Over the past two decades, that Zippy theme song under pictures of good food, Hampton's beaches, and a beautiful kitchen has become synonymous with Ina Garten, the barefoot contessa.

The former government policy wonk herself has become synonymous with effortless, tasty, and simply elegant cooking.

Store bought is fine, she often says.

I mean, by the time you cook the eggplant, sliced all the ingredients and assembled it,

who wants to start making marineros sauce? Not me.

And then there are the small gestures of encouragement she gives her viewers, like,

how easy was that?

I mean, so far, almost everything has been in your vegetable bin or your pantry.

It's this philosophy of simplicity, indulgence, and absolutely no guilt.

So it's a half a pound of butter. I know it's a lot of butter, but it's really good.

That has made the barefoot contessa, Ina, to her many fans, so beloved.

But as a kid, Garten felt anything but loved, raised in a cold and sometimes abusive family.

It wasn't until she met the now-famous Jeffrey that she began to find herself.

Jeffrey took somebody who was really very insecure and helped me find my voice.

And she built an empire.

Consider this.

For this Thanksgiving, a holiday celebrating gratitude and food,

we'll take a look at how Ina Garten built a successful business,

powerful brand, and happy life.

From NPR, I'm Ari Shapiro.

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