1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,680 Speaker 1: You are listening to Ruthie's Table four in partnership with Montclair. 2 00:00:04,519 --> 00:00:08,479 Speaker 2: Tonight, my friend Elizabeth Saltzman is hosting a dinner in 3 00:00:08,520 --> 00:00:13,320 Speaker 2: the River Cafe for the brilliant designer Nelie l'autan. Elizabeth 4 00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:16,919 Speaker 2: invited me to the dinner, but what's exciting is having 5 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 2: nearly here all to myself before we go in Nearlie 6 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:24,240 Speaker 2: is a creative, an entrepreneur who knows how to work 7 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:27,960 Speaker 2: and also knows how to have a good time. A 8 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:31,200 Speaker 2: woman with strong values she's held on to since starting 9 00:00:31,240 --> 00:00:35,599 Speaker 2: her own fashion company. She advocates for peace. She supports 10 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:40,200 Speaker 2: women and working mothers. She's authentic, having spent over thirty 11 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:44,400 Speaker 2: years refining her sense of style and her sense of self. 12 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:48,600 Speaker 2: She and I, a chef and a designer, have something 13 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:53,440 Speaker 2: else in common, believing great design, whether food or fashion, 14 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:58,920 Speaker 2: is about simplicity, precision, and timelessness. We're going to talk 15 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:04,000 Speaker 2: about food and architecture, food and politics, food and family, 16 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:07,880 Speaker 2: food and fashion, and then we get to have dinner too. 17 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:14,000 Speaker 2: Lucky me, lucky me, Thank you. You were born then 18 00:01:14,080 --> 00:01:14,679 Speaker 2: in Israel. 19 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:19,559 Speaker 3: She came in nineteen forty seven. My older sister, nineteen, 20 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:23,400 Speaker 3: was born nineteen forty nine, she has a miscarriage between 21 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:26,080 Speaker 3: me and my sister. And then I was born in 22 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:31,240 Speaker 3: nineteen fifty seven. Israel was still I mean, it's constantly 23 00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:37,240 Speaker 3: in conflict and wars, but it was still, you know, 24 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:38,240 Speaker 3: a small country. 25 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:39,280 Speaker 4: Everyone knew each other. 26 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:41,000 Speaker 2: And what did your father do. 27 00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:44,120 Speaker 4: He was a developer, real estate developer. 28 00:01:44,680 --> 00:01:47,240 Speaker 3: He did very well for himself, and we always moved 29 00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:50,120 Speaker 3: into the new house that he built, which most of 30 00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:55,960 Speaker 3: them were facing the Mediterranean, So I basically lived opening 31 00:01:55,960 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 3: the window and all I saw was the Mediterranean and 32 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 3: the horizon. So when I ended up in Crochton, I 33 00:02:02,400 --> 00:02:05,960 Speaker 3: was like, I'm home. It may not be the Mediterranean, 34 00:02:06,360 --> 00:02:10,240 Speaker 3: but I see the water. I was missing that in 35 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:13,440 Speaker 3: the city. So you grew up there, grew up there. 36 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:17,200 Speaker 3: Then I went to fashion school in Tel Aviv. 37 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:19,920 Speaker 2: There's only one fashion schoo wanted to do fashion. 38 00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:22,080 Speaker 4: It was my mom's recommendation. 39 00:02:22,320 --> 00:02:24,280 Speaker 3: I didn't know if I wanted to do an architect 40 00:02:24,880 --> 00:02:29,160 Speaker 3: But then somehow this school opened up and it was 41 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:33,079 Speaker 3: intrigued me because they it was textile and design and 42 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:37,800 Speaker 3: just a very general but major in fashion. And I 43 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:40,359 Speaker 3: did very well in school, and then they actually sent 44 00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:41,200 Speaker 3: me to New York. 45 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:44,000 Speaker 2: That was the first time you read I there. 46 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:49,040 Speaker 3: So I went to Europe when I was sixteen, to Florence, 47 00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:56,880 Speaker 3: to Paris, to the Netherlands. It was just like a 48 00:02:56,919 --> 00:03:00,720 Speaker 3: teenage group, you know. We were like traveling the group. 49 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:02,400 Speaker 4: Boy. 50 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:05,280 Speaker 3: I mean when I went on that airp my mom 51 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:08,080 Speaker 3: had to prepare for me a suit because I thought 52 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:12,239 Speaker 3: I would not be anything but Jackie Owe, who I've 53 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:14,280 Speaker 3: seen in the papers, and I had to have my 54 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:15,560 Speaker 3: suit and going up. 55 00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:19,119 Speaker 4: With the steps and so I still walking up. Oh yeah, 56 00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:20,560 Speaker 4: I knew exactly what I wanted. 57 00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:22,840 Speaker 2: Did you have fashion magazines? 58 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:27,240 Speaker 3: So that was the only resource I had was fashion 59 00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:30,760 Speaker 3: magazine that I found at the hairdresser that my mom 60 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:35,760 Speaker 3: did her hair. There were no fashion magazines in stores, 61 00:03:36,200 --> 00:03:39,119 Speaker 3: so she used to get it from her sister from Paris. 