As far as PureWow editors are concerned, Ina Garten is the queen of our kitchens. (And, occasionally, our wardrobes.) The beloved Barefoot Contessa is releasing yet another cookbook, Simply Ina, which hits shelves on October 20. Though the pub date is still ways away, Garten has been hitting the press circuit in her signature button-downs to chat about the recipes inside. In a recent appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the Food Network host chatted with Colbert about her catchphrase, "store bought is fine," and also revealed three exceptions.
Ina Garten Is the Queen of 'Store-Bought Is Fine'—With These 3 Exceptions
Don't panic
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Published Apr 21, 2026
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Colbert fired off a lighting round of questions, in which Garten had to decide whether or not store-bought was acceptable. The things that made the cut? Marinara sauce (with the caveat that it had to be "good" marinara), sourdough, stuffing and collagen. Garten revealed that her favorite stuffing hack is to make a savory bread pudding with mushrooms and gruyère.
When it came to instances in which store bought is not fine, Garten came down hard on lime juice.
"Fresh lime juice only! You can't buy it anywhere," she exclaimed while expressively waving a finger.
Chicken stock was another, though the cookbook author was more lenient. "If you have to," she said hesitantly, before proceeding to proselytize Colbert on the quality of homemade stock. "It's just great," she said.
The last item was also on the fence, with a humorous caveat: Birthday cake.
"I wouldn't get one at the 7-11," Garten said, "But you can go to a really good bakery and buy [one]." She then revealed that one recipe in Simply Ina uses store-bought cheesecake topped with homemade raspberry sauce to give it a wow factor.
Simply Ina is Garten's first cookbook in four years, following 2022's Go-To Dinners. In an Instagram video, she explained her vision for the new cookbook, which is the 14th in the Barefoot Contesssa series.
"Don't we all want cooking to be simple?" she asked. "Simple means different things to different people. Some people want a recipe that you can make ahead. Others want a recipe that's only four ingredients. I love something you can make all in one bowl, or what I call 'barely cooking,' if you call making a vinaigrette or toasting bread cooking. I hope you'll invite people to dinner, make something really simple and surround yourself with people you love. Because at the end of the day, it's really the only thing that matters."
