Ina Garten, Food Network star, takes easy a step further, sharing her secrets for pulling off deeply satisfying meals that will appeal to almost anyone. Recipes include: Dukes Cosmopolitans, hot smoked salmon, lobster & potato salad, elegant slow-roasted filet of beef with basil parmesan mayonnaise and show-stopping seared scallops & potato celery root puree, sticky toffee date cake with bourbon glaze and salted caramel brownies.

"For the first time, trusted and beloved cookbook author Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, answers the number one question she receives from cooks: Can I make it ahead? If you've ever found yourself stuck in front of the stove at your own party, scrambling to get everything to the table at just the right moment, Ina is here to let you in on her secrets! Thanks to twenty years of running a specialty food store and fifteen years writing cookbooks,...