1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,840 Speaker 1: Welcome to Ruthie's Table four, a production of iHeartRadio and 2 00:00:03,920 --> 00:00:05,320 Speaker 1: Adamized Studios. 3 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:14,840 Speaker 2: Imagine walking into your hotel in Mexico City during a 4 00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:17,959 Speaker 2: family crisis and finding one hundred to Molly's delivered to 5 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:22,360 Speaker 2: your room, then for the following three years receiving concerned texts, 6 00:00:22,440 --> 00:00:25,919 Speaker 2: uplifting emails, and bouquets of flowers which could hardly get 7 00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:28,880 Speaker 2: through the front door. Imagine a friend who makes a 8 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:31,880 Speaker 2: lightsaber with your name engraved on it while directing Star 9 00:00:32,040 --> 00:00:35,040 Speaker 2: Wars with a cast and crew of thousands, and designing 10 00:00:35,040 --> 00:00:38,320 Speaker 2: a lego digital model of the River Cafe for your birthday, 11 00:00:38,720 --> 00:00:41,839 Speaker 2: confessing later more challenging than directing a movie, and what 12 00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:45,720 Speaker 2: movies they are? Brilliant, beautiful movies we wait for and require. 13 00:00:46,200 --> 00:00:48,280 Speaker 2: A friend who makes you laugh so much through dinners 14 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:50,879 Speaker 2: at your restaurant, the staff look on and wonder, this 15 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:53,600 Speaker 2: is jj Abrams, who I am here with today to 16 00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:57,440 Speaker 2: talk about food and family and friendship. Imagine how happy 17 00:00:57,520 --> 00:00:59,280 Speaker 2: I am to be with someone I love. 18 00:01:01,080 --> 00:01:04,240 Speaker 3: I mean, seriously, I can't follow that at all. 19 00:01:04,319 --> 00:01:04,959 Speaker 4: What are you doing? 20 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:08,120 Speaker 3: I got chills four times when you're reading that. I mean, seriously, 21 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:09,640 Speaker 3: that's impossible. 22 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:13,760 Speaker 2: It's really possible. You know, it's true every word, so 23 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:14,600 Speaker 2: I can imagine. 24 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:16,320 Speaker 3: I thank you. 25 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 2: Okay, We're done. 26 00:01:17,160 --> 00:01:20,120 Speaker 3: That was it? That was it. There's nothing better than that. Seriously, 27 00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:21,920 Speaker 3: we should quit that. 28 00:01:22,520 --> 00:01:24,760 Speaker 2: Well we can't because we have to find a recipe? 29 00:01:24,800 --> 00:01:27,240 Speaker 2: Which one showd you that? Would you carbonaro? Or chocolate cake? 30 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:29,520 Speaker 3: You carbon arts? You kidding me? 31 00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:32,760 Speaker 2: Nice room? Did you ever work in Row? Have you ever. 32 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:34,840 Speaker 3: Lived in the first day of shooting on Mission II? 33 00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:35,319 Speaker 3: Was in Rome? 34 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:38,200 Speaker 2: Was it? How long did you stay? 35 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:40,760 Speaker 3: We were there for a few weeks. It was really fun. 36 00:01:40,840 --> 00:01:42,600 Speaker 2: I think it's the most beautiful city in the world. 37 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:45,120 Speaker 3: It's unbelievable. So do you want to just read it? 38 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:45,480 Speaker 2: Yep? 39 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:48,680 Speaker 3: All right? And is it? Is it Penny Regatta? 40 00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:49,120 Speaker 2: Yeah? 41 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:54,840 Speaker 3: Okay, I competed in the Penny Regatta once reat is? Seriously, 42 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:57,960 Speaker 3: I'm so stupid. Okay, here we go, all right, Penny 43 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:00,680 Speaker 3: I like carbonaro? Here we go for us. The two 44 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:05,480 Speaker 3: most important ingredients are excellent, free range eggs and panchetta stessa. 