1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:03,080 Speaker 1: Ruthie's Table four is now on YouTube, where you can 2 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:07,040 Speaker 1: watch past episodes of the podcast in full. Go to 3 00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:10,800 Speaker 1: YouTube and search for Ruthie's Table four and I'll see 4 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:15,200 Speaker 1: you there. Ruthie's Table four presented by Sky. 5 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:19,520 Speaker 2: I believe one of the Shah's cousins lived across the 6 00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:22,960 Speaker 2: street from us, and at some point there were these 7 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:27,400 Speaker 2: revolutionary guards who wanted to come across our house and 8 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:30,360 Speaker 2: get to the other house. And bullets went through a 9 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:34,839 Speaker 2: house and shattered the living room window, and and at 10 00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:36,720 Speaker 2: that point we didn't want to leave. But at that 11 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:40,280 Speaker 2: point my mom said, let's go for me. It's something 12 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:42,440 Speaker 2: I don't take for granted. You know, this is the 13 00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:49,560 Speaker 2: the what what America with the UK offer to immigrants 14 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:53,640 Speaker 2: to hopefully become a part of that society and to 15 00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:59,720 Speaker 2: contribute that to society. It's magical. 16 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:08,240 Speaker 3: Sometimes dreams come true. Over two years ago, I reached 17 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:11,240 Speaker 3: out to Dara kosro Shahi. Dara is known as one 18 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:14,800 Speaker 3: is the world's most influential CEOs. Everyone wants to talk 19 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:17,640 Speaker 3: to him about rebuilding the culture of a company, and 20 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:20,160 Speaker 3: so do I. Dara and I have much in common. 21 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:24,039 Speaker 3: We share friends, we both have personal experiences of immigration, 22 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:28,000 Speaker 3: him from Iran and my grandparents from Russia. We are 23 00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:32,360 Speaker 3: also both professionally involved in food, Dara through Uber Eats 24 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:36,000 Speaker 3: and me through the River Cafe. My average amount of 25 00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:40,160 Speaker 3: customers is ten thousand a month and Dars. 26 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:41,040 Speaker 4: Is ninety five million. 27 00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:45,319 Speaker 3: But here we are today a lot in common in 28 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:48,600 Speaker 3: the River Cafe in early spring to talk about food 29 00:01:48,760 --> 00:01:53,240 Speaker 3: and people, food and work, food and family and food 30 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 3: and our histories. 31 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 2: Lucky me, you'd be happy to know we'd look this up. 32 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:02,400 Speaker 2: I asked the team that there are one hundred Uber 33 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:05,800 Speaker 2: rides a day to the Uber to the Rubber Cafe. Yes, 34 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:10,680 Speaker 2: that's very popular destination. It's a little hard to get to, 35 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:11,840 Speaker 2: which makes it good for Uber. 36 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:14,320 Speaker 3: So that was perfect, I think, because you mean I 37 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:15,240 Speaker 3: could get like. 38 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:17,320 Speaker 2: The neighborhood could be difficult to get to. 39 00:02:18,639 --> 00:02:22,320 Speaker 3: Somebody who cave, somebody wants gave and said the early days. 40 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 3: She said could you get me a taxi back? And 41 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:26,359 Speaker 3: we said yes, Where. 42 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:27,600 Speaker 4: Are you going? And she said London? 43 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:31,079 Speaker 3: So it is sometimes quite far. 44 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:34,519 Speaker 4: Should we talk about Uber? So that's about Uber? Why 45 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 4: did you go to Uber? You were and you're having 46 00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:37,680 Speaker 4: a great time to Expedia. 47 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:41,080 Speaker 3: We're having a life you're living. Come on, tell me 48 00:02:41,120 --> 00:02:43,160 Speaker 3: why why Uber? 49 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:47,440 Speaker 2: You know? So Uber called me up originally and and 50 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:49,520 Speaker 2: during the time, is. 51 00:02:49,480 --> 00:02:51,880 Speaker 3: It, yes, very much, Uber can make a phone call? 52 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:55,960 Speaker 2: Or is that a head hunter for Uber called me 53 00:02:56,600 --> 00:02:59,720 Speaker 2: and and at first you're absolutely right, I said, no way. 54 00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:02,639 Speaker 2: It just it was going through a real cultural crisis. 55 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:04,840 Speaker 2: It was a mess. It was in the public eye 56 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:09,560 Speaker 2: in a bad way many many times. And it was 57 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 2: actually at the sun Valley conference where I was having 58 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:16,400 Speaker 2: a drink with a good friend of mine, Daniel X 59 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:20,160 Speaker 2: who runs Spotify. Yeah, and I was having a drink 60 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:23,679 Speaker 2: with Daniel Eck and said my wife, and he said, hey, 61 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:25,239 Speaker 2: to Uber call you. I told them to give you 62 00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:28,079 Speaker 2: a call. And I said, yes they did. But Daniel, 63 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:31,079 Speaker 2: why in the world would I give up what I've 64 00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:33,560 Speaker 2: got on Expedia to go work at at Uber. I'm 65 00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 2: so happy at Expedia. Everything's going great. And he said, Dara, 66 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:42,760 Speaker 2: since what is life about happiness? It's about impact. You 67 00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:46,040 Speaker 2: can make a difference at Uber. Uber's an important company. 68 00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:49,080 Speaker 2: It needs help, and I think you'd be the perfect person. 69 00:03:49,920 --> 00:03:54,400 Speaker 2: And whether it was a combination of his charisma or 70 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:57,600 Speaker 2: the drinks or my wife too, says like yeah, come 71 00:03:57,640 --> 00:03:59,760 Speaker 2: on this is you've been doing expedia for a while, 72 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:03,440 Speaker 2: maybe it's time for a new challenge. I the next 73 00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:05,560 Speaker 2: day I called back the headhunter. I said, you know, 74 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:10,920 Speaker 2: let me listen. And after that I had dinner with 75 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:15,120 Speaker 2: one of the Uber board members, and it appealed to me, 76 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:18,480 Speaker 2: you know, I did. And I still remember, Actually, to 77 00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:21,359 Speaker 2: your point on Uber is a verb, I spoke to 78 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:26,279 Speaker 2: my dad, Solder, and I still remember he says, daughta, 79 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:30,560 Speaker 2: when a company who's a verb tells you to be CEO, 80 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:35,120 Speaker 2: you just say yes. And and it was and what 81 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:38,400 Speaker 2: I found after the fact, but it was certainly what 82 00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:42,080 Speaker 2: attracted me to Uber is that the people who go 83 00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:44,719 Speaker 2: to Uber because it's not an easy company. It's not 84 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:47,039 Speaker 2: a technology company that only works in the digital world. 