WEBVTT - Governor Phil Murphy & First Lady Tammy Murphy 0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:03.880 You're listening to Ruthie's Table four in partnership with Montclair. 0:00:05.440 --> 0:00:09.320 If you're in politics, being outgoing, engaging and caring is 0:00:09.400 --> 0:00:12.239 part of the job. And these the words often used 0:00:12.280 --> 0:00:15.440 to describe the Governor of New Jersey, Phil Murphy and 0:00:15.520 --> 0:00:19.680 first Lady Tammy Murphy. But having been close to Phil 0:00:19.760 --> 0:00:22.200 and Tammy for as long as I have, I know 0:00:22.640 --> 0:00:26.040 this is truly who they are. In two thousand and eight, 0:00:26.120 --> 0:00:29.440 Phil was the finance chair for the Democratic National Committee, 0:00:29.760 --> 0:00:33.879 and as Americans abroad, we supported the presidential campaign for 0:00:33.960 --> 0:00:37.720 Barack Obama. Phil and Tammy worked day and night, traveling 0:00:37.800 --> 0:00:41.360 to London so often we thought they lived there. Our 0:00:41.400 --> 0:00:45.400 conversations then were always about society and politics, the sense 0:00:45.440 --> 0:00:49.680 of public service that runs so deeply in them. Their eyes, though, 0:00:49.840 --> 0:00:53.599 really lit up when we discussed their four children. Today 0:00:53.960 --> 0:00:57.480 we're having this conversation in the Governor's office in New Jersey, 0:00:57.880 --> 0:01:01.000 the state he is deeply committed to, out of and loves, 0:01:01.360 --> 0:01:04.000 And these are actually the very same words I would 0:01:04.040 --> 0:01:07.720 use to describe how I feel about Phil and Tammy Murphy. 0:01:08.120 --> 0:01:14.080 Committed proud, two people I love, very special you true. 0:01:14.720 --> 0:01:18.720 So the recipe that you chose was the chocolate Nemesis. 0:01:18.840 --> 0:01:21.640 I have to say it has been taken once by 0:01:21.720 --> 0:01:25.640 Ray Fines no pressure, but we would love to do 0:01:25.680 --> 0:01:28.440 it again and love you to read it. One if 0:01:28.440 --> 0:01:31.200 you could read the ingredients and one the method, or 0:01:31.200 --> 0:01:33.480 you can both read together, however you want to divide it. 0:01:33.800 --> 0:01:36.200 If I read the ingredients, the best part. That's why 0:01:36.240 --> 0:01:36.520 we pick. 0:01:36.600 --> 0:01:37.440 That's why I picked. 0:01:37.319 --> 0:01:43.800 Chocolatesis importantly you love chocolate Nemesis, the best chocolate cake ever? 0:01:44.120 --> 0:01:45.120 Yes? Do you agree? 0:01:45.360 --> 0:01:46.319 Liked percent? 0:01:46.400 --> 0:01:47.280 Are your chocolate lover? 0:01:48.280 --> 0:01:53.480 Not as much as missus, she's insane. So it serves 0:01:53.480 --> 0:01:56.520 ten to twelve Is that a pound and a half? Yes, 0:01:56.560 --> 0:01:59.040 it is a bitter chocolate in small pieces. 0:01:59.520 --> 0:02:02.320 Ten eggs and eggs that's a big cake. 0:02:02.360 --> 0:02:06.680 If it's a big cake, one pound of sugar and 0:02:06.800 --> 0:02:12.840 one pound of unsalted butter over the tammy, simple and all. 0:02:12.800 --> 0:02:14.240 The ingredients that I love to eat. 0:02:14.360 --> 0:02:17.160 Okay, So preheat the oven to three hundred and twenty 0:02:17.160 --> 0:02:22.360 five degrees fahrenheit. Line a twelve by two inch cake 0:02:22.440 --> 0:02:25.840 tin with wax paper, then grease and flour it. 0:02:26.720 --> 0:02:29.720 Beat the eggs with of the sugar. 0:02:29.760 --> 0:02:34.840 Until the volume quadruples. This will take at least ten minutes. 0:02:35.280 --> 0:02:38.000 Heat the remaining sugar in a small pan with eight 0:02:38.000 --> 0:02:40.880 fluid ounces of water until the sugar has dissolved to 0:02:40.960 --> 0:02:43.480 a syrup. Add the chocolate and butter. 