Ina Garten’s new book sold out before her signing began. Williams-Sonoma left nothing to chance, organizing myriad fans into tidy lines that snaked out of South Coast Plaza‘s interior onto the sidewalk.
The much loved host of the Food Network’s “Barefoot Contessa” thinks the easiest parties are the most fun – not just for the host but for everyone. She has written seven cookbooks, and “Barefoot Contessa: How Easy Is That?” (Clarkson Potter, $35) is the latest.
I spoke with Garten fan Nichol Hibbard, a food blogger from San Dimas, who was standing at the long line’s midway point. She had arrived two hours early and thought she’d be closer to the front.
“Ina taught me about easy entertaining,” she said, adding that her first few dinner parties were disasters. “She showed me that the hostess should have fun and not be stuck alone in the kitchen. I love her fresh takes on classic dishes. She turns up the volume on flavors: If something is chocolate, it should taste like chocolate, not sugary.”
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