45 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:11,800 Speaker 3: This serves six. You start with two hundred grams seven 46 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:17,400 Speaker 3: ounces of panchetta cut into match sticks, one tablespoon olive oil, 47 00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:22,399 Speaker 3: six egg yolks, one hundred and twenty million liters four 48 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:26,680 Speaker 3: fluid ounces of double cream, one hundred fifty grams five 49 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:32,320 Speaker 3: ounces parmesan freshly grated, two hundred fifty grams nine ounces 50 00:02:32,639 --> 00:02:36,720 Speaker 3: of penny regatta. Fry the panchetta and the olive oil 51 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:40,200 Speaker 3: slowly so that it releases its own fat before becoming crisp. 52 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:43,919 Speaker 3: Add some black pepper, Beat the egg yolks with a 53 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 3: cream and season with salt and pepper. Add half the parmesan. Meanwhile, 54 00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:52,320 Speaker 3: cook the penne in a generous amount of boiling salted water, 55 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:56,960 Speaker 3: then drain thoroughly. Combine immediately with the hot panchetta and 56 00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:00,600 Speaker 3: the oil, and then pour in the cream mixture. Stir 57 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 3: to coat each pasta piece. The heat from the pasta 58 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:07,880 Speaker 3: will cook the eggs slightly. Finally at the remaining palmesan 59 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:09,960 Speaker 3: and surf beautiful. 60 00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:11,880 Speaker 2: So what was food like when you were growing up? 61 00:03:11,919 --> 00:03:14,359 Speaker 2: Did so? Your mother would say cook she was a cook, 62 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:15,080 Speaker 2: or she was. 63 00:03:15,080 --> 00:03:18,200 Speaker 3: A cook, and she would make you know, traditional like brisket, 64 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:20,440 Speaker 3: Jewish sort of food she would, but she would also 65 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:23,800 Speaker 3: make you know she made an amazing caesar salad. For 66 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:25,000 Speaker 3: some reason her said. 67 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:25,280 Speaker 2: It was fantastic. 68 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:27,919 Speaker 3: I don't know what it was. It was great, and 69 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 3: she was always always about what we were eating, and 70 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:34,600 Speaker 3: to a point where it was insane, Like I would 71 00:03:34,600 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 3: I we'd be sitting at a lunch that she would 72 00:03:37,560 --> 00:03:40,200 Speaker 3: have made, and the conversation she wanted to have would 73 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:43,680 Speaker 3: be about dinner the next and it'd be like, I'm trying, 74 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:47,960 Speaker 3: you know, we're just eating. But weirdly now I do 75 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:49,920 Speaker 3: tend to look forward to food in a way that 76 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:56,640 Speaker 3: is probably not right sized, probably vaguely. It's not like 77 00:03:56,640 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 3: an obsession, but it's like it's super important. 78 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:01,040 Speaker 2: And is that at home? Do you think at home 79 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:03,160 Speaker 2: with your kids or just now you're thinking about what 80 00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 2: you're gonna eat. 81 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:07,080 Speaker 3: In general, I think it's food is such a It's 82 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:08,920 Speaker 3: something that like, I know this is gonna sound insane, 83 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:10,800 Speaker 3: but I literally get sad when I'm like halfway through 84 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:14,880 Speaker 3: a meal, so like wait a minute, yeah, it's gonna 85 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:17,440 Speaker 3: be oversuit And it's a very and I do think 86 00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:22,440 Speaker 3: there's probably some strong analogy to life in that that 87 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:25,279 Speaker 3: there's something about it that you just feel like, oh no, 88 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:29,560 Speaker 3: you know this is you don't want this to go away. 89 00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:34,880 Speaker 3: She was always concerned that you weren't eating enough while 90 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:39,200 Speaker 3: you were eating. Also, it's interesting because she liked myself. 