Cook Like a Pro
Recipes and Tips for Home Cooks: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook
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- $8.99
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Cook with confidence no matter how much experience you have in the kitchen with the help of the beloved Food Network star
“Garten has kicked things up a level, this time encouraging readers to try more ambitious recipes that are still signature Ina: warm, comforting, homey.”—Chicago Tribune
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times Book Review • Food Network • Food & Wine • PopSugar • The Atlanta Journal-Constitution • Country Living • The Feast • Eater • The Kitchn • Delish
In this collection of foolproof recipes, Ina brings readers’ cooking know-how to the next level by answering questions, teaching techniques, and explaining her process right in the margin of each recipe—it’s as if she’s in the kitchen by your side guiding you through the recipe. When you make her Cauliflower Toasts with prosciutto and Gruyère, she shows you the best way to cut a cauliflower into perfect florets without getting them all over the kitchen (from the stem end, with the head turned upside-down!) and when making her Red Wine–Braised Short Ribs, Ina shares a fantastic tip for keeping your stovetop clean (roast the short ribs in the oven rather than browning them in a pan on the stove!). You’ll discover dozens more ingenious tips and shortcuts throughout, such as how to set up an elegant home bar, how to peel two heads of garlic quickly, how to use a paring knife to create a pro-worthy pattern on her decadent Chocolate Chevron Cake, and the key to making unbelievably creamy Truffled Scrambled Eggs (add the eggs to the skillet before the butter melts—who knew?!).
Both beginners and advanced cooks will love this book filled with new dishes that will become part of your repertoire and practical cooking advice that will give you more confidence in the kitchen. Your friends and family will be so impressed!
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Food Network host Garten's disappointing 11th cookbook revolves around the author's professional tips intended to elevate home cooking, but much of her advice will come as no surprise. She begins by touching on basics, such as proper seasoning ("You've been under-salting") and plating ("Plating food is like arranging flowers in a vase") that are helpful yet too familiar. A tomato and avocado salad incorporates arugula, lemon juice, and red onion, and the helpful hints include instructions to use a serrated knife to cut the tomatoes. A sidebar on baking (deemed "very scientific") cautions that an oven takes 20 minutes to preheat. A recipe for turkey sandwiches made with store-bought mayonnaise suggests toasting the bread in the oven, but doesn't explain why that's preferable to using a toaster. Many dishes are inspired by other recipes: the fried chicken sandwich from Shake Shack, and Charlie Bird's farro salad with shaved parmesan (use a vegetable peeler, Garten advises), which is based on a recipe written by Melissa Clark in the New York Times. As a result, Garten's own style doesn't shine through. Her recipes are all perfectly sound, but the lack of a strong point of view or game-changing advice makes this one of her lesser collections.
Customer Reviews
Another Ina classic!!
Great cookbook wonderful recipes tips beautiful photos and easy to understand techniques. Add this to your collection & wonderful holiday gift.
Savannah
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