few candles, a vase full of flowers…
1 year ago
Tori: oh my gosh I want to print out all these comments for future reference!
something i make a lot is frozen corn, roasted in a pan on the stovetop, and tossed with fresh mint (i found the link on my friend’s blog, which led me to my very first pink of perfection visit!!!)…i also impressed my friends once with nutella + ricotta + sea salt on little slices of baguette–super elegant and super quick!1 year ago
Bethany: My favorite is Sarah’s dark chocolate coconut blondies. I swear, they were the first thing that got my boyfriend’s attention when we first started dating. His coworkers would eat almost all of them before he got to even taste them.1 year ago
danielle: cheesecake brownies. i believe the recipe i used was from smitten kitchen? took maybe 15 minutes prep tops, and they looked super fancy like they were from a bakery.1 year ago
Elizabeth B.: I find that people are so impressed by baked goods, even if they come from a box! When I’m in a pinch I’ll make brownies from a mix, then dress them up by adding chopped nuts, dried cherries, and dusting with powdered sugar.1 year ago
ruth@gracelaced: I love Ina for all the same reasons. I would love to spend an afternoon with her! Pecan-stuffed dates wrapped in bacon are a cinch and always seems to impress.1 year ago
Maureen: I love to use phyllo mini tart shells, fill them with lemon curd, add a few berries to the top-and bam, they are done! I am crazy about lemon curd, I think I could eat a jar all by myself.1 year ago
Melissa: Splendid Table’s Tarragon Chicken with Buttery Leeks. Never fails!1 year ago
Theresa N: My favorite is bacon wrapped pitted dates stuffed with pecan.1 year ago
Megan Rich: I have two:
1) Eggplant, fresh mozzarella, basil leaf. Sautee the slices of eggplant, flipping once. Once you flip, put a slice of (preferably buffalo) mozzarella on top with a fresh basil leaf. Divine!
2) Freeze a banana without the peel. Blend it to creamy perfection (takes about 3-5 min in the blender, depending on how many). Enjoy! The creamiest thing one can imagine from a single ingredient. Amazing.1 year ago
Cristina: Peanut Butter Banana Nut Bread! We always have bananas and peanut butter at home, and I’ve never had a batch come out bad, plus everyone loves quickbreads.1 year ago
Tricia A: any kind of asst. cheese platter on top of a big wooden cutting board with figs and nuts scattered in between…..so fancy and rustic elegant and EVERYBODY loves CHEESE!1 year ago
Andrea: I love Ina!1 year ago
beth: homemade ice cream! so easy and always worlds better than the kind from the store: http://bellybulletin.blogspot.com/2010/03/cake-for-naitlin-part-2.html
thanks for the giveaway, sarah!1 year ago
Karen: One of my favorite easy recipes came from this blog. It is a beef stew with mushrooms (using red wine and consomme as a base). It is delicious.
I love Ina. This new book looks great!1 year ago
Sarah: My go-to is Ina’s cheese straws – so easy & everyone loves them!1 year ago
Suzy: Key lime pie. It’s super easy, super fast, frozen, has to be made ahead (in order to freeze) so you can’t leave it to the last minute, requires only a few cheap ingredients, and everyone always loves it.1 year ago
Katherine: My favorite easy but elegant recipe is pasta carbonara! Always tastes so yummy and complex but it super easy and quick.1 year ago
Ella Pretty: My favourite easy dinner is grilled chicken with avocado salad…tastes gourmet but takes only 20 minutes to make…the chicken breasts are thinly sliced and seasoned, then grilled with olive oil. Avocado is mixed with tomatoes, onions and lettuce, and dressed with lime juice and green tabasco sauce.1 year ago
Melissa Rose: My favorite easy, elegant, recipe is: chocolate mousse. Super simple and people always think it was so hard. Love that one.1 year ago
Cheryl: Spinach quiche is very easy and elegant. In fact, we might have it for dinner tonight!1 year ago
Sarah J: Scampi Al Forno (aka best shrimp that come together in minutes while you enjoy some easy banter w/ your guests)
1 lb shrimp
salt
red pepper flakes
chopped handful of parsley, divided
2 juiced lemons, divided
1/2 cup olive oil
2-4 cloves garlic, maybe more, minced or whatever
cook on medium/high heat until just done. finish w/ 2nd half of lemon and parsley.
great over linguine or w/ crusty bread. basil is a nice sub if you don’t feel like parsley. this really is a “how easy is that?” kind of recipe w/ an elegant feel. v. ina. memememe!1 year ago
Karol: i love ina’s pear tarte tatin! so great to entertain with, and comes together in a snap!1 year ago
Agasel: My fave recipe to impress my friends is a cracker, white cheese melted on top, a drop of marmalade, and a sliced fig on that.
