Ina Garten is getting personal! Celadon Books announced on Wednesday, October 2, that the beloved chef and longtime Barefoot Contessa host is working on a memoir.
Per a statement from the Macmillan imprint, the not-yet-titled tome is tentatively scheduled to be released in 2023.
Though, Garten, 71, has remained mum about the news on social media thus far, the Food Network star indicated via a press release that she’s psyched about this next step. “By finding a way to do what I love for a living – cooking – I’ve been fortunate to build a career that has not only been incredibly rewarding but has brought people together through the power of home cooking.”
Added the culinary pro: ”I hope my book will inspire readers to find their own unique story.”
Soon after the news was announced, many of Garten’s fans took to social media to express their excitement. “So excited @inagarten,” wrote one Twitter user. “How am I going to wait 4 years??” Added another: “Why do I have to wait to 2023 for this?”
Though Garten is no stranger to writing a book (she has authored nearly a dozen best-selling cookbooks including Barefoot Contessa Parties! and Barefoot in Paris), this recently announced project is her first memoir. That means readers will likely get to know more about the Emmy Award winner than ever before.
While it’s not yet clear what information will be printed in the memoir, it will likely detail Garten’s career shift. She began her professional life as a budget analyst for the federal government before leaving in the late 1970s and purchasing a specialty food store called The Barefoot Contessa.
Garten’s husband, Jeffrey Garten, is also likely to loom large in the upcoming work. The pair tied the knot in 1968 after meeting while Jeffrey was is college and Ina was a teenager. Jeffrey, who is Dean Emeritus at the Yale School of Management, is a frequent guest on Barefoot Contessa and has his own dedicated fanbase.
Ina, who is self-taught cook inspired in part by Julia Child, released her first book, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, in 1999. All of her cookbooks have been released by Clarkson Potter, which has a pair of Ina-authored cookbooks scheduled for release in 2020 and 2023, respectively.
