1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,640 Speaker 1: When Will Ferrell said he'd be my guest on Ruthie's 2 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:07,120 Speaker 1: Table four, I expected some laughs, some great stories, but 3 00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:09,000 Speaker 1: not happy birthday. 4 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:15,520 Speaker 2: In Swedish yah more healeva into who roto yaviska haaleva 5 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:19,599 Speaker 2: javiska haalev va yaviska hileva inteh. 6 00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:26,320 Speaker 3: Hurrah, Hurrah, hurrah hurrah. You have to say hooray four times. 7 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:29,480 Speaker 1: When I tell people that I'm doing a podcast with Will, 8 00:00:29,560 --> 00:00:33,360 Speaker 1: their faces light up. Everyone seems to love him when 9 00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:36,360 Speaker 1: they remember working with him, or, of course watching him 10 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:40,440 Speaker 1: on screen in those classic comedies Elf and Anchorman and 11 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:44,480 Speaker 1: many more. We do have a mutual friend, Saturday Night 12 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:48,360 Speaker 1: Live creator and producer Laurene Michaels, but we first met 13 00:00:48,479 --> 00:00:52,159 Speaker 1: last spring when I was invited to a lunch Now 14 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:55,920 Speaker 1: walking into a lunch party late can be awkward. Conversations, 15 00:00:55,960 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 1: stop chairs are adjusted, introductions made. But there I Will 16 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:03,000 Speaker 1: us heated next to Will, and all was right with 17 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:06,400 Speaker 1: the world. He was here in London filming Barbie and 18 00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:09,040 Speaker 1: I was just off to New York. But we promised 19 00:01:09,080 --> 00:01:10,520 Speaker 1: to continue the conversation. 20 00:01:11,520 --> 00:01:14,760 Speaker 3: Are you oh great? How are you doing well? 21 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:17,399 Speaker 1: You're not allowed to go to the river cafe anymore 22 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:18,440 Speaker 1: without me being there. 23 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:25,399 Speaker 3: I know, so frustrating. We keep missing each other. 24 00:01:25,760 --> 00:01:28,440 Speaker 1: All right, where are you, by the way, Are you 25 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:29,080 Speaker 1: in your house? 26 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:34,280 Speaker 3: No, we're in one of the studios here. Oh Hollywood. 27 00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:35,720 Speaker 1: Well would you like to read? 28 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:36,720 Speaker 4: Do you have it? 29 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:36,960 Speaker 3: There? 30 00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:40,800 Speaker 1: The recipe for I do so. 31 00:01:40,959 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 3: This is a recipe for white truffle tagliarini, not to 32 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:50,040 Speaker 3: be confused with tagliatelli. 33 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:53,960 Speaker 1: Correct correct finer noodle. 34 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:58,400 Speaker 3: It serves four and you need at least one ten 35 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:02,160 Speaker 3: gram fresh white ruffle. I guess you could have more 36 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:07,480 Speaker 3: two hundred and fifty grams of dried Italian made taglierini 37 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:12,840 Speaker 3: or fresh rich egg, pasta, sea salt and freshly ground 38 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:19,080 Speaker 3: black pepper, and twenty grams of unsalted butter. So what 39 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:20,760 Speaker 3: you're gonna do is you're gonna start by You're going 40 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:24,160 Speaker 3: to clean the truffle. You don't want a dirty truffle, 41 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:28,280 Speaker 3: trust me. Brushing the surface to remove any sand that 42 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:33,560 Speaker 3: may be stuck in the crevices. You cool the tagle 43 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:35,200 Speaker 3: arena until al dente. 44 00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:38,920 Speaker 1: Okay, I think you cook it rather than cool it. 45 00:02:39,040 --> 00:02:43,440 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, you cook it. That makes no sense. See 46 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:47,200 Speaker 3: I'm like, okay, yeah, you cook that's fine, cook the 47 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:53,160 Speaker 3: tagle arena in boiling salted water until al dente. Now 48 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:58,399 Speaker 3: in a in a pan large enough to hold the pasta, 49 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:02,480 Speaker 3: gently heat the butter until just soft, adding a pinch 50 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:07,120 Speaker 3: of nutmeg and black pepper, and a few shavings of truffle. 51 00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:11,080 Speaker 3: And now after that you add the pasta to the 52 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:15,240 Speaker 3: warm butter mixture and toss again and again to coat 53 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:18,400 Speaker 3: each strand. And then once you've done that, you place 54 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:23,480 Speaker 3: into hot plates and grate the truffle generously over each portion. 55 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:28,040 Speaker 1: Sounds good, easy, Yeah, So tell me why did you 56 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:31,000 Speaker 1: choose this recipe of all the recipes. 57 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:39,480 Speaker 3: I chose it. I chose it because it seems relatively accomplishable, 58 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:45,920 Speaker 3: doesn't seem too overwhelming. And I love a good truffle. 59 00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:51,040 Speaker 3: I love that flavor. I love black pepper. And it's 60 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:53,440 Speaker 3: also just it's very comforting. 61 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:57,560 Speaker 1: Yes, it's comforting. And it's also it's such a luxury, 62 00:03:57,600 --> 00:03:59,920 Speaker 1: isn't it. I mean, the idea of having white truffle. 63 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 1: It's a very special. It's very short season you have it. 64 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:05,840 Speaker 1: Can you get them? I guess you must be able 65 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:08,000 Speaker 1: to get them in California? Of course, they must send 66 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:10,720 Speaker 1: them over from Italy. But did you live in Italy? 67 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:13,080 Speaker 1: Did you have you ever spent any time there where 68 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:15,480 Speaker 1: you would have white? 69 00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:18,520 Speaker 3: You know, I've I've worked there once, which was great. 70 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:19,680 Speaker 1: What were you doing? 