I am hungry now.1 year ago
Beth: Aunt Chris’s salmon/spinach/feta dish: (I’ve yet to come up with a snappy name… though I’ve been trying…suggestions welcome! )
Ingredients: box of frozen spinach, some feta cheese, a good sized piece of salmon, a roll of frozen pie dough, dill, butter
rinse & pat dry the salmon, thaw the spinach under warm water, squeeze out all the excess water from the spinach with paper towels.
unroll the pie dough in something bakeable- casserole dish, pie pan, whatever. plop your salmon in the middle of the dough, sprinkle the dill on top, then put the spinach on top of that, the feta on top of that, and throw a little more dill in there for good measure.
pull up the edges of the dough and pinch them together so you have a big hot pocket with the deliciousness in the middle. brush with butter (so it gets all beautifully brown) and sprinkle a bit more dill on there for good measure. cut out a few little vents (like you would on a pie) in the crust.
bake at 325 for about 45 minutes, but keep an eye on it- some of the pie crusts bake faster than others (the dough box might have a time table too.)
This makes the most delicious main course- the salmon and the spinach are a really great counterpoint, the feta gets a little melty and the pie crust is perfectly flakey. Trust me, it wows the crowd. And you’ll be scraping the leftovers out of the pan- it’s just that good.1 year ago
maria: two nouns, one conjunction: spaghetti and meatballs1 year ago
Jude: Who doesn’t love Ina? My favorite elegant but easy recipe is bruschetta — pronounced properly, please, with the hard “k” sound. It’s so simple to make with whatever fresh ingredients you have on hand, and it’s one of those things that even children will gobble up!1 year ago
Heather: Truffles!1 year ago
christine thelen: baked brie with crackers is simple but delicious and gets everyone on the conversation of different cheeses and eventually different wines
1 year ago
Sasha: Not sure I have an easy but elegant recipe, which is why I need this book! But come to think of it my grandmother (who spent a decade in Italy) always used to have cantaloupe draped with prosciutto as an appetizer for holiday dinners, and I always thought it most elegant and delicious!1 year ago
Annie: Homemade bread or raspberry brownies. Both are really easy but they are fabulous and impressive.1 year ago
Rhonda35: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts pounded thin, dipped in flour, then egg, then seasoned breadcrumbs – sauteed in 1 T each butter and olive oil till golden and cooked through. Plate each, top with a handful of arugula and top that with a mixture of chopped tomatoes, minced shallot, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and salt/pepper. Serve – soooo easy, sooo pretty and soooo delicious!1 year ago
Bev Bourne: I love Ina’s show and, as you said, her calm, soothing voice. She makes it all look so easy.
I’d love to win the cookbook.1 year ago
Kathleen: My go-to easy and elegant dish: crepes.
The batter is made ahead of time and they take just seconds to cook. I love them with roasted asparagus, goat cheese and roasted red peppers or with berries with freshly whipped cream for dessert!1 year ago
Anne Marie Cribbin: Lavender Pots de Creme. A simple lavender infused custard that knocks their socks off everytime. Anything served in individual ramekins just screams ” I really really like you!”1 year ago
penny: Molten Chocolate cake. seems so fancy, but its so ridiculously easy and you can make the batter ahead of time and stuff it into the fridge.1 year ago
allie: Oooh, I want this book so much! I have been wanting to make figs wrapped in proscuitto. So simple and elegant. And delicious!1 year ago
mari: Not so much for the elegant but I always enjoy some chips and guacamole (homemade stuff is an art form). Once you’ve had guac that isn’t prepackaged, you won’t want the stuff that comes wrapped in a wee plastic baggie.
p.s. Ina is pretty awesome. You aren’t bad either =).1 year ago
Jess: One of my favorites (and I almost feel guilty posting it in a thread about the BC) is this recipe for spaghetti and meatballs from Martha. It truly is simple and was the first version of spaghetti and meatballs I ever made.
