1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,720 Speaker 1: You are listening to Ruthie's Table four in partnership with Montclair. 2 00:00:05,040 --> 00:00:05,640 Speaker 2: It may not. 3 00:00:05,600 --> 00:00:08,240 Speaker 3: Seem obvious at first, but tennis and cooking have a 4 00:00:08,240 --> 00:00:11,760 Speaker 3: lot in common. Chefs and tennis players are both rigorous 5 00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:15,600 Speaker 3: preparation in the kitchen, court side rituals. When the match 6 00:00:15,680 --> 00:00:18,520 Speaker 3: begins or when the restaurant doors open, both need to 7 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:23,159 Speaker 3: be ready, focused and adaptable. Meeting Maria Sharapova at a 8 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:26,239 Speaker 3: grand dinner in Milan, I discovered a food lover whose 9 00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:29,320 Speaker 3: story off the court is as amazing as her performance 10 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:32,839 Speaker 3: on it. In nineteen eighty six, pregnant with Maria and 11 00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:36,720 Speaker 3: wanting to protect her, her parents fled Belarus, escaping the 12 00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:40,479 Speaker 3: Chernobyl nuclear disaster. A few years later, she and her 13 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:43,839 Speaker 3: father moved to Florida with just seven hundred dollars and 14 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:46,680 Speaker 3: not a word of English. Every year must be an 15 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:50,440 Speaker 3: anniversary for someone like Maria, who hit her first tennis 16 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:54,960 Speaker 3: ball age four, was spotted by Martina Navratlova aged six, 17 00:00:55,360 --> 00:00:58,320 Speaker 3: and became one of only ten women in history to 18 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:03,600 Speaker 3: win a career Grand Slam. But this year is especially special. 19 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:08,280 Speaker 3: Maria is celebrating twenty years since winning against Serena Williams 20 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:12,959 Speaker 3: becoming at age seventeen a Wimbledon champion. Today, we're here 21 00:01:12,959 --> 00:01:16,440 Speaker 3: in the River Cafe to celebrate as a businesswoman. She's 22 00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:21,000 Speaker 3: uniquely creative and inspiring other magical ingredients needed in a 23 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:24,640 Speaker 3: kitchen or a tennis court. We're here together, two women 24 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:28,760 Speaker 3: talking about food and memories, with stories to tell, and 25 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:32,680 Speaker 3: maybe before we finish, we'll have a celebratory chocolate nemesis 26 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:34,880 Speaker 3: with twenty candles. 27 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:39,160 Speaker 1: I genuinely cannot believe that Ruthie Rogers just did an 28 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:40,120 Speaker 1: introduction on me. 29 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:44,759 Speaker 3: It's so specially we just kind of love at first 30 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:47,800 Speaker 3: sight at that dinner because we were in Milan at 31 00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:48,840 Speaker 3: the Montclair Dinner. 32 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:50,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, and we just kind of it. 33 00:01:50,360 --> 00:01:52,920 Speaker 1: Was a very charming evening. Was his name is dark 34 00:01:52,960 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 1: and moody, a little bit eerie. 35 00:01:55,360 --> 00:01:55,600 Speaker 2: Yeah. 36 00:01:56,280 --> 00:01:58,200 Speaker 1: And then it was toward the end of dinner, when 37 00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:01,960 Speaker 1: I think things were wrapping up, I came across even 38 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:04,800 Speaker 1: a hallway, maybe the bathroom line. 39 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:08,000 Speaker 3: I think it was. It was in that corner, and 40 00:02:08,040 --> 00:02:11,840 Speaker 3: then they ever know and that's where we go. But 41 00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:17,639 Speaker 3: it was it was a lovely it was for Remy Raffiniyes. 42 00:02:15,720 --> 00:02:17,560 Speaker 1: Who've gotten to know in the last few years and 43 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:22,120 Speaker 1: you as well, And what a charming, very charming man 44 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:24,679 Speaker 1: and has done incredible things with Montclair. 45 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:27,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, and that was just a very joyous atmosphere in 46 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:30,920 Speaker 3: the room. I thought everybody was there to celebrate him, 47 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:33,320 Speaker 3: to celebrate each other over food. 48 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:35,920 Speaker 2: When we talked last week about. 49 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:38,959 Speaker 3: Doing this, I you know, we always start with a recipe, 50 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:41,800 Speaker 3: and there's something about hearing someone you know, we've done 51 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:45,520 Speaker 3: Nazy Pelosi or al Gore, people who would never think saying, 52 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:48,760 Speaker 3: take it tomato and squash it, you know. And so 53 00:02:49,480 --> 00:02:51,760 Speaker 3: when I asked you what you wanted to cook, you 54 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:55,240 Speaker 3: said that you'd like to do a recipe that reminded you. 55 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:57,960 Speaker 1: Reminded me of my grandmother. Yeah, yes, the years that 56 00:02:58,040 --> 00:02:59,160 Speaker 1: I spent in her kitchen. 57 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:03,560 Speaker 3: You chose the recipe with potato potatoes. Said there was 58 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:04,160 Speaker 3: a potato. 59 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:06,200 Speaker 2: Okay, there's a potato. 60 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:09,280 Speaker 1: My mother makes these delicious potato pancakes as a treat. 61 00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:13,560 Speaker 1: And if it's a holiday or you know, every on 62 00:03:13,919 --> 00:03:16,840 Speaker 1: my birthday, she usually likes to make potato pancakes. And 63 00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 1: then Alexander orders a little jar of caviar and that 64 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:24,080 Speaker 1: is our that's our ultimate and absolutely sour cream. 65 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:27,800 Speaker 3: Yes, well, these are potatoes lu Cheesi because it comes 66 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:33,720 Speaker 3: from well. Luca is a beautiful city in Tuscanes, near Pisa. 67 00:03:33,919 --> 00:03:36,280 Speaker 2: Would you like to read the recipe. 68 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:41,440 Speaker 1: Roast potatoes from Luca Potato luchesi. One kilogram of waxy potatoes, 69 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:46,520 Speaker 1: one medium red onion, finely sliced careful with your fingers. 70 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:51,160 Speaker 1: Six scarlet cloves, peeled and kept whole. Four sprigs of 71 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:54,920 Speaker 1: fresh rosemary and sage, and one glass of dry white 72 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 1: wine extra virgin olive oil. Let's preheat the oven to 73 00:03:59,120 --> 00:04:03,440 Speaker 1: two hundred degrees. Peel the potatoes and cut into thick slices. 74 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:07,040 Speaker 1: Put into the cold water to wash off excess starch, 75 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:11,080 Speaker 1: then drain, pat dry and put in a large mixing bowl. 76 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:15,800 Speaker 1: Add the onion. Onions are my favorite, by the way, 77 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:20,080 Speaker 1: Yes show its and onions. Onions with potato is just 78 00:04:20,560 --> 00:04:24,040 Speaker 1: the best combination. So add the onion, garlic and herbs 79 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:26,640 Speaker 1: to the potato bowl and the rest of the ingredients 80 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:30,359 Speaker 1: and toss well. Choose a baking tray large enough for 81 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:33,320 Speaker 1: the potatoes to be spread out in one later, cover 82 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:36,240 Speaker 1: with foil and bake in the oven for twenty five minutes. 