85 00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:49,640 Speaker 2: It works in the real world. You know what it's 86 00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:52,200 Speaker 2: like here. You know, it's like you have all the 87 00:04:52,279 --> 00:04:55,640 Speaker 2: plans in the real world to too for perfection, but 88 00:04:55,760 --> 00:05:00,400 Speaker 2: then always something crazy happens. So it's just the that 89 00:05:00,520 --> 00:05:01,960 Speaker 2: I knew it was going to be a challenge, but 90 00:05:02,520 --> 00:05:06,000 Speaker 2: people who come to Uber are attracted by the impact 91 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:08,120 Speaker 2: that we have in the world. You know, we're a 92 00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:12,000 Speaker 2: digital company, but we're helping people get around and we 93 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:16,080 Speaker 2: you know, during COVID, we helped so many restaurants stay live. 94 00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:20,800 Speaker 2: So it was ultimately that impact on the company that 95 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:24,120 Speaker 2: really really attracted me. And in hindsight, I'm so happy 96 00:05:24,160 --> 00:05:25,159 Speaker 2: I came to the company. 97 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:26,440 Speaker 4: What year did you start? 98 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:29,279 Speaker 2: I think twenty seventeen I joined, so it was probably 99 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:32,960 Speaker 2: four years then COVID hit, and it was it was 100 00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:37,479 Speaker 2: just such a shock for us. It was Uber at 101 00:05:37,520 --> 00:05:40,320 Speaker 2: the time was going through its challenges anyway, we were 102 00:05:40,640 --> 00:05:43,960 Speaker 2: losing a bunch of money. We had gone public and 103 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:48,600 Speaker 2: the IPO had not gone well at the time, and 104 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:53,080 Speaker 2: we the eighty percent of the business was mobility. Uber 105 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:56,800 Speaker 2: East was was kind of an idea that were developing. 106 00:05:56,920 --> 00:05:58,320 Speaker 4: You were developing before COVID. 107 00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:01,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, it had actually started before I got there, and 108 00:06:01,080 --> 00:06:02,920 Speaker 2: I was like, look, this is a cool business. Let's 109 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:05,600 Speaker 2: keep investing in it, let's grow it. And then when 110 00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:11,200 Speaker 2: COVID happened, eighty percent of our mobility business disappeared. Over 111 00:06:11,240 --> 00:06:16,599 Speaker 2: now eighty percent just gone. And we were already losing money. 112 00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:19,040 Speaker 2: So we went from losing kind of two billion a 113 00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:23,080 Speaker 2: year to losing four to five billion a year. We 114 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:25,799 Speaker 2: had we didn't have that much money in the bank. 115 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:29,760 Speaker 2: And so it became kind of a question of survival 116 00:06:29,839 --> 00:06:35,680 Speaker 2: for us and lo and behold the mobility business almost disappeared, 117 00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:41,279 Speaker 2: but the delivery business really started picking up. And so 118 00:06:41,400 --> 00:06:44,479 Speaker 2: where were you I was in San Francisco. 119 00:06:46,720 --> 00:06:48,039 Speaker 4: Did you do everything from home? 120 00:06:48,680 --> 00:06:52,920 Speaker 2: It was? I worked from home. Then basically everyone we went, Yeah, 121 00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:58,400 Speaker 2: everyone stayed at home. It was you know, conversations were 122 00:06:58,440 --> 00:07:03,040 Speaker 2: over screens and you really didn't know what was safe, 123 00:07:03,080 --> 00:07:05,320 Speaker 2: what was unsafe, where the world was going to go. 124 00:07:06,120 --> 00:07:07,839 Speaker 2: It was I got to spent a lot of time 125 00:07:07,839 --> 00:07:09,080 Speaker 2: with the kids, which was nice. 126 00:07:10,160 --> 00:07:10,760 Speaker 4: So go back. 127 00:07:10,800 --> 00:07:13,160 Speaker 3: So then uber eats became did you say it became 128 00:07:13,160 --> 00:07:13,880 Speaker 3: a food. 129 00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:17,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean Uber Eats became our lifeline. It became 130 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:22,360 Speaker 2: a lifeline for a restaurant partners because they were having trouble, 131 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:25,920 Speaker 2: but they got to keep employing their employees as well. 132 00:07:26,320 --> 00:07:29,600 Speaker 2: And then also became a lifeline for drivers because we said, 133 00:07:29,600 --> 00:07:32,559 Speaker 2: well you were driving people, Now you can drive food 134 00:07:33,480 --> 00:07:37,080 Speaker 2: and keep earning as well. So it really was such 135 00:07:37,080 --> 00:07:40,120 Speaker 2: a blessing for us and a blessing for Ecosystem and 136 00:07:40,240 --> 00:07:41,320 Speaker 2: our partners as well. 137 00:07:41,760 --> 00:07:46,000 Speaker 4: And was this global? This was yeah, it was absolutely Yeah, 138 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:47,560 Speaker 4: it's everywhere. 139 00:07:47,640 --> 00:07:50,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, And now Uber Eats is about half half. 140 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:54,160 Speaker 3: Do we think that this is a scenario where people 141 00:07:54,560 --> 00:07:55,680 Speaker 3: don't go to restaurants? 142 00:07:55,720 --> 00:07:57,640 Speaker 4: But you know, now. 143 00:07:57,480 --> 00:08:00,920 Speaker 3: Everybody nobody goes to cinemas. They they watched their movies 144 00:08:00,960 --> 00:08:03,400 Speaker 3: at home. And could there be a situation where people say, well, 145 00:08:03,400 --> 00:08:05,400 Speaker 3: why do we go to a restaurant when the restaurant 146 00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:07,600 Speaker 3: could come to us. But then last night I was 147 00:08:07,640 --> 00:08:11,760 Speaker 3: here and I was in the kitchen, and I thought, 148 00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:15,280 Speaker 3: and I looked around. I just watched people bump into 149 00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:18,400 Speaker 3: each other. We had the man we noticed that, you know, 150 00:08:18,520 --> 00:08:20,800 Speaker 3: somebody else on the other side of the room he'd 151 00:08:20,880 --> 00:08:23,280 Speaker 3: met at a conference and they were all around. And 152 00:08:23,280 --> 00:08:26,480 Speaker 3: then you had another person who's who was here celebrating 153 00:08:26,480 --> 00:08:29,640 Speaker 3: their kids at the birthday. And I thought, well, that 154 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:32,880 Speaker 3: couldn't happen if you just were at home eating. 155 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:33,480 Speaker 4: I don't want to. 156 00:08:33,800 --> 00:08:35,719 Speaker 3: I don't know this is a way, but we want 157 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:39,280 Speaker 3: you to bring people here and we'll take food to people. 158 00:08:39,400 --> 00:08:41,240 Speaker 2: That's a cool thing about Uber, which is we want 159 00:08:41,280 --> 00:08:43,680 Speaker 2: people to go out of their house, which is the 160 00:08:43,720 --> 00:08:47,320 Speaker 2: mainline Uber business, and also people get to get delivery. Yeah, 161 00:08:47,559 --> 00:08:49,760 Speaker 2: and I do think that the restaurant business is changing. 