The Best Recipes from Ina Garten’s Back to Basics

Updated October 2026 Back to Basics was the first Ina cookbook I ever bought, so it will always have a special place in my heart. More than that, it’s the book that taught me how to cook. So many things that feel second nature to me now, or would seem obvious to a more experienced cook, I learned directly from this book. That’s why it’s still one of the first Ina books I recommend to anyone just getting started in the kitchen and looking to build confidence quickly. I decided to buy Back to Basics after making her Baked Shrimp Scampi and Roasted Potato Leek Soup, both of which were phenomenal. Thankfully, the rest of the book did not disappoint. This is Ina doing exactly what she does best: familiar food made a little more special, without making the cook lose their mind. There are salads with the volume turned all the way up, like Warm Goat Cheese in Phyllo and Mâche with Warm Brie and Apples; the only turkey I want to make for Thanksgiving, Roasted Turkey Roulade; and the phenomenal…