10 Things You Didn't Know About Ina Garten

Posted by Amber Dowling on September 8, 2017

Most of us know that Ina Garten, a.k.a. The Barefoot Contessa, got her name from her very first store, a specialty food shop in the Hamptons. But did you know she named it after a 1954 movie starring Ava Gardner and Humphrey Bogart? Or that she earned the money to buy the shop by flipping houses? We wish HGTV had done a series on that! Ahead of a new season of Barefoot Contessa where Ina will teach you how to cook like a pro, here a few more fun things you need to know about this beloved foodie.

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She Used to Work in the White House

Long before Ina was whipping up delicious dishes in the kitchen, she was working out bottom lines as a budget analyst for Presidents Ford and Carter. Talk about a career switch.
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She Was 15 When She Met Her Future Husband

Ina and Jeffrey have been married for a whopping 48 years... and if you ask us they're just as cute as ever. Whatever magic formula they've found, we definitely want it.
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Ina and Jeffrey Chose Not to Have Children

The couple doesn't have any kids, but that doesn't mean they don't have children in their lives. "I really appreciate that other people [have kids] and we will always have friends that have children that we are close to but it was a choice I made very early," Ina once told Katie Couric.
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She's a World Traveller

When she's not filming, Ina is a big fan of heading abroad. Paris, most notably, is one of her favourite places – she and Jeffrey have an apartment there – and gives her lots of inspiration for her subsequent work in the kitchen.
Twitter/@inagarten

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She May or May Not Be Part of T-Swift's Squad

We can neither confirm nor deny whether Ina is officially in Taylor Swift's squad, but they are fans of each other. This super cute selfie of the two following a shared segment is proof.
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She's a Theatre Lover

It seems like the entire world is trying to get in to see the Tony-winning smash musical Hamilton. It looks like Ina was one of the lucky ones who actually got tickets and she was also one of the theatre-goers singing its praises.
Instagram/@winkiethewelsh

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She's a Dog Person

Ina doesn't have dogs, but she seems to be over the moon with her assistant's pooch, Winkie. With a face like this, who wouldn't be?
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She's Has a Soft Spot for Cheese

Ina loves a simple yet beloved appetizer that saves time. Her go-to? Cheddar and blue cheese with sliced baguette, pairing them with Shiraz for maximum flavour.
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She Prefers a Birthday Pie

Not everyone is a cake fan; some people, like Ina, are all about the pie. Recently, she celebrated with a pretty banana toffee tart concoction her assistant Lidey Heuck whipped up – much to the Barefoot Contessa’s delight. Amber Dowling is a freelance lifestyle writer, TV critic and mom. She's a wine enthusiast, yoga lover and all-around player of sports with a penchant for travel, animals and stinky cheese.
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