1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:03,320 Speaker 1: Welcome to River Cafe Table for a production of I 2 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:11,640 Speaker 1: Heart Radio and Adam I Studios. If food and life 3 00:00:11,840 --> 00:00:14,920 Speaker 1: have a close connection, then so does Lily Allen and 4 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:20,640 Speaker 1: The River Cafe. Both born and raised in Hammersmith, West London, 5 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:24,560 Speaker 1: Lily in May nineteen eighty five and The River Cafe 6 00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:30,080 Speaker 1: eighteen months later in September nineteen eighty seven. We both 7 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:33,040 Speaker 1: have had our shares of ups and downs as we 8 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:36,240 Speaker 1: came of age, but as creatives, I like to think 9 00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:39,519 Speaker 1: that we both share a common commitment to being honest 10 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:43,159 Speaker 1: and straight about what we believe in and the values 11 00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:47,080 Speaker 1: we hold. Lily really does tell it as it is, 12 00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:50,000 Speaker 1: and that's what we're going to do to day. Talk 13 00:00:50,280 --> 00:00:55,240 Speaker 1: about food, food and memories, food and family, food and love. Hi, 14 00:00:55,560 --> 00:00:58,520 Speaker 1: Hi Danny, would you like to read your recipe? I'd 15 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:07,000 Speaker 1: love to. I have chosen fig and cannellini salad. You'll 16 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:12,039 Speaker 1: need twelve ripe figs, two hundred miles of extra virgin 17 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:16,479 Speaker 1: olive oil, one bunch of fresh green basil, one bunch 18 00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:20,760 Speaker 1: of fresh purple basil, one bunch of fresh mint, a 19 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:26,520 Speaker 1: selection of salad leaves, including rockets of cooked cannellini beans, 20 00:01:27,040 --> 00:01:30,640 Speaker 1: and the juice of one lemon. Slice the figs and 21 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:34,400 Speaker 1: spread out on a large plate. Season and drizzle over 22 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:38,319 Speaker 1: half of the extra virgin olive oil. Warm the cannellini 23 00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:42,560 Speaker 1: beans in their cooking liquid. Drain and season in a 24 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:46,960 Speaker 1: large bowl. Combine the figs and warm cannellini beans, stirring well. 25 00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:50,880 Speaker 1: Gently toss through the herbs and leaves. Add lemon juice 26 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:54,920 Speaker 1: and extra virgin olive oil. Why did you choose, of 27 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:58,000 Speaker 1: all the recipes of the River Cafe books, this this recipe. 28 00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:02,360 Speaker 1: I love a bean salad, and figs are possibly my 29 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:06,280 Speaker 1: favorite fruit. Usually I have figs with sort of cheese 30 00:02:06,360 --> 00:02:09,960 Speaker 1: or something else about both the things that delicious. And 31 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:14,400 Speaker 1: you're very good at putting delicious things together. And we'll 32 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 1: do it tonight because you're staying out for dinner. We'll 33 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:19,480 Speaker 1: make this for you tonight. But you do cook. I 34 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:23,440 Speaker 1: was really into cooking when I was a teenager. That's 35 00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:26,040 Speaker 1: sort of thirteen. I actually went and did a called 36 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:30,720 Speaker 1: on Blur of course in Marlabone, remember asking for like 37 00:02:30,760 --> 00:02:35,080 Speaker 1: a set of Sabatia nights my thirteenth birthday. It's funny 38 00:02:35,120 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 1: because it's really one of those things that you have 39 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:40,440 Speaker 1: to keep up in order to, you know, it's it's 40 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:43,440 Speaker 1: like muscle memory. And I definitely have, you know, like 41 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:47,280 Speaker 1: a handful of recipes that have sort of stuck with me. 42 00:02:47,360 --> 00:02:49,200 Speaker 1: But I remember when I when at the beginning of 43 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:51,079 Speaker 1: my career, when I'd go off on tour for sort 44 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:53,720 Speaker 1: of two years at a time, I'd come back and 45 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:56,239 Speaker 1: I'd forget how to make a spaghetti bolonnaise, and it 46 00:02:56,280 --> 00:02:59,280 Speaker 1: would really freak me out. Actually, you know, because when 47 00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:01,639 Speaker 1: you're on tour, you just don't have access to a kitchen. 