1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,000 Speaker 1: You are listening to Ruthie's Table four. 2 00:00:02,240 --> 00:00:07,080 Speaker 2: In partnership with Montclair, Jane Hardley was the American ambassador 3 00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:10,440 Speaker 2: to France and Monaco and now to the Court of 4 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:14,600 Speaker 2: Saint James. She has the qualities necessary for the role 5 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:20,919 Speaker 2: in abundance, leadership, resilience, duty. I know the qualities she 6 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:25,600 Speaker 2: has as a close friend, kindness, empathy, humor and love. 7 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:31,400 Speaker 2: I've witnessed Jane negotiating difficult situations and people impressed by 8 00:00:31,400 --> 00:00:35,479 Speaker 2: her curiosity, strength and integrity. She has a courage to 9 00:00:35,560 --> 00:00:39,360 Speaker 2: challenge others and, though a diplomat, to say what she thinks. 10 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:42,640 Speaker 2: In the two years she's been the ambassador to the 11 00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:45,920 Speaker 2: Court of Saint James, Jane has had two monarchs, three 12 00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:50,800 Speaker 2: prime ministers, four chancellors, and a late stage pandemic. She 13 00:00:50,960 --> 00:00:55,840 Speaker 2: works rigorously to be informed. Her husband, Ralph Schlostein, is 14 00:00:55,880 --> 00:00:59,720 Speaker 2: a committed cook and knows almost more about food than 15 00:00:59,720 --> 00:01:04,000 Speaker 2: I do, to giving serious attention to serious wines. He 16 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:07,520 Speaker 2: and a group of friends meet every Monday discovering new restaurants, 17 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:11,520 Speaker 2: and apparently his lifetime ambition is to find the best 18 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:15,680 Speaker 2: pizza in New York City. I always introduced Jane as 19 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:19,679 Speaker 2: Ambassador Hartley. But my nickname for her is miss Sparkle. 20 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:23,319 Speaker 2: I don't think I've ever seen her without sequence on 21 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:27,920 Speaker 2: a sweater, a dress, earrings, or even the shoes she's wearing. Today. 22 00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:31,360 Speaker 2: Jane has just been in the kitchen with Joseph cooking 23 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:34,319 Speaker 2: a dover sole. Now we're going to get together to 24 00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:39,080 Speaker 2: talk about work, duty, family and food. I know she 25 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:42,120 Speaker 2: will be informed and I know she will sparkle. 26 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:45,760 Speaker 1: Thank you, Ruthie, Thank you. 27 00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:48,600 Speaker 2: So what was it like being in the kitchen. I 28 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:50,480 Speaker 2: don't think I've ever sat at a table. We didn't 29 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:51,200 Speaker 2: order dover soul. 30 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:54,240 Speaker 1: I ordered over sol every time I come, and you 31 00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:57,720 Speaker 1: have by far the best over soul that I've ever had. 32 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:00,360 Speaker 1: I was asking where he got it from. Of course 33 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:03,480 Speaker 1: it's it's from the UK. But you do something special 34 00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:06,560 Speaker 1: in terms of the cooking and in terms of my capers. 35 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:08,760 Speaker 1: I always ask if you'll add capers, and you do. 36 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:12,119 Speaker 2: It's unusual because some people want capers off. 37 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:15,000 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, I love capers, but I love but literally, 38 00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:16,600 Speaker 1: I said to you when I walked in today. I 39 00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:18,680 Speaker 1: come into this restaurant and I feel like I'm home, 40 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:21,360 Speaker 1: and no matter how hard my day is. And some 41 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:25,239 Speaker 1: days are pretty hard. I see you and I sit 42 00:02:25,280 --> 00:02:28,519 Speaker 1: at that corner table and have my dover soul and 43 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:31,560 Speaker 1: my usually April sprits Apple spirits. 44 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:35,160 Speaker 2: But that's what that's what Conversely, we feel when we 45 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:37,280 Speaker 2: see you coming in at your family, and I think 46 00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:42,000 Speaker 2: that it isn't just how you can relate to a restaurant. 47 00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:44,600 Speaker 2: Sometimes it is being taken care of, you know. Un Thus, 48 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:47,280 Speaker 2: we always tell the people work for us, you know, 49 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:48,760 Speaker 2: take care well. 50 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:51,040 Speaker 1: You do it perfectly. I only know one other person 51 00:02:51,040 --> 00:02:53,560 Speaker 1: who's also a friend of yours, because everybody's a friend 52 00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:57,400 Speaker 1: of Ruthie's, but Danny Meyer, who's a friend of mine 53 00:02:57,400 --> 00:03:00,480 Speaker 1: from New York, and when he started his restaurants, he 54 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:03,919 Speaker 1: said what he wanted to provide was service that everybody 55 00:03:03,960 --> 00:03:06,640 Speaker 1: came in and felt that, you know, they were known, 56 00:03:06,840 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 1: they were taken care of, and it was home. And 57 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:11,760 Speaker 1: you did that better than anybody. 58 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:15,239 Speaker 2: Well. Also, you never know how people when they walk 59 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:17,560 Speaker 2: into a restaurant, how they are feeling. You know, they 60 00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:21,640 Speaker 2: may be celebrating something, or they may be grieving over 61 00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:23,799 Speaker 2: something sad, or they may just be, as you say, 62 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:26,920 Speaker 2: had a really tough day. And you do have tough days, yeah, 63 00:03:26,919 --> 00:03:29,080 Speaker 2: you know, yeah, I do have tough days for the 64 00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:31,359 Speaker 2: work you do. You grew up in Connecticut. 65 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:33,519 Speaker 1: I grew up in Connecting western Connecticut. 66 00:03:33,919 --> 00:03:36,680 Speaker 2: Did you have fish? That part of fish? 67 00:03:36,720 --> 00:03:40,560 Speaker 1: You know? It's thank god she's no longer with us. 68 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:42,440 Speaker 1: She was a wonderful woman. But my mother was not 69 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:46,840 Speaker 1: the best cook. Although it was interesting because she cooked 70 00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:50,120 Speaker 1: meat and fish quite well. So she cooked meat rare, 71 00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:53,600 Speaker 1: which is how I like it, and she cooked fish moist. 