83 00:04:37,279 --> 00:04:40,159 Speaker 1: Remove the foil, then using the back of a large 84 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:43,320 Speaker 1: cooking spoon. Break up the potatoes and herbs to make 85 00:04:43,360 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 1: a rough mash. That's the fun part. Drizzle with olive oil, 86 00:04:48,440 --> 00:04:51,440 Speaker 1: return to the oven and roast for thirty minutes or 87 00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:54,160 Speaker 1: until the potatoes are brown and crisp on top and 88 00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:58,480 Speaker 1: still light and fluffy underneath. Serve cut into slices. 89 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:01,360 Speaker 3: So it's not a take a pancake, but we tried 90 00:05:01,400 --> 00:05:02,640 Speaker 3: to find the recipe that way. 91 00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:05,680 Speaker 1: It sounds delicious, it is. Can you please sign this 92 00:05:05,760 --> 00:05:06,400 Speaker 1: recipe for me? 93 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:08,920 Speaker 2: With love? 94 00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:13,440 Speaker 3: We talk about this quite often about how much we 95 00:05:14,839 --> 00:05:17,440 Speaker 3: really respect and love women who cook. You know that 96 00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:19,839 Speaker 3: that cooking is a way of sharing, it's a way 97 00:05:19,880 --> 00:05:23,280 Speaker 3: of expressing love. But we also have to really respect 98 00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:25,760 Speaker 3: and admire the women who don't you know. 99 00:05:26,279 --> 00:05:28,480 Speaker 2: And that you know, And that's and I do. 100 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:31,320 Speaker 3: And I think that I have a friend whose father 101 00:05:31,480 --> 00:05:33,960 Speaker 3: would never let her in the kitchen because he didn't 102 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:36,240 Speaker 3: want her to cook. And I was sort of slightly 103 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:39,440 Speaker 3: equated to learning how to type, that, you know, growing 104 00:05:39,520 --> 00:05:43,120 Speaker 3: up in the sort of seventies and thinking, you know, 105 00:05:43,160 --> 00:05:44,840 Speaker 3: we were women who were going to work that if 106 00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:47,679 Speaker 3: we learned how to type, we'd be secretaries. Yes, and 107 00:05:47,839 --> 00:05:51,240 Speaker 3: Luckily my mother forced me to go to typing school. 108 00:05:51,279 --> 00:05:53,040 Speaker 2: Now that we all use laptops, you. 109 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:56,200 Speaker 3: Know, knowing how to type, But there are as women 110 00:05:56,560 --> 00:05:59,240 Speaker 3: sort of categories that were thrust into and we're judged 111 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:01,799 Speaker 3: whether we're a good mother by the way we cook 112 00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:03,680 Speaker 3: or a good wife by the way we cook. 113 00:06:03,839 --> 00:06:06,800 Speaker 2: Very much, but now I think it's it's also. 114 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:10,480 Speaker 3: I think everything we're looking at and we're also looking 115 00:06:10,480 --> 00:06:13,680 Speaker 3: at men and how they cook and how they shop, yes, 116 00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:18,040 Speaker 3: and even cooking as a form of seduction, you. 117 00:06:17,960 --> 00:06:20,359 Speaker 1: Know, I think if some I think if some of 118 00:06:20,400 --> 00:06:23,120 Speaker 1: my relatives, I mean my mother, when you ask her 119 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:25,560 Speaker 1: if she enjoys cooking, I think her answer is no, 120 00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:31,160 Speaker 1: but she enjoys cooking knowing that somebody will enjoy it. Yeah, right, 121 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:35,240 Speaker 1: so she and when she cooks every the process is meticulous, 122 00:06:35,279 --> 00:06:38,040 Speaker 1: like she does it in advance, She does it off 123 00:06:38,080 --> 00:06:41,479 Speaker 1: of a recipe. She makes sure that it's very precise. 124 00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:44,159 Speaker 1: And I think that also seeing her go through that 125 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:47,560 Speaker 1: process taught me a lot about discipline, because cooking, I mean, 126 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:49,960 Speaker 1: there's different ways to cook. Right you can just take 127 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:52,680 Speaker 1: ingredients from the refrigerator and just whip it right up. 128 00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:55,960 Speaker 1: But her process was very meticulous and in particular and 129 00:06:56,480 --> 00:06:59,560 Speaker 1: the ingredients that she chose based off recipes, and she 130 00:06:59,600 --> 00:07:01,280 Speaker 1: wanted to know that if it worked for someone, it 131 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:03,640 Speaker 1: would work for her if she did it well, and 132 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:06,760 Speaker 1: her kitchen is always clean. And I think that's, you know, 133 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:09,359 Speaker 1: that's the energy that she that she taught me to 134 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:11,840 Speaker 1: perform with, is that you have to put everything that 135 00:07:11,880 --> 00:07:13,520 Speaker 1: you have. You have to do it with a way 136 00:07:13,520 --> 00:07:16,440 Speaker 1: of discipline and time and get it done and know 137 00:07:16,480 --> 00:07:17,960 Speaker 1: that you have no regrets in the end. 138 00:07:18,120 --> 00:07:18,560 Speaker 2: I agree. 139 00:07:18,680 --> 00:07:22,000 Speaker 3: I would say that very often about Julia Child Cookbooks, 140 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:25,600 Speaker 3: American cookbook writer, that she did it. 141 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:26,520 Speaker 2: It was so precise. 142 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:28,720 Speaker 3: She never said, take a ripe tomato, but she would say, 143 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:31,800 Speaker 3: take a tomato that's you know, two inches wide and 144 00:07:32,040 --> 00:07:32,920 Speaker 3: four inches high. 145 00:07:32,840 --> 00:07:33,520 Speaker 2: Put it in a dish. 146 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:35,800 Speaker 3: It but it was it was like science, right, and 147 00:07:35,840 --> 00:07:38,680 Speaker 3: therefore you never had a failure because if you followed it, 148 00:07:38,800 --> 00:07:41,480 Speaker 3: you know that, and that gave you the confidence to 149 00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:44,040 Speaker 3: then be able to not follow the rules well. 150 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:48,080 Speaker 1: And even if you did fail, I think there's you 151 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:51,840 Speaker 1: would carry a sense of knowing that you you performed 152 00:07:51,840 --> 00:07:54,120 Speaker 1: it at your very best, because then you don't, you 153 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:56,840 Speaker 1: don't you're not looking back and regretting, which is one 154 00:07:56,880 --> 00:08:00,320 Speaker 1: of the worst feelings that you may have in that voice. Yes, yeah, 155 00:08:00,320 --> 00:08:02,400 Speaker 1: that says, oh I didn't prepare enough or I didn't 156 00:08:02,400 --> 00:08:04,600 Speaker 1: do that enough. At least when you prepare the very 157 00:08:04,640 --> 00:08:06,760 Speaker 1: best that you could that you know, and in my sport, 158 00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:08,920 Speaker 1: that was so important as doing you know, we just 159 00:08:08,960 --> 00:08:12,200 Speaker 1: briefly discussed it, but doing your homework and going overboard 160 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:15,160 Speaker 1: with your homework so that you know, no matter what result, 161 00:08:15,320 --> 00:08:17,280 Speaker 1: because you know, you show up on the day and 162 00:08:17,360 --> 00:08:19,600 Speaker 1: things can go wrong. Yeah, you can be as prepared 163 00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:21,200 Speaker 1: as you want to be. You know, you can be 164 00:08:21,240 --> 00:08:24,000 Speaker 1: as confident as you want to be and as you are, 165 00:08:24,040 --> 00:08:26,600 Speaker 1: and you did everything to your best knowledge and ability 166 00:08:26,600 --> 00:08:29,360 Speaker 1: and it just doesn't work out. But at least that's 167 00:08:29,440 --> 00:08:31,480 Speaker 1: you know, you know, that's like and that happens, but 168 00:08:31,560 --> 00:08:34,400 Speaker 1: you did everything to get to that moment. You did 169 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:35,160 Speaker 1: it one hundred percent. 