48 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:05,520 Speaker 1: You know, you're in a tour bus or in hotel rooms, 49 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:07,480 Speaker 1: so there's just no way that you would ever be 50 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:11,880 Speaker 1: able to get anywhere nearer chopping board and fresh vegetables. 51 00:03:12,200 --> 00:03:15,079 Speaker 1: But yeah, I love cooking and you love eating. I 52 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:18,960 Speaker 1: love eating. I've never been times when you know that 53 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:22,959 Speaker 1: your music describes when you've been on the edge, you're down. 54 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:28,400 Speaker 1: Do you find that when you're kind of emotionally vulnerable 55 00:03:28,480 --> 00:03:32,120 Speaker 1: that you don't need or you know, I'm an eater 56 00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:35,520 Speaker 1: when I when I'm sad. Yeah, yeah, but I think 57 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:38,800 Speaker 1: you know, I have one in my family is emotional eaters. 58 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:44,240 Speaker 1: We all sort of reach for, usually carbohydrates feeling low. 59 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:48,280 Speaker 1: There's this thing that my mom makes, which you will 60 00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:52,640 Speaker 1: think is horrendous, but it's like the thing that I 61 00:03:52,640 --> 00:03:55,000 Speaker 1: want her to come over and drop off of my 62 00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:57,640 Speaker 1: house when I'm feeling really depressed. Which is called cheese pie, 63 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:00,200 Speaker 1: and it's but it's used to make it when she 64 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:03,960 Speaker 1: was living in her student accommodation when I was a baby. 65 00:04:04,040 --> 00:04:08,560 Speaker 1: But it's a casserole dish with two tins of tin 66 00:04:08,680 --> 00:04:12,760 Speaker 1: spaghetti within the tomato sauce, with a layer of cheesy 67 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:15,400 Speaker 1: mashed potato on top and then put in the oven. 68 00:04:18,080 --> 00:04:20,120 Speaker 1: I didn't know what you were going to say, but 69 00:04:20,279 --> 00:04:22,360 Speaker 1: I really didn't think you were going to say getting 70 00:04:22,400 --> 00:04:28,760 Speaker 1: covered by vershed potatoes. It's really really gross, but I 71 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:31,039 Speaker 1: love it it, just like, yeah, it makes me feel 72 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:34,560 Speaker 1: really really protected and comported by my mom's sort of 73 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:38,760 Speaker 1: stodgy eighties cooking. And so tell me about growing up 74 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:41,280 Speaker 1: in the Allen household. What was the food like? Did 75 00:04:41,279 --> 00:04:44,320 Speaker 1: you Yeah, did your mom cook her your dad or 76 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:47,560 Speaker 1: my mom cooked a lot? Yeah, she was. She kind 77 00:04:47,560 --> 00:04:49,960 Speaker 1: of cooked, you know, kids like stodgy food. And then 78 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:52,559 Speaker 1: I guess, as well, Yeah, we've got a little bit older, 79 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:54,680 Speaker 1: we had sort of more variation. There's always lots of 80 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:58,920 Speaker 1: entertaining going on on the weekends and Sunday roasts and yeah, 81 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:01,760 Speaker 1: dinner party. I imagine it's where I sort of it 82 00:05:02,839 --> 00:05:05,880 Speaker 1: learn a lot about food, seeing your parents entertaining and 83 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:10,200 Speaker 1: seeing the food quite different hearing the voices the adult conversation. 