One thing I've never understood: cummerbunds. Another thing I've never understood: pancake mix. As you can see, I thought I easily had my plate full with life's mysteries. Then during a routine purchase of one slotted spoon at Crate and Barrel, I spotted a canister of The Barefoot Contessa's French Crepe Mix, and everything unraveled again. More

Lately it seems like every time I stop by a specialty food store, Ina Garten has debuted a new baking mix based on one of her popular recipes. In fact, according to her website, she now has more than twenty breakfast and dessert mixes. At this rate, she's poised to take on King Arthur Four and Betty Crocker. This week I tried out her new coconut madeleines. Dainty and delicate, they seemed perfect for spring. More

The cookies were crispy, sweet, and scented faintly with vanilla. Each bite began with a slick of rich dark chocolate and ended in a satisfying crunch. I was impressed that the cookies had absolutely no hint of artificial, cloying, from-a-mix flavor. Seriously, you could say you baked them from scratch and no one would be the wiser. More

Ina Garten's How Easy Is That? begins like every great dinner party does, with cocktails. The first chapter is a predinner spread of cocktails and little bites that get the meal started on the right note, keeping your guests entertained and giving you a little leeway to finish up the rest of the meal. All of these hors d'oeuvres have Garten's simple and elegant touches all over them—popcorn is drizzled with truffle butter, mixed nuts are roasted with chipotle and rosemary, and instead of cheese and crackers, Garten offers these Stilton and Walnut Crackers. More

I have always thought of marshmallows as a sort of "magic" food, like Pop Rocks or bubble tea. How, exactly, are they made? Sugar is obviously a major ingredient, but what else goes into them? More

Traditionally, we like to end our heavy holiday meals with even heavier desserts. This year, consider staving off food coma with Ina Garten's tangy lemon mousse. The recipe is not what you'd call light (it's made with heavy cream and... More

In this week's Cook the Book pick, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, Ina Garten confesses to not really liking cold wild rice. This recipe is the perfect compromise, with all the fixin's of a rice salad but served piping hot... More