I lived like Ina Garten in lockdown for a day and it was the most fun I've had in quarantine

Anneta KonstantinidesMay 19, 2020, 05:26 IST

I followed Ina Garten's lockdown routine for a day, and it was the most fun I've had in quarantine.Ina Garten/Instagram/Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

I followed Ina Garten's lockdown routine and it was one of the most fun days I've had in quarantine.
I started my morning by making a massive cosmopolitan before noon, just as Garten had done to the delight of her Instagram fans.
Then I made Emily Blunt's English roasted potatoes, which were so popular that they crashed Garten's website.
I also made pasta and salmon dishes and took a walk by the water to reflect after a long day of cooking.
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Ina Garten and I have a lot in common. We both love morning cocktails, long walks on the beach, burgers at In-N-Out, and men who can't cook.

But there's one big difference between us. When Garten — the best-selling cookbook author and Food Network star — whips something up for dinner, it looks like this…

When I — a journalist who used to microwave pre-shredded cheese inside a tortilla and call it "cooking" — make dinner, it sometimes turns into this…

I may be burning my Trader Joe's chow mein noodles, but Garten has been my inspiration during lockdown. She's there every day on my Instagram page, mixing massive cosmopolitans before noon, adding ramen to chicken noodle soup, and transforming hot dogs into meat pies (store-bought really is fine!).

After months of following Garten's quarantine routine on social media, I decided to find out what it would be like to live as the Barefoot Contessa for a day. It was easily one of the most fun days I've had in quarantine, and was a much-needed reminder that cooking can be both creative and relaxing — especially when it starts with a cosmo.

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As my day as the Barefoot Contessa in lockdown came to a close, I somehow felt both relaxed and accomplished — even with a few cosmo spills.

My day as Ina Garten in quarantine left me feeling both relaxed and accomplished. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

But my day as Ina didn't end in the kitchen. After she finishes cooking for the day, Garten and Jeffrey drive to the beach for an afternoon walk.

To finish off my day, I went for a walk by the water just like Garten does with her husband in the Hamptons. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

And just like that, it was done! The salmon was perfectly cooked, and its light and fluffy texture paired well with the charred broccolini.

The broccolini had a great crunch that paired perfectly with the salmon. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

I sprinkled my salmon fillets with salt and pepper before evenly spooning the sauce over each and popping them into the oven for 15 minutes.

I seasoned the salmon with salt and pepper before spooning the sauce over each fillet. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

First I whipped up the sauce which, despite having six different ingredients, took me less than 30 seconds to make.

The sauce for the salmon requires six ingredients. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Then it was time to make my final Garten dish, salmon teriyaki and broccolini.

Last but not least was Garten's salmon teriyaki and broccolini dish. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

I drizzled the sauce onto the pasta, sprinkled some fresh parmesan cheese, and took my first bite straight from the pot.

The pasta was vibrant and fresh, and tasted light and delicious. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

After the broccolini was done, I added penne to the same water and began making the sauce.

As the pasta cooked, I made the zesty lemon sauce in a separate pan. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

While the broccolini sat in a large pot of boiling salted water, I peeled a lemon to get zest for the pasta's sauce.

I didn't have a zester, so I chopped up the lemon peel instead. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Then it was time to begin my second dish, Garten's broccoli and bow ties.

The next dish was Garten's broccoli and bow ties (with a few modifications). Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

I then transferred the potatoes into a pan with smoking hot oil and popped them in the oven for 45 minutes. They came out beautifully golden (if I do say so myself).

I topped off the potatoes with parsley and sea salt. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Then it was time for Blunt's second trick: Letting the potatoes dry before popping them in the oven.

I laid out the potato pieces to dry before popping them in the oven. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

And the actress has some great tips for turning the potatoes into a delicious dish.

After parboiling the potatoes, I shook them in the pot to roughen up their edges. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Blunt's recipe only requires a few simple — and cheap — ingredients.

Blunt's recipe just needs Yukon gold potatoes, parsley, and some salt and vegetable oil. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

As a potato lover myself, I knew I had to test out the recipe that broke the internet. But first, I needed some music.

I put on one of Garten's Spotify playlists. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

I could have easily knocked back a few drinks, but it wasn't even noon and I was still on the clock. Time to cook!

Emily Blunt's roasted potatoes crashed Garten's website earlier this month. Barefoot Contessa/Food Network

And the drink was just as delicious as it looked.

The cosmo tasted refreshing and delicious. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Thankfully, my second attempt was seamless, and soon I had a beautiful pink drink in my hand.

My cosmo came out perfect on my second mixing attempt. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

About 10 seconds later, my living room was covered in bright-pink juice.

Too bad I forgot to actually hold the top while shaking it. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

I had never made my own cocktail before (unless you count pouring rum into a bottle of Coke), so I was feeling pretty impressed with myself.

I got ready to make some magic with my cocktail shaker. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Then I added two cups of vodka, one cup of Cointreau, one cup of cranberry juice cocktail, and the freshly-squeezed lime juice to a decanter.

I loved how bright and vivid the drink already looked. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Garten's recipe calls for "freshly squeezed lime juice," so I began my morning by attacking three poor limes with a fork.

Garten's recipe calls for "freshly squeezed lime juice." Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Garten's favorite cosmopolitan only requires four ingredients.

Garten's favorite cosmopolitan recipe requires just four ingredients. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

A day in the life as Ina Garten in lockdown has to begin with a massive cosmopolitan at 9:30 a.m.

Ina Garten won over fans when she made herself a big batch of cosmos at 9 a.m. Ina Garten/Instagram

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