170 00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:37,640 Speaker 2: Gives you resilience as well. I think if you have that. 171 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:38,720 Speaker 1: I love that word. 172 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:40,320 Speaker 2: I love it too. I was saying that. 173 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:44,199 Speaker 3: You know, now, everybody talks about teaching and it's very 174 00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:47,480 Speaker 3: very important their children's self esteem and what I sometimes 175 00:08:47,559 --> 00:08:51,480 Speaker 3: think self esteem is overrated. But anyway, it's that's another 176 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:53,640 Speaker 3: cop But I do think resilience if I could, and 177 00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:56,840 Speaker 3: I've seen it in this restaurant. I've seen the times 178 00:08:56,840 --> 00:08:59,640 Speaker 3: that we've had hard times or different issues, and they're 179 00:08:59,679 --> 00:09:03,600 Speaker 3: the one who are just able to not not to 180 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:06,600 Speaker 3: hide it, not to shun it away, but to take 181 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:09,400 Speaker 3: it and then you know, carry on, which is I 182 00:09:09,440 --> 00:09:10,200 Speaker 3: think I. 183 00:09:10,160 --> 00:09:13,120 Speaker 1: Was so nicely surprised to see how young your stuff is. 184 00:09:13,240 --> 00:09:15,959 Speaker 2: They are, they are, I think they, you know, some 185 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:18,320 Speaker 2: of them. It's interesting. It used to be that in 186 00:09:18,320 --> 00:09:19,400 Speaker 2: the kitchen you. 187 00:09:19,440 --> 00:09:25,120 Speaker 3: Had chefs who started very very young, and sometimes academically 188 00:09:25,160 --> 00:09:27,560 Speaker 3: were challenged, and so they found a skill that they 189 00:09:27,559 --> 00:09:30,480 Speaker 3: could do, which is great. Now we have that and 190 00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:34,520 Speaker 3: they're you know, questioned. Looking at Adriana, I think I 191 00:09:34,640 --> 00:09:37,240 Speaker 3: studied history and got a degree and then. 192 00:09:37,240 --> 00:09:38,720 Speaker 2: Always knew she wanted to cook. 193 00:09:39,160 --> 00:09:42,320 Speaker 3: It's very performance led a restaurant, you know, the curtain 194 00:09:43,240 --> 00:09:47,840 Speaker 3: so compared probably comparison very sport, but also to theater. 195 00:09:48,360 --> 00:09:51,960 Speaker 3: Let go, and it's already and it's collaborative. I note 196 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:55,840 Speaker 3: that if you don't chop the chilis, the sauce chef 197 00:09:55,920 --> 00:09:58,840 Speaker 3: doesn't have it to make use sauce doesn't have the chilies. 198 00:09:58,880 --> 00:10:01,880 Speaker 3: If you're late for work, it's very often not the 199 00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:03,800 Speaker 3: bosses have crossed, but your colleague. 200 00:10:04,040 --> 00:10:06,000 Speaker 2: Yes, another alloticed. 201 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:10,720 Speaker 1: Another similarity with sport and particularly in tennis. And then 202 00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:13,520 Speaker 1: you know, being working at a restaurant is that when 203 00:10:13,520 --> 00:10:15,520 Speaker 1: the curtains close and all the you know, all the 204 00:10:15,559 --> 00:10:19,480 Speaker 1: people leave, it's just you and in this very quiet 205 00:10:19,520 --> 00:10:23,480 Speaker 1: and eerie place, which if you think about leaving the 206 00:10:23,600 --> 00:10:26,800 Speaker 1: center court and walking back through a tunnel and going 207 00:10:26,840 --> 00:10:29,680 Speaker 1: into the locker room where you are, I mean, it's 208 00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:33,040 Speaker 1: fairly lonely, right, It's just you and your bag, and 209 00:10:33,080 --> 00:10:34,800 Speaker 1: you go in the shower and you know you have 210 00:10:34,880 --> 00:10:38,680 Speaker 1: some of your rivals and compatriots in there, but it's just, 211 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:42,120 Speaker 1: I don't know, it's very intimate. And just a few 212 00:10:42,160 --> 00:10:44,840 Speaker 1: minutes prior to that, you were in a room that 213 00:10:45,040 --> 00:10:47,320 Speaker 1: was you know, in this arena that was full of 214 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:50,680 Speaker 1: thousands of screaming fans, and then it's. 215 00:10:50,640 --> 00:10:54,920 Speaker 3: Just you tell me how that relationship was between your 216 00:10:54,960 --> 00:10:56,840 Speaker 3: grandmother and her mother and cooking. 217 00:10:57,080 --> 00:11:00,320 Speaker 1: My mother was a very young mom. She she wasnt 218 00:11:00,320 --> 00:11:03,920 Speaker 1: when she was nineteen, so she yes, I'm an only child, 219 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:08,520 Speaker 1: and she was still in university at the time, and 220 00:11:08,640 --> 00:11:11,760 Speaker 1: so you know her mom. Between she she had a 221 00:11:11,840 --> 00:11:15,080 Speaker 1: job in a local market. Oh, I was a local 222 00:11:15,240 --> 00:11:18,200 Speaker 1: in Sochi, so She which is aware, which is in 223 00:11:18,240 --> 00:11:20,720 Speaker 1: the south of Russia. It's on the Black Sea. I 224 00:11:20,760 --> 00:11:24,080 Speaker 1: was born in Siberia while my mother was pregnant with me. 225 00:11:24,120 --> 00:11:27,239 Speaker 1: Actually both of my parents are Belarussian. But during Chernobyl 226 00:11:27,240 --> 00:11:31,320 Speaker 1: and the explosion, my parents moved to Siberia. I had 227 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:34,440 Speaker 1: some close relatives there and so they found out that 228 00:11:34,440 --> 00:11:36,840 Speaker 1: would be a safer place for my mom to give birth. 229 00:11:36,880 --> 00:11:39,960 Speaker 1: That so at twenty she gave birth to me. So 230 00:11:40,440 --> 00:11:43,480 Speaker 1: we were very young, a very small family, and we 231 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:46,640 Speaker 1: were very close until this day. We remained that way. 232 00:11:46,760 --> 00:11:49,959 Speaker 1: My mother has been a huge influence in my life 233 00:11:49,960 --> 00:11:52,040 Speaker 1: because so much of what I did was about sport, 234 00:11:52,120 --> 00:11:55,000 Speaker 1: but so much of her influence was outside of the court. 235 00:11:55,120 --> 00:11:58,839 Speaker 1: Like she of course she was very involved in making 236 00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:00,680 Speaker 1: sure I did the right thing in my career, but 237 00:12:01,640 --> 00:12:04,360 Speaker 1: most of her influence was making sure that I did 238 00:12:04,440 --> 00:12:07,000 Speaker 1: my homework, Was that I studied well, Was that I 239 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:11,040 Speaker 1: immersed myself in a different world that wasn't connected to sport, 240 00:12:11,160 --> 00:12:14,160 Speaker 1: that I was curious and interested and different. 241 00:12:14,280 --> 00:12:15,280 Speaker 2: What did your father do? 242 00:12:15,800 --> 00:12:19,160 Speaker 1: My father had a little construction firms and around the country, 243 00:12:19,200 --> 00:12:23,360 Speaker 1: and he was traveling quite a bit, so he you know, 244 00:12:23,400 --> 00:12:26,240 Speaker 1: we would actually rarely see him because he was working 245 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:29,840 Speaker 1: full time. As my mom was young and was raising. 246 00:12:29,559 --> 00:12:31,560 Speaker 2: Me, and so you grew up in Sibery. 247 00:12:31,960 --> 00:12:34,080 Speaker 1: Grew up in Siberia for the first two years, and 248 00:12:34,120 --> 00:12:36,480 Speaker 1: then at two years old, we moved to Sochi. 249 00:12:36,760 --> 00:12:37,720 Speaker 2: Why did they choose it? 250 00:12:38,520 --> 00:12:41,200 Speaker 1: Sochi was known for a place where a lot of 251 00:12:41,200 --> 00:12:44,560 Speaker 1: people from the north of Russia would come to relax 252 00:12:44,640 --> 00:12:46,880 Speaker 1: and go on their summer holidays. And they had these 253 00:12:46,880 --> 00:12:50,720 Speaker 1: sanatoriums where you'd spend several weeks getting healthy and swimming 254 00:12:50,720 --> 00:12:54,160 Speaker 1: in the sea of doing you know, natural therapies because 255 00:12:54,200 --> 00:12:57,800 Speaker 1: a lot of people that worked in oil and coal mining, 256 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:01,840 Speaker 1: you know, they would go to just breathe fresh air. 257 00:13:02,679 --> 00:13:04,880 Speaker 1: And it was a very warm city in the summer. 258 00:13:05,440 --> 00:13:07,240 Speaker 1: It reminded me very much of Florida. 259 00:13:07,280 --> 00:13:17,480 Speaker 3: Actually, the River Cafe cafe, steps away from our restaurant, 260 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:21,640 Speaker 3: is now open in the morning an Italian breakfast with cornetti, 261 00:13:21,760 --> 00:13:26,040 Speaker 3: chiambella and cristada from our pastry kitchen. In the afternoon, 262 00:13:26,160 --> 00:13:29,880 Speaker 3: ice creamed coops and River Cafe classic desserts come in 263 00:13:29,920 --> 00:13:33,080 Speaker 3: the evening for cocktails with our resident pianist in the bar. 264 00:13:33,760 --> 00:13:45,040 Speaker 3: No need to book, see you here. The food in 265 00:13:45,640 --> 00:13:48,040 Speaker 3: Russia is very regional, but what it had been different 266 00:13:48,640 --> 00:13:51,240 Speaker 3: in Belarus to Soshi. 267 00:13:50,920 --> 00:13:53,880 Speaker 1: I definitely remember that the tastes of the food being 268 00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:56,360 Speaker 1: very different and both you know, my grand no, my 269 00:13:56,400 --> 00:14:00,000 Speaker 1: grandmother's food was very flavorful because it had a very 270 00:14:00,200 --> 00:14:02,480 Speaker 1: rich profile. You know, there are a lot of stews 271 00:14:02,600 --> 00:14:04,760 Speaker 1: and a lot of soups, and you know, within a 272 00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:07,880 Speaker 1: borshe I mean there's more than ten ingredients. You had 273 00:14:07,880 --> 00:14:11,120 Speaker 1: the beets and the peppers and the meat, and you know, 274 00:14:11,160 --> 00:14:15,079 Speaker 1: a few spices and and then I went to the 275 00:14:15,160 --> 00:14:17,520 Speaker 1: United States and it was a grilled piece of chicken. 