The 51 Best Ina Garten Recipes of All Time (2024)

FAQs

Does Ina Garten know Martha Stewart? ›

It was 2001, the year her second cookbook, Barefoot Contessa Parties!, hit shelves. Garten and Stewart had already known each other for years, having worked together after meeting in the Hamptons. Despite being familiar with Stewart, Garten was new to TV. She talked with her mouth full in an outtake — a no-no...

Oxo Good Grips Food Scale

Ina uses this Oxo food scale to keep everything precise — and delicious.

For over 20 years, Ina Garten has shared her comforting and foolproof recipes with the world through her beloved cookbooks and "Barefoot Contessa" show. But before becoming a Food Network star, Garten wrote budgets at the White House and ran a Hamptons grocery store.

The one meal Ina simply couldn't live without is roast chicken. She even cites it as one of the reasons her husband, Jeffrey, proposed marriage in 1968.

Ina Garten never wanted children — and her husband Jeffrey Garten supported that decision. During a new episode of Julia Louis-Dreyfus' podcast, Wiser Than Me from Lemonada Media, the Barefoot Contessa star spoke about their relationship.

Garten likes to avoid messy clean-up

They can all just go into the washing machine. At night I get dressed up — I don't wear a denim shirt at night — but when I'm working, I always wear like a brown corduroy shirt or a blue denim shirt." You can likely imagine how immaculate her closet of work clothes must look.

Heckers Unbleached All Purpose Flour

Garten swears by Heckers all purpose, unbleached flour.

Garten is Jewish by birth and heritage, as is her husband, but rarely refers to her religion and ethnicity, though they are showcased through the inclusion of classic Jewish cooking in her television show and cookbooks, when she makes such dishes as rugelach, challah, and brisket.

Garten attended Dartmouth College on an ROTC scholarship before serving in Thailand during the Vietnam War. “I never saw myself working in government as a career,” Garten said. “I decided to go to Wall Street because I was fascinated by people who had moved back and forth between Wall Street and Washington.

Ina Garten once worked in the White House and worked her way up, which eventually put her in charge of writing the nuclear budget for the United States. She also managed to earn her MBA from George Washington University at the same time. Despite her success, she decided she wanted a different life.

Are Bobby Flay and Ina Garten friends? ›

Flay and Garten have been friends and colleagues for decades, so it's no surprise that Flay has such respect for her person and her cooking. And Garten has returned that love in kind. In an interview with the Food Network, Garten waxed impressed about the staggering achievements and stamina of Flay.

Ina husband, Jeffrey, is also a financial powerhouse. According to Celebritynetworth.com, Jeffrey is worth $100 million, mostly thanks to his former jobs as managing director of Lehman Brothers and Blackstone Group.

I made Beatty's Chocolate Cake, which Ina Garten said is the "most fabulous cake" she's ever made. The chocolate cake and buttercream frosting both feature coffee — the special secret ingredient.

Vichyssoise. Well-known as one of Julia Child's favorite dishes, this chilled leek and potato soup is startling in its simplicity. Aside from the leek, potato, and water, Child's version of the soup calls for barely any additional ingredients.

She loves classic Clinique.

Referring to Clinique's Lipstick in "A Different Grape", Ina shared with Cooking Light, "The color is a light dusty rose, which is a good shade for me. I also love their Water-Resistant Eyeliner—I've used it for decades and can draw a really thin line with the brush."

She was mentored chiefly by Eli Zabar, owner of Eli's Manhattan and Eli's Breads, and food-show host and author Martha Stewart.

Laura Plimpton

Kathryn Evans

Growing up, her mother, Big Martha, was her "greatest teacher." She instilled in her a love of cooking, among many other things, which would go on to serve her well, along with the fanbase she'd build with her cookbooks, cooking show, and beyond.