Ina Garten's Favorite Comfort Food Is Surprisingly Simple
Celebrity chef Ina Garten has no time for fancy foods, even admitting to Food Network that she's "never liked" them, nor had she "ever done them." The 73-year-old explained that through working at the specialty food store she left her government job in Washington, D.C. to run, she learned that people "like simple food at home." It's a lesson she has since implemented into her Food Network program Barefoot Contessa, as well as her many cookbooks, the most recent of which is all about comfort food.
Garten's mantra for crafting her recipes isn't just for her fans, either. She keeps the food she makes for herself simple as well. Take her favorite comfort food, Irish oatmeal, which she told Food Network could be the one dish she would "happily" eat for the rest of her life. "It's what I make when I'm off duty...Instead of mac & cheese, for me, comfort food is oatmeal," she said.
On her website, the Barefoot Contessa detailed her exact method for whipping up her "favorite breakfast" — and it might be even simpler than you think.
Ina Garten uses the microwave to make her oatmeal
Not only does Ina Garten choose a bowl of oatmeal when she needs something warm and comforting, she also told Bon Appétit back in 2014 that she eats the surprisingly healthy dish for breakfast every day. Therefore, it's no wonder that she goes for a simple and easy method of whipping up her go-to morning meal.
In response to a fan question about the method to making favorite comfort food, Garten revealed that it's shockingly easy to make — it doesn't even employ the use of a stove (via Barefoot Contessa). Rather, she goes for the ease of the microwave, adding "⅓ cup quick-cooking oats" ("never" instant, she once told The New York Times, as "it has no texture") and a cup of water in a bowl and cooking it on high for four minutes. She tops it with "a splash of milk," butter, maple syrup, and her secret ingredient: salt, which happens to be an easy way to bring out the flavor of the dish. Finish it with a quick stir to mix everything together, and there you have it, the Barefoot Contessa's comforting, daily breakfast. Sounds delicious!