‘Barefoot Contessa’: Ina Garten Shares Her Foolproof System for Flawless Entertaining
Ina Garten might be a pro at throwing dinner parties, but she admits she still gets nervous when it comes to entertaining. To sort out all of the details and make sure nothing slips through the cracks, the Barefoot Contessa star is very organized in her planning, even down to the smallest details.
Garten answered House Beautiful magazine questions in the 2000s and had the perfect advice when a reader said they get nervous when entertaining.
Garten started by admitting, “I still get nervous when I’m having a party, and I’ve been doing it professionally for almost 30 years! There are so many things to do and never enough time.”
The Barefoot Contessa star has been entertaining friends for so long that she knows organization is the key to ensuring things go smoothly. “I sit down and make a list of everything I can do in advance and divide it among the number of days left until the party,” she explained. “Three or four days in advance, I’ll decide on the menu, make the shopping list, and plan the schedule.”
The planning doesn’t end there, however, as Garten shared that she’s very specific with the details, which keeps everything running like a well-oiled machine.
She went on to explain just how specific her detailed planning is. “The shopping list will say 2 pints of strawberries and 12 ounces of olive oil. The schedule will read: 5:00 p.m. boil the potatoes; 5:30 p.m. turn the oven to 350 degrees; 6:00 p.m. put the lamb in the oven,” Garten siad.
The Barefoot Contessa star will shop for nonperishable food, “such as flour, butter, sugar, and potatoes,” well in advance, explaining, “so the day of the party I’ll just need to buy perishables like fish and strawberries.”
She doesn’t save the table until right before her guests arrive, either. “Two days before, I’ll set the table — polish silver, iron napkins, and arrange the flowers. If the flower petals are tight when they come from the florist, it gives them a few days to open and look gorgeous for the party,” the Food Network host shared.
Finally, Garten gets her serving dishes organized and labeled so there’s no hunting for a serving plate or bowl right before the party. “I also take out all the platters and write Post-its for them that say ‘lamb’ and ‘orzo.’ Just when I’m ready to serve isn’t the time I want to realize that last Thanksgiving I broke my favorite platter and forgot to replace it!”
Garten feels that making things easy for yourself as the host allows you to have the most relaxed and fun time at the party because you’re not fretting over details. Her organization may be extensive for prepping and cooking, but she’s also equally open to throwing something store-bought into the mix.
In a 2010 interview with Epicurious, Garten explained her philosophy for including something that isn’t homemade on the menu. “Don’t make everything yourself; your friends will have just as much fun if you go out and buy a fabulous cake at a bakery,” the Barefoot Contessa star explained.
She also doesn’t fuss with everything on the menu being hot because that requires some perfect timing. “Some things are actually better at room temperature,” she explained. “It’s nice to have one hot thing, but other things can be room temperature.”
