'Barefoot Contessa' Ina Garten Speaks at Wilshire Ebell Nov. 15

I am so so so excited. The Barefoot Contessa HERSELF is coming to the Wilshire Ebell Theatre on Nov. 15. If you don't know who I'm talking about, you might as well stop reading now. But, if you do, I hope you have just as big a culinary crush on Ina Garten as I do. My love for Ina goes way back. My grandma and I used to sit and watch her cooking shows together, and one-by-one, we'd collect her cookbooks as they came out. 

Slowly but surely, recipes from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook and Family Style became my go-to's for dinner parties and last-minute meals. A few years later, during a period when I was slammed at work and looking for no-fuss meals, How Easy Is That? became my recipe bible. Pappa al Pomodoro — a Tuscan bread and tomato soup -- is comforting on a chilly winter night. Scallops Provençal helped me get over my fear of overcooking delicate (and expensive) scallops. And her Brownie Pudding had my chocolate-lover friends licking their plates. No joke.

All of this is why I can barely wait for an evening with Ina on Nov. 15, when Garten will chat with host Jennifer Garner about her new book, The Barefoot Contessa Foolproof: Recipes You Can Trust. Tickets are $42 plus tax and include an autographed copy of Foolproof. Make reservations via the event sponsor, Vroman's Bookstore, by visiting Vroman's will call department (695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena) or calling (626) 449-5320.