The Best Barefoot Contessa Ever

In 1978 Ina was working in the White House Office of Management and Budget and thought she has to do something more creative. She came across an ad in the New York Times for a specialty food store for sale in the Hamptons and decided to investigate. She drove with her husband to Long Island to see the store and fell in love. She had no experience in the food business but knew that it was exactly what she wanted to do. She made the owner a low offer thinking she'd go home and think about it. The store owner called the next day and said, "I accept your offer." Yikes! Ina owned a specialty food store!

Eighteen years later, Barefoot Contessa was a store that was celebrated both for its style and delicious food. In 1996, Ina sold the store to two employees who continued those traditions. At that point, with nothing to do, sher built herself an office over the store and tried her hand writing a cookbook. The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook turned out to be the most exciting thing she had ever done professionally and the response from readers was overwhelming. In 2001 Ina published her second book, Barefoot Contessa Parties! In 2002, Barefoot Contessa Family Style was released, and Ina started her show on Food Network, also called Barefoot Contessa. In 2004, Ina published Barefoot in Paris about her favorite simple French food and her fifth cookbook Barefoot Contessa at Home, was published in 2006.

Along with her friend and business partner, Frank Newbold, Ina has also launched an exciting line of products for breakfast, lunch, and dinner called Barefoot Contessa Pantry that is available for sale in stores throughout North America.

In 2003, the owners of Barefoot Contessa, the food store, decided to close their doors and go on to new adventures. Ina is excited to continue the traditions and build the brand with new cookbooks, new television shows, and lots of delicious products that continue to reflect not only quality and style, but also Ina's love of entertaining friends and family.

Ina lives in East Hampton and Manhattan with her husband Jeffrey.