Ranking Ina Garten's Cookbooks

From Best To Super Best - There Is No Worst

Aug 16, 2024

When it comes to Ina Garten, she of Barefoot Contessa fame, I am an ardent, unapologetic fan. She can literally do no wrong, and even when she does something unpopular like, say, questionably respond to a Make-A-Wish child, I will staunchly defend her.

I’ve thrown Barefoot Contessa potlucks with friends; I’ve stood in long lines to get Ina’s autograph; heck, I’ve even chased down her friend Miguel in LAX to let him know I’m a fan, which is embarrassing to admit but unfortunately part of my life experience. My dedication runs deep, and it runs hard.

To be an Ina fan is to bop your head to her classic theme song. It’s to hum along to the various musical motifs throughout the episode. And it’s to remember the fateful Back to Basics era when producers served up a jazzy theme song remix, which was shocking, but eventually accepted.

We all know the various exploits of hapless model T.R., helpful florist Michael, and villainous Barbara Lieberman (who once one-upped Ina about grilled cheese, and I’ve never forgiven her). But of course none compare to lovable Jeffrey, whose capacity to revise his designation of “the best meal you’ve ever made me” knows no bounds.

Later seasons have seen our colorful cast of characters replaced by less fascinating visits from Rob Marshall, Emily Blunt, and various other celebrities. There was also a long string of chefs who came to share recipes, which was fine except we really weren’t tuning in for their expertise. I did, however, enjoy Ina’s recurring sous chef gag of chuckling “Nurse! Oh nurse!” anytime someone asked her to pass a tong.

Despite all the changes we’ve seen on the show over the years, one thing has stayed the same: a new book from Ina every two years. We all know the drill. Amazon pre-order in April; hard copy at the door in October.

At this point I have every Barefoot Contessa book as well as Summer on a Plate, written by the late, great Anna Pump, who once figured prominently in the Contessa cinematic universe. For what it’s worth, I’m contemplating pulling the trigger on Lidey Heuck’s Cooking in Real Life, if only to honor her humble beginnings as Ina’s assistant.

As the owner of the complete Barefoot Contessa library, I dream of someday cooking every single one of Ina’s recipes. That may be a bridge too far, but luckily someone already did it, and it did it quite well. Still, I’ve cooked enough of Ina’s dishes to have developed some pretty authoritative opinions about her books. Unhelpfully though, most of those opinions are just “They’re great!”

Truth is no one will ever go wrong with any of Ina Garten’s cookbooks. Her taste level is excellent, and the recipes work every. single. time.

But, for the sake of fun, let me attempt the difficult process of ranking the Barefoot Contessa cookbooks. Normally I’d present them from worst to best, but there is no worst. So let’s rank from best to SUPER best.

A few notes before we begin: I’ve had more time with some of these books than others, which inevitably does affect my ratings. I’m totally open to revising this list in the future, especially given how inspired I am to dive into the literal hundreds of Ina recipes I’ve never even touched. Truthfully, each book has at least two or three home runs; so you really can’t go wrong with any of them.

13. Barefoot in Paris (2004)

A perfectly fine and delightful entry in the canon, Paris trails the pack only because it is focused solely on French cuisine, and that’s just not what I’m looking to cook regularly. That being said, Ina’s scallops Provençal has been in my repertoire for nearly 20 years, and it still holds up. Plus, the recipe translates nicely to shrimp and soft shell crabs! You won’t go wrong with this book, but its uses are more limited than everything else on this list.

Notable recipes: Vegetable tian | Boeuf Bourguignon / Scallops Provençal*

12. Barefoot Contessa Parties! (2001)

My first Ina Garten cookbook! My mom donated this book to me from her own personal collection, and it has some deeply reliable recipes. Asian grilled salmon is my ultimate weeknight no-fuss fish dinner (and it translates beautifully to an air fryer). Ina’s margarita recipe is also unassailable. What drops this book so far down the list is its frustrating format, which groups recipes into party menus. I’ve made my opinions known about this sort of cookbook organization, and let me just say - it’s enough of a pet peeve to dock Parties! down to #12, despite its amazing offerings.