0:02:44.040 --> 0:02:44.320 Stir. 0:02:45.400 --> 0:02:47.720 Then pour the syrup to the eggs and continue to 0:02:47.760 --> 0:02:51.959 beat until combined. Pour into the cake tin and place 0:02:52.000 --> 0:02:55.400 in a band marie of hot water. Bake in thirty 0:02:55.520 --> 0:02:59.120 minutes or until set. Test by placing the flat of 0:02:59.160 --> 0:03:04.680 your hand gently on the surface. Delicious, served with crem fresh. 0:03:04.720 --> 0:03:05.400 That's so good. 0:03:07.000 --> 0:03:09.960 All the things we can't eat, well you can so 0:03:09.960 --> 0:03:12.320 tell me about the Nemesis. Why did you choose it? 0:03:12.520 --> 0:03:15.720 Just because it has almost all of the taboo items. 0:03:15.760 --> 0:03:19.360 I love a pound of butter, you know, ten eggs, 0:03:20.400 --> 0:03:23.360 a pound of sugar, and of course chocolate. 0:03:23.680 --> 0:03:27.000 Okay, so I have to inject. When Tammy was a child, 0:03:27.360 --> 0:03:31.280 yes before we met, would sneak into her refrigerate, her 0:03:31.280 --> 0:03:36.880 parents refrigerator, pull out bars of butter and eat the butter. 0:03:37.920 --> 0:03:39.760 There were teeth barks in all the butter, and it 0:03:39.760 --> 0:03:42.480 was always me. I love butter, particularly salty butter. 0:03:42.640 --> 0:03:44.840 Oh you like it salted like salty? Good butter? In 0:03:44.880 --> 0:03:47.320 New Jersey, do they make butter here. 0:03:47.560 --> 0:03:51.880 We actually we are the garden State, so we actually 0:03:51.960 --> 0:03:55.560 do have some incredible farms here. We have some regenerative 0:03:55.560 --> 0:03:58.040 farming that goes on and in fact, we always try 0:03:58.080 --> 0:04:00.880 and find a gift that's typical New Jersey to send 0:04:00.920 --> 0:04:02.320 all of our friends for the holidays. 0:04:02.320 --> 0:04:04.880 Also, this is in a different lane, but we we've 0:04:05.120 --> 0:04:09.960 just we've got an exploding winery, distillery, breweries industry here. 0:04:10.240 --> 0:04:11.000 What is the wine? Like? 0:04:11.600 --> 0:04:12.280 Wine is good? 0:04:12.840 --> 0:04:16.800 Surprisingly good when you first hear wine from New Jersey people, 0:04:16.839 --> 0:04:19.040 so say, wait a minute, that doesn't sound right, but 0:04:19.279 --> 0:04:22.359 very very good. Stands up well, good value for money. 0:04:22.800 --> 0:04:25.960 There's one wine that there was a blind taste test 0:04:26.120 --> 0:04:29.479 in Chicago before, something called the Governor's Cup where you 0:04:29.520 --> 0:04:31.159 give out these awards for wine. 0:04:31.200 --> 0:04:32.240 What is a Governor's Cup. 0:04:32.560 --> 0:04:34.160 It's where the governor. 0:04:34.240 --> 0:04:37.880 Basically best wine through blind testing and we do it 0:04:37.880 --> 0:04:38.799 at the Governor's mansion. 0:04:38.800 --> 0:04:42.880 It's very cool. We do it for wine and beer, right. 0:04:42.800 --> 0:04:45.680 Craft beer, Yeah, the Governor's Yes, Governor's. 0:04:45.279 --> 0:04:47.080 Cup is wine. I figure what we call the craft beer. 0:04:48.040 --> 0:04:52.599 It's also for not spirits but liqueurs like the curse. 0:04:53.600 --> 0:04:57.960 But in a blind taste testing in Chicago, one of 0:04:58.000 --> 0:05:00.320 the wines in New Jersey beat out every other wine, 0:05:00.400 --> 0:05:03.680 French wines, Californian wines, So that was a big deal. 0:05:04.680 --> 0:05:07.360 Yeah, there is there a part of the state where 0:05:07.400 --> 0:05:10.120 the grapes grow. Is there one? Is it like Napo 0:05:10.240 --> 0:05:11.479 or you know where you have a region. 0:05:11.640 --> 0:05:15.400 Yeah, it is interesting. We are the fourth smallest state 0:05:15.520 --> 0:05:20.000 in the country. Geographically we're the eleventh largest population, so 0:05:20.040 --> 0:05:22.559 we are far and away the most densely populated state. 