Who doesn’t love Ina Garten? We all have every one of her cookbooks and use her recipes when we want a delicious meal that is guaranteed to come out perfect every time. Whether for a weeknight dinner or large get-together, Ina is everyone’s go-to girl. It should come as no surprise then that we (lovers of food and entertaining) are huge fans of Ina as well. Oh, who are we kidding? We’re not just fans, we’re obsessed. In fact we’ve always taken creative liberties in calling her our best friend.

It was nothing short of our dream day working with Ina from her famous East Hampton barn aka the most beautiful kitchen we’ve ever seen. We saw the divine light coming off of the stainless steel ranges, her dune colored Le Creuset sets, her perfectly organized pantry and her stacked white dishes.

During a TV Junket Ina gave viewers her best “foolproof” summer entertaining tips while promoting her new line of Barefoot Contessa Saute dinners for two (found in the freezer section of your local grocery store). The saute dinners are iconic Barefoot Contessa recipes ready in about 10 minutes. In case you’re wondering (we know you are), Ina gives you permission to take full credit for the meal so feel free to bask in her culinary charms.

One of Ina’s favorite “foolproof” summer menus doesn’t even require an oven, which is perfect during the hot days of summer. The menu centers around her Shrimp Scampi saute meal. She recommends you start with a fresh mozzarella, tomato & basil salad which she calls, “the taste of summer.” Don’t forget to drizzle EVOO and add salt and pepper to bring out the flavor of the tomatoes. For dessert try her delicious berry & meringue recipe called Eton Mess.

We recommend you get your own Jeffrey and schedule a date night. You can thank us later.