62 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:42,000 Speaker 3: And that's how I learned about Saint Lauran and all 63 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 3: these beautiful closes. Late sixties then this is sixties. Yeah, 64 00:03:49,200 --> 00:03:51,720 Speaker 3: and so you traveled around. But then you went so 65 00:03:51,840 --> 00:03:52,800 Speaker 3: how did you Who did. 66 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:54,160 Speaker 2: You stay with when you went to New York? 67 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:56,480 Speaker 3: Did you just I stayed in the ninety second y 68 00:03:57,680 --> 00:03:58,760 Speaker 3: I got my first job. 69 00:03:59,000 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 4: For twenty three years. 70 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:03,000 Speaker 3: I worked in the fashion industry, and then I opened 71 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:03,360 Speaker 3: my own. 72 00:04:03,600 --> 00:04:04,840 Speaker 2: You worked for Ralph Florence. 73 00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:10,440 Speaker 3: I worked for Ralph in the nineties late nineties. Then 74 00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:15,240 Speaker 3: from Ralph I moved to Nautica. Ralph was my best experience, 75 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:19,760 Speaker 3: Like if I ever, Ralph was the only design driven 76 00:04:19,839 --> 00:04:22,320 Speaker 3: company out of all the companies that I worked for. 77 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:27,560 Speaker 3: He hes still is, you know, I think so unique 78 00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:32,240 Speaker 3: in his approach to women and dressing and women a 79 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:42,760 Speaker 3: woman and consistency, perseverance and not being strayed by no trends, 80 00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:45,760 Speaker 3: just consistency, and I think I pretty much followed that. 81 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:51,039 Speaker 2: You know, Graydon Carter, he was the I was just 82 00:04:51,120 --> 00:04:53,919 Speaker 2: with him this weekend in France and he was talking 83 00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:55,480 Speaker 2: a lot about Ralph. 84 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:55,800 Speaker 4: Yeah. 85 00:04:56,279 --> 00:04:58,200 Speaker 2: Lf is really. 86 00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:03,560 Speaker 4: Very unique, I think, from a marketing. 87 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:09,000 Speaker 3: Genius to just being so consistent. 88 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:13,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, and tell me about starting a business, because both 89 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:16,880 Speaker 2: of us, I think, have actually started our own businesses. 90 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:22,239 Speaker 2: I did it with my partner. I was thirty eight 91 00:05:22,760 --> 00:05:26,600 Speaker 2: and Rose was ten years older, and we started the 92 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:29,480 Speaker 2: River Cafe with nothing and with a very simple idea. 93 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:33,480 Speaker 2: But reading about what you did, you also started. Yeah, 94 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:35,800 Speaker 2: did you do it on your own with a friend 95 00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:36,400 Speaker 2: or so? 96 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:38,840 Speaker 4: I actually worked at Nautika at the time. 97 00:05:39,720 --> 00:05:45,000 Speaker 3: And then one day David Chu, the founder of Nautica, nonchalantly, like, 98 00:05:45,120 --> 00:05:47,680 Speaker 3: without any preparation, said to me, Hey, if you ever 99 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:50,800 Speaker 3: want to start your own business, I'll financially back you up. 100 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:52,719 Speaker 4: I'm like, oh, really, but that means. 101 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:54,159 Speaker 2: That God, I mean, if he went to you to 102 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:58,479 Speaker 2: say that, he must have Yeah, you know, let's go here. Yeah. 103 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:00,479 Speaker 4: So we started it to get. 104 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:04,640 Speaker 3: And then a couple of weeks later he kind of 105 00:06:06,120 --> 00:06:09,080 Speaker 3: regretted the idea because he decided that he wants to 106 00:06:09,120 --> 00:06:13,359 Speaker 3: move to China, and so he left and I continued 107 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:18,800 Speaker 3: it on my own, without having the means, without having 108 00:06:18,880 --> 00:06:22,880 Speaker 3: the financial without having a business plan, with a lot 109 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:26,840 Speaker 3: of drive and confidence and a very simple idea. 110 00:06:26,920 --> 00:06:28,000 Speaker 2: What was the idea? 111 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:31,680 Speaker 3: So by then I was designing for twenty three years, 112 00:06:31,880 --> 00:06:36,919 Speaker 3: and I realized that at every company, whether it's clothing, food, music, 113 00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:42,480 Speaker 3: there is always few things that drive the business at 114 00:06:42,480 --> 00:06:45,919 Speaker 3: the end of the day. If you design a collection, 115 00:06:46,120 --> 00:06:48,040 Speaker 3: at the end of the day, there'll be five pieces 116 00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:49,360 Speaker 3: to drive the sales. 117 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:52,719 Speaker 4: I'm sure it's the same thing in the kitchen. 118 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:55,880 Speaker 3: So I said, I'm smart enough to figure out those 119 00:06:55,920 --> 00:06:59,599 Speaker 3: five pieces. Why should I design two hundred. Let me 120 00:06:59,760 --> 00:07:04,520 Speaker 3: just art with these five pieces, and that's it. They 121 00:07:04,560 --> 00:07:07,599 Speaker 3: were actually one of those items till today is my 122 00:07:07,680 --> 00:07:10,840 Speaker 3: best selling item. It's called the Sean pen Yes and 123 00:07:10,880 --> 00:07:14,920 Speaker 3: everyone owns it in five colors, and it's ridiculous because 124 00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:18,880 Speaker 3: it was right on Bingo. It all started with my 125 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:23,560 Speaker 3: ex husband flight suit. My husband was a pilot in 126 00:07:23,600 --> 00:07:26,360 Speaker 3: the Israeli Air Force. I looked at the flight suit. 127 00:07:26,440 --> 00:07:29,360 Speaker 3: I actually any labor with I want her her at 128 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:32,920 Speaker 3: the ninety second y and someone asked her, what do 129 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:38,120 Speaker 3: you recommend to a young photographer, and she said, look 130 00:07:38,200 --> 00:07:42,760 Speaker 3: around yourself and find objects that are right near you. 131 00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:46,640 Speaker 3: She was talking about how she started. She photographed her dad, 132 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:52,400 Speaker 3: and so I looked around. I found my husband's