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Every Celebrity That Joined Ina Garten On Be My Guest – Tasting Table

In the late 1970s, Ina Garten bought a small specialty food shop named after the 1954 Ava Gardner film “The Barefoot Contessa,” and the rest is history. A successful business, several cookbooks, and a long-running show on the Food Network have all combined to make her one of the world’s most widely recognizable T.V. chefs. Her down-to-earth attitude and straightforward cooking tips have been a hit with a very dedicated fanbase. Even after nearly two decades of “Barefoot Contessa,” Garten is still finding new ways to invigorate our love for the kitchen.

Being as well-known as Garten comes with plenty of upsides, one of which is that she’s been able to make some great celebrity friends along the way. In 2022, the Food Network began airing “Be My Guest,” a series of episodes in which Garten takes the opportunity to interview her peers, letting them show her how they prepare their favorite foods and asking them to share a little about themselves along the way. With 12 episodes in the bag and each featuring a different creative powerhouse, the series has built-in appeal for long-time Garten fans as well as new viewers drawn in by the high-profile interviewees of “Be My Guest.” Though the company varies, each guest brings something special to the table.

Stanley Tucci

Food Network

Actor and pasta master Stanley Tucci appeared on “Be My Guest” for the second episode of the third season, meeting with Garten for a cold brew on the beach to chat about some of the things that have made him one of the best-loved character actors of the last several decades. Tucci made Garten the first martini she ever tried, though she noted that she’d tried several other cocktails in her life. The results were a hit, as Garten referred to the drink as “gorgeous” as they shared their martinis over the seafood recipe Tucci prepared.

Fans will recognize some of Garten’s favorite questions, such as “What movie have you seen the most in your life?” Tucci’s answer is the Marx Brothers film “Animal Crackers.” Considering the expressive acting he is known for and the over-the-top antics of the Brothers Marx, this might have been a more surprising answer from any of Garten’s other guests. It comes as delightfully in character for Tucci. When asked what food makes him happy, the “Searching for Italy” star naturally answered, “pasta,” which did not surprise Garten at all as she chuckled, “I knew that was the answer. I could have answered it for you.”

Julianna Margulies

Food Network

Primetime T.V. fans first fell in love with Julianna Margulies through her role as Carol Hathaway on the long-running series “ER.” She has since gone on to win no less than eight Screen Actor Guild Awards for roles in shows like “The Good Wife” and garnering nominations for the more recent “The Morning Show.” As much of a screen pro as we know her to be, “Be My Guest” introduced us to another side of Margulies — that of the kitchen master. Margulies joins Garten at her house in the Hamptons, and the two chat about having unofficially met via Instagram DM.

Margulies enthusiastically refers to Garten as her food guru, noting that her chicken marbella recipe is a go-to dish in her home and that she’s “over the moon” to be in Garten’s kitchen. The two prepare her halibut with herbed butter with margaritas before driving to the beach in Garten’s convertible. Margulies shares some of her experiences as a world-class actor and they two exchange stories about getting recognized while traveling, which Margulies notes doesn’t happen as much as one might think. Margulies also notes that her entryway into cooking was baking treats, which led to friends visiting more often and in turn allowed her to step into the joy of life as an amateur cook.

Faith Hill

Food Network

It might go without saying that Faith Hill is one of the most famous country music singers of all time, having first found success in the early 1990s and regularly appearing on the soundtracks of major motion pictures and otherwise dominating the charts since. Known for creating pop duet magic with husband Tim McGraw, Hill has also appeared as an actor on hit shows like “Yellowstone.” For Garten’s purposes, however, what matters most is Hill’s status as a bonafide foodie. When asked what food makes her happy, Hill replies, “Fried chicken,” giving Garten a chuckle due to the emphatically Southern vibe of Mississippi native Hill’s life and work.

Garten and Hill enjoy frozen Palomas and fresh guacamole and have a hangout session at one of Garten’s favorite local spots, and that’s where Garten the interviewer shows her skills. In the course of their conversation, Hill notes that her most-seen film is probably “Top Gun” and that her worst job was likely Radioshack if only because she had no knowledge of the electronics she was selling. Yet, when Garten asks what her most important role has been, Hill quickly responds that being a mother is the thing that gives her the most satisfaction in life.

Emily Blunt

Food Network

Recently appearing worldwide in one of the most successful biopics ever to hit the screen with “Oppenheimer,” in which she plays the brilliant and complicated Kitty Oppenheimer, Blunt’s status as a major box office draw has only been further cemented over time. Prior to her appearance on “Be My Guest,” Blunt has told the press that she prepared Garten’s roasted chicken recipe for her now-husband John Krasinski, which has since led to her giving it the nickname “engagement chicken.”

