Barefoot Contessa
Format	Cooking
Created by	Ina Garten
Starring	Ina Garten
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	111, as of December 2007[update][1]
Production
Running time	20–23 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	Food Network
Original run	November 30, 2002 – present

Barefoot Contessa is a cooking show on Food Network hosted by Ina Garten, which premiered on November 30, 2002. Each episode features Garten assembling dishes of varying complexity, and she often gives the viewer tips on decorating and entertaining.

The "Barefoot Contessa" name comes from Garten's best-selling cookbook, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, which in turn was named after the specialty foods store she bought in 1978. The store, which is no longer in operation, opened in 1975 and was named after the 1954 film of the same name. The show is set in Garten's home in East Hampton.

In a typical episode, Garten prepares a multi-course meal for friends, colleagues, small parties, or her husband, Jeffrey. Her recipes often include fresh herbs, which she hand-harvests from her backyard garden. Table settings include both simple and elegant dishes, and are often accompanied by her own flowers or those brought in by Michael Grim, a friend and local florist.

Often, her recipes require an excursion, and the show features her visits to various East Hampton specialty stores. Sometimes she asks Jeffrey or other guests to pick up various ingredients or prepared desserts from a local shop.

Garten deconstructs complex French recipes like boeuf bourguignon while disseminating the joys of luxury and simply "treating yourself". She focuses on preparing foods efficiently, allowing more time to spend with guests.

The show is taped mostly in her own kitchen, and features fast-moving camera shots and closeups (e.g., perfectly-ripened fruits, eggs falling from the shells, or caramel sauce melting and sizzling in a shining steel pan).

The show was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award in 2005. In 2007, it was nominated in the category of Outstanding Lifestyle Program. Music for the series was composed by British composer Gary Johnson.^{[citation needed]}

Barefoot Contessa airs in Australia on the Lifestyle Food Channel, in the UK on the channel Good Food, in Poland on the channel Kuchnia.tv, and in the Middle East on the Fatafeat Channel.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Barefoot Contessa on The Food Network
• Official website