Ina Garten made herself a massive cosmopolitan at 9 a.m. because 'it's always co*cktail hour in a crisis' (2024)

It’s always co*cktail hour in a crisis! Recipe link in profile. #staysafe

A post shared by Ina Garten (@inagarten) on Apr 1, 2020 at 6:27am PDTApr 1, 2020 at 6:27am PDT

Garten begins the lesson by telling her viewers that, during these trying times, it's "really important to keep traditions alive."

"My favorite tradition is co*cktail hour," she says with a knowing smile. "So I'm going to make you my favorite cosmopolitan, and you probably have all the ingredients right in your house."

Garten recommends using a "big pitcher" for her recipe.

"I like to make a lot of cosmos," she says. "You never know who's gonna stop by. Wait a minute, no one's stopping by!"

Garten first brings out a bottle of Grey Goose vodka, emptying a big portion of the bottle into her pitcher.

"Two cups of vodka, good vodka," she adds, giving a cheeky nod to her iconic "good vanilla" line.

Then Garten pours in a cup of Cointreau — noting that Triple Sec or "any kind of orange liqueur" will work as well — before adding one cup of cranberry juice co*cktail.

"I mean, how easy is this?" she asks the camera, topping off the mixture with half a cup of "freshly squeezed lime juice."

"It's gotta be freshly squeezed," she says. "Very important."

Garten pours the mixture into a "very big" co*cktail shaker, which is half-filled with ice.

"Oooh, this smells so good," she tells her fans. "Just what everybody needs, right? Put the lid on and just shake it up!"

"You have to shake it for 30 seconds," Garten adds. "You have lots of time, it's not a problem. During a crisis, co*cktail hour can be almost any hour."

Garten then brings out a gigantic martini glass and pours herself a co*cktail.

"I would say, in these times, this is really important," she says. "So just pour it right in. Oh, doesn't that look fabulous? Nice and cold. And lots of it!"

"Stay safe and have a very good time, and don't forget the co*cktails," she adds before taking a big sip. "Mmm, delicious!"

Garten has remained active on Instagram lately, posting daily dishes that her fans can easily make with ingredients that are already in their pantry

"Lots of people said they have ramen noodles in the pantry and so do I!" she wrote alongside a recipe for ramen chicken noodle soup.

Lots of people said they have ramen noodles in the pantry and so do I! I made this Ramen Chicken Noodle Soup from ingredients I had in the house. If you’re missing something, be creative! Nothing better for the soul - and your immune system - than a good hot bowl of chicken soup. Recipe on barefootcontessa.com. #staysafe

A post shared by Ina Garten (@inagarten) on Mar 28, 2020 at 7:25am PDTMar 28, 2020 at 7:25am PDT

Another post featured a potato bacon frittata, which the "Barefoot Contessa" star said was "a great way to clean out your fridge — deliciously!"

Frittatas are a great way to clean out your fridge - deliciously! This Potato Bacon Frittata is the best one I’ve ever made. If you don’t have ricotta, there’s also a recipe for making it - with milk, cream, and vinegar! Recipe link in my profile. #staysafe

A post shared by Ina Garten (@inagarten) on Mar 31, 2020 at 9:38am PDTMar 31, 2020 at 9:38am PDT

Garten told The Atlantic's Sophie Gilbert that she wants her Instagram posts to be helpful to her fans in this time of crisis, paying close attention to the questions they're asking about what she's cooking while in quarantine.

"The Instagram's really given me a point of reference," she said. "I started it thinking I just wanted people to feel like I was reaching out and supporting them, but they kept asking me questions. And I just thought, this is so great. It's like a town hall meeting for 'What can I do with what's in my fridge?'"

Garten said the posts have also given her some routine during an unprecedented time.

I used to keep only chicken stock, vanilla ice cream and vodka in my freezer but now I’m really learning how to use it! A few tips- Allow food to cool to room temp before packing it in containers, Leave a space in the container because liquids expand when they freeze, Label each container so you know what it is and when you froze it, Don’t stack containers until they’re frozen so they freeze quickly, and Defrost food in the fridge overnight rather than on the counter. It’s safer! What’s in your freezer?? #staysafe

A post shared by Ina Garten (@inagarten) on Mar 24, 2020 at 9:09am PDTMar 24, 2020 at 9:09am PDT

"It became a way to have purpose and order during the day," she told The Atlantic. "I cook in the morning and I post what I'm cooking, and then whatever it is becomes dinner."

But Garten said the best part is being able to connect with fans during a time when she — like all of us — is missing so many of the people she loves.

"I started this thinking it would be interesting to do," she said of her Instagram posts. "I had no idea the affection that would come back from it."

"It's really quite overwhelming, and that just encourages me to do it more."