Ina

Discussing the cultural moment of Ina Garten and Martha Stewart’s imprisonment as a core childhood memory. Not really, but kind of.

Dec 26, 2024

Ina Garten has been in the media a lot recently, thanks to her growing popularity among millennials. First, there was Taylor Swift’s famous visit to Ina’s Hamptons barn in 2014, followed by many other celebrity appearances. Then, when COVID hit, Ina became that endearing lady on Instagram, cosmopolitan in hand, trading sophistication for humor during the 2020 pandemic. If you really want to see Ina’s influence on this generation, just search ‘Ina Garten Parties’ on TikTok, where fans dress up as her and recreate her signature moments and dishes. I’m still wanting to host my own Garten party. Even though Ina has been a staple in our homes for over 20 years, a couple of viral moments have turned her into an absolute icon.

It’s the mid-2000s, and I’m a young girlie in middle school. Before I get carpooled to cheerleading or tennis, I make myself a snack and turn on the TV. I flip to Channel 39 (the Food Network), hoping to catch an episode of The Barefoot Contessa with Ina Garten. This ritual was a defining part of my childhood and is probably why I cook for a living today.

Photo: Jennifer Livingston / Trunk Archive. From The Cut.

For me, Ina represents so much of why I do what I do. From the aesthetic of her gorgeous home and barn, where she films all her shows, to the simple, yet elevated recipes and style of entertaining. Her sweet and graceful demeanor, sprinkled with moments of humor and spice, is something I truly admire. When I was younger (too young to want kitchen stuff for Christmas or birthdays), I wanted a collection of All-Clad pots and pans because Ina used All-Clad. When my mom went to the grocery store, she knew to buy the ‘good vanilla’—IYKYK. When it came time to do my wedding registry, I carefully chose each item, asking myself, ‘What would Ina buy?’ Her barn is stocked with timeless white platters, bowls, plates, etc. and I wanted my kitchen to be the same.

And then there are her recipes, and how cookable they are. Before the days of Instagram famous recipe developers, Ina Garten was my number one recipe muse. Very rarely did one of her recipes fail, and I found myself turning to her again and again. If my family requested green beans for dinner, I’d go straight to Ina’s books for a recipe.

Fast forward to 2021, when my first baby was born. The soundtrack to my postpartum days was the theme song to The Barefoot Contessa. Her bright show kept me happy and inspired, and when I think back to that time in my life, I remember those weeks nesting at home with Ina fondly.

Old fans and new alike have gotten to know Ina a lot better with the 2024 release of her autobiography. Ina doesn’t share much about her personal life, aside from her unwavering love for Jeffrey Garten, so it was fun to learn more about a woman who’s had a career in an industry I can only dream of.

Here are five random things I picked up from her book.

You don’t have to grow up with idyllic visions of food to be a great cook. I had no idea Ina’s mother was such a boring cook. The meals their family grew up on were strictly focused on nutrition, rather than taste or comfort. I hope Ina’s mom can see her now.
Marry your best friend. And take care of that person. It’s one of the most endearing parts of Ina and her memoir—how much she loves her husband, Jeffrey. She takes care of him, and he takes care of her. Period.
Backpack through Europe for the summer with your new husband in the early ’70s, to be culturally awakened and set the trajectory of your creative career, armed with nothing but a car, a tent, and a camp stove. Too bad that ship has sailed.
Ina on her European vacation. Photos from Ina Garten's Instagram.
Make your teenage kids get a summer job and hold them accountable. Reading about Ina’s time running the Barefoot Contessa store and managing a bunch of teenage employees was fascinating. She called out the kids who’d bail on their jobs right before the summer ended—and how their parents didn’t hold them accountable. It was tough on her as a business owner and hard on the other employees, too.
Tactfully learn how to tell men to buzz off. Being a woman in the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s, and ‘80s couldn’t have been easy—especially when you were as determined as Ina. When she decided she wanted to get her pilot’s license (mind blown that she actually did, by the way), no male instructor would teach her because she was a woman. She kept asking until she found one who would. Love her for that.

Photos taken from Ina Garten's Instagram

Here are a few of my favorite Ina recipes.

Beatty’s Chocolate Cake: This recipe is everything I want in a chocolate cake. It was also the first one to introduce the idea of adding coffee to chocolate to enhance that deep, rich chocolate flavor.
Engagement Roast Chicken: Just like Melissa Clark, all of Ina’s chicken recipes are 10/10.
French Apple Tarts: What I like to call a party trick dessert. I still make these to this day.
Garlic Roasted Potatoes: I don’t follow a recipe for roasted potatoes anymore, but when I was younger, this was my go-to.

Then there’s Martha

The Martha Stewart doc has definitely gotten more buzz than Ina’s memoir, and to be honest, it was quite captivating. I remember watching Martha as a young girl early in the morning on a tiny, corner-mounted TV while my mom walked on the treadmill. I really loved her show. I can still vividly remember when Martha went to jail. I remember the tabloids at the grocery store and grown-ups talking about it, but what I remember most is asking my parents to explain, again and again, what Martha did to en up in jail? Apparently, a 10-year-old doesn’t quite understand insider trading.

Photo from marthastewart.com | Love the brown spatterware dishes.

So, what do these two female powerhouses have in common, and what do they not? To me, Martha is a driven businesswoman who has prioritized her career over everything else, especially personal, to become the brand she is today. Ina, on the other hand, undeniably feels more genuine and endearing—and, to put it bluntly, Ina seems to have a soul. Too harsh? Both women are inspirations for how hard they’ve worked to achieve their success, and that’s something to look up to. They’re also great examples of trusting your gut and staying true to your style until you get what you want.

There’s so much noise and so many conflicting opinions about what defines womanhood in modern society, but I believe Ina—and sometimes Martha—serve as powerful examples of how modern women can be both successful and authentic in their own way.

The last thing I have to say about Martha is how much of a comeback kid she is. This woman has been kicked down and humbled in the public eye more than once, yet she keeps going. I think that’s something to truly admire.