ina garten is our final maternity leave guest!
a Q&A with the queen
Caroline is back in the kitchen developing recipes for What To Cook again — woohoo!! But before she starts rolling out new meals next week, we have one final maternity leave guest chef to share with all of you: Ina Garten!!!
Ina likely needs no introduction among this crowd — her soothing voice has played in the background of our homes for decades via her beloved, award-winning cooking show Barefoot Contessa. We’d bet your kitchen holds at least one of her many New York Times-bestselling cookbooks. And we already know that many of you have recently read her memoir, Be Ready When the Luck Happens, because it’s come up a bunch in the comments section of So Into That over the past few months. In her memoir, Ina recounts the story of how she went from working a job in the White House to owning a specialty food store in the Hamptons to growing a cookbook empire and becoming the cultural icon she is today. If you haven’t read or listened to her self-narrated memoir yet, you must!
Ina’s “how easy is that?” approach to cooking is similar to — and helped inspire! — Caroline’s. She endorses using store-bought shortcuts like pastry dough, encourages prepping ahead to keep dinner party hosting stress low, and never inserts unnecessary steps in her recipes. Her recipes (and aura!) are equal parts elegant and approachable — and are always delicious.
Also, she and her husband/biggest admirer, Jeffrey, could not be more charming.
We have great news to share with you: Ina is now on Substack! Ina Garten | Barefoot Contessa launched in July!
Twice a month she shares seasonal recipes to cook right now (yesterday’s email rounded up autumnal desserts like Apple Crostata, Pear Clafouti, and French Apple Tart!) plus updates (did you know she’s working on a NEW COOKBOOK and is going on a mini-tour early next year?!). There’s also an “Ask Ina” column in which she answers readers’ cooking and entertaining questions, and she shares her current favorites in the newsletter, too — playlists she’s listening to, ingredients she’s cooking with, books she loves, etc.
We are thrilled to be sharing a recipe from Ina this Saturday — one that perfectly showcases her easy, elevated cooking style — and to chat with her today!
Caro: Ina, I’m so honored that you’re here as my last maternity leave guest chef. Obsessively recording and watching episodes of Barefoot Contessa was what gave me the crazy idea that maybe I could have a career in the food world someday. And the first meal I ever cooked for my now-husband was your confetti corn with grilled ahi tuna. You are a tremendous inspiration to me.
What was your first official job in the food world?
Ina: Other than selling doughnuts in my dorm to make money while I was in college, the first job I had in the food business was the day I bought a specialty food store in Westhampton Beach, New York, called Barefoot Contessa. I thought, how hard could this be?? (It was the hardest summer of my life!)
Caro: I started a catering company rather impulsively after moving to Coronado, California, with my military husband and realizing that I did not want to work in advertising anymore, so I related to this part of your story so much while reading your memoir.
How would you define your current job in the food world? (Most of us are multi-hyphenate hybrid types — I know there isn't one clear answer here but tell us a bit about yourself!)
Ina: Most people who have cooking shows define themselves as television presenters with cookbooks. However, cookbooks are my first love so I spend 95 percent of my time writing books. My shows on Food Network are designed so if someone has trouble learning how to cook by following a recipe, they can watch me make it.
Caro: You (and my mom!) are responsible for teaching me how to cook, so I can attest to this. What's a career accomplishment you're proud of but not many people know about?
Ina: I started writing cookbooks because I love reading cookbooks. As time went on and people were so complimentary about my books, I tried to figure out why they felt so strongly about them. I came to believe that I wasn’t giving readers a collection of recipes; I was giving them the tools to do something for themselves. When they brought a dish to the table and guests said, “You made this yourself?” they felt good about themselves. I never set out to do that but for me, it became the best part of writing cookbooks.
Caro: Feeling pride in a meal that you cook for people you love… it’s the best feeling in the world. What's bringing you a lot of joy lately?
Ina: For the past 25 years, my husband, Jeffrey, and I have had a little apartment in Paris. I bought it thinking that when we get older, it will be a great place to spend time. Instead, the minute we finished renovating the apartment, all we could think about was going there! Paris for us is time off in a beautiful, inspiring city, but our favorite times have been going to the market for ingredients and cooking simple dinners for friends. Or just sitting in a café and enjoying the view. Paris is our happiest place.
Caro: Such a great reminder not to wait to do the things we love. I’m sure it seemed impossible to write your cookbooks and film your show while spending a lot of time in Paris at first, but you made it work in order to live the life you want to. Kudos!
Will you share a pantry staple that you can't live without?
