Ina Garten's First Attempt At Hosting Was A Complete Disaster

It's hard to imagine a dinner party with Ina Garten as anything but a night to remember. In each episode of "Barefoot Contessa," Garten's charming demeanor radiated off the screen, imbuing the viewer with a warm feeling, just like a great glass of wine. Still, every culinary giant had to get their start somewhere. For Garten, hers was a distant brunch that was far from a success.

In the famed chef's newly-released memoir, "Be Ready When the Luck Happens," she details her challenging childhood and career journey, as well as a less-than-stellar first hosting experience with her husband Jeffrey. "We invited about twenty people who didn't know each other (bad idea!) to come for brunch," Garten writes about the event she and Jeffrey held when they were first married.

Though Garten is now known for her wit and culinary capabilities, both skills were conspicuously absent at that particular brunch. "It was so awkward! Everyone sat around in a big circle in the living room, saying very little," she writes as she goes on to note that things only got worse from there. "I had decided to make an omelet for each person, which of course had to be prepared one at a time, so I was stuck in the kitchen for the entire party (although I don't think I missed much), while Jeffrey was in the living room desperately trying to keep the conversation interesting."

There were a number of shock revelations from Ina Garten's new memoir, but hearing that the Barefoot Contessa was capable of spearheading such a disastrous event still seems quite distant from her current persona. Part of her growth came from taking the failed brunch in stride. "I think it took us a year to get up the courage to have another party, but at least I learned what not to do," she pens in her book.

Now, Garten has a simple way to set up for a stress-free dinner party or brunch. Rather than experimenting with something new, she recommends having a strict list of items that you're familiar with making. The muscle memory can kick in when you're faced with having to cook and entertain at the same time. Plus, the varied options allow guests to enjoy other things instead of having to wait on the entree to arrive. "Be Ready When the Luck Happens" is the Barefoot Contessa's first memoir, but she does have a whole catalog of cookbooks, each highlighting some of Garten's best comfort dishes that can help you tackle any potential hosting snafus thrown your way.