Ina Garten Shares Three Comforting Recipes From Her New Cookbook

The Barefoot Contessa’s new cookbook is a celebration of our favorite comfort foods.

“So what exactly is comfort food? It’s food that’s not just nourishing, but it’s also emotionally satisfying,” says Ina Garten. “After Sept. 11, 2001, I can’t tell you how many people told me they went out to get all the ingredients to make my Outrageous Brownies from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. After the financial crisis in 2009, restaurants everywhere suffered as customers cut back on their spending. But fast-food places prospered because they served inexpensive classics like hamburgers and French fries.

As I write this, we’re in the middle of a global pandemic, and I have no idea when it will end or what devastation it will cause. People are isolated and stressed. Everyone I know has stocked up their fridges and pantries with ingredients they can cook for weeks or even months — chicken, vegetables, fruits, beans and dried legumes. But my friend Deborah Davis commented that she opens her fridge and looks at all the healthy food there, and all she wants is a grilled cheese sandwich! I can totally relate to that!

During times of financial and political stress, there’s something about a hamburger and Coke or a big bowl of beef stew that just makes us feel better. They’re not fancy — in fact, quite the opposite. They’re familiar, delicious and soul-satisfying. In other words, they’re comfort food.”