162 00:08:49,760 --> 00:08:52,280 Speaker 2: When you know that's ruthy, which is there's a part 163 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:54,960 Speaker 2: of the business that's about the food, but there's a 164 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:57,599 Speaker 2: part that's about the hospitality and the environment. And you 165 00:08:57,880 --> 00:09:01,200 Speaker 2: walk to this place and instantly the lighting you have 166 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:07,520 Speaker 2: it's so and the instant you walk into this place, 167 00:09:07,840 --> 00:09:10,880 Speaker 2: it feels bright. And so I do think that restaurants 168 00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:16,440 Speaker 2: need to have a clear identity as to is it 169 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:19,360 Speaker 2: the food, is it the hospitality, is it something else? 170 00:09:19,440 --> 00:09:22,760 Speaker 2: What is it that makes them special? And there are restaurants, 171 00:09:22,800 --> 00:09:25,720 Speaker 2: you know, quick service restaurants where it's mostly about the food, 172 00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:30,400 Speaker 2: where delivery is the main line. And so delivery allows 173 00:09:30,400 --> 00:09:34,400 Speaker 2: someone you're not restricted by the size of your dining room, 174 00:09:34,559 --> 00:09:36,360 Speaker 2: you know, and the kitchen becomes a thing and the 175 00:09:36,400 --> 00:09:39,440 Speaker 2: dining room isn't the thing. And so in that case, 176 00:09:39,480 --> 00:09:42,240 Speaker 2: delivery is great for these players because they get to 177 00:09:42,280 --> 00:09:45,520 Speaker 2: expand they get to have incredible scope. And even even 178 00:09:45,880 --> 00:09:47,960 Speaker 2: with some of them they have dark kitchens, yes, which 179 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:50,360 Speaker 2: is they take their recipes and they get to really 180 00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:53,120 Speaker 2: expand their scopes. But then I think for you you 181 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:56,640 Speaker 2: have a clear identity, which is the food is special. 182 00:09:57,480 --> 00:10:01,200 Speaker 2: But then there's a hospitality and people getting together and 183 00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:05,880 Speaker 2: the accidental kind of you know, interactions that people have 184 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:09,480 Speaker 2: as well, and the environment. And I do think you 185 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:13,240 Speaker 2: need to up that hospitality and really keep that in 186 00:10:13,320 --> 00:10:16,920 Speaker 2: mind in order for restaurants like your now. 187 00:10:16,840 --> 00:10:18,880 Speaker 3: We do, and I think that you know, what do 188 00:10:19,160 --> 00:10:21,080 Speaker 3: what do? Why do people go to restaurants? You know, 189 00:10:21,080 --> 00:10:22,400 Speaker 3: as you say, when you're gonna have them, why do 190 00:10:22,440 --> 00:10:25,240 Speaker 3: you go? You go because of the spontaneity. You go 191 00:10:25,360 --> 00:10:28,520 Speaker 3: because sometimes you can have a conversation that you're describing 192 00:10:28,520 --> 00:10:31,440 Speaker 3: around a table in a restaurant where you're being taken 193 00:10:31,480 --> 00:10:33,880 Speaker 3: care of so you can take care of yourselves and 194 00:10:33,920 --> 00:10:36,560 Speaker 3: your family. It's welcome. I always say that, you know, 195 00:10:36,600 --> 00:10:38,800 Speaker 3: I might go back to a restaurant if I would 196 00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:42,840 Speaker 3: if the sea bass was overcooked, but I won't go 197 00:10:42,920 --> 00:10:45,040 Speaker 3: back if the wine waight have made me feel stupid. 198 00:10:57,320 --> 00:10:58,800 Speaker 4: What I thought would be good is if you read 199 00:10:58,840 --> 00:10:59,640 Speaker 4: this recipe. 200 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:02,959 Speaker 3: And we you know, very few people get to read 201 00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:05,319 Speaker 3: a recipe that isn't the River Cafe. Yes, but as 202 00:11:05,360 --> 00:11:08,600 Speaker 3: we were saying about your culture, your history, your family, 203 00:11:08,800 --> 00:11:13,520 Speaker 3: your country, that to start with a recipe from Iran 204 00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:16,960 Speaker 3: would be very moving to me and probably much more 205 00:11:17,040 --> 00:11:19,760 Speaker 3: delicious than anything I could write. So why don't we 206 00:11:19,840 --> 00:11:22,240 Speaker 3: hear your recipe wonderful. 207 00:11:22,280 --> 00:11:27,200 Speaker 2: So this recipe is or miss amzi uh and it's 208 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:32,640 Speaker 2: an Iranian stew. And we came to America when I 209 00:11:32,679 --> 00:11:36,840 Speaker 2: was nine years old. We had to escape Iran and 210 00:11:37,480 --> 00:11:42,400 Speaker 2: we lost everything leaving Iran. A family was very very 211 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:45,679 Speaker 2: well off. My father was a patriot. He wanted to 212 00:11:45,720 --> 00:11:48,080 Speaker 2: leave all his money in Iran and reinvest in Iran, 213 00:11:48,679 --> 00:11:51,440 Speaker 2: which wasn't so good for us when we left. But 214 00:11:52,120 --> 00:11:55,720 Speaker 2: for us then food was always home. Family was always 215 00:11:55,960 --> 00:12:00,760 Speaker 2: there and food was always home. So whatever we were 216 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:05,920 Speaker 2: going through as a family, the family dinner was a religion. 217 00:12:06,040 --> 00:12:11,199 Speaker 2: We always got together. And my mom is a spectacular 218 00:12:11,280 --> 00:12:14,440 Speaker 2: cook and absy, I mean there's a lot that she 219 00:12:14,480 --> 00:12:17,839 Speaker 2: can cook. Miss sabs was one of her specialties as well. 220 00:12:19,320 --> 00:12:23,079 Speaker 2: It's tough one. It's not an easy recipe. So the 221 00:12:23,240 --> 00:12:29,200 Speaker 2: ingredients are onion diced foreclothes with garlic, a teaspoon of turmeric, 222 00:12:30,040 --> 00:12:34,280 Speaker 2: one ground beef, ground, some Persian limes, kidney beans that 223 00:12:34,320 --> 00:12:38,480 Speaker 2: are dried, some parsley, cilancho, fenny greek, which is really important, 224 00:12:38,559 --> 00:12:41,880 Speaker 2: one cup of fenny greek, two cups of fresh chives, 225 00:12:41,960 --> 00:12:44,840 Speaker 2: and then salt, pepper and oil. You sautee the onion 226 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:49,760 Speaker 2: and garlic first get some flavor. Stirring the turmeric. You 227 00:12:49,840 --> 00:12:53,559 Speaker 2: had the beef to the pan. Season well with salt 228 00:12:53,600 --> 00:12:56,600 Speaker 2: and pepper. The only criticism I made of my mom 229 00:12:56,720 --> 00:12:58,800 Speaker 2: is my family had high blood pressure, so she would 230 00:12:58,840 --> 00:13:02,000 Speaker 2: try to pull back on the salt. I worship salt. 231 00:13:03,360 --> 00:13:06,719 Speaker 2: You stir it to brown all sides. Now here's the 232 00:13:06,760 --> 00:13:10,760 Speaker 2: thing with the lines. You puncture the limes and then 233 00:13:10,800 --> 00:13:12,600 Speaker 2: you add it to the meal with the beans, and 234 00:13:12,640 --> 00:13:16,800 Speaker 2: so the lime juice gets in there and then the 235 00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:18,800 Speaker 2: lime itself. Once in a while when you eat, you 236 00:13:18,840 --> 00:13:20,400 Speaker 2: can kind of squeeze the lime and get some of 237 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:23,680 Speaker 2: the juice out, Like there's this really sharp tang to it. 238 00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:27,400 Speaker 2: That's awesome. I would like eat the limes the limes, 239 00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:30,440 Speaker 2: and I think that many people do that. You add 240 00:13:30,440 --> 00:13:33,199 Speaker 2: four cups of water, cover and then you cook for 241 00:13:33,240 --> 00:13:35,520 Speaker 2: an hour. You've got to be patients. This is a 242 00:13:35,600 --> 00:13:38,000 Speaker 2: meal that like, you plan the meal. This is not 243 00:13:38,080 --> 00:13:39,839 Speaker 2: a meal that, oh what am I going to cook 244 00:13:39,840 --> 00:13:43,640 Speaker 2: to Yeah, you fry the chopped herbs olive ol for 245 00:13:43,679 --> 00:13:46,520 Speaker 2: a couple of minutes. You add you add to the 246 00:13:46,520 --> 00:13:49,800 Speaker 2: meat and beans, then you lower the heat. You cover 247 00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:52,680 