Ina Garten and Taylor Swift have one of the loveliest famous friendships — and it all started on TODAY.
While sharing some of her go-to dinner recipes on TODAY Tuesday, Garten, 74, recalled how she and Swift, 32, became such good friends.
The celebrity chef noted that she and the “Anti-Hero” singer did a photo shoot and cooked together when Swift was 25. And they hit it off immediately.
"I just so fell in love with her," Garten said.
But the first time they crossed paths was actually at TODAY. Garten recalls watching Swift perform on the TODAY plaza when the pop singer was just a teenager — and it made her feel like a teenager herself! She remembers thinking that Swift was really “amazing.”
When Hoda pointed out that Garten's legions of fans think that she's amazing, the "Barefoot Contessa" star said, "I don't think we're in the same category."
Savannah had the perfect response for the beloved cookbook author: "Oh, you're in a category all by yourself."
Taylor Swift herself would certainly agree. In the November issue of Food Network Magazine, Swift said that she first discovered Garten as a teenager.
During that time in her life, she said that she didn't like to cook because it always felt "like a chore." But seeing Garten cook and prepare meals changed her perception.
"She made cooking feel like self-care. Ever since, cooking has been my escape from stress and one of the only ways I can truly calm myself on a rough day. I’ll always be grateful to her for giving me that," the "Bejeweled" singer said.
Garten and Swift have become such good friends that Garten paid tribute to the 11-time Grammy award-winning singer on her 32nd birthday.
In December 2021, she shared a photo of Swift at one of her concerts and wrote, "Happy Birthday to one of the most creative artistic geniuses of our time! You are such an inspiration for anyone who wants to sail their own ship. Sending love. @taylorswift ❤️❤️❤️."
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