71 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:23,520 Speaker 3: I was working on Zoolander two. I was working there 72 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 3: for five weeks, but I didn't have to work every day. 73 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:29,760 Speaker 3: It was kind of perfect. So I'd get some time 74 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:32,599 Speaker 3: off to go and explore and you know, have a 75 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:33,040 Speaker 3: good meal. 76 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:34,680 Speaker 1: And where were you were? 77 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:39,960 Speaker 3: Just in Rome? Yeah, and that that's such a luxury 78 00:04:40,120 --> 00:04:42,080 Speaker 3: to get to do that, and it was. It was 79 00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:45,719 Speaker 3: up until that point i'd had I had a career 80 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:50,960 Speaker 3: of where you're always talking to everyone else who's gotten 81 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:55,600 Speaker 3: to film in exotic places. And the most exotic place 82 00:04:56,120 --> 00:04:59,320 Speaker 3: I would get to film is you know, the San 83 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:05,000 Speaker 3: Fernando v uh Or. And so finally this was this 84 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:09,880 Speaker 3: was after after decades, I was finally shooting a movie 85 00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:12,000 Speaker 3: in Europe and it was so much fun. It was great. 86 00:05:12,440 --> 00:05:15,400 Speaker 1: I did an interview with John McEnroe recently, and he 87 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:19,320 Speaker 1: was saying that when he was playing tennis, or when 88 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:21,599 Speaker 1: he was even performing in a band, there was no 89 00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:24,920 Speaker 1: time to eat. You were just working, working, working, So 90 00:05:25,200 --> 00:05:29,840 Speaker 1: you know you're being able to go that's usually. 91 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:32,440 Speaker 3: Yeah, that's and that's usually the case. You're you're a 92 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:35,279 Speaker 3: movie schedules intense, there's long days, and you maybe have 93 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:38,960 Speaker 3: you know, you're catching up on your rest on the weekend, 94 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:41,479 Speaker 3: so maybe have one night a week ago. But this 95 00:05:42,920 --> 00:05:46,240 Speaker 3: I had enough time off to where I could kind 96 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:49,279 Speaker 3: of explore. But there was there was also a really 97 00:05:49,320 --> 00:05:53,760 Speaker 3: fun group of actors who uh Christen Wigg was working 98 00:05:53,800 --> 00:05:56,200 Speaker 3: at the time, and she would organize these fun dinner 99 00:05:56,200 --> 00:05:59,760 Speaker 3: parties and so that's that's another when you can kind 100 00:05:59,760 --> 00:06:03,640 Speaker 3: of combine great food with great company. There's nothing better. 101 00:06:04,279 --> 00:06:06,960 Speaker 1: Do you think about a location that you're going to 102 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:09,039 Speaker 1: be filming and wonder what the food will be like? 103 00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:14,720 Speaker 3: No, it's I always am envious of people who've able 104 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:20,880 Speaker 3: have been able to like write something specifically, you know, 105 00:06:20,960 --> 00:06:23,760 Speaker 3: like Mike White who did White Lotus as a genius. 106 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:28,359 Speaker 3: His locations have been Hawaii, they've been you know, the 107 00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:31,520 Speaker 3: last one was Sicily, and then I think they're doing 108 00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:33,000 Speaker 3: a third one and it's going to be in some 109 00:06:33,120 --> 00:06:38,280 Speaker 3: beautiful location in Southeast Asia. So he's a smart he's smart, 110 00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:39,880 Speaker 3: smart guy. 111 00:06:40,440 --> 00:06:43,560 Speaker 1: So going right back, tell me about your family. Tell 112 00:06:43,560 --> 00:06:47,000 Speaker 1: about your mother and father and what food was, what 113 00:06:47,120 --> 00:06:48,839 Speaker 1: meals times were like in your house. 114 00:06:49,080 --> 00:06:54,920 Speaker 3: Well, my folks divorced at an early age, so while 115 00:06:56,160 --> 00:07:00,400 Speaker 3: my dad did made a really good effort of still 116 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:03,520 Speaker 3: being involved, my brother and I pretty much grew up 117 00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:07,760 Speaker 3: in a single parent household. Of course, my mom had 118 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:11,320 Speaker 3: to work, and what did she do. She did a 119 00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:17,640 Speaker 3: number of various jobs, from landscaper to we used to 120 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:21,000 Speaker 3: call her a plant lady at one point, which meant 121 00:07:21,080 --> 00:07:23,600 Speaker 3: she was worked for a company that took care of 122 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:28,040 Speaker 3: plants in office buildings, so she'd go from office building 123 00:07:28,040 --> 00:07:33,720 Speaker 3: to office building and maintain the plants. And she was 124 00:07:33,760 --> 00:07:37,120 Speaker 3: kind of doing all these odd jobs while she finally 125 00:07:37,160 --> 00:07:39,440 Speaker 3: figured out she needed to go back to school and 126 00:07:39,560 --> 00:07:44,480 Speaker 3: get her master's degree and later went on to have 127 00:07:44,560 --> 00:07:48,080 Speaker 3: a great career in adult education, teaching English as a 128 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:53,120 Speaker 3: second language. But it's kind of remarkable to think about 129 00:07:54,440 --> 00:08:00,000 Speaker 3: now having been a parent myself, you know, being involved 130 00:08:00,400 --> 00:08:03,760 Speaker 3: with my wife and we we've always been able to 131 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:06,800 Speaker 3: help each other, and we've always had help around the house. 132 00:08:07,920 --> 00:08:10,000 Speaker 3: But to think of the idea of just doing it 133 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:15,640 Speaker 3: by yourself, and the fact that she always got home 134 00:08:15,640 --> 00:08:20,040 Speaker 3: in time for dinner and made dinner, and she both 135 00:08:20,080 --> 00:08:25,000 Speaker 3: my folks are from North Carolina, so she she was 136 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:29,000 Speaker 3: an amazing cook. Every night there would there would you know. 137 00:08:29,880 --> 00:08:34,200 Speaker 3: It's the reason why I still I like liver and onions. 138 00:08:34,480 --> 00:08:37,640 Speaker 3: It's because my mom would cook it. Yeah. She would 139 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:41,360 Speaker 3: make this amazing livered onions where she'd kind of see 140 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:43,120 Speaker 3: it and grill. Yeah, and when she. 141 00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:46,640 Speaker 1: Cook the onions right down, yeah, and very soft onions. 