276 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:21,160 Speaker 1: It was a very different experience. And I missed sour cream. 277 00:14:21,240 --> 00:14:24,520 Speaker 1: I grew up eating sour cream on everything, and all 278 00:14:24,560 --> 00:14:26,000 Speaker 1: of a sudden it was ketchup. 279 00:14:26,240 --> 00:14:27,160 Speaker 2: Yeah. 280 00:14:27,400 --> 00:14:30,520 Speaker 3: I was born in upstate New York in Woodstock, and 281 00:14:30,640 --> 00:14:33,880 Speaker 3: my father the real treat wol He would take us, 282 00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:36,000 Speaker 3: you know, sort of once a month to New York 283 00:14:36,040 --> 00:14:37,800 Speaker 3: and he'd drive and we'd see the ships, and then 284 00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:40,120 Speaker 3: we'd see a musical and then. 285 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:42,160 Speaker 2: We would go to the Russian tea room. 286 00:14:42,440 --> 00:14:46,960 Speaker 1: Yes, and that was the tradition of a samovar drinking 287 00:14:47,040 --> 00:14:50,600 Speaker 1: tea is such a I mean, anytime I would enter 288 00:14:50,640 --> 00:14:53,160 Speaker 1: my grandparents' house, they would have they would cut a 289 00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:57,120 Speaker 1: piece of rye, like a big, big rye bread and 290 00:14:57,160 --> 00:14:59,320 Speaker 1: they would cut it in many slices. They would put 291 00:14:59,320 --> 00:15:02,760 Speaker 1: a thick of butter and then red caviar because that 292 00:15:02,840 --> 00:15:06,880 Speaker 1: was the cheaper than black caviar. And it was welcoming 293 00:15:06,920 --> 00:15:10,880 Speaker 1: your family was they were so proud, like to see 294 00:15:10,920 --> 00:15:13,680 Speaker 1: their granddaughter walk through the door and and their their 295 00:15:13,760 --> 00:15:17,280 Speaker 1: children and that was I just I remember this beautiful 296 00:15:17,320 --> 00:15:20,760 Speaker 1: plate and presentation is everything. You know. The china was. 297 00:15:21,320 --> 00:15:24,040 Speaker 1: They would take out their most beautiful china. And they 298 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:26,200 Speaker 1: didn't have much. I mean they didn't grow up with 299 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:28,040 Speaker 1: a lot of money. They didn't have a lot of money. 300 00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:30,280 Speaker 1: But you know when they would sit at a table, 301 00:15:30,920 --> 00:15:33,480 Speaker 1: there's everything had a meaning. The food had a meeting 302 00:15:33,520 --> 00:15:37,040 Speaker 1: and a purpose, and it was it was about having 303 00:15:37,040 --> 00:15:41,680 Speaker 1: a nice time and sharing memories and laughs and just 304 00:15:41,840 --> 00:15:47,400 Speaker 1: being a family over food of having conversations. And I 305 00:15:47,840 --> 00:15:48,560 Speaker 1: really missed that. 306 00:15:48,880 --> 00:15:52,160 Speaker 3: Yeah, and you create that in your own you try. 307 00:15:52,160 --> 00:15:56,320 Speaker 1: It's it's there's nothing like going to your grandmother's home. 308 00:15:56,400 --> 00:15:59,760 Speaker 1: I know, there's really there's really not I also have 309 00:15:59,840 --> 00:16:03,440 Speaker 1: a more minimal approach to decoration and the way I 310 00:16:03,480 --> 00:16:07,760 Speaker 1: set a table, and it's quite a contrast to thinking of, 311 00:16:07,880 --> 00:16:10,680 Speaker 1: you know, arriving at my grandmother's house, where everything is 312 00:16:10,720 --> 00:16:15,560 Speaker 1: more oriental and detailed, and there's you know, even even 313 00:16:15,600 --> 00:16:19,280 Speaker 1: the way that she serves, and there's just there's a lot. 314 00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:22,280 Speaker 2: You went to Miami with your father. 315 00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:25,320 Speaker 1: I went there with my father because my mom couldn't 316 00:16:25,320 --> 00:16:28,240 Speaker 1: get a visa for the first two years, and it 317 00:16:28,280 --> 00:16:31,400 Speaker 1: wasn't planned. It was just difficult to obtain the visa, 318 00:16:31,480 --> 00:16:36,160 Speaker 1: and so I spent the first two years, you know, 319 00:16:36,320 --> 00:16:42,040 Speaker 1: just eating takeout food. The only thing I remember him 320 00:16:42,040 --> 00:16:46,480 Speaker 1: cooking was white rice because he was because he would 321 00:16:46,480 --> 00:16:50,040 Speaker 1: wake up super early because my training would be early, 322 00:16:50,120 --> 00:16:52,400 Speaker 1: and he would find, you know, random jobs that he 323 00:16:52,400 --> 00:16:54,480 Speaker 1: could take, and most of them were on golf courses. 324 00:16:54,480 --> 00:16:57,080 Speaker 1: Because he had a construction background. He did a lot 325 00:16:57,080 --> 00:17:00,760 Speaker 1: of jobs on golf courses and his work would start 326 00:17:00,800 --> 00:17:04,080 Speaker 1: super early. So he would make rice for me while 327 00:17:04,080 --> 00:17:06,200 Speaker 1: I was still sleeping in the morning, and he would 328 00:17:06,280 --> 00:17:08,320 Speaker 1: leave it in the pan and he would put it 329 00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:11,000 Speaker 1: under a pillow, and so when I would wake up, 330 00:17:11,480 --> 00:17:13,880 Speaker 1: I would eat this rice as my breakfast on my own. 331 00:17:13,920 --> 00:17:15,000 Speaker 1: I would put some milk in it. 332 00:17:15,600 --> 00:17:18,480 Speaker 3: So you were at seven, though, Yeah, and he was 333 00:17:18,520 --> 00:17:19,240 Speaker 3: already trained. 334 00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:20,920 Speaker 1: I was already training. 335 00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:22,000 Speaker 2: How did that happen? 336 00:17:22,960 --> 00:17:25,679 Speaker 1: My father enjoyed the sport. He's not a He's no 337 00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:30,159 Speaker 1: brilliant athlete, although he claims to be. I grew up 338 00:17:30,240 --> 00:17:34,200 Speaker 1: going to tennis practice with him because he enjoyed the sport. 339 00:17:34,280 --> 00:17:37,159 Speaker 1: He played at a leisure level. He played with his friends. 340 00:17:37,240 --> 00:17:41,040 Speaker 1: This wasn't so che Yes, yes, we only moved to 341 00:17:41,080 --> 00:17:44,040 Speaker 1: the United States because of tennis. It was very specific 342 00:17:44,119 --> 00:17:48,720 Speaker 1: to going to this very famous academy in Florida where 343 00:17:48,760 --> 00:17:51,359 Speaker 1: a lot of tennis players went and and it was 344 00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:54,400 Speaker 1: mostly because there's a huge facility and you have other 345 00:17:54,480 --> 00:17:56,399 Speaker 1: kids your age that you play with, you have some 346 00:17:56,480 --> 00:17:58,800 Speaker 1: of the best coaches in the world going there, and 347 00:17:59,280 --> 00:18:01,359 Speaker 1: you just don't need to leave, which for an athlete 348 00:18:01,440 --> 00:18:04,679 Speaker 1: is incredibly important, just to have a base where you 349 00:18:04,720 --> 00:18:07,520 Speaker 1: feel like, I'm just focused on this one craft. I 350 00:18:07,560 --> 00:18:09,760 Speaker 1: do it every day, I have no distractions. And it 351 00:18:09,840 --> 00:18:12,840 Speaker 1: just happened to be in the middle of nowhere in Florida. 352 00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:16,560 Speaker 3: Did they think about feeding children who are athletes in 353 00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:19,000 Speaker 3: a certain way or was it. 354 00:18:18,720 --> 00:18:20,960 Speaker 1: I honestly just think they cared about making money. 355 00:18:21,160 --> 00:18:23,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, maybe that. 356 00:18:23,160 --> 00:18:25,920 Speaker 1: Time food wasn't a priority for athletes. 357 00:18:26,119 --> 00:18:29,400 Speaker 2: I talked to Savannah Leaf. She know Savannah Leaf, I don't. 358 00:18:29,440 --> 00:18:29,880 Speaker 2: She's great. 359 00:18:30,119 --> 00:18:33,159 Speaker 3: She was an Olympic volleyball player and she's now a 360 00:18:33,200 --> 00:18:36,640 Speaker 3: filmmaker and an artist and wonderful. And we were talking 361 00:18:36,640 --> 00:18:41,639 Speaker 3: about when and how the awareness of food and athletic 362 00:18:41,760 --> 00:18:44,560 Speaker 3: ability forty years ago it was. 363 00:18:44,560 --> 00:18:48,000 Speaker 2: Not no big deal. Yeah, that people didn't. 364 00:18:47,880 --> 00:18:50,760 Speaker 1: They didn't think they told what they would eat prior 365 00:18:50,840 --> 00:18:53,119 Speaker 1: to a match or after a match. It just wasn't. 366 00:18:53,119 --> 00:18:56,040 Speaker 1: And now players travel with their own chefs because it's 367 00:18:56,400 --> 00:18:59,520 Speaker 1: it's become a critical component of an athlete's life, right, 368 00:18:59,600 --> 00:19:02,280 Speaker 1: because the difference of number ten in the world to 369 00:19:02,400 --> 00:19:05,280 Speaker 1: number one in the world is very small. And so 370 00:19:06,560 --> 00:19:09,760 Speaker 1: you know, having you know, having a perspective that's different 371 00:19:09,800 --> 00:19:12,240 Speaker 1: to others, you know, or having a game plan that's 372 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:16,320 Speaker 1: smarter than others, right, or treating your body like it's 373 00:19:16,640 --> 00:19:19,399 Speaker 1: it's an incredibly important tool, is vital. 374 00:19:19,760 --> 00:19:24,400 Speaker 3: How did you merge the academic with the athletic when 375 00:19:24,440 --> 00:19:27,440 Speaker 3: you were a child of seven and they were and 376 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:30,400 Speaker 3: they had it must have been regulated, no, to give 377 00:19:30,400 --> 00:19:31,760 Speaker 3: you an academic. 