72 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:57,600 Speaker 1: Now vegetables unfortunately met their death in her kitchen. 73 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:01,280 Speaker 2: Was hard to cook. You know, Lord, what did she do? 74 00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:02,400 Speaker 2: We don't want to be too bad. 75 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:05,760 Speaker 1: I love my mother. But she cooked once for Ralph, 76 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 1: my husband, who is the best cook in the family. 77 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:11,960 Speaker 1: My son may be close so Kate and I not 78 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:15,800 Speaker 1: so much. But my husband came once to I think 79 00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:19,320 Speaker 1: the Thanksgiving dinner and my mother uttered the words, you 80 00:04:19,400 --> 00:04:23,240 Speaker 1: can't overcook a vegetable, and I thought Ralph was gonna 81 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:24,560 Speaker 1: fall on the floor. 82 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:28,240 Speaker 2: She worked every day, did she was? She worked, She. 83 00:04:28,240 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 1: Did various jobs coming home, and it just it was interesting. 84 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:37,360 Speaker 1: I don't think cooking was important to her in terms 85 00:04:37,400 --> 00:04:41,000 Speaker 1: of feeding the family. My father, I think, was not 86 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:44,560 Speaker 1: a gourmetl though he was very interesting. He insisted on 87 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:47,720 Speaker 1: meat rare. So anytime we'd go out to dinner, and 88 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:49,800 Speaker 1: usually on Sunday evenings. 89 00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:52,839 Speaker 2: Do you remember the restaurant? Were they the same restaurant 90 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:54,200 Speaker 2: or would you go to differ reson? 91 00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:56,440 Speaker 1: I think it was called White Fence Inn. It was 92 00:04:56,560 --> 00:05:00,000 Speaker 1: up in Litchfield County. The one thing I remember more 93 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:02,160 Speaker 1: than anything else, though, is I have a twin brother 94 00:05:02,160 --> 00:05:04,240 Speaker 1: who I'm very close to. It's just the two of 95 00:05:04,279 --> 00:05:07,320 Speaker 1: us is riding around in a car and it was 96 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:11,279 Speaker 1: long before ways and Google maps and things and them 97 00:05:11,320 --> 00:05:15,760 Speaker 1: being lost and my brother saying in the backseat, can't 98 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:17,800 Speaker 1: we just go anywhere? We're hungry? 99 00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:20,800 Speaker 2: And your father would insist on the meat being rare. 100 00:05:22,960 --> 00:05:26,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, meat being rare. And sometimes the drink first, never 101 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:29,240 Speaker 1: wine with the meals. So that was interesting that taste 102 00:05:29,279 --> 00:05:34,840 Speaker 1: I developed later cocktails A cocktail first, yeah, cocktail first. Yeah. 103 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:37,200 Speaker 2: So more about growing up, So your mom worked, your 104 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:39,960 Speaker 2: father worked, and you would have you know, would you 105 00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:42,479 Speaker 2: and your brother sit down to dinner and your parents 106 00:05:42,520 --> 00:05:45,200 Speaker 2: every night, which you have a family meal pretty. 107 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:47,919 Speaker 1: Much, but we ate very quickly. My brother played a 108 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:50,160 Speaker 1: lot of sports, but it was wonderful, and that the 109 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:52,920 Speaker 1: other thing I remember from growing up, and it's it's 110 00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:57,000 Speaker 1: what Ralph is doing now, which is after I participated 111 00:05:57,080 --> 00:06:00,520 Speaker 1: in various athletics and this was mainly swimming. After our 112 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:02,600 Speaker 1: swim meets, my father would take the whole team out 113 00:06:02,640 --> 00:06:05,599 Speaker 1: to pizza. And I still remember the name of the pizza. 114 00:06:06,600 --> 00:06:11,560 Speaker 1: Zachary's an odd name for Waterbury. This was in Waterbury. Yeah. 115 00:06:11,600 --> 00:06:15,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, so you grew up with a at the table, 116 00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:20,080 Speaker 2: you know, what were your parents in discussion about politics 117 00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:23,880 Speaker 2: or duty or being a citizen and giving something back. 118 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:25,000 Speaker 2: Was that imbued with it? 119 00:06:25,440 --> 00:06:30,279 Speaker 1: Yeah, it really was. I mean we always talked about politics, 120 00:06:30,480 --> 00:06:34,480 Speaker 1: and my whole family had been in it kind of indirectly. 121 00:06:35,839 --> 00:06:38,120 Speaker 1: My sister in law now my sister in law currently 122 00:06:38,320 --> 00:06:41,279 Speaker 1: is in the state Senate and she was deputy speaker 123 00:06:42,279 --> 00:06:45,240 Speaker 1: in Connecticut, Connecticut. So we always we always had discussions 124 00:06:45,279 --> 00:06:48,120 Speaker 1: about politics. Yes, that was something and I think I 125 00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:51,919 Speaker 1: was very young when President Kennedy was president. But you know, 126 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:54,800 Speaker 1: the whole concept of ask not what you could do 127 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:56,880 Speaker 1: what your country asked, what you can do for your 128 00:06:56,880 --> 00:07:00,000 Speaker 1: country as opposed to what your country can do for you. 129 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:03,000 Speaker 1: Didn't get that exactly right, but that whole that whole 130 00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:09,880 Speaker 1: value of in my parents, especially my father frankly, that 131 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:12,640 Speaker 1: we were lucky, lucky to grow up in America, we 132 00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:14,840 Speaker 1: were lucky to be there, that there was such a 133 00:07:14,880 --> 00:07:17,280 Speaker 1: thing as the American dream, and because we were lucky, 134 00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:19,520 Speaker 1: we also had a responsibility to give him something. 135 00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:22,679 Speaker 2: I can remember. I think where I was when Kennedy 136 00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:25,560 Speaker 2: was shot. You in school, because I was in a classroom. 137 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:28,560 Speaker 1: I was in a classroom too, my I you know, 138 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:31,480 Speaker 1: I think everybody remembers. I was in a classroom also, 139 00:07:31,840 --> 00:07:34,200 Speaker 1: and all the children had to leave schools. So my 140 00:07:34,280 --> 00:07:37,520 Speaker 1: father came to get us in his car, and I 141 00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:41,640 Speaker 1: remember driving home and my father was crying. 