1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:02,960 Speaker 1: Ruthie's Table four presented by Sky. 2 00:00:03,880 --> 00:00:06,280 Speaker 2: There was a moment where I think all of Paris 3 00:00:06,280 --> 00:00:09,200 Speaker 2: would be excited when wild strawberries came down and you 4 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:11,920 Speaker 2: would see people walking in the streets carrying those kind 5 00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:15,880 Speaker 2: of precious curtains of strawberries and then they would disappear. 6 00:00:15,920 --> 00:00:21,720 Speaker 2: And that was that kind of ephemeral charm was absolutely something. 7 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:33,680 Speaker 1: Alexandre Carpansano and I share the same passions. Were obsessed 8 00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:37,600 Speaker 1: with our children, addicted to Paris, and from the moment 9 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:40,240 Speaker 1: we wake up until the moment we go to sleep, 10 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:44,800 Speaker 1: we write, we talk and we dream about food. Alexander's 11 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:49,879 Speaker 1: written four fantastic books, the London cookbook, Eat Cook, La 12 00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:55,240 Speaker 1: Gatto and most recently Chocolate Parisian Desserts and Other Delights. 13 00:00:55,640 --> 00:00:58,400 Speaker 1: So let's talk about the book. Let's talk about this 14 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:03,480 Speaker 1: beautiful Parasian book. But there's a map, isn't there? 15 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:08,960 Speaker 2: So long before iPhones and being able to, you know, 16 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:11,880 Speaker 2: check where you were all the time and have somebody 17 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:14,000 Speaker 2: you know tell you where you are into your AirPods. 18 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:16,560 Speaker 3: People used to say to me, where do you go 19 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:18,320 Speaker 3: in Paris? Like what's your favorite area? 20 00:01:18,959 --> 00:01:22,040 Speaker 2: And I would draw these little maps and I don't 21 00:01:22,080 --> 00:01:24,960 Speaker 2: know how to draw, so nothing was proportional, nothing made 22 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:27,280 Speaker 2: any sense. But I would draw maps of kind of 23 00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:30,240 Speaker 2: where I where the chocolate shops were, where the bakeries were, 24 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:32,840 Speaker 2: where the fun places to go were. So I always 25 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:35,120 Speaker 2: drew these kind of funny little maps, and then I thought, 26 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:38,039 Speaker 2: you know what this is. This is what people need 27 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:42,120 Speaker 2: to see, because it's so different from from putting on 28 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:45,800 Speaker 2: your AirPods and being told, you know, turn left. You know, 29 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:50,880 Speaker 2: it's just and the what I love in these illustrations 30 00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:55,640 Speaker 2: is also just showing just that how many chocolate shops 31 00:01:55,760 --> 00:01:57,760 Speaker 2: there are, right, I mean, Paris is so full of 32 00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:00,560 Speaker 2: chocolate shops, and there, you know, you can really have 33 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:03,480 Speaker 2: a kind of five street radius where you have ten 34 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:06,960 Speaker 2: chocolate chops like du beauvi Galais, which you know started 35 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:08,359 Speaker 2: right after the revolution. 36 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:13,919 Speaker 3: Still is embarrass is it. Yeah? And the history of 37 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:16,880 Speaker 3: that is I just I love history, as you know. 38 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:21,880 Speaker 2: But I found out that Dubou was the pharmacist to 39 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:26,040 Speaker 2: Marie Antoinette, and so he used to make her you know, 40 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:28,960 Speaker 2: she always got these terrible headaches which were probably hangovers, 41 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:32,440 Speaker 2: but he would give her her a little you know whatever, 42 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:35,720 Speaker 2: the equivalent of tilt all was back then, and she 43 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:38,440 Speaker 2: would always kind of pucker her lips at the bitterness. 44 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:41,120 Speaker 2: So one day he thought that he would put the 45 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 2: medicine in a little bit of chocolate cocoa and kind 46 00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:46,799 Speaker 2: of create a little paste with it. And he added 47 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:49,760 Speaker 2: a little bit of almond powder and a little bit 48 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:52,239 Speaker 2: of orange blossom and he and he mushed it all 49 00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:55,840 Speaker 2: together and gave it to her, And that really became 50 00:02:56,120 --> 00:02:57,960 Speaker 2: the first kind of chocolate bumble. 51 00:02:58,120 --> 00:02:58,799 Speaker 1: I didn't know that. 52 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:02,639 Speaker 2: And they still say, all now, without the without the massive. 53 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:05,960 Speaker 1: Do you think that it is the French? You know 54 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:09,760 Speaker 1: that if you go to that that good chocolate belongs 55 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:10,680 Speaker 1: to the front. 56 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:13,160 Speaker 2: I think that what the French did is that they 57 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:17,120 Speaker 2: really created the great chocolate desserts. I don't think they 58 00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 2: can claim credit for chocolate necessarily. I've certainly had incredible 59 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:25,440 Speaker 2: chocolate in Switzerland and Belgium, in Italy, but but they 60 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:29,960 Speaker 2: really I mean a Mussola Charlotte, I mean there's so 61 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:33,480 Speaker 2: many a bush Noel, all of those those great you know, 62 00:03:33,520 --> 00:03:35,360 Speaker 2: the flowerless chocolate cake that we. 63 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 3: All love, right, should. 