142 00:08:46,640 --> 00:08:48,959 Speaker 3: But she just kind of she'd just do it all 143 00:08:48,960 --> 00:08:52,559 Speaker 3: by feel, and she would make or she'd make great 144 00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:56,520 Speaker 3: kind of stews in a crock pot, or she'd one 145 00:08:56,520 --> 00:09:00,000 Speaker 3: of her great things that we would request that didn't happen, 146 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:04,679 Speaker 3: and all the time were she'd make a fantastic fried 147 00:09:04,760 --> 00:09:08,120 Speaker 3: chicken dinner with mashed potatoes that she did herself, and 148 00:09:08,720 --> 00:09:12,560 Speaker 3: green beans and sometimes and would make homemade biscuits and 149 00:09:12,600 --> 00:09:14,760 Speaker 3: things like that. So and I look back at that, 150 00:09:15,120 --> 00:09:21,280 Speaker 3: and my cooking skills are negligible at best, And I 151 00:09:21,320 --> 00:09:23,440 Speaker 3: was like, Mom, how did you do that? And she's like, 152 00:09:23,559 --> 00:09:26,280 Speaker 3: you know, you just didn't think about it. And I 153 00:09:26,440 --> 00:09:29,679 Speaker 3: was raised to learn how to cook, and I just 154 00:09:30,040 --> 00:09:33,080 Speaker 3: wanted to make sure you guys at least had that 155 00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:35,559 Speaker 3: one meal every night. And it was it was our 156 00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:38,720 Speaker 3: time to kind of uh, to kind of sit down 157 00:09:38,760 --> 00:09:42,760 Speaker 3: and check in, which I'm sure is a common story 158 00:09:42,880 --> 00:09:45,200 Speaker 3: you probably have heard, where you get to check in 159 00:09:45,240 --> 00:09:47,559 Speaker 3: about how the day was and how your lives are 160 00:09:47,559 --> 00:09:48,760 Speaker 3: going and et cetera. 161 00:09:49,720 --> 00:09:52,160 Speaker 1: When you think about what that memory for you of 162 00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:55,679 Speaker 1: sitting down at the table and that she provided that 163 00:09:55,760 --> 00:09:58,560 Speaker 1: and did that with you know, and maybe maybe also 164 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:01,200 Speaker 1: cooking was a great pleasure for her also after I 165 00:10:01,320 --> 00:10:03,520 Speaker 1: used to come home after work and start cooking and 166 00:10:03,520 --> 00:10:06,960 Speaker 1: everybody would say, relax, stop cooking, And actually I found 167 00:10:06,960 --> 00:10:10,640 Speaker 1: it quite Do you find that that sometimes just the 168 00:10:10,679 --> 00:10:12,200 Speaker 1: thing of cooking is kind of. 169 00:10:12,480 --> 00:10:17,960 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, the times we're kind of find ourselves. I 170 00:10:17,960 --> 00:10:21,959 Speaker 3: think cooking a lot more in the summertime, and it 171 00:10:22,080 --> 00:10:25,960 Speaker 3: really can be I'm kind of more of the soux 172 00:10:26,040 --> 00:10:30,040 Speaker 3: chef to vivoca to my wife. So I'm like, tell 173 00:10:30,080 --> 00:10:32,240 Speaker 3: me what, tell me what to do now? Okay, let 174 00:10:32,240 --> 00:10:33,480 Speaker 3: me chop, Okay, what do I do? 175 00:10:33,520 --> 00:10:33,679 Speaker 1: Now? 176 00:10:33,679 --> 00:10:36,680 Speaker 3: Watch that? Yeah, and you get in a rhythm and 177 00:10:36,720 --> 00:10:39,360 Speaker 3: you put the baseball game on and you pour a 178 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:43,600 Speaker 3: glass of wine and it's really nice. It's nice. Yeah, yeah, 179 00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:44,080 Speaker 3: it matters. 180 00:10:44,120 --> 00:10:45,960 Speaker 1: And when you would see your dad, would he cook 181 00:10:46,040 --> 00:10:46,280 Speaker 1: for you? 182 00:10:46,320 --> 00:10:49,800 Speaker 3: Would you yeah, Dad would we'd kind of see her dad. 183 00:10:49,840 --> 00:10:52,760 Speaker 3: And then Dad started getting into cooking and he he 184 00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:58,160 Speaker 3: was he loved kind of you know, I feel like 185 00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:05,680 Speaker 3: he was always grilling a breast of chicken. Yeah, like 186 00:11:05,760 --> 00:11:09,160 Speaker 3: that was the main and or he'd there was a 187 00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:13,400 Speaker 3: local market with like a really good butcher section and 188 00:11:13,440 --> 00:11:17,800 Speaker 3: he would get like sweet Italian sausages and make some 189 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:21,120 Speaker 3: pasta with sausages. And then of course there's the one 190 00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:25,400 Speaker 3: infamous time where we were eating something. We're like, Dad, 191 00:11:25,400 --> 00:11:28,600 Speaker 3: what is this? He's like, just try it, and he 192 00:11:28,640 --> 00:11:32,280 Speaker 3: had cooked us rabbit. The only problem was he just 193 00:11:32,280 --> 00:11:34,600 Speaker 3: didn't connect the dots that at that time, my brother 194 00:11:34,679 --> 00:11:39,760 Speaker 3: had a pet rabbit and we we were like, Dad, 195 00:11:39,840 --> 00:11:44,640 Speaker 3: what why are you serving rabbit? And I think he 196 00:11:44,679 --> 00:11:47,000 Speaker 3: got mad at us for not trying the rabbit, but 197 00:11:47,040 --> 00:11:49,160 Speaker 3: mad at himself for not thinking that that would feel 198 00:11:49,200 --> 00:11:52,760 Speaker 3: weird to us. But that was a that was an emotional. 199 00:11:52,320 --> 00:11:54,560 Speaker 1: Evening and we had that. We had that in Tuscany 200 00:11:54,600 --> 00:11:57,280 Speaker 1: this summer because we have always get rabbits for the 201 00:11:57,400 --> 00:12:00,360 Speaker 1: little kids, and they had them in occasion. Then night, 202 00:12:00,640 --> 00:12:03,000 Speaker 1: you know, there was a rabbit, you know, and that 203 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:05,840 Speaker 1: that wasn't too good. But do you think that he 204 00:12:05,920 --> 00:12:08,840 Speaker 1: kind of wanted to cook, or do you think he 205 00:12:08,880 --> 00:12:11,080 Speaker 1: wanted to show you that he was taking care of 206 00:12:11,120 --> 00:12:13,240 Speaker 1: you as a as a parent. 207 00:12:15,280 --> 00:12:17,960 Speaker 3: I think it was both. I think he learned to 208 00:12:18,280 --> 00:12:22,959 Speaker 3: enjoy it, and he became pretty good at it. And 209 00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:26,120 Speaker 3: there was a stretch over the holidays. We still laugh 210 00:12:26,160 --> 00:12:31,200 Speaker 3: about it today where and he would listen to the 211 00:12:31,280 --> 00:12:37,240 Speaker 3: local cooking show on like AM radio and KBC out 212 00:12:37,240 --> 00:12:40,560 Speaker 3: here in Los Angeles, and it was and he was like, 213 00:12:40,640 --> 00:12:44,360 Speaker 3: you know what I want. I want to cook a Christmas. 214 00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:49,479 Speaker 1: Goose at Christmas at Christmas. 215 00:12:50,040 --> 00:12:53,080 Speaker 3: And he worked so hard and we we and it 216 00:12:53,160 --> 00:12:55,040 Speaker 3: was just as tough as like leather. 217 00:12:55,280 --> 00:12:58,400 Speaker 1: It was just goose is challenge really hard. 218 00:12:58,679 --> 00:13:01,199 Speaker 3: It was so bummed out, like it's okay, it's okay, 219 00:13:01,880 --> 00:13:02,600 Speaker 3: you tried your best. 220 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:05,240 Speaker 1: We'll just yeah, we'll. 221 00:13:05,480 --> 00:13:06,480 Speaker 3: Order a pizza. I don't know. 222 00:13:06,679 --> 00:13:10,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, but that's that sort of thing of cooking as 223 00:13:10,120 --> 00:13:12,360 Speaker 1: a performance. Yeah. I feel that in the restaurant because 224 00:13:12,400 --> 00:13:14,920 Speaker 1: we have an open kitchen and I serve something and 225 00:13:14,960 --> 00:13:18,160 Speaker 1: then I always look to see the expression of someone, Oh, 226 00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:20,320 Speaker 1: I'm sure when they're eating. 227 00:13:20,160 --> 00:13:24,560 Speaker 3: It, and I would think you are genuinely seeing a 228 00:13:24,640 --> 00:13:26,120 Speaker 3: positive expression. 229 00:13:27,240 --> 00:13:31,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, Okay. It's kind of nice when they say, you know, 230 00:13:31,240 --> 00:13:34,200 Speaker 1: try this, and then you see them, you know, sharing it, 231 00:13:34,400 --> 00:13:37,920 Speaker 1: and sometimes people send things back now they don't like it, 232 00:13:38,480 --> 00:13:41,080 Speaker 1: and that's fine, right, you know, you just redo it 233 00:13:41,160 --> 00:13:44,760 Speaker 1: or cook it differently or whatever. But it is it 234 00:13:44,880 --> 00:13:46,439 Speaker 1: is a bit of a before. I always feel a 235 00:13:46,440 --> 00:13:48,800 Speaker 1: bit sorry for somebody's cooking for a dinner party and 236 00:13:48,840 --> 00:13:52,080 Speaker 1: bringing it out and they've been working all day trying 237 00:13:52,160 --> 00:13:53,240 Speaker 1: to get it right. 