11. Cook Like a Pro (2018)

I’ve owned Cook Like a Pro for six years now, and yet I am strangely unacquainted with it. Maybe it’s because the book landed during the Barefoot Contessa Cook Like A Pro programming stretch, which swapped out neighborhood vignettes for Lin-Manuel Miranda cameos. Too bad because leafing through this cookbook now, there’s one fascinating recipe after the next. I need to plunge back into this book; its central concept - weaving professional techniques into the patented home cooking that Ina specializes in - is particularly appealing. For what it’s worth, Charlie Bird’s farro salad is one of my all time favorite grain dishes.

Notable recipes: Charlie Bird’s farro salad* | Chicken thighs with creamy mustard sauce

10. Cooking for Jeffrey (2016)

I have a distinct memory of receiving this book late October 2016 and spending Halloween night cooking the roast chicken with radishes as well as the crusty baked shells and cauliflower. Both were great. I enjoy the sentimental Jeffrey-ness of this book, but its theme doesn’t really have much utility beyond warming my cold heart. Does it really matter though when the food is this good?

Notable recipes: Roast chicken with radishes / Rigatoni with sausage and fennel* | crusty baked shells and cauliflower | Spiced pecans | Bourbon honey cake

9. Go-To Dinners (2022)

Yes, this book is two years old already, but I feel like it arrived just last week. I’ve hardly had any time with it! I chalk that up to the inversely proportional relationship between cookbook intake and personal bandwidth. Excuses be damned, I enjoy the culinary range of Go-To Dinners, even if many of the recipes appear to be iterations (or perhaps evolutions?) from earlier books. The sweet and savory Hasselback kielbasa, which I just made five nights ago, is rapidly becoming - dare I say it - a go-to dinner.

Notable recipes: Greek orzo salad | creamy chicken thighs with lemon and thyme | Hasselback kielbasa*

8. Modern Comfort Food (2020)

Much ink was spilled about Ina Garten’s Boston Cream Pie, which made its debut in Modern Comfort Food after years in development. I can assure you that it is indeed outstanding (even though I totally messed it up by adding the cream and ganache before the sponges had completely cooled). I truly love Modern Comfort Food, and strangely enough, I’ve cooked little from it. But leafing through these recipes mid-pandemic filled me with extreme warmth. Ina deftly homes in on the kind of food we crave in stressful times with one mouthwatering recipe after another. Unfortunately, I craved a bit too much comfort food in 2020, and by the time the book landed in my arms, I was already focused on healthier pursuits. This is probably the book I most want to revisit and explore. I can see it rising in the ranks once I get a few more experiences under my belt (which will certainly need to be loosened). For the food porn alone, this cookbook gets a leg up over Ina’s more recent releases.

Notable recipes: Kielbasa with mustard dip | Ultimate beef stew | Boston cream pie | Giant crinkled chocolate chip cookies

7. Back to Basics (2008)

I never quite emotionally connected with Back to Basics. It doesn’t have the homey warmth of Ina’s earlier books, which makes sense as it was title that transitioned us into the less personal, modern era of the Barefoot Contessa TV series. No joke - I think my resentment for the new theme song and show format prevented me from ever loving this book. But the reality is that I’ve cooked a whole bunch of Back to Basics recipes, and they, of course, are wonderful. No reason to penalize a rock solid entry just because the TV show began to falter.

6. Make It Ahead (2014)

Make It Ahead continues the post-Basics momentum of How Easy Is That? and Foolproof with a dependable collection of recipes that feel distinctly Barefoot Contessa but with more specific international references. Marinated herbed feta anticipates the Alison Romans and Andy Baraghanis who would make a splash later in the decade while roast chicken with bread and arugula salad is a new way to remix Ina’s classic roast chicken (by way of Zuni Café). An emphasis on food that can be made ahead, as per the title, is helpful for home cooks prepping for a party.

Notable recipes: Marinated herbed feta | Cauliflower and celery root soup* | Roast chicken with bread and arugula salad | Grilled New York strip steaks | fresh apple spice cake

5. Barefoot Contessa at Home (2006)

I don’t understand the difference between Barefoot Contessa at Home vs. The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook - aren’t they both home cooking resources? Doesn’t matter. This book contains two of Ina’s most celebrated cakes (see below), not to mention my favorite white lasagna. Borscht is divisive, but for those who love it, the neon pink version here is a winner.

