The Story Behind Barefoot Contessa Parties!

My philosophy is that simple foods made in advance works very well for entertaining as well as cooking for your family. I wanted to simplify classic comfort foods and hearty dishes so that they can be perfected by anyone, not just people with lots of culinary experience. I found that more people enjoyed dinner get togethers and catered parties when the food was simple. I wrote Barefoot Contessa Parties! because my 20 years' experience catering parties in the Hamptons taught me that the best parties were the ones where the host and hostess were having fun. And that meant that the simpler the food, the more relaxed the hosts are.

My Barefoot Contessa Parties! cookbook published in 2002