The Simplest Dish In The World To Make, According To Ina Garten (2024)

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The Simplest Dish In The World To Make, According To Ina Garten? ›

Making roast chicken

She is host of the Food Network program Barefoot Contessa, and was a former staff member of the Office of Management and Budget. Among her dishes are Perfect Roast Chicken, Weeknight Bolognese, French Apple Tart, and a simplified version of beef bourguignon.

Using cookbooks like Craig Claiborne's "The New York Times Cookbook" and Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," Garten taught herself how to cook. Eventually, a four-month-long trip she and Jeffrey took to Paris ignited the fire to pursue a career involving food.

She mastered her cooking skills by working her way through Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." "I would have to say that Julia Child's my biggest culinary inspiration because she really taught me how to cook through her cookbooks," Garten told Today.

The main focus when it comes to Burgundy's production centers around red Pinot Noir and white Chardonnay; and Ina Garten, who is as well-known for her impressive hosting as her cooking skills, is a fan of both, often using them either in recipes or to drink alongside dishes.

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.

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 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.

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.

At one point early in her professional years, Garten was an employee of the U.S. government. Her tenure as a nuclear budget analyst straddled the administrations of Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter, and it was during that time that she began to feel an itch to do something different.

What brand of dishes does Ina Garten use? ›

If you're looking for a Barefoot Contessa-approved set, check out the Maison pattern from Crate and Barrel, a mainstay Ina has said she owns over the years. Another, pricier option is the White Dinnerware set from Pillivuyt, a French brand Ina recommends for serving ware as well.

Several years ago, Garten built a second kitchen in a barn on her property so she could have somewhere to film episodes of Barefoot Contessa (she told Oprah Daily all about it in 2021). But Garten's home kitchen, where she still cooks meals for friends and family, has remained untouched for 25 years—at least until now.

Ina loves her All-Clad stainless steel cookware and has had some of her All-Clad pans for over 40 years. She loves that it cooks food evenly, keeps the heat and is easy to clean.

The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook came out in 1999 and turned out to be the most exciting thing I've ever done professionally. Happily, that first cookbook was a surprise best-seller. By 2002, I had published two more cookbooks and started filming a show for Food Network, also called Barefoot Contessa.

East Hampton, New York, U.S. The show's title, which comes from the Italian word for countess, was originally used by Garten in her best-selling cookbook, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook (1999). The cookbook was in turn named after Garten's specialty food store, which she bought already named in 1978.

Ina and Jeffrey Garten have been married for over 50 years, having tied the knot in 1968.

It's difficult to find any cooking enthusiast who doesn't love Ina Garten. Her authentic, down-to-earth style has endeared her to millions of foodies and television viewers, evidenced by the success of her cookbooks, which have become New York Times bestsellers (via The New York Times).