Friday Recs: Ina Garten's memoir is a cozy delight

A few of my favorite life lessons and highlights from the book. Issue #66.

This is the Friday post at Downtime, a feel-good weekly roundup of recommendations and delightful distractions. If the email cuts off, you can view it on the web.

Hi everyone,

No, you’re not reading your calendar wrong—today is Saturday, not Friday. I’m sending this email out late because I unfortunately caught a nasty case of pneumonia, and I’ve been on the couch for most of the week. I’m starting to feel better thanks to antibiotics and lots of rest. Thanks for your patience!

Anyway! I still wanted to dredge up a fun newsletter for you this weekend, so I decided to quickly write a few notes on Ina Garten’s memoir, which I enjoyed immensely. So below you’ll find that along with a few fun links. Consider this a stress-relief care package in what’s been a stressful time (especially for my fellow Americans who are anxious about this upcoming election…)

Enjoy and take care of yourselves out there,

x Alisha.

P.S. Last week’s comments thread on little fall joys was indeed joyful. Thanks to everyone who shared all your best recipes and disastrous Halloween costume stories!

1. Watch: Lonely Planet on Netflix. It’s either the fever-induced haze that’s giving me rose-colored glasses or the Nobody Wants This rom com high I’ve been riding but ummmmmmm. Methinks Netflix has yet another rom com hit here. Laura Dern plays Katherine Loewe, an established author who goes on a writer’s retreat in Morocco to get away from her toxic ex and meet the fast-approaching deadline for her next book. There, she meets Owen (played by Liam Hemsworth), who is a finance bro (private equity, obviously the worst kind), who is there to tag along with his girlfriend, Lily, who’s a debut novelist who has written a beach read that unexpectedly became a bestseller overnight. Owen is feeling bit like a fish out of water whilst in Morocco with all of these big-deal authors with their Flaubert and their Nobel prizes and their very serious facial hair. Until…he meets Katherine. Who sees him. Like, really sees him! Straight into his soul, which has so much more depth than all his firm’s coal mine acquisitions combined. I’m sure she also sees his six-pack. I’m just half-way through, but let’s just say that she seems to be an asset that he will appreciate. (Side note: There appears to be an older woman dating a younger man trend happening, right?)

2. Read: Ina Garten’s memoir. It was fantastic on audio. Can’t recommend it enough! Many more thoughts on this book below.

3. Cozy up: This week I’ve been living in this blanket wrapped around me. My husband, who is not a fan of blankets (he runs hot!!) tried it and said, “This is pretty nice.” Which, for him, is a glowing review. The brand gave me a code: ALISHA15 for 15% off.

1. Make: Salted peanut tart. If you live for a sweet and salty combo, this sounds like heaven. (Continuing my petition to have

   deb perelman
   guest in the Downtime newsletter…)

2. Try: A sensory change. I love this simple tip from the New York Times (*paywall link): If you’re having a bad day, a simply way to turn it around is a sensory change. “Take a hot shower, change your clothes or light a scented candle. Different smells, textures and temperatures can help you reset by diverting your attention. If you’re at work, make a fragrant cup of tea." (The candle pictured above is called Library in a Forest, a perfect name and scent.¹)

3. Buy: A $9 men’s sweatshirt. !! The Medium was the perfect length on me: just oversized enough to cover the butt if you’re wearing leggings but not too oversized where it looks ridiculous. The weight is on the thinner side for a sweatshirt, which I prefer for layering, and the inside is a very soft fleecey material for warmth. I like that I can get all the random splotches of applesauce and Cheerio dust and drool and not feel precious about it. 10/10 recommend.

4. Vote: Are you registered to vote? Check here. Do you know where and when you’ll vote? Here’s some info. Are you educated on the candidates and measures on your ballot? Preview your ballot here.

💬 Recommendations, please…

Does anyone have a good rec for a humidifier? We have a Canopy in Lily’s room, but wondering if there are other good options out there.

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Ina Garten is the epitome of a domestic goddess, the original coastal grandmother, and, if I may, a spiritual patron saint of Downtime—or at least, of my soul. This woman knows cozy. Her chocolate cake recipe is still one of the best I’ve made (Ina’s secret ingredient is coffee). Yet, despite her iconic status, I didn’t know much about her personal life until I listened to her audiobook. It amazed me to learn that she wrote her first cookbook at 52—after selling her Hamptons store, Barefoot Contessa, at 50, thinking her career was over. In her words, “It hadn’t even started yet.”

I already liked Ina, but now I appreciate her even more—not just for her recipes, but for her resilience and perspective on life. Learning about her early days with Jeffrey, especially their camping trips across Europe, felt like pure comfort—like chicken soup for the soul. Let’s dive into some of my favorite (and some WTF…) moments from the memoir.

On looking past barriers and chasing your wildest dreams:
Ina and Jeffrey’s love story is as heartwarming as you’d expect. Their first encounter while Jeffrey was in college (and Ina was sixteen) is adorable—he spotted her outside the Dartmouth library while she was visiting her brother. They then wrote letters to one another (swoon!) and the rest is history. Eventually, they got married, and in their early days, one of their wildest dreams was to visit Paris. So, naturally, they made it happen—with a four-month European camping trip in 1971. They bought camping equipment and literally set up camp around Paris, living on just a few dollars per day. Can you imagine?!

This was one of those moments in the book that really reinforced something for me: what Ina wants, Ina gets. Not in a bad way—she’s just a woman who knows exactly what she likes and will make it happen, even if it means eating Brie on a crusty baguette under an orange tent in Paris.

Camping chic Ina.

On working through hardships (and Ina and Jeffrey’s surprising separation):

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