zoomsuit, 133 00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:57,200 Speaker 3: the flight suit, and I dissected it and basically created 134 00:07:57,200 --> 00:07:59,200 Speaker 3: a pant out of it and a jacket out of it. 135 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:01,800 Speaker 4: Five items. That's it. 136 00:08:03,040 --> 00:08:07,600 Speaker 3: I did it in a very special technique which I 137 00:08:07,640 --> 00:08:11,360 Speaker 3: actually make the garments and when it's done, I dip 138 00:08:11,400 --> 00:08:16,520 Speaker 3: it into color. So from a business perspective, it's a 139 00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:19,640 Speaker 3: very smart thing to do because one of the problems 140 00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:22,960 Speaker 3: that you come across in fashion, and it's the same 141 00:08:23,280 --> 00:08:27,920 Speaker 3: in food the life shave is very short, so in 142 00:08:28,040 --> 00:08:30,760 Speaker 3: close when you make clothes, you know it doesn't get 143 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:36,880 Speaker 3: bad food. But people just want the newest thing, so 144 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:42,240 Speaker 3: you can't stay with too much inventory. So by dipping 145 00:08:42,280 --> 00:08:48,920 Speaker 3: it by demand, I never have leftovers. I basically always 146 00:08:49,120 --> 00:08:53,880 Speaker 3: cut and sew in deep by demand. That was great 147 00:08:53,960 --> 00:08:56,800 Speaker 3: till I opened my own shops, because when I was 148 00:08:56,840 --> 00:09:00,600 Speaker 3: basically answering other people's orders, I could do. But once 149 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:03,480 Speaker 3: I had to plan for my own retail stores exchange. 150 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:07,280 Speaker 3: But in any event, it was very smart, little, clean, 151 00:09:07,520 --> 00:09:13,160 Speaker 3: tight concept that financially allowed me to invest very little 152 00:09:13,880 --> 00:09:15,080 Speaker 3: and to grow. 153 00:09:14,880 --> 00:09:16,359 Speaker 4: The company organically. 154 00:09:16,800 --> 00:09:19,880 Speaker 3: I started from there, and then I started to add 155 00:09:20,280 --> 00:09:23,480 Speaker 3: things pieces to it and categories to it. By now 156 00:09:23,520 --> 00:09:27,800 Speaker 3: we have bags, swim where, Men's, Women's Way beyond those 157 00:09:27,840 --> 00:09:30,640 Speaker 3: five pieces. But I think it's a smart thing to 158 00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:32,480 Speaker 3: do to start with something. 159 00:09:32,200 --> 00:09:35,079 Speaker 4: That you really feel believe in. 160 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:37,920 Speaker 3: And the proof is that that piece is still my 161 00:09:38,000 --> 00:09:40,960 Speaker 3: number one selling pants, so I know, yes, I knew 162 00:09:40,960 --> 00:09:41,800 Speaker 3: what I was doing. 163 00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:44,400 Speaker 2: I always when chef's leave and I say they're going 164 00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:47,640 Speaker 2: to start their own restaurant, what advice do I have? 165 00:09:47,720 --> 00:09:50,960 Speaker 2: And I always for me, I like to start small 166 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:53,800 Speaker 2: and grow. That's what we did. Whether it's the you know, 167 00:09:53,880 --> 00:09:57,760 Speaker 2: the restaurant, whether it's doing parties for the people, whether 168 00:09:57,800 --> 00:10:02,080 Speaker 2: it's starting a little cafe, it's all been part of 169 00:10:02,120 --> 00:10:04,680 Speaker 2: a process. I never had, Oh, I have an idea, 170 00:10:04,800 --> 00:10:07,360 Speaker 2: let's do that. You know, it's always my husband used 171 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:09,240 Speaker 2: to say that he's an architect. He used to say, 172 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:12,560 Speaker 2: I never had an idea. It's not about an idea. 173 00:10:12,600 --> 00:10:15,360 Speaker 2: It's about you know, you you know we you know, 174 00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:18,319 Speaker 2: we make an almond tart in the winter with pairs, 175 00:10:18,360 --> 00:10:20,800 Speaker 2: but then in the summer were making the strawberries. You know, 176 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:22,800 Speaker 2: it kind of it just grows. 177 00:10:22,960 --> 00:10:25,640 Speaker 3: I think design I always tell this to my designers, 178 00:10:25,679 --> 00:10:28,199 Speaker 3: but also to more of the business side of things. 179 00:10:28,280 --> 00:10:31,400 Speaker 4: Design is a process. Yeah, cooking is a process. A process, 180 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:34,960 Speaker 4: you know. I start with something and then it evolves. 181 00:10:35,679 --> 00:10:38,240 Speaker 3: And then people say, but it's it's you know, when 182 00:10:38,320 --> 00:10:40,600 Speaker 3: when you have people involving your business and they start 183 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:43,560 Speaker 3: to start, you get your sketches early on, and they said, 184 00:10:43,559 --> 00:10:46,280 Speaker 3: but wait, this is what you did, but why are 185 00:10:46,320 --> 00:10:48,800 Speaker 3: you here? I said, because it's a process. I only 186 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:51,079 Speaker 3: know when I start, I don't know where I end. 187 00:10:52,800 --> 00:10:55,760 Speaker 3: And I think it's it's hard for people who are 188 00:10:55,800 --> 00:10:59,480 Speaker 3: not creative to understand that the design it's a living thing. 189 00:10:59,720 --> 00:11:01,120 Speaker 4: And or when you're. 190 00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:03,320 Speaker 3: Ready to say okay, I'm done, by the way, you 191 00:11:03,360 --> 00:11:06,960 Speaker 3: never you never stop because it just I always say 192 00:11:06,960 --> 00:11:11,120 Speaker 3: that my collection is one collection that I started the 193 00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:15,599 Speaker 3: two thousand and three and it just keeps growing and evolving. 194 00:11:15,640 --> 00:11:18,400 Speaker 3: And that's why it's a play on the same theme. 195 00:11:19,400 --> 00:11:19,679 Speaker 4: You know. 196 00:11:19,840 --> 00:11:21,440 Speaker 3: It's like, how do you take a white shirt and 197 00:11:21,480 --> 00:11:24,080 Speaker 3: make it better and better and better? How do you 198 00:11:24,120 --> 00:11:28,839 Speaker 3: take you know, any element that in your wardrobe, a 199 00:11:28,920 --> 00:11:31,520 Speaker 3: pea coat, and how do you make it better and 200 00:11:31,559 --> 00:11:35,120 Speaker 3: better and better? And it's so great to know that 201 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:37,319 Speaker 3: you can make it actually better. 202 00:11:40,520 --> 00:11:43,640 Speaker 2: Imagine a state bottled olive oil chosen and bottled for 203 00:11:43,679 --> 00:11:47,559 Speaker 2: the River Cafe, arriving at your door every month. Our 204 00:11:47,640 --> 00:11:51,600 Speaker 2: subscription is available for six or twelve months, with each 205 00:11:51,640 --> 00:11:55,160 Speaker 2: oil chosen personally by our head chefs and varying with 206 00:11:55,200 --> 00:11:58,480 Speaker 2: each delivery. It's a perfect way to bring some River 207 00:11:58,520 --> 00:12:02,200 Speaker 2: Cafe flavor into your or to show someone you really 208 00:12:02,240 --> 00:12:06,000 Speaker 2: care for them with the gift. Visit our website shop 209 00:12:06,040 --> 00:12:09,400 Speaker 2: the Rivercafe dot co dot uk to place your order. 