About

Picture it: Harlem, 2015. After a winter spent binge-watching “Barefoot Contessa” and reading Julia Child’s “My Life In France,” I was inspired to branch out from my regular diet of frozen meals and late-night disco fries and finally learn how to cook for myself.

That spring and summer, I wasted many hours in the kitchen attempting dishes that were way above my pay grade and making one too many failed recipes from unreliable sources. From that experience, two things became abundantly clear: 1) I needed to go back to basics and learn proper techniques for cooking and baking, and 2) Ina Garten’s recipes were always easy to follow with clear directions, plenty of helpful tips and they didn’t skimp on the flavor — in a word, foolproof.

Just as Garten had learned to cook by working her way through Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” I would learn by tackling all 1,300 of Ina’s recipes — my own little “Julie & Julia” project. Who would be a better teacher than the person who sparked my newfound passion? I soon started the Instagram account @storeboughtisfine and began documenting both my successes and failures.

Six years, five months, and three days. That’s how long it took to cook every single one of Ina Garten’s recipes from her books and television show. To be honest, I didn’t think I’d last more than three months, but Garten’s recipes hooked me. And the icing on the cake was cooking the final recipe, Boston Cream Pie, with the Barefoot Contessa herself!

Since finishing the project, I’ve had more time to dip into some of my other favorite cookbooks, share my “best of Ina” lists, and develop my own recipes! The cooking education never ends and I hope you’ll follow along as I continue this journey here and on Instagram.

Happy Cooking!

xoxo,
Trent

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