64 00:03:37,640 --> 00:03:40,520 Speaker 1: We read one of them? Sure, you're going to say, normally, 65 00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:46,840 Speaker 1: usually the guests we chose Jesus a recipe from one 66 00:03:46,880 --> 00:03:49,240 Speaker 1: of our recipes, but we wanted you to choose one 67 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:50,040 Speaker 1: from your book. 68 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:54,839 Speaker 2: I chose to read a favorite recipe, which translates as 69 00:03:54,880 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 2: simple chocolate silk in Friendship's a chemo sap. And what 70 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:03,040 Speaker 2: I love about it is it's it's not quite a pudding, 71 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:06,760 Speaker 2: it's not quite a mouse, you know, it's it's just 72 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 2: it's literally chocolate silk. It's chocolate cream. Kuma is obviously cream. 73 00:04:12,040 --> 00:04:14,520 Speaker 2: And it's so easy. I make it all the time. 74 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:18,320 Speaker 2: You can put fruit underneath it, you can put berries 75 00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:22,279 Speaker 2: on top, you can put little caramelized nuts on top, 76 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:24,160 Speaker 2: you can add ginsh. I mean, it's one of those 77 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:26,719 Speaker 2: recipes that you can just do things to and change 78 00:04:26,839 --> 00:04:31,560 Speaker 2: all the time. So camos some simple chocolate silk. Now, 79 00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:36,000 Speaker 2: this makes eight very small portions. I would probably do 80 00:04:36,320 --> 00:04:40,520 Speaker 2: six slightly larger portions. You need two hundred and eighty 81 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:44,800 Speaker 2: grams of dark chocolate between fifty eight and sixty two 82 00:04:44,800 --> 00:04:49,440 Speaker 2: percent cacao, one cup of heavy cream, one half cup 83 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:53,720 Speaker 2: of whole milk, one fourth cup of granulated sugar, two 84 00:04:53,839 --> 00:04:57,800 Speaker 2: large eggs at room temperature, and you can add the 85 00:04:57,880 --> 00:05:01,800 Speaker 2: seeds from one vanilla bean if you want, and just 86 00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:04,159 Speaker 2: a touch of salt, I say one eighth teaspoon, but 87 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:07,640 Speaker 2: you know, just a little pinch. Break the chocolate into 88 00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:12,760 Speaker 2: pieces and place in a mixing bowl. Lightly whiss the cream, milk, sugar, 89 00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:16,280 Speaker 2: and eggs together in a saucepan. Place over medium low heat, 90 00:05:16,320 --> 00:05:19,040 Speaker 2: and whist constantly until the mixture has started to thicken. 91 00:05:19,839 --> 00:05:23,160 Speaker 2: Remove the cimer from the heat, pour it over the chocolate, 92 00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:26,520 Speaker 2: and gently stir as the chocolate melts. Once the chocolate 93 00:05:26,640 --> 00:05:30,320 Speaker 2: is melted, whisp by hand or using electric beaters or 94 00:05:30,320 --> 00:05:33,479 Speaker 2: an immersion blender fitted with a whisk attachment, until the 95 00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:36,839 Speaker 2: mixture is smooth and creamy. Allow it to come to 96 00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:40,880 Speaker 2: room temperature. If using fruit, the cimer may be poured 97 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:43,800 Speaker 2: over the fruit or be topped with it in individual 98 00:05:43,920 --> 00:05:46,800 Speaker 2: ramikins or in a little serving bowl. And if you 99 00:05:46,839 --> 00:05:49,920 Speaker 2: won't be serving the coimer within the day, hold off 100 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:52,120 Speaker 2: on the fruit until within a few hours of serving. 101 00:05:52,279 --> 00:05:54,320 Speaker 2: This is just so it doesn't release too much liquid. 102 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:58,599 Speaker 2: The kimer should be kept refrigerated, covered tightly with plastic wrap. 103 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:01,280 Speaker 2: Make sure the wrap touches the surface of the camera 104 00:06:01,480 --> 00:06:04,240 Speaker 2: so that a film doesn't form. Child For at least 105 00:06:04,279 --> 00:06:06,840 Speaker 2: one hour and up to twenty four then bring to 106 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:09,040 Speaker 2: cool room temperature before serving. 107 00:06:09,640 --> 00:06:13,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, so easy, so easy, so easy. You just sure 108 00:06:13,839 --> 00:06:16,400 Speaker 3: cream and chocolate basically do it. It's perfect. 109 00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:19,080 Speaker 1: It's a perfect When you're writing the book, we just 110 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:21,920 Speaker 1: were you just cooking all the time? My gosh, Yes, 111 00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:26,040 Speaker 1: And how did that go down? With the art? And 112 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:29,200 Speaker 1: I can't think of anything better than having my wife, 113 00:06:29,440 --> 00:06:33,719 Speaker 1: partner or mother make making another chocolate recipe? What was it? 114 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:34,520 Speaker 3: I think I must have. 115 00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:37,440 Speaker 2: I must have made about two hundred chocolate desserts in 116 00:06:37,480 --> 00:06:39,760 Speaker 2: the course of how long eighteen months? 117 00:06:39,920 --> 00:06:42,120 Speaker 1: Well, that's that's it was a lot. 118 00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:45,200 Speaker 3: It was a lot. And and then I would retest. 119 00:06:45,240 --> 00:06:46,640 Speaker 3: Sometimes I do more than one a day. 120 00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:49,000 Speaker 2: I do variation, so you know, you know what it's like, 121 00:06:49,080 --> 00:06:54,240 Speaker 2: and it's constant testing. Yeah, thankfully, my family loves chocolate. 122 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:56,440 Speaker 2: I think the tough thing about food writing is that 123 00:06:56,560 --> 00:06:59,560 Speaker 2: you you know, you tend to absorb yourself in a 124 00:06:59,600 --> 00:07:03,880 Speaker 2: subject over a period of time. And so I remember 125 00:07:03,920 --> 00:07:06,000 Speaker 2: Amanda Hesser once saying to me that she was doing 126 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:09,000 Speaker 2: a piece on tomatoes and all she had cooked for 127 00:07:09,040 --> 00:07:13,400 Speaker 2: a week were tomatoes. Yeah, so it's just part of it. 128 00:07:13,880 --> 00:07:16,440 Speaker 2: I am still not sick of chocolate. I still love chocolate. 