0:05:23.480 --> 0:05:26.160 So space is a challenge in New Jersey. It turns 0:05:26.160 --> 0:05:31.120 out the wineries are located largely in rural areas, but 0:05:31.320 --> 0:05:33.520 really up and down the state. When we first got 0:05:33.520 --> 0:05:36.440 into office, at least I thought they were all in 0:05:36.520 --> 0:05:38.800 the southern southern part of the state. It turns out 0:05:38.839 --> 0:05:41.480 there up and down, but obviously in rural settings. 0:05:42.240 --> 0:05:44.920 Not a great state, someone told me yesterday. Because I've 0:05:44.920 --> 0:05:48.800 been studying New Jersey. I love that. And to talk 0:05:48.839 --> 0:05:53.240 of densely populated and also the most it has the 0:05:53.240 --> 0:05:56.080 most diversity, it does, and that's in term. Well we 0:05:56.080 --> 0:05:58.960 could start talking about food right there, because if you 0:05:59.040 --> 0:06:02.400 have a diverse population, you have diverse food. Tell me 0:06:02.440 --> 0:06:06.840 about you know, the different people who live here, from 0:06:06.839 --> 0:06:10.200 different cultures, from and how that it's expressed in their 0:06:10.320 --> 0:06:11.360 food and restaurants. 0:06:11.480 --> 0:06:13.080 How about if I start with the cultures and you 0:06:13.160 --> 0:06:16.279 give me the un and the restaurants. We are, by 0:06:16.279 --> 0:06:21.600 many measures, the most diverse American state. We have one 0:06:21.640 --> 0:06:25.600 of the top South Asian populations, Indian, Pakistani in particular, 0:06:26.440 --> 0:06:30.120 the Latino populations. We're in the top three of any 0:06:30.200 --> 0:06:36.120 of the sub categories Colombia, Ecuadorian, Mexican, et cetera, booming 0:06:36.400 --> 0:06:40.000 Korean population and Asian population generally. 0:06:40.360 --> 0:06:41.960 And then you've got the. 0:06:41.560 --> 0:06:45.360 Populations that have been here for a long time, the Irish, 0:06:45.440 --> 0:06:49.719 the Germans, the Poles, Italians, the Italians without question, without question, 0:06:50.360 --> 0:06:53.400 and then to your very fair point, big Arab community, 0:06:53.640 --> 0:06:56.600 so one of the largest Arab communities in the in 0:06:56.640 --> 0:06:59.360 the United States, one of the biggest and most consequential 0:06:59.360 --> 0:07:04.520 African Americamerican populations, and that all of that has huge 0:07:04.520 --> 0:07:08.160 impact on the state in so many respects. But certainly 0:07:08.279 --> 0:07:13.120 per our discussion food, how would you in well food? 0:07:13.480 --> 0:07:15.520 I think one of the things about all of the 0:07:15.520 --> 0:07:18.080 different cultures being here is that because we're so small, 0:07:18.720 --> 0:07:23.080 you can go to pockets and find incredible restaurants and. 0:07:24.760 --> 0:07:25.640 Cantenas and. 0:07:27.200 --> 0:07:30.960 The very typical food of a different culture. 0:07:31.040 --> 0:07:33.080 So you go. We talk all the time about the 0:07:33.080 --> 0:07:34.400 fact that we have some. 0:07:34.320 --> 0:07:37.800 Of the deepest benches where people are living right on 0:07:37.840 --> 0:07:40.200 top of each other, where you have no choice but 0:07:40.320 --> 0:07:44.560 to experience someone else's culture and cuisine. In New Jersey though, 0:07:45.560 --> 0:07:52.240 the corn, the tomatoes, the blueberries, the raspberries, the cranberry bogs. 0:07:52.320 --> 0:07:55.000 I mean, we have the best food you can find. 0:07:55.520 --> 0:07:59.960 And the summers here are amazing with everything that's available 0:08:00.200 --> 0:08:00.840 really exciting. 0:08:01.320 --> 0:08:04.440 And so you have these farms, you have people different 0:08:04.520 --> 0:08:08.280 cultures of eating. Is food a important part of would 0:08:08.320 --> 0:08:10.280 you say? The diversity as well? 0:08:11.640 --> 0:08:14.000 Lots of diners. We're going to a diner later on. 0:08:14.360 --> 0:08:15.720 What do we eat in the diner? 