91 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:44,239 Speaker 3: She always talked about herself and felt that she was fat, 92 00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:46,839 Speaker 3: and she was incredibly not fat. 93 00:04:47,080 --> 00:04:48,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, and you're not fat. 94 00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:52,120 Speaker 3: But like whatever the body dysmorphia thing, yeah, but like 95 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:55,880 Speaker 3: but and yet both she and I like it's not 96 00:04:55,920 --> 00:04:58,520 Speaker 3: like we then shy away from food. It's the opposite. 97 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:01,360 Speaker 3: Like it's like I'm I I love you know. And 98 00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:04,919 Speaker 3: as a kid when I was young, I definitely was 99 00:05:04,960 --> 00:05:08,360 Speaker 3: a chubby kid, but I was never like athletic, So 100 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:13,000 Speaker 3: I sort of probably conflated that feeling of being chubby 101 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:16,280 Speaker 3: as a kid and then not a very good athlete 102 00:05:16,880 --> 00:05:20,479 Speaker 3: with somehow just being a bit of a fat slot. 103 00:05:20,560 --> 00:05:22,520 Speaker 3: But I love food. I member as a kid, I 104 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:24,320 Speaker 3: was always you know, I was always making things. 105 00:05:25,279 --> 00:05:27,400 Speaker 2: Did you know you cooked as a kid with her 106 00:05:27,680 --> 00:05:30,080 Speaker 2: by yourself both, Yeah, what would you cook? 107 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:32,960 Speaker 3: Well, whatever she was making, she would like be doing, 108 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:34,560 Speaker 3: you know, all sorts of things. And it was also 109 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:38,040 Speaker 3: like La in the seventies, so it was like, you know, 110 00:05:38,400 --> 00:05:41,000 Speaker 3: like stuffed zucchini thing, just things that were just like 111 00:05:41,200 --> 00:05:44,320 Speaker 3: very much of that era. She would cook. But the 112 00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:47,839 Speaker 3: thing that I was most beyond her just being to 113 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:51,599 Speaker 3: a fault probably loving. I mean, she was so loving 114 00:05:51,600 --> 00:05:53,960 Speaker 3: that it was like I remember thinking, I know, it's 115 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:55,479 Speaker 3: not as good as you think it is, whatever it 116 00:05:55,520 --> 00:05:57,880 Speaker 3: is I've done. But the thing that I really take 117 00:05:57,920 --> 00:06:01,720 Speaker 3: away the most was that switching up what you do 118 00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:04,279 Speaker 3: and how you define yourself and who you are is 119 00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:07,840 Speaker 3: part of living, that not being defined by a label 120 00:06:08,839 --> 00:06:12,960 Speaker 3: or any one thing. And she was someone who when 121 00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:14,919 Speaker 3: we moved to Los Angeles and I was only five, 122 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:18,440 Speaker 3: we moved from New York. She's early on started being 123 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:24,080 Speaker 3: a real estate agent, and then she you know, she 124 00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:28,599 Speaker 3: was interested in art and started doing classes and became 125 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:32,239 Speaker 3: a painter. But then she was going to be forty, 126 00:06:33,120 --> 00:06:35,839 Speaker 3: and she thought, you know, she wanted to be a lawyer. 127 00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:38,280 Speaker 3: And she was asking around, is it crazy to start 128 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:41,359 Speaker 3: law school, you know, when you're thirty, And she asked someone, 129 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:44,440 Speaker 3: and I remember their response to her was, you know, in 130 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:47,320 Speaker 3: two years going to be forty either way, Yeah, you know, 131 00:06:48,120 --> 00:06:50,360 Speaker 3: And then she went to law school and graduated top 132 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:52,040 Speaker 3: of her class, and then she became a law professor 133 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:54,160 Speaker 3: and she was doing that for a while, and then 134 00:06:54,200 --> 00:06:58,800 Speaker 3: she wanted to go into producing and she did that. 135 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:02,680 Speaker 3: You know, She's just was someone who is constantly creating 136 00:07:03,640 --> 00:07:04,880 Speaker 3: but also shape shifting. 