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/easiest-spaghetti-and-meatballs?lnc=073ddfc3832ee010VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&rsc=taxonomylist_food_quick-recipes1 year ago
Erin: I can whip up some killer brownies, but the ad hoc cookbook helps with that as well.1 year ago
Sonia: I’ve made barefoot contessa’s outrageous brownies by scratch. They are truly elegant and delicious.1 year ago
Jackie: love love love Ina & Jeffrey – adorable! my favorite easy recipe by her are the savory palmiers (Back to Basics, 2008). they are super-doable as appetizers for any time of year and look like they need a lot more time to put together than they actually do.1 year ago
Rachel: A crust-less quiche. The recipe comes from a good friend of mine and is quite simple to prepare, but looks wonderful and tastes delicious. It works for a casual brunch, an easy dinner, and the leftovers are great for lunch.1 year ago
Elizabeth: Madeleines: chocolate or lemon almond. Super simple, and they cook really fast–just make sure you don’t overcook them. It’s worth the twelve bucks for the mold.
p.s. I’d give anything to be Ina.1 year ago
annika: A pear clafouti – can be made in the cuisinart and is always elegant and delicious.1 year ago
Jess: Barefoot Contessa’s apple pie! Amazing–1 year ago
Lizzie: My favorite easy recipes are simple chocolate brownies! I love a good brownie and it’s so easy to just add stuff to them on a whim! : )1 year ago
Tracy: Finnish Braid–a lovely eggy holiday bread, spiced with flavors of orange, cardamom, and cinnamon. Absolutely floors people, and leaves the kitchen smelling fabulous for hours.1 year ago
geek+nerd: Brownies from scratch. I use a Nigella Lawson recipe that has three sticks of butter and six eggs in it. They are positively decadent and people cannot get over how great they are.1 year ago
Adrienne: Anything with pate a choux! Not hard at all, but very impressive. Gougeres are my favorite
1 year ago
Susan: Ina’s roasted shrimp with cocktail sauce has become a favorite – all done ahead, roasting shrimp so much more flavorful than traditional boiled shrimp1 year ago
krista {urbanite jewelry}: Angel hair pasta tossed with alfredo sauce, sauteed shrimp, asparagus & diced roma tomatoes. Add some garlic bread et voila! C’est magnifique!1 year ago
Elizabeth Bailey: I would have to say Spaghetti Carbonara. It’s so easy but delicious!!!1 year ago
Leana: I’m a huge fan of Ina’s Roasted Vegetable Soup. I must say, when she made that 4-hour lamb, I almost died.1 year ago
Christy Carpenter: My boyfriend and I love to whip up lightly baked buttery baguette slices with fontina cheese. Then we pile on sauteed mushrooms that have been cooked in a little balsamic vinegar. We sometimes pair it with a traditional bruchetta with roasted tomatoes and fresh basil from the garden to cut the richness of the fontina and mushrooms. We’ve never had leftovers. They are a huge hit in our house!1 year ago
D'Rae: what a wonderful book! Sign me up please.1 year ago
Diane Carol: Homemade cream puffs…..so easy….but pack a punch as a savory “hotel” for salads…but my favorite is adding a scoop of ice cream and topping it with Sanders Milk Chocolate Hot Fudge Sauce – to DIE for!1 year ago
Pattie: I would cook anything that Ina cooks. She makes everything look delicious and so simple to do. She’s my favorite!!!!1 year ago
Sheree: Icecream sandwiches cut into triangles with crushed oreos sprinkled over the top and drizzled with chocolate syrup! Oh delish!1 year ago
Andrea Bass: Elegant and easy…how about an omelette with herb cheese and a glass of champagne,and wearing favorite pajamas while eating! .1 year ago
Susan Phelps: I just saw Ina make a delicious-looking chocolate sheet cake that had buttermilke AND sour cream in out. How good does that sound!?1 year ago
Carly: I found a coq au vin recipe online a while ago and it only takes an hour instead of two days or whatever. Yum! I want to make it again right now! Also, your chicken pot pie and mushroom soup recipes are amazing!1 year ago
Sara Anne: Ina’s French Apple Tart is my favorite for a quick, elegant dessert. Sometimes in the summer, I change it up by using peaches. Delicious and easy!1 year ago
jen: Oh dear – I am right there next to you in the love of the Barefoot Contessa department and for all the same reasons. Flattery aside my favorite elegant and easy recipe is Ina’s Rosemary Polenta (Barefoot Contessa Family Style, 2002). You can pair it with just about anything and it can be made the day before. Delicious.1 year ago
tricia: crostata of seasonal fruit. so good. so simple.1 year ago
Allyn: definitely my favorite easy but elegant recipe is to top a wedge of brie with some apricot preserves and walnuts or pecans, pop into the oven and then eat with crackers when all gooey and melty. easy!1 year ago
Lilly: Love Ina’s apple galette – so incredibly easy, makes a beautiful presentation, and tasty! Just puff pastry, apples, and apricot jam.1 year ago
Stiffler: I once made a chocolate peanut butter torte that looked rather fancy.