Speaker 2: and cook for another two hours. So again this is yeah, 248 00:13:52,720 --> 00:13:55,320 Speaker 2: you've got to let this thing go. You stir the 249 00:13:55,360 --> 00:13:59,320 Speaker 2: pot and then it adjust the seasoning to taste, and 250 00:13:59,360 --> 00:14:03,640 Speaker 2: then you serve over white rice and it reminds me 251 00:14:03,720 --> 00:14:06,160 Speaker 2: of home, and uh, you know, I've got to ask 252 00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:09,520 Speaker 2: my mom to make me some some. 253 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:12,920 Speaker 3: Some or it is it a that you have generally 254 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:15,480 Speaker 3: or is it a celebration dish? Is it something you 255 00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:17,439 Speaker 3: have in New Year's because somebody is telling you there's 256 00:14:17,440 --> 00:14:18,960 Speaker 3: a special recipe that you have. 257 00:14:19,360 --> 00:14:22,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean it's definitely for holidays, et cetera. As 258 00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:25,360 Speaker 2: you can tell, it needs a lot of work, lots 259 00:14:25,360 --> 00:14:28,280 Speaker 2: of chopcoling of the of the vegetables. So this is 260 00:14:28,280 --> 00:14:31,160 Speaker 2: not a casual affair. But if I could have it 261 00:14:31,160 --> 00:14:35,440 Speaker 2: every single weekend, I do it. And Iran food takes time. 262 00:14:35,560 --> 00:14:40,160 Speaker 2: It's not a fast cooking kind of an endeavor. It 263 00:14:40,200 --> 00:14:43,120 Speaker 2: takes time. And I think what that brings a lot 264 00:14:43,160 --> 00:14:43,440 Speaker 2: of love? 265 00:14:43,560 --> 00:14:44,000 Speaker 4: It does? 266 00:14:44,120 --> 00:14:46,400 Speaker 2: It does, which is which is what makes a special. 267 00:14:46,760 --> 00:14:53,640 Speaker 2: Now I have a present for a special like this. 268 00:14:53,760 --> 00:14:56,320 Speaker 4: You have a set everyone. 269 00:14:58,680 --> 00:15:03,119 Speaker 2: This is not and uh in amz but this is saffron, 270 00:15:03,800 --> 00:15:06,960 Speaker 2: and as you know, saffron is very I think it's 271 00:15:07,240 --> 00:15:10,840 Speaker 2: pronounced more valuable in gold. And this is saffron is 272 00:15:10,880 --> 00:15:15,840 Speaker 2: a very very popular ingredient uh in Iranian food. And 273 00:15:17,360 --> 00:15:20,080 Speaker 2: thank you very much, and I opened this up. Yeah absolutely. 274 00:15:20,240 --> 00:15:24,440 Speaker 2: And another another meal that my mom made was tatchin, 275 00:15:25,240 --> 00:15:28,400 Speaker 2: which is kind of the you put the saffron in 276 00:15:28,480 --> 00:15:31,320 Speaker 2: the rice together and the flavor of the saffron and 277 00:15:31,360 --> 00:15:34,040 Speaker 2: the rice come together along with chicken or something like that. 278 00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:38,760 Speaker 2: So that's also a memory. I think you absolutely. I 279 00:15:38,800 --> 00:15:40,320 Speaker 2: didn't see any saffron. 280 00:15:39,920 --> 00:15:44,080 Speaker 3: In your We do we resto milanaise, which is you 281 00:15:44,120 --> 00:15:48,560 Speaker 3: know very often if you have asbuco feel should we 282 00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:51,680 Speaker 3: do it with risotto milanaise, and it is it is 283 00:15:51,800 --> 00:15:53,360 Speaker 3: just saffron and rice. 284 00:15:53,960 --> 00:15:54,400 Speaker 4: Resulto. 285 00:15:54,880 --> 00:15:58,280 Speaker 2: Well brought it so they can take something. Yeah, absolutely, 286 00:15:58,400 --> 00:15:58,880 Speaker 2: nice of you. 287 00:15:59,040 --> 00:15:59,800 Speaker 4: This is beautiful. 288 00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:02,400 Speaker 3: But we will make this and you need a very tiny, 289 00:16:02,480 --> 00:16:04,840 Speaker 3: tiny bit, don't you because if you put too much 290 00:16:04,880 --> 00:16:06,920 Speaker 3: it goes that kind of very yellow strong it can 291 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:08,960 Speaker 3: dominate and it's actually quite a subtle. 292 00:16:09,160 --> 00:16:10,320 Speaker 4: Oh this is so kind. 293 00:16:10,520 --> 00:16:12,440 Speaker 3: Thank you. Well, let's do more again. 294 00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:14,040 Speaker 2: This is beautiful memory for you. 295 00:16:14,120 --> 00:16:16,720 Speaker 3: Let's go from being born to nine years. 296 00:16:16,560 --> 00:16:18,040 Speaker 4: Old that history. 297 00:16:18,080 --> 00:16:20,160 Speaker 3: But then we'll go on Tell me about your family, 298 00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:22,560 Speaker 3: Tell me about your you know, your house. Where did 299 00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:24,800 Speaker 3: you live in the center of tront. 300 00:16:24,520 --> 00:16:29,680 Speaker 2: We lived in a neighborhood in the north of Tehran, 301 00:16:29,800 --> 00:16:32,720 Speaker 2: which is the capital UH. And then if you look north, 302 00:16:32,760 --> 00:16:35,480 Speaker 2: they're the Elbers Mountains, So it is it's quite a 303 00:16:35,560 --> 00:16:42,360 Speaker 2: dramatic setting UH. Tehran, my family and and and the 304 00:16:42,400 --> 00:16:45,560 Speaker 2: Alberts Montains are are incredible. Are are incredible. And and 305 00:16:45,640 --> 00:16:48,200 Speaker 2: my family it was a family that emigrated from Tabreez, 306 00:16:48,200 --> 00:16:51,760 Speaker 2: which is a small town. UH. It was a merchant 307 00:16:51,800 --> 00:16:55,120 Speaker 2: family and we built a big family business. 308 00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:56,120 Speaker 4: What year would this be. 309 00:16:57,160 --> 00:17:01,360 Speaker 2: This is in the sixties. I don't know exactly the year, 310 00:17:01,440 --> 00:17:03,480 Speaker 2: but it was in the sixties where they moved from 311 00:17:03,480 --> 00:17:06,080 Speaker 2: Tehran to from Tabris to Tehran. 312 00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:07,199 Speaker 4: But they were working before that. 313 00:17:07,760 --> 00:17:09,920 Speaker 2: They were it was it was basically a merchant family. 314 00:17:10,320 --> 00:17:13,040 Speaker 2: And then what we did is we built up essentially 315 00:17:13,680 --> 00:17:20,280 Speaker 2: a pharmaceutical and consumer manufacturing business UH in Iran and 316 00:17:20,480 --> 00:17:24,159 Speaker 2: we were one of the probably there are five or 317 00:17:24,200 --> 00:17:28,600 Speaker 2: six large families in Iran that owned these industrial conglomerates. 318 00:17:29,119 --> 00:17:31,440 Speaker 2: The SHAW at the time was trying to modernize the 319 00:17:31,440 --> 00:17:35,160 Speaker 2: economy in modernized society generally, and we were a part 320 00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:39,640 Speaker 2: of that modernization. Uh, and we will license consumer goods 321 00:17:39,680 --> 00:17:43,919 Speaker 2: from Western companies, manufacture them in Iran, distribute them in 322 00:17:43,920 --> 00:17:46,639 Speaker 2: Iran and in the Middle East as well. And because 323 00:17:46,680 --> 00:17:49,440 Speaker 2: it was a family business, family was all around. So 324 00:17:49,760 --> 00:17:53,280 Speaker 2: my uncle lived next to us, my great grandfather lived 325 00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:59,640 Speaker 2: in a house right above us, literally looming. Yes, yes, 326 00:18:00,080 --> 00:18:05,919 Speaker 2: degenerational family and literally my family was all around us. 327 00:18:05,960 --> 00:18:07,880 Speaker 2: We would just walk from one house to the other 328 00:18:07,960 --> 00:18:11,760 Speaker 2: to gozy cousins. So, you know, in Iran, family is 329 00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:15,920 Speaker 2: one your definition of family is different. You know, your 330 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:19,200 Speaker 2: cousins and second cousins and third cousins, they're just all 331 00:18:19,240 --> 00:18:23,640 Speaker 2: cousins and just family is just a part of your existence. 332 00:18:25,160 --> 00:18:29,800 Speaker 2: And you know, when I was nine, we were very 333 00:18:29,880 --> 00:18:34,280 Speaker 2: very well off. The revolutions or signs of the revolution 334 00:18:34,400 --> 00:18:35,240 Speaker 2: started happening. 