378 00:19:31,880 --> 00:19:37,040 Speaker 1: Absolutely, it was something once my my mother arrived, besides 379 00:19:37,080 --> 00:19:41,280 Speaker 1: giving me a fresh haircut and changing all my clothes 380 00:19:41,359 --> 00:19:44,560 Speaker 1: because she said, what is what is your father buying you? 381 00:19:47,480 --> 00:19:53,240 Speaker 1: And cooking home, home cooked meals? She was I remember, 382 00:19:53,520 --> 00:19:56,199 Speaker 1: you know, education was was a big part of her contribution. 383 00:19:56,600 --> 00:20:00,359 Speaker 1: And even even when it came to high school, I was, 384 00:20:00,400 --> 00:20:03,320 Speaker 1: I was a teenager, and she sourced because I traveled 385 00:20:03,320 --> 00:20:05,800 Speaker 1: so much as a teenager, she knew I couldn't go 386 00:20:05,880 --> 00:20:08,879 Speaker 1: to a you know, a school in Bradenton, Florida. That 387 00:20:09,040 --> 00:20:11,800 Speaker 1: we'd have to find a school that I could do online, 388 00:20:12,600 --> 00:20:15,600 Speaker 1: and she sourced a place. It wasn't very it wasn't 389 00:20:15,640 --> 00:20:19,520 Speaker 1: like a popular school. But I finished high school, you know, 390 00:20:19,560 --> 00:20:22,080 Speaker 1: I finished that that part of my academics while I 391 00:20:22,119 --> 00:20:26,280 Speaker 1: was traveling and competing and playing at Wimbledon. And she 392 00:20:26,359 --> 00:20:29,200 Speaker 1: would when when the school would send all the books, 393 00:20:29,240 --> 00:20:32,320 Speaker 1: my mother would cut it in four portions for each 394 00:20:32,600 --> 00:20:36,560 Speaker 1: each semester and she'd put it in a folder and 395 00:20:36,640 --> 00:20:38,800 Speaker 1: she would print all the material that I had to 396 00:20:38,840 --> 00:20:42,840 Speaker 1: execute and I would travel, you know with these you know, 397 00:20:43,080 --> 00:20:45,240 Speaker 1: quarter a quarter of books with me. 398 00:20:45,480 --> 00:20:46,280 Speaker 2: You have exams. 399 00:20:46,280 --> 00:20:50,199 Speaker 1: Did you have had exams online? Yes? I thought school 400 00:20:50,359 --> 00:20:53,760 Speaker 1: was a really healthy distraction for me. Our studying was 401 00:20:54,520 --> 00:21:00,800 Speaker 1: because it taught me things that tennis could never teach me. Art. Yeah, 402 00:21:01,160 --> 00:21:04,359 Speaker 1: you know, just understanding that there are things outside of 403 00:21:04,480 --> 00:21:08,520 Speaker 1: hitting a yellow you know, fluffy ball, or history or 404 00:21:08,560 --> 00:21:12,240 Speaker 1: mathematics and numbers, the discipline of you know, coming back 405 00:21:12,320 --> 00:21:14,359 Speaker 1: after a match and being in a hotel room in 406 00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:17,280 Speaker 1: the middle of nowhere and sitting down in your hotel 407 00:21:17,359 --> 00:21:20,160 Speaker 1: room at this little desk and taking out your material 408 00:21:20,440 --> 00:21:23,879 Speaker 1: and taking your mind off of the grind of the 409 00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:27,320 Speaker 1: tour and practice, you know, and being with my father 410 00:21:27,400 --> 00:21:31,040 Speaker 1: all the time and listening, you know, to his advice 411 00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:33,359 Speaker 1: on the tennis court. It was an escape for me 412 00:21:33,520 --> 00:21:37,199 Speaker 1: to study, and so I really loved the process of it. 413 00:21:37,200 --> 00:21:38,760 Speaker 2: Did your father always travel with you. 414 00:21:39,400 --> 00:21:41,159 Speaker 1: He traveled with me until I was twenty one, and 415 00:21:41,200 --> 00:21:44,359 Speaker 1: then I won my third Grand Slam, and then I 416 00:21:44,400 --> 00:21:46,880 Speaker 1: wanted to do it on my own. He was still heavily, 417 00:21:47,280 --> 00:21:50,280 Speaker 1: very much involved in my career and we speak almost daily. 418 00:21:50,520 --> 00:21:54,159 Speaker 3: Were you becoming aware of food? What made you a 419 00:21:54,160 --> 00:21:58,800 Speaker 3: better athlete? Depending on what you ate to kind. 420 00:21:58,600 --> 00:22:03,120 Speaker 1: Of travel, was what you know brought out my curiosity 421 00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:05,920 Speaker 1: and food. My food choices when I was young were 422 00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:08,800 Speaker 1: very simple and only because we didn't have a lot 423 00:22:08,800 --> 00:22:12,840 Speaker 1: of money. They were flavorful, you know, once my mother arrived, 424 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:16,000 Speaker 1: because she would make the meals herself, and I just 425 00:22:16,040 --> 00:22:19,040 Speaker 1: felt comforted by the fact that, you know, I had 426 00:22:19,040 --> 00:22:21,560 Speaker 1: someone at home cooking for me. And when I'd come 427 00:22:21,600 --> 00:22:24,600 Speaker 1: back from practice, first thing I would do is you know, 428 00:22:24,640 --> 00:22:26,840 Speaker 1: she'd give me this long rope and I had to stretch, 429 00:22:27,480 --> 00:22:30,159 Speaker 1: and then I had to hang off a rod just 430 00:22:30,200 --> 00:22:34,240 Speaker 1: to loosen my body because there was so much physical exertion. 431 00:22:34,880 --> 00:22:37,040 Speaker 1: She didn't know anything about fourhands or back ends, but 432 00:22:37,160 --> 00:22:39,800 Speaker 1: she knew that my body was at a young age, 433 00:22:39,920 --> 00:22:42,879 Speaker 1: was going through a lot, was going through such intense workouts, 434 00:22:43,560 --> 00:22:45,840 Speaker 1: and she just wanted to make sure that I that 435 00:22:45,880 --> 00:22:50,199 Speaker 1: I was stretching. Yeah, so this was her ate. 436 00:22:50,480 --> 00:22:51,720 Speaker 2: She also watched. 437 00:22:51,880 --> 00:22:55,359 Speaker 1: She wasn't interested in a way that she she thought 438 00:22:55,800 --> 00:22:58,120 Speaker 1: or studied or how it would have you know, how 439 00:22:58,160 --> 00:23:00,760 Speaker 1: I would feel after what would I be energized by 440 00:23:00,760 --> 00:23:02,600 Speaker 1: the food. She just wanted to make sure that I 441 00:23:02,640 --> 00:23:04,040 Speaker 1: was fed. That was her goal. 442 00:23:04,160 --> 00:23:07,439 Speaker 3: Yeah, you wrote a rather beautiful sentence which when we 443 00:23:07,520 --> 00:23:10,439 Speaker 3: talked about management. I don't know where we found this, 444 00:23:10,520 --> 00:23:13,080 Speaker 3: but it said, did you do enough and more to 445 00:23:13,160 --> 00:23:16,440 Speaker 3: prepare for your next opponent. You've taken a few days off, 446 00:23:16,560 --> 00:23:20,320 Speaker 3: your body's losing that edge, that extra slice of pizza. 447 00:23:20,760 --> 00:23:23,280 Speaker 2: Better make up for it with great morning session. 448 00:23:24,119 --> 00:23:27,000 Speaker 3: And that is that the metaphor of a pizza, the 449 00:23:27,280 --> 00:23:28,280 Speaker 3: idea of a pizza. 450 00:23:28,600 --> 00:23:31,040 Speaker 2: It's the balance of discipline. 451 00:23:31,119 --> 00:23:34,320 Speaker 1: No, it's a It's a balance of giving yourself a 452 00:23:34,400 --> 00:23:39,119 Speaker 1: break in life, but being disciplined and courageous and taking 453 00:23:39,200 --> 00:23:44,400 Speaker 1: chances and knowing that life is not all rainbows and 454 00:23:44,480 --> 00:23:49,399 Speaker 1: you know, butterflies and great moments, life is hard, and 455 00:23:50,040 --> 00:23:53,040 Speaker 1: accepting the fact that it is hard and that you're 456 00:23:53,040 --> 00:23:58,919 Speaker 1: going to face, you know, moments of discouragement, of low confidence, 457 00:23:59,400 --> 00:24:03,480 Speaker 1: of people having difficult opinions of you. It's part of 458 00:24:03,520 --> 00:24:07,439 Speaker 1: the ups and downs, and especially in athletics, especially in 459 00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:10,200 Speaker 1: a world where you know you're in journalism, where you're 460 00:24:10,240 --> 00:24:14,400 Speaker 1: constantly judged for how you perform, even if you win. 461 00:24:14,840 --> 00:24:18,040 Speaker 3: By the way I suppose you did you go from 462 00:24:18,080 --> 00:24:20,480 Speaker 3: the rise in the morning to a different breakfast. Tell 463 00:24:20,480 --> 00:24:25,520 Speaker 3: me about your eating regime if you were playing a game, So. 464 00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:29,440 Speaker 1: Eating as an athlete is about keeping things clean. It's 465 00:24:29,480 --> 00:24:34,040 Speaker 1: about clean ingredients. It's understanding you know, when does your 466 00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:36,400 Speaker 1: body need more protein and when does your body need 467 00:24:36,440 --> 00:24:39,879 Speaker 1: more carbs? You know, with are you loading on you know, 468 00:24:39,920 --> 00:24:42,520 Speaker 1: more energy? Thirty minutes or an hour before you go 469 00:24:42,600 --> 00:24:44,520 Speaker 1: out on court? How long did you play for it? 470 00:24:44,600 --> 00:24:46,560 Speaker 1: Did you was your match an hour or was your 471 00:24:46,560 --> 00:24:49,440 Speaker 1: match three hours? And to be honest, it's not even 472 00:24:49,480 --> 00:24:52,640 Speaker 1: about you can have a set schedule and you can 473 00:24:52,680 --> 00:24:54,439 Speaker 1: have an idea of what you're going to do and 474 00:24:54,480 --> 00:24:56,600 Speaker 1: how you're going to prepare and what you're going to eat. 475 00:24:56,960 --> 00:24:59,560 Speaker 1: But I think what makes the best teams in the 476 00:24:59,560 --> 00:25:02,280 Speaker 1: best ap athlete as being able to pivot based on 477 00:25:02,440 --> 00:25:06,000 Speaker 1: how things go and reacting on the occasion. So if 478 00:25:06,040 --> 00:25:08,480 Speaker 1: you just competed and you know, you thought you was 479 00:25:08,560 --> 00:25:10,480 Speaker 1: the first round, you thought you were gonna win easy, 480 00:25:10,520 --> 00:25:12,680 Speaker 1: but all of a sudden, your opponent had an incredible 481 00:25:12,760 --> 00:25:15,120 Speaker 1: day and you end up winning, but it was three 482 00:25:15,160 --> 00:25:19,800 Speaker 1: hours long. Your recovery now is completely different than what 483 00:25:19,880 --> 00:25:22,480 Speaker 1: you thought would be just in forty five minutes an 484 00:25:22,480 --> 00:25:25,960 Speaker 1: hour match. It's all clean, It's just it's more about 485 00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:28,919 Speaker 1: the quantity shift of what you were eating prior to 486 00:25:28,960 --> 00:25:33,280 Speaker 1: a match. It was very simple those vegetables. Back to 487 00:25:33,320 --> 00:25:35,960 Speaker 1: the rice, it was white rice and a clean piece 488 00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:38,840 Speaker 1: of chicken. I actually look back at those meals and 489 00:25:39,800 --> 00:25:42,200 Speaker 1: I think of them as very lonely because the food 490 00:25:42,320 --> 00:25:45,280 Speaker 1: was very lonely, and I've I've grown to love food 491 00:25:45,359 --> 00:25:50,560 Speaker 1: so much that it it felt like I wanted better options. 