Ina Garten’s laid-back style in the kitchen, warm personality and staying power have made the cookbook author and host both a household name and a cult figure. But you don’t get to be an icon with a multimillion-dollar brand on cocktails and niceness alone. Garten grew up in a home filled with negativity and pressure, where nothing she did was ever good enough for parents. She evolved from an unsupported young woman to a powerhouse who found success later in life, writing her first cookbook in her early 50s. Now 78, Garten is starting a new chapter: She's launching a podcast called “Happy Hour With Ina Garten." And she's releasing a new cookbook (her 14th), called “Simply Ina.” In a wide-ranging conversation with Lulu Garcia-Navarro on “The Interview,” Garten spoke about taking on challenges in later life and learning to surround herself with people who are on the Ina train. She also discussed her dynamic with Martha Stewart; the best advice she ever received (which happened to be from Jeffrey, her husband); the three ingredients she always has at hand; and more. Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/29/magazine/ina-garten-interview.html [00:00] Introducing Ina Garten [04:40] "Simply Ina," Garten's new cookbook [06:36] Why she's starting a podcast [11:23] Recreating what she craved in childhood as an adult [14:56] Learning to trust her instincts and execute her vision [19:13] Her relationship with Martha Stewart [24:52] Who is Garten's audience today? [26:20] Reflecting on feminism, the tradwife trend and career choices [29:17] Finding the fun in problem-solving [33:35] Final lightning round (best advice, most overrated ingredient and more) [36:13] Will Garten ever retire? “The Interview” features conversations with the world’s most fascinating people. Each week, co-hosts David Marchese and Lulu Garcia-Navarro talk to compelling, influential figures in culture, politics, business, sports and beyond — illuminating who they are, why they do what they do and how they impact the rest of us. Subscribe to “The Interview”: https://www.youtube.com/@theinterviewpodcast Discover the journalism Times subscribers get daily, free for your first month in The New York Times app. Download here: https://nytimes.onelink.me/Xpht/a6wzplra #inagarten #theinterview