Ina Garten Bio

Ina Garten is the host of Food Network's Barefoot Contessa and Be My Guest. In 1978, she found herself working in the White House on nuclear energy policy thinking, "There's got to be more to life than this!" She saw an ad for a small food store for sale in a place she'd never been: East Hampton on Long Island. She and her husband drove up to investigate and made the owner an offer on the spot. Two months later, Ina became the owner of Barefoot Contessa, a 400-sq. ft. specialty food store.

Barefoot Contessa grew to become a 3,000-square-foot food emporium where 20 cooks and bakers prepared food. In 1996, Ina sold the store to her employees. In 1999, Ina wrote her first book, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, which was one of the best-selling cookbooks of the year. In 2001, Ina followed with best-selling Barefoot Contessa Parties, inviting readers into her home to share ideas and recipes. Her follow-up cookbooks, Barefoot Contessa Family Style (2002), Barefoot in Paris (2004), Barefoot Contessa at Home (2006), Cooking for Jeffrey (2016) and more, showcase her easy, delicious and foolproof recipes. Ina has also written for Martha Stewart Living Magazine, O, Oprah Magazine and House Beautiful. She currently lives in East Hampton, New York and Southport, Connecticut, with her husband Jeffrey, who is a professor at the Yale School of Management.

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Ina's Most-Popular Recipes

Beatty's Chocolate Cake

Perfect Roast Chicken

Meat Loaf

Mac and Cheese

Chicken Pot Pie

Linguine with Shrimp Scampi

Beef Bourguignon

Baked Shrimp Scampi

Lemon Chicken Breasts

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Company Pot Roast

Lemon Bars

Outrageous Brownies

Garlic Roasted Potatoes

Asian Grilled Salmon

Lemon Yogurt Cake

Turkey Meatloaf

Shortbread Cookies

Lemon Cake

Real Meatballs and Spaghetti

Potato Salad

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Carrot and Pineapple Cake

Old-Fashioned Apple Crisp

Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast

Chicken Piccata

Perfect Pie Crust

Perfect Roast Turkey

Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins

Parker's Split Pea Soup

Parmesan Chicken

Roasted Shrimp and Orzo

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Blueberry Crumb Cake

Scallops Provencal

Sausage-Stuffed Mushrooms

Turkey Lasagna

Coconut Macaroons

Coconut Cake

Roasted Asparagus

Italian Wedding Soup

Easy Parmesan "Risotto"

Chicken Thighs with Creamy Mustard Sauce

Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup

Banana Crunch Muffins

Chicken Chili

Raisin Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

Salmon Cakes

Herb-Marinated Pork Tenderloins

Cauliflower Gratin

Coq Au Vin

Lobster Mac and Cheese

Fresh Corn Salad

Weeknight Bolognese

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