5 Things in Ina Garten’s Kitchen That We Need to Unpack (2024)

FAQs

What salt does Ina Garten recommend? ›

Ina Garten explained that you have to use 'the right [salt] for the right occasion' For cooking, Garten told Bon Appétit that she uses Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt, which she called "always perfect."

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.

She's been using the same brand of olive oil for at least 20 years. Garten lists "good olive oil" in many of her recipes — from her updated take on a classic chicken marbella to her tomato and eggplant soup. But the oil she truly prefers to use is Olio Santo's cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil, she told Bon Appétit.

Her Lacanche range

“I think if you can cook, you can cook on any stove,” Garten wrote. “The Lacanche keeps a very steady heat and it's a total pleasure to use. Functional and beautiful at the same time!”

The Barefoot Contessa star fell for the light and lovely Olio Santo Extra-Virgin Olive Oil over 20 years ago and has been devoted to it ever since. So when her recipes call for "good olive oil," we all now know which one she really means — and you can use it too, since it's available at Amazon.

All of the chefs we interviewed say kosher salt is their preferred variety for any type of savory cooking. It doesn't have additives like iodine (which some people find metallic tasting), instead it has a nice, clean flavor, says Matijevich.

Ina and Jeffrey Garten have been married for over 50 years, having tied the knot in 1968. Throughout their marriage, the couple have lived in many places together including Paris, Washington, D.C., Manhattan and East Hampton, New York.

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."

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.

Hellmann's Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise makes any sandwich better, and this classic brand is Garten's go-to choice (Hellmann's was also Julia Child's pick).

What brand of clothing does Ina Garten wear? ›

In person, Ina Garten is exactly the way she's been immortalized on TV. On the day I visit her at her idyllic East Hampton compound, she's wearing one of her signature oversize navy button-up shirts, which she buys in bulk from Eileen Fisher, Talbots, and Lands'End.

In 2018, Garten explained why, even though she's known for her Barefoot Contessa cookbook, she swears by these Allbirds slip-on sneakers. "These shoes changed my life," she told PEOPLE. "I first bought them thinking they would be really comfortable for cooking, and now I wear them everywhere.

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.

Ina Garten Delights in Hitchco*ck Thrillers and Her Mini Cooper.

Her fame may be relatively quiet — she doesn't have a line of cookware, there isn't a namesake restaurant — but make no mistake: Ina Garten is a powerhouse celeb chef. Fans know her story well: From a White House budget analyst to specialty food-store owner, her path to stardom has been slow and steady.

Salt and Pepper

In his kitchen, Bobby opts for a rotation of different salts and freshly ground black pepper. “I use kosher salt most of the time, and I grind my own black peppercorns and I just put 'em in a bowl as opposed to having it in a pepper mill,” he says.

While we call for both table and kosher salt in our recipes, we generally prefer the larger, coarser grains of kosher salt for rubbing onto meat or sprinkling over foods. A handful of smaller companies and artisans manufacture kosher salt, but two major brands, Diamond Crystal and Morton, dominate the American market.

While the association's recommendation refers to table salt, pink Himalayan salt could also work. Himalayan salt has lower sodium levels. The levels of sodium in table salt and Himalayan pink salt are roughly the same. Himalayan salt is better for you.

Chefs use kosher salt and they keep it in a bowl. Chefs use kosher salt for two reasons, it has clean salt flavor (no iodine) and it's easy to estimate how much you're holding between your fingers when you pick some up.