0:08:16.720 --> 0:08:17.840 What are we going to We're gonna go to the 0:08:17.880 --> 0:08:18.480 Tops diner. 0:08:18.560 --> 0:08:22.840 Yeah, lunch is usually for me a Greek salad, minestadions. 0:08:23.920 --> 0:08:27.080 But they have everything. I mean, it depends if you're 0:08:27.120 --> 0:08:29.040 having a nail or ham. 0:08:29.480 --> 0:08:32.440 Or depends on what part of the state. That's a 0:08:32.440 --> 0:08:35.440 good question. But they have diners are like almost a 0:08:35.559 --> 0:08:36.520 unique Jersey thing. 0:08:36.600 --> 0:08:37.560 This is a feature. 0:08:37.679 --> 0:08:39.920 Tell me yesterday I was with you know, we have 0:08:39.960 --> 0:08:43.520 a new ambassador Jane Hardley and Ralph. So I was 0:08:43.559 --> 0:08:46.000 with Ralph last night and he was saying that the 0:08:46.000 --> 0:08:48.600 best pizzas from Jersey City. Do you know this place? 0:08:48.720 --> 0:08:51.960 Well, we know, we know that New Jersey has the 0:08:52.000 --> 0:08:54.559 best pizzas anywhere and the best bagels. 0:08:54.800 --> 0:08:55.400 Oh I didn't. 0:08:55.480 --> 0:08:58.520 And we compete aggressively against New York City and Connecticut 0:08:58.520 --> 0:08:59.640 for both of those titles. 0:09:00.000 --> 0:09:01.960 I like this being a food competition. 0:09:02.160 --> 0:09:04.440 Bill has this Twitter account for the state, and the 0:09:04.480 --> 0:09:08.480 state competes in like lobs comments out there, like you know, 0:09:08.920 --> 0:09:12.360 talking about where certain food groups were created and who 0:09:12.400 --> 0:09:15.520 has the best pizza, and it's a constant battle going on. 0:09:15.880 --> 0:09:17.120 Yeah, no, it's fo Last. 0:09:17.000 --> 0:09:19.240 Night they were really into the they have a pizza club, 0:09:19.280 --> 0:09:22.240 you know. Ralph and for people who were at this 0:09:22.360 --> 0:09:24.640 dinner was talking about they go out every once a 0:09:24.640 --> 0:09:27.440 month to find the best pizza. So they were very 0:09:27.440 --> 0:09:31.640 impressed by Jersey City. So going back to the beginning 0:09:31.640 --> 0:09:34.240 and talking about you rating your parents' fridge for the butter, 0:09:34.640 --> 0:09:36.880 what was it like growing We'll talk about both of you, 0:09:36.960 --> 0:09:39.480 but what was growing up in your house food wise? 0:09:40.160 --> 0:09:41.800 Well, first of all, you may or may not remember, 0:09:41.840 --> 0:09:43.160 my mother was British. 0:09:43.360 --> 0:09:46.280 She was an excellent cook when she chose to be. 0:09:47.120 --> 0:09:50.319 She also had an incredible sweet tooth, so we always 0:09:50.320 --> 0:09:53.600 had lots of sweets around for sure. But you know, 0:09:53.720 --> 0:09:56.080 I think back about those days. I'm the youngest of 0:09:56.120 --> 0:09:59.160 five and when everyone used to go away. You know, 0:09:59.240 --> 0:10:01.360 when I be the youngest, people were gone, they were 0:10:01.400 --> 0:10:05.200 gone to college wherever they were. And so a major 0:10:05.280 --> 0:10:08.959 period of my life I spent having the highlight of 0:10:08.960 --> 0:10:10.920 the week being to go to the grocery store with 0:10:10.960 --> 0:10:14.120 my mother and go to the frozen food section and 0:10:14.160 --> 0:10:17.120 pick out my TV dinner TV dinners for each night. 0:10:17.160 --> 0:10:19.360 So it would be the week for the week we would. 