Which Ina Cookbook You Should Buy Based On Your Cooking Habits

Ina's inaugural cookbook from '99 (with a forward by Martha Stewart) is a delight to read from start to finish—mostly because it imbues you with the sense that you, too, might be a cookbook mogul with an East Hampton summer home and 50-plus-year marriage someday. The recipes are decadent—Crab Cakes with Rémoulade, Indonesian Ginger chicken—and generally easier for those who have grills, stacked ovens, and/or space to host. There are certainly more accessible recipes to be found (her turkey meatloaf is phenomenal and able to feed 12-20 people), but this one's really for more seasoned cooks. 

Everything about this book is as advertised—bb Ina curated tons of fun, easy, and festive recipes that just about everyone could make. What makes Parties! so special, though, is that the way she curated the recipes is entirely more structured than in any of her other books. Rather than flip to a course of a meal, you can turn to "Super Bowl Party" or "When the Boss Comes to Dinner." It allows anyone who prefers a straightforward process to buy all their groceries upfront and know exactly how their meal will progress if she sees it all the way through. Genius!

Family Style is another special Ina book because it combines three of her very favorite things: pushing your boundaries, keeping it simple, and...leftovers. The book is really made for those who love to meal prep and/or are moody eaters who crave the same thing for a while. Her Saffron Risotto with Butternut Squash is a prime example of that, as is her Oven-Fried Chicken. They're sneaky enough that you have to work hard to perfect them, delicious enough that once you do you'll think they're easy, and gigantic enough that you're good for at least four days. 

In Ina's newest cookbook, she delivers the coziest, most heartwarming dishes ever. Most of the recipes are inspired by some of your childhood favorites—but with so much more flavor. The cheddar and chutney grilled cheese sandwich, black and white cookies, and crispiest hash browns are only a few you'll find. This book is made for those who are totally obsessed with comfort food, but with that little Ina twist that amps up the dish just a little. And just like all of her recipes, any of these would be sure to impress the dinner party crowd.

Ina fancies this book a trip through her all-time favorite city with her as a guide. That's all well and good, but...it's not always easy to keep up with a Contessa. I've always found Paris to be the most frustrating of her books, even though it's certainly one of the most beautiful. She throws the average home cook a bone everyone so often (hello, Kir Royale, and, sure, yeah, Boeuf Bourguignon), but unless you're prepared for battle, the Crème Brûlée is going to make you cry. Best of luck. Let me know how it goes. 

What Paris is to savory, At Home is to sweet. She's got crumbles, cupcakes, parfaits, cakes, and so, so much more, and if you take your time with it—and have a deft baking eye—you're gonna do great. If you're looking for some more straightforward sweets, stay with me until Foolproof. Honorable mention goes out to Eli's Asian Salmon, though. That is a flawless recipe.

Back to Basics is a charming book almost everyone who likes to cook should have in their kitchen, if you ask me, but more specifically, it's for people who like to try new things. There's not a recipe in here that feels overwhelming, but there are quite a few that will make you go, "Huh—I have never had anything like that before." Like, OK, Truffled Filet of Beef Sandwiches, I see you, let's go. 

Take everything I said about Family Style and multiply it by a gazillion; this book was clearly an Ina passion project. It's like she looked her most loyal fans in the eye and asked them one by one, "What do you want me to help you make?" Each recipe is a glimpse into her life (example: Jeffrey's Roast Chicken, duh) while simultaneously helping you with yours. Goodness knows you've been waiting for the Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich recipe for years. So did she. And she always delivers. 

At its core, an Ina recipe is meant to be used for entertaining. Foolproof's are maybe the most entertainment-worthy of them all. Ina cranks out craveable bite after craveable bite in this book knowing full well people who host parties are going to crank their way through all of them. If you do pick this book up, and don't make Easy Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons and Salted Caramel Brownies for all of your friends the next time they're over, you're a terrible person. I'm just saying.  

Queen G makes her way back to a more organized style of cooking in Make It Ahead, which is particularly welcome as most of Ina's readers are people looking to make delicious and simple food quickly. French Chicken Pot Pies and Roasted Vegetable Lasagna are just a few of the things she makes possible on a weeknight by walking you through what steps you can first take on a Sunday to get there. Bless. 

Consider this a 272-page love letter, essentially. Which is so cute. And sweet. And yet it turns out Jeffrey prefers meals that require a bit of oomph to them. That's not a criticism, it's just to say Cooking for Jeffrey is a weekend cookbook made for long meals for people you love. And for people who maybe don't love you back so much but could be swayed by the power of a gorgeous Bourbon Honey Cake.

If the first font change in 11 cookbooks wasn't jarring enough for you, maybe this will be: Cook Like a Pro is nothing ground-breaking! It's filled with plenty of super-solid, super-easy recipes for people who know Ina and her love of mustard sauces and one-minute-toasted garlic, but that's about it. That said, it's got some great twists on those mustard-laden classics, so those who've gotten used to Ina's ways will be thrilled.