Ina Garten headshot, celebrity chef, on set of her Food Network show "Barefoot Contessa." (AP)
Ina Garten’s biggest fans might already know that her series, “Barefoot Contessa,” was derived from the name of a specialty foods store she purchased in 1978, but she revealed on Thursday the special meaning that the phrase holds for her.
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"So many people ask, 'What does Barefoot Contessa mean?'" wrote Garten in blog post ahead of this Sunday’s Academy Awards. Well, according to Garten, not only was “Barefoot Contessa” (which essentially means “barefoot Italian countess”) the original name of her store, but it also evokes feelings of “being both elegant and earthy.”
Garten also confirmed that the store itself was named after the Oscar-winning 1954 Joseph Mankiewicz film starring Humphrey Bogart and Ava Gardner, although, as People notes, she has previously stated that “Barefoot Contessa” was also the childhood nickname of the Italian woman who owned the store before her.
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Ever the entertainer, Garten used the rest of her post to share an “elegant and earthy” Oscar-night appetizer in the form of “simple devilled eggs” which she dressed up with minced smoked salmon and caviar.
“No matter who takes home an Oscar, this one’s sure to be a winner!” said Garten.
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