A Little Ina Garten, as a Treat

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"During a crisis, cocktail hour can be any hour," the Barefoot Contessa says as she shakes up her signature cosmopolitan, complete with Grey Goose, Cointreau, cranberry juice cocktail and fresh squeezed lime.

Garten understood the need for some fun and excitement. Throughout quarantine, she was hiding away in her East Hampton home, recipe-tasting, filming and creating all on her own. There was no crew to assist her: only her iPhone and fantastic food skills. She and her husband, the iconic Jeffrey, took in no guests and were being extra cautious to avoid the virus.

With all of the doom and gloom, Garten decided the time has come to release her 12th cookbook, Modern Comfort Food, which had been in the works for about two years and was almost finished when COVID-19 hit.

In an interview with The Cut, released today, Garten said "I knew that there was going to be an election a month after it came out. And I thought everybody, no matter what side of the aisle you're on, was going to need comfort food. Little did I know that at this point in time, it would be the, you know, nexus of all the race demonstrations and COVID and the election and all the stress that's happening in the world –– just extraordinary. Turns out we needed it more than ever."

Other than adding a line about the coronavirus to her introduction, not much of the book changed. The book is filled with recipes for foods like tomato soup and grilled cheese, beef stew and Boston cream pie — exactly the kinds soul nourishing foods the world needs right now.

Ina Garten's Modern Comfort Food will be available to purchase October 6, 2020.

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