129 00:07:16,480 --> 00:07:17,960 Speaker 1: What is a complex recipe that. 130 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:19,400 Speaker 3: You I would say the only Cobbs. 131 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:21,640 Speaker 1: There are recipes that you want to get out in 132 00:07:21,680 --> 00:07:23,880 Speaker 1: her and sometimes the most relaxing thing you can do 133 00:07:23,920 --> 00:07:27,080 Speaker 1: on a Saturday. Don't you think, yes, do you know 134 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:29,640 Speaker 1: a recipe that will take what would that one be? 135 00:07:30,080 --> 00:07:34,400 Speaker 2: The opera cack The Opera La is such a great cake. 136 00:07:34,440 --> 00:07:37,679 Speaker 2: It's the only truly difficult recipe I put in the book, 137 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:39,640 Speaker 2: and it's not even that difficult, but it has so 138 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:40,520 Speaker 2: many different. 139 00:07:40,200 --> 00:07:42,240 Speaker 3: Components that it really is. It's a project. 140 00:07:42,280 --> 00:07:45,240 Speaker 1: You want to tell everybody what copper cake is. 141 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:48,360 Speaker 2: Very thin layers of chakand which is a kind of 142 00:07:48,440 --> 00:07:49,640 Speaker 2: almond sponge. 143 00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:51,800 Speaker 3: Cake that have been brushed in. 144 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:56,240 Speaker 2: It could be a coffee simple syrup or I don't 145 00:07:56,520 --> 00:07:59,120 Speaker 2: add a little bit of rum to it. It has 146 00:07:59,280 --> 00:08:03,280 Speaker 2: layers of either commer or French butter cream, chocolate butter cream. 147 00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:07,800 Speaker 2: It's multiple layers. It is covered and each one is 148 00:08:07,840 --> 00:08:11,520 Speaker 2: beautifully saturated with the liquid, so you really get that 149 00:08:11,680 --> 00:08:15,680 Speaker 2: explosion of flavor. And what I love about Chaucond and 150 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:18,960 Speaker 2: all of those those French sponge cakes. The geen was 151 00:08:19,120 --> 00:08:21,560 Speaker 2: the thing really kind of sorb a tremendous amount of 152 00:08:22,280 --> 00:08:25,880 Speaker 2: liquid of flavor and still keep their structure. 153 00:08:25,960 --> 00:08:29,720 Speaker 1: When we lived in Paris, that was the cake that 154 00:08:29,760 --> 00:08:32,520 Speaker 1: we always went for, you know, because it was actually 155 00:08:32,880 --> 00:08:35,600 Speaker 1: something that I never had made. You know, I've made 156 00:08:36,320 --> 00:08:39,880 Speaker 1: lots of different types of cakes and make claares and sabets, 157 00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:43,280 Speaker 1: but the Operators was something that I wanted somebody else 158 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:44,200 Speaker 1: to step for me. 159 00:08:44,600 --> 00:08:46,479 Speaker 2: Was this when Richard was doing Pompitoo. 160 00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:51,080 Speaker 1: Yes, my sister artist and she was living was doing 161 00:08:51,080 --> 00:08:55,000 Speaker 1: the Pompady we moved to Paris. Food was I used 162 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:58,240 Speaker 1: to say, every check when you had checkbooks, every stub 163 00:08:58,360 --> 00:09:01,280 Speaker 1: was for food. It was easier to restaurant buying petty 164 00:09:01,400 --> 00:09:05,040 Speaker 1: trie or eating. You know. Wherever we did, we shopped 165 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:07,800 Speaker 1: and ate and ate and ate. It's a rare city 166 00:09:07,840 --> 00:09:10,080 Speaker 1: that you would get in the back of a taxi 167 00:09:10,240 --> 00:09:12,960 Speaker 1: with a sea pass and the driver would tell you 168 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:15,880 Speaker 1: how to cook it. And I feel that is the 169 00:09:15,920 --> 00:09:19,280 Speaker 1: culture of food, when you know somebody will tell you 170 00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:23,560 Speaker 1: what they grew up with and going to the bolangerie. 171 00:09:23,600 --> 00:09:26,160 Speaker 1: If you wanted bread in the morning, fed lunch, you'd 172 00:09:26,160 --> 00:09:28,440 Speaker 1: go in the morning. And if you wanted bread in 173 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:30,680 Speaker 1: the evening. You'd go after four and get the bread 174 00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:31,360 Speaker 1: in the evening. 175 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:34,080 Speaker 2: I know exactly what you mean. I loved, you know, 176 00:09:34,120 --> 00:09:37,640 Speaker 2: growing up. I moved there when I was ten, and 177 00:09:37,960 --> 00:09:41,480 Speaker 2: I had this great, big Bouvier huge dog named Romeo, 178 00:09:41,520 --> 00:09:44,640 Speaker 2: one hundred and twenty five pound dog from Normandy. And 179 00:09:44,679 --> 00:09:46,400 Speaker 2: I would come home from school and we would just 180 00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:49,880 Speaker 2: take off the two of us and walked all over 181 00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:52,760 Speaker 2: Paris and he could go into every single. 182 00:09:52,480 --> 00:09:53,320 Speaker 1: Shop age ten. 183 00:09:53,880 --> 00:09:56,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, he had a. 184 00:09:55,920 --> 00:09:59,439 Speaker 2: Great sense of direction and nobody was gonna you know, 185 00:09:59,480 --> 00:10:01,599 Speaker 2: it's so safe compared to New York. It was this 186 00:10:01,760 --> 00:10:03,120 Speaker 2: sudden burst of freedom. 187 00:10:03,559 --> 00:10:07,199 Speaker 1: Tell me about growing up. Let's talk about your parents first, 188 00:10:07,280 --> 00:10:08,040 Speaker 1: full Jane. 189 00:10:09,080 --> 00:10:12,920 Speaker 2: So my mother has you know, she wrote the Letter 190 00:10:12,960 --> 00:10:17,240 Speaker 2: from Europe for the New Yorker magazine for sixty years, 191 00:10:17,360 --> 00:10:20,199 Speaker 2: from the age of twenty three to eighty three. And 192 00:10:20,360 --> 00:10:23,760 Speaker 2: so when I was, you know, a kid, we would 193 00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:26,800 Speaker 2: always go to Paris and Italy. We'd got friends in 194 00:10:26,840 --> 00:10:28,840 Speaker 2: Italy in the summers, and she would be kind of 195 00:10:29,120 --> 00:10:32,760 Speaker 2: working and you know, working at home and doing interviews 196 00:10:32,800 --> 00:10:33,679 Speaker 2: and all of that. 197 00:10:33,800 --> 00:10:37,280 Speaker 3: When I was cook yes, yeah, my mother cooks. 198 00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:40,160 Speaker 2: She's a really funny cook because she's she's an excellent cook. 199 00:10:40,400 --> 00:10:45,360 Speaker 2: She's totally a Julia Child cook and I do too. 200 00:10:46,040 --> 00:10:49,280 Speaker 2: And she thinks that she's not a creative cook because 201 00:10:49,320 --> 00:10:52,840 Speaker 2: she uses cookbook, right, But when you look at the cookbook, 202 00:10:52,840 --> 00:10:56,600 Speaker 2: there's so many annotations that they are her own recipes. 