The recipes that made Ina Garten Famous! (2024)

FAQs

What does Ina Garten eat every day? ›

Not just any old oatmeal will do when it comes to the Barefoot Contessa. "I've had the same thing for breakfast every single day for ten years: coffee and McCann's quick-cooking Irish oatmeal," Garten told Bon Appétit in a 2017 article. And her love of the stuff is well-documented.

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. Here's her incredible life story.

The Barefoot Contessa's simple, meticulously tested recipes have helped drag me out of every cooking rut I've ever found myself in. Happily for all of us, Garten has shared a number of her recipes (and cooking tips) with Food & Wine.

Can you recommend white wines to use when making them? Ina's Answer: I would recommend Pinot Grigio- it's versatile and easy to find! What would you recommend baking for homemade Christmas gifts?

After testing recipes for her various projects all day, she wants something simple and easy when it comes to dinner. However, unlike the general populous who may turn to delivery or microwaving leftovers, she prefers to make something that is quick and ready straight out of the oven: Enter, the roast chicken.

Ina Garten's go-to for her daily starter is McCann's Quick Cooking Rolled Irish Oats. The oats are steamed, rolled, and then cut thin and flat, which allows for their quick cooking time — the brand suggests that three minutes in the microwave is all that's needed.

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.

If it's a complicated recipe and I'm in the kitchen for most of the day, it's going to be worth the effort.” Garten meticulously crafts each recipe so even the most inexperienced of cooks can make them — perhaps the only skill set that transferred over from her budget analyst job.

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.

In a new interview for Julia Louis-Dreyfus' podcast, Wiser Than Me, Garten admitted that it "wasn't a struggle at all" to decide against having children. "I had no interest in having children," she told Louis-Dreyfus. "I had a terrible childhood, and it was nothing I wanted to recreate.

What is the hardest chef dish to make? ›

1. Consommé Devilish dish: A clear soup made from meat, tomato, egg whites and stock, slowly simmered to bring impurities to the surface for skimming. Techn-eeek: Even some of the most experienced chefs cannot master the complex clarification process required to make consommé.

Oxo Good Grips Food Scale

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

Fini Balsamic Vinegar

Use this tart, 12 month-aged vinegar as a dressing for salad, on chicken or drizzled over a caprese-inspired salmon.

Fini Balsamic Vinegar

One of Garten's most popular recipes that feature balsamic vinegar is her Panna Cotta with Balsamic Strawberries. And when it comes time to coat the strawberries with balsamic vinegar, sugar and pepper, be sure to use Garten's favorite Fini Balsamic Vinegar.

Riedel O Wine Tumblers, Set of 4

Sure, you can splurge on gossamer-thin wine glasses that will most likely shatter after a few uses. Garten opts for a more user-friendly approach. “I usually use stemless wine glasses from Riedel,” she says.

Ina Garten says In-N-Out Burger is the only fast food restaurant she'll visit. And for good reason!

After taking a closer look, here's what you need to know about her home pantry. First, think of any nut variety, and Garten probably has it on hand. We see almonds, pecans, walnuts and more sitting on her shelves from the brand Citarella. These sit alongside a classic jar of Skippy creamy peanut butter, of course.