Ina: I think the two most important things in the pantry are actually the simplest — salt and pepper. I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt and Tellicherry black peppercorns. It’s always astonishing to me how proper seasoning can transform a dish.
Caro: OK, I’m always preaching the Diamond Crystal kosher gospel, but I just ordered my first Tellicherry peppercorns! Thanks!
Your favorite or most-used specialty kitchen tool?
Ina: I love a stick blender. Instead of pouring a hot liquid like soup into a food processor to purée it and getting it all over the kitchen, all you need to do is plug in the stick blender and purée it in the pot. I also love a food mill because it purées soups but still leaves lots of texture so it doesn’t taste like baby food.
Caro: Soup season is upon us — I also love a stick blender. They make soup life so much easier.
Who is your favorite person to cook with and why?
Ina: Cooking is hard for me; I really need to concentrate! I much prefer to cook alone for a dinner party. When I’m testing recipes, though, I prefer to cook with my team so we can pool all of our ideas before the next round of testing.
Caro: You admitting that cooking is hard for you is such a gift to all of us. Just last night I burnt the absolute heck out of a really nice tri-tip that I’d been marinating for days. I felt so defeated. Even cookbook authors have a hard time cooking sometimes!
Thank you, Ina, for teaching me how to cook when I was in college watching Barefoot Contessa reruns, and for agreeing to come on What To Cook as my final maternity leave guest chef!
For more from the wonderful Ina Garten, subscribe to her newsletter Ina Garten | Barefoot Contessa, follow her on Instagram, cook through her cookbooks, read her memoir, and/or tune into reruns of Barefoot Contessa!
Thank you to today’s sponsor: Coterie!
From Caro: You guys. I am only now, as a fourth time mom, trying Coterie for the first time. Why on earth didn't I listen to all of my Coterie-loving friends about 500 blowouts and peed-through diapers ago?! Their best-selling diapers actually keep would-be blowouts contained (hallelujah!), and the 99%-water wipes are so soft and gentle on sensitive newborn skin. They also just launched a skincare line — a bun balm diaper ointment, hair and body wash, and all-over lotion that are all hypoallergenic, microbiome friendly, and eczema safe. If you want to give them a try, use code CARO20 for 20% off orders over $50* ❤️
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Each week we dip into the What To Cook archives to see what was on our table this time in years past. Put these quick, cozy, seasonal meals on your menu for the days ahead!
1. fried egg pasta with garlicky crunchies, 2024
Creamy, peppery, garlicky pasta that somehow harkens cacio e pepe, carbonara, and aglio e olio all at once. The runny egg yolks magically create the sauce — no cream needed — while a sprinkle of garlicky crunchies feels like restaurant magic, even though they’re made entirely from pantry staples.
2. sheet-pan spiced chicken, 2023
Chicken thighs, potatoes, and leeks roast with smoky spices until crispy-tender, then you’ll drizzle it all with garlicky yogurt. This meal is bold, cozy, and flavorful — it’s also endlessly riffable. If you’ve cooked this dinner as written but haven’t circled back to try one of the leftover spin-offs Caro shared, here’s your reminder!
3. crispy bean burritos, 2022
This meal checks so many boxes: it’s freezer friendly, family friendly, budget friendly, and so, so delicious. Rice and beans simmer together then get rolled up into cheesy burritos and crisped until golden. If you’re in a hurry, skip the rolling and serve the rice and beans burrito bowl style instead.
4. sheet-pan poblano steak fajitas, 2021
Proof that fajitas are better in the oven! Juicy steak and peppers roast together for deeper flavor and way less fuss than stovetop fajitas. Looking for a fun meal to serve for a party? Follow Kate’s lead!
We can’t feature Ina and not spread some Barefoot Contessa love! Comment on this post by Tuesday, September 23, to enter to win1 a copy of Modern Comfort Food and Barefoot Contessa Parties! (which are the Ina cookbooks Caroline cooks from most often!).
With Caro back in action and autumn just days away, let’s give her some inspo — what are you in the mood to cook these days? Tell us ingredients you want to work with, meals you’d love a WTC spin on, restaurant dishes you can’t get out of your head, etc.
PS, congrats to Nicole (@nicole656019), who won the set of Weekday Vegetarian cookbooks!
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Giveaway open to paid subscribers of this newsletter who are at least 18 and live within the U.S.
Jeffrey and George are the luckiest men alive.
Well, this is EPIC!!!! What a send off! I know Caro is never having another baby which is good news because how could y'all top this maternity leave guest series?! You couldn't!! I would love to see things in the slow cooker - let it do the heavy lifting for us. (and you!)