137 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:06,360 Speaker 2: Would you sit down to dinner? 138 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:06,800 Speaker 3: Yeah? 139 00:07:06,839 --> 00:07:07,360 Speaker 2: Every night? 140 00:07:07,480 --> 00:07:09,400 Speaker 3: Yeah, we would sit whatever you were doing. We would 141 00:07:09,440 --> 00:07:13,560 Speaker 3: sit at the table most every night, although obviously at 142 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:16,560 Speaker 3: a certain point and it might not be. Frankly, as 143 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:19,920 Speaker 3: I say this, I'm sure that if my sister's listening 144 00:07:19,920 --> 00:07:21,440 Speaker 3: to this, she's probably like laughing and saying, what are 145 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:23,400 Speaker 3: you talking about? Every night? You know, my guess is 146 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:27,880 Speaker 3: it's probably far less frequently than my memory suggests. But 147 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:32,160 Speaker 3: I have, you know, I have a real sense of 148 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:35,920 Speaker 3: and memory of sitting together with the family. But it 149 00:07:35,960 --> 00:07:39,160 Speaker 3: was also, I have to say, because it was that era, 150 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:43,200 Speaker 3: and I think being in Los Angeles in the seventies, 151 00:07:44,120 --> 00:07:48,240 Speaker 3: there was a bit of like carelessness. And I know 152 00:07:48,320 --> 00:07:51,280 Speaker 3: that I'm comparing it to some of the more kind 153 00:07:51,320 --> 00:07:54,880 Speaker 3: of helicopter parenty crap that happens today, which is not 154 00:07:55,040 --> 00:07:57,880 Speaker 3: healthy at all either. But there was a bit of 155 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:03,040 Speaker 3: a kind of benign neglect and maybe not even benign 156 00:08:03,120 --> 00:08:06,120 Speaker 3: sometimes that would happen with parents, and I certainly feel 157 00:08:06,120 --> 00:08:08,680 Speaker 3: like I was safe. I never felt like, oh my god, 158 00:08:08,760 --> 00:08:12,040 Speaker 3: my parents are like crazy. They were not like druggy 159 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:14,800 Speaker 3: nutty out of their minds. You know, but there were 160 00:08:15,160 --> 00:08:18,360 Speaker 3: in that era, and whether it was like various you know, 161 00:08:18,560 --> 00:08:20,640 Speaker 3: cults that were around, whether it was like this kind 162 00:08:20,680 --> 00:08:24,360 Speaker 3: of culture was such a kind of free wheeling, odd 163 00:08:24,680 --> 00:08:27,040 Speaker 3: sort of place to grow up that I remember seeing 164 00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:30,440 Speaker 3: a lot of friends whose parents were kind of off 165 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:33,760 Speaker 3: the rails as parents. But I will say that I 166 00:08:33,840 --> 00:08:36,800 Speaker 3: do have a sense that there were times when I 167 00:08:36,840 --> 00:08:38,720 Speaker 3: think my sister and I were a little bit on 168 00:08:38,760 --> 00:08:41,800 Speaker 3: our own too, in terms of like not really being 169 00:08:41,840 --> 00:08:44,880 Speaker 3: supervised the way you'd think kids should be. 170 00:08:45,040 --> 00:08:47,679 Speaker 2: But you came out, you know that. I look at 171 00:08:47,679 --> 00:08:50,080 Speaker 2: my kids and I you know, when you are a grandparent, 172 00:08:50,120 --> 00:08:53,360 Speaker 2: you'll see that you kind of it's great having grandchildren. 