“I have a little glass of wine and that’s basically all I need, and a cocktail once in a while.” (Photo by: Lloyd Bishop/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)
Ina Garten swears she’s not a lush.
The cooking maven told Page Six that despite going viral in April for concocting a giant cocktail, she’s actually not that much of a drinker.
“I think I spend more time talking about cocktails than I do actually drinking them,” she said with a laugh. “I have a little glass of wine and that’s basically all I need, and a cocktail once in a while.”
The “Barefoot Contessa” has a new cookbook out — and it could not be more timely. “Modern Comfort Food” is filled with familiar favorites like grilled cheese sandwiches and hamburgers, but with the usual Ina twist that somehow transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary.Top of Form
Garten said that the response to the book has been unlike anything she has ever experienced.
“This has just been an outpouring of affection that has been so lovely that I’ve given people the tools to make something really satisfying,” the 72-year-old Brooklyn native said. “I’ve almost given them permission to make mac and cheese. We open the fridge and there are all these fresh vegetables that we bought but what we really want is a grilled cheese sandwich.”
In fact, Garten has gained over 1 million new followers on Instagram since the pandemic started by posting pictures of her pantry and answering people’s questions about cooking.
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“When I was really isolated at home, it ended up giving me a purpose in a really nice way and keeping me connected with people who were struggling in the way I was,” she told us.
As fans know, her beloved husband, Jeffrey Garten, is a frequent guest on her Food Network show and endearingly rhapsodizes over every dish his wife creates. She does admit there was one ground beef and corn stew early in their marriage that was not met with instant acclaim, but other than that it’s been smooth sailing.
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That said, Garten does note that Jeffrey is served meals that she’s tested and tested again.
“I know it’s going to be really good before I make it,” she explained. “He doesn’t get the test that didn’t work out. I want to make sure he has a good dinner!”
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