Ina Garten Reveals the Relatable Fact About Herself When She Cooks for Friends
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Hosting a gathering can quickly become overwhelming. You’ve got to identify which recipes to cook, keep various dietary restrictions in mind, perfect a meticulously practiced dish, curate an environment where everyone is having a good time, and deal with the loads of sporadic kitchen hiccups. Most people can agree that it’s a lot, and when that tight feeling starts to form in your chest, sometimes it can make the best of nights genuinely unwieldy.
In a podcast interview with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Ina Garten vulnerably shared that she suffers from anxiety whenever she entertains. This may come as a surprise to long-time fans of the Barefoot Contessa host, who for years has equipped countless home cooks with advice on how to curate dining experiences for their loved ones.
“If I’m giving a dinner party, I’m beside myself with anxiety that it’s not going to come out right,” Garten said in an interview on the Wiser Than Me podcast. It’s part of the reason why she got into sharing her recipes in the first place. “One of the things that I’m aware of when writing a cookbook is how hard it is to give a dinner party,” she says.
Even with years of following highly detailed steps when cooking for gatherings — including making sure to measure ingredients precisely (even her own) — Garten still can’t seem to shake that tight chest feeling that arrives whenever she hosts guests.
The Kitchn spoke with Uxshely Carcamo, a psychotherapist and nutritionist at the Food Therapy Clinic, and Susan Albers, PhD, a clinical psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic who specializes in food habits. We wanted to understand what factors play a role in hosting anxiety, plus how to combat these sudden emotions.
It turns out that the concern of how others perceive us tends to be a key player in kitchen anxiety. “For a cook or someone that is known for their cheffing skills, it can feel like a lot of pressure to perform when cooking for others. The fear of being judged by others can drive cooking anxiety when preparing a meal for others — especially if you think that others expect very high standards from you,” says Carcamo.
On top of potential perceptions, the physical act of cooking can get pretty taxing, too. “Time constraints and the need to multitask while managing different dishes can further contribute to feelings of anxiety,” says Dr. Albers.
The good news is that there are some helpful tips you can implement to try to combat kitchen anxiety. “It can be helpful to catch and then gently challenge any unhelpful thoughts that you may be having. For example, if you catch yourself worrying whether people will like the food, perhaps you could gently change this narrative to ‘Well, they will be coming to enjoy the experience of having a meal together,’” says Carcamo.
You may also benefit from curating a cozy and nurturing environment before guests arrive. “Creating a detailed menu and prep schedule can help reduce last-minute stress. Additionally, practicing recipes in advance can build confidence and familiarity in the kitchen,” says Dr. Albers. She continues, “Engaging in mindfulness techniques, such as deep breathing or listening to calming music while cooking, can also alleviate anxiety.”
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