4. The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook (1999)

It feels weird putting the OG book anywhere other than the #1 spot, but here we are. Some of Ina’s most iconic recipes — her perfect roast chicken, her Outrageous brownies — live here. Personally, I think the real winners are her turkey meatloaf and her banana crunch muffins. And don’t overlook her fresh lemonade recipe, which is the very best way to make lemonade. The only thing preventing this book from landing higher on the list is that 25 years on, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook is showing its age. Turkey tea sandwiches, grilled salmon salad, swordfish with lemon and capers — it’s not the most exciting stuff (but I’m sure all incredibly delicious). That being said, this book is a landmark, and how fun would it be if Ina dropped a revised edition to update some of the more ‘90s recipes?

3. Barefoot Family Style (2002)

Hit after hit after hit. Curried chicken salad? Perfect (even if dated). Chicken stew with biscuits? In heavy rotation (I may do a separate post about it). Lasagna with turkey sausage? Legendary. Banana sour cream pancakes? Some of the best out there. Challah French toast? The only way I make French toast. This book is so good I’m actually bumping it up this list as we speak.

2. Foolproof (2012)

On the heels of her sublime How Easy Is That?, Ina offers a reliable (foolproof, perhaps?) suite of recipes. Some push her dishes in new directions while others are variations on what came before (her salted caramel brownies are just Outrageous Brownies with store-bought caramel sauce - we’ll let it slide). Despite a nagging feeling like she’s recycling certain concepts, there’s a maturity in her recipe design this time around that I appreciate. Sometimes the sum is greater than the parts, and this is a cohesive and inviting collection. Just try leafing through the book without wanting to make everything you see. For the salmon and melting cherry tomatoes alone - truly the most deeply satisfying and crispy salmon skin to emerge from my kitchen - Foolproof lands a spot surprisingly high on this list.

1. How Easy Is That? (2010)

Without a doubt the very best Barefoot Contessa cookbook is How Easy Is That?

Not only do I love Ina elevating one of her catchphrases for the title…

Not only do I love the inclusion of homemade foie gras (NOT easy at all)…

And not only do I love Ina’s casual recommendation to just HAVE a second dishwasher (It’s in “More easy tips!” section)…

But I absolutely love that so many Hall of Fame recipes tumble out of this book. How Easy Is That? marks a subtle turning point in Ina’s repertoire. The recipes feel smarter; they lean ever so slightly away from safe Hamptons fare and into the trends that still dominate food writing today (herbs in abundance, Mediterranean flavors, celery as a centerpiece). Don’t get me wrong, Ina’s recipes prior to this cookbook are fabulous, but — I can’t put a finger on it — How Easy Is That? just feels different. Like a shift.

And let’s talk about these icons. Mocha icebox cake: so simple to make and a crowd-pleaser every single time. Steakhouse steaks: my tried and true method for making steak (until Alison Roman came along - but that’s for another post). Weeknight bolognese: the backbone for my very own bolognese recipe (you should try both). Easy Provençal lamb nearly brought us to tears (and even elicited a comment from Queen Ina herself on my IG). And of course, tuna and hummus sandwiches: quite possibly my favorite sandwich recipe of all time.

This is the one.

*Recipes with an asterisk are showstoppers, best of the best, the ones I come back to time and time again. Highly recommended.

What are your favorite Ina Garten cookbooks? How would you rank them?

Anastasia Sunshine

Aug 16

The one book I don’t have is How Easy is That, ordering now. I bought a copy for my mother in law a couple years ago, after she passed I went to get it and couldn’t find it. I reckon she gave it away.

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Claire P.

At Home and Family Style are the two most-used of my collection. Ina can do no wrong in my eyes and I rely on her for absolutely wonderful dishes that taste great and are pleasing to the eye. My cousin also feels the same and actually created a spreadsheet listing what color the Garten cookbook is, favorite recipes from it and what page they are on. When you love Ina, nothing is too overboard!

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