84 00:05:10,680 --> 00:05:13,400 Speaker 1: So when you would go downstairs and sit at the table, 85 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:15,680 Speaker 1: always sit when someone's that, what what was it like? 86 00:05:16,040 --> 00:05:19,200 Speaker 1: What did that feel like? I was always like, you know, 87 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:21,840 Speaker 1: fascinated by growing ups. When I was a kid, I 88 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:25,040 Speaker 1: didn't really have that many friends my own age, and 89 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:28,800 Speaker 1: I just was desperate to be an adult from quite 90 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:32,200 Speaker 1: an early age. So I just remember sort of, yeah, 91 00:05:32,279 --> 00:05:35,280 Speaker 1: sitting on you know, my godmother's laugh, you know, pretending 92 00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:40,200 Speaker 1: that I liked olives, which I really didn't. Yeah, just 93 00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:43,159 Speaker 1: sort of soaking up all of the conversation, pretending that 94 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:46,280 Speaker 1: you understand what's what's going on, but not really you know, 95 00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:49,320 Speaker 1: probably concentrating so hard on trying to blend in that 96 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:52,240 Speaker 1: you're not really doing much with it. The day that 97 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:55,680 Speaker 1: you stay with many sense of time, we get a 98 00:05:55,720 --> 00:06:01,159 Speaker 1: bed with it. No, my parents, definitely we're not strict 99 00:06:01,200 --> 00:06:04,320 Speaker 1: in that in essence, Tell about your mother and father. 100 00:06:04,440 --> 00:06:07,120 Speaker 1: What did tell me about their lives. Well. First of all, 101 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:09,520 Speaker 1: you know, my parents were divorced by the time I 102 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:11,279 Speaker 1: was four, so I don't really have many memories of 103 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:17,880 Speaker 1: them together, although actually I do remember one party that 104 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:20,960 Speaker 1: they had at our flat in Bloomsbury. I think it 105 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:24,159 Speaker 1: must have been around Christmas or New Year, and me 106 00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:28,480 Speaker 1: and my brother made bagels, toasted bagels and cream cheese, 107 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:30,240 Speaker 1: and then we had like one of those sort of 108 00:06:30,760 --> 00:06:33,360 Speaker 1: drinks trolleys that you could push around in our flat, 109 00:06:33,440 --> 00:06:35,719 Speaker 1: and me and my brother were pushing most made like 110 00:06:36,040 --> 00:06:38,200 Speaker 1: piles what seemed like piles at the time, but we 111 00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:41,839 Speaker 1: were very small, Um yeah, pushing them around the living 112 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:44,560 Speaker 1: room and trying to charge people for a bagel with 113 00:06:44,640 --> 00:06:48,359 Speaker 1: cream cheese. I don't know if we've got many takers. 114 00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:51,560 Speaker 1: I don't know if people are. That sounds pretty good 115 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:57,000 Speaker 1: to me, and baggers and cream chees anywhere. I mean. Actually, 116 00:06:57,000 --> 00:07:02,000 Speaker 1: my my mom, my brother went to boarding school and 117 00:07:02,080 --> 00:07:05,039 Speaker 1: he was eight, and my sister, you know, had a 118 00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:07,919 Speaker 1: quite colorful social life from the age of sort of 119 00:07:07,920 --> 00:07:11,600 Speaker 1: thirteen or fourteen, so she wasn't really around much, so 120 00:07:11,840 --> 00:07:14,160 Speaker 1: I was. There would be quite a lot of times 121 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:16,600 Speaker 1: when it was just me and my mom and my 122 00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:19,600 Speaker 1: stepdad in our house in Promote Hill, and I remember 123 00:07:19,600 --> 00:07:22,640 Speaker 1: getting taken to dinner parties at other people's houses quite 124 00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:25,640 Speaker 1: a lot um in the week. I remember like I 125 00:07:25,680 --> 00:07:27,680 Speaker 1: would be tired and I get to school the next 126 00:07:27,760 --> 00:07:29,320 Speaker 1: day and people would be like, are you okay? And 127 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:34,880 Speaker 1: out of clocking the morning listening to grown ups rubbit 128 00:07:34,960 --> 00:07:37,360 Speaker 1: on about nothing. What about when you saw your father 129 00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:39,360 Speaker 1: did he cook for you or did he Yeah, he 130 00:07:39,400 --> 00:07:42,560 Speaker 1: was like a little bit more rustic my dad with 131 00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:45,080 Speaker 1: his food. Like we did