I also once made Ina’s spanakopita – very tasty.1 year ago
Erin: An easy and simple goat cheese polenta dish, with fresh basil and a side of marinara (I think the whole recipe has about 6 ingredients)1 year ago
Tracy: Oh, definitely a roast chicken, with a green salad and pan-gravy passed in a gravy boat like our grandmothers would have done. And this amazingly simple almost-flourless chocolate cake from a few different food blogs – melt, stir and bake, and then just pass out from the sheer deliciousness!1 year ago
Jessica F: Well, it’s not particularly elegant but the degree of ease for making it shifts the spectrum…a frittata! I actually got my little sister to start cooking for herself with this one. She now will whip one up when she is hungry and has begun to get inventive in the kitchen!1 year ago
Meredith: My favorite is a fruit pavlova–way easier than a layer cake, but not too common in my area.1 year ago
Kelsey: Little individual quiches are simultaneously a. fussy-appearing and b. super delicious and easy for clean up.1 year ago
Susan: I love Ina Garten and would love a copy of her book. It
sounds like something I can use when y grandson and I make dinner
together1 year ago
Stacy Reardon: Gougeres, I think. They always seem to impress (partly coz the name) but they’re super easy.1 year ago
Jamie G: Butternut squash with fresh roasted broccoli and parmesian cheese, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Yum!1 year ago
Jen R.: I love to make chocolate ganache covered coconut macaroons. Seriously the easiest cookies I ever make and everyone loves them. (Well, except for those weird people that don’t eat coconut.) When someone who used to run a cookie business asked me for the recipe, I knew I had a winner. A little almond extract in the macaroon batter makes them extra special.
I don’t have any Barefoot Contessa cookbooks, but I would LOVE one!1 year ago
Cordelia: Oh, Ina. Plus, Liz Lemon loves Ina.
I make a recipe from Bon Appetit for Quick Coq au Vin. To die for.1 year ago
Kat: Roasted anything! And it is very in the style of Ina, one must admit.1 year ago
Kanesha: I’m attempting to host my first ever – at home – holiday tea. I need easy and great recipes. Thanks for the chance!1 year ago
Diane: Having a hard time coming up with anything easy and elegant that I make. I love to make things that are easy; elegant is a bit more elusive… How about the Martha Stewart receipe for cucumber and feta cheese tapa — that is a popular dish in my house.1 year ago
Bella: I’m not the elegant type–wholesome and comfort food is more my style. But I love this simple fish dish that also looks beautiful: Salmon, with a good deal of crushed-garlic whisked olive oil poured all over, and then covered with a full layer of chopped parsley. It’s super tender, moist, delicious…and elegant!1 year ago
Sara: Cheese souffle, molten chocolate cakes, or creamy roasted carrot soup. All super easy and elegant when served. Yum!
1 year ago
Anna: I agree, Ina Garten is great.
My favorite easy but elegant recipe is fish in parchment paper. I bake the fish (well-salted and peppered) at a high temperature for about ten minutes together with sautéed shallots, scallions, very thinly sliced lemon, chopped herbs, (usually fresh cilantro and a little chive or sweet basil, in season) a dusting of white pepper and a good pat of butter. It’s so delicious, and so easy!1 year ago
kate: Lately my favorite is sardines on toast – toast a nice piece of whole grain bread, lay some sardines (packed in olive oil) on the toast, drizzle some of the oil over, lay a piece of cheddar on top, and broil it until the cheese is melty. Perfect lunch for a chilly day!1 year ago
tami: roast chicken for sure!1 year ago