203 00:10:57,920 --> 00:11:01,880 Speaker 2: But my father, who had actually cooked for me when 204 00:11:01,920 --> 00:11:04,560 Speaker 2: my mother was gone, would do a couple things really beautifully. 205 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:07,040 Speaker 2: I remember he early on taught me that one of 206 00:11:07,040 --> 00:11:09,880 Speaker 2: the great flavors was to have an art to choke 207 00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:14,000 Speaker 2: heart and a glass of milk, because there's something about 208 00:11:14,040 --> 00:11:18,560 Speaker 2: that chemistry that produces the most incredible taste in your mouth. 209 00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:20,679 Speaker 1: That we are into the chemistry, right. What did your 210 00:11:20,679 --> 00:11:21,160 Speaker 1: father do? 211 00:11:21,400 --> 00:11:25,679 Speaker 2: He's a professor of comparative literature and anthropology. So when 212 00:11:25,679 --> 00:11:27,840 Speaker 2: I was ten, he had a sabbatical. He wanted to 213 00:11:27,840 --> 00:11:30,640 Speaker 2: go to Paris and he was invited by Dari Da 214 00:11:31,240 --> 00:11:34,360 Speaker 2: to come and be a professor there for a year, 215 00:11:34,480 --> 00:11:36,720 Speaker 2: and my mother wanted to work there, and I was 216 00:11:36,720 --> 00:11:39,559 Speaker 2: put into a school there and they ended up staying 217 00:11:39,920 --> 00:11:41,080 Speaker 2: for sixteen years. 218 00:11:41,120 --> 00:11:44,680 Speaker 1: So for you is a real immersion into culture, total 219 00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:47,679 Speaker 1: into food, into did you go to restaurants? 220 00:11:47,840 --> 00:11:49,600 Speaker 3: They went to incredible restaurants. 221 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:53,800 Speaker 2: The dollar was so strong to Frank back then that 222 00:11:53,960 --> 00:11:56,600 Speaker 2: there was nothing for the years would do. This was 223 00:11:56,760 --> 00:12:01,480 Speaker 2: early eighties for middle school, and then you know, straight 224 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:06,920 Speaker 2: into the nineties, food was much Paris was much less 225 00:12:06,920 --> 00:12:09,480 Speaker 2: expensive for an American. And so I remember going to 226 00:12:10,240 --> 00:12:14,640 Speaker 2: mark Menosa Lesperance. I remember going to Genin and having 227 00:12:14,640 --> 00:12:17,520 Speaker 2: those incredible potatoes that are all butter. 228 00:12:17,880 --> 00:12:19,360 Speaker 1: Talk about the mud other potatoes. 229 00:12:19,440 --> 00:12:23,120 Speaker 2: Oh gosh, these are the hope potatoes potato pure that 230 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:24,400 Speaker 2: he made with. 231 00:12:24,480 --> 00:12:26,040 Speaker 1: I think it was potatoes. 232 00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:28,679 Speaker 2: It was an equal amount of butter potatoes. 233 00:12:29,200 --> 00:12:31,320 Speaker 1: I have a bit of a bit of potato with 234 00:12:31,320 --> 00:12:32,040 Speaker 1: your butter. 235 00:12:31,920 --> 00:12:33,040 Speaker 3: Exactly exactly. 236 00:12:33,080 --> 00:12:37,720 Speaker 2: But they were so BlimE and and you know, and 237 00:12:37,920 --> 00:12:41,160 Speaker 2: just and just the purity of those flavors. But I 238 00:12:41,200 --> 00:12:43,560 Speaker 2: also remember that I kind of fell in love with 239 00:12:43,640 --> 00:12:47,600 Speaker 2: food shopping. Yeah, I mean I would window shop for food, 240 00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:50,000 Speaker 2: shop at food chops the way that you might, you know, 241 00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:53,000 Speaker 2: go and look at the windows at Burgdorf Goodman, or 242 00:12:53,200 --> 00:12:54,800 Speaker 2: go in the East village and look at clothes. I 243 00:12:54,840 --> 00:12:57,719 Speaker 2: would I would, you know, with Romeo, we would we 244 00:12:57,760 --> 00:13:00,240 Speaker 2: would walk around Paris and we would look at all 245 00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:03,000 Speaker 2: of the windows of the different PETI Ceres and the 246 00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:06,040 Speaker 2: chocolate chops and the cheese shops Bartelame. We would go 247 00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:08,640 Speaker 2: inside and just smell the cheese. 248 00:13:08,280 --> 00:13:09,840 Speaker 1: And it's an amazing botello. 249 00:13:09,880 --> 00:13:09,920 Speaker 2: Me. 250 00:13:10,040 --> 00:13:12,360 Speaker 3: It's just the best cheese store. 251 00:13:12,840 --> 00:13:17,600 Speaker 1: Incredible, the cheves layers and layers and layers of cheeses. 252 00:13:17,720 --> 00:13:19,839 Speaker 2: Yeah. And if you ask for crumb fresh, they would 253 00:13:19,880 --> 00:13:22,640 Speaker 2: just take a big ladle and pull it out of 254 00:13:22,679 --> 00:13:26,280 Speaker 2: a big container and you would just see the cream 255 00:13:26,400 --> 00:13:29,600 Speaker 2: kind of drip into your little container and take it home, 256 00:13:29,600 --> 00:13:30,079 Speaker 2: and it just. 257 00:13:30,120 --> 00:13:31,800 Speaker 3: It was, it was so real. 258 00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:35,080 Speaker 2: And then we you know, I would I started to 259 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:38,160 Speaker 2: as I began to learn French better and better, I would. 260 00:13:38,240 --> 00:13:41,280 Speaker 2: I would go into food chops and I would listen 261 00:13:41,360 --> 00:13:46,840 Speaker 2: to the dialogue between the customer and the shopkeeper and 262 00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:48,800 Speaker 2: and I think that was really the beginning of my 263 00:13:48,800 --> 00:13:49,559 Speaker 2: food education. 264 00:13:50,080 --> 00:13:50,280 Speaker 1: You know. 265 00:13:50,320 --> 00:13:53,000 Speaker 2: There was a process by which you could tell that 266 00:13:53,080 --> 00:13:57,240 Speaker 2: the customer had to prove that whatever they were going 267 00:13:57,280 --> 00:13:59,840 Speaker 2: to do was worthy of, let's say, the best cut 268 00:13:59,840 --> 00:14:02,720 Speaker 2: of meat. That there was a kind of a courtship 269 00:14:02,720 --> 00:14:06,199 Speaker 2: and an assessment going on, and then once that was established, 270 00:14:06,200 --> 00:14:10,000 Speaker 2: then it would be a conversation about whatever that dish 271 00:14:10,160 --> 00:14:12,640 Speaker 2: was going to be. And then suddenly say it is 272 00:14:12,679 --> 00:14:14,560 Speaker 2: the butcher. He would start to talk about how to 273 00:14:14,600 --> 00:14:16,839 Speaker 2: prepare the meat, and then they would look at the 274 00:14:16,880 --> 00:14:20,800 Speaker 2: different It was such a it was not a transaction, 275 00:14:20,960 --> 00:14:22,000 Speaker 2: It was a dialogue. 276 00:14:22,120 --> 00:14:25,040 Speaker 1: Did you understand seasonality from France? Do you think that 277 00:14:25,400 --> 00:14:28,360 Speaker 1: absolutely going to the markets and seeing that the vegetable 278 00:14:28,400 --> 00:14:29,680 Speaker 1: you saw last week was gone? 279 00:14:29,920 --> 00:14:31,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, no, absolutely. 