a lot of camping and 132 00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:47,320 Speaker 1: going to festivals and stuff, so there was always quite 133 00:07:47,320 --> 00:07:49,240 Speaker 1: a lot of like cooking on open fires with him, 134 00:07:49,240 --> 00:07:52,720 Speaker 1: and he used to do like this digging hole and 135 00:07:52,800 --> 00:07:55,840 Speaker 1: making like sort of baking meat or barbecuing it like 136 00:07:56,080 --> 00:07:59,240 Speaker 1: in a hole for you know, slow cooking stuff. So yeah, 137 00:07:59,280 --> 00:08:02,480 Speaker 1: that was sort of more more his vibe. But yeah, 138 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:04,880 Speaker 1: you know, I had, you know, sort of fabulous social 139 00:08:05,760 --> 00:08:08,880 Speaker 1: parents and was taken along for the ride. And so 140 00:08:08,920 --> 00:08:11,200 Speaker 1: if you grew up with the food, when did you 141 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:15,000 Speaker 1: start discovering that they were start discovering food For myself? 142 00:08:15,040 --> 00:08:19,000 Speaker 1: I mean like, yeah, going to sort of like social 143 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:23,040 Speaker 1: gatherings with my mom and her friends. My best friend Mikita. 144 00:08:23,440 --> 00:08:27,400 Speaker 1: Her mom is Antiguan and so she was always I've 145 00:08:27,360 --> 00:08:30,720 Speaker 1: always been really interested in like world food, and she 146 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:35,000 Speaker 1: you know, introduced me to sort of Caribbean food and 147 00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:38,920 Speaker 1: I loved all of that growing up. I thought it 148 00:08:38,960 --> 00:08:41,720 Speaker 1: was just the most delicious, you know, sort of baked 149 00:08:41,760 --> 00:08:43,840 Speaker 1: chicken and all of the spices with the rice and 150 00:08:43,880 --> 00:08:46,920 Speaker 1: the peas. And also growing up in West London as well, 151 00:08:46,920 --> 00:08:50,400 Speaker 1: there was always sort of portsbellter market market store food. 152 00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:53,080 Speaker 1: My dad had this friend called Vicky who had a 153 00:08:53,600 --> 00:08:56,640 Speaker 1: stalled down in Camden Market where we would go and 154 00:08:56,679 --> 00:08:58,680 Speaker 1: have sort of for laffles every weekend. So I was 155 00:08:58,800 --> 00:09:02,480 Speaker 1: always really interested in trying foods from different parts of 156 00:09:02,480 --> 00:09:05,440 Speaker 1: the world. And then when I started touring as a 157 00:09:05,480 --> 00:09:11,320 Speaker 1: recording artist, I just became obsessed with local food from 158 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:23,120 Speaker 1: wherever it was that we were. Whatever is it like, 159 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:26,520 Speaker 1: going on tour and discovering culture through the food, Well, 160 00:09:26,559 --> 00:09:28,560 Speaker 1: I mean it's the sort of habit of mine, which 161 00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:31,839 Speaker 1: is that when I get off stage, I've taken all 162 00:09:31,840 --> 00:09:34,960 Speaker 1: my makeup off, I get on the bus or you know, 163 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:38,319 Speaker 1: however it is that we're traveling, I'll get my phone 164 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:41,000 Speaker 1: out and look at the city that we're driving into 165 00:09:41,040 --> 00:09:45,760 Speaker 1: the next morning, and I plan each meal. Yeah, the 166 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:47,240 Speaker 1: first thing I would look for in the morning was 167 00:09:47,280 --> 00:09:50,719 Speaker 1: the best place for coffee and pastries. And then if 168 00:09:50,720 --> 00:09:53,000 Speaker 1: we were in Mexico, then I want to find out 169 00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:55,959 Speaker 1: where the best tackos were for lunch and etcetera, etcetera. 170 00:09:56,080 --> 00:09:59,840 Speaker 1: So yeah, that was I will always plan my day 171 00:09:59,880 --> 00:10:02,840 Speaker 1: or around food. There's all. You're not the only I mean, 172 00:10:02,920 --> 00:10:05,760 Speaker 1: when I was talking to Jake chillen A, he said 173 00:10:05,800 --> 00:10:08,400 Speaker 1: that no matter where he's going on location, wherever he's 174 00:10:08,440 --> 00:10:11,480 Speaker 1: going for a movie, wherever in the world, he spends 175 00:10:11,600 --> 00:10:14,760 Speaker 1: days before deciding where he's going to eat. And what 176 00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:16,760 Speaker 1: is it like touring? What is it like when you 177 00:10:16,880 --> 00:10:20,520 Speaker 1: go on It really hard actually do well. I mean 178 00:10:20,559 --> 00:10:23,760 Speaker 1: it's because most places where they're you know, we'll pull 179 00:10:23,840 --> 00:10:26,040 Speaker 1: up outside you know the venue, and that's where we'll 180 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:29,560 