The One Book Ina Garten Can’t Get Enough Of

published Sep 14, 2017

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Ina Garten is a household name. She 10 cookbooks under her belt and a cult-favorite cooking show, The Barefoot Contessa. While Garten’s food expertise is renowned, the chef has book recommendations up her sleeve as well.

While talking to Michael Ian Black for the podcast How to Be Amazing, the Food Network star revealed her book of choice: Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. The 656-page biography chronicles the life of the Apple innovator.

Buy it Now: Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, $12

“I get up in the middle of the night to read it,” Garten says. “It’s just wonderful.”

Surprised by the choice? You shouldn’t be. Garten may be known for her cooking abilities, but her business acumen is nothing to scoff at. Not only did she graduate with an economics degree from college, but she also has an MBA.

“In my own little world, I’m a little in [Steve Job’s] direction,” she says. “I admire that kind of passion and insistence on quality.”

To listen to the episode in its entirety, find the podcast below. The synopsis of the episode reads:

“In 1978, Ina Garten took a huge risk and left her job as a budget analyst in the White House to pursue her dream working with food. She packed her bags, moved to the Hamptons, bought a specialty food store and “The Barefoot Contessa” was born. In this enlightening and charming episode, the down-to-earth Food Network star shares her story of “jumping into the pond” by teaching herself to cook and run a business with no experience, when she knew it was time to leave, and she dishes about the challenges she faced along the road to becoming a bestselling cookbook author and TV star.”