Ina Garten and Jennifer Garner's 11-year food friendship
Ina Garten and Jennifer Garner have been friends for more than a decade, bonding over cookbooks, TV kitchens, charity tables, and late-night In-N-Out runs. In a new Delish interview, they revisit how they met on Garner's 40th birthday and the Barefoot Contessa recipes—from Crispy Chicken With Lemon Orzo to Honey White Bread—that still stitch their friendship together.
Key Takeaways
- Ina Garten and Jennifer Garner met after an almost-missed invitation and filmed Barefoot in L.A. on Garner's 40th birthday.
- Garten gifted Garner a purple Hermès scarf that she has worn ever since.
- Garner's go-to Garten recipes include meatballs, Crispy Chicken With Lemon Orzo, Tequila Lime Chicken, and Honey White Bread "bread men."
- After a book-tour stop, Garten ordered a Double-Double Animal Style; Garner prefers a plain cheeseburger.
- They recently played a "Who's Most Likely to…" food game shared by TODAY.
How did Ina Garten and Jennifer Garner first meet?
According to Delish, Garten's assistant nearly declined a lunch ask from Garner. Garten corrected course, then invited Garner onto Barefoot in L.A.
The shoot landed on Garner's 40th birthday. Garten brought a purple Hermès scarf matching the Oscar-night purple dress Garner had worn. Garner invited Garten to a sweats-and-ponytails birthday party with about 40 women—and Garten still sounds dazzled by the room.
Since then they have crossed paths on Be My Guest, Garner's Pretend Cooking Show, charity events such as a 2019 Walmart Community Table Thanksgiving, and In-N-Out nights. They are also talking about Garner appearing on Garten's upcoming podcast, Happy Hour With Ina Garten.
What recipes bring Ina Garten and Jennifer Garner together?
Garner flips through an early copy of Simply Ina and declares every recipe a "banger." On a pandemic Zoom for Pretend Cooking Show, she cooked Crispy Chicken With Lemon Orzo from Modern Comfort Food while Garten watched from a cat stand—and she has remade it countless times since.
Splattered pages at Garner's house include Garten's meatballs. She also loves Tequila Lime Chicken from Barefoot Contessa Family Style and Barefoot Contessa Parties!, the book behind Garten's hosting go-to of Rack Of Lamb with Orzo With Roasted Vegetables.
For kids, Garner bakes Honey White Bread into "bread men," echoing her mother's Sunday loaves. She has also served individual Chicken Pot Pie ramekins that her daughter's friend still talks about. For Delish's Cooking Together cover, they shared Whipped Ricotta With Fig Jam & Grilled Bread from Simply Ina.
Where do they go when they are not cooking?
After a book-tour event, Garten texted Garner for In-N-Out. Per Yahoo's report on the same Delish sit-down, Garten gets a Double-Double Animal Style—"like Julia Child's order"—while Garner often wants a cheeseburger with nothing on it. They agree fries should be eaten hot on the spot, not after a long drive.
Garten arrived early, found a messy dining room, and bused tables before Garner walked in. On Aug. 25, 2026, TODAY also shared the pair playing "Who's Most Likely to…: Food Edition," including who is most likely to bring something store-bought to a party.
Their shared thesis is simple: connection over perfection. For more BlasterPost culture-and-buzz roundups, see our Fintech & Crypto Alerts hub.