280 00:14:31,520 --> 00:14:35,720 Speaker 2: And I also remember the incredible attention right paid to 281 00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:40,640 Speaker 2: whether they were Remember we would get muscat grapes and 282 00:14:40,840 --> 00:14:43,360 Speaker 2: they'd be in a tiny, little, beautiful kind of almost 283 00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:48,640 Speaker 2: origami like you know, carton with paper just kind of 284 00:14:48,640 --> 00:14:51,200 Speaker 2: ballooning over them so that nothing touched them. That there 285 00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:54,200 Speaker 2: was a real sense of you know, Fres des Bois, 286 00:14:54,600 --> 00:14:58,360 Speaker 2: you know that it was there was a moment where 287 00:14:58,840 --> 00:15:01,560 Speaker 2: all of Paris would be I did when wild strawberries 288 00:15:01,600 --> 00:15:03,920 Speaker 2: came in and you would see people walking in the 289 00:15:03,960 --> 00:15:08,040 Speaker 2: streets carrying those kind of precious curtains of strawberries and 290 00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:10,840 Speaker 2: then they would disappear, and that was that kind of 291 00:15:10,920 --> 00:15:16,160 Speaker 2: ephemeral charm was absolutely something. You know, John said this 292 00:15:16,240 --> 00:15:17,520 Speaker 2: to me once, he said, you know it was the 293 00:15:17,560 --> 00:15:21,120 Speaker 2: place where your family as a whole was happiest. Yes, 294 00:15:22,080 --> 00:15:24,520 Speaker 2: And I hadn't thought about that until then. But my 295 00:15:25,120 --> 00:15:28,520 Speaker 2: father loved writing in cafes. My mother was just like 296 00:15:28,680 --> 00:15:33,000 Speaker 2: in her element working. I had suddenly discovered a confidence 297 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:36,240 Speaker 2: that I didn't have and an ability to be independent, 298 00:15:36,800 --> 00:15:41,160 Speaker 2: and the city just had such an extraordinary romantic hold 299 00:15:41,200 --> 00:15:41,480 Speaker 2: on me. 300 00:15:42,240 --> 00:15:44,680 Speaker 1: I think there's also something about Paris which is, apart 301 00:15:44,680 --> 00:15:47,120 Speaker 1: from the food and the music everything else of Paris 302 00:15:47,160 --> 00:15:50,000 Speaker 1: is I get a thrill from the lighting at night. 303 00:15:50,080 --> 00:15:52,280 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, and it can be you know, And apparently 304 00:15:52,800 --> 00:15:56,000 Speaker 1: Paris is lit by the same department, you know, And 305 00:15:56,040 --> 00:15:58,720 Speaker 1: so I think that's kind of amazing that what you 306 00:15:58,760 --> 00:16:02,480 Speaker 1: see at the end lead you'll see epigaeal or you know. 307 00:16:02,600 --> 00:16:06,560 Speaker 1: And for me, that kind of that unity is something 308 00:16:06,640 --> 00:16:08,320 Speaker 1: I love. I never thought of that. 309 00:16:08,360 --> 00:16:11,600 Speaker 2: It's that golden glow. The lights are beautiful. 310 00:16:11,720 --> 00:16:14,360 Speaker 1: Did your parents encourage you to cook? No? 311 00:16:14,560 --> 00:16:15,440 Speaker 3: But what happened. 312 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:21,800 Speaker 2: What happened just my mother had an American assistant, because 313 00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:23,960 Speaker 2: you know, those were the days where you typed instead 314 00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:26,080 Speaker 2: of had a computer. So before she turned on a 315 00:16:26,080 --> 00:16:27,840 Speaker 2: pace that had to really be typed up with all 316 00:16:27,880 --> 00:16:31,400 Speaker 2: of her notes and and so this American would who 317 00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:33,800 Speaker 2: would kind of be a babysitter as well to me 318 00:16:33,840 --> 00:16:38,520 Speaker 2: in the evening. Once took a skillet, put some ketchup 319 00:16:38,560 --> 00:16:41,640 Speaker 2: in it, turned the heat on and put a box 320 00:16:41,640 --> 00:16:43,160 Speaker 2: of dried spaghetti. 321 00:16:45,720 --> 00:16:49,120 Speaker 3: And I and I thought to myself, no way. So 322 00:16:49,200 --> 00:16:50,040 Speaker 3: I started. 323 00:16:49,680 --> 00:16:53,600 Speaker 2: Cooking when my parents went out, and I realized. 324 00:16:53,280 --> 00:16:54,720 Speaker 3: I was I was supposed. 325 00:16:54,720 --> 00:16:57,600 Speaker 2: I guess I was cooking for the babysitter, and I 326 00:16:57,680 --> 00:16:59,560 Speaker 2: just wanted the food to be good. How old were 327 00:16:59,600 --> 00:17:02,200 Speaker 2: you then, like I was probably ten or eleven or twelve, 328 00:17:02,240 --> 00:17:04,000 Speaker 2: And I remember I would always cook. I would, I 329 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:05,960 Speaker 2: would get because the chicken is so good in France. 330 00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:09,600 Speaker 2: I would roast your chicken. Yeah, de glaze that you know, 331 00:17:09,840 --> 00:17:13,359 Speaker 2: the band with white wine, add a ton of grim fresh, 332 00:17:13,400 --> 00:17:16,560 Speaker 2: a little diesel, a lot of towra gone and that 333 00:17:16,680 --> 00:17:19,359 Speaker 2: was my still is one of my old time favorite meals. 334 00:17:19,400 --> 00:17:20,560 Speaker 3: So I did that. 335 00:17:20,720 --> 00:17:25,360 Speaker 2: And then you know, when I went to friends' houses, 336 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:28,320 Speaker 2: I would I realized that, you know, there was always 337 00:17:28,359 --> 00:17:31,320 Speaker 2: a little something sweet. I mean, you learn to make 338 00:17:31,400 --> 00:17:33,879 Speaker 2: yogurt cake at the age of five in every single 339 00:17:33,920 --> 00:17:37,199 Speaker 2: school in France, and then you have this recipe that 340 00:17:37,240 --> 00:17:38,840 Speaker 2: you have for life, which I love. 341 00:17:50,680 --> 00:17:52,480 Speaker 1: Was it shocking for you to go to Heartar You 342 00:17:52,520 --> 00:17:55,679 Speaker 1: went to Harvard at Cambridge. Yes, and that was that 343 00:17:55,720 --> 00:18:00,520 Speaker 1: a big adjustment to suddenly be on your own in America, 344 00:18:00,560 --> 00:18:01,560 Speaker 1: in the United States. 345 00:18:01,960 --> 00:18:04,719 Speaker 2: I thought, you know what, I've lived all over the world. 346 00:18:04,840 --> 00:18:08,760 Speaker 2: I you know, I can totally handle this. And I 347 00:18:08,800 --> 00:18:11,520 Speaker 2: remember walking into at that point it was called the 348 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:14,199 Speaker 2: Union Dining Hall at Harvard, where there were you know, 349 00:18:14,240 --> 00:18:17,399 Speaker 2: twelve hundred people eating and it was incredibly noisy, and 350 00:18:18,480 --> 00:18:22,120 Speaker 2: I suddenly just lost all my confidence and I walked 351 00:18:22,480 --> 00:18:25,880 Speaker 2: and I got a muffin at this little place called 352 00:18:25,920 --> 00:18:28,760 Speaker 2: war Burdens. And for about the first week, I don't 353 00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:31,080 Speaker 2: think I actually went into the cafeteria again. And then 354 00:18:31,440 --> 00:18:34,199 Speaker 2: once I made friends and would meet people, but it 355 00:18:34,240 --> 00:18:36,480 Speaker 2: was daunting, and then I had all of these strange 356 00:18:36,480 --> 00:18:38,160 Speaker 2: things I didn't know how to do. I'd never used 357 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:40,920 Speaker 2: a microwave, so the first time I went to put 358 00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:44,120 Speaker 2: something in a microwave, I remember I was actually trying 359 00:18:44,160 --> 00:18:47,960 Speaker 2: to take the pasta and heat it because it was 360 00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:49,680 Speaker 2: part of the salad bar, which was odd. 361 00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:51,320 Speaker 3: It's like freezing cold. 362 00:18:51,240 --> 00:18:54,359 Speaker 2: Sticky pasta, and so I'd put some butter on it, 363 00:18:54,400 --> 00:18:56,600 Speaker 2: and I wanted to put in the microwave, and I 364 00:18:56,680 --> 00:18:57,040 Speaker 2: put a. 365 00:18:57,000 --> 00:19:00,800 Speaker 1: Fork in and I remember walking the microwa. 