335 00:18:35,760 --> 00:18:37,359 Speaker 3: What year are we in now. 336 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:40,639 Speaker 2: This is nineteen seventy eight, seventy seven, going into nineteen 337 00:18:40,680 --> 00:18:46,359 Speaker 2: seventy eight, and you know, the shot was imperfect and 338 00:18:46,400 --> 00:18:51,439 Speaker 2: as part of his monernization, there were parts of the 339 00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:55,560 Speaker 2: population that were left behind that didn't feel like they 340 00:18:55,560 --> 00:19:01,240 Speaker 2: were participating in the improvements in the lifestyle of people 341 00:19:01,280 --> 00:19:05,119 Speaker 2: in the big city. You know, my family included, and 342 00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:08,679 Speaker 2: I think in hindsight, and hindsight is twenty twenty, probably 343 00:19:08,680 --> 00:19:12,200 Speaker 2: try to monetize too quickly, and as a result, there 344 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:18,200 Speaker 2: was this pushback to Islam, to traditions, and that's what 345 00:19:18,359 --> 00:19:23,720 Speaker 2: Romani came in to the US. My family fled thinking 346 00:19:23,760 --> 00:19:26,320 Speaker 2: that we were we would just leave the country for 347 00:19:26,359 --> 00:19:29,639 Speaker 2: a couple of months while things would calm down. And 348 00:19:29,720 --> 00:19:30,720 Speaker 2: things didn't calm down. 349 00:19:30,880 --> 00:19:33,720 Speaker 3: But when you were growing in the nine years before 350 00:19:33,720 --> 00:19:36,080 Speaker 3: you left, leaving home at nine changing, as you say, 351 00:19:36,160 --> 00:19:39,840 Speaker 3: that's a very vulnerable age to something and for your parents, 352 00:19:39,840 --> 00:19:42,320 Speaker 3: for your whole family to move up. But do you 353 00:19:42,359 --> 00:19:46,439 Speaker 3: have a memory of that apart from the family of 354 00:19:46,640 --> 00:19:49,720 Speaker 3: did you all did you gather together for meals? Did you? 355 00:19:49,920 --> 00:19:50,400 Speaker 2: Oh? Yeah? 356 00:19:50,560 --> 00:19:53,000 Speaker 3: And would you have cooks who would make. 357 00:19:53,119 --> 00:19:56,960 Speaker 2: Would we would have cooks? Yeah, we would. So for us, 358 00:19:57,320 --> 00:20:00,280 Speaker 2: dinner was religion. Family dinner was religion. 359 00:20:00,119 --> 00:20:03,440 Speaker 3: And we would. 360 00:20:02,160 --> 00:20:06,280 Speaker 2: We would probably have any time. Sometimes it was just us, 361 00:20:06,320 --> 00:20:10,000 Speaker 2: which was the five of us. I've got two other 362 00:20:10,040 --> 00:20:12,639 Speaker 2: brothers and my mom and my dad. But then often 363 00:20:12,680 --> 00:20:16,000 Speaker 2: we would have cousins there as well. And remember we 364 00:20:16,040 --> 00:20:18,320 Speaker 2: have the dining room and then the kitchen right close by, 365 00:20:18,359 --> 00:20:19,080 Speaker 2: and we didn't. 366 00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:19,600 Speaker 3: Remember the kitchen. 367 00:20:19,840 --> 00:20:24,960 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, yeah, it was just this big center of activity, 368 00:20:25,040 --> 00:20:29,120 Speaker 2: et cetera. We had to cook solemn Soleman was his name. 369 00:20:29,880 --> 00:20:34,679 Speaker 2: Uh and he was kind of always leading, you know, 370 00:20:34,760 --> 00:20:38,520 Speaker 2: it's it's it's the preparing food. It's almost like he 371 00:20:38,600 --> 00:20:41,480 Speaker 2: was an orchestrator, you know, getting everyone because usually we 372 00:20:41,520 --> 00:20:44,280 Speaker 2: did have a lot of guess guests as well. 373 00:20:44,880 --> 00:20:47,080 Speaker 3: Would your mother go in and cook with She did 374 00:20:47,160 --> 00:20:49,120 Speaker 3: say he taught her to cook or did her mother 375 00:20:49,200 --> 00:20:49,560 Speaker 3: teach her? 376 00:20:49,720 --> 00:20:52,359 Speaker 2: She was I don't know who taught whom, but she 377 00:20:52,560 --> 00:20:54,680 Speaker 2: she's a great cook. So when it came to the US, 378 00:20:54,720 --> 00:20:59,040 Speaker 2: like she was cooking up a storm. Uh So I 379 00:20:59,480 --> 00:21:01,120 Speaker 2: think I think think it was a team effort. But 380 00:21:01,119 --> 00:21:05,160 Speaker 2: but I remember, like one one meal, another very popular 381 00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:08,920 Speaker 2: meal is celli kebab, which are these kebabs. It's it's 382 00:21:08,960 --> 00:21:14,240 Speaker 2: these kebabs. But you you you bang on the kebab flatten, yeah, 383 00:21:14,240 --> 00:21:16,560 Speaker 2: you flann the kebab. And so one of the really 384 00:21:16,600 --> 00:21:18,199 Speaker 2: fun things that I would do is, you know, I 385 00:21:18,280 --> 00:21:20,800 Speaker 2: get that the big pounder and I'd like pound the 386 00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:23,399 Speaker 2: kebab and Solimon would kind of tell me how to 387 00:21:23,440 --> 00:21:26,439 Speaker 2: do it, and then you stick the shish kebab and 388 00:21:26,480 --> 00:21:29,840 Speaker 2: then you put it on I'm sorry, on a grill, yeah, 389 00:21:29,920 --> 00:21:33,760 Speaker 2: on a grail on kind of a wood fire grill. Uh. 390 00:21:33,800 --> 00:21:36,320 Speaker 2: And it was just it was just would. 391 00:21:36,080 --> 00:21:37,120 Speaker 3: You spend time in the kitchen? 392 00:21:37,359 --> 00:21:40,359 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, we were running around with Soliman was like, 393 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:43,720 Speaker 2: you know, a god to us. He was, you know, 394 00:21:43,920 --> 00:21:44,840 Speaker 2: incredible person. 395 00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:46,800 Speaker 3: You've got to school all day and then come home, 396 00:21:46,920 --> 00:21:48,960 Speaker 3: do your homework and sit down to dinner or which I. 397 00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:51,199 Speaker 2: Don't remember doing homework, but I'm sure I did some 398 00:21:51,280 --> 00:21:54,919 Speaker 2: homework that that was not like the It was just 399 00:21:55,480 --> 00:21:57,960 Speaker 2: you know, it was three boys running around and a 400 00:21:57,960 --> 00:21:59,919 Speaker 2: bunch of cousins running around. 401 00:22:06,840 --> 00:22:08,320 Speaker 4: And so the upheaval. 402 00:22:08,480 --> 00:22:11,919 Speaker 3: I mean, as I say, my family left Russia, you know, 403 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:14,359 Speaker 3: and that wave of immigrants that came to the United 404 00:22:14,359 --> 00:22:18,080 Speaker 3: States early twentieth century. But there was a kind of progression. 405 00:22:18,160 --> 00:22:20,639 Speaker 3: There was a you know, my grandfather came first and 406 00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:23,600 Speaker 3: he sent for my grandmother and the family. But to 407 00:22:23,760 --> 00:22:27,000 Speaker 3: be and we see it happening here right now, unfortunate, 408 00:22:27,119 --> 00:22:30,280 Speaker 3: you know, tragically, we see people who have to seek asylum. 409 00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:33,560 Speaker 3: It's something that we confront But the fact that your 410 00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:37,120 Speaker 3: family confronted it tell me about leaving what was did 411 00:22:37,160 --> 00:22:38,720 Speaker 3: you come home from school one day and they said 412 00:22:38,760 --> 00:22:42,240 Speaker 3: we're going tomorrow. Was it part of a discussion. 413 00:22:42,480 --> 00:22:49,000 Speaker 2: So the event that caused us to leave was actually 414 00:22:49,119 --> 00:22:54,159 Speaker 2: we had a big house and I believe one of 415 00:22:54,160 --> 00:22:58,320 Speaker 2: the Shah's cousins lived across the street from us. And 416 00:22:58,359 --> 00:23:03,200 Speaker 2: at some point the these revolutionary guards who wanted to 417 00:23:03,240 --> 00:23:06,440 Speaker 2: come across our house and get to the other house. 418 00:23:07,040 --> 00:23:09,480 Speaker 2: And so as they jumped over the walls and came 419 00:23:09,520 --> 00:23:14,640 Speaker 2: through our house, one of their rifles went off and 420 00:23:14,800 --> 00:23:19,760 Speaker 2: the guards, yeah, the guards who were rushing this other house, 421 00:23:20,480 --> 00:23:23,639 Speaker 2: and bullets went through a house and shattered the living 422 00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:27,000 Speaker 2: room window. And and at that point we didn't want 423 00:23:27,040 --> 00:23:29,439 Speaker 2: to leave. But at that point my mom said, let 424 00:23:29,640 --> 00:23:33,040 Speaker 2: let's go. We went to France where we had a place. 425 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:38,320 Speaker 2: And again we expected to go back to myself, my 426 00:23:38,720 --> 00:23:40,880 Speaker 2: mom and my brothers and a lot of my other 427 00:23:40,920 --> 00:23:41,680 Speaker 2: family as well. 428 00:23:42,880 --> 00:23:43,840 Speaker 4: And you were allowed to leave. 429 00:23:44,160 --> 00:23:44,600 Speaker 3: They didn't. 430 00:23:44,720 --> 00:23:46,399 Speaker 2: We were allowed to leave. At the time. It was 431 00:23:46,480 --> 00:23:52,800 Speaker 2: before things got really bad left. I think Romani had 432 00:23:52,800 --> 00:23:57,480 Speaker 2: come back, and I think the Shah had not yet left. 433 00:23:57,480 --> 00:24:00,159 Speaker 2: It was a little bit before the Shaw left. It 434 00:24:00,200 --> 00:24:01,800 Speaker 2: was a long time ago, so I might be wrong. 