142 00:07:41,880 --> 00:07:44,960 Speaker 2: He was crying. In my school. I was at a 143 00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:47,960 Speaker 2: sort of what they call a central school. So we 144 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:51,040 Speaker 2: all bussed in from Yea because it was in the countryside. Yeah, 145 00:07:51,080 --> 00:07:53,520 Speaker 2: and it came over the loudspeaker, you know, that we 146 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:56,080 Speaker 2: were the buses would be outside. We were all going home. 147 00:07:56,480 --> 00:08:00,000 Speaker 1: Seven They told us we were going did they tell you? 148 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:03,440 Speaker 1: But then no, they didn't even tell us that. They 149 00:08:03,480 --> 00:08:06,040 Speaker 1: just said you're all going home. So I never heard. 150 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:08,520 Speaker 1: And in the car my father was just crying. 151 00:08:08,640 --> 00:08:12,480 Speaker 2: And finally, and did he participate in politic was he was. 152 00:08:12,600 --> 00:08:18,160 Speaker 1: He participated, He was more participated indirectly. I think he did. 153 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:20,320 Speaker 1: He did run for senate once in Connecticut. 154 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:21,280 Speaker 2: Well that's a big deal. 155 00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:24,480 Speaker 1: Well you state senate? What might still he lost? 156 00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:25,720 Speaker 2: Yeah? Still? 157 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:29,240 Speaker 1: But yeah, yeah, but my family was always a little 158 00:08:29,240 --> 00:08:33,400 Speaker 1: bit involved. Yeah. And my mother's family hit on the 159 00:08:33,400 --> 00:08:37,120 Speaker 1: newspaper until until it went bankrupt. What that pack up 160 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:39,360 Speaker 1: the paper went out of business? 161 00:08:39,800 --> 00:08:41,400 Speaker 2: Was your mother's family? Yeah? 162 00:08:41,480 --> 00:08:44,839 Speaker 1: It was the Waterbury Democrat ran out run out of 163 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:46,280 Speaker 1: town by the Weterbury Republican. 164 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:48,280 Speaker 2: Were they for. 165 00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:51,560 Speaker 1: Two papers because you couldn't support two papers in one town? 166 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:54,400 Speaker 2: That's interesting there was one called Democrat and actually one 167 00:08:54,480 --> 00:08:55,079 Speaker 2: was called Yeah. 168 00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:56,240 Speaker 1: Yeah. 169 00:08:56,400 --> 00:08:58,199 Speaker 2: Well that tells you about bias in the press. 170 00:08:58,320 --> 00:08:59,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, it does. 171 00:09:00,679 --> 00:09:02,839 Speaker 2: And so when you when you left, when you went 172 00:09:02,880 --> 00:09:05,480 Speaker 2: to college, did you have that sense that this is 173 00:09:05,520 --> 00:09:07,680 Speaker 2: what you wanted to pursue or did that come later? 174 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:11,440 Speaker 1: It's interesting. I kind of I kind of knew. I 175 00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:14,320 Speaker 1: consider myself lucky because I remember when my children were 176 00:09:14,360 --> 00:09:17,560 Speaker 1: growing up. I always sort of had this passion saying 177 00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:20,280 Speaker 1: to my kids, find your passion, until I realized that 178 00:09:20,400 --> 00:09:22,320 Speaker 1: was really the wrong thing to say to young people, 179 00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 1: because many times you find your passion when you're forty fifty, 180 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:29,040 Speaker 1: however old you are, you find your passion, and it 181 00:09:29,080 --> 00:09:30,880 Speaker 1: shouldn't be a burden for young people. 182 00:09:32,080 --> 00:09:34,320 Speaker 2: I think there's something about finding your passion. I was 183 00:09:34,360 --> 00:09:38,920 Speaker 2: just listening to Scotty, but we had the passion. Yeah, 184 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:41,960 Speaker 2: he was saying, if you don't find the passion in 185 00:09:42,040 --> 00:09:45,800 Speaker 2: your work, then find the passion in your family or 186 00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:48,560 Speaker 2: something else. Ye say, exactly is what will give me 187 00:09:48,679 --> 00:09:51,959 Speaker 2: the ability to have the time when you have. 188 00:09:51,960 --> 00:09:54,520 Speaker 1: A passion a different listen. In my life, I've worked 189 00:09:54,800 --> 00:09:57,000 Speaker 1: in the public sector, I've worked in the private sector. 190 00:09:57,760 --> 00:10:00,520 Speaker 1: My passion is the private Is the public safe, because 191 00:10:00,520 --> 00:10:02,920 Speaker 1: I think that's where you can make a difference. But 192 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:05,880 Speaker 1: I've certainly worked in the private sector, which is much 193 00:10:05,920 --> 00:10:08,880 Speaker 1: easier when you have a family. And I also moved 194 00:10:08,880 --> 00:10:11,280 Speaker 1: to New York after the White House, so you know, 195 00:10:11,800 --> 00:10:14,080 Speaker 1: it's a balance. Life. Life is a journey. 196 00:10:14,280 --> 00:10:17,200 Speaker 2: Yeah. But he went straight from college to Washington. 197 00:10:17,360 --> 00:10:20,199 Speaker 1: I did. I went. I was very lucky. I was 198 00:10:20,240 --> 00:10:22,560 Speaker 1: going to go to law school, but I didn't because 199 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:26,320 Speaker 1: I've got an opportunity very very early, which is sort 200 00:10:26,320 --> 00:10:28,640 Speaker 1: of through luck and being in the right place. And 201 00:10:28,679 --> 00:10:32,040 Speaker 1: there was a legendary man. His name was Robert Strauss, 202 00:10:32,040 --> 00:10:33,400 Speaker 1: Bob Strauss. She probably knew me. 203 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:33,640 Speaker 2: He was. 204 00:10:34,200 --> 00:10:36,599 Speaker 1: He ran the Democratic Party. He was later ambassador to 205 00:10:36,640 --> 00:10:40,480 Speaker 1: Russia USTR. He did so many different things. But I 206 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:44,200 Speaker 1: had been doing some work on fiscal economic issues on 207 00:10:44,240 --> 00:10:47,800 Speaker 1: the Hill budget priorities, and somehow was introduced to him 208 00:10:47,800 --> 00:10:50,440 Speaker 1: because a lot of the budget fiscal stuff had to 209 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:54,280 Speaker 1: do with cities, urban policy and revenue sharing things like that. 210 00:10:55,240 --> 00:10:57,680 Speaker 1: So I got to know him, and I was introduced 211 00:10:57,679 --> 00:11:00,240 Speaker 1: to him, and I got a big job at the 212 00:11:00,360 --> 00:11:02,760 Speaker 1: Democratic headquarters at the DNC. 213 00:11:02,559 --> 00:11:04,040 Speaker 2: They called so was a Carter White House. 214 00:11:04,120 --> 00:11:07,760 Speaker 1: It was right before the Carter And I do remember 215 00:11:07,760 --> 00:11:09,520 Speaker 1: when I was interviewed for this job, because it was 216 00:11:09,600 --> 00:11:12,480 Speaker 1: quite a big job. They asked me how old I was, 217 00:11:13,040 --> 00:11:15,960 Speaker 1: and I remember wearing a black dress and glasses to 218 00:11:16,040 --> 00:11:19,320 Speaker 1: the interview. So they said how old are you? And 219 00:11:19,360 --> 00:11:22,880 Speaker 1: I said about thirty. Now, if anybody I interviewed every 220 00:11:22,880 --> 00:11:25,760 Speaker 1: said about thirty, I would roll. I was twenty four. 221 00:11:26,640 --> 00:11:29,360 Speaker 1: I worked there and I had a lot of visibility 222 00:11:29,400 --> 00:11:30,719 Speaker 1: because you were. I was working with a lot of 223 00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:33,120 Speaker 1: the big city mayors at the time. In urban policy 224 00:11:33,200 --> 00:11:34,520 Speaker 1: was one of the key issues that she did. 225 00:11:34,520 --> 00:11:39,000 Speaker 2: It was huge housing in urban development. 