238 00:13:53,400 --> 00:13:57,439 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, no, he my dad would get very perfectionistic 239 00:13:57,480 --> 00:14:00,720 Speaker 3: about timing things out and has to go in at 240 00:14:00,760 --> 00:14:04,000 Speaker 3: a certain time. And yeah, but but I I've seen, 241 00:14:04,200 --> 00:14:08,280 Speaker 3: like we spend our summers in Sweden. My wife was 242 00:14:08,320 --> 00:14:12,000 Speaker 3: born there and we we over the years, we we've 243 00:14:12,040 --> 00:14:15,400 Speaker 3: always gone every summer and and we have a place 244 00:14:15,440 --> 00:14:18,240 Speaker 3: out there that's way out in the middle of nowhere 245 00:14:18,280 --> 00:14:24,000 Speaker 3: along in this collective of little summer cottages next to her. No, 246 00:14:24,080 --> 00:14:27,800 Speaker 3: it's actually, yeah, we're not anywhere near the ocean. We're 247 00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:31,800 Speaker 3: we're we're kind of in the woods, and we have 248 00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:33,640 Speaker 3: a couple of beautiful lakes around us and that sort 249 00:14:33,680 --> 00:14:37,400 Speaker 3: of thing. But it's I know, that pressure that my 250 00:14:37,520 --> 00:14:41,040 Speaker 3: debt because h and we tend to grill a lot, 251 00:14:41,120 --> 00:14:45,760 Speaker 3: and the Swedes are all the Swedes are annoyingly good 252 00:14:45,760 --> 00:14:48,680 Speaker 3: at everything with and they don't really try, and they're 253 00:14:49,280 --> 00:14:54,320 Speaker 3: they're good bakers. And and my wife's cousins will come 254 00:14:54,360 --> 00:14:57,760 Speaker 3: and you know that pressure of someone watching over your 255 00:14:57,760 --> 00:15:01,400 Speaker 3: shoulder while you grill something, and they'll they'll be like, 256 00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:04,360 Speaker 3: you might want to take that off. I'm like, really, okay. 257 00:15:04,600 --> 00:15:07,200 Speaker 3: And I always listen to them and they they they'll 258 00:15:07,240 --> 00:15:09,680 Speaker 3: just walk right up and go like, no, I do 259 00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:13,920 Speaker 3: two minutes longer, okay, wow. And they don't use thermometers 260 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:17,320 Speaker 3: or timers or anything. And sure enough, every time I 261 00:15:17,400 --> 00:15:19,720 Speaker 3: listen to them, it's delicious, and it was it was 262 00:15:19,760 --> 00:15:22,800 Speaker 3: the right it was the right temperature and the right time. 263 00:15:22,920 --> 00:15:25,080 Speaker 1: I'm trying to think, I'm trying to think of what 264 00:15:25,240 --> 00:15:29,720 Speaker 1: sweets maybe can they do comedy? Are they funny? I 265 00:15:29,760 --> 00:15:33,760 Speaker 1: think of Igmar Bergman and all those kind of They 266 00:15:33,800 --> 00:15:34,920 Speaker 1: weren't exactly a lot of. 267 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:39,280 Speaker 3: They're not considered culturally funny, but I think they're like 268 00:15:39,520 --> 00:15:43,000 Speaker 3: a little little, you know, sneaker upper type. They're they're 269 00:15:43,080 --> 00:15:47,040 Speaker 3: very dry with their humor, very sarcastic, and they're they're 270 00:15:47,120 --> 00:15:50,440 Speaker 3: very clever, and they love to. They love to tease 271 00:15:50,680 --> 00:15:54,720 Speaker 3: in a very gentle way, and so I find them 272 00:15:54,760 --> 00:15:55,720 Speaker 3: really kind of funny. 273 00:15:55,880 --> 00:15:59,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't want to lose my Swedish listeners. 274 00:15:59,480 --> 00:16:02,440 Speaker 3: So right, Stockholm. 275 00:16:02,440 --> 00:16:05,400 Speaker 1: I've been to Stockholm and we ate really really well 276 00:16:05,440 --> 00:16:09,680 Speaker 1: in Stockholm. There's a real food culture now in Sweden, 277 00:16:09,760 --> 00:16:12,880 Speaker 1: you know, and they're all foraging and it's a very 278 00:16:12,920 --> 00:16:13,720 Speaker 1: foodie place. 279 00:16:14,040 --> 00:16:17,440 Speaker 3: Yeah, we're always trying to if we hear of a 280 00:16:17,480 --> 00:16:21,000 Speaker 3: new restaurant, we'll go, try to go a couple of 281 00:16:21,080 --> 00:16:25,840 Speaker 3: nights into the city and explore. There's an amazing hotel 282 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:28,520 Speaker 3: we've stayed at a couple of times called at Hem, 283 00:16:29,640 --> 00:16:33,280 Speaker 3: and their restaurant there is as good as any I've 284 00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:36,680 Speaker 3: ever been. They have an excellent group of chefs there 285 00:16:37,160 --> 00:16:39,400 Speaker 3: and it's a very cozy place. It's like sitting in 286 00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:40,400 Speaker 3: someone's living room. 287 00:16:40,760 --> 00:16:44,280 Speaker 1: Do you eat Swedish at home? Does Fivica cook well Swedish? 288 00:16:44,280 --> 00:16:47,920 Speaker 3: It's funny because Swedes, for the most part, they're day 289 00:16:47,920 --> 00:16:53,440 Speaker 3: to day kind of menu or died is fairly just continental. Yeah, 290 00:16:53,560 --> 00:16:57,880 Speaker 3: and the only time you really eat specific quote unquote 291 00:16:57,920 --> 00:17:01,680 Speaker 3: Swedish food is usually around the holidays. So we always 292 00:17:01,680 --> 00:17:05,320 Speaker 3: host a big Swedish Christmas party which is called a 293 00:17:05,440 --> 00:17:09,840 Speaker 3: yule Fest. And we have found this lovely couple, Mark 294 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:14,000 Speaker 3: and Lena who have a restaurant out here in la 295 00:17:14,119 --> 00:17:17,560 Speaker 3: called open Face, which is all these types of open 296 00:17:17,600 --> 00:17:23,080 Speaker 3: face sandwiches and it's a small kind of pop up place, 297 00:17:23,080 --> 00:17:25,520 Speaker 3: but the main part of their business is catering. And 298 00:17:25,560 --> 00:17:30,880 Speaker 3: she's Danish, I believe, but we found her years ago 299 00:17:30,920 --> 00:17:33,000 Speaker 3: and she knows how to cook all the Swedish food. 300 00:17:33,080 --> 00:17:35,639 Speaker 3: So that's our big night where you have all the 301 00:17:35,680 --> 00:17:41,280 Speaker 3: herrings and they cook a ham and Swedish meatballs with 302 00:17:41,320 --> 00:17:45,359 Speaker 3: the lingenberries and all the cheeses and the kaneki bread. 303 00:17:47,119 --> 00:17:49,920 Speaker 3: So that's like our big night to have Swedish food, 304 00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:52,960 Speaker 3: and we invite it's a party for eighty people, so 305 00:17:53,640 --> 00:17:56,600 Speaker 3: all of our friends. We've been doing it for over 306 00:17:56,640 --> 00:17:59,960 Speaker 3: a decade now and everyone. In fact, there was one 307 00:18:00,160 --> 00:18:01,840 Speaker 3: well there was one year we couldn't do it. I 308 00:18:01,840 --> 00:18:04,919 Speaker 3: think we were out of town and people were people 309 00:18:04,920 --> 00:18:07,720 Speaker 3: were upset and thought we'd left them off the list, 310 00:18:08,080 --> 00:18:12,679 Speaker 3: so created quite an outrage. But no, that's that's our 311 00:18:12,680 --> 00:18:15,399 Speaker 3: big night to eat Swedish food. And then the other 312 00:18:15,680 --> 00:18:20,040 Speaker 3: big kind of Swedish meal is is what's called a 313 00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:23,720 Speaker 3: creft weaver, which is in August, and that's when you 314 00:18:23,760 --> 00:18:27,879 Speaker 3: eat crayfish. And that's really fun too, you know, you 315 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:30,280 Speaker 3: just boil all these crayfish with the cheese and of 316 00:18:30,280 --> 00:18:34,880 Speaker 3: course it's all done with aquavit and songs. 317 00:18:35,119 --> 00:18:38,080 Speaker 1: And yeah, sing me a Swedish song. 318 00:18:38,600 --> 00:18:42,800 Speaker 3: I can sing you happy birthday in Swedish. 319 00:18:42,880 --> 00:18:51,679 Speaker 2: Okay, okay, yuh or yuh more yah moreva inteh ya 320 00:18:51,800 --> 00:18:57,520 Speaker 2: viscav javiska live javiskava. 321 00:18:56,359 --> 00:19:03,000 Speaker 3: In Hurrah, Hurrah, hurrah, hoorah. You have to say hooray 322 00:19:03,119 --> 00:19:03,720 Speaker 3: four times. 