Speaker 1: be based for the day. So and most venues are 181 00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:32,719 Speaker 1: in you know, parts of town where there's no residential 182 00:10:32,920 --> 00:10:35,480 Speaker 1: it's you know, where you can make noise. So yeah, 183 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:38,680 Speaker 1: people don't usually live there and so therefore there's not 184 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:42,960 Speaker 1: places to eat. So yeah, it's difficult. It's difficult to 185 00:10:42,960 --> 00:10:45,960 Speaker 1: meet and you're obviously relying on what the venue have 186 00:10:47,160 --> 00:10:49,200 Speaker 1: got in for you a lot of the time, So 187 00:10:49,320 --> 00:10:51,240 Speaker 1: you're going to the dressing room and there'll be some 188 00:10:51,320 --> 00:10:55,439 Speaker 1: sort of like plate with cheeses and ham have been 189 00:10:55,720 --> 00:11:00,600 Speaker 1: in the sort of sweating it's not the isis and 190 00:11:00,640 --> 00:11:05,800 Speaker 1: then crisps and sweets and things like that, maybe fruit sometimes, 191 00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:08,920 Speaker 1: but yeah, that's what I I sort of like have 192 00:11:09,080 --> 00:11:13,720 Speaker 1: my sort of routine, which is our order and uber 193 00:11:13,800 --> 00:11:16,880 Speaker 1: and go into town and find somewhere to have coffee 194 00:11:16,920 --> 00:11:19,080 Speaker 1: and then sit and decide what it is I'm going 195 00:11:19,120 --> 00:11:20,600 Speaker 1: to do with the rest of my day. You ever 196 00:11:20,679 --> 00:11:23,280 Speaker 1: to spend the day there before the concert at night, 197 00:11:23,800 --> 00:11:26,000 Speaker 1: it depends how far away is from the venue that 198 00:11:26,040 --> 00:11:27,520 Speaker 1: you come from the last night. But if you're in 199 00:11:27,559 --> 00:11:30,160 Speaker 1: America and you've got like, you know, fourteen hour drive 200 00:11:30,200 --> 00:11:33,000 Speaker 1: before in between shows, then you don't have that much time. 201 00:11:33,040 --> 00:11:35,080 Speaker 1: But if you you know, just a couple of miles 202 00:11:35,120 --> 00:11:37,160 Speaker 1: up the road, then yeah, you might have the whole 203 00:11:37,240 --> 00:11:38,679 Speaker 1: day and you can get a couple of good meals. 204 00:11:38,679 --> 00:11:43,199 Speaker 1: In do you eat before a show, after a show, 205 00:11:43,360 --> 00:11:48,640 Speaker 1: or during a show? Probably I'll eat like a a 206 00:11:48,679 --> 00:11:51,960 Speaker 1: bigger breakfast, I won't have lunch, and then I'll have 207 00:11:52,000 --> 00:11:55,240 Speaker 1: a dinner afterwards. I don't want to really go on 208 00:11:55,360 --> 00:12:00,800 Speaker 1: stage on a full stomach. Not not good idea about 209 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:03,960 Speaker 1: tell me about the player and tell us about the place. 210 00:12:04,520 --> 00:12:08,520 Speaker 1: I'm doing a play called two, which is a sort 211 00:12:08,559 --> 00:12:11,560 Speaker 1: of dinner party play. So what does a dinner party play. 212 00:12:11,720 --> 00:12:14,280 Speaker 1: The whole thing is set over one evening around a table, 213 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:18,959 Speaker 1: and it's all about usually quite small cast like Who's 214 00:12:18,960 --> 00:12:21,480 Speaker 1: afraid of Virginia Wolf and like you know plays. It's 215 00:12:21,520 --> 00:12:27,040 Speaker 1: it's definitely a thing um And that's that's what there's 216 00:12:27,040 --> 00:12:30,400 Speaker 1: plans is the food on the table. Yeah, I have 217 00:12:30,480 --> 00:12:36,760 Speaker 1: to make an asparagus risotto because so tell me about 218 00:12:36,760 --> 00:12:38,680 Speaker 1: that that because we want to bring everything back to 219 00:12:38,720 --> 00:12:41,080 Speaker 1: the food. But what is it? What is it? What 220 00:12:41,240 --> 00:12:42,960 Speaker 1: is it? Like, Oh my gosh, you're going to hate 221 00:12:42,960 --> 00:12:46,880 Speaker 1: it because well it's not actually resorted. They were kind 222 00:12:46,880 --> 00:12:50,360 Speaker 1: of like have already made as matti rice and then 223 00:12:50,400 --> 00:12:52,360 Speaker 1: I kind of like add stock to it as we're 224 00:12:52,440 --> 00:12:55,480 Speaker 1: you know, doing the first sort of fifteen or twenty minutes, 225 00:12:55,559 --> 00:12:58,400 Speaker 1: and then yeah, don't I chopped up asparagus and chuck 226 00:12:58,400 --> 00:13:00,439 Speaker 1: the asparagus in and then I dish it out and 227 00:13:00,600 --> 00:13:05,280 Speaker 1: you're talking, well, and my characters, women called Jenny, who's 228 00:13:05,280 --> 00:13:08,440 Speaker 1: a primary school teacher married to a guy called Sam. We're, 229 00:13:08,720 --> 00:13:13,400 Speaker 1: you know, having friends over for dinner. Are mid renovation 230 00:13:13,800 --> 00:13:17,199 Speaker 1: house and Jenny my character, is convinced that the house 231 00:13:17,240 --> 00:13:21,640 Speaker 1: is being haunted by a ghost, and so she asks 232 00:13:21,679 --> 00:13:24,680 Speaker 1: that the other guests stay up until two two, which 233 00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:26,640 Speaker 1: is when the time of night when the ghost comes 234 00:13:26,679 --> 00:13:31,120 Speaker 1: along to witness and give their thoughts on what's happening. 