226 00:11:39,120 --> 00:11:41,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, well, yeah, I went there first, and then I 227 00:11:41,960 --> 00:11:45,000 Speaker 1: went to the White House for a legendary woman who 228 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:46,679 Speaker 1: was at the White House. Her name was Anne Wexler, 229 00:11:47,200 --> 00:11:50,160 Speaker 1: and she controlled, She controlled the White House, and she 230 00:11:50,240 --> 00:11:53,480 Speaker 1: controlled so much in that city. Stew Eyes Instead always 231 00:11:53,840 --> 00:11:57,880 Speaker 1: said to me once, if Anne had come eighteen months earlier, 232 00:11:58,720 --> 00:12:03,559 Speaker 1: Carter would have won the election. But she came maybe, 233 00:12:03,880 --> 00:12:06,040 Speaker 1: I don't know, maybe eighteen months in and I came 234 00:12:06,120 --> 00:12:06,640 Speaker 1: right after that. 235 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:17,880 Speaker 2: The River Cafe is excited. We're opening the River Cafe Cafe. 236 00:12:18,720 --> 00:12:22,360 Speaker 2: Come for a morning Briochian cappuccino, a plate of seasonal 237 00:12:22,400 --> 00:12:25,959 Speaker 2: antipasty on the terrace, or an ice cream or a 238 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:29,800 Speaker 2: paratibo in the sun. We can't wait to open, and 239 00:12:29,880 --> 00:12:41,480 Speaker 2: we cannot wait to welcome you. Do you remember having 240 00:12:41,559 --> 00:12:44,400 Speaker 2: left college and having set up on your own? Do 241 00:12:44,440 --> 00:12:48,600 Speaker 2: you remember working what you ate? Do you remember food 242 00:12:48,600 --> 00:12:50,959 Speaker 2: at that time? Would you grab something? Would you go? 243 00:12:51,240 --> 00:12:54,640 Speaker 2: Were you suddenly having restaurants to go to in Washington. 244 00:12:55,440 --> 00:13:00,560 Speaker 1: Washington didn't have the restaurants that they do now, but 245 00:13:00,640 --> 00:13:04,480 Speaker 1: there was one quite famous restaurant that was on right 246 00:13:04,480 --> 00:13:09,080 Speaker 1: above DuPont Circle called Nora's and we got to know 247 00:13:09,240 --> 00:13:12,560 Speaker 1: Nora quite well. And the restaurant was right across from 248 00:13:12,559 --> 00:13:15,040 Speaker 1: where Ralph lived because Ralph was at the White House also, 249 00:13:15,600 --> 00:13:16,880 Speaker 1: so we went there all the time. 250 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:17,920 Speaker 2: When did you meet Ralph? 251 00:13:17,960 --> 00:13:21,079 Speaker 1: I'd met him briefly before I went to the White House, 252 00:13:21,120 --> 00:13:23,480 Speaker 1: but then we started working together. So Ralf and I 253 00:13:23,520 --> 00:13:26,640 Speaker 1: worked together all the time. And the joke about that 254 00:13:26,920 --> 00:13:30,240 Speaker 1: was that memos to the President were always due on 255 00:13:30,280 --> 00:13:33,840 Speaker 1: Saturday morning, and we were the point people for the 256 00:13:33,840 --> 00:13:36,360 Speaker 1: memos to the President and urban policy. I was the 257 00:13:36,400 --> 00:13:38,920 Speaker 1: point for Anne and he was point and then there 258 00:13:38,960 --> 00:13:42,280 Speaker 1: was the omb person Office of Management and Budget. But 259 00:13:42,360 --> 00:13:45,600 Speaker 1: we could never agree, so we'd be editing late into 260 00:13:45,640 --> 00:13:47,920 Speaker 1: Friday night. And the joke was we broke so many 261 00:13:48,040 --> 00:13:51,120 Speaker 1: dates with other people as they do, we ended up 262 00:13:51,160 --> 00:13:55,000 Speaker 1: together from Wes Wayne, Yeah, exactly, couldn't get a date 263 00:13:55,040 --> 00:13:57,160 Speaker 1: because we had to break them because we were working 264 00:13:57,200 --> 00:13:57,920 Speaker 1: in midnight. 265 00:13:58,840 --> 00:14:01,559 Speaker 2: Was he as rest and food then? As he is? 266 00:14:01,640 --> 00:14:05,400 Speaker 1: He always loved food. Yeah, he always loved food and 267 00:14:05,480 --> 00:14:06,720 Speaker 1: he was always a good cook. 268 00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:08,520 Speaker 2: Yeah. So did he cook for you? 269 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:11,200 Speaker 1: He cooked for me? Yeah, I remember, Well, we did 270 00:14:11,280 --> 00:14:13,160 Speaker 1: go to dinner light a lot because we went to 271 00:14:13,320 --> 00:14:16,040 Speaker 1: this place, Nora's across the street, because we worked so late, 272 00:14:16,160 --> 00:14:19,280 Speaker 1: both of us. But I do remember one time, right 273 00:14:19,360 --> 00:14:21,440 Speaker 1: in the beginning of our relationship, he had been in 274 00:14:21,560 --> 00:14:23,720 Speaker 1: France for work for something with the White House, and 275 00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:26,360 Speaker 1: he came back with all these French cheeses. Now, I 276 00:14:26,400 --> 00:14:28,680 Speaker 1: don't think you're supposed to bring French cheese back into 277 00:14:28,720 --> 00:14:31,080 Speaker 1: this country, and he was working at the White House, 278 00:14:31,120 --> 00:14:34,120 Speaker 1: but somehow we put them through. So I went to 279 00:14:34,240 --> 00:14:36,120 Speaker 1: his house and did a tasting of French cheese. 280 00:14:36,520 --> 00:14:39,280 Speaker 2: Did you eat in the canteen in the White House. 281 00:14:39,160 --> 00:14:41,560 Speaker 1: Pretty much every day? It was a wonderful place. Actually, 282 00:14:41,560 --> 00:14:43,640 Speaker 1: I went back to the White House just like six 283 00:14:43,720 --> 00:14:45,920 Speaker 1: months ago or something and went there again, and one 284 00:14:45,960 --> 00:14:48,560 Speaker 1: of the things I was disappointed is they took out 285 00:14:48,640 --> 00:14:51,080 Speaker 1: they had in the White House mess for years and years, 286 00:14:51,120 --> 00:14:53,000 Speaker 1: they had a big round table which was called the 287 00:14:53,080 --> 00:14:55,320 Speaker 1: staff table, so you never had to make a reservation. 288 00:14:55,360 --> 00:14:56,720 Speaker 1: You could just go in and sit at this big 289 00:14:56,800 --> 00:15:00,840 Speaker 1: round table when you'd be sitting next to Vice President Mondale. Yeah, 290 00:15:00,840 --> 00:15:04,040 Speaker 1: it was wonderful. It was just a fantastic, fantastic experience. 291 00:15:04,080 --> 00:15:06,160 Speaker 1: So I was very disappointed that they got rid of 292 00:15:06,240 --> 00:15:08,360 Speaker 1: it last year. When I was there, it's no longer there. 293 00:15:08,560 --> 00:15:10,800 Speaker 2: Did you go upstairs to the residents that never have 294 00:15:10,920 --> 00:15:12,120 Speaker 2: meals with the carters? 295 00:15:12,880 --> 00:15:17,880 Speaker 1: I went upstairs to the residents maybe then, but probably 296 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:19,360 Speaker 1: more when President Obama was. 297 00:15:19,400 --> 00:15:21,920 Speaker 2: President, And do you remember those meals? 298 00:15:22,880 --> 00:15:27,280 Speaker 1: I think it was mainly cocktails. President Obama and President 299 00:15:27,360 --> 00:15:30,480 Speaker 1: Biden care quite a bit about food. They have their 300 00:15:30,520 --> 00:15:33,600 Speaker 1: own they have their own special treats that they like. 301 00:15:33,760 --> 00:15:36,480 Speaker 1: So when President Biden comes to Winfield House, which he 302 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:39,560 Speaker 1: has four times, I think since I've been here, we 303 00:15:39,680 --> 00:15:41,480 Speaker 1: always have to make sure we get ice cream. His 304 00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:44,280 Speaker 1: favorite thing in the world is ice cream. He likes 305 00:15:44,400 --> 00:15:46,320 Speaker 1: chocolate chip, but I think last time we had vanilla, 306 00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:50,720 Speaker 1: but he loves ice cream. President Obama came recently, just 307 00:15:50,840 --> 00:15:54,480 Speaker 1: for twenty four hours, and he's very careful about food. 308 00:15:55,320 --> 00:15:59,320 Speaker 1: Six almonds for breakfast, right but when he's relaxing, his 309 00:15:59,400 --> 00:16:05,760 Speaker 1: favorite thing steak and martini vodka. Straight up, you know 310 00:16:05,880 --> 00:16:07,520 Speaker 1: he loves it. So you always want to make them happy. 311 00:16:07,640 --> 00:16:09,640 Speaker 1: Work so hard when he's here, so I always get 312 00:16:09,640 --> 00:16:12,840 Speaker 1: ice creamy anything he wants he gets. He deserves all 313 00:16:12,920 --> 00:16:15,600 Speaker 1: of it. And President Obama, I've had dinner with him 314 00:16:15,600 --> 00:16:18,000 Speaker 1: at Martha's finger and stuff. So he always makes the martinis. 