323 00:19:04,560 --> 00:19:07,400 Speaker 1: I never expected to have a different too. I thought 324 00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:11,399 Speaker 1: that sounds like a kind of marching salt of us. 325 00:19:11,720 --> 00:19:14,440 Speaker 3: It's the funniest. The funniest lyrics in English is like 326 00:19:14,560 --> 00:19:18,480 Speaker 3: I hope you live. I hope you live. I hope 327 00:19:18,520 --> 00:19:21,840 Speaker 3: you live for a hundred years, but if you don't, 328 00:19:22,480 --> 00:19:25,240 Speaker 3: but if you don't, we'll still drink to you. It's 329 00:19:25,280 --> 00:19:30,919 Speaker 3: something like that. Yeah, so it's this very The sweets 330 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:33,760 Speaker 3: are so funny with how they accept life and death. 331 00:19:33,840 --> 00:19:35,600 Speaker 3: It's just like, I hope you live, but if you don't, 332 00:19:35,760 --> 00:19:36,800 Speaker 3: don't worry, We'll still. 333 00:19:36,640 --> 00:19:40,840 Speaker 1: Think you out. You'll be okay, but on your birthday. 334 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:43,680 Speaker 1: It's your birthday. But let's just you know, maybe it's 335 00:19:43,760 --> 00:19:44,600 Speaker 1: not going to be forever. 336 00:19:45,359 --> 00:19:48,080 Speaker 3: It could be, but maybe it's not. And but anyway, 337 00:19:48,359 --> 00:19:50,120 Speaker 3: the point is we're here and let's have a drink. 338 00:19:50,320 --> 00:19:58,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, good Swedish accent. Did you know The River Cafe 339 00:19:58,880 --> 00:20:02,440 Speaker 1: has a shop. It's full of our favorite foods and designs. 340 00:20:02,600 --> 00:20:06,399 Speaker 1: We have cookbooks, linen napkins, kitchen ware, tote bags with 341 00:20:06,520 --> 00:20:10,560 Speaker 1: our signatures, glasses from Venice, chocolates from Turin. You can 342 00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:12,800 Speaker 1: find us right next door to the River Cafe in 343 00:20:12,920 --> 00:20:26,760 Speaker 1: London or online at Shopthrivercafe dot co dot uk. While 344 00:20:26,840 --> 00:20:29,919 Speaker 1: you left your home and you had all those meals 345 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:31,919 Speaker 1: together with your brother and your mother and then your 346 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:34,680 Speaker 1: father and then did you go to college? Did you 347 00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:37,400 Speaker 1: eat out or did you eat in the dorm? Yeah? 348 00:20:37,560 --> 00:20:39,840 Speaker 1: I think was it a rude awakening? 349 00:20:40,800 --> 00:20:41,720 Speaker 4: No, it was. 350 00:20:42,920 --> 00:20:44,760 Speaker 3: It was pretty good dorm food. I was just happy 351 00:20:44,840 --> 00:20:52,520 Speaker 3: to have three square meals, but probably not by freshman sophomore. 352 00:20:52,600 --> 00:20:55,359 Speaker 3: As I moved out of the dorms into more of 353 00:20:55,440 --> 00:20:58,000 Speaker 3: an apartment situation, that's where it was a little more bleak. 354 00:20:58,440 --> 00:20:59,359 Speaker 1: That's what it changed. 355 00:20:59,359 --> 00:21:00,000 Speaker 3: That's where it changed. 356 00:21:00,119 --> 00:21:02,040 Speaker 1: Just yeah, and was that in college. 357 00:21:02,240 --> 00:21:05,960 Speaker 3: I was in college and then and then later after college. 358 00:21:06,880 --> 00:21:10,320 Speaker 3: You know that those are some pathetic moments in my 359 00:21:10,640 --> 00:21:13,879 Speaker 3: food life where I was like, uh, you know, the 360 00:21:13,960 --> 00:21:19,920 Speaker 3: struggling actor and I working in a desk job that 361 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:24,560 Speaker 3: doesn't pay a lot, where literally have twenty bucks that 362 00:21:24,680 --> 00:21:27,440 Speaker 3: has to last me the rest of the week. I 363 00:21:27,560 --> 00:21:30,200 Speaker 3: remember my my roommate at the time, who had a 364 00:21:30,280 --> 00:21:33,600 Speaker 3: better job and a little more money. I was literally 365 00:21:33,760 --> 00:21:38,720 Speaker 3: sitting down. I think my dinner one night was was 366 00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:42,440 Speaker 3: pasta with and the only thing I had was some 367 00:21:42,640 --> 00:21:45,440 Speaker 3: mustard and I put the mustard on. 368 00:21:45,600 --> 00:21:48,439 Speaker 1: That's I don't think that is a far cry from 369 00:21:48,520 --> 00:21:49,840 Speaker 1: pasta with white truffles. 370 00:21:50,600 --> 00:21:56,560 Speaker 3: And my friend Chare Jerry was like, you can borrow 371 00:21:56,720 --> 00:21:58,879 Speaker 3: some of my tomato sauce. I'm like, oh no, I 372 00:21:59,040 --> 00:22:03,199 Speaker 3: like I prefer them. Yeah, yeah, but anyway, and then 373 00:22:03,280 --> 00:22:04,200 Speaker 3: you went to New York? 374 00:22:04,400 --> 00:22:05,480 Speaker 1: Did you move to New York? 375 00:22:05,880 --> 00:22:08,520 Speaker 3: Moved to New York when I was hired for Satay 376 00:22:08,560 --> 00:22:11,680 Speaker 3: Night Live, And I know I told. 377 00:22:11,720 --> 00:22:13,720 Speaker 1: I told Lauren that we were doing this, and he 378 00:22:13,920 --> 00:22:17,560 Speaker 1: was usually Lauren self saying how much he loved you. 379 00:22:19,560 --> 00:22:24,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, you know, that's such a you spend so much 380 00:22:24,160 --> 00:22:26,800 Speaker 3: time in that studio and then those offices, and at 381 00:22:26,840 --> 00:22:30,120 Speaker 3: that show you're not really sitting down in your apartment 382 00:22:30,680 --> 00:22:33,600 Speaker 3: for a meal. But that was getting to kind of 383 00:22:33,960 --> 00:22:36,280 Speaker 3: go to some of these New York restaurants. That was 384 00:22:36,600 --> 00:22:41,480 Speaker 3: That was seven years of getting to explore. In fact, 385 00:22:41,720 --> 00:22:46,440 Speaker 3: there was a there was a great place down in 386 00:22:46,520 --> 00:22:51,159 Speaker 3: the village on Commerce and Barrow, and I don't think 387 00:22:51,200 --> 00:22:55,160 Speaker 3: it's there anymore. It's called Grange Hall, and we had 388 00:22:55,359 --> 00:22:58,879 Speaker 3: so many meals there where my folks would fly in 389 00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:01,840 Speaker 3: that week to come see the show and we'd go, 390 00:23:02,440 --> 00:23:04,800 Speaker 3: like on a Thursday night to go eat at Grange 391 00:23:04,840 --> 00:23:10,320 Speaker 3: Hall and it was like the amazing, very cozy, neighborhoody 392 00:23:10,560 --> 00:23:15,240 Speaker 3: place where they I just remember always ordering the Hangar steak, 393 00:23:15,280 --> 00:23:19,480 Speaker 3: which was like cooked really well and great atmosphere and 394 00:23:19,600 --> 00:23:21,200 Speaker 3: just a very I was like, oh, this is the 395 00:23:21,280 --> 00:23:26,760 Speaker 3: typical New York place, which Lauren would always point out. 396 00:23:26,840 --> 00:23:29,040 Speaker 3: It's funny, he would always he made a great observation. 397 00:23:29,119 --> 00:23:32,320 Speaker 3: He was like, you can tell like restaurants, it's all 398 00:23:32,359 --> 00:23:35,200 Speaker 3: about lighting. And I was like, you're right, yeah, if 399 00:23:35,240 --> 00:23:38,080 Speaker 3: the lighting works, it's inviting and you want to sit down. 400 00:23:38,160 --> 00:23:40,960 Speaker 3: And I also had a really funny meal once with 401 00:23:41,119 --> 00:23:48,400 Speaker 3: Lauren at pastise at the old Pastise before and where 402 00:23:48,480 --> 00:23:52,639 Speaker 3: Lauren kept saying that that Mic Jagger may stop by, 403 00:23:53,400 --> 00:23:56,840 Speaker 3: and I was like, uh huh, yeah sure, and the 404 00:23:57,040 --> 00:23:58,920 Speaker 3: meal was almost done, and then all of a sudden, 405 00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:04,520 Speaker 3: Lauren was like, oh, he's here, and then we were 406 00:24:04,600 --> 00:24:08,399 Speaker 3: both I don't see Lauren get nervous very much. And 407 00:24:08,520 --> 00:24:10,800 Speaker 3: then we both were incredibly nervous, and he was like, 408 00:24:11,160 --> 00:24:13,320 Speaker 3: will you sit there? Wait, no, hold on, I'll have 409 00:24:13,440 --> 00:24:15,360 Speaker 3: him sit here, and then you sit across from here, 410 00:24:15,560 --> 00:24:20,359 Speaker 3: and then okay, oh, hello, Mick hi. And then and 411 00:24:20,440 --> 00:24:24,560 Speaker 3: there I was, you know, sitting next to Mick. I 412 00:24:24,640 --> 00:24:27,440 Speaker 3: didn't contribute to the conversation at all because I just 413 00:24:27,520 --> 00:24:30,840 Speaker 3: sat there. And but Mick jagr couldn't have been nicer 414 00:24:30,880 --> 00:24:33,639 Speaker 3: to me and kept he kept pulling me in and 415 00:24:33,680 --> 00:24:37,200 Speaker 3: everything like that, but I was too scared to say anything. 