The One Thing Ina Garten's Husband Jeffrey Makes In The Kitchen
To be a fan of the Barefoot Contessa, or famed Food Network star Ina Garten, is to also love her affable, ever-hungry husband. The chef and author has been cooking for her beloved spouse Jeffrey Garten for decades — over the course of 13 cookbooks, throughout the filming of almost 30 seasons of television, and for more than 50 years of marriage. While some couples divide and conquer in the kitchen, Garten has made cooking her domain and her best medium for showing love. Although Jeffrey makes several cameos on the ”Barefoot Contessa” Food Network show and throughout Garten's social media, his chief responsibility lies in enjoying (and positively reinforcing) his wife's culinary efforts.
When asked if Jeffrey ever cooks for her, Garten, as she shared on her Instagram, always has the same response: "He makes really good coffee," she quips. If you're envisioning a painstaking process of roasting single-origin coffee beans, grinding them by hand, and then slowly steeping the grounds for the perfect pour-over cup, think again. Jeffrey swans in to start their percolator up, with 8 cups of water to half a cup of coffee grounds. "You press the button and you got it," he says impressively. After watching the percolator work (in time-lapse), the two sip smilingly from their mugs. "That's the best cup of coffee," Garten reports.
A few ideas to upgrade Jeffrey's classic brew
While the Gartens are having fun with the simplicity of Jeffrey's coffee preparation and presentation, Ina Garten does make one important stipulation: It has to be "good coffee," she says. According to a Bon Appétit interview, her go-to brand is from a local New York company called Dallis Brothers, which has a small-batch, craft approach. In fact, high-quality coffee beans like these are one of Garten's favorite host gifts, because, unlike with wine or cheese, they save the person from feeling like they have to immediately serve whatever was gifted. Sharp-eyed viewers can also spot that the Gartens opt for pre-ground coffee and rely on their trusty Braun Aromaster drip coffee maker.
Once you've brewed your own strong cup of joe, consider adding cinnamon, nutmeg, or another coffee flavor booster to your mug for an easy taste upgrade. Or, as Garten shares in a Food Network video clip posted to Facebook, you can easily transform Jeffrey's perfect percolator brew into an Italian-inspired iced coffee by blending the java with turbinado sugar, whole milk or heavy cream, and ice. Of course, you can always follow in her footsteps and whip up one of the Barefoot Contessa's favorite desserts to accompany your bean-based beverage. Garten, however, never has to worry about what she serves with Jeffrey's best-ever cup of coffee. "Happily, there is nothing I've cooked that Jeffrey won't eat," she confides on her website. "But then, I try to make things I know he will like!"