86 Quotes by Ina Garten

I like almonds as a snack – keeps your energy up but doesn’t fill you up.

When I thought my professional career was over, it hadn’t even started yet.

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!

If it’s a cocktail party, I generally make five or six different things, and I try to choose recipes that feel like a meal: a chicken thing, a fish or shrimp thing, maybe two vegetable things, and I think it’s fun to end the cocktail party with a sweet thing.

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.

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.

I always have music. I love it to be very upbeat. When you’re having drinks, I like something like Cesaria Evora. During dinner, I like the much more traditional – old Frank Sinatra and things like that.

You don’t have to do everything from scratch. Nobody wants to make puff pastry!

The most overrated tool: a pasta maker. Why make it when you can buy it? It’s a lot of work!