416 00:24:37,640 --> 00:24:40,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, he was in the restaurant year two ya and 417 00:24:40,440 --> 00:24:42,560 Speaker 1: he was and he said, Ruthie, how are you? And 418 00:24:42,640 --> 00:24:47,400 Speaker 1: I said, I am so excited because David Letterman is here. 419 00:24:47,920 --> 00:24:50,800 Speaker 1: And then I realized I was not the thing you 420 00:24:50,920 --> 00:24:57,720 Speaker 1: say to Mick Jagger. I was really excited that David. 421 00:24:58,200 --> 00:25:00,879 Speaker 1: And then he's a nice person. 422 00:25:01,160 --> 00:25:02,480 Speaker 3: That's so funny. 423 00:25:03,119 --> 00:25:06,879 Speaker 1: Do you think that getting to eat in good restaurants 424 00:25:06,960 --> 00:25:10,200 Speaker 1: almost was a measure of your success when you when 425 00:25:10,240 --> 00:25:12,960 Speaker 1: you were able to go to a good restaurant or 426 00:25:13,040 --> 00:25:14,520 Speaker 1: be taken to a good restaurant. 427 00:25:15,080 --> 00:25:18,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, I think to some extent. I mean definitely, you're 428 00:25:18,560 --> 00:25:23,399 Speaker 3: definitely all of a sudden in this this new category. 429 00:25:23,520 --> 00:25:27,320 Speaker 3: And Lauren, part of the ritual and the schedule of 430 00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:30,240 Speaker 3: the show is his big Tuesday night dinners where he 431 00:25:30,480 --> 00:25:33,440 Speaker 3: has the host and he invites members of the cast. 432 00:25:33,520 --> 00:25:39,520 Speaker 3: So that would either be at Orso or Latanzi or 433 00:25:40,800 --> 00:25:46,520 Speaker 3: all the you know sometimes occasionally Joe Allen's and all 434 00:25:46,600 --> 00:25:51,480 Speaker 3: these kind of venerable New York restaurants, And that was 435 00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:54,320 Speaker 3: really eye opening to be Yeah, you kind of felt like, 436 00:25:54,960 --> 00:25:58,280 Speaker 3: you know, country mouse in the big city all of 437 00:25:58,320 --> 00:26:02,359 Speaker 3: a sudden that hadn't been so uh my folk. I 438 00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:05,280 Speaker 3: wouldn't say we grew up. You know, we were very 439 00:26:06,760 --> 00:26:09,280 Speaker 3: very much lower middle class. We didn't have a lot. 440 00:26:10,960 --> 00:26:15,320 Speaker 3: They still would splurge on occasion and take us to 441 00:26:15,800 --> 00:26:18,600 Speaker 3: the interesting restaurant that had just opened up, you know 442 00:26:19,240 --> 00:26:23,959 Speaker 3: where we lived, and so they still gave us an 443 00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:28,879 Speaker 3: appreciation for I wouldn't say fine, but like, what is 444 00:26:29,080 --> 00:26:33,520 Speaker 3: kind of different in terms of culinary thing experiences and 445 00:26:34,200 --> 00:26:36,560 Speaker 3: and force us to try different types of foods and this, 446 00:26:36,680 --> 00:26:39,600 Speaker 3: that and the other. So I definitely had a little 447 00:26:39,640 --> 00:26:43,160 Speaker 3: bit of that in my kind of dining background. 448 00:26:43,480 --> 00:26:45,320 Speaker 1: Did you ever work in a restaurant? Were you ever 449 00:26:45,359 --> 00:26:45,760 Speaker 1: a waiter? 450 00:26:46,840 --> 00:26:50,000 Speaker 3: I never did. I avoided that because I knew I 451 00:26:50,080 --> 00:26:52,359 Speaker 3: would be fired immediately. 452 00:26:54,720 --> 00:26:57,280 Speaker 1: Why would they fire? Oh yeah, car plates? 453 00:26:57,440 --> 00:27:01,800 Speaker 3: Or I would have been the one that how many 454 00:27:01,840 --> 00:27:03,560 Speaker 3: tables does a waiter usually handled? 455 00:27:03,640 --> 00:27:03,680 Speaker 1: What? 456 00:27:03,880 --> 00:27:04,879 Speaker 3: Four to five tables? 457 00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:08,159 Speaker 1: Yeah? Maybe maybe we don't. Well, we don't like to 458 00:27:08,240 --> 00:27:11,480 Speaker 1: have we share it around. So every waiter has a 459 00:27:11,560 --> 00:27:14,760 Speaker 1: section which is about three or four tables, and then 460 00:27:14,800 --> 00:27:17,200 Speaker 1: everybody helps, you know, we all you know, you see 461 00:27:17,280 --> 00:27:21,879 Speaker 1: managers changing the table class right, everybody does everything. 462 00:27:22,080 --> 00:27:24,920 Speaker 3: So you guys have a real team effort. But you know, 463 00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:28,480 Speaker 3: if I just I would watch waiters and I'd be like, 464 00:27:28,600 --> 00:27:30,280 Speaker 3: I could never keep track of everything. 465 00:27:30,359 --> 00:27:30,639 Speaker 1: I need. 466 00:27:30,800 --> 00:27:34,520 Speaker 3: I need a long I need a long grace period. 467 00:27:34,560 --> 00:27:38,200 Speaker 3: I would eventually get it down. So I knew that 468 00:27:38,400 --> 00:27:41,720 Speaker 3: wasn't an area that would be a strong suit for me. 469 00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:44,240 Speaker 1: It's a really hard job, you know, you send food 470 00:27:44,280 --> 00:27:47,399 Speaker 1: out and the way all these young you know, sometimes 471 00:27:47,440 --> 00:27:49,520 Speaker 1: I get impatient at somebody on the grill and say, 472 00:27:49,560 --> 00:27:51,400 Speaker 1: where is that sea bass? Where is that? And I thought, 473 00:27:51,880 --> 00:27:54,000 Speaker 1: you know, when I was their age, I couldn't cross 474 00:27:54,040 --> 00:27:57,000 Speaker 1: the street, you know, and they're they're amazing the way 475 00:27:57,040 --> 00:28:00,280 Speaker 1: they can, you know, send out food and the mind 476 00:28:01,240 --> 00:28:01,480 Speaker 1: take it. 477 00:28:02,000 --> 00:28:05,800 Speaker 3: When waiters just memorize it the order and they don't 478 00:28:05,840 --> 00:28:06,360 Speaker 3: write it down. 479 00:28:06,560 --> 00:28:09,240 Speaker 1: Well, we write everything down, okay, because. 480 00:28:09,400 --> 00:28:12,240 Speaker 3: When you go to a restaurant and the waiters like, yes, 481 00:28:12,359 --> 00:28:14,800 Speaker 3: go ahead, and I'm like, I get stressed out for them. 482 00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:18,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, but you memorize lines, right, you can do that 483 00:28:18,720 --> 00:28:18,879 Speaker 1: or not? 484 00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:22,879 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, you obviously. So maybe that's a muscle you 485 00:28:22,960 --> 00:28:24,520 Speaker 3: develop if you're but. 486 00:28:24,600 --> 00:28:26,280 Speaker 1: You would be good, probably because you could be really 487 00:28:26,359 --> 00:28:28,440 Speaker 1: nice to people. I think you can get away with 488 00:28:29,119 --> 00:28:31,239 Speaker 1: a hell of a lot, you know, if you are 489 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:34,400 Speaker 1: kind of nice, if you're not going to get annoyed 490 00:28:34,720 --> 00:28:38,920 Speaker 1: with people, then if you basically like people, then it's okay. 491 00:28:39,280 --> 00:28:39,440 Speaker 4: You know. 492 00:28:40,280 --> 00:28:43,440 Speaker 3: Well, some of the jobs I worked and I did 493 00:28:43,560 --> 00:28:49,840 Speaker 3: survive with with charm and with with confronting my mistakes 494 00:28:49,920 --> 00:28:53,120 Speaker 3: in such an open way that it was almost disarming 495 00:28:53,680 --> 00:28:56,680 Speaker 3: and when they when they said, you never finished this 496 00:28:56,800 --> 00:28:59,120 Speaker 3: one thing, and I would say, you are absolutely right. 497 00:28:59,360 --> 00:29:00,880 Speaker 3: I didn't and I'm so sorry. 498 00:29:01,800 --> 00:29:04,840 Speaker 1: And I worked as I worked as a waitress one 499 00:29:04,920 --> 00:29:07,600 Speaker 1: summer and I promise you my last day there, I'd 500 00:29:07,640 --> 00:29:09,920 Speaker 1: worked there for two months. I was still telling people 501 00:29:09,960 --> 00:29:14,000 Speaker 1: it was my first day, just like, I'm really sorry. 