366 00:19:00,920 --> 00:19:07,160 Speaker 2: I remember somebody screaming, don't turn that on, and I 367 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:10,520 Speaker 2: I had no I had no idea, and I learned. 368 00:19:10,920 --> 00:19:14,720 Speaker 2: I basically think at Harvard, I ate peanut butter, strawberry jam, 369 00:19:14,760 --> 00:19:15,840 Speaker 2: and banana sandwiches. 370 00:19:15,880 --> 00:19:16,840 Speaker 1: For most of it. 371 00:19:16,880 --> 00:19:18,000 Speaker 3: The food was really horrible. 372 00:19:18,119 --> 00:19:20,600 Speaker 1: So I it was your first food job involved with 373 00:19:20,720 --> 00:19:21,480 Speaker 1: food or is it. 374 00:19:21,480 --> 00:19:22,520 Speaker 3: Feeling kind of was? 375 00:19:22,560 --> 00:19:27,240 Speaker 2: My first job was working for Mike Nichols, and Mike 376 00:19:27,359 --> 00:19:30,480 Speaker 2: did not want Diane, his wife, Diane Sawyer to know 377 00:19:31,280 --> 00:19:33,320 Speaker 2: what he was eating because he was supposed to be 378 00:19:33,320 --> 00:19:36,720 Speaker 2: on a very strict heart tiet. So part of my 379 00:19:36,840 --> 00:19:40,800 Speaker 2: job was to go into his trailer and make it pasta. 380 00:19:41,200 --> 00:19:43,359 Speaker 2: And we were all hooked up by walkie talkie, so 381 00:19:43,520 --> 00:19:47,680 Speaker 2: if Diane was coming to set, I would get this 382 00:19:47,760 --> 00:19:51,840 Speaker 2: message of you know, open the windows, lther he go candle, 383 00:19:52,240 --> 00:19:56,240 Speaker 2: you know, get mikes altoid's. 384 00:19:56,560 --> 00:19:59,159 Speaker 1: Because she's a great journalist, she probably knew exactly what 385 00:19:59,200 --> 00:19:59,680 Speaker 1: he was doing. 386 00:19:59,680 --> 00:20:01,200 Speaker 3: I think she knew and allowed it. 387 00:20:01,600 --> 00:20:05,000 Speaker 2: And then at night I remember that on that set 388 00:20:05,080 --> 00:20:09,000 Speaker 2: I would be given thousands of dollars in cash and 389 00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:12,240 Speaker 2: a teamster would take me to Peter Luger's to get steak. 390 00:20:12,440 --> 00:20:16,520 Speaker 2: It's a great steakhouse in Brooklyn where they I don't 391 00:20:16,560 --> 00:20:20,720 Speaker 2: know how long they age those Porterhouse steaks, but it's incredible, right, 392 00:20:20,800 --> 00:20:24,600 Speaker 2: I mean, it's just it's amazing, thick, fantastic steak. So 393 00:20:24,640 --> 00:20:26,720 Speaker 2: I would get these wats of cash and a teamster 394 00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:29,080 Speaker 2: would take me to Peter Luger's, and then you know, 395 00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:31,840 Speaker 2: it was kind of for above the line, Jack Nicholson, 396 00:20:31,960 --> 00:20:33,960 Speaker 2: Mike Michelle Feire. There are a bunch of people who 397 00:20:33,960 --> 00:20:36,080 Speaker 2: would get the steak and then I could take home 398 00:20:36,119 --> 00:20:36,840 Speaker 2: the leftovers. 399 00:20:37,520 --> 00:20:40,800 Speaker 1: Could you fall in love with somebody who didn't care 400 00:20:40,840 --> 00:20:43,840 Speaker 1: about food? Never? Never? Could you agree? 401 00:20:43,920 --> 00:20:46,280 Speaker 3: No? No, no, no no. I was thinking about that today. 402 00:20:46,400 --> 00:20:49,600 Speaker 2: Is one of one of my very first meetings in film, 403 00:20:49,880 --> 00:20:54,000 Speaker 2: actually was a producer took me out to lunch, wanted 404 00:20:54,040 --> 00:20:56,000 Speaker 2: to option a script of mine, and he took me 405 00:20:56,040 --> 00:20:57,560 Speaker 2: to the worst restaurant. 406 00:20:57,200 --> 00:20:57,879 Speaker 3: I've ever been to. 407 00:20:58,680 --> 00:21:02,639 Speaker 2: And I thought, no way, it was a mistake because 408 00:21:02,640 --> 00:21:04,200 Speaker 2: he turned out to be the better producer. 409 00:21:04,320 --> 00:21:06,199 Speaker 3: But it's uh, I. 410 00:21:06,720 --> 00:21:08,200 Speaker 1: He did turned out to be a good producer. 411 00:21:08,359 --> 00:21:10,520 Speaker 3: He did, but I didn't. But I did. I should have. 412 00:21:10,720 --> 00:21:11,480 Speaker 3: I should have worked with. 413 00:21:11,440 --> 00:21:15,240 Speaker 2: Him because I thought, No, I thought, I thought, you 414 00:21:15,240 --> 00:21:18,240 Speaker 2: know what, I can't possibly spend the next three years 415 00:21:18,280 --> 00:21:21,560 Speaker 2: on a movie with somebody who doesn't like food. No, 416 00:21:21,680 --> 00:21:26,840 Speaker 2: it's a it is to me eating eating together his family. 417 00:21:27,480 --> 00:21:30,320 Speaker 2: I started food writing because I started in film, and 418 00:21:30,359 --> 00:21:33,440 Speaker 2: I didn't really write about food until Garrick was born. 419 00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:36,480 Speaker 2: In two thousand and seven, there was a writer skilled 420 00:21:36,520 --> 00:21:39,479 Speaker 2: Strike and and I thought, you know what, let me 421 00:21:39,840 --> 00:21:42,399 Speaker 2: send an article into the New York Times magazine on food. 422 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:46,600 Speaker 2: And it was on French food, and that suddenly launched 423 00:21:46,920 --> 00:21:50,879 Speaker 2: a side career. But to me, food was always cooking 424 00:21:50,960 --> 00:21:55,480 Speaker 2: was very much associated with feeding my family. 425 00:21:56,000 --> 00:22:01,160 Speaker 1: When you write these four fantastic books, do you eat 426 00:22:01,280 --> 00:22:03,879 Speaker 1: while you do you sit down and have lunch or 427 00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:06,399 Speaker 1: do you kind of graze all day or do you 428 00:22:06,480 --> 00:22:07,000 Speaker 1: have nothing? 429 00:22:08,119 --> 00:22:12,080 Speaker 2: I do probably graze when I'm when I'm cooking, because 430 00:22:12,080 --> 00:22:14,359 Speaker 2: you don't because you're taking little bites of things kind 431 00:22:14,400 --> 00:22:18,040 Speaker 2: of throughout the day. I do really really believe in 432 00:22:18,080 --> 00:22:21,080 Speaker 2: sitting down to dinner. Yeah, I don't care so much 433 00:22:21,119 --> 00:22:23,919 Speaker 2: about the rest of the day. I mean, do you 434 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:26,080 Speaker 2: graze when you are you must in the kitchen. 