235 00:13:31,160 --> 00:13:34,640 Speaker 1: And so, yeah, it's sort of it's a it's an 236 00:13:34,640 --> 00:13:40,720 Speaker 1: interesting play. If ghosts exist, why aren't there absolutely loads 237 00:13:40,760 --> 00:13:43,360 Speaker 1: of them? How do you mean, why aren't they flooding 238 00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:46,600 Speaker 1: it into our world in their thousands. A minute later, 239 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:50,839 Speaker 1: it came walking round and round, turned on the light 240 00:13:50,880 --> 00:13:52,959 Speaker 1: and the room was empty. It was a dream. I 241 00:13:53,120 --> 00:13:56,200 Speaker 1: wasn't asleep. Don't you believe I should have been here. 242 00:14:00,640 --> 00:14:04,719 Speaker 1: We've spoken about tables, the tables that you grew up 243 00:14:04,760 --> 00:14:07,120 Speaker 1: with as a child, coming down and we can close 244 00:14:07,160 --> 00:14:09,760 Speaker 1: their eyes right now, I can and see this child 245 00:14:09,840 --> 00:14:13,040 Speaker 1: coming down to the grown up dinner party, or the 246 00:14:13,160 --> 00:14:17,840 Speaker 1: tables that kind of even prepared for yourself in the 247 00:14:17,920 --> 00:14:21,240 Speaker 1: face of not being able to have to cook, to 248 00:14:21,360 --> 00:14:23,720 Speaker 1: have a pearthy meal, finding a table in a town 249 00:14:23,720 --> 00:14:27,680 Speaker 1: where you could have a cappuccino. And so the thought 250 00:14:27,720 --> 00:14:29,880 Speaker 1: that you're in a play right now that is centered 251 00:14:29,920 --> 00:14:32,520 Speaker 1: around a table, this is something that you think, that's 252 00:14:32,560 --> 00:14:35,200 Speaker 1: a table, the theme of a table in your life, 253 00:14:35,240 --> 00:14:37,160 Speaker 1: and the table is very central to our play. I 254 00:14:37,200 --> 00:14:39,800 Speaker 1: can't go too much into it because it is it's 255 00:14:39,840 --> 00:14:44,040 Speaker 1: part of the twist. But yeah, I guess kitchen table 256 00:14:44,160 --> 00:14:48,040 Speaker 1: is central to the sort of family ideal, isn't it. 257 00:14:48,080 --> 00:14:50,480 Speaker 1: And I guess maybe I put a lot of focus 258 00:14:50,480 --> 00:14:53,120 Speaker 1: onto it because I don't feel like that table featured 259 00:14:53,320 --> 00:14:58,280 Speaker 1: enough in my childhood. But it's definitely something that is 260 00:14:58,280 --> 00:15:01,360 Speaker 1: important to me. In fact, David and my husband and 261 00:15:01,360 --> 00:15:03,760 Speaker 1: I are building a house in New York together at 262 00:15:03,760 --> 00:15:06,520 Speaker 1: the moment, and I'm always talking about this table that 263 00:15:06,560 --> 00:15:11,480 Speaker 1: doesn't exist yet, which is you know, very very central 264 00:15:11,520 --> 00:15:13,920 Speaker 1: to the to the whole running of the house. I 265 00:15:13,920 --> 00:15:15,680 Speaker 1: don't want it to be just a place where food 266 00:15:15,760 --> 00:15:17,680 Speaker 1: is prepared. I want it to be where the kids 267 00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:19,640 Speaker 1: coming from school and they dump their bags on that 268 00:15:19,720 --> 00:15:22,360 Speaker 1: table and they want to be doing their homework while 269 00:15:22,400 --> 00:15:26,360 Speaker 1: I'm cooking their food. And it feeling like the engine 270 00:15:26,440 --> 00:15:29,800 Speaker 1: room of our lives really and where we communicate and 271 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:33,360 Speaker 1: share ideas together and emotions, talk about what's happened with 272 00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:37,240 Speaker 1: our day and unpack what how we're experiencing the world. 273 00:15:38,280 --> 00:15:40,200 Speaker 1: So yeah, and I guess there there is a little 274 00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:42,680 Speaker 1: bit of that in the play that I'm doing, which 275 00:15:42,760 --> 00:15:46,960 Speaker 1: is set around a table in a kitchen. Well, in 276 00:15:46,960 --> 00:15:48,960 Speaker 1: a few minutes, you're going to be sitting around a 277 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:52,120 Speaker 1: table in the River Cafe. And I always associate you 278 00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:55,600 Speaker 1: actually with Table leven, which is a table closest to 279 00:15:55,720 --> 00:15:58,480 Speaker 1: the past. I don't know. I just always used to 280 00:15:58,520 --> 00:16:01,120 Speaker 1: see you there and would come with him with big 281 00:16:01,120 --> 00:16:04,080 Speaker 1: groups of people. Do you know you're coming with David? 282 00:16:04,200 --> 00:16:09,200 Speaker 1: And yeah, it's like my sort of little secret treat. 