502 00:29:14,120 --> 00:29:16,600 Speaker 1: I forgot that. But I just started this sporting, you know, 503 00:29:17,560 --> 00:29:20,760 Speaker 1: so if you get people on your side, you walk 504 00:29:20,800 --> 00:29:23,880 Speaker 1: into that room and you're serving people, it's like an audience, 505 00:29:24,040 --> 00:29:24,200 Speaker 1: you know. 506 00:29:25,800 --> 00:29:28,480 Speaker 3: Bartending is the one thing I thought maybe I could 507 00:29:28,520 --> 00:29:31,800 Speaker 3: handle because it's all kind of yeah right there in 508 00:29:31,840 --> 00:29:35,040 Speaker 3: front of you. Yeah, And I thought maybe I could 509 00:29:35,040 --> 00:29:37,440 Speaker 3: do that. But anyway, I yeah, I somehow avoided. 510 00:29:37,840 --> 00:29:40,600 Speaker 1: But you're not. But you like going to and you go, well, 511 00:29:40,600 --> 00:29:42,400 Speaker 1: you come to the River Cafe and you like going out. 512 00:29:42,480 --> 00:29:44,480 Speaker 1: Have your kids ever worked? Have they worked yet in 513 00:29:44,560 --> 00:29:45,080 Speaker 1: a restaurant? 514 00:29:45,240 --> 00:29:47,760 Speaker 3: They haven't? They should. Yeah, that would be a nice 515 00:29:48,200 --> 00:29:48,920 Speaker 3: wake up call. 516 00:29:49,360 --> 00:29:52,000 Speaker 1: It's not a bad it's not a bad job for 517 00:29:52,120 --> 00:29:54,080 Speaker 1: kids because it's so collaborative. 518 00:29:54,200 --> 00:29:54,360 Speaker 3: You know. 519 00:29:54,520 --> 00:29:57,200 Speaker 1: I always say if you do something, if you don't 520 00:29:57,280 --> 00:30:00,360 Speaker 1: do your job, then it's not your boss that gets upset. 521 00:30:00,440 --> 00:30:03,240 Speaker 1: It's your you know, the person who's depending on the 522 00:30:03,320 --> 00:30:06,720 Speaker 1: carpet being swept or the parsley being chopped. It's it's 523 00:30:06,760 --> 00:30:13,880 Speaker 1: not a bad idea. If you like listening to Ruthie's 524 00:30:13,960 --> 00:30:17,840 Speaker 1: Table for would you please make sure to rate and 525 00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:22,920 Speaker 1: review the podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, 526 00:30:23,520 --> 00:30:33,320 Speaker 1: or wherever you get your podcasts. Thank you. Should I 527 00:30:33,360 --> 00:30:35,760 Speaker 1: ask you your favorite food scene in the movie that 528 00:30:35,920 --> 00:30:37,760 Speaker 1: you've been in? Is there one? 529 00:30:38,800 --> 00:30:41,240 Speaker 3: The one that's kind of sweet that I'm asked about 530 00:30:41,280 --> 00:30:45,760 Speaker 3: the most, probably is eating the spaghetti and maple syrup 531 00:30:46,280 --> 00:30:52,760 Speaker 3: and in elf? Yeah, because that we didn't really plan 532 00:30:52,880 --> 00:30:55,520 Speaker 3: out what. They just put a bunch of stuff in 533 00:30:55,560 --> 00:30:57,880 Speaker 3: front of me and I just kind of improvised that 534 00:30:58,760 --> 00:31:01,880 Speaker 3: and then ate as much much as I could. And 535 00:31:02,040 --> 00:31:06,240 Speaker 3: so hundreds of kids every year ask me, what does 536 00:31:06,280 --> 00:31:12,400 Speaker 3: that taste like? Uh, that's the one that stands out probably. 537 00:31:12,160 --> 00:31:15,400 Speaker 1: The most great movie, great scene. What are you working 538 00:31:15,520 --> 00:31:17,640 Speaker 1: on now? What's what's happening now? 539 00:31:18,360 --> 00:31:20,120 Speaker 3: Still kind of on a holding pattern? 540 00:31:21,480 --> 00:31:24,600 Speaker 1: Is that with the strike? After the strike? Because did 541 00:31:24,640 --> 00:31:27,600 Speaker 1: you eat more when the strike was going on? Did 542 00:31:27,640 --> 00:31:30,160 Speaker 1: you have time to be at home cooking? Oh? 543 00:31:30,240 --> 00:31:33,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, we're still we just were. I mean, we were 544 00:31:33,680 --> 00:31:38,600 Speaker 3: just out last night at an amazing place in La 545 00:31:38,840 --> 00:31:43,240 Speaker 3: called The Japan House, which is two chefs who were 546 00:31:44,480 --> 00:31:50,320 Speaker 3: formerly the chefs for the Japanese ambassadors to the US. 547 00:31:50,880 --> 00:31:55,960 Speaker 3: They've started this restaurant and it's yeah, really extraordinary. But yeah, 548 00:31:56,440 --> 00:32:00,720 Speaker 3: I've been at home more and uh, you know, kind 549 00:32:00,760 --> 00:32:04,480 Speaker 3: of waiting for the next thing to kind of, you know, happen. 550 00:32:04,880 --> 00:32:07,920 Speaker 1: When did you start cooking? When did you actually cook? 551 00:32:08,040 --> 00:32:09,080 Speaker 1: Or don't you really cook? 552 00:32:09,840 --> 00:32:12,760 Speaker 3: I can't. I can't lie and say that I'm that's okay, 553 00:32:12,880 --> 00:32:14,360 Speaker 3: really cook that much? 554 00:32:14,720 --> 00:32:16,760 Speaker 1: You boys? Three boys? Do they cook? 555 00:32:16,840 --> 00:32:21,640 Speaker 3: The boys? Yeah? The boys. Our oldest is a sophomore 556 00:32:21,680 --> 00:32:25,840 Speaker 3: in college, so I think he's he'll he'll cook a 557 00:32:25,880 --> 00:32:29,680 Speaker 3: little bit. It's a really our middle son, who is 558 00:32:29,920 --> 00:32:34,280 Speaker 3: the big he's the big foodie of the three. He 559 00:32:34,520 --> 00:32:40,320 Speaker 3: really will love to get in there. And he's like, Dad, 560 00:32:40,360 --> 00:32:42,240 Speaker 3: should I make smash burgers? I'm like, do it? 561 00:32:43,000 --> 00:32:44,720 Speaker 1: And what's a smash burger? 562 00:32:45,120 --> 00:32:47,640 Speaker 3: Yeah? That's where you take the patty and you you 563 00:32:47,960 --> 00:32:53,200 Speaker 3: smash it down on the skillet. Yeah, and then you 564 00:32:53,280 --> 00:32:55,080 Speaker 3: don't leave it on too long. Then you flip it 565 00:32:55,200 --> 00:32:57,960 Speaker 3: and smash it. So they're they're really kind of thin 566 00:32:59,080 --> 00:33:01,160 Speaker 3: and kind of you you have a nice char on 567 00:33:01,240 --> 00:33:05,480 Speaker 3: the outside. And then but he's he's he's the one 568 00:33:05,560 --> 00:33:09,160 Speaker 3: who's like, if we are traveling, he'll look up, Yeah, 569 00:33:09,880 --> 00:33:12,080 Speaker 3: he'll look up like restaurants we should go to And 570 00:33:13,320 --> 00:33:18,400 Speaker 3: he just loves all those experiences and through through food 571 00:33:18,480 --> 00:33:21,720 Speaker 3: and and he'll just occasionally I think he also finds 572 00:33:21,760 --> 00:33:28,000 Speaker 3: it really comforting. Our youngest boy likes it. He's like, Mom, 573 00:33:28,040 --> 00:33:30,400 Speaker 3: should we should we bake a cake? Let's do it, 574 00:33:30,800 --> 00:33:35,520 Speaker 3: And they'll just want to spend the couple hours, you know, 575 00:33:35,720 --> 00:33:36,480 Speaker 3: doing something like that. 576 00:33:36,880 --> 00:33:39,920 Speaker 1: I think you should just demand that your next movie's 577 00:33:39,960 --> 00:33:43,280 Speaker 1: made in London. We can sit in the river cafe garden, 578 00:33:43,400 --> 00:33:45,400 Speaker 1: or we can take a walk, or we can have 579 00:33:45,560 --> 00:33:48,360 Speaker 1: food at home, or we can I would love and 580 00:33:48,560 --> 00:33:51,760 Speaker 1: maybe I'll see you in New York. So the last question, 581 00:33:52,000 --> 00:33:54,840 Speaker 1: and thanks so much for taking so much time, is 582 00:33:55,120 --> 00:33:58,680 Speaker 1: if you had a food that you would go to 583 00:33:58,880 --> 00:34:02,200 Speaker 1: for comfort? Is was it the liver and onions your 584 00:34:02,280 --> 00:34:04,440 Speaker 1: mother made or is it something that you cook or 585 00:34:05,000 --> 00:34:10,240 Speaker 1: a Swedish birthday celebration bake? What would be your comfort food? 586 00:34:11,239 --> 00:34:16,520 Speaker 3: Oh, it's such a good question. Yeah, I mean we've 587 00:34:16,640 --> 00:34:19,680 Speaker 3: touched on some of them. But the other one that 588 00:34:19,800 --> 00:34:24,680 Speaker 3: pops to my mind is I guess it's connected to 589 00:34:25,680 --> 00:34:28,000 Speaker 3: we have a chicken coop at our house, and there's 590 00:34:28,120 --> 00:34:31,760 Speaker 3: nothing more satisfying than going and getting the fresh eggs. 591 00:34:32,320 --> 00:34:36,600 Speaker 3: And I don't know if scrambling up eggs is the 592 00:34:36,719 --> 00:34:40,759 Speaker 3: hardest thing to do from a