On November 30, 2002, “Barefoot Contessa” hosted by Ina Garten premiered on the Food Network. Fifteen years later, the Emmy-winning series is still loved by cooking and eating enthusiasts alike.
Born Ina Rosenberg on February 2, 1948 in Brooklyn, NY, Garten grew up in Stamford, CT where her parents encouraged her to excel in school. She always demonstrated a strong aptitude in science that she has later used in her cooking profession. She once explained, “I’m really a scientist. I follow recipes exactly – until I decide not to. And then I’ll follow something else exactly. I may decide I could turn this peach tart into a plum tart, but if I’m following a recipe, I follow it exactly.”
At 15 she met her husband Jeffrey, who makes frequent appearances at the Barefoot Contessa table on her show. The two married in 1968 and moved to Washington, DC, where Garten earned an MBA at George Washington University while working at the Office of Management and Budget. She eventually helped write the nuclear energy budget and policy papers under the Ford and Carter administrations. All the while, she often turned to cooking and hosting dinners to temper the pressures of her demanding government job.
In 1978 she left her government position after purchasing a specialty food store in Westhampton Beach, NY, called Barefoot Contessa. The previous owners named their shop after the 1954 film that starred Ava Gardner. Garten kept the name as it fit with her brand that blended a down-to-earth aesthetic with sophisticated dishes. A year later, she moved the shop to a more visible location in East Hampton, NY. The store specialized in gourmet delicacies like imported cheeses and locally grown produce. After selling the store in 1996, Garten published her first cookbook, “The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook,” in 1999 and it sold over 100,000 copies in its first year and earned a 2000 James Beard Award nomination. Her next two cookbooks, “The Barefoot Contessa Parties!” (2001) and “The Barefoot Contessa Family Style” (2002) were also bestsellers. Her most recent, “Cooking for Jeffrey: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook,” was published in 2016. To date, her cookbooks have sold over six million copies combined.
After the success of her store and cookbooks, the Food Network offered Garten her own cooking show. Still one of the most popular shows on the Food Network, Garten often features her husband and friends for whom she cooks a multi-course meal on each episode. Specializing in French cuisine and clever ways to more efficiently prepare meals, she often deconstructs complex recipes like boeuf bourguignon while also adding her own Barefoot Contessa touch to the French classic sandwich, the Croque-Monsieur. How fabulous!