210 00:12:09,480 --> 00:12:18,040 Speaker 2: Now zucchini that you're having tonight is an antipasity, So 211 00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:20,360 Speaker 2: I thought that would be something that you might like 212 00:12:20,440 --> 00:12:22,240 Speaker 2: to listen to. Read. 213 00:12:22,600 --> 00:12:29,520 Speaker 4: Zucchini three four lati twelve small zucchini, trimmed, three tablespoon 214 00:12:29,720 --> 00:12:34,520 Speaker 4: olive oil, two garlic cloves, one twenty five milligram of 215 00:12:34,559 --> 00:12:36,120 Speaker 4: boiling water. That's interesting. 216 00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:39,120 Speaker 3: I didn't know a handful of fresh mint or basil 217 00:12:39,160 --> 00:12:40,520 Speaker 3: leaves roughly chopped. 218 00:12:41,720 --> 00:12:42,679 Speaker 4: I'm going to make this. 219 00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:46,640 Speaker 3: Cut each zucchini at angle into three to four slices. 220 00:12:47,360 --> 00:12:50,240 Speaker 3: Hit the olive oil in a large frying pan at 221 00:12:50,240 --> 00:12:55,319 Speaker 3: the garlic, then zucchini, and cook slowly for fifteen minutes. 222 00:12:56,240 --> 00:12:58,839 Speaker 3: So you put the garlic and then immediately the zucchini, 223 00:13:00,240 --> 00:13:03,760 Speaker 3: pour in the boiling water and steer scraping up the 224 00:13:03,880 --> 00:13:06,560 Speaker 3: mixture that will have formed on the bottom of the pan. 225 00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:11,599 Speaker 3: Who until all the water has been observed and zucchini 226 00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:15,120 Speaker 3: are soft at the mint of basil and seasoned with 227 00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:20,400 Speaker 3: sea salt and black pepper. Delicious as an antipacity with 228 00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:23,160 Speaker 3: prosciutto deparma or mozzarella. 229 00:13:23,679 --> 00:13:26,199 Speaker 4: Wow, by the way, zucchini, I don't know if you're 230 00:13:26,200 --> 00:13:28,920 Speaker 4: familiar with it. So my mom used to grate zucchini 231 00:13:30,360 --> 00:13:34,320 Speaker 4: and then she soted it. No, she sotted with dial 232 00:13:35,080 --> 00:13:37,720 Speaker 4: still yeah. Yeah, and then she would serve it with 233 00:13:37,840 --> 00:13:40,280 Speaker 4: a little bit of sour cream like I've never seen 234 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:43,200 Speaker 4: anything like that anywhere, but it was delicious. 235 00:13:43,559 --> 00:13:45,360 Speaker 2: Did she grate it and then get the water out? 236 00:13:45,520 --> 00:13:50,560 Speaker 4: Yeah, and so that is meal, yeah. Yeah. 237 00:13:50,720 --> 00:13:53,520 Speaker 3: And then she would also state and then throw some 238 00:13:53,559 --> 00:13:55,800 Speaker 3: eggs over it like she did a lot of zucchini 239 00:13:56,240 --> 00:13:59,360 Speaker 3: wild recipes that are not in any I. 240 00:13:59,280 --> 00:14:01,640 Speaker 2: Didn't know that he was very Hungarian. I guess I 241 00:14:01,640 --> 00:14:02,160 Speaker 2: should know. 242 00:14:02,160 --> 00:14:07,720 Speaker 3: That I grew up with Eastern European cookine. Mom is 243 00:14:07,760 --> 00:14:10,640 Speaker 3: the Hungarian one. I think in your end it. 244 00:14:10,640 --> 00:14:13,240 Speaker 2: Was my father's, your father's family. 245 00:14:13,559 --> 00:14:16,319 Speaker 3: Yeah, and so I have very much of a zucchini 246 00:14:16,520 --> 00:14:17,080 Speaker 3: part of the. 247 00:14:17,360 --> 00:14:19,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, it was it was your It was your grandmother. 248 00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:21,200 Speaker 2: Do you remember your grandmother? 249 00:14:21,440 --> 00:14:23,920 Speaker 3: You know I didn't because they were Holocaust survivors, So 250 00:14:24,040 --> 00:14:26,720 Speaker 3: they're the only one that came. My father's Russian, my 251 00:14:26,760 --> 00:14:31,120 Speaker 3: mom Hungarian, same combination. They immigrated to Israel after the war. 252 00:14:31,920 --> 00:14:34,360 Speaker 3: They came on the boat. They were dropped in Haifa. 253 00:14:35,040 --> 00:14:38,320 Speaker 3: They grabbed the first driver that they could grab. They 254 00:14:38,360 --> 00:14:43,160 Speaker 3: didn't have any money and one little suitcase and landed 255 00:14:43,200 --> 00:14:47,880 Speaker 3: on my uncle who lived on the dunes on the 256 00:14:47,920 --> 00:14:51,000 Speaker 3: beach of Nethania, which is a town twenty minutes from 257 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:54,600 Speaker 3: Tel Aviv north, and they just landed here we are. 258 00:14:54,760 --> 00:14:56,680 Speaker 3: They didn't have money, so he had to pay for 259 00:14:56,720 --> 00:15:01,840 Speaker 3: the driver and then they stayed there and then, you know, 260 00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:04,480 Speaker 3: little by little, my dad did very well for himself. 261 00:15:04,520 --> 00:15:06,400 Speaker 2: So your mother and father met in Hungary. 262 00:15:06,760 --> 00:15:10,280 Speaker 3: They met in Austria in a refugee camp. So my 263 00:15:10,400 --> 00:15:16,040 Speaker 3: mom escaped Hungary as the you know, Hungary was the 264 00:15:16,160 --> 00:15:20,200 Speaker 3: last country for the German to invade, and so the 265 00:15:20,760 --> 00:15:23,040 Speaker 3: German came from one sign and the Russian from the other, 266 00:15:23,280 --> 00:15:27,280 Speaker 3: and they were like kind of they the Jews in 267 00:15:27,360 --> 00:15:31,720 Speaker 3: Hungary were killed literally in weeks, and so they were 268 00:15:31,920 --> 00:15:39,120 Speaker 3: able to escape to Austria to an unra refugee camp. 269 00:15:39,560 --> 00:15:43,880 Speaker 3: My dad escaped from Russia. He was studying law in Sorbonne, 270 00:15:44,320 --> 00:15:47,280 Speaker 3: and when the war studied, he went back home to Russia. 271 00:15:47,720 --> 00:15:51,680 Speaker 4: And studying law at Yeah, and then. 272 00:15:53,040 --> 00:15:56,040 Speaker 3: He went to Russia and then realized that that's not 273 00:15:56,560 --> 00:15:59,320 Speaker 3: he didn't have parents. His mom passed away when he 274 00:15:59,400 --> 00:16:03,840 Speaker 3: was five. That passed away right then, So he started 275 00:16:03,880 --> 00:16:07,040 Speaker 3: to move towards Austria. I knew that he had a 276 00:16:07,040 --> 00:16:09,440 Speaker 3: brother in Israel, so he was trying to get there. 277 00:16:09,960 --> 00:16:14,800 Speaker 3: Met my mom two weeks later, got married and moved, 278 00:16:14,920 --> 00:16:16,640 Speaker 3: so she didn't even know him. 279 00:16:16,760 --> 00:16:18,040 Speaker 4: She knew him for two weeks. 