Ina Garten’s cooking is what we’d call “elevated American.” The Barefoot Contessa is known to take beloved American recipes and bump them up a notch with extra-special ingredients. Her corn muffins have raspberry jam piped into the middle, her carrot cake uses a ginger mascarpone frosting, and her scrambled eggs include half-and-half.
However, as Garten describes in her memoir “Be Ready When the Luck Happens,” these weren’t the types of foods she grew up eating. Instead, Garten’s childhood was limited to sardine sandwiches and other simple foods permitted by her mother, a dietitian. In 2017, Garten joked to Katie Couric that going into the cooking industry was her “ultimate rebellion.”
And rebel she did. Garten has had cooking shows on the Food Network since 2002, first hosting “The Barefoot Contessa” and now “Be My Guest.” Before that, she ran the specialty food shop The Barefoot Contessa for almost 20 years and has written over a dozen cookbooks to date.
We have Garten’s rebellious spirit to thank for many recipes, including this delicious old-fashioned potato salad. That’s because Garten has a brilliant, secret hack for her potato salad. She uses two types of mustard in the dressing: Dijon and whole-grain.
How To Make Ina Garten’s Potato Salad
Dijon mustard, with its smooth, creamy, slightly vinegary taste, alone would be a flavorful substitution for the classic American yellow mustard often used in potato salad. However, Garten says she also adds whole-grain mustard because it “really has great flavor.” Whole-grain mustard is coarse with a vibrant, zesty taste—if you need to clear your sinuses, eat it by the spoonful. But, combined with the Dijon, these contrasting mustards are just perfect.
The flavor doesn’t stop there. Garten’s potato salad recipe continues to pack a punch with fresh dill and red onion. She also thins the mayonnaise in the dressing out with buttermilk so it doesn’t have a “gloppy” flavor.
The Barefoot Contessa has plenty of ideas for summer cookouts, like her cornbread recipe, beloved by actress Jennifer Garner, or her hack to make the best cucumber salad. And, if you need an easy dessert to serve, make the three-ingredient icebox cake that Garten says guests “lose their minds” over.
We can’t wait to host a full-on “Garten” party this summer, starting with her potato salad, of course.
