Good Hang with Amy Poehler

Episode: Ina Garten

Date: November 25, 2025
Host: Amy Poehler
Guest: Ina Garten
Special Guest Appearance: Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Episode Overview

In this lively and heartfelt episode, Amy Poehler invites culinary icon Ina Garten to the studio. The conversation oscillates between laughter, personal stories, career pivots, relationships, and kitchen wisdom. Special pre-interview input comes from mutual friend and comedic legend Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who brings sunshine, hats, and pressing sorbet questions. Over strawberries and prosecco (and the gift of a fake roast chicken), Amy and Ina discuss food, joy, authenticity, marriage, work, and the power of deciding what sort of life you want to lead—at any age.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Cameo & Gift Exchange

• [00:41 - 11:42] Julia joins remotely to set the stage with questions and stories about her friendship with Ina.
  • The crucial questions for Ina:
    • "Why are you so cheerful?" [05:17]
    • "What puts you in a bad mood?" [05:19]
    • Sorbet troubleshooting: "What do I add to make my sorbet less icy and more creamy?" [07:59]
  • Julia and Amy riff on sun protection, friendship, and couples-dining dynamics.

Notable Quote:

Julia Louis-Dreyfus [05:19]:
"Seriously, why are you so cheerful? And also, what puts you in a bad mood? I'd like to know what really puts Ina in a bad mood."

2. Ina Garten Arrives – Generosity & Community

• [12:14 - 15:01] Ina gifts Amy a life-sized fake roast chicken, sparking joy and discussion on how food builds community.
  • The roast chicken symbolizes Ina’s cooking philosophy: simplicity, warmth, and bringing people together.

Notable Quote:

Ina Garten [14:39]:
"It's about when you cook. Everybody shows up, and then you create a community around yourself... and that’s a really important thing that we all need."

3. Breakfast Routines & Prosecco Parties

• [15:01 - 19:38] Shared love for simple breakfasts (French buttered toast, coffee, and then tea), and Harry’s Berries strawberries paired with morning prosecco while recording.
• Amy and Ina bond over preferring savory to sweet, and about the magic of perfectly ripe fruit.

4. Upbringing, Food Trends, and Learning to Cook Later in Life

• [19:43 - 23:01] Ina grew up with a health-conscious, carb-fearing, dietitian mother in Brooklyn, influencing her approach to food and simplicity.
• Amy discusses coming to cooking late, inspired by others learning new things later in life, and Ina's empowering influence.

Notable Quote:

Amy Poehler [22:41]:
"You are good. You're interviewing me. Wait a minute..."

Ina Garten/ referencing Jennifer Garner [23:15]:
"As you get older, you’re not willing to try new things because you’re afraid of failing."

5. The Jeffrey & Ina Love Story

• [23:35 - 28:14] Meeting as teenagers, marrying at 20, and building a partnership rooted in mutual respect, fun, and autonomy.
  • They have no children or pets, making life simple and focused on each other.
  • The importance of choosing someone who genuinely wants to be with you.

Notable Quote:

Ina Garten [27:31]:
"Are they a good person? Do they want to take care of you? And... does he want to be with you?... That’s the thing about Jeffrey—he just follows me around the house."

6. White House Years & Career Pivots

• [30:06 - 34:02] Ina’s surprising earlier career: working in the White House on energy policy and enriched uranium during the Ford and Carter administrations.
  • Feeling stifled by bureaucracy, she sought more tangible, joyful work—leading to buying the Barefoot Contessa store.
  • Encouragement from Jeffrey: "Pick something fun, pick something you think you'd love doing." [33:19]

7. Running Barefoot Contessa & Leadership

• [36:01 - 39:23] Leadership lessons as a boss: collaboration, clarity, and the difference between public praise and private criticism.
• Learning to fire employees with compassion—and sometimes too gently.

Notable Quote:

Ina Garten [36:01]:
"I always wanted to be the boss that I wanted to have myself."

8. Making Food Accessible & Cookbook Philosophy

• [39:39 - 41:10] Discovering that customers wanted familiar, accessible food at home—not "fancy" platters.
• Recipes and cookbooks empower people to nourish themselves and build confidence.

Notable Quote:

Ina Garten [41:10]:
"You just don't know it's there. You just have to unleash it... I wasn't giving them a cookbook. I was giving them the tools to make something for themselves."

9. Friendship, Humor, and Joy

• [45:05 - 46:55] The power of female friendship—Ina finds her greatest joys in friends “with a great sense of humor.”
• Sense of humor is essential in life and relationships.

10. Viewer Q&A – Cheerfulness, Challenges, and Forgiveness

• [47:13 - 51:22] Amy asks Julia’s questions on air.

  What makes Ina so cheerful?

  Ina Garten [48:18]:
  "I think we're either born with a positive or negative energy... I was just born this way. My parents just said I came out, like, playing with my toes and giggling."

  What puts her in a bad mood?

  Ina Garten [47:29]:
  "Passive aggressive people who tell you what you want to hear and do exactly as they please. Makes me crazy."

  On forgiving her father and accepting complexity in family:

  [49:24 - 50:56] Stories of reconciliation and the long game of relationship healing.

11. Choosing Not to Have Children

• [51:22 - 52:24] Ina reflects—lightly and decisively—on her and Jeffrey’s choice not to have kids, and the freedom and happiness it brought.
  • "It’s amazing to me that I made that decision so young and that, thank God Jeffrey was okay with it, but I just can’t imagine my life any other way." [52:08]

12. Scaling Down & Redefining Success

• [53:04 - 54:12] Amy insists: Ina runs an empire; Ina demurs, reveling in her scaled-down business and joyfully quiet daily life.
  • Discussion on the value of scaling down, focusing on what brings pleasure.