280 00:16:19,640 --> 00:16:24,240 Speaker 2: And yeah, when you think that, you know what she 281 00:16:24,320 --> 00:16:27,400 Speaker 2: went through and then to get iry foreign country. Have 282 00:16:27,400 --> 00:16:28,200 Speaker 2: many children, you. 283 00:16:28,800 --> 00:16:31,200 Speaker 3: So me and my sister who's eight years older than me. 284 00:16:31,720 --> 00:16:34,600 Speaker 3: So she was born nineteen forty one and I was born. 285 00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:37,680 Speaker 4: Eight years later. Yeah. 286 00:16:38,120 --> 00:16:43,280 Speaker 3: No, it's been basically the story of the establishment of Israel. 287 00:16:43,400 --> 00:16:44,680 Speaker 4: You know my parents. 288 00:16:45,600 --> 00:16:47,280 Speaker 2: What the age did she leave Hungary? 289 00:16:47,480 --> 00:16:52,360 Speaker 4: She was twenty two, twenty three. 290 00:16:52,360 --> 00:16:53,560 Speaker 2: So she really had that. 291 00:16:53,840 --> 00:16:57,080 Speaker 4: She had a little recipe she brought with her. 292 00:16:58,200 --> 00:17:00,480 Speaker 3: I do, but it's in Hungarian and I can read it, 293 00:17:00,760 --> 00:17:01,880 Speaker 3: but I do keep it. 294 00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:06,080 Speaker 2: She can translated. I always say that I remember them 295 00:17:06,119 --> 00:17:09,119 Speaker 2: all with John. Quite a few of them have had 296 00:17:09,480 --> 00:17:12,240 Speaker 2: books from their mothers when they went to university, from 297 00:17:12,240 --> 00:17:15,920 Speaker 2: their grandmothers, and I think that having those recipe books 298 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:18,480 Speaker 2: is really, you know, part of the history, part of 299 00:17:18,520 --> 00:17:20,560 Speaker 2: the tradition. Tell me more about the book. 300 00:17:21,040 --> 00:17:24,879 Speaker 3: So I actually used to watch her where she was cooking, 301 00:17:25,359 --> 00:17:28,399 Speaker 3: so it's all in my head. I can't read her book, 302 00:17:28,440 --> 00:17:31,239 Speaker 3: but I can imagine what's in it. I'm sure there 303 00:17:31,280 --> 00:17:35,040 Speaker 3: is more than what I remember, but I remember it 304 00:17:35,160 --> 00:17:38,040 Speaker 3: was pretty much a routine, like she didn't experiment much. 305 00:17:38,080 --> 00:17:42,919 Speaker 3: She cooked the classic dishes. And then we had a 306 00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:46,520 Speaker 3: grandma in our building. She was a Romanian, and she 307 00:17:46,880 --> 00:17:50,359 Speaker 3: taught her a lot of bakery, you know, like baking goods. 308 00:17:51,119 --> 00:17:54,639 Speaker 3: So she experimented all these cakes, which one of them 309 00:17:54,720 --> 00:17:58,160 Speaker 3: might carry. And I think they're actually giving the recipe 310 00:17:58,200 --> 00:18:03,240 Speaker 3: of that cookie tonight. It's almond crescents cookies that she 311 00:18:03,359 --> 00:18:05,600 Speaker 3: used to make. I just added some lemon to it 312 00:18:05,640 --> 00:18:08,639 Speaker 3: and so I twisted it a bit, and then I 313 00:18:08,800 --> 00:18:13,080 Speaker 3: pretty much I do the stuffed peppers from her recipes, 314 00:18:14,560 --> 00:18:19,040 Speaker 3: ground meat with rice, cuman or a lot. She used 315 00:18:19,040 --> 00:18:22,760 Speaker 3: to do a lot of paprika. And she was basically 316 00:18:22,800 --> 00:18:27,120 Speaker 3: cooking most of the time. My dad was busy from 317 00:18:27,200 --> 00:18:30,800 Speaker 3: six to eight, but he would come in at twelve 318 00:18:30,840 --> 00:18:34,280 Speaker 3: to eat the main meal, and I would come back 319 00:18:34,280 --> 00:18:37,160 Speaker 3: from school at two, So literally from twelve to three 320 00:18:37,240 --> 00:18:43,600 Speaker 3: she was basically serving food. She very happy, Yeah, she 321 00:18:43,680 --> 00:18:46,159 Speaker 3: was very happy. I mean she loved being in a 322 00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:48,119 Speaker 3: country that she felt free. 323 00:18:48,720 --> 00:18:50,280 Speaker 4: She was very disappointed. 324 00:18:50,560 --> 00:18:55,880 Speaker 3: You know, living her home land, you know, in such consequences, 325 00:18:57,080 --> 00:18:59,879 Speaker 3: and she kept reminding us, you know, what is it 326 00:19:00,040 --> 00:19:02,399 Speaker 3: to be in your own place? 327 00:19:02,720 --> 00:19:04,679 Speaker 2: Did she have a kosher house? No? 328 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:11,680 Speaker 3: Most Eastern European Jews that came after the war lost 329 00:19:11,760 --> 00:19:17,240 Speaker 3: their religious faith because of the Holocaust, and we're not observing. 330 00:19:17,880 --> 00:19:20,600 Speaker 3: So actually as a child, I've never been to a synagogue. 331 00:19:20,680 --> 00:19:23,520 Speaker 3: They were completely secular liberal that. 332 00:19:23,600 --> 00:19:24,760 Speaker 2: She brought the food with her. 333 00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:27,879 Speaker 3: She brought the food with her, and food is I 334 00:19:28,119 --> 00:19:31,160 Speaker 3: teach my daughters. You know, I think there's something about 335 00:19:31,520 --> 00:19:35,120 Speaker 3: if there's no religious there is food. I think that's 336 00:19:35,160 --> 00:19:38,320 Speaker 3: something to hand from one generation to the other. 337 00:19:38,520 --> 00:19:40,840 Speaker 2: And I think it has said because when I when 338 00:19:40,880 --> 00:19:44,200 Speaker 2: we talk to people, it's very many many people who 339 00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:49,040 Speaker 2: we talk with remember the food of their grandmother. Yes, 340 00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:51,840 Speaker 2: maybe sometimes more than their mother. And I'm very touched 341 00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:55,600 Speaker 2: by the idea of this book that your mother had 342 00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:58,080 Speaker 2: and did she make it for you or did she 343 00:19:58,119 --> 00:19:59,040 Speaker 2: make it for yourself? 344 00:19:59,119 --> 00:20:04,600 Speaker 3: So she that was herself for herself I made. Now 345 00:20:04,640 --> 00:20:06,920 Speaker 3: I'm actually in the process of me and my daughter, 346 00:20:07,560 --> 00:20:10,240 Speaker 3: we're writing the same book. She writes it in English 347 00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:11,439 Speaker 3: and I write it in Hebrew. 348 00:20:12,880 --> 00:20:14,640 Speaker 4: And none of my kids. 349 00:20:14,960 --> 00:20:15,440 Speaker 2: What is it? 350 00:20:15,800 --> 00:20:18,119 Speaker 3: So it's just all the recipes that I ended up 351 00:20:18,160 --> 00:20:21,560 Speaker 3: doing because I've collected so many. So, as I said, 352 00:20:21,600 --> 00:20:26,760 Speaker 3: born with my mom cooking mostly Hungarian. My dad injected 353 00:20:26,840 --> 00:20:29,760 Speaker 3: his did he cook? He didn't cook. He made a 354 00:20:29,840 --> 00:20:30,760 Speaker 3: delicious salad. 355 00:20:30,760 --> 00:20:32,760 Speaker 4: That was his thing. And then you have to tell 356 00:20:32,840 --> 00:20:33,840 Speaker 4: him how delicious it. 357 00:20:33,840 --> 00:20:37,720 Speaker 3: Is because when he was done so and. 358 00:20:37,680 --> 00:20:40,000 Speaker 4: If you didn't tell him, it was the most delicious thing. 