283 00:16:09,240 --> 00:16:11,440 Speaker 1: I guess maybe because it's not in town. It always 284 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:14,720 Speaker 1: feels like a special treat coming to the River Cafe. 285 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:17,960 Speaker 1: And I live mostly in West London, so it's not 286 00:16:18,040 --> 00:16:22,120 Speaker 1: never that far, but it's it's not um although I 287 00:16:22,120 --> 00:16:27,920 Speaker 1: did have one birthday party here. Yeah, it's a very 288 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:30,880 Speaker 1: messy affair. Sorry, I think I behaved quite badly that night. 289 00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:33,680 Speaker 1: What happened, But there was a table, that's a table, 290 00:16:34,120 --> 00:16:37,960 Speaker 1: that's a very big table. That room actually just practically 291 00:16:38,040 --> 00:16:40,520 Speaker 1: is a table. Tell me what was that like? That. 292 00:16:40,920 --> 00:16:46,640 Speaker 1: I don't know. I think that we were asked never, 293 00:16:47,440 --> 00:17:01,640 Speaker 1: maybe not me or maybe some of my guests. When 294 00:17:01,680 --> 00:17:04,399 Speaker 1: I had my kids and lived in the countryside, food 295 00:17:04,440 --> 00:17:08,000 Speaker 1: and entertaining was massive for me. You know, we had 296 00:17:08,040 --> 00:17:10,479 Speaker 1: like a few bedrooms, bare bedrooms, and people would come 297 00:17:10,520 --> 00:17:13,000 Speaker 1: down from London every weekend and I would do, you know, 298 00:17:13,119 --> 00:17:16,439 Speaker 1: massive meals on our big long table in the dining 299 00:17:16,520 --> 00:17:19,520 Speaker 1: room and yeah, so that's a lot. So you did, 300 00:17:19,840 --> 00:17:23,000 Speaker 1: you know I did. Yeah. We had a house in Gloucestershire, 301 00:17:23,480 --> 00:17:26,160 Speaker 1: just outside of Stroud, and you know, there's a farmer's 302 00:17:26,160 --> 00:17:28,159 Speaker 1: market there, so I would go to the farmers market 303 00:17:28,200 --> 00:17:31,399 Speaker 1: and buy all of the produce and um, yeah, and 304 00:17:31,400 --> 00:17:35,760 Speaker 1: people would come down and it was all very seasonal fair. 305 00:17:36,240 --> 00:17:39,560 Speaker 1: But yeah, I love cooking. I'm doing this play here 306 00:17:39,560 --> 00:17:41,480 Speaker 1: at the moment, and I'm actually living at friend's house. 307 00:17:41,640 --> 00:17:43,960 Speaker 1: My kids are spending the summer with their dad and 308 00:17:44,520 --> 00:17:48,400 Speaker 1: my mom's. But when things are a little bit more 309 00:17:48,400 --> 00:17:51,160 Speaker 1: normal and we're all living together under one roof, then 310 00:17:51,359 --> 00:17:54,919 Speaker 1: it's I'd make them every weekend without fail. I'd do 311 00:17:54,960 --> 00:17:59,840 Speaker 1: a Sunday boast on a Sunday. It's just my mom always, 312 00:18:00,040 --> 00:18:03,040 Speaker 1: you know, she she wasn't quite as militant about it 313 00:18:03,080 --> 00:18:07,880 Speaker 1: as I am. But I I just love a Sunday rost. 314 00:18:07,880 --> 00:18:09,679 Speaker 1: I love the ritual of it. I love getting up 315 00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:12,760 Speaker 1: early on a Sunday morning and peeling all my potatoes 316 00:18:12,760 --> 00:18:14,879 Speaker 1: and putting them in the fridge to dry out, and 317 00:18:15,480 --> 00:18:17,560 Speaker 1: the goose bat and I just love all of the 318 00:18:17,600 --> 00:18:21,160 Speaker 1: different bits. And I just love, you know, so usually 319 00:18:21,359 --> 00:18:23,880 Speaker 1: using the seasonal vegetables and you know, the root vegs 320 00:18:23,880 --> 00:18:26,680 Speaker 1: in the winter and more salads in the summer. And 321 00:18:26,680 --> 00:18:30,160 Speaker 1: and also I just think it's really important for my kids. 322 00:18:30,200 --> 00:18:34,119 Speaker 1: I'm slightly manipulative as well, because I think that they 323 00:18:34,119 --> 00:18:36,879 Speaker 1: will always come back to me on the weekends, because 324 00:18:36,960 --> 00:18:39,280 Speaker 1: if they know that that roast dinner is always going 325 00:18:39,320 --> 00:18:41,280 Speaker 1: to be there at three o'clock on a Sunday afternoon, 326 00:18:42,359 --> 00:18:47,080 Speaker 1: they'll always come home. They were the memories of, yeah, 327 00:18:47,480 --> 00:18:49,800 Speaker 1: you're remembering your mother's I think the memory of a 328 00:18:49,840 --> 00:18:54,399 Speaker 1: tradition of a Friday night dinner Shabbat or Sunday lunch, 329 00:18:54,480 --> 00:18:58,640 Speaker 1: and that is, you know, the tradition. You know, I say, 330 00:18:58,240 --> 00:19:02,639 Speaker 1: in an irregular world, we need regular things. You know 331 00:19:02,760 --> 00:19:05,240 Speaker 1: that that Sunday election you always look the same meat? 332 00:19:05,320 --> 00:19:08,520 Speaker 1: Is it always We do quite a lot of chicken, 333 00:19:08,640 --> 00:19:12,040 Speaker 1: but you know, I do ribs of beef. Sometimes I 334 00:19:12,160 --> 00:19:14,679 Speaker 1: do like a pork belly. But I did a twenty 335 00:19:14,680 --> 00:19:18,680 Speaker 1: four hour um pork shoulder as well, which is very 336 00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:20,800 Speaker 1: popular in our house. Is that sort of more like 337 00:19:20,840 --> 00:19:26,120 Speaker 1: in sort of Chinese spices and stuff starn ese and cinnamon, sugar, curklear, 338 00:19:26,160 --> 00:19:29,359 Speaker 1: the allen you are, you know, it's a ventpicious and 339 00:19:30,280 --> 00:19:33,120 Speaker 1: sid and picky. But yeah, what you're describing is and 340 00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:36,000 Speaker 1: also you know the little thing you said, and he said, 341 00:19:36,200 --> 00:19:39,280 Speaker 1: goose fat. So tell me about the goose fat. What 342 00:19:39,320 --> 00:19:42,200 Speaker 1: do we do with a goose fat? Well, my roast potatoes. 