435 00:22:26,840 --> 00:22:31,320 Speaker 1: Basically you don't eat until the end of service. And 436 00:22:31,359 --> 00:22:35,840 Speaker 1: then and and it's interesting to see how different chefs eat. 437 00:22:35,920 --> 00:22:37,920 Speaker 1: You know, some of the and the front of house, 438 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:40,880 Speaker 1: you know, front of house, the waiters pile food and 439 00:22:40,920 --> 00:22:44,639 Speaker 1: all we cook our food for the staff. So everybody 440 00:22:44,680 --> 00:22:48,719 Speaker 1: eats River Cafe food. We don't buy food or you know, 441 00:22:49,400 --> 00:22:52,840 Speaker 1: it's almost it's almost like they try to impress their 442 00:22:52,880 --> 00:22:56,640 Speaker 1: friends by different chefs do the staff lunch. And I've 443 00:22:56,640 --> 00:22:59,159 Speaker 1: had friends like Josh come at the end of a 444 00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:01,919 Speaker 1: dinner and look and see what the staff or what 445 00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:04,560 Speaker 1: past is there. I wish I didn't have that. It 446 00:23:04,560 --> 00:23:05,400 Speaker 1: looks really good. 447 00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:08,000 Speaker 2: I have such a happy memory when I was when 448 00:23:08,000 --> 00:23:10,639 Speaker 2: I was writing The London Cookbook, which which truly was 449 00:23:10,720 --> 00:23:13,840 Speaker 2: inspired by you entirely and my desire to come and 450 00:23:13,880 --> 00:23:16,600 Speaker 2: spend time at the River Cafe and learn and why. 451 00:23:16,520 --> 00:23:18,600 Speaker 1: It is a great book of many restaurants. 452 00:23:18,800 --> 00:23:21,200 Speaker 2: I had so much fun writing that, you know, that 453 00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:25,000 Speaker 2: was that was an important book for me. I think 454 00:23:25,400 --> 00:23:29,600 Speaker 2: it was I felt that there was something happening in 455 00:23:29,680 --> 00:23:33,160 Speaker 2: London that was incredibly exciting that I really do believe 456 00:23:33,200 --> 00:23:37,600 Speaker 2: that you and Fergus kind of started, which was the 457 00:23:37,680 --> 00:23:42,640 Speaker 2: idea that a restaurant could be delicious and fun and 458 00:23:42,720 --> 00:23:45,600 Speaker 2: warm and sexy. 459 00:23:45,680 --> 00:23:46,639 Speaker 3: It just you. 460 00:23:47,200 --> 00:23:52,639 Speaker 2: Truly redefined to me the London restaurant, and I just 461 00:23:52,680 --> 00:23:57,720 Speaker 2: I felt enormously inspired to you to come and and 462 00:23:57,920 --> 00:24:02,000 Speaker 2: write about what you do and and also the way 463 00:24:02,119 --> 00:24:06,360 Speaker 2: that you know, the way that you teach, the way 464 00:24:06,400 --> 00:24:10,680 Speaker 2: that you work with your younger cooks, and the way 465 00:24:10,720 --> 00:24:15,520 Speaker 2: that you I would it was so gentle and precise 466 00:24:15,600 --> 00:24:19,639 Speaker 2: at the same time and so different from you know, 467 00:24:19,760 --> 00:24:22,680 Speaker 2: the kind of crazy Markup Heure White, you know, where 468 00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:25,919 Speaker 2: everybody's tense and it's kind of a Machiavelian world. And 469 00:24:25,960 --> 00:24:29,879 Speaker 2: I would just watch you, you know, with a gentlist 470 00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:33,760 Speaker 2: but very precise way of kind of offering a little 471 00:24:33,800 --> 00:24:35,760 Speaker 2: suggestion or a correction or a taste. 472 00:24:36,520 --> 00:24:39,240 Speaker 1: Actually people were doing it at that, you know, Fergus, 473 00:24:39,280 --> 00:24:42,800 Speaker 1: As you say, I think Alice Walters thought about the 474 00:24:42,840 --> 00:24:45,960 Speaker 1: way people could work in an open kitchen and treat 475 00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:50,400 Speaker 1: each other with manners and the way and as I say, 476 00:24:50,480 --> 00:24:52,760 Speaker 1: I agree with you that you say. It used to 477 00:24:52,760 --> 00:24:55,120 Speaker 1: be that if you wanted to eat well, you had 478 00:24:55,119 --> 00:24:58,320 Speaker 1: to dress up and behave and or else if you 479 00:24:58,359 --> 00:25:00,240 Speaker 1: wanted to have a good time, you'd say, okay, I 480 00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:01,800 Speaker 1: want to have a good time in a restaurant, but 481 00:25:02,240 --> 00:25:04,159 Speaker 1: the food will be is good. Why can't you have 482 00:25:04,280 --> 00:25:07,280 Speaker 1: really you know, good food and have fun, you know, 483 00:25:07,520 --> 00:25:09,600 Speaker 1: and in a democratic space, you know. 484 00:25:09,880 --> 00:25:14,520 Speaker 2: I also, you know, almost every really great cook chef 485 00:25:14,560 --> 00:25:17,720 Speaker 2: in London has been through the River Cafe, you know, 486 00:25:17,840 --> 00:25:19,359 Speaker 2: I mean, And that's why I wanted to do the 487 00:25:19,400 --> 00:25:22,120 Speaker 2: family tree in the book, because you taught a generation 488 00:25:22,840 --> 00:25:26,680 Speaker 2: and that generation taught another generation, and you're still teaching 489 00:25:26,760 --> 00:25:31,680 Speaker 2: generations and so so what you have done has had 490 00:25:31,720 --> 00:25:35,040 Speaker 2: this extraordinary impact on restaurants throughout. 491 00:25:34,680 --> 00:25:36,800 Speaker 1: The world, the city and the world. I think it's 492 00:25:36,840 --> 00:25:38,879 Speaker 1: great for the culture, and it's great when they go 493 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:41,760 Speaker 1: and and you go to their restaurants and they're cooking 494 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:45,119 Speaker 1: exciting things. They're doing it their way. But with I 495 00:25:45,160 --> 00:25:48,359 Speaker 1: think a lot of them bring takeaway as much as 496 00:25:48,160 --> 00:25:52,320 Speaker 1: the cooking and the way they respect those seasons of 497 00:25:52,400 --> 00:25:56,560 Speaker 1: the food, of how they're going to you know, the ingredients. 498 00:25:56,560 --> 00:26:00,480 Speaker 1: Equality is the ethos you know, of try to have 499 00:26:00,480 --> 00:26:02,879 Speaker 1: a kitchen where people are, you know. I think that 500 00:26:03,119 --> 00:26:06,880 Speaker 1: old idea of the bullying and the shouting is kind 501 00:26:06,880 --> 00:26:09,560 Speaker 1: of really old fashioned, very old fashioned, you know, and 502 00:26:09,600 --> 00:26:11,639 Speaker 1: I think people are going to put up with it anymore. 503 00:26:11,760 --> 00:26:25,840 Speaker 1: And nor should they now sitting with these three books, 504 00:26:26,359 --> 00:26:30,560 Speaker 1: is there like Paris, there is a consistency of the books, 505 00:26:30,560 --> 00:26:35,280 Speaker 1: whether it's the illustrations. Really, I was so interested in 506 00:26:35,280 --> 00:26:38,520 Speaker 1: the fact that you had no photographs. Tell me about that. 507 00:26:39,040 --> 00:26:42,800 Speaker 2: So Gato and Shokola really to me part of a 508 00:26:42,920 --> 00:26:45,280 Speaker 2: serious and so next I'm going to do tots and 509 00:26:45,359 --> 00:26:48,760 Speaker 2: galats and kish And what I wanted to do with 510 00:26:48,840 --> 00:26:51,480 Speaker 2: a series is I wanted to really focus in on 511 00:26:52,119 --> 00:26:56,360 Speaker 2: what Parisians make at home, and particularly for Americans, I think, 512 00:26:56,400 --> 00:26:58,960 Speaker 2: to kind of just separate this idea that I think 513 00:26:58,960 --> 00:27:01,440 Speaker 2: a lot of people have when they go to Paris, 514 00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:04,119 Speaker 2: that people, you know, see petti sahi and they assume 515 00:27:04,240 --> 00:27:08,520 Speaker 2: that that is French sweet making. And in fact, when 516 00:27:08,560 --> 00:27:11,520 Speaker 2: you kind of when you go into people's houses, they 517 00:27:11,600 --> 00:27:13,440 Speaker 2: do cook desserts, they do bake. 518 00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:15,440 Speaker 3: They bake very very simply. 