My culinary "hero"

Is Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa. I'm not sure which year it was when I first found Ina but I do remember buying her Barefoot Contessa cookbook at Costco. It was love at first sight! I came home and made several recipes from that book and since it had been out for a while in short order I acquired Barefoot Contessa Family Style and Barefoot Contessa Parties.
Good cookbooks all.

Shortly, thereafter, I also found her television show, Barefoot Contessa, and Ina became a culinary hero.

Then, in 2004, came Barefoot in Paris, and in 2006, came Barefoot At Home.

I had five Barefoot cookbooks on my main cookbook shelf!

So with eager anticipation, I awaited Number Six, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics.

But what was most exciting about this latest release is that Ina came to Kansas City to sign her cookbook. I would finally, at last, meet my culinary hero!


Finally, Ina came on stage dressed in her signature outfit of French blue shirt, black slacks and comfortable shoes. She looked like she had just stepped out of her kitchen to come and talk to us!


With 1000 tickets sold for the event, you had at the most 3 microseconds to talk to Ina as she signed her name only to her book. I had ticket number 61 and so was in the first "wave" of Ina fans to get their book signed and have my chance to visit with Ina.Alas, no chance to get a picture of me and Ina but I did get to chat for a mere minute! She seemed warm and friendly and I felt like I could have sat down and had a real conversation with her. But, of course, the 940 ladies behind me would NOT have liked that!
Perusing the cookbook while we waited for Ina to appear and while in line, I deemed it terrific! I had already made 3 recipes from the book before I even had it. All of them were wonderful! I'm sure that I will make many more.

Of all the cookbooks, this one will be the most special and my favorite -- for it was signed by Ina herself!

A bonus at Ina's book signing was that Mrs. Blandings was also there (for she, too, is a huge fan) and we got to meet.