315 00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:21,880 Speaker 2: Does it good Martin vodka? If we're going in the 316 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:24,800 Speaker 2: order you went from Washington and then you were in 317 00:16:24,880 --> 00:16:27,000 Speaker 2: New York with your having your children. Were they all 318 00:16:27,040 --> 00:16:27,840 Speaker 2: born in New York? 319 00:16:28,040 --> 00:16:29,080 Speaker 1: My children were born in New York. 320 00:16:29,160 --> 00:16:29,360 Speaker 2: Yeah. 321 00:16:30,080 --> 00:16:34,240 Speaker 1: They consider themselves total New Yorkers actually, although both of 322 00:16:34,320 --> 00:16:36,480 Speaker 1: them went to Dartmouth which is up in New Hampshire, 323 00:16:36,680 --> 00:16:41,080 Speaker 1: and Kate, when she came back, applied to business school. 324 00:16:41,640 --> 00:16:44,040 Speaker 1: She ap fled to Columbia. And I remember, as a 325 00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:46,680 Speaker 1: mother always worries. I said, shouldn't even been applying more 326 00:16:46,720 --> 00:16:49,520 Speaker 1: than one school? And she said, no, I'm never leaving 327 00:16:49,560 --> 00:16:51,400 Speaker 1: New York again. If I don't get in, I don't 328 00:16:51,440 --> 00:16:51,680 Speaker 1: kid in. 329 00:16:53,160 --> 00:16:56,800 Speaker 2: Did you find as a working mother that did you 330 00:16:56,920 --> 00:16:59,520 Speaker 2: have help for taking care of child? 331 00:17:01,040 --> 00:17:04,320 Speaker 1: It's nutty. No, it wasn't easy. I mean anybody who says, 332 00:17:04,640 --> 00:17:06,320 Speaker 1: even some of my friends at the time would say 333 00:17:06,320 --> 00:17:08,200 Speaker 1: it was easy, and I thought they were probably not 334 00:17:08,280 --> 00:17:11,360 Speaker 1: telling the truth. It's not a bit. It's terrorI it's 335 00:17:11,440 --> 00:17:14,359 Speaker 1: really hard. It's really really hard. And you know, I 336 00:17:14,400 --> 00:17:16,959 Speaker 1: think the kids that not that they suffered, but there 337 00:17:17,080 --> 00:17:18,600 Speaker 1: wasn't a lot of cooking in the house, Ralph and 338 00:17:18,640 --> 00:17:20,879 Speaker 1: I would come back. We'd be exhausted and tired. And 339 00:17:21,440 --> 00:17:24,080 Speaker 1: one time a friend of ours was a journalist for 340 00:17:24,600 --> 00:17:26,480 Speaker 1: he'd been at the Western Post and Time, and he 341 00:17:26,600 --> 00:17:30,119 Speaker 1: was writing a book about young people with children and 342 00:17:30,480 --> 00:17:33,840 Speaker 1: how difficult it was, and Kate was actually in the book. 343 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:37,240 Speaker 1: One of her lines was when the doorbell rings, Kate 344 00:17:37,280 --> 00:17:40,760 Speaker 1: would say dinner, because we got take out every night. 345 00:17:41,880 --> 00:17:44,160 Speaker 2: I have one of my children. Once when I started 346 00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:46,760 Speaker 2: the River Cafe and he went to the American School, Yeah, 347 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:48,800 Speaker 2: and he came. He called me up and he was 348 00:17:49,119 --> 00:17:51,760 Speaker 2: out a playdate around the corner and he said, Mom, 349 00:17:51,840 --> 00:17:53,800 Speaker 2: can you just come come over pick me up? And 350 00:17:53,840 --> 00:17:55,440 Speaker 2: I thought about the ground the corner. He said, no, 351 00:17:55,560 --> 00:17:57,720 Speaker 2: just come pick me up. And he wanted me to 352 00:17:57,800 --> 00:17:59,520 Speaker 2: see what a good mother's fridge look like. 353 00:18:00,080 --> 00:18:05,560 Speaker 1: That's so funny, this is a good mother. 354 00:18:06,200 --> 00:18:07,200 Speaker 2: And it was that, you know. 355 00:18:07,240 --> 00:18:12,359 Speaker 1: It was one of those double door fridges, filled vegetables 356 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:13,840 Speaker 1: and all the things. And I said, I have a. 357 00:18:13,880 --> 00:18:15,600 Speaker 2: Good mother and I have a good fridge. It just 358 00:18:15,640 --> 00:18:19,679 Speaker 2: doesn't have sixteen thousand different types of I was. 359 00:18:19,680 --> 00:18:22,280 Speaker 1: Ab I was a good very good and what I 360 00:18:22,400 --> 00:18:25,359 Speaker 1: did well, but I didn't have a good fridge, fridge 361 00:18:25,480 --> 00:18:27,239 Speaker 1: they were. It all worked out very well. I love 362 00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:31,800 Speaker 1: my children and they're terrific adults. Terrific you said them, 363 00:18:32,080 --> 00:18:36,240 Speaker 1: terrific people. Even though they may have gotten rafts take out? 364 00:18:36,440 --> 00:18:37,120 Speaker 2: Did they did? 365 00:18:37,160 --> 00:18:40,520 Speaker 1: He was, you know, during the week, it was so hard. 366 00:18:40,600 --> 00:18:43,159 Speaker 1: We both worked and we were both exhausted, so we 367 00:18:43,200 --> 00:18:45,200 Speaker 1: didn't really cook during the week, but he did cook 368 00:18:45,800 --> 00:18:48,440 Speaker 1: Friday nights usually we'd have dinner with the kids, and 369 00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:50,080 Speaker 1: they got into this one thing. At one point, I 370 00:18:50,160 --> 00:18:51,719 Speaker 1: was like, do we have to have it again? They 371 00:18:51,840 --> 00:18:55,480 Speaker 1: loved steak and chicken fajitas, so we had steak and 372 00:18:55,560 --> 00:18:57,920 Speaker 1: chicken fajitas every Friday n them. 373 00:18:58,400 --> 00:18:59,160 Speaker 2: Would he make them? 374 00:18:59,800 --> 00:19:00,879 Speaker 1: Make them? You'd make them? 375 00:19:02,040 --> 00:19:04,760 Speaker 2: Because now he's such a passionate cook, isn't it. Yeah, 376 00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:06,440 Speaker 2: that happened later, think. 377 00:19:06,280 --> 00:19:09,359 Speaker 1: Well, I think he always it's just time, you know. 378 00:19:10,240 --> 00:19:12,399 Speaker 1: And even now he mainly cooks some weekends. But he 379 00:19:12,600 --> 00:19:16,280 Speaker 1: loves he loves food, and he has a great feel 380 00:19:16,400 --> 00:19:22,080 Speaker 1: for it, whereas I'm much more in I'm sort of 381 00:19:22,200 --> 00:19:25,359 Speaker 1: I'm a perfectionist by nature, even cooking, and I think 382 00:19:25,400 --> 00:19:27,440 Speaker 1: it makes me less good at cook I have to 383 00:19:27,480 --> 00:19:30,960 Speaker 1: follow a recipe to write the exact what it says, 384 00:19:31,240 --> 00:19:33,359 Speaker 1: and roughness has a feel for it. You didn't have 385 00:19:33,400 --> 00:19:34,080 Speaker 1: to follow anything. 386 00:19:34,359 --> 00:19:35,760 Speaker 2: What was it like going to Paris. 387 00:19:37,160 --> 00:19:40,200 Speaker 1: We had a couple of favorite places in Paris, but 388 00:19:40,320 --> 00:19:44,480 Speaker 1: one thing I remember that is of more serious, having 389 00:19:44,560 --> 00:19:47,159 Speaker 1: to do with food. When I was in Paris, I 390 00:19:47,280 --> 00:19:49,520 Speaker 1: was there during the worst of terrorism, so I got 391 00:19:49,600 --> 00:19:53,520 Speaker 1: there right before Charlie Hebdo. It was Isis terrorism during 392 00:19:53,560 --> 00:19:56,320 Speaker 1: the time when I was there in Isis terrorist attacks 393 00:19:56,400 --> 00:19:59,919 Speaker 1: and Bodaclan was the huge attack at the music van. 394 00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:03,560 Speaker 1: You called Bataclan, but there were like three different attacks. 395 00:20:03,720 --> 00:20:06,200 Speaker 1: Huge numbers of people were killed. It was in November, 396 00:20:07,280 --> 00:20:11,440 Speaker 1: right before Thanksgiving. I'll never forget that night because Charlie 397 00:20:11,480 --> 00:20:13,920 Speaker 1: Hebdo had happened, which was a terror, which was a 398 00:20:14,560 --> 00:20:17,280 Speaker 1: you know, a terrorist act and a terrible thing, but 399 00:20:18,119 --> 00:20:22,359 Speaker 1: it appeared more targeted, where this just shook the city, 400 00:20:22,440 --> 00:20:26,520 Speaker 1: shook the country, shook the world because it was done 401 00:20:26,840 --> 00:20:29,080 Speaker 1: for ef fact, it wasn't targeted. There are just young 402 00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:32,440 Speaker 1: kids in a music venue and huge, huge numbers of people. 