When I wrote 'Barefoot in Paris,' I wanted to make simple recipes that you could make at home that tasted like French classics.

I've lived in the Hamptons since 1978, when I first bought my store Barefoot Contessa.

I try to greet my friends with a drink in my hand, a warm smile on my face, and great music in the background, because that's what gets a dinner party off to a fun start.

I always like to have flowers on the table. I think they make it look special.

I don't like sitting at a table that's too large, where everyone is too far apart. That's a party killer.

All my life I dreamed of an apartment in Paris where I could cook, and now I have one, on the Left Bank.

I love to take something ordinary and make it really special.