As such, Blunt is clearly thrilled to share a kitchen space with Garten as the two discuss the social complexities of scones in England. Garten makes note of the controversy of which side to place the butter on and which side the jam, which Blunt explains that her way of doing it is “un-queenly.” “I’m never going to be a dame,” she laments, but Garten counters, “You’re already a dame.” Afterward, the two prepare Blunt’s turkey bolognese recipe, in which she explains that she sneaks vegetables like carrots and celery in by blending them in order to fool her kids, who want nothing to do with veggies. Blunt is clearly a kitchen pro as she methodically walks Garten through the process.

Laura Linney

Food Network

As an actor, Laura Linney has done it all, appearing in critically-acclaimed theater productions, hit T.V. series, and, of course, films like “The Truman Show,” “The Squid and the Whale,” and “Love Actually,” just to name a few. However, her status as a foodie has remained mostly unexplored, that is, until she joined Ina Garten on “Be My Guest.” Kicking things off with some blueberry ricotta breakfast cake, the two hop in Garten’s convertible for a shopping trip through the beautiful Sag Harbor. The two peruse the cookware at Sage Street Antiques with Garten chuckling, “Okay, we’ll just take everything.”

While Garten prepares shrimp with a twist, she asks if Linney and her young son cook together at home. Linney explains that they bake, with red velvet cake and cookies being favorites of theirs, and chuckles that her phone is full of photos of the things they’ve made. Linney goes on to explain that she doesn’t consider herself a cook, but that she enjoys baking. Garten laughs that baking is actually the more difficult of the two, to which Linney replies that she appreciates the instruction manual approach to baking, while the more intuitive flow of cooking can be a bit intimidating. 

Norah Jones

Food Network

As the daughter of the famous composer Ravi Shankar and concert producer Sue Jones, as well as the half-sister of musicians Anoushka Shankar and Shubhendra Shankar, it can go as read that music is very much part of Jones’ background and upbringing. Her hangout session with Ina Garten in the final episode of the third season of “Be My Guest” saw Garten preparing a bourbon chocolate pecan pie and later chicken in a pot with orzo as the two chatted about the many roads that have led them to superstardom in their respective fields.

When Garten asks Jones what kind of day makes her excited knowing that it will be a good day, Jones laughs that she doesn’t ever wake up that way although she finds it a good way to wake up. She explains that anytime she gets to have a nice walk before she gets to work is a good day as it allows her to air out her thoughts. While she used to listen to podcasts or music on her walks, she says that leaving the headphones at home has actually allowed for the time to organize her mind and focus on the things she needs to accomplish. She then lists some of her favorite foods, noting that Sundays are perfect days for any kind of slow-roasted meat.

Misty Copeland

Food Network

Misty Copeland is known as one of the great ballet dancers of the modern age as well as a groundbreaker due to having been the first Black woman promoted to the role of principal dancer in the history of the American Ballet Theatre. Considered to be a prodigy at a young age, Copeland is open about the many struggles she has undergone in life while showing incredible enthusiasm when talking about two of her favorite things; ballet and, of course, food. Kicking off the first episode of the third season of “Be My Guest,” Copeland and Garten enjoy herbed ricotta bruschetta and then get right into the interview portion of the episode.

Copeland discusses having struggled with financial troubles during her childhood while living in an over-packed hotel with her siblings and training to be a dancer. Copeland was able to pursue ballet in some part due to her mentor pulling for her, but the work it entailed was an incredible undertaking. The lack of diversity in the world of ballet is a main subject of discussion in the interview, and when Garten asks if Copeland ever thought about quitting, she replies, “Oh, yes.” However, she ultimately realized that it was indeed what she wanted, and the rest is ballet history. After this moving conversation, Copeland shows Garten how to make her family’s go-to recipe, citrus salmon and mashed butternut squash.

Nathan Lane

Food Network

With a career on both stage and screen spanning over four decades, Nathan Lane may very well qualify as a bonafide national treasure. Known for a number of family-friendly roles, such as the voice of Timon in “The Lion King” as well as roles in films like “Toy Story,” “Stuart Little,” and “Mouse Hunt,” Lane has more recently appeared in Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building.” While eating ice cream with Nathan Lane will sound like a dream come true to a lot of people, that’s just the kind of life that Ina Garten leads. The two have excellent banter as he opts for marshmallows and vanilla with chocolate sauce on top at the counter, inspiring Garten to try the same.

