parmesan cheese

While a good amount of Ina Garten's recipes are more or less foolproof — a trait we really admire in a cookbook author and TV chef — the Barefoot Contessa's most recent book, Barefoot Contessa Foolproof, has us convinced we too can lay out a Hamptons-style spread. First up, a tender fillet of beef with homemade basil mayo.

The best advice for making perfect fettuccine alfredo: don't overthink it. This dish consists of fettucine, butter, cream, cheese, freshly ground pepper and a little parsley. You're already ingesting the holy dairy trinity, don't ruin it by obsessing over details or going halfway "for health's sake."

When was the last time you had stuffed shells? However long it's been, these are an awesome comfort food we're bringing back to the table. If you can't bear the thought of another frozen "lasagna" dinner, frozen canneloni, or frozen ravioli skillfully dropped into a pot of water until it floats to the top, stuffed shells just may be your redemption shot.