435 00:24:02,359 --> 00:24:04,639 Speaker 2: And then we went to the south of France, and 436 00:24:04,680 --> 00:24:06,919 Speaker 2: then it became clear things were not going to be okay. 437 00:24:08,119 --> 00:24:11,399 Speaker 2: We were lucky enough to have an uncle, Uncle NeSSI, 438 00:24:11,480 --> 00:24:13,879 Speaker 2: who lived until he was one hundred and three he 439 00:24:13,920 --> 00:24:17,760 Speaker 2: recently passed, who had a house in Irvington, New York, 440 00:24:18,800 --> 00:24:21,920 Speaker 2: and he was he was the one who would license 441 00:24:24,119 --> 00:24:27,520 Speaker 2: US goods for US to manufacture or US brands for 442 00:24:27,560 --> 00:24:30,400 Speaker 2: US manufacturer in the US. He said, come stay with us, 443 00:24:30,440 --> 00:24:32,600 Speaker 2: So we went to Uncle Nessie's house. He had a 444 00:24:32,680 --> 00:24:36,560 Speaker 2: huge house in Irvington, New York. And you know, for 445 00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:39,600 Speaker 2: the kids. For me, I got to hang out with 446 00:24:39,640 --> 00:24:42,719 Speaker 2: my cousins and it was a great adventure. So I 447 00:24:42,760 --> 00:24:47,960 Speaker 2: know that it sounds difficult, and it was difficult, but 448 00:24:48,760 --> 00:24:51,480 Speaker 2: my parents did a great job of shielding the children. 449 00:24:52,600 --> 00:24:56,280 Speaker 2: We got to live with family and so that was consistent. 450 00:24:56,840 --> 00:24:59,359 Speaker 2: But we were lucky enough to speak English, although boy 451 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:04,520 Speaker 2: American spoke way faster than I could understand. Uh. And 452 00:25:04,760 --> 00:25:08,760 Speaker 2: but school just local school. We went to a school 453 00:25:08,840 --> 00:25:13,560 Speaker 2: that my cousins went to in west Chester County, in Tarrytown, 454 00:25:13,560 --> 00:25:16,800 Speaker 2: which is which is very very close. And then my 455 00:25:16,800 --> 00:25:20,040 Speaker 2: my mom had to start working because we didn't have 456 00:25:20,440 --> 00:25:23,440 Speaker 2: money here, so she went from you know, a life 457 00:25:23,440 --> 00:25:28,480 Speaker 2: of plenty. My father also was working. He tried to 458 00:25:28,520 --> 00:25:32,680 Speaker 2: develop real estate and and tried a bunch of business ventures. 459 00:25:32,920 --> 00:25:38,600 Speaker 2: Ultimately they didn't work out, unfortunately. My mom to work. Yeah, 460 00:25:38,880 --> 00:25:40,600 Speaker 2: I'm not back to work, he was the first time. 461 00:25:40,760 --> 00:25:45,200 Speaker 2: How she's it's got to be yeah, I would say. 462 00:25:45,280 --> 00:25:48,840 Speaker 2: Her her thirties, she worked at a boutique celine in 463 00:25:49,400 --> 00:25:52,000 Speaker 2: New York City. Uh. And then my mom and dad 464 00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:56,639 Speaker 2: started a consignment shop together to sell secondhand clothes, you know, stylish, 465 00:25:56,920 --> 00:25:59,160 Speaker 2: beautiful secondhand clothes as well. 466 00:25:59,320 --> 00:26:00,880 Speaker 4: Did you get a passports? 467 00:26:02,280 --> 00:26:05,080 Speaker 2: We eventually, so the first goal was to get a 468 00:26:05,119 --> 00:26:09,320 Speaker 2: green card. And it was a huge battle to get 469 00:26:09,320 --> 00:26:12,560 Speaker 2: a green card. It was and you know, a green 470 00:26:12,600 --> 00:26:15,240 Speaker 2: card meant you could stay and it. 471 00:26:15,240 --> 00:26:18,159 Speaker 3: Still is supposed to me, Yes, yes, I mean that 472 00:26:18,280 --> 00:26:21,440 Speaker 3: is that is something that is being you know, demolished 473 00:26:21,520 --> 00:26:22,400 Speaker 3: right now, but it is. 474 00:26:22,520 --> 00:26:24,480 Speaker 2: It is, And and I think I think a lot 475 00:26:24,480 --> 00:26:27,320 Speaker 2: of Americans, or people who've grown up in a particular 476 00:26:28,440 --> 00:26:32,119 Speaker 2: let's say, in the West, don't really appreciate what we 477 00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:35,120 Speaker 2: have here. You know, the rule of law, the fact 478 00:26:35,200 --> 00:26:37,680 Speaker 2: that you can keep what you earn, play your tasks, 479 00:26:37,720 --> 00:26:41,280 Speaker 2: et cetera. The stability that the West represents, the openness 480 00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:45,000 Speaker 2: that the society represents, and we were so desperate to 481 00:26:45,000 --> 00:26:47,040 Speaker 2: get that green card. And again we were lucky enough. 482 00:26:47,040 --> 00:26:49,520 Speaker 2: We had a lawyer who fought forward, and I do 483 00:26:49,600 --> 00:26:54,120 Speaker 2: remember like the interviews for the Green cards, finally getting it. 484 00:26:54,960 --> 00:26:57,640 Speaker 2: And then over a period of time we got our passports. 485 00:26:57,640 --> 00:27:00,280 Speaker 2: But for me it was it was all of my 486 00:27:00,280 --> 00:27:04,639 Speaker 2: my family and my brothers. We each got our passports 487 00:27:04,680 --> 00:27:07,919 Speaker 2: over different periods of time. And I actually waited a 488 00:27:07,920 --> 00:27:12,320 Speaker 2: little bit longer than I had to because you know, 489 00:27:12,400 --> 00:27:16,600 Speaker 2: I wasn't I come to the US, and I was 490 00:27:16,720 --> 00:27:19,000 Speaker 2: very thankful for everything that the US offered us, but 491 00:27:19,240 --> 00:27:21,359 Speaker 2: there was a little bit of resentment of the US 492 00:27:21,400 --> 00:27:25,359 Speaker 2: as well. You know, it's everything, the plenty, that everything 493 00:27:25,400 --> 00:27:28,080 Speaker 2: that the US had. And then I remember this distinctly. 494 00:27:28,800 --> 00:27:34,240 Speaker 2: I was watching the Atlanta Olympics, and yeah, it was 495 00:27:34,280 --> 00:27:38,199 Speaker 2: in the eighties and and for the first time I 496 00:27:38,320 --> 00:27:42,280 Speaker 2: was just absolutely like rooting for the US. You know, 497 00:27:42,320 --> 00:27:44,320 Speaker 2: before in the Olympics, I was kind of, who am 498 00:27:44,359 --> 00:27:46,360 Speaker 2: I going to root for? I'm not an American, I'm 499 00:27:46,359 --> 00:27:49,880 Speaker 2: not Irani, and who am I? And I was watching Olympics, 500 00:27:49,920 --> 00:27:52,639 Speaker 2: I was like, I'm an American. I love this country. 501 00:27:52,640 --> 00:27:55,440 Speaker 2: I'm so thankful, and that's when I got the passport. 502 00:27:55,800 --> 00:27:58,000 Speaker 2: But for me, it's something I don't take for granted. 503 00:27:58,359 --> 00:28:03,120 Speaker 2: You know, this is the the what America with the 504 00:28:03,240 --> 00:28:09,280 Speaker 2: UK offer to immigrants to hopefully become a part of 505 00:28:09,280 --> 00:28:13,399 Speaker 2: that society and to contribute that to society. It's magical and. 506 00:28:13,480 --> 00:28:18,120 Speaker 3: It's really is and that's why I'm really talking about 507 00:28:18,160 --> 00:28:21,320 Speaker 3: today today, today, And it's something and I think you've 508 00:28:21,320 --> 00:28:22,960 Speaker 3: done that in your work as well. I think you 509 00:28:22,960 --> 00:28:25,159 Speaker 3: know something again I'd like to talk later about, but 510 00:28:25,240 --> 00:28:26,760 Speaker 3: I think Uber. 511 00:28:26,640 --> 00:28:30,400 Speaker 2: It's a bridge for so many people who come onto 512 00:28:30,440 --> 00:28:33,280 Speaker 2: our system, into the financial system. Often it's the first 513 00:28:33,280 --> 00:28:37,440 Speaker 2: time they're opening up a bank account. It's it's the 514 00:28:37,480 --> 00:28:41,160 Speaker 2: first time that they can earn predictably for their family, 515 00:28:41,800 --> 00:28:45,240 Speaker 2: and for some it becomes a profession. There there are 516 00:28:45,320 --> 00:28:48,120 Speaker 2: a number of full time Uber drivers, et cetera. I 517 00:28:48,240 --> 00:28:51,320 Speaker 2: was I was just talking to one of our drivers 518 00:28:51,320 --> 00:28:54,520 Speaker 2: who was a Actually it was in Brazil when whenever 519 00:28:54,560 --> 00:28:57,600 Speaker 2: I go visit, class go visit with merchants and drivers, 520 00:28:58,680 --> 00:29:02,320 Speaker 2: and she'd just gone through their and she became an 521 00:29:02,360 --> 00:29:06,120 Speaker 2: Uber driver to support herself and she now she supports 522 00:29:06,640 --> 00:29:09,200 Speaker 2: four kids and has bought a house, and she was 523 00:29:09,320 --> 00:29:12,040 Speaker 2: so proud of what she accomplished. 524 00:29:12,120 --> 00:29:16,120 Speaker 3: I do know, having you know, done a bit in research, 525 00:29:16,280 --> 00:29:18,080 Speaker 3: that your father had to go back. 526 00:29:18,440 --> 00:29:22,840 Speaker 2: Yes, yes, so he went back. My grandfather got sick 527 00:29:24,240 --> 00:29:27,560 Speaker 2: and it looked like he was at his deathbed. So 528 00:29:27,600 --> 00:29:32,560 Speaker 2: my father went back to be with his father, and 529 00:29:32,640 --> 00:29:34,480 Speaker 2: magically my grandfather got better. 