343 00:19:42,600 --> 00:19:47,240 Speaker 1: I peel them, boil them for about six or seven minutes, 344 00:19:47,320 --> 00:19:49,280 Speaker 1: and then I chucked them in the fridge and let 345 00:19:49,320 --> 00:19:52,760 Speaker 1: the air come out of them. Goose fat, a little 346 00:19:52,760 --> 00:19:56,800 Speaker 1: bit of oil into a roasting van until it starts smoking. 347 00:19:56,840 --> 00:19:59,200 Speaker 1: And then I coaked my potatoes in and chuck them 348 00:19:59,200 --> 00:20:01,840 Speaker 1: in for for an hour. Well, the rest of the stuff. 349 00:20:04,520 --> 00:20:08,280 Speaker 1: My mom said, actually that one of the funniest memories 350 00:20:08,320 --> 00:20:11,439 Speaker 1: that she has with me is this is my emotional 351 00:20:11,480 --> 00:20:14,480 Speaker 1: connection to roast inn It's that when I went traveling 352 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:20,000 Speaker 1: around Asia and I must have been eighteen or nineteen, 353 00:20:20,280 --> 00:20:22,960 Speaker 1: and I came back and she'd obviously made a roast 354 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:24,359 Speaker 1: inn because that's why I said that I wanted to 355 00:20:24,359 --> 00:20:26,840 Speaker 1: come back for. And we sat around the tables as 356 00:20:26,840 --> 00:20:30,960 Speaker 1: a family, and once we'd finished, my sister went, thanks, Mama, 357 00:20:31,080 --> 00:20:34,880 Speaker 1: was delicious, gravy was amazing, and I just burst into 358 00:20:34,920 --> 00:20:42,760 Speaker 1: tears because I had forgotten to put the gravy on. 359 00:20:46,880 --> 00:20:50,040 Speaker 1: So the rose tradition is something that goes back from 360 00:20:50,080 --> 00:20:53,720 Speaker 1: your childhood to yours and then to your children. Yeah, 361 00:20:54,720 --> 00:20:57,240 Speaker 1: but I think even my mom's childhood as well, you know, 362 00:20:57,280 --> 00:20:59,800 Speaker 1: I think she was sort of raised on roast inners. 363 00:20:59,800 --> 00:21:03,959 Speaker 1: And I mean maybe it's because in my family, just 364 00:21:04,800 --> 00:21:06,880 Speaker 1: the way that things have worked out and my mom being, 365 00:21:07,040 --> 00:21:10,680 Speaker 1: you know, a single working mother, and that was possibly 366 00:21:10,880 --> 00:21:12,840 Speaker 1: the one time a week that we all did come 367 00:21:12,880 --> 00:21:15,960 Speaker 1: together around a table. You know, there wasn't there wasn't 368 00:21:16,040 --> 00:21:18,320 Speaker 1: much of that. I don't really have memories of sitting 369 00:21:18,320 --> 00:21:21,280 Speaker 1: around the table as a family, but I do on Sundays. 370 00:21:21,359 --> 00:21:24,359 Speaker 1: I always asked what is your comfort food? And it 371 00:21:24,480 --> 00:21:28,800 Speaker 1: is very often food that was cooked for as a child. 372 00:21:28,960 --> 00:21:31,680 Speaker 1: A friend of mine who I said it was a 373 00:21:31,720 --> 00:21:34,040 Speaker 1: peanut butter and jelly sandwich because that's what he had 374 00:21:34,080 --> 00:21:36,800 Speaker 1: with his mother when he came home from school every day, 375 00:21:36,920 --> 00:21:39,879 Speaker 1: and she died when he was twenty, and that's what 376 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:43,239 Speaker 1: he wants to eat. So I think there, I think 377 00:21:43,440 --> 00:21:49,679 Speaker 1: roast chicken is quite central to everything. It's the center 378 00:21:49,720 --> 00:21:51,760 Speaker 1: of my world. Looks like a roast chicken. I think. 379 00:21:52,560 --> 00:21:54,560 Speaker 1: So your table is waiting, and I just want to 380 00:21:54,600 --> 00:21:57,920 Speaker 1: thank you so much for doing Thank you. We have 381 00:21:58,040 --> 00:22:05,240 Speaker 1: to share a table very soon. Kay. To visit the 382 00:22:05,359 --> 00:22:08,840 Speaker 1: online shop of The River Cafe, go to shop the 383 00:22:08,920 --> 00:22:20,399 Speaker 1: River Cafe dot co dot uk. River Cafe Table for 384 00:22:20,640 --> 00:22:23,240 Speaker 1: is a production of I Heart Radio and Adam I Studios. 385 00:22:23,640 --> 00:22:26,399 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from I Heart Radio, visit the I 386 00:22:26,520 --> 00:22:29,639 Speaker 1: heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 387 00:22:29,720 --> 00:22:30,520 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.