0:10:19.160 --> 0:10:21.800 Go and pick out the TV dinners because we were 0:10:21.880 --> 0:10:22.840 You said she was a good cook. 0:10:23.040 --> 0:10:25.120 She was an excellent cook, but she chose to But 0:10:25.880 --> 0:10:27.120 it was so easy, you know. 0:10:27.160 --> 0:10:30.400 And also when we go from cooking for seven to 0:10:30.480 --> 0:10:33.480 cooking for two or three, it kind of takes a 0:10:33.520 --> 0:10:33.960 little bit. 0:10:33.840 --> 0:10:34.560 Of the joiney out of it. 0:10:34.640 --> 0:10:35.280 Can we ask it? 0:10:35.360 --> 0:10:38.720 I don't want to take baton here, but can you 0:10:38.720 --> 0:10:43.120 tell us your favorite TV dinner that animates all of us? No? 0:10:43.120 --> 0:10:46.160 No, no, So I would come home from school and 0:10:46.240 --> 0:10:49.520 sit down and eat. No, this is no joke, probably 0:10:49.559 --> 0:10:52.400 a box of pop tarts, a box a box of 0:10:52.440 --> 0:10:54.400 pop tarts, and then after I finished my box of 0:10:54.440 --> 0:10:56.439 pop Tarts several hours later, we would I would tuck 0:10:56.480 --> 0:10:57.160 into my TV. 0:10:57.040 --> 0:11:03.640 Dinner and then you tuck into the butter, right, the arazy, 0:11:03.800 --> 0:11:05.320 healthy person having. 0:11:06.200 --> 0:11:08.200 So we hadn't thought about this, even though we've known 0:11:08.240 --> 0:11:09.920 each other for thirty seven years and when we're going 0:11:09.960 --> 0:11:12.640 out for thirty we hadn't had this conversation untill earlier 0:11:12.720 --> 0:11:14.199 today because we said, what are we going to say 0:11:14.200 --> 0:11:17.440 to Ruthie about food? We had a remarkably similar upbringing 0:11:17.440 --> 0:11:19.959 on the food front. I was the youngest of four dinners, 0:11:20.280 --> 0:11:24.439 not TV dinners but chef boy r D and a cane. 0:11:25.679 --> 0:11:26.480 How many were you? 0:11:26.880 --> 0:11:30.400 I'm youngest of four and similar to Tam, older siblings 0:11:30.440 --> 0:11:34.080 were significantly older. So for most of my formative years 0:11:34.520 --> 0:11:36.440 it was me and my mom and. 0:11:36.480 --> 0:11:37.559 Dad and uh. 0:11:38.440 --> 0:11:40.280 But on the flip side of that, I don't know 0:11:40.280 --> 0:11:42.760 if you agree with this, It made as we grew 0:11:42.840 --> 0:11:46.680 up and grew older our appreciation for really good food 0:11:46.920 --> 0:11:48.720 River Cafe, the great Italians. 0:11:48.960 --> 0:11:50.240 I think of you as great eaters. 0:11:50.360 --> 0:11:52.160 Yeah we are, but I think it. 0:11:53.679 --> 0:11:57.120 The other way. But also did both did either or 0:11:57.120 --> 0:11:59.720 both of your mother's work. Did they have jobs to 0:11:59.760 --> 0:12:01.720 do during the day. 0:12:01.840 --> 0:12:03.920 My mom helped my father in his business, but she 0:12:04.280 --> 0:12:07.520 was a a in the garden all day long. 0:12:09.360 --> 0:12:11.640 Yes, vegetables or flowers. 0:12:12.040 --> 0:12:14.920 Mostly flowers, mostly flowers. But she would work in the garden. 0:12:15.040 --> 0:12:19.080 By the way, I don't want to to misstate my 0:12:19.120 --> 0:12:21.559 mother was an excellent cook, but she just when she 0:12:21.880 --> 0:12:24.120 had to decide that she wanted to do it fair enough. 0:12:24.160 --> 0:12:25.600 What did she cook when she cooked? 0:12:26.440 --> 0:12:30.040 She used to cook literally a crown roast, she'd cook, 0:12:30.080 --> 0:12:33.560 she'd cook burgers, she'd cook chili, she'd cook you know, 0:12:33.760 --> 0:12:37.120 white fit I mean anything, anything and everything, sweets, lots 0:12:37.120 --> 0:12:41.320 of sweets, lots of cheesecakes, lots of lots of pastries. 0:12:42.240 --> 0:12:43.920 She used to make a lot of cookies. 0:12:45.200 --> 0:12:46.719 And a lot of her recipes have been handed down, 0:12:46.720 --> 0:12:48.840 so we all still have that little book. 0:12:48.920 --> 0:12:51.160 I do so many people, you know, I've interviewed now 0:12:51.440 --> 0:12:55.679 something like I think we're on we're on a hundred episode. 