This Is Ina Garten’s Best Piece of Advice Ever, According to Her Assistant

Want to know how to make a salad dressing that will knock your socks off, using only four basic ingredients? Ask Ina Garten. Need to know how to properly dress your salad? You know what to do. And when you're at a loss for how to properly cut up a cauliflower, you just need to follow the "Contessa" to see what to do. Indeed, Garten is armed with cooking wisdom to spare. But, according to her personal assistant Lidey Heuck, the master of roasted chicken also has some life wisdom to spare. 

Speaking to Kitchn, Heuck shared what it's like to call the world-famous chef her boss: "[Ina]’s been an incredible teacher to me over the last five years," she shared. "I’ve learned so much about cooking, basic techniques, ingredients, tips, and how to make entertaining less stressful. It’s also just incredible to see how she runs her business, to travel with her, and to be a part of it all." 

But Heuck has also gleaned a tip from her famous boss that she can use in any area of life — even outside of the kitchen. "She always says don’t over-complicate things and make your life stressful," the assistant shared.

And, OK, let's use a food-related example: "If you’re hosting a dinner party, choose a menu that’s simple, that you’ve made before," Heuck said, channeling Garten. "Ina is right. If you keep it simple, you don’t have to teach yourself a new technique right before your guests arrive, and if you stick to a plan you won’t have three things that need to be sautéed on the stove at the same time."

We're sure there are all kinds of life metaphors in the above example. But right now, we're off to draft a simple and lovely menu for our first holiday gathering.