492 00:25:51,880 --> 00:25:57,760 Speaker 3: It describes the solitary nests of your career and so 493 00:25:57,840 --> 00:26:01,600 Speaker 3: there are you're playing with canst about it. You've surrounded 494 00:26:01,600 --> 00:26:05,040 Speaker 3: by people, But is there a sense of being quite solitary. 495 00:26:05,760 --> 00:26:08,720 Speaker 1: I think everybody handles that differently. I think some people 496 00:26:09,800 --> 00:26:13,920 Speaker 1: enjoy that they're part of this larger and more than 497 00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:17,399 Speaker 1: life energy that's surrounding them in a stadium environment, I 498 00:26:17,480 --> 00:26:22,240 Speaker 1: think a very special feeling. But I always performed best 499 00:26:22,320 --> 00:26:26,680 Speaker 1: when I was calm within myself. Like of course, this 500 00:26:27,240 --> 00:26:31,400 Speaker 1: positivity and then the things that your fans shout when 501 00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:33,679 Speaker 1: you're down in a match and the encouragement that you 502 00:26:33,800 --> 00:26:37,240 Speaker 1: hear is one of the best feelings in life. But 503 00:26:37,400 --> 00:26:41,560 Speaker 1: when you're going through a three hour match inside of yourself, 504 00:26:41,600 --> 00:26:44,320 Speaker 1: you need to feel that you are calm and collected, 505 00:26:44,720 --> 00:26:47,840 Speaker 1: that you can handle negative comments, that you can handle 506 00:26:47,920 --> 00:26:51,680 Speaker 1: positive ones. And unfortunately you have to treat the negative 507 00:26:51,680 --> 00:26:55,360 Speaker 1: and the positives almost like they are the same, so 508 00:26:55,400 --> 00:26:58,280 Speaker 1: that you don't go through these ranges of emotion during 509 00:26:58,280 --> 00:27:02,720 Speaker 1: a match. Right that you're collected, you're you're strong, you're 510 00:27:02,880 --> 00:27:06,040 Speaker 1: you're positive. And so when I felt like I was 511 00:27:06,200 --> 00:27:09,440 Speaker 1: just that the best version of myself is it didn't 512 00:27:09,480 --> 00:27:11,440 Speaker 1: matter what people said during. 513 00:27:11,240 --> 00:27:12,840 Speaker 2: A match, or do you hear it? 514 00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:17,280 Speaker 1: Do you hear you hear everything? It's hard to block that. Yeah, 515 00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:21,560 Speaker 1: I think it goes back to acceptance. I think accepting 516 00:27:21,640 --> 00:27:25,040 Speaker 1: the fact that people will always have always said this, 517 00:27:25,160 --> 00:27:28,879 Speaker 1: but people will have different opinions of you as a player, 518 00:27:28,960 --> 00:27:31,920 Speaker 1: as a person, as whatever you say and how you 519 00:27:31,960 --> 00:27:35,919 Speaker 1: say it, people react differently to it. And and a 520 00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:38,359 Speaker 1: big part of being an athlete is, you know, is 521 00:27:38,880 --> 00:27:43,119 Speaker 1: having to read things about yourself and accepting that is 522 00:27:43,160 --> 00:27:45,359 Speaker 1: a big It's something that I had to learn and 523 00:27:45,400 --> 00:27:47,399 Speaker 1: I learned it the hard way from a very young age. 524 00:27:47,440 --> 00:27:50,159 Speaker 1: When you win Wimbledon at seventeen years old and people 525 00:27:50,200 --> 00:27:53,800 Speaker 1: still find tough things to say about you or your 526 00:27:53,840 --> 00:27:58,439 Speaker 1: family or criticize you in any way, it takes time to, 527 00:27:59,200 --> 00:28:01,000 Speaker 1: you know, to get comfortable with that fact. 528 00:28:01,480 --> 00:28:03,240 Speaker 3: Did you have good friends or do you always have 529 00:28:03,400 --> 00:28:05,399 Speaker 3: different circuits and different Yeah, it was. 530 00:28:05,600 --> 00:28:08,640 Speaker 1: It was really hard to make friends. And at the core, 531 00:28:08,880 --> 00:28:12,840 Speaker 1: I was a very tough competitor and they could have 532 00:28:12,880 --> 00:28:15,640 Speaker 1: been the nicest opponent in the world, but I had 533 00:28:15,720 --> 00:28:19,399 Speaker 1: to think that they were a terrible human being, even 534 00:28:19,440 --> 00:28:24,200 Speaker 1: though they were extremely nice to me. Mentally, I knew that, 535 00:28:24,600 --> 00:28:27,280 Speaker 1: you know, it's it's whoever's strongest. It's not even just 536 00:28:27,320 --> 00:28:28,719 Speaker 1: who's physically strongest. 537 00:28:29,480 --> 00:28:32,760 Speaker 3: Did you when you traveled, did were you able to 538 00:28:33,119 --> 00:28:34,760 Speaker 3: experience other cultures? 539 00:28:34,800 --> 00:28:40,360 Speaker 1: Well, an athlete, I didn't, I really didn't. I remember 540 00:28:40,400 --> 00:28:43,320 Speaker 1: this fondly. Many years ago. I went on a date 541 00:28:43,360 --> 00:28:45,840 Speaker 1: with someone and it was one of our first few dates, 542 00:28:45,840 --> 00:28:48,200 Speaker 1: and we're talking about the places that we traveled to, 543 00:28:49,520 --> 00:28:52,400 Speaker 1: and he said to me, He's like, wow, I mean 544 00:28:52,640 --> 00:28:55,800 Speaker 1: they're so you are so lucky. You haven't really visited 545 00:28:55,800 --> 00:28:59,400 Speaker 1: the world. I mean, you've you've competed in some of 546 00:28:59,440 --> 00:29:01,840 Speaker 1: the biggest, best cities in the world, but you don't 547 00:29:01,880 --> 00:29:05,160 Speaker 1: know anything about them really, And you know, there are 548 00:29:05,160 --> 00:29:08,000 Speaker 1: places that I hadn't been to, like Venice in Italy, 549 00:29:08,240 --> 00:29:12,840 Speaker 1: or even Barcelona, or you know, cities that you'd think 550 00:29:12,920 --> 00:29:15,120 Speaker 1: of course, you know it'd be on my list and 551 00:29:15,200 --> 00:29:18,560 Speaker 1: I've visited them several times, but I hadn't and so 552 00:29:19,120 --> 00:29:21,800 Speaker 1: and it really opened my eyes to the fact that, yeah, 553 00:29:21,840 --> 00:29:24,680 Speaker 1: he was absolutely right, like I, How lucky am I 554 00:29:24,800 --> 00:29:28,200 Speaker 1: that I've yet to experience these cities from a different 555 00:29:28,240 --> 00:29:30,040 Speaker 1: perspective than I had all these years. 556 00:29:30,240 --> 00:29:32,680 Speaker 3: I always just think that I used to be envious 557 00:29:32,720 --> 00:29:36,000 Speaker 3: of people who'd never been to Venice because I could 558 00:29:36,040 --> 00:29:38,760 Speaker 3: never remember seeing Venice for the first time because I 559 00:29:38,800 --> 00:29:40,920 Speaker 3: was young when I went. And then you think, I 560 00:29:41,120 --> 00:29:43,400 Speaker 3: just say, Wow, somebody's going to get to this place 561 00:29:43,800 --> 00:29:45,680 Speaker 3: as an adult and see. 562 00:29:45,400 --> 00:29:48,160 Speaker 2: This incredible city I had. 563 00:29:48,320 --> 00:29:51,080 Speaker 3: I had a kid last summer, I was a Vedics 564 00:29:51,080 --> 00:29:53,840 Speaker 3: and a friend of mine bought his six year old child. 565 00:29:53,960 --> 00:29:57,320 Speaker 3: We did this huge visit of Vedas. We went everywhere 566 00:29:57,400 --> 00:30:01,160 Speaker 3: around Vedice and I said to him, how how Nicholas, 567 00:30:01,160 --> 00:30:02,680 Speaker 3: And he said, what do you think of Venice? He said, 568 00:30:03,520 --> 00:30:10,440 Speaker 3: not enough canals, He'll never remember. 569 00:30:10,640 --> 00:30:13,560 Speaker 1: I went to Venice in December of last year, and 570 00:30:13,600 --> 00:30:16,880 Speaker 1: I brought my mom along with me. It was one 571 00:30:16,880 --> 00:30:19,280 Speaker 1: of the most magical trips that a mom and a 572 00:30:19,360 --> 00:30:21,920 Speaker 1: daughter could take in the chilly nights. 573 00:30:22,160 --> 00:30:24,760 Speaker 3: What month of theo was December December. Oh, I love 574 00:30:24,840 --> 00:30:25,680 Speaker 3: Venice in December. 575 00:30:25,720 --> 00:30:28,840 Speaker 1: It was so special. It didn't matter if it was 576 00:30:29,040 --> 00:30:33,440 Speaker 1: rain or shine or wind or cold. It just felt right. 577 00:30:34,000 --> 00:30:36,120 Speaker 1: And I think the company helps in the food and 578 00:30:36,160 --> 00:30:39,960 Speaker 1: the views. And I think that that's been one of 579 00:30:39,960 --> 00:30:41,960 Speaker 1: our best trips that we've done together. 580 00:30:41,800 --> 00:30:44,160 Speaker 3: As we used to go every December, the first weekend 581 00:30:44,240 --> 00:30:47,680 Speaker 3: of December, and I remember thinking we did it for 582 00:30:47,760 --> 00:30:50,600 Speaker 3: a sat to kind of be together for a sad memory. 