Has Ina Garten's Husband Jeffrey Ever Disliked Any Of Her Meals?
Whether you're making a complex meal or breakfast in the microwave, the Barefoot Contessa has a tip for it all. And fans will doubtlessly be familiar with Garten's husband Jeffrey, who makes an appearance in nearly every episode of her show and is mentioned in many a blog post. Fittingly, Jeffrey Garten totes some impressive accomplishments of his own. Jeffrey served as a U.S. Army paratrooper, wrote foreign affairs reports for the Secretary of State, served as a U.S. economic representative in countries overseas, was vice president of a global banking business, founded an international consulting firm, and teaches at Yale (where he was also the dean for a time). In short, Jeffrey Garten is a super knowledgeable, wildly interesting individual — but the food world isn't his domain.
Ina and Jeffrey have been married since 1968, and in that time, Ina has cooked countless dinners for her husband. "Jeffrey is an easy audience," Ina tells Yale Daily News. "He likes everything I make." But, in a lifetime of creative cooking, have there been any exceptions? Has Ina Garten's husband ever disliked any of her meals?
A stellar track record
Only two of his wife's world-famous meals have ever missed the mark. One time, says Jeffrey, the Barefoot Contessa made a fish stew that "didn't turn out quite right," according to Yale Daily News. (Also, arguably, a "fish stew" is a pretty tough dish to make sound appetizing anyway.) But, there was another less-than-stellar creation, and it happened toward the beginning of Ina's cooking career. "When we were first married... I made one thing that was like ground beef and corn that I have to tell you was just awful," explains Garten in an interview with The Chew. "And he was like 'Mmh this is delicious, don't ever make it again.'" Garten says, laughing.
It's a wildly impressive track record, especially given the massive span of Garten's culinary career. In baseball, hitting four out of every 10 pitches is considered profound; we'd say Garten is knocking it out of the park. As of today, she has authored a whopping 13 cookbooks, one of which is literally titled "Cooking for Jeffrey" and filled with all of his favorite recipes. Indeed, their on-screen and off-screen relationship is full of mutual reverence for each other's impressive work. Garten tells People that the "secret" to a lasting marriage is "you just take care of each other and admire each other and support each other and you get that back."