I absolutely adore Thanksgiving. It's the only holiday I insist on making myself. Ina Garten More Quotes by Ina Garten More Quotes From Ina Garten You can be miserable before you have a cookie and you can be miserable after you eat a cookie but you can't be miserable while you are eating a cookie. Ina Garten cookies entrepreneur food Fun is the most important. If you do stuff for money, it never works out. Ina Garten work-out important fun Food is not about impressing people. It's about making them feel comfortable. Ina Garten impress cooking people Every once in a while, a cookbook comes along that simply knocks me out. Ina Garten cookbook Anyone who tries to make brownies without butter should be arrested. Ina Garten brownies should trying I think that I had a very clear vision when I started writing cookbooks what I wanted it to be, and that you would open the book, that you would look at the photograph and go, that looks delicious. And then you would look at the recipe and say, I can actually make that and I can make it with ingredients I can find in the grocery store. Ina Garten writing book thinking One of the great gifts that you can give people is to cook for them. Ina Garten women giving people Instead of going out to dinner, buy good food. Cooking at home shows such affection. In a bad economy, it's more important to make yourself feel good. Ina Garten feel-good cooking home If you think about a Thanksgiving dinner, it's really like making a large chicken. Ina Garten dinner thanksgiving thinking I try to greet my friends with a drink in my hand, a warm smile on my face, and great music in the background, because that's what gets a dinner party off to a fun start. Ina Garten smile party fun Creme Brulee is the ultimate 'guy' dessert. Make it and he'll follow you anywhere. Ina Garten dessert wedding guy I learned that the hardest party to pull off successfully is Saturday night dinner. This meal is expected to be elaborate: appetizers, first course, dinner, dessert, and coffee. People arrive at 7:30 or 8 p.m. and stay for hours - definitely past my bedtime - and they all go home exhausted. Ina Garten coffee party home I've taught myself how to use good, fresh ingredients and to prepare them as simply as possible by cooking only to enhance their intrinsic flavors. Ina Garten flavor cooking use Grilled cheese and tomato soup is the ultimate comfort meal. Ina Garten tomatoes meals comfort My mother would never let me in the kitchen. I always wanted to cook, but I was never allowed to. Her view of the world was, "Cooking is my job, and studying is your job." I think, in retrospect, she didn't like the chaos. She was very orderly. It had to be her way. Ina Garten mother jobs thinking Never let 'em see you sweat. Guests feel guilty if they think you've worked too hard to make dinner for them - which of course you have! Ina Garten sweat ems thinking I get up every day, do the best that I can do, and go home and have a good time. Ina Garten get-up good-times home When I thought my professional career was over, it hadn't even started yet. Ina Garten over-it professional-career careers I've lived in the Hamptons since 1978, when I first bought my store Barefoot Contessa. Ina Garten hamptons stores firsts When I first started writing cookbooks, I remember thinking to myself, what makes me think I can write a cookbook? There are these great chefs who are really trained. And, as I started, I realized, actually, what is my lack is actually exactly right, because I can connect with - cooking's hard for me. I never worked on... And that's why my recipes are really simple, because I want to be able to do them. Ina Garten simple writing thinking