Christina Tosi Once Founded An Ina Garten-Themed Club
It's difficult not to fangirl over Ina Garten, even for other celebs. Taylor Swift wrote an essay in praise of the Barefoot Contessa for "TIME's 100 Most Influential People." Jennifer Garner expressed her love for Garten on social media, and Gwyneth Paltrow prepared brunch with the icon at Garten's home in the Hamptons. Well, Christina Tosi, the CEO of Milk Bar, needs a Members Only jacket too because she also has a deep admiration for all things Ina Garten, so much so that she started "The Ina Club" and it all started with Garten's roast chicken.
Tosi told Bon Appétit that after experiencing a dinner party where Garten's recipe for this bird was the focal point of the meal, she and her friends came up with a once-a-year tradition of getting together for an all-Ina Garten recipe party. Tosi states, "The Ina Club rules are simple: The entire table must be filled with recipes by Ina and Ina only."
The recipe they make the most includes tomatoes
Tosi revealed that the group has Garten on the brain from the moment they hit the grocery stores until they actually cook the recipes. Tosi stated, "We all go to the market, channeling our inner Inas and shop based on what looks good, smells good, and inspires us. None of us necessarily knows what recipe we'll make, but we do know seasonally which ones are our tried-and-true favorites. Then we bring the goods home, scour the internet and open all the Ina cookbooks, and make a meal. Everyone usually makes a few dishes, and we eat potluck-style."
If you're wondering what recipe the club likes best, it's Garten's summer pasta salad with tomato. However, if Tosi had her way, it would be Garten's pasta, pesto, and pea recipe. But the fangirling goes the other way as well, Garten posted a photo on Instagram displaying a build-a-cake kit Tosi sent her idol. Garten put the cake together, and it looked like Milk Bar perfection.