403 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:34,040 Speaker 2: Died. 404 00:20:34,280 --> 00:20:36,959 Speaker 1: I remember that night because Ralph happened to be there. 405 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:40,080 Speaker 1: Ralph was not in France much. He was there maybe 406 00:20:40,119 --> 00:20:42,520 Speaker 1: six days a month, but this night he happened to 407 00:20:42,600 --> 00:20:45,520 Speaker 1: be there. So we were out to dinner and the 408 00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:47,680 Speaker 1: security rushed over to my table and said, you have 409 00:20:47,760 --> 00:20:50,560 Speaker 1: to leave now, and they'd never done that before, especially 410 00:20:50,680 --> 00:20:52,760 Speaker 1: because we were in the middle or just finishing the 411 00:20:52,800 --> 00:20:56,119 Speaker 1: main course. So Ralph said, but I haven't had dessert, 412 00:20:57,400 --> 00:21:01,760 Speaker 1: and that is Ralph, and my secure already said she's leaving. 413 00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:05,560 Speaker 1: We don't care what you do. And I got rushed back. 414 00:21:05,640 --> 00:21:08,920 Speaker 1: And I did have safe rooms in my residence, so 415 00:21:09,080 --> 00:21:13,360 Speaker 1: got rushed to a safe room. And you have kept 416 00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:15,280 Speaker 1: up all the time with oh yeah, and I'd calls 417 00:21:15,280 --> 00:21:17,399 Speaker 1: from the White House. In the situation room, we did 418 00:21:17,560 --> 00:21:20,080 Speaker 1: brief the White House, and there was a wonderful woman. 419 00:21:20,760 --> 00:21:24,159 Speaker 1: She was head of Homeland Security, Lisa Monico. She's now 420 00:21:24,240 --> 00:21:28,080 Speaker 1: Deputy Attorney General. But I laughed because I used to 421 00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:30,200 Speaker 1: say she'd hate to see my name on her phone 422 00:21:30,320 --> 00:21:33,720 Speaker 1: because she was head of home on security for the president, 423 00:21:33,800 --> 00:21:37,080 Speaker 1: so I'd always be calling her with bad news. Other 424 00:21:37,200 --> 00:21:39,600 Speaker 1: than after nine to eleven, I've never seen anything like it. 425 00:21:41,560 --> 00:21:44,919 Speaker 1: The streets of Paris were empty, empty, not a person, 426 00:21:45,840 --> 00:21:48,800 Speaker 1: not a car. They had the Christmas decorations up, and 427 00:21:48,880 --> 00:21:51,560 Speaker 1: Ralph got a picture of one of the main avenues 428 00:21:51,840 --> 00:21:55,400 Speaker 1: totally empty with these Christmas decorations. I mean, the juxtaposition 429 00:21:55,640 --> 00:21:56,960 Speaker 1: was just heartbreaking. 430 00:21:57,760 --> 00:21:57,920 Speaker 2: You know. 431 00:21:58,000 --> 00:22:00,240 Speaker 1: One of the things when you have this terror and 432 00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:04,480 Speaker 1: terrorist attacks, you worry not just about the terrorist attack, 433 00:22:04,560 --> 00:22:06,200 Speaker 1: but what they're going to do to the economy of 434 00:22:06,280 --> 00:22:09,360 Speaker 1: the country and the economy of the city. And that's 435 00:22:09,400 --> 00:22:12,000 Speaker 1: how they often win, because then everybody's afraid to come. 436 00:22:12,960 --> 00:22:15,199 Speaker 1: So the mayor I was about to go into Christmas 437 00:22:15,240 --> 00:22:18,240 Speaker 1: season very very worried. They said, can you do anything? 438 00:22:18,400 --> 00:22:21,679 Speaker 1: So no one was on the street. We decided there 439 00:22:21,760 --> 00:22:23,920 Speaker 1: was a cafe around the corner from the embassy that 440 00:22:24,080 --> 00:22:27,399 Speaker 1: Ralph and I would go very publicly and sit and 441 00:22:27,480 --> 00:22:31,280 Speaker 1: eat lunch on the street so everybody could see us, 442 00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:36,000 Speaker 1: and people took photos and whatever. And then when we 443 00:22:36,080 --> 00:22:37,920 Speaker 1: got to the cafe it was empty, and I remember 444 00:22:37,960 --> 00:22:41,960 Speaker 1: by the time we lacked, a few other people started coming, 445 00:22:42,080 --> 00:22:45,040 Speaker 1: because you know, you have to fight terrorism in many ways, 446 00:22:45,119 --> 00:22:46,840 Speaker 1: but you can't let them win economically either. 447 00:22:54,240 --> 00:22:57,440 Speaker 2: If you like listening to Ruthie's Table for would you 448 00:22:57,600 --> 00:23:01,560 Speaker 2: please make sure to rape and review the podcast on 449 00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:06,640 Speaker 2: the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, o wherever you get 450 00:23:06,720 --> 00:23:16,960 Speaker 2: your podcasts. Thank you. When you were in New York 451 00:23:17,400 --> 00:23:20,320 Speaker 2: with your two babies to wearing up a new working 452 00:23:20,440 --> 00:23:22,640 Speaker 2: so hard, What were you doing at that time? 453 00:23:22,760 --> 00:23:26,080 Speaker 1: What was your What was my career In the beginning, 454 00:23:26,119 --> 00:23:28,640 Speaker 1: I was doing media. After the Whitehouse, I went into 455 00:23:28,680 --> 00:23:31,159 Speaker 1: media on the business side of media. That a company 456 00:23:31,240 --> 00:23:35,399 Speaker 1: that became CBS UH and Universal. But after that I 457 00:23:35,520 --> 00:23:39,919 Speaker 1: became a CEO at a macroeconomic consulting firm that did 458 00:23:39,960 --> 00:23:42,480 Speaker 1: a lot of work with G seven countries. It was 459 00:23:42,520 --> 00:23:43,520 Speaker 1: called the G seven Groups. 460 00:23:43,600 --> 00:23:45,960 Speaker 2: So you kept your political social. 461 00:23:46,160 --> 00:23:49,639 Speaker 1: Yeah, it was that was that was sort of nonpartisan. 462 00:23:49,760 --> 00:23:53,680 Speaker 1: But I kept involved on policy stuff for sure, the 463 00:23:53,800 --> 00:23:55,600 Speaker 1: economic and political. 464 00:23:56,040 --> 00:23:59,000 Speaker 2: I know that you're a chairman of sessme Stet. Yeah, 465 00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:04,080 Speaker 2: that's right now, which was a huge social innovation in 466 00:24:04,160 --> 00:24:06,680 Speaker 2: our country in terms of the value of children of 467 00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:10,600 Speaker 2: teaching them on television, teaching them. My children certainly learned 468 00:24:10,640 --> 00:24:14,520 Speaker 2: to love to read, and I think it had an outreach. 469 00:24:14,240 --> 00:24:16,800 Speaker 1: To It's one of the things I'm the most proud of. 470 00:24:16,920 --> 00:24:19,200 Speaker 1: I did it as I actually did after I was 471 00:24:19,240 --> 00:24:22,840 Speaker 1: Ambassador to France and I was on a lot of boards. 472 00:24:22,920 --> 00:24:24,720 Speaker 1: I was on the Kennedy School Board and I was 473 00:24:24,800 --> 00:24:26,640 Speaker 1: on the Carnegie Board and I was doing. 474 00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:30,080 Speaker 2: So this wasn't somehow, this wasn't this is what I 475 00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:31,000 Speaker 2: had been on the SESIM. 476 00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:34,080 Speaker 1: I'd been on the Sesame Board earlier, but only as 477 00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:36,840 Speaker 1: a member and fairly briefly. So then I got out, 478 00:24:36,880 --> 00:24:39,119 Speaker 1: and when I came home from being Ambassador to France, 479 00:24:39,160 --> 00:24:41,720 Speaker 1: I had been on them once before, you know, once 480 00:24:41,760 --> 00:24:45,800 Speaker 1: again I was doing more kind of policy Kennedy School, Carnegie, 481 00:24:46,080 --> 00:24:49,560 Speaker 1: things like that. But the amazing Joan Cooney who started 482 00:24:50,119 --> 00:24:52,840 Speaker 1: who's now like ninety four started Sesame Street, called me 483 00:24:52,920 --> 00:24:55,360 Speaker 1: one day and said, I want you to be chair 484 00:24:55,400 --> 00:24:57,600 Speaker 1: of Sesame Street. Were about to do all this work 485 00:24:57,640 --> 00:25:00,760 Speaker 1: with refugee children and you would be perfect. It's funny. 