530 00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:38,360 Speaker 3: And because her grandparents didn't come with you when. 531 00:29:38,240 --> 00:29:40,480 Speaker 2: They they didn't go with us, and because again we 532 00:29:40,720 --> 00:29:44,240 Speaker 2: didn't expect things to happen that way, we just went 533 00:29:44,800 --> 00:29:46,880 Speaker 2: out of an abundance of caution, which turned out to 534 00:29:46,880 --> 00:29:50,080 Speaker 2: be much needed. And so when he get back, when 535 00:29:50,080 --> 00:29:54,000 Speaker 2: he was there and his father got better, he wanted 536 00:29:54,000 --> 00:29:58,240 Speaker 2: to bring his father out as well. And if it 537 00:29:58,320 --> 00:30:01,560 Speaker 2: was just my dad leaving, he could have gone over 538 00:30:01,600 --> 00:30:06,280 Speaker 2: the border or something like that. But the government wouldn't 539 00:30:06,320 --> 00:30:09,040 Speaker 2: allow him to leave. So he wasn't in prisoned or 540 00:30:09,080 --> 00:30:11,280 Speaker 2: anything like that, but they wouldn't allow him to leave 541 00:30:11,320 --> 00:30:16,400 Speaker 2: for six years, six years, six years. He finally got 542 00:30:16,400 --> 00:30:19,920 Speaker 2: to leave, but when he was actually on the flight, 543 00:30:20,600 --> 00:30:22,880 Speaker 2: and it was a flight to Paris and then Paris 544 00:30:22,880 --> 00:30:24,560 Speaker 2: connection from Paris to the US, when he was on 545 00:30:24,600 --> 00:30:29,280 Speaker 2: the flight. Person came in called his name. Ask at 546 00:30:29,280 --> 00:30:34,720 Speaker 2: the airport in the plane is ask on the flight. 547 00:30:35,840 --> 00:30:39,600 Speaker 2: He didn't say anything. Apparently he had a heart attack 548 00:30:40,040 --> 00:30:45,800 Speaker 2: on the flight, and he flew to Paris and then 549 00:30:46,000 --> 00:30:48,520 Speaker 2: got on the flight from Paris to New York. He 550 00:30:48,640 --> 00:30:51,720 Speaker 2: got into New York, my mom saw him, took him 551 00:30:51,720 --> 00:30:56,640 Speaker 2: straight to the hospital. He had triple bypass surgery, survived 552 00:30:56,760 --> 00:31:00,800 Speaker 2: and lived for another thirty forty years. So it was 553 00:31:00,920 --> 00:31:03,520 Speaker 2: quite the story his getting out, and then my grandfather 554 00:31:03,600 --> 00:31:07,560 Speaker 2: got out as well, went to live in la where 555 00:31:07,600 --> 00:31:10,920 Speaker 2: it's warm and the weather is wonderful. So it all 556 00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:12,640 Speaker 2: ended well, but there were some pretty. 557 00:31:12,440 --> 00:31:16,120 Speaker 4: Tough six years. 558 00:31:16,840 --> 00:31:19,600 Speaker 2: I wrote to him a lot, so we constantly wrote 559 00:31:19,600 --> 00:31:23,000 Speaker 2: to each other, and it was I think when I left. 560 00:31:23,120 --> 00:31:28,920 Speaker 2: I was thirteen when he left, and writing to him 561 00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:32,440 Speaker 2: actually created a deeper connection. There's there's something in the 562 00:31:32,480 --> 00:31:37,800 Speaker 2: written word that's magical. It's it's not necessarily casual conversation. 563 00:31:38,880 --> 00:31:42,120 Speaker 2: You want to dig deeper than it was. A nice 564 00:31:42,200 --> 00:31:45,600 Speaker 2: day in school, was good, et cetera. And I guess 565 00:31:45,600 --> 00:31:47,520 Speaker 2: he was born in Iran. He didn't have much to do. 566 00:31:47,640 --> 00:31:50,160 Speaker 4: So did he go back to the company. 567 00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:54,440 Speaker 2: No, The company was taken over by a member of 568 00:31:54,480 --> 00:31:58,160 Speaker 2: the IRGC. A company is still around, it's still around, 569 00:31:58,200 --> 00:32:00,800 Speaker 2: it's profitable, but it's now the property of one of 570 00:32:00,840 --> 00:32:05,800 Speaker 2: these religious leaders who just took it from us. But 571 00:32:05,920 --> 00:32:10,880 Speaker 2: we wrote each other, and I still remember when he left. 572 00:32:11,320 --> 00:32:15,600 Speaker 2: My dad was up here, and then when he got back, 573 00:32:16,160 --> 00:32:18,120 Speaker 2: he was shorter than I am. So it was just 574 00:32:18,640 --> 00:32:22,160 Speaker 2: so weird seeing him as a child and then seeing 575 00:32:22,160 --> 00:32:28,920 Speaker 2: your father who was diminished both physically and then to 576 00:32:28,960 --> 00:32:31,480 Speaker 2: some extent he lost six years of his life. He 577 00:32:31,520 --> 00:32:35,440 Speaker 2: had been away from us. Yeah, and I remember we 578 00:32:35,760 --> 00:32:38,560 Speaker 2: I was sophomore year in college. I went up to school. 579 00:32:38,640 --> 00:32:41,280 Speaker 2: He wanted to drive me. I went to school in Providence, 580 00:32:41,320 --> 00:32:43,320 Speaker 2: were lying and it's three and a half hour drive, 581 00:32:43,960 --> 00:32:46,800 Speaker 2: and he just wanted to hang out around. I went 582 00:32:46,840 --> 00:32:47,600 Speaker 2: to Brown, Yes, and. 583 00:32:47,560 --> 00:32:49,840 Speaker 3: Then my granddaughter just got an early admission to. 584 00:32:50,280 --> 00:32:56,680 Speaker 2: Congratulated great school, and so I remember going there and 585 00:32:57,000 --> 00:32:59,240 Speaker 2: then he dropped me off and he just wanted to 586 00:32:59,280 --> 00:33:04,600 Speaker 2: hang out. And I'm a dumb ass sophomore desperate to 587 00:33:04,680 --> 00:33:07,080 Speaker 2: go hang out with my friends and all this, but 588 00:33:07,120 --> 00:33:08,720 Speaker 2: my dad wanted to hang out. And it was a 589 00:33:08,760 --> 00:33:13,880 Speaker 2: really sad and sweet kind of moment. Where I said, well, 590 00:33:13,920 --> 00:33:15,880 Speaker 2: let's go to lunch and let's sit down, and am 591 00:33:15,880 --> 00:33:21,239 Speaker 2: I you know, teen head, let me go hang out 592 00:33:21,280 --> 00:33:23,400 Speaker 2: with my kids. But but but we hung out and 593 00:33:23,440 --> 00:33:26,719 Speaker 2: it was a it was a better way to separate 594 00:33:26,760 --> 00:33:27,920 Speaker 2: than the first time we separated. 595 00:33:28,120 --> 00:33:30,840 Speaker 3: And your mother at the time, So so was the 596 00:33:30,840 --> 00:33:34,280 Speaker 3: Iranian culture still you say it was very prevalent in 597 00:33:34,320 --> 00:33:37,240 Speaker 3: your house. But was it prevalent and was it through 598 00:33:37,280 --> 00:33:39,080 Speaker 3: the food? I would say that you know when you 599 00:33:39,120 --> 00:33:42,600 Speaker 3: look at the mcgrit families that come here, that the child, 600 00:33:43,120 --> 00:33:46,960 Speaker 3: you know, really rejects almost their culture and has fish 601 00:33:47,000 --> 00:33:49,320 Speaker 3: and chips and hamburgers and you know. 602 00:33:49,320 --> 00:33:50,360 Speaker 4: Kentucky fried chicken. 603 00:33:50,400 --> 00:33:55,240 Speaker 3: Where is the and the mother tries to adapt and 604 00:33:55,280 --> 00:33:58,320 Speaker 3: so she'll probably do both. But it's a grandmother who 605 00:33:58,320 --> 00:34:00,840 Speaker 3: brings the culture of the food with her, you know, 606 00:34:01,040 --> 00:34:04,560 Speaker 3: in many families that people have spoken to. But in 607 00:34:04,600 --> 00:34:06,840 Speaker 3: your case, it wasn't your grandmother, It was your mother. 608 00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:08,839 Speaker 3: There was my mom and so and did she would 609 00:34:08,840 --> 00:34:13,280 Speaker 3: she make Western food or was it mostly she would it. 610 00:34:13,160 --> 00:34:17,440 Speaker 2: Was mostly Iranian food that she would make. She really 611 00:34:17,440 --> 00:34:20,600 Speaker 2: took the time and Iranian food, again, it's not simple. 612 00:34:20,880 --> 00:34:22,839 Speaker 2: It takes a lot of work. If you know how 613 00:34:22,840 --> 00:34:24,279 Speaker 2: to do it. You can set it up so it's 614 00:34:24,280 --> 00:34:28,120 Speaker 2: a little bit easier. But are sitting down and having 615 00:34:28,120 --> 00:34:31,320 Speaker 2: Iranian food, There was nothing better. And then of course, 616 00:34:31,440 --> 00:34:34,799 Speaker 2: like you know, going to McDonald's was a treat, right, 617 00:34:34,880 --> 00:34:38,040 Speaker 2: so the American food and fast food was kind of 618 00:34:38,040 --> 00:34:41,880 Speaker 2: a new thing, so that was a treat as well. 619 00:34:43,080 --> 00:34:46,759 Speaker 4: But did you cook? Did you go out to restaurants? 