Ina Garten Just Drank Her First Ever Martini. Here Are The Details
In case you've never drunk a martini before, let alone had it explained to you, here's what it is: gin and vermouth. That's all there is to it. Simple, right? Maybe only deceptively so. There are over a dozen facts to master before ordering a martini the right way, making it possibly too intimidating to even try. This may sound like an over-exaggeration, but even Ina Garten, in all her decades of culinary experience, hadn't drunk a martini until just recently.
This is especially surprising considering Garten's own website, Barefoot Contessa, has a dozen or so cocktail recipes, such as cosmos, daiquiris, gimlets, mojitos, palomas, sidecars, and whiskey sours. Season 1 Episode 10 of the "Barefoot Contessa" show was even titled "Ultimate Cocktails," in which Garten discussed hosting the perfect cocktail party. So, talk about an unexpected blind spot! Fortunately for her, though, another celebrity recently came to the rescue.
Stanley Tucci made Ina Garten's first martini
Ina Garten's newest show, "Be My Guest with Ina Garten," is all about inviting notable figures into her kitchen to share food and drink while getting to know each other. For Season 3 Episode 1 of the show — premiering March 5th — Garten invited famous actor Stanley Tucci to eat oysters Rockefeller (via People). After all, what's the best way to serve oysters? Arguably, alongside martinis, which is exactly what Tucci came to share with Garten.
In a sneak preview of the scene, Garten told Tucci a secret, admitting, "I've never had a martini in my life." Thankfully, Tucci is known to make the best martinis of all, and he brings his A-game, combining three-quarters-ounce of white vermouth with four ounces of gin. According to Tucci, that's not particularly dry, which is perfect for a first-timer, and his stirring technique gives martinis a slightly delicate flavor. Plus, as someone who's been drinking martinis ever since he was a young adult, Tucci firmly believes it's okay to both zest with lemon peel and add an olive.
"That's gorgeous," Garten concluded while sipping from a chilled glass. "I thought it was going to be sheer alcohol, and it's not!"