''Barefoot Contessa'' is an American

cooking show A cooking show, cookery show, or cooking program (also spelled cooking programme in British English) is a television genre that presents food preparation, often in a restaurant kitchen or on a Television studio, studio set, or at the host's p ...

that aired from November 30, 2002 to December 19, 2021, on

Food Network Food Network is an American basic cable channel owned by Television Food Network, G.P., a unit of Warner Bros. Discovery, who manages and operates it as a division of the Warner Bros. Discovery U.S. Networks Group. The channel airs both televi ...

, and is currently the oldest show on the network's daytime schedule. Hosted by celebrity chef Ina Garten, each episode features Garten assembling dishes of varying complexity. Though her specialty is French cuisine, she occasionally prepares American, Asian, British or Italian foods. Her show also gives tips on decorating and entertaining. The show's title, which comes from the Italian word for

count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

ess, was originally used by Garten in her best-selling cookbook, ''The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook'' (1999). The cookbook was in turn named after Garten's specialty food store, which she bought already named in 1978. The store, which is no longer in operation, opened in 1975 and was named after the 1954 film of the same name. Garten sold the store to the employees prior to its closure.

Overview

Garten's show features the preparation of a simple multi-course meal, usually for her close friends, colleagues or husband, Jeffrey. Her recipes often include fresh herbs, which she 'hand-harvests' from her backyard garden. Table settings include both simple and comfort dishes, and are often accompanied by her 'own' flowers or those brought in by Michael Grim, a friend and local florist who is frequently on the show. Garten deconstructs simple French recipes like boeuf bourguignon or Baba au Rhum cake. She focuses on preparing foods efficiently, allowing more time to eat and spend with guests. The show is mainly recorded in Garten's home in East Hampton, New York and features fast-moving camera shots and closeups (e.g., fully ripened fruits, eggs falling from the shells, or bubbling pots of homemade stock).

Episode guide

International airings

''Barefoot Contessa'' airs in Australia on Food Network (Australia) and the Lifestyle Food Channel on the

Foxtel NXE Australia Pty Ltd, trading as the Foxtel Group, is an Australian pay television company that operates cable television, direct-broadcast satellite, direct broadcast satellite television, and IPTV streaming services. It was formed in April ...

platform, in the UK on the Food Network UK, in Poland on the channel Kuchnia.tv, and in the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

on the

Fatafeat Fatafeat (Arabic language, Arabic: فتافيت), is a Middle Eastern food and lifestyle television channel owned by Takhayal Entertainment, which is part of Warner Bros. Discovery On 1 April 2016, Fatafeat stopped broadcasting as a free-to-air c ...

Channel.

Awards and nominations

The show was nominated for a

Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NA ...

in 2005 in the category Best Service Show; in the year 2009, it was once again nominated for a

in the categories of Outstanding Culinary Program and Best Culinary Host; Garten won her first Emmy in the latter category.

References

External links

Barefoot Contessa on The Food Network

Barefoot Contessa in the UK
* * {{Food Network series 2002 American television series debuts 2021 American television series endings 2000s American cooking television series 2010s American cooking television series 2020s American cooking television series Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Culinary Program winners American English-language television shows Food Network original programming Television shows filmed in New York (state)