13. Work, Self-Esteem, and the Third Act

• [54:12 - 55:55] Reflections on their relationship to work and what “enough” looks like; taking life in “manageable bites.”
  • "Go as far as you can see, and when you get there, you'll be able to see farther." [56:01 - 56:32]

14. Lightning Round – Food & Life

• [57:01 - 65:13]
  • Best way to cook carrots? [57:06]
    "Roasted. Olive oil, salt and pepper."
    With feta, honey or balsamic!
  • Sorbet dilemma (Julia): [57:26 - 58:07]
    Ina recommends an ice cream maker for creaminess. Granita-style freezing is more icy.
  • Thanksgiving shortcuts: [58:55]
    Uses store-bought mashed potatoes doctored with sour cream, parmesan, and garlic; bread pudding from Pepperidge Farm stuffing.
  • Current chefs she loves: [59:43]
    Erin French of Lost Kitchen; finds inspiration on Instagram, not TikTok.
  • Secret ingredient: [60:40]
    "Something with an edge—balsamic vinegar, Parmesan, Dijon, red wine, lemon zest."
  • Reflections on cooking & anxiety: [61:01]
    "When you’re doing something that’s really hard, you just put everything else out of your mind."
  • Anything you refuse to cook? [62:43]
    "Tongue. Liver and onions. Really complicated things like bouillabaisse—I mean, that takes forever."
  • Chicken stock is easy—Amy should come make it! [63:33]
  • Do bay leaves do anything? [64:15]
    Ina’s not convinced unless they’re fresh!
  • On intimidating ingredients: [65:13]
    Both mock their jars of rarely-used spices like za’atar.

15. Life, Bobs, and French Aspirations

• [65:51 - 67:57]
  • On her signature bob haircut:
    "It’s been the same haircut since I was 25." [66:20]
  • French style (“short hair shows your ensemble better”) and dreams of someday living in France full-time.

16. Living as the Architect of Your Own Life

• [67:57 - 68:43]
  • Amy sums up the “theme”: You can choose your own path at any age; there are no deadlines or scripts.

Notable Quote:

Ina Garten [68:34]:
"...Do what you really want to do now."

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with timestamps)

• On Marriage & Respect:
  “We have a very different kind of life than we expected to… if we [are] trying to figure out what to do, we figure out what he wants to do and what I want to do… let's figure out how we can both do what we want to do. It's not about whether we get to do what you want to do or I want to do.”
  — Ina Garten [25:05]

• On Joy:
  "I think about when I do yoga and my instructor says, 'find your inner smile.' I think you either walk around with an inner smile or you don't. And if you don't, I think you need to just nurture it. And I feel like I was just born this way."
  — Ina Garten [48:18]

• On Friendship:
  “Jeffrey’s clearly my best friend, but women bring something totally different, and it’s really connection.”
  — Ina Garten [45:36]

• On Late-in-Life Success:
  “There’s no timeline as to when things are supposed to happen in your life. You get married really early, you start your business later, you’re writing a memoir at this age… you’re the architect of your own life, basically.”
  — Amy Poehler [67:57]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:41 – 11:42] Julia Louis-Dreyfus sets up the episode, interviews about sun, hats, cheerfulness, and sorbet.
• [12:14 – 15:01] Ina’s entrance, gift exchange, and discussion of food as community.
• [23:35 – 28:14] The Jeffrey & Ina partnership story.
• [30:06 – 34:02] Ina’s White House years and leap to culinary entrepreneurship.
• [36:01 – 39:23] Lessons on being a boss and learning to lead.
• [47:13 – 51:22] Q&A: On cheerfulness, what makes her mad, and forgiving her father.
• [54:12 – 55:55] Work, self-esteem, and finding the right relationship to work.
• [57:01 – 65:13] Lightning round: food tips, holidays, Instagram vs. TikTok, what gets cooked (or doesn't), and kitchen gadgets.
• [65:51 – 67:57] Hair, French aspirations, and fashion.
• [67:57 – 68:43] Life lessons: no timelines, choose now.

Original Tone & Style

The episode is effervescent, warm, gently self-deprecating, and full of practical affection. Both Amy and Ina trade stories with wit and candor, making the conversation feel intimate and relatable. The stories center not on perfection or unachievable milestones, but on the beauty of pursuing joy, building community, and finding humor and meaning in small and large decisions.

For Listeners Seeking Specific Insights:

• Sun Protection & Sorbet Science: Julia’s banter in the opening segment [02:27-11:42]
• Building Lasting Relationships: Heartfelt tales about Ina & Jeffrey [23:35-28:14]
• Making a Big Career Change: Ina’s White House-to-food leap [30:06-34:02]
• Cooking Philosophy & Empowerment: Accessible food and building confidence [39:39-41:10]
• Work-Life Wisdom: On scaling down, leading with heart, and savoring each season [53:04-55:55]
• Quick Kitchen Q&A: Roasting carrots, shortcut Thanksgiving, and the underrated zester [57:01-65:13]

Final Words

Ina and Amy remind us that success and happiness hinge on clarity, humor, respect, and intentional joy, not on following a prescribed timeline. Whether you're inspired to try a new recipe, reconnect with a friend, or just appreciate your own inner smile, this episode delivers laughter, comfort, and a call to savor life—one delicious bite at a time.