One Sentence Summary
Make It Ahead: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook is a delicious and inspiring guide to preparing sophisticated meals ahead of time from celebrity chef and New York Times bestselling cookbook author Ina Garten.
Book Genre
Make It Ahead: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook is a cookbook written by Ina Garten, a celebrity chef and New York Times bestselling author.
Main Topic of the Book
Make It Ahead: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook is all about preparing delicious and sophisticated meals ahead of time.
Key Ideas
Make It Ahead: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook offers key ideas on how to prepare and store food in advance, allowing for easy reuse of leftovers, make-ahead meals, and meal assembly. It also includes make-ahead tips for every course, as well as versatile recipes and entertaining ideas.
Main Parts of the Book and a Short Summary
Make It Ahead: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook is divided into four main parts. The first part contains the concept of why planning ahead is so important, the second part explains the techniques and tools needed to make ahead, the third part provides an impressive list of recipes that can be made in advance, and the fourth part contains a comprehensive guide to entertaining at home.
Key Takeaways
Make It Ahead: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook offers a number of key takeaways:
- Why plan ahead? Planning ahead allows busy home cooks to save time and energy when hosting a dinner party, reusing leftovers, and batch-cooking meals.
- Techniques and tools. Cooks can use a variety of techniques and tools to make meal preparation easier, including; prepping elements before, cooking certain components in advance, constructing a frozen stockpile, and using make-ahead strategies.
- Recipes. The book includes an array of recipes for every meal, including appetizers, entrees, sides, and desserts, as well as meal-assembly basics and guidance for entertaining.
- Entertaining. Home cooks will also find tips for creating their own special dinner parties with friends and family, including recipes for special-occasion meals, buffet-style feasts, and intimate dinners.
Author’s Background and Qualifications
Ina Garten is a celebrity chef and the author of seven New York Times bestselling cookbooks, including Make It Ahead: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. A former White House nuclear policy analyst, Garten combines her years of policy experience with her culinary insights to provide readers with delicious, sophisticated meals.
Target Audience
Make It Ahead: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook is ideal for busy home cooks who are looking for make-ahead techniques, easy recipes, and entertaining tips.
Publisher and First Publication Date
Make It Ahead: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook was first published in October 2014 by Clarkson Potter.