486 00:25:00,760 --> 00:25:03,080 Speaker 1: I said no to or twice and Ralph finally said 487 00:25:03,080 --> 00:25:04,760 Speaker 1: to me, you know you're going to say yes to her. 488 00:25:04,880 --> 00:25:07,200 Speaker 1: Just get it over with. And it was one of 489 00:25:07,280 --> 00:25:09,960 Speaker 1: the more impactful things I've done because at the time 490 00:25:10,800 --> 00:25:13,760 Speaker 1: they had just gotten a grant from MacArthur, huge grants, 491 00:25:14,280 --> 00:25:17,200 Speaker 1: one hundred million dollars from MacArthur, a genius award to 492 00:25:17,400 --> 00:25:22,639 Speaker 1: educate refugee children. So we had a huge program in Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, 493 00:25:22,920 --> 00:25:27,159 Speaker 1: and Syria to go into both refugee camps and destabilize 494 00:25:27,240 --> 00:25:30,440 Speaker 1: areas to teach children. But that's just to teach them, 495 00:25:30,480 --> 00:25:33,560 Speaker 1: to really help them deal with trauma and anxiety, which 496 00:25:33,560 --> 00:25:37,520 Speaker 1: they were all obviously having and given the life they 497 00:25:37,560 --> 00:25:38,480 Speaker 1: had just witnessed. 498 00:25:39,160 --> 00:25:44,639 Speaker 2: You were appointed ambassador to Paris by Obama. Yes, and 499 00:25:44,840 --> 00:25:46,119 Speaker 2: tell me how that happened. 500 00:25:46,600 --> 00:25:49,359 Speaker 1: I'm met President Obama in two thousand and six. I 501 00:25:49,480 --> 00:25:52,439 Speaker 1: think I was one of his early supporters. I had 502 00:25:52,560 --> 00:25:55,400 Speaker 1: seen him at the convention at two thousand and four 503 00:25:56,000 --> 00:25:59,560 Speaker 1: in Boston, and to be very honest, even though I'd 504 00:25:59,560 --> 00:26:03,040 Speaker 1: always been involved in politics and policy, I didn't really 505 00:26:03,160 --> 00:26:05,760 Speaker 1: know much about him. And I heard that speech, that 506 00:26:05,920 --> 00:26:09,240 Speaker 1: famous speech he gave at that convention, and I remember 507 00:26:09,400 --> 00:26:12,119 Speaker 1: after it calling somebody from Chicago, like Bill Daley or 508 00:26:12,160 --> 00:26:15,440 Speaker 1: somebody saying is this guy for real and them saying, yes, 509 00:26:15,520 --> 00:26:19,360 Speaker 1: he's very much for real. So I got to know him. 510 00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:22,159 Speaker 1: So I was an early supporter, even though I'm a 511 00:26:22,240 --> 00:26:24,399 Speaker 1: huge fan of Hillary Switch, you know, but I was 512 00:26:24,440 --> 00:26:28,360 Speaker 1: an early supporter of President Obama and worked with him 513 00:26:28,880 --> 00:26:31,760 Speaker 1: in his first administration. I was on a board that 514 00:26:31,880 --> 00:26:34,080 Speaker 1: I also loved because I didn't want to leave New York. 515 00:26:34,400 --> 00:26:36,760 Speaker 1: But then the second term the firm I was running 516 00:26:36,840 --> 00:26:38,399 Speaker 1: was called the G seven Groups, so we did a 517 00:26:38,480 --> 00:26:41,840 Speaker 1: huge amount of work with the G seven countries, both 518 00:26:41,920 --> 00:26:47,399 Speaker 1: on economics, central bank policy, currency politics all that. So 519 00:26:48,400 --> 00:26:49,840 Speaker 1: I was a good fit for it. I was a 520 00:26:49,880 --> 00:26:52,320 Speaker 1: little surprised with the children grown up with that I 521 00:26:52,400 --> 00:26:54,000 Speaker 1: they ever grown up. But I really had a life, 522 00:26:54,040 --> 00:26:57,000 Speaker 1: you know, I really had. I was I had a company, 523 00:26:57,200 --> 00:26:59,200 Speaker 1: and I was on boards, and I really had a 524 00:26:59,280 --> 00:27:01,720 Speaker 1: life that you know, when you're ambassador you have to 525 00:27:01,760 --> 00:27:04,360 Speaker 1: pick up and leave it is well worth it, which 526 00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:07,000 Speaker 1: I learned it is well worth it. But the time, 527 00:27:07,600 --> 00:27:09,920 Speaker 1: the name of it was Valerie Jared, who was a 528 00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:12,480 Speaker 1: good friend and an amazing woman. So one day she 529 00:27:12,600 --> 00:27:15,119 Speaker 1: called me and said, so let me see if this 530 00:27:15,320 --> 00:27:18,120 Speaker 1: interests you. You said no to everything else, she said, 531 00:27:18,160 --> 00:27:23,399 Speaker 1: Ambassador to France. First woman, second, second woman there a 532 00:27:23,440 --> 00:27:26,439 Speaker 1: second woman here, all right, you know, second woman here, 533 00:27:27,240 --> 00:27:31,800 Speaker 1: two in two hundred years, in the first and fifty years. 534 00:27:31,840 --> 00:27:37,080 Speaker 1: So we don't do very well. But the story on France. 535 00:27:37,119 --> 00:27:39,280 Speaker 1: So it was funny because Ralph was in London. It 536 00:27:39,359 --> 00:27:41,200 Speaker 1: happened to be in London at the time. He worked 537 00:27:41,240 --> 00:27:44,440 Speaker 1: here occasionally, so He called me when he was in 538 00:27:44,520 --> 00:27:48,560 Speaker 1: London and he said anything new And I said, well, yeah, 539 00:27:49,119 --> 00:27:51,000 Speaker 1: when you come in home, maybe we should talk. And 540 00:27:51,119 --> 00:27:52,880 Speaker 1: he said why, I said, because I might be moving 541 00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:56,639 Speaker 1: to France. Who was president of France when you were 542 00:27:56,640 --> 00:28:00,800 Speaker 1: ambassador president alone? He was president, and you know, we 543 00:28:00,960 --> 00:28:04,720 Speaker 1: worked very closely. He was president. Kazanov was prime minister 544 00:28:04,880 --> 00:28:06,359 Speaker 1: most of the time. I was very close to him 545 00:28:06,400 --> 00:28:08,720 Speaker 1: because he was in charge of security, and we worked 546 00:28:08,880 --> 00:28:10,639 Speaker 1: very very closely for most of the time he was 547 00:28:10,720 --> 00:28:14,800 Speaker 1: prime minister. Emanuel Macron was economics minister, so I worked. Yeah, 548 00:28:15,200 --> 00:28:17,520 Speaker 1: I got to know him very much, very smart. Did 549 00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:18,359 Speaker 1: you he cared a lot? 550 00:28:18,720 --> 00:28:22,120 Speaker 2: Did you entertain a lot? The embassy was a part 551 00:28:22,160 --> 00:28:23,159 Speaker 2: of the that you. 552 00:28:23,320 --> 00:28:26,920 Speaker 1: Always have to entertain. I though, have a purpose for 553 00:28:27,040 --> 00:28:30,359 Speaker 1: my entertaining. I never entertained just to entertain. So whether 554 00:28:30,520 --> 00:28:33,480 Speaker 1: that's to do something in terms of public diplomacy, in 555 00:28:33,600 --> 00:28:36,159 Speaker 1: terms of women, or in terms of working with the 556 00:28:36,200 --> 00:28:39,160 Speaker 1: business community to make sure they do more in their communities, 557 00:28:40,120 --> 00:28:43,920 Speaker 1: or whether it's highlighting you know, Gina Romando when she 558 00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:46,640 Speaker 1: comes over here, our wonderful commerce secretary. I always have 559 00:28:47,080 --> 00:28:50,680 Speaker 1: a purpose behind it. And culture, well, culture, culture, I 560 00:28:50,760 --> 00:28:52,760 Speaker 1: love culture. I love yeah, and I did a lot 561 00:28:52,800 --> 00:28:53,960 Speaker 1: in France. I do even more here. 562 00:28:54,160 --> 00:28:57,000 Speaker 2: Were you there with the Jeff Coons when the Jeff Coons? 563 00:28:57,120 --> 00:28:57,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, I saw it. 564 00:28:58,080 --> 00:28:59,200 Speaker 2: The other day I saw. 565 00:28:59,200 --> 00:29:00,560 Speaker 1: Jeff Jeff is fantastic. 566 00:29:00,680 --> 00:29:01,560 Speaker 2: I was, I was. 567 00:29:01,720 --> 00:29:04,280 Speaker 1: I was involved. This is after our ambassador with his 568 00:29:04,360 --> 00:29:07,880 Speaker 1: sculpture in Paris. But the first off, yeah, I was 569 00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:08,760 Speaker 1: very involved in that. 570 00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:11,800 Speaker 2: So, whether it's for culture, whether it's or politics, whether 571 00:29:11,800 --> 00:29:16,200 Speaker 2: it's a visiting personal business, do you mass would you 572 00:29:16,640 --> 00:29:19,160 Speaker 2: talk to the chef at all? Would you think about 573 00:29:19,800 --> 00:29:20,880 Speaker 2: what you want to serve? 