As you can see I own every cookbook from the Barefoot Contessa series.  I know at my most successful dinner parties and family dinners I use recipes from her books.  When I am asked to bring something to a dinner party… I go to my stack.  Her series works like a library for me.  I love to sit down in my favorite chair, maybe a cup of tea and go through all of her books over and over again.  I revisit my favorite recipes and sometimes discover new ones I haven’t used before.  Ina’s recipes are easy to follow, with ingredients you can find in most grocery stores.  They are simple but complex and taste as if you had been cooking all day!  Her cookbooks make me want to entertain… and that’s why they have a very important spot on my shelf.