I have all of Ina’s cookbooks and love them. Unfortunately her latest cookbook is bitterly disappointing. I always loved her simplistic way of cooking. Ina’s older recipes appealed to everyone’s taste. This new one is a far cry from the other cookbooks. The recipes are for a more sophisticated palette and the recipes produces meals my family and friends do not care for. Lots of recipes that I will never make are in this new cookbook. If I could have I would have given this cookbook no stars.

I expected much more. It is boring.

Not all the recipes from the tv show are in this book. I bought this book so I could stop printing out recipes and collecting piles of paper. Very disappointed that the recipes from the tv show are missing. I really like Ina’s style of cooking and teaching, but this was a real let down. Next time I will look at the book in a store before purchasing.

Awful cookbook, resting on her laurels

I'm baffled at all the negative reviews to this cookbook. There are certainly recipes in this book that I will probably not make, although I don't have many cookbooks where I want to cook all of the recipes included. Some, are a bit uninspiring (I'm looking at you heirloom tomato salad) or overly simple (roasted broccoli) or bizarre (So much eggplant in this book and what is it with people and cauliflower?). However, where Ina always shines is her main entree dishes. This weekend, our family chose to make the Chicken Marbella and it was out of this world delicious. This French-inspired dish, originally published in the 1980s was something I had never seen or tried before. With a little history lesson from Ina and some "pro tips" the dish was easy to make for my family as it would be for an elegant dinner party. We paired it with a roasted butternut squash rice salad that I will munch on all week. Chicken Thighs with creamy mustard sauce, Red wine braised short ribs, Lamb and chickpea curry, are other main dishes that I will be making for my family soon. I always feel like Ina struggles with side dishes, but there are some I would make or are a good refresher to use in different ways. And, her salads are always amazing (can't wait to make the Charlie Bird Farro Salad).Perhaps the theme of "Cook Like A Pro" is throwing off people. The tips are, mildly helpful, if at all. Most of cookbooks have shared a common theme to the recipes and I will admit, the last couple are probably the least successful. But, I still think she is putting out some good content of new, inherently "Barefoot Contessa" recipes and flavors. I appreciate her wide range of styles (Italian, French, Greek, Indian) made in simple ways. And you can imagine this is the way she cooks at home and these are recipes from the pros that she enjoys making as a home cook. That's all she ever purports to be...not a professional chef but a self-taught home cook and entertainer. I think she satisfies that goal with this book and there are several recipes I will be making. (Not every recipe in the book, but who does that anyway?)