519 00:27:16,280 --> 00:27:20,560 Speaker 2: And I realized that that had not really been written about, 520 00:27:20,600 --> 00:27:23,119 Speaker 2: that there were no books on kind of basic French 521 00:27:23,200 --> 00:27:26,159 Speaker 2: cakes or you know, all of the chocolate desserts that 522 00:27:26,200 --> 00:27:28,720 Speaker 2: you can actually make at home. And then I wanted, 523 00:27:28,760 --> 00:27:31,200 Speaker 2: you know, so many of my French friends will quickly 524 00:27:31,200 --> 00:27:34,360 Speaker 2: make a tart for dinner, very simple. 525 00:27:34,080 --> 00:27:35,560 Speaker 3: Could be a tomato tart. 526 00:27:35,640 --> 00:27:37,600 Speaker 2: You know, it could be it could be something in 527 00:27:37,640 --> 00:27:43,680 Speaker 2: the winter with some cheese and naldaut and melted onions. 528 00:27:43,320 --> 00:27:45,879 Speaker 2: But it's such a simple thing, and I think there's 529 00:27:45,960 --> 00:27:49,280 Speaker 2: something economical about it and easy about it. And it's 530 00:27:49,359 --> 00:27:52,679 Speaker 2: less meat focused. It's also been more vegetable focused, so 531 00:27:52,720 --> 00:27:55,680 Speaker 2: that one will be savory as well. But I chose, 532 00:27:56,200 --> 00:27:58,480 Speaker 2: I really chose to have the books illustrated because I 533 00:27:59,119 --> 00:28:02,600 Speaker 2: didn't want people to feel that they had to compete 534 00:28:02,640 --> 00:28:06,280 Speaker 2: with a photograph. Yeah, and I think this is particularly 535 00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:09,240 Speaker 2: true for desserts. But I didn't want somebody to think 536 00:28:09,240 --> 00:28:10,400 Speaker 2: that they had to take out a. 537 00:28:10,320 --> 00:28:14,480 Speaker 3: Pastry bag and create perfect little roses top of their cake. 538 00:28:14,720 --> 00:28:17,960 Speaker 2: I wanted them to just so God to not compare themselves, 539 00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:18,440 Speaker 2: to know that. 540 00:28:18,400 --> 00:28:20,520 Speaker 1: They could just that's back to the performance. 541 00:28:20,680 --> 00:28:23,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, and sprinkle it with some powdered sugar or some cocoa, 542 00:28:23,760 --> 00:28:26,760 Speaker 2: and and you know, it's gorgeous and it's simplicity. 543 00:28:26,800 --> 00:28:28,840 Speaker 1: So we look forward. When is the next one coming out? Oh? 544 00:28:28,840 --> 00:28:30,880 Speaker 3: I haven't started right now, Okay, get home, I. 545 00:28:31,040 --> 00:28:34,159 Speaker 1: Start working now. We want you, we want another, we 546 00:28:34,240 --> 00:28:38,160 Speaker 1: want another cookbook. Thank you, beautiful talk for another two hours. 547 00:28:38,480 --> 00:28:40,720 Speaker 1: But to say that, you know, you were talking about 548 00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:44,320 Speaker 1: peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at Harvard, and you're talking 549 00:28:44,320 --> 00:28:46,600 Speaker 1: about pressing your nose up. I can imagine this ten 550 00:28:46,680 --> 00:28:50,240 Speaker 1: year old girl walking through Paris with her nose pressed 551 00:28:50,280 --> 00:28:54,800 Speaker 1: against the window to look at the the food, whether 552 00:28:54,880 --> 00:28:57,080 Speaker 1: it's an orange or a piece of cake or a 553 00:28:57,080 --> 00:28:59,920 Speaker 1: piece of cheese. Food is all this. It's about shere, 554 00:29:00,320 --> 00:29:07,200 Speaker 1: it's about performance, it's about curiosity and energy and love. 555 00:29:07,360 --> 00:29:10,840 Speaker 1: But it's also about comfort. So I think if I 556 00:29:10,920 --> 00:29:13,200 Speaker 1: had to ask you, as our last question, if you 557 00:29:13,800 --> 00:29:17,360 Speaker 1: needed comfort, I hope we don't. Is there a food 558 00:29:17,400 --> 00:29:19,720 Speaker 1: that you would go to that you would reach for? 559 00:29:21,200 --> 00:29:22,480 Speaker 3: I would make a carbonara? 560 00:29:22,800 --> 00:29:23,600 Speaker 1: Would you know? 561 00:29:23,840 --> 00:29:24,640 Speaker 3: In a heartbeat? 562 00:29:25,720 --> 00:29:29,360 Speaker 2: I mean, there's there's nothing that offers more comfort than pasta, 563 00:29:30,800 --> 00:29:34,480 Speaker 2: and particularly that pasta to me, because it's so simple. 564 00:29:34,720 --> 00:29:37,480 Speaker 2: You always have all the ingredients for a carbonara on hand. 565 00:29:38,200 --> 00:29:40,680 Speaker 2: It takes no time, it's good, and it's and there's 566 00:29:40,760 --> 00:29:46,040 Speaker 2: a oh it's I mean, the panshadow or the granchale. 567 00:29:45,680 --> 00:29:47,280 Speaker 3: And the cheese. 568 00:29:47,320 --> 00:29:51,320 Speaker 2: It's exactly what you need. I cannot resist a carbonara, 569 00:29:51,720 --> 00:29:51,960 Speaker 2: and I. 570 00:29:52,040 --> 00:29:54,040 Speaker 1: Take it with one type of pasta, do you make 571 00:29:54,080 --> 00:29:56,080 Speaker 1: it with different you. 572 00:29:56,080 --> 00:30:01,000 Speaker 2: Know, sometimes sometimes spaghettis, sometimes Linguini. I know that if 573 00:30:01,080 --> 00:30:03,800 Speaker 2: I have only short pasta in the house, I'll do that, 574 00:30:03,960 --> 00:30:06,040 Speaker 2: but I I do. 575 00:30:06,160 --> 00:30:08,840 Speaker 3: I feel that to me, part of part of comfort 576 00:30:09,040 --> 00:30:12,760 Speaker 3: is the toiling. If I want real comfort, that's interesting. 577 00:30:12,840 --> 00:30:16,720 Speaker 2: I do really want to toil. It's it's a it 578 00:30:16,800 --> 00:30:19,120 Speaker 2: must go back to child, and I mean there's something 579 00:30:19,160 --> 00:30:19,840 Speaker 2: in that act. 580 00:30:20,040 --> 00:30:22,040 Speaker 3: I also love storying Risotto. 581 00:30:21,680 --> 00:30:26,080 Speaker 1: For exple there's something very but. 582 00:30:26,000 --> 00:30:27,440 Speaker 3: That's that's longer. If I want. 583 00:30:27,560 --> 00:30:29,640 Speaker 2: If I want comfort and I want it right away, 584 00:30:29,720 --> 00:30:30,560 Speaker 2: it's a carbonara. 585 00:30:30,680 --> 00:30:32,200 Speaker 1: Okay, we'll have fun together. 586 00:30:32,480 --> 00:30:37,600 Speaker 2: Yes, okay, thank you, Oh my total pleasure. 587 00:30:40,560 --> 00:30:44,440 Speaker 1: Ruthie's Table for is proud to support Leukemia UK. The 588 00:30:44,640 --> 00:30:48,440 Speaker 1: Cartwheel for a Cure campaign raises funds for vital research 589 00:30:48,880 --> 00:30:53,240 Speaker 1: and more effective and kinder treatments for cute my Lord leukemia. 590 00:30:53,680 --> 00:30:57,920 Speaker 1: Please donate and to do so search Cartwheel for Cure. 591 00:31:00,480 --> 00:31:03,720 Speaker 2: Ruthie's Table four was produced by Alex Bell, Robbie Hamilton 592 00:31:03,840 --> 00:31:07,480 Speaker 2: and Zad Rogers, with Andrew Sang and Bella Selini. This 593 00:31:07,600 --> 00:31:16,040 Speaker 2: has been an atomized production for iHeartMedia.