Ina Garten's Valuable Tip On Bringing Host Gifts

Host gifts are a bit of a minefield. When asked, your host will likely tell you that your presence alone is perfect, but you'd still hate to show up empty-handed. Even worse, however, would be watching your host's face fall after being handed something they need to handle.

Luckily, celebrity chef and famed cookbook author Ina Garten has a few helpful tips for navigating this social situation. "For a hostess gift, I prefer not to bring something that the host feels obliged to serve for dinner," she writes on the Barefoot Contessa website. In a recent interview shared on TikTok, she elaborated on this idea: "I don't bring wine, because they feel like they should serve it with the meal. I don't bring a particular course; I wouldn't bring cheese, because they feel like they need to serve the cheese with dinner."

Unless expressly stated otherwise, if you're being hosted for a dinner party or holiday meal, your job is to sit back, relax, and socialize. So, to impress Ina Garten at your next dinner party, stay away from fussy gifts, like flowers that will immediately need a vase, wine that needs to be opened, or spiced nuts that need to be served. And, while we're here, stay out of the kitchen and let your host do the hosting.

Of course, the Barefoot Contessa doesn't only have advice on what not to do. In fact, from hosting and attending a lifetime of dinner parties, she has plenty of recommendations for what gift to give your host beyond wine. "Instead I bring something they can serve after dinner, like a box of Fran's Chocolates Caramels," Ina Garten writes on her website. Truffles and chocolates are perfect for a decadent night cap that hosts can either choose to share or save for another time.

Although a nice bottle of red or white wine might prompt your host to reach for a corkscrew, a bottle of champagne can be gifted and saved for another celebration. A locally sourced bottle of olive oil is also a good option as your host likely loves to cook, but won't feel compelled to crack it open right away. Cookbooks are another great host gift for the dedicated home cook as they can be set aside and perused later.

Garten also mentions that breakfast-related gifts are perfect, as your hosts probably don't have any meal plans extending into the next morning after spending all day preparing for their party. She'll bring homemade granola, a nice bag of coffee beans, or even a high-quality brand of tea. "Something they'll enjoy another time," Garten emphasized in the interview posted to TikTok. With the Barefoot Contessa's tips in mind, you'll be well prepared to party without arriving empty-handed.