They give one another a quick “cheers” with their cups and get to work enjoying their treats on a bench in front of the ice cream shop. Naturally, that’s when Garten springs her “pop quiz,” asking him what movie he’s seen the most. He replies that it’s either “Casablanca” or “All the President’s Men,” with Garten agreeing that these are excellent choices. Keeping in line with fellow actor Stanley Tucci, when asked what food makes him happy, Lane responds, “A good pasta.”

Marcus Samuelsson

Food Network

While Garten’s conversations are always well worth paying attention to, there is a special kind of magic that happens when she’s in the kitchen with a fellow chef. Marcus Samuelsson is well-known among food fans for his African-inspired cuisine and cookbooks, as well as having won countless admirers for his public persona and restaurant entrepreneurship. Samuelsson recently moved to the Hamptons, making him a neighbor of Garten’s. She welcomes him to the neighborhood with drinks, asking how the move has been treating him and how he likes his new house, to which he replies that he likes it but that they’re still renovating; a huge undertaking in itself.

Samuelsson opens up about his youth and the inspiration and determination he takes from his mother before they hop in Garten’s convertible for a drive. They drive to Amber Waves, a 250-family-strong farm. They peruse the many produce offerings of the farm and later enjoy cocktails and salmon. Garten asks “Be My Guest” visitor Samuelsson about his desire to bring his Swedish and Ethiopian food skills alongside other styles of dishes to a single restaurant and how that inspired him to go from being a chef to being a business owner. Considering that he now owns many restaurants, it’s safe to say it was a success.

Willie Geist

Food Network

Journalist and T.V. anchor Willie Geist has won plenty of fans as the co-anchor of “Morning Joe,” but the third episode of the first season of “Be My Guest” granted him the opportunity to talk food. Garten starts the episode off by explaining what a big fan she is of his approach to conducting interviews and preparing chocolate chip cookies for them to enjoy. Garten gushes about her love for Geist’s book written with his father Bill, “Good Talk, Dad,” calling it the funniest book she’s ever read as they munch on cookies she just pulled out of the oven.

The camaraderie between these two is apparent, and his casual humor comes to the forefront as he talks about his relationship with his father. Geist talks about his history in bartending school as they mix drinks together. Geist shares that his ideal person to have a drink with would be Bill Murray, due to his wild history as an entertainer. Garten asks what Geist’s favorite bar is, and he laughs that it’s probably his own kitchen at this point in his life. They use Garten’s comically oversized cocktail kit to create gorgeous drinks for their spouses, Christina Guist and Jeffery Garten.

Erin French

Food Network

As an author, chef, and restaurant owner in her own right, Erin French knows her way around the kitchen. French’s first season appearance on “Be My Guest” allowed Garten to step into the role of a student as French explains how to prepare her father’s meatloaf recipe. The episode kicks off with the two sharing banana crunch muffins and coffee as French gushes that it’s a dream come true to share the space with Garten. For her own part, Garten notes that neither of them are trained chefs, making this a special team-up for them as amateur-turned-superstars.

French’s show “The Lost Kitchen” follows her journey as she returns to her hometown of Freedom, Maine after spending her early life trying to “escape” it. Tying herself to the town by starting her own restaurant there with inexperienced staff, the show is a hit for foodies, and that includes Garten, who expresses her admiration for French. For her part, French explains that her father owned a diner where he worked long hours, and so her way of spending time with him necessarily meant going into the kitchen and helping him out. They each share that they had difficult relationships with their fathers, but French says that their complicated relationship was a major part of what drove her to become a chef in her own right.

Rob Marshall and John DeLuca

Food Network

Film producer John DeLuca and his partner, director Rob Marshall, are the kind of power couple that only comes along once in a blue moon. Having collaborated on projects together for many years, including the recent live-action “The Little Mermaid,” these two are one of the film world’s most beloved behind-the-scenes creative pairs. As such, it is with no shortage of delight that Garten greets them for the “Be My Guest” first season finale, sharing that she and her spouse Jeffrey have been friends with DeLuca and Marshall for a good 15 years.

The couple comment on the beauty of Garten’s home before entering the kitchen where she has prepared a watermelon cosmopolitan. John lovingly jokes that Rob is not allowed to interfere in the kitchen, so Rob takes a seat as John prepares salmon burgers. DeLuca and Marshall discuss their long history together as well as some of their favorite films as they chat with Jeffrey and Ina. The adorability factor between these two long-time couples is high, and when asked what he hopes to hear at the pearly gates, Jeffrey replies, “Ina’s just around the corner.”