359 00:20:40,680 --> 00:20:42,560 Speaker 2: But you know, there is that that's the reason why 360 00:20:42,640 --> 00:20:46,920 Speaker 2: you doing. Yeah, I totally advertized with your father. I'm 361 00:20:46,960 --> 00:20:49,760 Speaker 2: sitting we have an open kitchen, and I watch people 362 00:20:49,760 --> 00:20:51,840 Speaker 2: in their handed a plate, you know, and you could 363 00:20:51,840 --> 00:20:54,399 Speaker 2: see the response or you can see them look at 364 00:20:54,440 --> 00:20:57,560 Speaker 2: each other or you see them you know, joying it 365 00:20:57,640 --> 00:21:01,000 Speaker 2: or giving some or not enjoying it. You know, but 366 00:21:01,280 --> 00:21:05,160 Speaker 2: the response to through is very very important. 367 00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:09,760 Speaker 3: There's something cooking that it's the language of love, you know. 368 00:21:09,880 --> 00:21:14,120 Speaker 3: It's a way of extending of giving. And I find myself, 369 00:21:14,480 --> 00:21:17,639 Speaker 3: you know, over the weekend mostly cooking and baking. So 370 00:21:17,720 --> 00:21:21,600 Speaker 3: it's my husband. My husband is the best. So David 371 00:21:22,280 --> 00:21:28,320 Speaker 3: is a musician and he loves cooking very good musician, 372 00:21:28,480 --> 00:21:32,800 Speaker 3: is very well known actually, and he grew from the 373 00:21:32,880 --> 00:21:38,720 Speaker 3: age twelve to eighteen in Madrid, so his vocabulary his. 374 00:21:38,720 --> 00:21:39,600 Speaker 4: Mom, I don't think. 375 00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:42,240 Speaker 3: I think she cooked, but he wasn't really much influenced 376 00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:45,920 Speaker 3: by it. So really the years in Spain is what 377 00:21:46,040 --> 00:21:49,000 Speaker 3: influenced him. So he does everything on the plantcha everything 378 00:21:49,119 --> 00:21:52,840 Speaker 3: is very very quick, so he brought that into the 379 00:21:52,880 --> 00:21:57,080 Speaker 3: world of us. So we basically go into the kitchen 380 00:21:57,119 --> 00:22:01,639 Speaker 3: together and cook together. But we both, you know, very 381 00:22:01,760 --> 00:22:07,040 Speaker 3: much influenced by Israel, so that whole spices come from 382 00:22:07,080 --> 00:22:09,960 Speaker 3: that region, and then we mix it with the Hungarian 383 00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:14,159 Speaker 3: and the Spanish and the whole thing is amazing. The 384 00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:17,520 Speaker 3: difference between David and I need to know what I'm cooking, 385 00:22:17,680 --> 00:22:20,080 Speaker 3: I need to prepare for it, I need to make 386 00:22:20,119 --> 00:22:23,440 Speaker 3: sure that everything is there. David just goes into the 387 00:22:23,520 --> 00:22:27,399 Speaker 3: kitchen and whatever he finds, it just throws boom boom boom, 388 00:22:27,400 --> 00:22:31,800 Speaker 3: and it's delicious and he remembers haste. So like if 389 00:22:31,840 --> 00:22:33,720 Speaker 3: you would go to a restaurant and I like something, 390 00:22:33,720 --> 00:22:36,399 Speaker 3: he said, Okay, there is this in it, this and 391 00:22:36,480 --> 00:22:38,679 Speaker 3: that and this and that, and then he'll try to 392 00:22:38,720 --> 00:22:44,440 Speaker 3: make it. So he's naturally very talented in cooking. 393 00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:47,280 Speaker 2: With your children, you how did you bring them up? 394 00:22:47,320 --> 00:22:50,080 Speaker 2: Did you all sit down to dinner as a family 395 00:22:50,240 --> 00:22:51,040 Speaker 2: or did you all. 396 00:22:51,040 --> 00:22:54,479 Speaker 3: Yeah, now the kids are out of the home. You know, 397 00:22:54,600 --> 00:22:58,159 Speaker 3: our kids are anywhere from twenty nine to forty. And 398 00:22:58,280 --> 00:23:01,040 Speaker 3: we don't cook during the week eat out. There's two 399 00:23:01,119 --> 00:23:02,080 Speaker 3: restaurants that we. 400 00:23:02,400 --> 00:23:03,480 Speaker 4: Religiously go to. 401 00:23:03,920 --> 00:23:07,160 Speaker 3: We go to Bar Pity at least three times a week. 402 00:23:08,440 --> 00:23:11,280 Speaker 3: We basically just crossed everybody's line and just walk in 403 00:23:11,320 --> 00:23:14,320 Speaker 3: and sit in our chair and table and all they own, 404 00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:15,800 Speaker 3: because it's just super convenient. 405 00:23:15,800 --> 00:23:16,440 Speaker 4: It's right there. 406 00:23:16,560 --> 00:23:20,080 Speaker 3: We live right next door, so that's it. We don't 407 00:23:20,119 --> 00:23:22,240 Speaker 3: want to know about any other restaurant. We don't care 408 00:23:22,280 --> 00:23:25,400 Speaker 3: about any other restaurant. And then on the weekend we cook, 409 00:23:25,480 --> 00:23:28,440 Speaker 3: so we stop at Citarella. We buy the fish, the meat. 410 00:23:28,680 --> 00:23:36,640 Speaker 3: David makes the best steak ever as he basically put 411 00:23:36,680 --> 00:23:42,159 Speaker 3: it on the plancha with a lot of butter butter. Yeah, 412 00:23:42,200 --> 00:23:49,000 Speaker 3: and then he actually somehow pours the butter on the steak, 413 00:23:49,080 --> 00:23:51,080 Speaker 3: so it's like if you didn't have enough butter, there 414 00:23:51,080 --> 00:23:51,920 Speaker 3: comes more butter. 415 00:23:52,520 --> 00:23:54,920 Speaker 2: I empathize. I love butter relicious. 416 00:23:55,440 --> 00:23:58,720 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean I've never had and I didn't eat 417 00:23:58,760 --> 00:24:02,880 Speaker 3: meat from age eighteen till I met David. From till 418 00:24:02,920 --> 00:24:05,879 Speaker 3: I met David, which was in my forties, yea, And 419 00:24:06,280 --> 00:24:08,240 Speaker 3: all we needed to do is one steak which I 420 00:24:08,280 --> 00:24:10,560 Speaker 3: tasted and that was the end. Now I eat steak 421 00:24:10,600 --> 00:24:12,520 Speaker 3: almost at least once a week. 422 00:24:16,320 --> 00:24:18,840 Speaker 2: An open kitchen in the River Cafe means we as 423 00:24:18,920 --> 00:24:21,520 Speaker 2: chefs are able to talk to our guests dining in 424 00:24:21,560 --> 00:24:24,760 Speaker 2: the restaurant, and now we're bringing that same ethos to 425 00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:28,320 Speaker 2: our podcast, a question and answer episode with me and 426 00:24:28,359 --> 00:24:31,520 Speaker 2: our two executive chefs. Send a voice note with your 427 00:24:31,600 --> 00:24:36,440 Speaker 2: question to Questions at Rivercafe dot co dot uk and 428 00:24:36,520 --> 00:24:39,800 Speaker 2: you might just be our next great guest. On Ruthie's 429 00:24:39,880 --> 00:24:50,520 Speaker 2: Table four, what do you feel about the other side 430 00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:54,040 Speaker 2: of fashion, which is to make a new collection every season, 431 00:24:54,600 --> 00:24:58,200 Speaker 2: to make an enormous amount of choice. I am exhausted 432 00:24:58,200 --> 00:25:01,919 Speaker 2: by choice, whether it's an and a supermarket or a 433 00:25:02,400 --> 00:25:04,520 Speaker 2: and when I go to buy clothes, you know, when 434 00:25:04,560 --> 00:25:08,680 Speaker 2: you're confronted with an array of options, it's very I 435 00:25:09,160 --> 00:25:10,920 Speaker 2: also it's unsustainable, isn't it? 436 00:25:11,359 --> 00:25:12,200 Speaker 4: One hundred percent? 