An Inside Look At Ina Garten's Life And Impressive Career

Posted by Noelle Montes on Monday, May 6, 2024

In 1999, Ina Garten released "The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook" and shared the recipes that had made her store a hit. The book became a success, which led to TV opportunities opposite Martha Stewart. Executives at Food Network liked how she came across on camera and decided to offer her a show, but Garten completely rejected them at first.

"In the beginning, I just thought 'I'm not that person,'" the chef told People, insisting that she didn't care about getting famous. "Why would anyone want to watch me on TV? I couldn't understand what I could do that was different; that was unique." The network was persistent, but she gave them the same answer. "They kept saying, 'No, you'd be really great,' and I'm like, 'Lose my phone number,'" Garten recalled. "Fortunately, they kept coming back." 

Eventually, "Barefoot Contessa" — the television show, that is — was born. "And of course, here we are, 15 years later. I'm still with the same production company and still on Food Network," Garten noted. "Despite myself."

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