Ina Garten, our favorite Jewish cook, recently opened up about why she never had children during Katie Couric’s podcast last week. During the podcast, she also talked about what makes her marriage work. The secret? Not letting disagreements turn into bitter spats.
Garten, the host of Food Network TV show “Barefoot Contessa,” has such a publicly amazing marriage that she even wrote a cookbook about it called “Cooking for Jeffrey: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook.” So, you know, how do you not love them together, especially when they are smiling and holding chocolate cake? (Note the chocolate cake below.)
On a serious note, though, not letting differing opinions turn into arguments is actually good advice–really, relationship advice in general, whether it’s with your mom, your sibling, your coworkers, etc.
Her point raises the question, why insist on pushing arguments farther than the need to go? I try to ask myself these questions with my own spouse–and take a breather, and try to see his point of view (even if I really don’t want to). Because while feeling like you’re in the right feels amazing at the time, it usually isn’t so black and white (unless you’re talking about black and white cookies, which in that case, very different).
Six months after @inagarten first met Jeffrey, he showed up at her doorstep. Hear the full story: https://t.co/QGu8EgQAJS pic.twitter.com/F1cCmvNvVW
— Katie Couric (@katiecouric) April 24, 2017
During the podcast, Ina hilariously described why Jeffrey doesn’t allow arguments to get heated (and you know, they’ve been together nearly 49 years)–and graciously knows when to compromise:
“…because he knows what’s good for him and on which side his homemade, oven-fresh bread is buttered…and spread with vine-ripened tomatoes, a sliver of beautiful green basil, and a pinch of flaky sea salt. There! How easy is that?”