437 00:25:12,480 --> 00:25:15,480 Speaker 3: I think that we are in a certain cycle that 438 00:25:15,600 --> 00:25:18,359 Speaker 3: I think since COVID, I think this industry is trying 439 00:25:18,400 --> 00:25:21,280 Speaker 3: to break to break through. But it's not happening for 440 00:25:21,320 --> 00:25:24,600 Speaker 3: some reason. It's not sustainable it. You know, I have 441 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:29,360 Speaker 3: a very different It was a poet, a very big 442 00:25:29,400 --> 00:25:31,400 Speaker 3: poet in Israel, and he kept asking me why. 443 00:25:31,480 --> 00:25:33,920 Speaker 4: I don't understand. Why do you have to do four collection? 444 00:25:34,040 --> 00:25:36,639 Speaker 4: Why not too? And I said, what will the people 445 00:25:36,680 --> 00:25:40,520 Speaker 4: do in between? So it's it's you kind of keep 446 00:25:40,560 --> 00:25:44,480 Speaker 4: their jobs going. That's one of the reasons, because trust me, 447 00:25:44,680 --> 00:25:47,360 Speaker 4: I would be so thrilled if I could do two 448 00:25:47,359 --> 00:25:51,320 Speaker 4: collections a year and rest in between, or cooking between, 449 00:25:51,640 --> 00:25:55,280 Speaker 4: or do other things in between, the architectural project in between. 450 00:25:55,840 --> 00:26:00,919 Speaker 4: But you have a team of people that what do 451 00:26:00,960 --> 00:26:01,600 Speaker 4: you do with them? 452 00:26:01,680 --> 00:26:06,960 Speaker 3: Yeah? So I think this is one one obstacle. Uh yeah, 453 00:26:06,960 --> 00:26:09,080 Speaker 3: I think that's more to me, that's what it is. 454 00:26:09,119 --> 00:26:12,560 Speaker 3: Otherwise I would certainly stop it because it's far too 455 00:26:12,680 --> 00:26:15,800 Speaker 3: much clothes. The world doesn't need that much clothes. 456 00:26:15,960 --> 00:26:18,639 Speaker 2: I was interviewed by a woman who we were talking 457 00:26:18,640 --> 00:26:21,800 Speaker 2: about clothes, who was an article for the newspaper about something. 458 00:26:21,840 --> 00:26:25,320 Speaker 2: And I said, I can't remember how he got onto fashion, 459 00:26:25,400 --> 00:26:28,480 Speaker 2: but I said, how often you know? Do you wear 460 00:26:29,280 --> 00:26:29,960 Speaker 2: the same thing? 461 00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:30,479 Speaker 4: You know? 462 00:26:31,119 --> 00:26:34,119 Speaker 2: And she said once every three weeks and I'm like 463 00:26:34,240 --> 00:26:39,360 Speaker 2: I would have said, every day I try that, I 464 00:26:39,440 --> 00:26:42,320 Speaker 2: just wear you know that. But I guess it's it's 465 00:26:42,359 --> 00:26:45,639 Speaker 2: that concept that if it's so inexpensive, you can just 466 00:26:45,640 --> 00:26:47,160 Speaker 2: buy so many things. 467 00:26:47,520 --> 00:26:51,040 Speaker 3: There's a book that I'm constantly looking at it and 468 00:26:51,160 --> 00:26:53,520 Speaker 3: how I translate it into a fashion concept. 469 00:26:53,560 --> 00:26:56,440 Speaker 4: It's called Sarah's Closet. I don't know if you you 470 00:26:56,600 --> 00:26:57,960 Speaker 4: came across it. 471 00:26:57,960 --> 00:27:02,240 Speaker 3: It's uh was a Holocaust survivor and she was the 472 00:27:02,280 --> 00:27:05,000 Speaker 3: grandma of the person who's actually put the book together. 473 00:27:05,680 --> 00:27:09,760 Speaker 4: And she had a very tight closet. 474 00:27:10,880 --> 00:27:16,200 Speaker 3: Everything was white and it was maybe twenty five pieces 475 00:27:16,240 --> 00:27:17,000 Speaker 3: in her closet. 476 00:27:17,040 --> 00:27:18,480 Speaker 4: That's it done. 477 00:27:19,240 --> 00:27:24,760 Speaker 3: And since all white, there wasn't any room for mistakes. 478 00:27:25,680 --> 00:27:28,840 Speaker 3: There is another believe this was. Was it Georgia O'Keefe 479 00:27:29,480 --> 00:27:33,800 Speaker 3: recently I saw her closet too. I am there's something 480 00:27:33,800 --> 00:27:36,040 Speaker 3: that I want to do about it from a business perspective, 481 00:27:36,080 --> 00:27:39,399 Speaker 3: because I think, you know, one of the things that 482 00:27:39,480 --> 00:27:43,320 Speaker 3: I do is I what I offer is what I 483 00:27:43,400 --> 00:27:47,399 Speaker 3: call ward up foundation, which is really those things that 484 00:27:47,480 --> 00:27:50,719 Speaker 3: you need. And so I always differentiate between what you 485 00:27:50,800 --> 00:27:53,560 Speaker 3: need and what you want. The things that you need 486 00:27:53,640 --> 00:27:56,800 Speaker 3: you probably wear them at least twice a week or 487 00:27:56,840 --> 00:27:58,280 Speaker 3: three times a week or more. 488 00:27:58,520 --> 00:27:59,520 Speaker 4: It's just things you need. 489 00:27:59,760 --> 00:28:02,320 Speaker 3: This is what makes you feel good, this is what 490 00:28:02,600 --> 00:28:07,399 Speaker 3: you comfortable in. The Things that you want, you actually 491 00:28:07,440 --> 00:28:11,240 Speaker 3: don't need. You want them, so that's fine. If you 492 00:28:11,240 --> 00:28:13,439 Speaker 3: have the money and that gives you pleasure and it 493 00:28:13,520 --> 00:28:16,840 Speaker 3: makes you feel good about yourself, go ahead, But you 494 00:28:16,920 --> 00:28:19,600 Speaker 3: don't really need them. So I kind of differentiate my 495 00:28:19,680 --> 00:28:22,440 Speaker 3: collection between the pieces that you need and the pieces 496 00:28:22,480 --> 00:28:27,280 Speaker 3: that you want. And to your point, you know, I 497 00:28:27,320 --> 00:28:30,080 Speaker 3: wish we could just stick to the things that we need. 498 00:28:30,600 --> 00:28:33,879 Speaker 3: And it is fifty percent of my business. It's just 499 00:28:34,000 --> 00:28:39,880 Speaker 3: the same things over and over again and since I started, 500 00:28:40,920 --> 00:28:42,920 Speaker 3: and it's the bread and butter of my business. 501 00:28:43,120 --> 00:28:45,640 Speaker 4: And it never changes and it never goes on sale. 502 00:28:46,240 --> 00:28:47,320 Speaker 4: It's what it is. 503 00:28:48,560 --> 00:28:50,959 Speaker 2: I was married to an architect. He's an architect. I 504 00:28:51,040 --> 00:28:53,320 Speaker 2: often think that I look at our house and I 505 00:28:53,360 --> 00:28:57,120 Speaker 2: realized the other day that we actually have very few closets. 506 00:28:57,160 --> 00:29:01,520 Speaker 2: I've actually very little space for keeping anything really, So 507 00:29:01,880 --> 00:29:04,800 Speaker 2: if you buy something, you throw give something away, you know, 508 00:29:04,960 --> 00:29:07,600 Speaker 2: if you do that. But I think also for women, 509 00:29:07,720 --> 00:29:11,240 Speaker 2: it's you know, you you designed for men as well. Yeah, 510 00:29:11,760 --> 00:29:13,480 Speaker 2: this is your thought process. 