TV Cook Ina Garten Never Brings Wine or Flowers as a Gift for Dinner Party Hosts. Here’s What She Brings Instead

Ina Garten fondly remembers the disastrous dinner party she threw when she was just 21. She had invited 20 guests and decided to make an omelet for each guest. The only fly in the ointment, she didn’t know how to make an omelet. While the guests sat in the dining room, Garten juggled inside the kitchen the whole time. Having learned a harsh lesson early on, Garten grew up to become not only a celebrity chef but a much-loved connoisseur for hosting dinner parties. Over the years, the American cook has cumulated her own motley of tips and tricks to host a perfect dinner party. One such tip is “never bringing wine or flowers to a dinner party,” as she revealed in a conversation with PEOPLE.

“When I'm invited to somebody's house for dinner I always want to bring something, because I feel like it's respectful to the person who's just spent all that time. We know how hard it is. You do the shopping and you set the table and you have to do the cooking and the cocktails and flowers. It's a lot of work,” said the Emmy-winning host of Food Network show Barefoot Contessa.

Garten elaborated on her idea by saying that she doesn’t prefer wine for gifting. “I never bring something that the hostess can serve right then because it disrupts their meal,” she said, and added, “If it's chilled, you feel like you have to serve it, even though it doesn't go with the dinner at all.” She also doesn’t recommend bringing flowers to the party. “You bring a bouquet of flowers without a vase, so now they have to go figure out what to do with the flowers. So I never do that,” Garten said, “I might have the florist send flowers in a vase.”

Instead, the Be Ready When the Luck Happens author prefers to opt for gifts like fresh coffee beans or homemade granola. “I always try and bring something that they can have the next day, like great coffee or homemade granola.” But she suggested avoiding something like coffee cake, which can leave the host feeling "compelled to serve during the meal.” Garten, who is known for mouthwatering recipes like chocolate cassis cake, cauliflower toast, and blueberry ricotta cake, said she also prefers buying eggs.

Garten is also renowned for following meticulous details while arranging dinner parties from the host's side. From setting up the cloth napkins to putting up the perfect garnishes, a nice soundtrack, and dim lighting, the famed chef likes to have an intimate ambiance. Additionally, in an interview with Food & Wine, Garten revealed the four-dish strategy she likes to have. Firstly, she cooks oven-baked recipes for dinner party guests. “Whenever I'm planning a dinner menu, I always pick something I can make in advance, something you can put in the oven and forget about, something that goes on top of the stove, and something that's served at room temperature, so four things don't have to be hot at the same time,” she said.

She suggested desserts like salted caramel panna cotta or store-bought shortcut sweets to complete the meal. “I think the most important thing at a dinner party is that the host is having fun. If they are wise enough to make a meal that can do without having a meltdown, I think that’s really impressive,” Garten added.