I am incredibly fussy about recipes and cookbook authors. My favorite is Ina Garten. Don’t you want her as your best friend? Can you imagine going to a dinner party at her home? I’ll name a few reasons from the many that I love about Ina. First, if you follow her instructions, the recipes are easy to make, even for a novice cook. You do not have to spend all your time in the kitchen to get a fabulous meal. And the ingredients are readily available: you don’t have to go to so many different markets or google to find them online. And most importantly, her recipes taste delicious!

I purchased Ina’s new cookbook, Go-to Dinners, and I was not disappointed. I skimmed through the book and picked out recipes I wanted to try. I have a long list.

The first recipe that I made was the Mushroom Bolognese. I made the recipe exactly like Ina, except I substituted no fat greek yogurt for Italian mascarpone cheese. And for the pasta, I used DeCecco’s Mezzi Rigatoni. Although I love mascarpone, especially in tiramisu, I wanted to cut fat and calories after a holiday season filled with rich food. The next time I make it, I’ll try the mascarpone cheese. Am maybe splurge with a tiramisu dessert.

I haven’t decided on my following Ina Garten recipe to make. Stay tuned, as I might try them all!

Enjoy!