574 00:29:21,600 --> 00:29:24,680 Speaker 1: Yeah? I do think absolutely. I mean, first of all, 575 00:29:24,760 --> 00:29:26,800 Speaker 1: you want to think about who you have there, what 576 00:29:27,080 --> 00:29:30,200 Speaker 1: might appeal to them, obviously allergies, but no, no, no, 577 00:29:30,320 --> 00:29:33,960 Speaker 1: I absolutely talked to them about what I think would 578 00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:37,400 Speaker 1: be right for that particular group. So I care about 579 00:29:37,440 --> 00:29:40,440 Speaker 1: menus and I care that it fits the occasion and 580 00:29:40,520 --> 00:29:44,920 Speaker 1: that everybody's everybody's comfortable. Chef is very Was it a friend. 581 00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:46,200 Speaker 2: Would you bring your own chefs? 582 00:29:46,360 --> 00:29:48,600 Speaker 1: No, you never bring your own chef. It was a 583 00:29:48,680 --> 00:29:49,280 Speaker 1: French chef. 584 00:29:49,520 --> 00:29:51,800 Speaker 2: But then you did have a party where you had 585 00:29:52,400 --> 00:29:53,960 Speaker 2: shake check, oh. 586 00:29:54,000 --> 00:30:00,440 Speaker 1: Shake check. Yeah. They Meyer is a good friend, you know, 587 00:30:00,600 --> 00:30:02,760 Speaker 1: I love him and I love his restaurants. But it 588 00:30:02,840 --> 00:30:06,160 Speaker 1: was very funny because how shakeshak started was the first 589 00:30:06,800 --> 00:30:10,479 Speaker 1: holiday party that we had, not this last this year, 590 00:30:10,520 --> 00:30:12,360 Speaker 1: but the last year, and we wanted to make it 591 00:30:12,480 --> 00:30:15,040 Speaker 1: very American. So we were thinking, how do we make 592 00:30:15,080 --> 00:30:18,400 Speaker 1: it very American? And initially they were saying free, well, 593 00:30:18,480 --> 00:30:20,440 Speaker 1: let's do caviar. And I'm like, no, no, no caviar, 594 00:30:20,520 --> 00:30:24,200 Speaker 1: no cavia. And then I, you know, since Danny's a friend, 595 00:30:24,240 --> 00:30:26,120 Speaker 1: I said, I know how to make an American shake shack. 596 00:30:26,600 --> 00:30:30,120 Speaker 1: But it's a huge hit. Now he does it every 597 00:30:30,360 --> 00:30:34,240 Speaker 1: event we have. And the first holiday party, the funny 598 00:30:34,280 --> 00:30:38,840 Speaker 1: thing was the then foreign secretary came and they had 599 00:30:38,880 --> 00:30:42,120 Speaker 1: closed the kitchen and he's a lovely man and he 600 00:30:42,280 --> 00:30:45,160 Speaker 1: was so disappointed. So Danny went into the kitchen and said, 601 00:30:45,560 --> 00:30:47,720 Speaker 1: Foreign Secretaries, here, make a burger for him. 602 00:30:49,360 --> 00:30:52,360 Speaker 2: Michelle Obama had a garden. Yes, Obama had a garden 603 00:30:52,440 --> 00:30:55,120 Speaker 2: at the White House. Yes, to sort of try and 604 00:30:55,360 --> 00:30:59,560 Speaker 2: teach about food through the garden, what grows, what you 605 00:31:00,120 --> 00:31:04,080 Speaker 2: in a city, about organic food, about the importance of nutrition. 606 00:31:04,760 --> 00:31:07,200 Speaker 2: And you have a farm in Connecticut. 607 00:31:07,520 --> 00:31:09,720 Speaker 1: I have Terma Connecticut. And I, by the way, when 608 00:31:09,720 --> 00:31:11,760 Speaker 1: I was in France, did a garden just like Michelle 609 00:31:11,760 --> 00:31:13,320 Speaker 1: Obama did at the White House. 610 00:31:13,240 --> 00:31:15,320 Speaker 2: And how did that go? Tell me about creating a 611 00:31:15,360 --> 00:31:17,560 Speaker 2: garden vegetable It was great. We did. 612 00:31:17,840 --> 00:31:19,520 Speaker 1: I love herbs, so we had a lot of herbs, 613 00:31:19,600 --> 00:31:21,800 Speaker 1: but what would grow and what wouldn't grow. And it 614 00:31:21,920 --> 00:31:23,640 Speaker 1: was out in the back of the house. Wasn't as 615 00:31:23,640 --> 00:31:25,440 Speaker 1: big a garden as we have in Winfield, but out 616 00:31:25,480 --> 00:31:28,320 Speaker 1: to the right and we used it. We had berries, 617 00:31:28,440 --> 00:31:30,960 Speaker 1: and we had herbs, and I think we had tomatoes. 618 00:31:31,400 --> 00:31:34,240 Speaker 1: I don't remember exactly, but yeah, we absolutely used it 619 00:31:34,960 --> 00:31:38,040 Speaker 1: here in Winfield. I don't have one because there's the 620 00:31:38,160 --> 00:31:41,120 Speaker 1: legendary person who takes care of the grounds is Stephen. 621 00:31:41,520 --> 00:31:44,440 Speaker 1: He's been with Winfield almost forty years and he has 622 00:31:44,640 --> 00:31:48,040 Speaker 1: greenhouses and everything. If you go back, it's quite a 623 00:31:48,120 --> 00:31:51,680 Speaker 1: production what we have at Wingfield House and he's in charge, 624 00:31:52,640 --> 00:31:55,560 Speaker 1: but herbs, everything. You walk through these greenhouses, it's incredible. 625 00:31:55,880 --> 00:31:58,600 Speaker 2: On the farm in America, Yeah, we have a. 626 00:31:58,600 --> 00:32:02,640 Speaker 1: Garden there too. I'm never there and Roun's out there 627 00:32:02,800 --> 00:32:04,200 Speaker 1: very much, but we do. We have a We have 628 00:32:04,280 --> 00:32:07,200 Speaker 1: a pretty we had a pretty big garden, cucumbers and 629 00:32:07,360 --> 00:32:12,800 Speaker 1: zucchini and cherry tomatoes, yellow and red berries. It was great. 630 00:32:12,840 --> 00:32:14,840 Speaker 1: We'd go out and pick our pick our vegetables and 631 00:32:14,920 --> 00:32:15,320 Speaker 1: cook them. 632 00:32:15,600 --> 00:32:20,040 Speaker 2: You're using food, as you say, to have dinners at 633 00:32:20,080 --> 00:32:23,160 Speaker 2: the embassy, to represent the United States, as you say, 634 00:32:23,240 --> 00:32:25,680 Speaker 2: with a purpose for bringing culture business. 635 00:32:26,080 --> 00:32:28,239 Speaker 1: I had a small one for Obama. He was here 636 00:32:28,320 --> 00:32:31,360 Speaker 1: for the Obama Foundation. I had one for Hillary. I 637 00:32:31,400 --> 00:32:34,440 Speaker 1: think you were at that. One for Hillary was very funny. 638 00:32:34,440 --> 00:32:36,320 Speaker 1: When I was discussing with her the dinner, I said, 639 00:32:36,320 --> 00:32:38,760 Speaker 1: who do you want? And she said, I only want 640 00:32:38,880 --> 00:32:42,320 Speaker 1: fun smart women. So we had fun smart women. 641 00:32:42,480 --> 00:32:46,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, she's a smart woman. You're a smart woman. And 642 00:32:46,680 --> 00:32:49,200 Speaker 2: I think that we're so lucky to have you here, 643 00:32:49,520 --> 00:32:52,120 Speaker 2: we being Americans who have you as our ambassador, and 644 00:32:53,160 --> 00:32:56,200 Speaker 2: the country for having you as ambassador. And if we 645 00:32:57,320 --> 00:32:59,800 Speaker 2: always wind up with the one question at the end, 646 00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:02,880 Speaker 2: which is food is for feeding people who are hungry, 647 00:33:03,040 --> 00:33:06,120 Speaker 2: Food is for entertaining. Food is a political issue in 648 00:33:06,240 --> 00:33:10,600 Speaker 2: terms of social value. It's also comfort And so if 649 00:33:10,640 --> 00:33:13,480 Speaker 2: you were seeking comfort in a food, is there a 650 00:33:13,560 --> 00:33:15,560 Speaker 2: food that you would turn to for comfort? 651 00:33:15,920 --> 00:33:19,640 Speaker 1: Probably a pasta dish when I'm really tired or really 652 00:33:19,760 --> 00:33:24,360 Speaker 1: kind of overwhelmed. That's what I would go for. I 653 00:33:24,440 --> 00:33:28,200 Speaker 1: don't love desserts. My mother made an amazing apple pie. 654 00:33:28,240 --> 00:33:31,320 Speaker 1: I still love that, but I do when I'm tired 655 00:33:31,440 --> 00:33:33,840 Speaker 1: or need comfort, it would be it would be a carb. 656 00:33:33,960 --> 00:33:37,200 Speaker 1: It would be a pasta dish, some really good bread, 657 00:33:38,520 --> 00:33:39,040 Speaker 1: things like that. 658 00:33:39,400 --> 00:33:41,840 Speaker 2: Okay, well we're going to go and have lunch now, 659 00:33:41,880 --> 00:33:45,480 Speaker 2: No good, So you have past over soul, oh my favorite. 660 00:33:45,640 --> 00:33:47,960 Speaker 2: Most of all, you have my love and thanks for being. 661 00:33:48,800 --> 00:33:50,920 Speaker 1: Thank you for being such a good friend. Good you 662 00:33:51,040 --> 00:33:51,680 Speaker 1: are amazing. 663 00:33:51,800 --> 00:33:53,640 Speaker 2: No, you are lots of thank you. 664 00:33:59,160 --> 00:34:02,280 Speaker 1: Thank you for listening to Ruthie's Table four in partnership 665 00:34:02,320 --> 00:34:02,960 Speaker 1: with Montclair 666 00:34:10,680 --> 00:34:11,160 Speaker 2: Mm hmm