Ina Garten is a Jewish American author and host of the Food Network program Barefoot Contessa. She is known for designing her recipes with an emphasis on fresh ingredients and time-saving tips.
Ina Rosenberg was born February 2, 1948, in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Stamford, Connecticut by her parents Charles H. and Florence Rosenberg. She attended Syracuse University, but postponed her studies to marry her husband, Jeffrey Garten, on December 22, 1968, and relocate to Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Garten began to dabble in cooking and entertaining to occupy her time while her husband served his four-year military tour during the Vietnam War. After her husband completed his military service, the couple journeyed to Paris, France, where Garten experienced open-air markets, produce stands and fresh cooking ingredients for the first time and discovered her love for French cuisine. When she returned to the United States, she began cultivating her culinary abilities by studying the volumes of Julia Child's seminal cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
In 1972, Garten and her husband moved to Washington, D.C., where she worked in the White House and took business courses at George Washington University, eventually earning her MBA. Originally employed as a low-level government aide, she climbed the political ladder to the Office of Management and Budget and was assigned the position of budget analyst, which entailed writing the nuclear energy budget and policy papers on nuclear centrifuge plants for Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter.
Strained by the pressures of her work and the serious, high-power setting of Washington, Garten once again turned to cooking and entertaining in her free time, constantly arranging dinner parties and soirées at her home on the weekends. Meanwhile, she worked on flipping homes in the Dupont Circle and Kalorama neighborhoods and used the profits to buy the Barefoot Contessa specialty food store.
Garten has no formal culinary training and she taught herself with the aid of French and New England cookbooks. Later, she relied on intuition and feedback from customers and friends to refine her recipes. She was mentored chiefly by Eli Zabar, owner of Eli's Manhattan and Eli's Breads, and food-show host and author Martha Stewart. Her culinary career began with her gourmet food store, Barefoot Contessa, then Garten expanded her activities to several best-selling cookbooks, magazine columns, self-branded convenience products and a popular Food Network television show.
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.
Her husband, Jeffrey, went on to become the Undersecretary of Commerce for International Trade and dean of the Yale School of Management. He is now the Juan Trippe Professor in the Practice of International Trade, Finance, and Business at Yale. He can also frequently be spotted on her cooking show, assisting his wife with menial tasks or sampling the dishes she has created. They divide their time between Manhattan, East Hampton, and Paris.
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FAQs
If that's a little too luxe, Garten has also praised a more modestly priced butter. In response to a question posted on her website, Garten once said that she often uses Cabot Creamery butter to cook with, before adding that “there are many good brands of butters available.”
Did Ina Garten ever want children? ›
Ina Garten is opening up about her decision not to have kids. During a recent appearance on Julia Louis-Dreyfus' podcast "Wiser Than Me," the Food Network star got candid about having "no interest in having children" and how her husband Jeffrey Garten has been supportive of her choice.
Is Ina Garten married to Jeffrey? ›
Ina Garten, 76, has called her husband Jeffrey Garten the "love of my life" — and he seems to feel the exact same way. Jeffrey Garten seems just as smitten as he was when he first spotted the then-15-year-old Ina Rosenberg on the campus of Dartmouth College 60 years ago.
How rich is Ina Garten? ›
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Ina Garten's net worth in 2024 is estimated at $60 million. When combined with that of her husband Jeffrey, that amount is estimated at a whopping $120 million.
What is considered the best butter in the world? ›
Cabot Creamery's salted butter won the top prize in its category with 99.65 points, a near-perfect score. The Vermont company narrowly beat out a French butter that costs two to three times the price. Cabot Creamery is a New England farmer cooperative, making the brand easy to love.
What is the healthiest butter brand? ›
The healthiest butter brands
- Smart Balance Original Buttery Spread.
- Earth Balance Pressed Avocado Oil Spread.
- Carrington Farms Organic Ghee.
- I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Original Spray.
- Benecol Buttery Spread (includes plant stanols)
- 4th & Heart Ghee Oil (uses grass-fed dairy)
Garten then decided to discontinue her studies at Syracuse University and focused on cooking for her husband. However, Jeffrey pushed her to pursue her passions for business and cooking, and she later earned her degree from Georgetown University in Washington, DC.
How tall is Ina Garten and what does she weigh? ›
Biography and Personal Life
Garten is of Jewish descent and is currently 75 years old. She has a height of 160 cm (5'2″) and weighs approximately 70 kg (154 lbs). She has dark brown eyes and hair.
What did Ina Garten do before food? ›
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.
Is Ina Garten Catholic? ›
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.
He can also frequently be seen on her cooking show, assisting his wife with simple tasks or sampling the dishes she has created. They divide their time living in Manhattan, East Hampton, and Paris. Garten served as hostess of the 16th Annual Hudson Peconic benefit for Planned Parenthood.
How much is Ina Garten's husband worth? ›
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.
Does Ina Garten own a home in Paris? ›
Ina Garten and her husband Jeffrey Garten are celebrating New Year's Eve in style! The Food Network star, 75, and her husband Jeffrey Garten rang in 2024 while in Paris, where they own an apartment.
How much does Ina Garten's house cost? ›
According to Observer, Ina Garten and her husband Jeffrey just purchased a Park Avenue home for $4.65 million.
Did Ina Garten want kids? ›
Ina Garten never wanted children — and her husband Jeffrey Garten supported that decision. During a new episode of Julia Louis-Dreyfus' podcast, Wiser Than Me from Lemonada Media, the Barefoot Contessa star spoke about their relationship.
What butter do professional chefs use? ›
European-style butter
European butters have a higher butterfat percentage than American butters, and have become the butters of choice for many chefs, bakers, and passionate home cooks.
What brand of truffle butter does Ina Garten use? ›
While she chooses to buy ingredients like Urbani white truffle butter and Libby's pumpkin puree, it was the common, everyday condiments that stood out to me. From vanilla extract to balsamic vinegar, check out Garten's go-to staples below and get them for your own pantry.
Why is cabot butter so good? ›
The Best Butter, Sustainably Produced
The best butter in America is sustainably produced by using energy from an aerobic digester at a nearby Cabot farm. Food waste, manure, and even extra material from butter making, goes back into the digester, creating a closed-loop system.
What's the difference between American butter and Amish butter? ›
Also known as roll butter for its log-shaped packaging, Amish butter is a slow-churned butter that is typically richer and creamier than regular stick butter. This flavorful butter has been produced for generations by family-owned and operated farms, but we're just beginning to see it pop up in local grocery stores.