0:12:55.679 --> 0:12:58.520 We've probably this is one hundred and four. But so 0:12:58.640 --> 0:13:02.520 many people do talk about the handed down recipe book 0:13:02.679 --> 0:13:06.520 that they haven't And the other thing that I've noticed 0:13:06.520 --> 0:13:08.280 a lot is that people very often talk about their 0:13:08.360 --> 0:13:11.760 grandmothers almost more than their mothers. Interesting, and did you 0:13:11.800 --> 0:13:14.199 well before we go to grandmother's, what was your family 0:13:14.320 --> 0:13:14.840 like cooking? 0:13:15.000 --> 0:13:18.160 Similar to Tammy's, Similar to Tammy's And again I think 0:13:18.440 --> 0:13:21.120 you started to say this, and I think you're absolutely right, 0:13:21.679 --> 0:13:24.880 and they're unlike Tammy's mom, there wasn't a really outstanding 0:13:24.920 --> 0:13:27.560 cook in our family. My dad actually is probably the closest, 0:13:27.800 --> 0:13:29.840 and he was more of a shortness. 0:13:29.840 --> 0:13:31.280 He called himself a short order cook. 0:13:32.080 --> 0:13:33.720 This is his career. What did this job? 0:13:33.800 --> 0:13:34.960 Oh, he did a whole bunch of things. He didn't 0:13:34.960 --> 0:13:36.400 get out of high school, so he did a whole 0:13:36.440 --> 0:13:39.360 He was a paid Paul bearer, He worked in a warehouse, 0:13:39.400 --> 0:13:42.959 He ran a liquor store where Murphy's. After all, we 0:13:43.000 --> 0:13:45.160 have to drop the liquor in there. So he did 0:13:45.160 --> 0:13:48.160 a bunch of things over the years. But I think 0:13:48.320 --> 0:13:51.959 when you have that sort of relationship to food, this 0:13:52.040 --> 0:13:54.560 is one guy's opinion, growing up you go one of 0:13:54.600 --> 0:13:58.040 two ways. When you grow up, you sort of stay 0:13:58.040 --> 0:14:01.480 in that lane, or you start tasting really good food 0:14:02.040 --> 0:14:06.280 and you explode and just welcome everything. And I think 0:14:06.360 --> 0:14:09.920 we've all as you know, we've lived around the world. 0:14:09.960 --> 0:14:14.320 Tammy lived in London, we lived together in Germany, in Asia, 0:14:15.440 --> 0:14:19.120 now in the most diverse state in America. Once we 0:14:19.200 --> 0:14:23.120 crossed the rubicon into sort of seeing and tasting and 0:14:23.600 --> 0:14:26.400 feeling what really good food was, we never looked back. 0:14:26.720 --> 0:14:29.560 And Tammy's a great cook. Really, I can see. 0:14:29.880 --> 0:14:33.480 I was so flattered because I came in and this 0:14:33.520 --> 0:14:35.680 is audio, so it's not visual. But if it was visual, 0:14:35.680 --> 0:14:38.880 I would show the cookbook that you brought in with 0:14:38.960 --> 0:14:42.120 the recipe for the nemesis for little tabs through the book, 0:14:42.160 --> 0:14:46.440 which a well worn cookbook is a treasure. Really, it's 0:14:46.480 --> 0:14:49.920 it's very nice for me to see that meant a lot. 0:14:50.600 --> 0:14:53.240 I need to bring up the show it to you coveted, 0:14:54.160 --> 0:14:55.120 very very nice. 0:14:55.280 --> 0:14:58.120 But when you were growing up, did you have meals 0:14:58.240 --> 0:15:00.480 as a family together? Would you down? 0:15:00.560 --> 0:15:02.720 And we have very few because I was so young 0:15:02.800 --> 0:15:06.760 relative to my siblings, and my dad and mom worked 0:15:06.800 --> 0:15:11.400 different schedules, so I more often than not had dinner 0:15:11.560 --> 0:15:14.480 A friend would come over and my mom would cook something, 0:15:15.520 --> 0:15:18.920 or one of my closest friends was an Italian first 0:15:18.920 --> 0:15:23.600 generation dad and an Italian American wife, and they were 0:15:23.640 --> 0:15:26.440 really good cooks. So I would try to get to 0:15:26.520 --> 0:15:29.080 Sammy Chicaloni's as often as I could, because I knew 0:15:29.080 --> 0:15:34.320 I did remember, Yeah, mostly pasta, homemade pasta and homemade sauces. 