173 00:08:53,360 --> 00:08:55,640 Speaker 2: But the really interesting thing is to see the parents 174 00:08:55,679 --> 00:08:59,160 Speaker 2: as parents, your children as parents. It's very revealing. And 175 00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:02,000 Speaker 2: I think I look back and you know, Richard and myself, 176 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:06,440 Speaker 2: and we certainly were not as attentive as they are. 177 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:09,800 Speaker 3: No, but I'm really sorry, sad, but I do think 178 00:09:09,840 --> 00:09:14,679 Speaker 3: we were. I do think that you, you know, you're 179 00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:18,480 Speaker 3: constantly learning lessons. I'm fascinated with what you're talking about 180 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:21,360 Speaker 3: because I think there's a there's obviously this sort of 181 00:09:21,440 --> 00:09:25,760 Speaker 3: seismic shift that happens when what was your primary family 182 00:09:26,200 --> 00:09:28,920 Speaker 3: shifts into it slightly into a different you know, the 183 00:09:29,040 --> 00:09:30,760 Speaker 3: not the rear view, but a very different station, and 184 00:09:30,800 --> 00:09:33,440 Speaker 3: your primary family becomes the family you choose to make. 185 00:09:33,840 --> 00:09:36,400 Speaker 3: But then there's another shift that happens again, when then 186 00:09:36,440 --> 00:09:40,640 Speaker 3: your kids shift and you're suddenly the one that's being shifted. 187 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:42,920 Speaker 3: It's not your choice, and you're sort of the and 188 00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:49,240 Speaker 3: And so I think that we're probably constantly learning about 189 00:09:49,600 --> 00:09:51,440 Speaker 3: kind of where we stand based on kind of how 190 00:09:51,480 --> 00:09:53,920 Speaker 3: we define ourselves given the relationships with the people we 191 00:09:53,960 --> 00:09:56,520 Speaker 3: love the most. And when you start to see people 192 00:09:56,760 --> 00:09:59,960 Speaker 3: that you raised that you you know, in some cases, 193 00:10:00,440 --> 00:10:03,160 Speaker 3: gave birth to and you raised that, you you witness 194 00:10:03,679 --> 00:10:08,959 Speaker 3: something that sometimes you realize, oh wow, I don't know 195 00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:10,920 Speaker 3: where the hell they got that or how they know that, 196 00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:12,920 Speaker 3: but certainly not from me. And the other times you think, 197 00:10:12,960 --> 00:10:15,040 Speaker 3: oh my god, they actually did absorb that thing that 198 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:17,520 Speaker 3: I did not think they were aware of. And it's 199 00:10:17,520 --> 00:10:18,400 Speaker 3: just fascinating. 200 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:21,120 Speaker 2: You talk about your mother, what about the men in 201 00:10:21,160 --> 00:10:23,959 Speaker 2: your family? Did they cook? Does your father? He came 202 00:10:24,040 --> 00:10:25,480 Speaker 2: right up to the past. You remember when you brought 203 00:10:25,520 --> 00:10:28,520 Speaker 2: your father to the cafe and he was so interested 204 00:10:28,520 --> 00:10:30,599 Speaker 2: in the food he was with me. I don't know 205 00:10:30,600 --> 00:10:32,720 Speaker 2: if he was interested in cooking or eating. 206 00:10:32,440 --> 00:10:37,520 Speaker 3: But he loves food. He would cook something sometimes it 207 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:43,240 Speaker 3: was sort of usually fairly simple stuff. He was a 208 00:10:43,320 --> 00:10:46,400 Speaker 3: soft boiled egg. That's so, what's it called like when 209 00:10:46,400 --> 00:10:50,920 Speaker 3: it's like yeah, stf well, which I never in my 210 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:53,480 Speaker 3: life will understand. But he loved them. And he had 211 00:10:53,480 --> 00:10:56,040 Speaker 3: that little like egg cup and he would tap the 212 00:10:56,080 --> 00:10:57,679 Speaker 3: thing in British. 213 00:10:58,880 --> 00:11:01,920 Speaker 2: Because that's how the English they call them soldiers, and 214 00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:06,440 Speaker 2: you kind of a little and you dip it into 215 00:11:06,440 --> 00:11:07,360 Speaker 2: a very running egg. 216 00:11:07,720 --> 00:11:10,520 Speaker 3: No thank you. So I have no interest. But my dad, 217 00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:14,160 Speaker 3: I think if you said to him, you could have 218 00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:19,320 Speaker 3: this giant pile of gold or some eggs. He loves 219 00:11:19,320 --> 00:11:21,319 Speaker 3: eggs in a way I don't. I don't think it's 220 00:11:21,320 --> 00:11:23,880 Speaker 3: healthy and not not like unhealthy cholesterol like I think 221 00:11:23,920 --> 00:11:25,000 Speaker 3: mentally is insane. 