583 00:30:50,720 --> 00:30:55,160 Speaker 3: And I thought if it was a perfect place to go, 584 00:30:55,240 --> 00:30:57,120 Speaker 3: because if you went to Rome and it was raining, 585 00:30:57,200 --> 00:30:59,480 Speaker 3: you'd think, oh, it's raining. If you go to Venice 586 00:30:59,560 --> 00:31:02,280 Speaker 3: and it's ray and it's rainy, it kind of fits 587 00:31:02,360 --> 00:31:05,120 Speaker 3: in Melancholia but also joy Magic. 588 00:31:05,680 --> 00:31:07,360 Speaker 1: Do you have a favorite restaurant in Venice? 589 00:31:07,360 --> 00:31:11,040 Speaker 3: And I like Ilkhovo, which is nice. I like Carampane, 590 00:31:11,280 --> 00:31:13,600 Speaker 3: I like Testieri. There are those restaurants, but I have 591 00:31:13,640 --> 00:31:16,960 Speaker 3: to say when people ask me my favorite three restaurants 592 00:31:16,960 --> 00:31:19,240 Speaker 3: in Venice, I usually say Harry's Bar, Harry's Bar and 593 00:31:19,280 --> 00:31:19,800 Speaker 3: Harry's Bar. 594 00:31:20,200 --> 00:31:22,040 Speaker 1: The corner table that's magical. 595 00:31:22,160 --> 00:31:23,920 Speaker 3: You can't figure out it's just sitting there and think 596 00:31:24,280 --> 00:31:28,360 Speaker 3: it has the room because it has low ceilings there 597 00:31:28,400 --> 00:31:31,880 Speaker 3: are no windows. It's kind of everything should be wrong 598 00:31:32,080 --> 00:31:34,920 Speaker 3: the minute you go in there. I think it's possibly 599 00:31:34,960 --> 00:31:37,680 Speaker 3: because it's a bar and you walk straight in. There's 600 00:31:37,680 --> 00:31:40,200 Speaker 3: no entrance, so you walk straight in. I think the 601 00:31:40,280 --> 00:31:42,719 Speaker 3: tape I've really spent a lot of time with analyzing it. 602 00:31:43,080 --> 00:31:44,480 Speaker 2: I think that the tables. 603 00:31:44,160 --> 00:31:47,080 Speaker 3: Are very low, and so you feel quite, you're not 604 00:31:47,240 --> 00:31:51,560 Speaker 3: reaching out, you're trying to and everybody's together in there, 605 00:31:51,560 --> 00:31:52,320 Speaker 3: and the food is so. 606 00:31:52,320 --> 00:31:55,800 Speaker 1: Good, it's so good. It's consistent. Yeah, and consistency in 607 00:31:55,840 --> 00:31:59,640 Speaker 1: restaurants is challenging. I'm sure you. Yeah, you come across 608 00:31:59,640 --> 00:32:03,240 Speaker 1: that off and they're they're always consistent. In the Bellini, 609 00:32:03,400 --> 00:32:05,320 Speaker 1: I mean, you cannot say no to the. 610 00:32:07,160 --> 00:32:09,280 Speaker 2: I love I love a bar. So let's go to head, 611 00:32:09,360 --> 00:32:13,560 Speaker 2: let's go, let's go, go commer, let's go. It's December, Okay, 612 00:32:13,600 --> 00:32:14,040 Speaker 2: it's a day. 613 00:32:14,160 --> 00:32:17,400 Speaker 3: It's a day we have and I hope we have 614 00:32:17,600 --> 00:32:19,520 Speaker 3: thousands and thousands of listeners. 615 00:32:19,720 --> 00:32:21,360 Speaker 2: Everybody's we have. Baby. 616 00:32:27,560 --> 00:32:30,800 Speaker 3: If you like listening to Ruthie's Table four, would you 617 00:32:30,920 --> 00:32:34,959 Speaker 3: please make sure to rape and review the podcast on 618 00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:40,000 Speaker 3: the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, o, wherever you get 619 00:32:40,040 --> 00:32:41,000 Speaker 3: your podcasts. 620 00:32:41,600 --> 00:32:42,080 Speaker 2: Thank you. 621 00:32:49,200 --> 00:32:52,720 Speaker 3: So right now you are working with Monk Laire. 622 00:32:52,640 --> 00:32:53,280 Speaker 1: I'm working with. 623 00:32:54,880 --> 00:32:55,040 Speaker 3: I. 624 00:32:55,480 --> 00:32:58,880 Speaker 1: During my career, I from a very early age I 625 00:32:58,960 --> 00:33:01,440 Speaker 1: recognized that ten of was so much more than just 626 00:33:01,480 --> 00:33:06,000 Speaker 1: a sport. It was a really an opportunity to create 627 00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:09,120 Speaker 1: a platform, an opportunity to be curious and to be 628 00:33:09,600 --> 00:33:12,000 Speaker 1: picky about the people that I get to work with 629 00:33:12,120 --> 00:33:14,560 Speaker 1: and the brands I get to align myself with. And 630 00:33:15,920 --> 00:33:18,600 Speaker 1: I would, you know, I would ask to be and 631 00:33:18,680 --> 00:33:21,840 Speaker 1: to go in a room where they would do meetings 632 00:33:21,880 --> 00:33:24,800 Speaker 1: that you know, where the talent is usually not involved in. 633 00:33:25,000 --> 00:33:27,960 Speaker 1: But I felt like, you know, by getting my nose 634 00:33:28,040 --> 00:33:31,000 Speaker 1: in there, I learned so much for these smart people. 635 00:33:31,280 --> 00:33:34,680 Speaker 1: And I knew that as a woman tennis wouldn't last forever, 636 00:33:34,760 --> 00:33:37,040 Speaker 1: that I would want a family, especially since I had 637 00:33:37,080 --> 00:33:39,760 Speaker 1: such a strong, you know, relationship with my young mom, 638 00:33:40,440 --> 00:33:42,480 Speaker 1: and I wanted, you know, a child of my own. 639 00:33:42,520 --> 00:33:45,720 Speaker 1: And also realistically, you can get injured any day, and 640 00:33:46,080 --> 00:33:49,320 Speaker 1: knowing that if that one sport, and you know, you 641 00:33:49,440 --> 00:33:53,400 Speaker 1: put all your stones in this one bucket and you 642 00:33:53,480 --> 00:33:57,440 Speaker 1: have to find other avenues, right And I love to work. 643 00:33:57,520 --> 00:33:59,640 Speaker 1: I love to work hard, and so I got a 644 00:33:59,720 --> 00:34:04,400 Speaker 1: chance to meet brilliant people in the business world, and 645 00:34:04,400 --> 00:34:07,560 Speaker 1: that led me to my role at Montclair on the 646 00:34:07,680 --> 00:34:10,400 Speaker 1: being on the board there and and continue to learn 647 00:34:10,480 --> 00:34:13,440 Speaker 1: from I mean from Remo who's had I mean just 648 00:34:13,719 --> 00:34:17,359 Speaker 1: significant experience and success in what he's built and done 649 00:34:17,400 --> 00:34:20,239 Speaker 1: with With Montclair, I now get to work with the 650 00:34:20,239 --> 00:34:25,239 Speaker 1: Aman Hotel Group. We're curating wellness retreats around the world 651 00:34:25,280 --> 00:34:27,920 Speaker 1: that their properties are first one is going to be 652 00:34:27,960 --> 00:34:30,839 Speaker 1: in September at Almonzaou in Greece. 653 00:34:30,640 --> 00:34:32,880 Speaker 2: And Greece it's a three on the mainland. 654 00:34:33,200 --> 00:34:37,560 Speaker 1: Yes, it's It's a three three, three night program where 655 00:34:37,640 --> 00:34:40,480 Speaker 1: I'm bringing in people that I've worked with in the past, 656 00:34:40,600 --> 00:34:43,440 Speaker 1: some of my trainers. You know, I look back at 657 00:34:43,480 --> 00:34:45,920 Speaker 1: my career, the years of playing, and I had an 658 00:34:45,960 --> 00:34:49,200 Speaker 1: exquisite team that would basically set a schedule for me, 659 00:34:49,400 --> 00:34:51,279 Speaker 1: Like in the morning, you wake up, you you know, 660 00:34:51,320 --> 00:34:55,080 Speaker 1: you measure your your heart rate variation, you go have breakfast, 661 00:34:55,160 --> 00:34:57,080 Speaker 1: you go do a warm up, you know, you loosen 662 00:34:57,160 --> 00:34:59,960 Speaker 1: up your body, you go train. And when I retire, 663 00:35:00,400 --> 00:35:03,640 Speaker 1: I realized that I have to make those decisions for myself. 664 00:35:03,680 --> 00:35:05,879 Speaker 1: So when I was curating this program, I thought, how 665 00:35:05,920 --> 00:35:08,040 Speaker 1: amazing to be able to show up and have this 666 00:35:08,239 --> 00:35:10,760 Speaker 1: few days just completely set for you. 667 00:35:10,840 --> 00:35:14,440 Speaker 3: Right, So you're working with Aman, you're working with Montclair. 668 00:35:14,320 --> 00:35:16,080 Speaker 1: And I'm a mother and your mother. 669 00:35:16,239 --> 00:35:19,759 Speaker 3: Tell me about feeding your baby? How does he does 670 00:35:19,800 --> 00:35:20,600 Speaker 3: he like to eat? 671 00:35:20,680 --> 00:35:20,960 Speaker 2: Does he. 672 00:35:22,760 --> 00:35:25,440 Speaker 1: I've yet to find find his true talent yet, but 673 00:35:25,560 --> 00:35:29,120 Speaker 1: food is I think is one of his passions. That 674 00:35:30,520 --> 00:35:33,400 Speaker 1: he loves food. I mean, he says nam nyam is 675 00:35:33,440 --> 00:35:36,440 Speaker 1: his favorite phrase. He just walks around the entire day 676 00:35:36,480 --> 00:35:37,600 Speaker 1: and just says, nam nam. 677 00:35:37,640 --> 00:35:39,800 Speaker 3: What about tell us we haven't talked about your husband, 678 00:35:39,880 --> 00:35:40,719 Speaker 3: tell us about. 679 00:35:41,440 --> 00:35:43,520 Speaker 1: We're not married yet, but tell me about you. 680 00:35:43,600 --> 00:35:46,200 Speaker 2: I called him speak phrase that tell me? 681 00:35:46,280 --> 00:35:48,319 Speaker 1: But I'd like I call him my husband because I 682 00:35:48,320 --> 00:35:50,800 Speaker 1: feel like he's my husband, but we're not officially married. 