0:15:34.840 --> 0:15:36.360 They were first generation Italian. 0:15:36.440 --> 0:15:40.240 The dad was and the mom was Italian American, really 0:15:40.320 --> 0:15:40.880 really good. 0:15:40.920 --> 0:15:42.119 Do you remember the pastas? 0:15:42.920 --> 0:15:47.720 I remember Bolanese was the one sauce that jumps out 0:15:47.760 --> 0:15:50.480 in my memory really good, and I think it was 0:15:50.560 --> 0:15:55.160 largely spaghetti. How you this was through high school, So 0:15:55.200 --> 0:15:58.600 this is middle school in high school, so seventeen or eighteen, 0:15:59.480 --> 0:16:01.880 from probably nine or ten up through there. 0:16:01.880 --> 0:16:04.160 When you had all your when your siblings came home, 0:16:04.360 --> 0:16:08.760 was that then that would be an occasion for doing peas? Okay, 0:16:08.840 --> 0:16:10.720 so what would you what would your mom mate? 0:16:11.400 --> 0:16:14.560 She would make, she would there would be for Joe 0:16:14.600 --> 0:16:16.640 to be filled, so there would be you know, everybody 0:16:16.720 --> 0:16:18.520 had kind of their own options as to what they 0:16:18.600 --> 0:16:20.960 what they could go for. But she used to make 0:16:21.120 --> 0:16:24.640 whatever the favorite food is for whoever was going to appear. 0:16:24.880 --> 0:16:28.120 So, but conversation a big part of the meal was 0:16:28.360 --> 0:16:31.600 was there a lot of talk? Yes, yeah, yes, and. 0:16:31.560 --> 0:16:35.720 You've got at least your sister. Robin continues to be 0:16:35.760 --> 0:16:37.080 an outstanding. 0:16:36.480 --> 0:16:38.480 Cook, right, Susan was a great cook, and your. 0:16:38.400 --> 0:16:39.360 Late sister Susan. 0:16:39.400 --> 0:16:42.840 And so when I got involved in Tammy's family, so 0:16:42.880 --> 0:16:45.200 this is now thirty years ago, in nineteen ninety four. 0:16:45.600 --> 0:16:47.160 We met in eighty seven. Didn't go out in a 0:16:47.240 --> 0:16:50.400 date till ninety four. I still don't understand that, but 0:16:52.200 --> 0:16:55.960 for another podcast. But when I got in the family, 0:16:56.360 --> 0:16:58.960 your siblings really were picking up the mantle. 0:17:00.160 --> 0:17:01.520 Of hosting Thanksgiving, our. 0:17:01.440 --> 0:17:05.280 Christmas holidays, religious holidays. Did you have religious holidays? We 0:17:05.400 --> 0:17:06.399 were both your parents. 0:17:06.640 --> 0:17:11.080 My father was Jewish and my mother was Church of England, 0:17:11.760 --> 0:17:14.080 so we used to celebrate some of each. We were 0:17:14.160 --> 0:17:16.199 kind of the Hodgepodge, so we would go over and 0:17:16.240 --> 0:17:20.520 spend Friday night dinners with my father's family, grandmother. And 0:17:20.560 --> 0:17:22.080 I was thinking about when you just said this, and 0:17:22.440 --> 0:17:24.840 I remember going in. All you could smell was was 0:17:24.880 --> 0:17:29.119 parsley partially partially should be making MutS of all soup 0:17:29.280 --> 0:17:33.480 and all those those great, those great yummy tastes. And 0:17:34.400 --> 0:17:36.399 but but we used to celebrate it all, you know, 0:17:36.480 --> 0:17:38.040 Christmas pudding for Christmas. 0:17:38.040 --> 0:17:39.880 I mean it was we were all we were all 0:17:40.240 --> 0:17:40.600 by the way. 0:17:40.760 --> 0:17:44.280 As governor since day one, and as ambassador before that, 0:17:44.359 --> 0:17:48.280 from day one. We host a passover sata. Every year 0:17:49.080 --> 0:17:52.320 we do, and so we that's especially knew. We have 0:17:52.480 --> 0:17:58.680 iftar dinners for Ramadan, we have Christmas related and there's 0:17:58.760 --> 0:18:02.240 food and all of them. We have got Hispanic Heritage Month, 0:18:02.280 --> 0:18:06.040 We'll have a huge Hispanic Latino food spread. 