Ina Garten

Ina Rosenberg Garten, born February 2, 1948, is an American television cook and author best known as the host of the Food Network program Barefoot Contessa. Her notable dishes include Perfect Roast Chicken, Weeknight Bolognese, French Apple Tart, and a simplified version of beef bourguignon. Before establishing her career in the culinary industry, she worked as a government staff member at the White House Office of Management and Budget.

Born to a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York City, Garten was raised in Stamford, Connecticut, by her father, Charles H. Rosenberg, a surgeon specializing in otolaryngology, and her mother, Florence, a dietitian. She developed an early aptitude for science, which she later applied when experimenting with recipes. She attended Syracuse University as an economics major, transferred to North Carolina State University, and later earned an MBA from the George Washington University School of Business. At age 15, she met her future husband, Jeffrey Garten.

The couple married in 1968 and relocated to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where Garten began cooking and entertaining during her husband's military service. After a four-month camping vacation in Europe inspired an interest in French cuisine, she cultivated her culinary skills by studying influential books, including those by Julia Child. In 1972, the couple moved to Washington, D.C., where Garten worked for the Federal Power Commission and later as a budget analyst for the Office of Management and Budget under Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. Alongside her government work, she renovated local properties.

In 1978, Garten left her government position and purchased the Barefoot Contessa, a 400-square-foot specialty food store in Westhampton Beach, New York. She later relocated and expanded the business in East Hampton, growing it to over 3,000 square feet and offering gourmet items such as lobster Cobb salad, caviar, and local produce. After two decades of operation, she sold the store to two employees in 1996, though she retained ownership of the property until the shop's permanent closure in 2003.

Garten transitioned to publishing in 1999 with the release of The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, which became a bestseller. She followed it with Barefoot Contessa Parties! and Barefoot Contessa Family Style, both of which earned James Beard Award nominations. As of 2023, she has published thirteen cookbooks with more than 14 million copies in print. In 2002, she made her television debut hosting Barefoot Contessa on the Food Network, earning a Daytime Emmy Award for Best Culinary Host in 2009. In 2022, she launched the show Be My Guest on Discovery+ and the Food Network.

Beyond her books and television shows, Garten launched the Barefoot Contessa Pantry product line in 2006, offering packaged convenience foods based on her recipes. She also contributed monthly columns to O, The Oprah Magazine and House Beautiful. In 2021, she was named to the inaugural Forbes 50 Over 50 list. Garten and her husband divide their time between Manhattan, East Hampton, and Paris.