511 00:29:13,880 --> 00:29:15,160 Speaker 4: It's pretty much the same. 512 00:29:15,240 --> 00:29:17,720 Speaker 3: I actually so when I work for rap I work 513 00:29:17,800 --> 00:29:23,440 Speaker 3: for men for the men's area. So my thoughts about 514 00:29:24,360 --> 00:29:28,640 Speaker 3: culture of dressing is actually coming from men where there's 515 00:29:28,680 --> 00:29:32,120 Speaker 3: not that much access, uh, and it's really coming from 516 00:29:32,200 --> 00:29:37,280 Speaker 3: functionality rather than access. And also when I think when 517 00:29:37,280 --> 00:29:41,080 Speaker 3: a man likes most men, when they like something, they'll 518 00:29:41,120 --> 00:29:44,479 Speaker 3: come back and buy the same thing over and over again. Uh, 519 00:29:44,880 --> 00:29:47,880 Speaker 3: and they kind of depending on it. And I think 520 00:29:47,960 --> 00:29:49,720 Speaker 3: women experiment a little more. 521 00:29:50,280 --> 00:29:50,480 Speaker 4: So. 522 00:29:50,840 --> 00:29:54,760 Speaker 3: The very first wardrobe foundation that I did is actually 523 00:29:54,800 --> 00:29:57,080 Speaker 3: came from the concept of men of what are the 524 00:29:57,720 --> 00:30:00,800 Speaker 3: pieces that you must have and then and offer it 525 00:30:01,480 --> 00:30:05,520 Speaker 3: in seven colors so you can come back to it. 526 00:30:07,040 --> 00:30:10,920 Speaker 3: But in terms of materials and language of design, it's 527 00:30:10,960 --> 00:30:14,320 Speaker 3: pretty much the same for me. Yeah, it's very classic, 528 00:30:14,520 --> 00:30:18,400 Speaker 3: understated and a spice of rock and rolling. 529 00:30:18,440 --> 00:30:22,000 Speaker 2: It. We love it. During COVID, you started some well 530 00:30:22,080 --> 00:30:25,959 Speaker 2: I think either Elizabeth or Alison bells and loves I 531 00:30:25,960 --> 00:30:28,280 Speaker 2: did a podcast. Yeah, and she's a great friend and 532 00:30:28,800 --> 00:30:29,400 Speaker 2: loves you. 533 00:30:29,800 --> 00:30:30,440 Speaker 4: She said that you. 534 00:30:30,760 --> 00:30:33,600 Speaker 2: I think she told me little bit you did. During 535 00:30:33,640 --> 00:30:35,840 Speaker 2: COVID you did a food yes. 536 00:30:36,560 --> 00:30:41,160 Speaker 3: So so basically the social media was my outlet to 537 00:30:41,240 --> 00:30:44,680 Speaker 3: the outside. I was in the house morning till night, 538 00:30:44,760 --> 00:30:48,720 Speaker 3: working and at eight o'clock I would drop everything, go 539 00:30:48,840 --> 00:30:52,200 Speaker 3: take a shower, and go to the kitchen, move David 540 00:30:52,200 --> 00:30:57,080 Speaker 3: away because he usually takes over the kitchen, moved him away, 541 00:30:57,160 --> 00:31:00,640 Speaker 3: and start cooking. Every night, I asked him to film me, 542 00:31:00,760 --> 00:31:03,840 Speaker 3: but to film only my hands. I started with my 543 00:31:03,920 --> 00:31:07,239 Speaker 3: mom's and then all the Hungarians started to write me, Oh, 544 00:31:07,240 --> 00:31:08,960 Speaker 3: I'm Hungarian too, and my mom. 545 00:31:08,840 --> 00:31:09,640 Speaker 4: Used to do it this way. 546 00:31:09,680 --> 00:31:12,760 Speaker 3: My mom used to do it that way, and I 547 00:31:12,800 --> 00:31:16,040 Speaker 3: started with that, and then starting to move into exploring 548 00:31:16,120 --> 00:31:23,120 Speaker 3: other things. And basically I'll put down the recipe and 549 00:31:23,400 --> 00:31:27,200 Speaker 3: the process of how I made it and posted and 550 00:31:28,720 --> 00:31:33,840 Speaker 3: gained a whole crowd of women who either not familiar 551 00:31:33,920 --> 00:31:36,760 Speaker 3: with me and just familiar with my food or what 552 00:31:36,800 --> 00:31:40,040 Speaker 3: I've been told that a lot of women it wasn't 553 00:31:40,040 --> 00:31:43,120 Speaker 3: even about the food, that there's something about the way 554 00:31:43,480 --> 00:31:46,200 Speaker 3: my hands managed the food. 555 00:31:47,720 --> 00:31:50,480 Speaker 4: Made them feel calm and comfortable. 556 00:31:50,720 --> 00:31:55,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, oh, spare of now talking. You use the word comfortable. 557 00:31:55,560 --> 00:31:58,000 Speaker 2: And at the end of every podcast, I always ask 558 00:31:58,080 --> 00:32:01,440 Speaker 2: people a question, which is if f is the food 559 00:32:01,480 --> 00:32:05,200 Speaker 2: is about we decide about sharing? Food is about love? 560 00:32:05,320 --> 00:32:05,520 Speaker 4: Love? 561 00:32:05,600 --> 00:32:07,920 Speaker 2: Because you know, the people that we love we want 562 00:32:07,960 --> 00:32:12,480 Speaker 2: to take care of. Food is about hunger and surviving, 563 00:32:12,520 --> 00:32:16,520 Speaker 2: but it's also it is about comfort. And so I say, well, 564 00:32:16,560 --> 00:32:19,840 Speaker 2: if you think about your food and your memories and 565 00:32:19,840 --> 00:32:22,840 Speaker 2: your language and what you like to cook when you 566 00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:26,160 Speaker 2: need comfort, is there a food that you would go to? 567 00:32:26,520 --> 00:32:29,040 Speaker 3: I go straight to my mom, share your mom, straight 568 00:32:29,080 --> 00:32:29,720 Speaker 3: to my mom. 569 00:32:29,880 --> 00:32:30,479 Speaker 2: I love with that. 570 00:32:30,760 --> 00:32:34,920 Speaker 3: I think it just be the stuffed pepper, especially when 571 00:32:34,960 --> 00:32:37,840 Speaker 3: it's it's first of all, it's being cooked for a 572 00:32:38,040 --> 00:32:42,240 Speaker 3: long time, so the preparation takes a long time, and 573 00:32:42,280 --> 00:32:46,800 Speaker 3: then the day after it's even the best and it's 574 00:32:46,960 --> 00:32:49,720 Speaker 3: just the meat and the rice and the tomato sauce 575 00:32:49,760 --> 00:32:53,120 Speaker 3: and the pepper. All the tastes get mixed together. I 576 00:32:53,120 --> 00:32:55,320 Speaker 3: think because she did it a lot, so it kind 577 00:32:55,320 --> 00:33:00,479 Speaker 3: of reminds me of her. It's not so much the 578 00:33:00,520 --> 00:33:03,479 Speaker 3: food itself, but the taste and the smells reminds me 579 00:33:03,520 --> 00:33:06,960 Speaker 3: of her. I think most people's comfort food come from 580 00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:12,360 Speaker 3: their mama or their grandma, and that's so beautiful about 581 00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:15,920 Speaker 3: That's the beauty about food to me, that it holds 582 00:33:15,920 --> 00:33:19,000 Speaker 3: so much more than just food and hunger. 583 00:33:19,080 --> 00:33:20,719 Speaker 4: And I think it's the same thing with clothes. 584 00:33:20,760 --> 00:33:23,680 Speaker 3: By the way, I think clothes is such so beautiful 585 00:33:23,720 --> 00:33:28,960 Speaker 3: by handing, passing on clothes, but people don't tend to do. 586 00:33:29,080 --> 00:33:34,400 Speaker 3: But I think the act for me of making clothes 587 00:33:34,800 --> 00:33:36,000 Speaker 3: is the same thing of cooking. 588 00:33:36,200 --> 00:33:40,520 Speaker 4: You know, I give my love with my with my clothes. 589 00:33:41,800 --> 00:33:46,600 Speaker 3: I realized mostly during COVID and then that I'm not 590 00:33:46,680 --> 00:33:51,080 Speaker 3: even interested in clothes, that the clothes for me is 591 00:33:51,120 --> 00:33:57,480 Speaker 3: a tool to give, to give comfort, to give sense 592 00:33:57,480 --> 00:34:03,040 Speaker 3: of confidence, to give a woman, you know, the jewels 593 00:34:03,080 --> 00:34:07,400 Speaker 3: for her to express herself. It's not about the clothes. 594 00:34:07,840 --> 00:34:11,160 Speaker 3: Everybody can make clothes, everyone can make food. It's the 595 00:34:11,280 --> 00:34:15,359 Speaker 3: love that you put in the pocket that what they 596 00:34:15,440 --> 00:34:18,520 Speaker 3: receive and they respond to it. 597 00:34:19,200 --> 00:34:21,480 Speaker 4: So I think there's something similar. 598 00:34:22,480 --> 00:34:23,719 Speaker 2: Thank you, thank you 599 00:34:29,200 --> 00:34:32,360 Speaker 1: Thank you for listening to Ruthie's Table four in partnership 600 00:34:32,360 --> 00:34:33,040 Speaker 1: with Montclair