0:18:06.960 --> 0:18:10.119 It's fun and we invite and because we are in 0:18:10.160 --> 0:18:12.640 this state and because we want to bring people together 0:18:12.680 --> 0:18:16.879 all the time, we will not just invite Jewish people 0:18:16.920 --> 0:18:19.199 to the satar. We will not just invite you know, 0:18:19.320 --> 0:18:22.280 Hispanic people if we're celebrating. 0:18:21.960 --> 0:18:24.959 You know, Spanish history or Spanish Heritage Month. So we 0:18:25.000 --> 0:18:26.879 always try and mix it up and invite everyone in. 0:18:26.920 --> 0:18:29.560 And it's fun because people have never tasted different foods 0:18:29.720 --> 0:18:31.440 in many instances, so it's great. 0:18:31.560 --> 0:18:33.399 The Sadar is the one that sticks out because we 0:18:33.440 --> 0:18:36.920 actually sit around a table the other ones a big receptions. 0:18:36.960 --> 0:18:39.720 Probably thirty six to thirty eight of us at one table. Yeah, 0:18:40.160 --> 0:18:42.959 it's a big, kind of a grand table. Reminds us 0:18:42.960 --> 0:18:44.800 of the table that we had when we were in 0:18:44.840 --> 0:18:49.240 Berlin as ambassador, and we deliberately to Tammy's points, that 0:18:49.280 --> 0:18:54.360 table will be filled with obviously Jews, Christians, Muslims will 0:18:54.359 --> 0:18:57.800 have Hindu representation, will sick. 0:18:57.840 --> 0:19:01.120 I mean, we'll have a. 0:19:00.080 --> 0:19:03.560 And invariably the reaction is, hey, we do something similar 0:19:03.600 --> 0:19:07.359 in our religion, or we eat something similar, or it's 0:19:07.400 --> 0:19:09.800 remarkable how people walk away saying, you know it, we're 0:19:09.960 --> 0:19:11.960 actually a lot more like each other after all. 0:19:12.359 --> 0:19:14.840 Well, that's also that that night, it's very special because 0:19:14.840 --> 0:19:18.639 we always have someone who leads the satyr and you 0:19:18.880 --> 0:19:21.119 start explaining what the meaning is of the different foods 0:19:21.160 --> 0:19:21.760 that are on the table. 0:19:21.800 --> 0:19:23.719 So it's all centered around food. With you, you should come 0:19:23.720 --> 0:19:24.000 to one and. 0:19:24.200 --> 0:19:28.640 I would love to food and religion, food and tradition. 0:19:28.920 --> 0:19:31.880 I was in Mexico recently and the night before I left, 0:19:31.920 --> 0:19:34.960 I went to some friend's house and they have I'm 0:19:34.960 --> 0:19:37.359 embarrassed to say, I don't know the Mexican holiday, but 0:19:37.400 --> 0:19:39.639 there is a holiday after Christmas in which it is 0:19:39.720 --> 0:19:42.200 rather like the French pitivier where you find the little 0:19:42.240 --> 0:19:45.040 crown and then you are the queen. But in this one, 0:19:45.080 --> 0:19:48.119 if you find the crown, then you have to host 0:19:48.200 --> 0:19:51.439 another dinner a month later. It's all to do with 0:19:51.560 --> 0:19:55.639 family and tradition and bringing everyone together, which we and 0:19:55.760 --> 0:19:56.600 memory isn't it. 0:19:56.840 --> 0:19:58.200 Where's the crown? Is it in the food? 0:19:58.200 --> 0:20:00.840 It's in the cake circular? Yes? 0:20:01.040 --> 0:20:06.360 Okay, Hm. 0:20:07.080 --> 0:20:09.600 Did you know the River Cafe has a shop. It's 0:20:09.640 --> 0:20:13.920 full of our favorite foods and designs. We have cookbooks, linen, napkins, 0:20:14.040 --> 0:20:18.000 kitchen were toad bags with our signatures, glasses from Venice, 0:20:18.280 --> 0:20:21.240 chocolates from Turin. You can find us right next door 0:20:21.280 --> 0:20:24.600 to the River Cafe in London or online at shop 0:20:24.760 --> 0:20:36.600 Therivercafe dot co dot uk. What about your father's You said. 0:20:36.440 --> 0:20:41.359 That my dad would do more than my mom. Brother? 0:20:41.400 --> 0:20:43.679