620 00:34:47,640 --> 00:34:53,680 Speaker 2: Brown? It was mostly cafeteria. I did a mean mac 621 00:34:53,719 --> 00:34:56,480 Speaker 2: and cheese. You know, I was very creative with the 622 00:34:56,760 --> 00:35:02,400 Speaker 2: macaroni and cheese. You know, tomato, tomato mac tomato macaroni 623 00:35:02,400 --> 00:35:05,839 Speaker 2: and cheese, Tuna macaroni and cheese. So I went to 624 00:35:05,880 --> 00:35:08,280 Speaker 2: the level of creativity that I had at that time. 625 00:35:08,440 --> 00:35:11,080 Speaker 2: But I'll tell you, like I, I love cooking that cooking, 626 00:35:11,200 --> 00:35:17,440 Speaker 2: cooking is is it is very special for me in 627 00:35:19,000 --> 00:35:22,040 Speaker 2: that especially when I'm home on the weekends. I travel 628 00:35:22,080 --> 00:35:25,040 Speaker 2: a lot. Obviously, Now it's first of all, it's a 629 00:35:25,120 --> 00:35:29,400 Speaker 2: time for myself and my wife Sid to connect, and 630 00:35:29,480 --> 00:35:32,440 Speaker 2: so we planned the recipe. One of us goes shopping 631 00:35:33,200 --> 00:35:36,800 Speaker 2: and then where we're making food, we're standing around the kitchen. 632 00:35:36,880 --> 00:35:39,040 Speaker 2: It's just a time for us to talk. And you know, 633 00:35:39,160 --> 00:35:42,200 Speaker 2: she's and you're kind of busy, but you can also 634 00:35:42,760 --> 00:35:47,439 Speaker 2: talk as well. To use cookbooks, yes we do. I'll 635 00:35:47,520 --> 00:35:49,799 Speaker 2: use the New York Times cooking Apples. 636 00:35:49,840 --> 00:35:50,000 Speaker 3: Good. 637 00:35:50,680 --> 00:35:51,400 Speaker 2: Is that terrible of me? 638 00:35:52,480 --> 00:35:53,280 Speaker 4: I love it. 639 00:35:53,280 --> 00:35:53,960 Speaker 2: It's very good. 640 00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:56,839 Speaker 3: I think it's really clever the way the New York 641 00:35:56,880 --> 00:36:00,719 Speaker 3: Times took that section which nobody really knows what to 642 00:36:00,800 --> 00:36:03,759 Speaker 3: do with now and made it in that in a 643 00:36:03,920 --> 00:36:04,560 Speaker 3: modern way. 644 00:36:05,680 --> 00:36:06,120 Speaker 4: I like it. 645 00:36:06,280 --> 00:36:08,719 Speaker 2: And you know, you get the ingredients, you can uploaded, 646 00:36:08,880 --> 00:36:12,320 Speaker 2: go go shop, et cetera. She's more of a probably 647 00:36:12,719 --> 00:36:16,480 Speaker 2: ingredient follower, recipe follower. I use the recipe as a 648 00:36:16,480 --> 00:36:18,160 Speaker 2: guideline and then I like to have a little bit 649 00:36:18,160 --> 00:36:21,200 Speaker 2: more fun. And I think she's a better cook than 650 00:36:21,239 --> 00:36:22,960 Speaker 2: I am. I wouldn't dare say. 651 00:36:22,800 --> 00:36:28,560 Speaker 3: Otherwise I could tell the world she is she is, 652 00:36:32,080 --> 00:36:35,160 Speaker 3: And and then you know, there there's the kids set 653 00:36:35,160 --> 00:36:38,239 Speaker 3: the table, the kids clean out because adults have done 654 00:36:38,280 --> 00:36:39,200 Speaker 3: the work of so. 655 00:36:39,160 --> 00:36:42,680 Speaker 2: It's just there's a there's a rhythm to it. Yeah, 656 00:36:43,160 --> 00:36:46,920 Speaker 2: when we have dinner, put down the phones, no distractions, 657 00:36:47,480 --> 00:36:50,640 Speaker 2: And it's something I associate with growing up, like that 658 00:36:51,080 --> 00:36:57,600 Speaker 2: time sitting down together with no distractions, talking about your day, 659 00:36:57,680 --> 00:37:02,040 Speaker 2: talking about politics, talking about whatever. It's just it's I 660 00:37:02,080 --> 00:37:07,040 Speaker 2: think for me it feels healing and fulfilling, you know, 661 00:37:07,120 --> 00:37:10,120 Speaker 2: my time with my wife and then with time with 662 00:37:10,160 --> 00:37:15,200 Speaker 2: the kids talking about whatever. It's really important. 663 00:37:15,520 --> 00:37:17,879 Speaker 3: It stays with you, I think, and it'll stay with them. 664 00:37:18,280 --> 00:37:20,400 Speaker 3: Two more minutes. But I promised I would tell you 665 00:37:20,440 --> 00:37:24,400 Speaker 3: the story. JJ Abrams, Yes you no director Star Wars 666 00:37:24,560 --> 00:37:27,160 Speaker 3: famous direct director is a very close friend of mine. 667 00:37:27,160 --> 00:37:30,439 Speaker 3: And I was having dinner here about ten years ago 668 00:37:30,480 --> 00:37:32,319 Speaker 3: with Bob Biker, who's also a friend, and we were 669 00:37:32,320 --> 00:37:35,080 Speaker 3: sitting at the table. JJ was filming Star Wars here 670 00:37:35,320 --> 00:37:38,279 Speaker 3: and so I knew that JJ wanted to talk to Bob. 671 00:37:38,320 --> 00:37:40,400 Speaker 3: Bob wanted to talk to JJ, but there we were 672 00:37:40,440 --> 00:37:43,920 Speaker 3: different tables. So JJ came over to the table and 673 00:37:43,960 --> 00:37:46,720 Speaker 3: it was like there was Bob Biger and they started 674 00:37:46,719 --> 00:37:51,960 Speaker 3: talking right away, and Bob said, JJ, why don't you 675 00:37:52,000 --> 00:37:56,120 Speaker 3: sit down and we'll discuss this more. And JJ said 676 00:37:56,719 --> 00:37:59,320 Speaker 3: I would, but I have an uber waiting. 677 00:38:00,040 --> 00:38:01,680 Speaker 4: I don't want to lose my star. 678 00:38:01,960 --> 00:38:06,840 Speaker 2: Yes, AJ has it right, and he's thinking about the drive. 679 00:38:07,360 --> 00:38:09,160 Speaker 4: Think you didn't want to lose his star? 680 00:38:09,480 --> 00:38:12,000 Speaker 2: A great director gap. 681 00:38:12,960 --> 00:38:13,400 Speaker 4: Everything. 682 00:38:13,680 --> 00:38:16,560 Speaker 3: So I said to last night he said, I said, 683 00:38:17,640 --> 00:38:19,839 Speaker 3: can I tell that story JJ, and he said, go 684 00:38:19,920 --> 00:38:22,959 Speaker 3: for it with you. But also at the end, why 685 00:38:22,960 --> 00:38:26,120 Speaker 3: did you say if Dara was a good interview that 686 00:38:26,160 --> 00:38:27,319 Speaker 3: he had a five star rating? 687 00:38:29,160 --> 00:38:29,800 Speaker 2: Five stars? 688 00:38:30,600 --> 00:38:32,960 Speaker 4: Is that the highest you can get? Okay, well you 689 00:38:33,000 --> 00:38:34,640 Speaker 4: get the best. So thanks so much. 690 00:38:34,640 --> 00:38:37,160 Speaker 3: So we you know, first of all, thank you so 691 00:38:37,280 --> 00:38:40,799 Speaker 3: much for this, thank you, thank for my presence and 692 00:38:41,480 --> 00:38:43,040 Speaker 3: beautiful friend. 693 00:38:43,680 --> 00:38:45,839 Speaker 4: Box is so beautiful. That's you want the box back? 694 00:38:46,280 --> 00:38:47,600 Speaker 4: It's so beautiful. 695 00:38:47,239 --> 00:38:50,359 Speaker 3: And and so you know, we always try and ask 696 00:38:50,400 --> 00:38:53,160 Speaker 3: everyone after an interview which has told me so much 697 00:38:53,239 --> 00:38:56,120 Speaker 3: about your life and about your family, and I want 698 00:38:56,160 --> 00:38:59,120 Speaker 3: to meet your mother and we have much more to 699 00:38:59,160 --> 00:39:01,440 Speaker 3: do together. But I would like to say that you know, 700 00:39:02,040 --> 00:39:04,560 Speaker 3: if you and I hope you don't need comfort very often, 701 00:39:04,600 --> 00:39:07,080 Speaker 3: but if you need comfort and you want to do 702 00:39:07,120 --> 00:39:09,560 Speaker 3: it through a kind of something to eat, is there 703 00:39:09,640 --> 00:39:10,759 Speaker 3: food that you would Oh? 704 00:39:10,840 --> 00:39:13,960 Speaker 2: Yes, And by the way, everyone needs comfort. For me, 705 00:39:14,120 --> 00:39:17,040 Speaker 2: it's it goes back to my mom, which is tatching, 706 00:39:17,160 --> 00:39:20,680 Speaker 2: which is this rice cake. It's made with saffron chicken inside, 707 00:39:20,719 --> 00:39:26,279 Speaker 2: and there's something about attaching have some yogurt with it 708 00:39:26,320 --> 00:39:30,640 Speaker 2: as well that takes me back to my childhood, to 709 00:39:30,680 --> 00:39:33,279 Speaker 2: my connection with my family, and my family's everything in 710 00:39:33,280 --> 00:39:36,000 Speaker 2: my life. So I'd say, tatching is my comforts food, 711 00:39:36,040 --> 00:39:38,879 Speaker 2: and you reminded me to nag my mom to make 712 00:39:38,880 --> 00:39:39,279 Speaker 2: me some time. 713 00:39:40,360 --> 00:39:41,440 Speaker 4: Will she make it for me? 714 00:39:41,680 --> 00:39:42,279 Speaker 2: Absolutely? 715 00:39:42,320 --> 00:39:45,239 Speaker 4: Okay, happy too, Okay, thank you, thank you so much. 716 00:39:49,560 --> 00:39:52,920 Speaker 3: Glutie's Table for was produced by Alex Boo, Robbie Hamilton 717 00:39:53,080 --> 00:39:56,560 Speaker 3: and Zad Rogers with Andrew Sang and Bella Selinia. This 718 00:39:56,600 --> 00:40:05,040 Speaker 3: has been an atomized production for I Heart Media. Ruthie's 719 00:40:05,040 --> 00:40:09,200 Speaker 3: Table four is proud to support Leukemia UK. Their Cartwell 720 00:40:09,320 --> 00:40:13,000 Speaker 3: for a Cure campaign raises funds for vital research and 721 00:40:13,120 --> 00:40:15,120 Speaker 3: more effective and kinder. 722 00:40:14,800 --> 00:40:17,200 Speaker 4: Treatments for a cute my Lloyd Leukemia. 723 00:40:17,719 --> 00:40:23,719 Speaker 3: Please donate and to do so search Cartner for a Cure. 724 00:40:24,640 --> 00:40:31,000 Speaker 3: Ruthie's Table four presented by Sky