Some store-bought swaps just don't make the cut.
Ina Garten has built an entire philosophy around making life in the kitchen a little easier and a lot more delicious. Her most famous line, “store-bought is fine,” isn’t just a catchphrase; it’s permission. Permission to skip the extra step, to take the shortcut, to buy the thing that’s already done well and make it your own.
But even Ina has her limits.
During a recent appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Ina was put through a lightning round of grocery store staples, in which she was forced to decide in real time which ones pass her “store-bought is fine” test and which ones don’t. It resulted in a few firm yeses, a couple of strategic maybes, and one ingredient where store-bought is never fine.
Which foods have ‘store-bought is fine’ status, according to Ina?
More foods than you might expect—provided you start with a quality product. Marinara sauce, for instance, gets her approval, but only if it’s good marinara sauce (which feels like the most Ina qualifier imaginable). Sourdough bread falls into the same category. “Sourdough bread is always good,” she says. “You don’t have to make it at home.”
Chicken stock sits just to the side of that. She says to use store-bought “if you have to,” but clearly expressed a preference for homemade stock. I imagine this isn’t out of stubbornness, but because it simply delivers better flavor when you have the time.
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And then, she mentions a couple store-bought foods that she uses as a means to a different end. For example, instead of using stuffing mix to create classic stuffing, she uses it as a foundation for savory bread pudding. It’s already cubed, toasted and seasoned. All that’s left is to layer in mushrooms and Gruyere. How easy is that?
Another example she had for a half-homemade dish is store-bought cake. A bakery cheesecake is fair game, especially when it’s finished with a quick, fresh raspberry sauce. It’s very Ina to think of a small detail that shifts the dish from purchased to personal, without making it a production.
Which food does Ina prefer to make from scratch?
For Ina, fresh lime juice is a non-negotiable. When Stephen asks about bottled lime juice, she doesn’t hesitate: “Fresh lime juice only. You can’t buy it anywhere.” He doesn’t push back; he doubles down in agreement, likening bottled lime juice to torture.
It’s telling that this is where Ina draws the line. Lime juice isn’t a supporting player; it’s the thing that sharpens everything else. Just a tablespoon can cut through the mayonnaise-y richness of esquites or add a fresh zing to heavy pound cake. Ina knows that instinctively, which is part of what makes her so great in the kitchen. After all, she’s spent decades understanding where a bit of effort matters most.
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