cooking standpoint, Probably not, 593 00:34:42,480 --> 00:34:46,640 Speaker 3: but it is. That's one of those connective moments of 594 00:34:46,800 --> 00:34:50,239 Speaker 3: when you know, if one of my boys we have 595 00:34:50,280 --> 00:34:52,279 Speaker 3: to get them up early on the weekend because they 596 00:34:52,400 --> 00:34:55,160 Speaker 3: got a soccer game or a basketball game, that to 597 00:34:55,280 --> 00:34:58,719 Speaker 3: go ahead and grab some of those eggs and just 598 00:34:58,880 --> 00:35:01,799 Speaker 3: kind of gently scramble them and maybe put a little 599 00:35:01,840 --> 00:35:06,240 Speaker 3: parmesan cheese on the top, and toast a couple pieces 600 00:35:06,239 --> 00:35:08,680 Speaker 3: of bread and just sit and kind of talk as 601 00:35:08,719 --> 00:35:13,080 Speaker 3: we have breakfast. That's very special to me. And so 602 00:35:13,360 --> 00:35:18,160 Speaker 3: I love the connection of all of that together, food 603 00:35:18,239 --> 00:35:18,560 Speaker 3: and love. 604 00:35:19,000 --> 00:35:21,239 Speaker 1: Well, Thank you, and I hope that we can see 605 00:35:21,280 --> 00:35:24,040 Speaker 1: each other soon. Yeah, somewhere in London, New York. 606 00:35:24,560 --> 00:35:27,080 Speaker 3: That would be great. I would love it. Ruthie, Thanks, we. 607 00:35:27,160 --> 00:35:34,040 Speaker 1: Miss you, Sean and I are here. So Will Ferrell 608 00:35:34,440 --> 00:35:39,280 Speaker 1: chose for his recipe Tagulerini with butter and white truffles. 609 00:35:39,760 --> 00:35:42,800 Speaker 4: I mean, it's such a luxury ingredient. 610 00:35:42,920 --> 00:35:43,080 Speaker 3: Really. 611 00:35:43,280 --> 00:35:46,279 Speaker 4: All the chefs get really excited when the truffle season 612 00:35:46,360 --> 00:35:49,200 Speaker 4: begins and you slice your first truffle and smell it 613 00:35:49,280 --> 00:35:52,080 Speaker 4: and they're like, oh my god, that's amazing. When a 614 00:35:52,120 --> 00:35:54,040 Speaker 4: lot of people are having truffles in the River Cafe 615 00:35:54,360 --> 00:35:58,200 Speaker 4: and the air is filled with smell, it's really intoxicating. 616 00:35:58,400 --> 00:36:01,200 Speaker 4: People feel like people maybe getting high on the smell. 617 00:36:01,760 --> 00:36:04,440 Speaker 1: There's also the I think, well there's there's a choosing 618 00:36:04,520 --> 00:36:06,840 Speaker 1: them as well when you have that. You know, they 619 00:36:06,960 --> 00:36:08,759 Speaker 1: bring in the white truffles and they sit at the 620 00:36:08,840 --> 00:36:11,239 Speaker 1: table and you look at them for their shape and 621 00:36:11,320 --> 00:36:15,200 Speaker 1: their firmness and how the how many holes there are 622 00:36:15,360 --> 00:36:17,719 Speaker 1: and where the cracks are, and how they will be 623 00:36:17,840 --> 00:36:20,960 Speaker 1: to clean and how they will be to shave. But 624 00:36:21,200 --> 00:36:23,960 Speaker 1: it is that sort of smell, you know. We always 625 00:36:24,000 --> 00:36:26,439 Speaker 1: just sort of worry that maybe they put truffle oil 626 00:36:26,520 --> 00:36:28,680 Speaker 1: on the box or to make sure that they could 627 00:36:28,760 --> 00:36:31,880 Speaker 1: smell that strong. But that's why we're really careful if 628 00:36:31,920 --> 00:36:32,920 Speaker 1: we buy them from. 629 00:36:32,760 --> 00:36:37,399 Speaker 4: Because it's such a sort of high value ingredient. It's 630 00:36:37,520 --> 00:36:40,439 Speaker 4: open to people. When I was a younger chefer. Maybe 631 00:36:40,520 --> 00:36:43,160 Speaker 4: not quite so much now, but people used to bring 632 00:36:43,239 --> 00:36:45,480 Speaker 4: them around London in their sort of wheeli cases and 633 00:36:45,560 --> 00:36:48,080 Speaker 4: then two Dodge Dodgy guys would arrive at the back 634 00:36:48,160 --> 00:36:49,920 Speaker 4: door of a restaurant and ask if you wanted to 635 00:36:49,920 --> 00:36:53,680 Speaker 4: see what's in their suitcase, and you'd be like, what 636 00:36:53,800 --> 00:36:56,279 Speaker 4: we letting us als in for? And then you'd have 637 00:36:56,360 --> 00:36:59,799 Speaker 4: to sift through, you know that. We had one man 638 00:36:59,880 --> 00:37:02,440 Speaker 4: that turned up with something that literally, I think was 639 00:37:02,480 --> 00:37:05,560 Speaker 4: a potato filled with truffle oil, and we were like, 640 00:37:05,640 --> 00:37:06,279 Speaker 4: we can't buy that. 641 00:37:07,200 --> 00:37:10,240 Speaker 1: I think the other thing about truffle is that because 642 00:37:10,239 --> 00:37:13,880 Speaker 1: it's such a luxury, it's so expensive, and so you're careful. 643 00:37:13,960 --> 00:37:17,120 Speaker 1: People try to be very very careful. You measure, you 644 00:37:17,239 --> 00:37:19,160 Speaker 1: sell it by the gram, so you sell you know, 645 00:37:19,320 --> 00:37:23,120 Speaker 1: two grams or five grams or ten grams. And then 646 00:37:23,160 --> 00:37:25,879 Speaker 1: there's you know, you have to weigh them. We weigh 647 00:37:25,920 --> 00:37:27,640 Speaker 1: them when we get them, we weigh them. They have 648 00:37:27,760 --> 00:37:29,680 Speaker 1: to service, We make sure that we have it. But 649 00:37:29,800 --> 00:37:31,840 Speaker 1: on the other hand, when you're actually doing it, you 650 00:37:31,960 --> 00:37:33,359 Speaker 1: just want to give more and more and more. 651 00:37:33,360 --> 00:37:33,640 Speaker 3: Don't you. 652 00:37:33,760 --> 00:37:37,280 Speaker 1: I'm really the worst person because that they are having 653 00:37:37,400 --> 00:37:39,440 Speaker 1: to judge it. Do you judge it or do you 654 00:37:39,520 --> 00:37:42,799 Speaker 1: weigh it when you've got it? I freestyle. 655 00:37:42,960 --> 00:37:45,719 Speaker 4: Actually I shouldn't really say that. I've never I've never 656 00:37:45,840 --> 00:37:49,239 Speaker 4: undercut people, no, but I just always probably go a 657 00:37:49,280 --> 00:37:50,680 Speaker 4: bit over. But it's the only time you see a 658 00:37:50,680 --> 00:37:52,240 Speaker 4: little tiny scales on the past. 659 00:37:53,600 --> 00:37:54,160 Speaker 1: What's that for. 660 00:37:56,400 --> 00:38:00,319 Speaker 4: I got one of the biggest bollockings of my career 661 00:38:00,360 --> 00:38:02,320 Speaker 4: when I was a young chef. God, I thought I 662 00:38:02,360 --> 00:38:04,840 Speaker 4: was going to get sacked. Literally, I got taken to 663 00:38:04,960 --> 00:38:08,560 Speaker 4: the chef's office and I was literally like torn down 664 00:38:08,640 --> 00:38:11,719 Speaker 4: the strip. But it was really like because often you 665 00:38:11,760 --> 00:38:14,880 Speaker 4: wrap the truffle in the tissue, don't need to stop 666 00:38:14,920 --> 00:38:18,400 Speaker 4: it from getting whatever. And he left the truffle in 667 00:38:18,520 --> 00:38:21,320 Speaker 4: the tissue on the front pass and so I was 668 00:38:21,320 --> 00:38:23,680 Speaker 4: obviously cleaning down with Saphie water, and he was like, 669 00:38:23,800 --> 00:38:27,560 Speaker 4: where's the trufle And I was like, oh, God, I 670 00:38:27,840 --> 00:38:29,840 Speaker 4: haven't seen it. And then I realized I looked on 671 00:38:29,920 --> 00:38:32,160 Speaker 4: the floor where all the water and all the guys 672 00:38:32,200 --> 00:38:34,920 Speaker 4: were cleaning the floor and with trodden on it in 673 00:38:35,120 --> 00:38:35,520 Speaker 4: the water. 674 00:38:37,760 --> 00:38:43,240 Speaker 1: It's really cool that Will Ferrell chose that in California, 675 00:38:44,520 --> 00:38:47,239 Speaker 1: And as we just said that, he just loved that 676 00:38:47,320 --> 00:38:48,120 Speaker 1: was white Treves. 677 00:38:57,520 --> 00:39:01,120 Speaker 3: Ruthie's Table for is produced by Outa My Studio for iHeartRadio. 678 00:39:01,520 --> 00:39:04,920 Speaker 3: It's hosted by Ruthie Rogers and it's produced by William Lensky. 679 00:39:05,680 --> 00:39:08,799 Speaker 3: This episode was edited by Julia Johnson and mixed by 680 00:39:08,880 --> 00:39:13,880 Speaker 3: Nigel Appleton. Our executive producers are Fay Stewart and Zad Rogers. 681 00:39:14,520 --> 00:39:17,920 Speaker 3: Our production manager is Caitlin Paramore, and our production coordinator 682 00:39:18,040 --> 00:39:22,200 Speaker 3: is Bella Sellini. This episode had additional contributions by Sean 683 00:39:22,400 --> 00:39:25,440 Speaker 3: Wynn Owen. Thank you to everyone at The River Cafe 684 00:39:25,760 --> 00:39:27,280 Speaker 3: for your help in making this episode.