683 00:35:52,320 --> 00:35:54,560 Speaker 3: So tell me about food in your lives with him? 684 00:35:54,600 --> 00:35:55,520 Speaker 3: Does he love to eat? 685 00:35:55,600 --> 00:35:57,719 Speaker 1: We're big foodies. I mean we just recently on my 686 00:35:57,800 --> 00:36:00,080 Speaker 1: birthday we went to the Baths County in Spain and 687 00:36:00,400 --> 00:36:03,680 Speaker 1: did an entire trip around food because that was It's 688 00:36:03,719 --> 00:36:06,719 Speaker 1: one of our great passions. And when we met, I 689 00:36:06,760 --> 00:36:09,200 Speaker 1: feel like so many of our we've come from very 690 00:36:09,200 --> 00:36:12,200 Speaker 1: different backgrounds. You know, he grew up in you know, 691 00:36:12,239 --> 00:36:15,759 Speaker 1: having a proper education and spending his early years in 692 00:36:15,760 --> 00:36:19,120 Speaker 1: the luxury space with LVMH and Kruge Champagne and then 693 00:36:19,280 --> 00:36:21,719 Speaker 1: and then moving into the art world, so more of 694 00:36:21,760 --> 00:36:26,160 Speaker 1: a polished upbringing, and I came from much more grittier 695 00:36:26,200 --> 00:36:31,480 Speaker 1: perspective where sweat and tears, and we we met around 696 00:36:31,520 --> 00:36:35,600 Speaker 1: the art world. I enjoy collecting art. It was a 697 00:36:35,640 --> 00:36:39,120 Speaker 1: big passion of mine. And he started an online auction 698 00:36:39,280 --> 00:36:43,680 Speaker 1: site and a mutual friend put us in touch, and 699 00:36:43,719 --> 00:36:46,799 Speaker 1: so conversations started around art and moved into food and 700 00:36:46,840 --> 00:36:49,360 Speaker 1: then life, and then all of a sudden, we felt 701 00:36:49,360 --> 00:36:53,359 Speaker 1: like we had so much chemistry and connection around what 702 00:36:53,400 --> 00:36:56,520 Speaker 1: we've experienced in life, even though they came from completely 703 00:36:56,560 --> 00:37:00,400 Speaker 1: different backgrounds and perspectives, and and that's been it's been 704 00:37:00,480 --> 00:37:03,080 Speaker 1: nice to share that with our son, you know, our 705 00:37:03,120 --> 00:37:07,880 Speaker 1: different cultures and you know, I always feel like in teamwork, 706 00:37:07,920 --> 00:37:11,239 Speaker 1: whether it's your sport or whether it's your career, whether 707 00:37:11,280 --> 00:37:14,080 Speaker 1: it's family, if you have you have different ways of 708 00:37:14,120 --> 00:37:17,200 Speaker 1: getting to one destination. But if your vision is the 709 00:37:17,239 --> 00:37:20,920 Speaker 1: same and aligned, then that's what makes that story really beautiful. 710 00:37:21,120 --> 00:37:23,200 Speaker 1: Where do you live like we live in California and 711 00:37:23,239 --> 00:37:24,840 Speaker 1: Santa Barbara. 712 00:37:24,320 --> 00:37:26,160 Speaker 2: Oh, that's right, I realize and you have it. 713 00:37:26,280 --> 00:37:28,799 Speaker 3: That's right, because I do remember reading about you love 714 00:37:29,080 --> 00:37:32,280 Speaker 3: the shopping for the food my market market. 715 00:37:32,520 --> 00:37:34,719 Speaker 1: It's one of our favorite things to do is just 716 00:37:34,760 --> 00:37:38,400 Speaker 1: going to a local farmers market, taking our son and 717 00:37:38,480 --> 00:37:41,920 Speaker 1: using the stroller as my food basket and trying all 718 00:37:42,000 --> 00:37:45,080 Speaker 1: the you know, local ingredients and then going and getting 719 00:37:45,200 --> 00:37:47,120 Speaker 1: you know, the fresh fish from the pier and the 720 00:37:47,960 --> 00:37:50,919 Speaker 1: fresh oonie. It's really it's one of our favorite things 721 00:37:50,960 --> 00:37:52,000 Speaker 1: to do over the weekend. 722 00:37:52,120 --> 00:37:54,760 Speaker 2: And do cook yourselves. Both we do myself. 723 00:37:54,840 --> 00:37:57,560 Speaker 1: So Alexander, he loves to cook, but he doesn't like 724 00:37:57,600 --> 00:38:01,120 Speaker 1: a lot of help because I think I'm I provide 725 00:38:01,160 --> 00:38:07,680 Speaker 1: too many suggestions. It sounds like a marriage, it does exactly. 726 00:38:08,520 --> 00:38:11,239 Speaker 1: So when he cooks, he prefers that I just you know, 727 00:38:11,400 --> 00:38:16,080 Speaker 1: get a drinker. Just watch him from the sidelines quietly. 728 00:38:16,680 --> 00:38:20,080 Speaker 1: And I was so impressed. He We invited another couple 729 00:38:20,120 --> 00:38:23,960 Speaker 1: over and he made a Thanksgiving meal all by himself, 730 00:38:23,960 --> 00:38:26,520 Speaker 1: pretty much. I did something with the potatoes. I think 731 00:38:26,520 --> 00:38:29,680 Speaker 1: I helped him prepare, but he, you know, he looked online. 732 00:38:29,719 --> 00:38:31,560 Speaker 1: He looked through a few recipes and he's like, this 733 00:38:31,600 --> 00:38:34,120 Speaker 1: is what I'm doing. He got all the groceries, not 734 00:38:34,200 --> 00:38:35,640 Speaker 1: at the end of it, I was like, this was 735 00:38:35,680 --> 00:38:38,880 Speaker 1: really good. I'm so proud of you. 736 00:38:39,440 --> 00:38:44,680 Speaker 3: Entertaining is tough to the performance. You know, you have 737 00:38:44,800 --> 00:38:48,480 Speaker 3: people coming and you're going to take. 738 00:38:48,120 --> 00:38:52,879 Speaker 1: Get nervous about entertaining because I'm a perfectionist and he's 739 00:38:53,800 --> 00:38:57,040 Speaker 1: He's definitely much more comfortable with the concept because he 740 00:38:57,080 --> 00:38:59,279 Speaker 1: comes from a larger family and he comes from a 741 00:38:59,320 --> 00:39:02,960 Speaker 1: world of inter haining and throwing gatherings together people of 742 00:39:03,000 --> 00:39:06,120 Speaker 1: all different walks of life, and so he makes it work. 743 00:39:06,520 --> 00:39:08,520 Speaker 1: I just hone in on so many details that I 744 00:39:08,560 --> 00:39:11,960 Speaker 1: get a little stressed about the outcome, and I'm so 745 00:39:12,120 --> 00:39:14,560 Speaker 1: worried about each guests and you know, and I also, 746 00:39:15,120 --> 00:39:17,200 Speaker 1: I know I hate this, but I asked my guests 747 00:39:17,200 --> 00:39:19,120 Speaker 1: to take their shoes off because I love you know, 748 00:39:19,200 --> 00:39:23,120 Speaker 1: this Japanese sanctuary of a house, and I just I 749 00:39:23,200 --> 00:39:24,960 Speaker 1: know there, you know, guests are going to be annoyed. 750 00:39:26,719 --> 00:39:31,000 Speaker 1: It's fun. So I'm like, I need to get everyone's slippers. 751 00:39:30,719 --> 00:39:34,760 Speaker 1: It's so annoying. I'm annoying the fruits of the vegetables. 752 00:39:34,800 --> 00:39:38,400 Speaker 1: I have to get slippers. Yeah, So it's we're a 753 00:39:38,440 --> 00:39:39,320 Speaker 1: fun combination. 754 00:39:40,600 --> 00:39:42,879 Speaker 2: Do you get a restaurants much or do you lessly. 755 00:39:43,360 --> 00:39:45,680 Speaker 1: We don't eat out too much. We eat out a 756 00:39:45,680 --> 00:39:49,400 Speaker 1: lot when we travel. I love the curation on Yolo Journal. 757 00:39:49,480 --> 00:39:51,360 Speaker 1: I don't know if you're familiar with that site, but 758 00:39:52,200 --> 00:39:56,480 Speaker 1: Yolanda Edwards puts together a really beautifully curated list of 759 00:39:56,560 --> 00:40:00,440 Speaker 1: I think you've contributed to her Hughes letter, but I 760 00:40:00,480 --> 00:40:04,239 Speaker 1: love her selections of places. So we share. We do 761 00:40:04,280 --> 00:40:06,080 Speaker 1: a lot of research on where on the city that 762 00:40:06,080 --> 00:40:06,719 Speaker 1: we're going to. 763 00:40:07,239 --> 00:40:11,000 Speaker 3: We were talking about before about talking and listening, and 764 00:40:11,040 --> 00:40:14,759 Speaker 3: one of the questions that we ask everyone is a 765 00:40:14,840 --> 00:40:17,880 Speaker 3: food is love, If food is sharing, a food is memories, 766 00:40:17,920 --> 00:40:22,160 Speaker 3: if food is your generations from your grandmother to your mother, 767 00:40:22,360 --> 00:40:23,959 Speaker 3: to yourself and to your son. 768 00:40:24,440 --> 00:40:25,560 Speaker 2: It also is comfort. 769 00:40:26,400 --> 00:40:28,600 Speaker 3: And I think that I would like to ask you 770 00:40:28,640 --> 00:40:30,600 Speaker 3: when you need and I hope you don't need it 771 00:40:30,680 --> 00:40:33,319 Speaker 3: very often, but when you want food as comfort to 772 00:40:34,120 --> 00:40:36,319 Speaker 3: make you feel better, is there a food that you 773 00:40:36,400 --> 00:40:37,640 Speaker 3: would go to for that. 774 00:40:37,840 --> 00:40:40,879 Speaker 1: I would go to my mom and I would ask 775 00:40:40,920 --> 00:40:45,960 Speaker 1: her to make crepes creps craps, Yeah, and I would 776 00:40:46,000 --> 00:40:50,120 Speaker 1: ask her to make it with a local jam, whether 777 00:40:50,160 --> 00:40:55,480 Speaker 1: it's a strawberry or a cherry, and I just put 778 00:40:55,520 --> 00:40:58,360 Speaker 1: a large spoon of the jam onto the crepe and 779 00:40:58,480 --> 00:41:02,239 Speaker 1: roll it and eat several of them. Yeah, that's my 780 00:41:02,280 --> 00:41:02,919 Speaker 1: comfort food. 781 00:41:03,680 --> 00:41:05,480 Speaker 2: I'd love that sounds delicious. 782 00:41:05,640 --> 00:41:07,839 Speaker 3: I'd like to read something that you wrote before we 783 00:41:07,920 --> 00:41:14,040 Speaker 3: end this, beautifully written talking about future, about what we're 784 00:41:14,080 --> 00:41:17,600 Speaker 3: doing about every day, about how we live. And you 785 00:41:17,640 --> 00:41:21,480 Speaker 3: wrote that relentless chase for victories, though that won't ever 786 00:41:21,560 --> 00:41:25,000 Speaker 3: diminish no matter what lies ahead. I will apply the 787 00:41:25,080 --> 00:41:28,319 Speaker 3: same focus, the same work ethic, and all of the 788 00:41:28,440 --> 00:41:31,719 Speaker 3: lessons I've learned along the way. And I think that 789 00:41:31,840 --> 00:41:34,920 Speaker 3: is a beautiful marriage of past and future and present. 790 00:41:35,480 --> 00:41:38,160 Speaker 2: And so thank you so much for coming today, Ruthie. 791 00:41:38,239 --> 00:41:39,399 Speaker 1: Thank you for having me. 792 00:41:39,760 --> 00:41:40,800 Speaker 2: We covered a lot. 793 00:41:41,360 --> 00:41:42,279 Speaker 1: Now let's go eat. 794 00:41:42,400 --> 00:41:45,719 Speaker 2: Let's go eat. Thank you. I think we have a cake. 795 00:41:45,800 --> 00:41:46,920 Speaker 2: Don't need to celebrate. 796 00:41:47,960 --> 00:41:49,920 Speaker 1: Yay. I love cake. 797 00:41:51,080 --> 00:41:51,560 Speaker 3: I love you. 798 00:41:54,520 --> 00:41:57,640 Speaker 1: Thank you for listening to Ruthie's Table four in partnership 799 00:41:57,680 --> 00:41:58,320 Speaker 1: with Montclair