222 00:11:25,559 --> 00:11:27,080 Speaker 2: He has them all day or just for. 223 00:11:27,120 --> 00:11:29,679 Speaker 3: He'll just if you ever want him to say yes 224 00:11:29,720 --> 00:11:31,520 Speaker 3: to you, say do you want some eggs? Because that's 225 00:11:31,559 --> 00:11:32,840 Speaker 3: the He'll never say none of that. 226 00:11:34,320 --> 00:11:45,280 Speaker 4: I'd love to see him. 227 00:11:45,600 --> 00:11:48,120 Speaker 3: I was obsessed for some reason with omelets. I don't 228 00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:50,679 Speaker 3: know what, why, where that came from. But you know, 229 00:11:50,880 --> 00:11:52,680 Speaker 3: it looks so easy, but like, once you start getting 230 00:11:52,720 --> 00:11:53,120 Speaker 3: into it. 231 00:11:53,080 --> 00:11:54,040 Speaker 2: How do you make it? 232 00:11:54,040 --> 00:11:58,600 Speaker 3: It is deceptively difficult. It really is, well because you think, 233 00:11:58,880 --> 00:12:01,280 Speaker 3: come on, what egg a pa like? First of all, 234 00:12:01,800 --> 00:12:03,480 Speaker 3: one of the key things about anomenal I think is 235 00:12:03,520 --> 00:12:05,760 Speaker 3: just not keeping it on the fire because when I forever, 236 00:12:05,880 --> 00:12:07,960 Speaker 3: I would just sort of keep the pan there and 237 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:09,440 Speaker 3: keep the eggs there, and you have to actually take 238 00:12:09,480 --> 00:12:10,960 Speaker 3: them off when I think as soon as it start 239 00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:14,880 Speaker 3: to congeal, and then I don't like flipping it before 240 00:12:14,920 --> 00:12:16,640 Speaker 3: you fill it. And then you know, I think you 241 00:12:16,679 --> 00:12:17,679 Speaker 3: want to sort of do it. 242 00:12:17,600 --> 00:12:19,679 Speaker 2: But start from the beginning. Do you put water in them? 243 00:12:19,760 --> 00:12:20,480 Speaker 2: Or do you put milk? 244 00:12:20,640 --> 00:12:23,560 Speaker 3: Nothing, I'll put in milk sometimes, but we I'm not. 245 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:27,079 Speaker 3: I'll usually just do eggs, then some salt. I have 246 00:12:27,200 --> 00:12:30,559 Speaker 3: very I have very stupid simple like I like a 247 00:12:30,600 --> 00:12:33,199 Speaker 3: little bit of like sauteed onions in it, and maybe 248 00:12:33,240 --> 00:12:36,360 Speaker 3: some tomato dice up, but not filling things like I 249 00:12:36,400 --> 00:12:39,000 Speaker 3: don't like bell peppers and Western omelets and any of 250 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:39,319 Speaker 3: that stuff. 251 00:12:39,360 --> 00:12:41,400 Speaker 2: That's what I like about brunch in New York because 252 00:12:41,400 --> 00:12:44,280 Speaker 2: it's they always give you these huge omelets, don't they 253 00:12:44,640 --> 00:12:46,280 Speaker 2: like spinish and everything. 254 00:12:46,760 --> 00:12:49,760 Speaker 3: I'm fascinated watching because it's the truth is like until 255 00:12:49,800 --> 00:12:52,760 Speaker 3: there was cooking shows and things, and have you seen 256 00:12:52,920 --> 00:12:55,800 Speaker 3: the Julia Child things? Not yet she cooks an omelet 257 00:12:55,840 --> 00:12:57,880 Speaker 3: in the very first episode and in a way on 258 00:12:58,000 --> 00:13:01,680 Speaker 3: live TV, and it's it's very charming. And before they're 259 00:13:01,679 --> 00:13:04,160 Speaker 3: all the cooking shows. When you go to any kind 260 00:13:04,200 --> 00:13:07,240 Speaker 3: of whether you're at a hotel or you know, like 261 00:13:07,240 --> 00:13:09,280 Speaker 3: a buffet, when they would have someone cooking the you know, 262 00:13:09,280 --> 00:13:12,040 Speaker 3: I'm always fascinated to watching someone. Yeah they do that, well, 263 00:13:12,400 --> 00:13:15,400 Speaker 3: who makes anyone who makes like ten thousand omelets a 264 00:13:15,480 --> 00:13:17,960 Speaker 3: day or whatever? It is like it's fascinating to watch 265 00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:20,719 Speaker 3: someone and then the way they flip the thing over 266 00:13:20,760 --> 00:13:22,839 Speaker 3: and you just think, or at least I think, I'm 267 00:13:22,840 --> 00:13:24,640 Speaker 3: never gonna be able to do Do you flip things 268 00:13:24,679 --> 00:13:24,840 Speaker 3: like that? 269 00:13:24,840 --> 00:13:27,000 Speaker 2: In pan I don't flip. I'm not very good at flipping. 270 00:13:27,040 --> 00:13:29,920 Speaker 2: But they are the chefs. They flip pastas you know, 271 00:13:29,960 --> 00:13:32,080 Speaker 2: they know they make the penny and then they go 272 00:13:32,400 --> 00:13:33,560 Speaker 2: like that. I'm kind of standing. 273 00:13:33,679 --> 00:13:34,400 Speaker 4: I know. 274 00:13:34,800 --> 00:13:37,720 Speaker 3: It's it's a little bit like watching like an Olympic jumper. 275 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:39,680 Speaker 3: It scares the hell out of me. How do they 276 00:13:39,760 --> 00:13:40,160 Speaker 3: do that? 277 00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:42,000 Speaker 2: I know they kind of. I don't even know if 278 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:45,679 Speaker 2: it's necessary that I think it's out all the pasta. 279 00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:48,480 Speaker 2: It is probably I like shaking a pan. I'm quite 280 00:13:48,480 --> 00:13:52,800 Speaker 2: good like shaky. I like getting potatoes out of the oven, 281 00:13:52,920 --> 00:13:54,920 Speaker 2: burning my hand, you know, shaky. I always say to 282 00:13:54,960 --> 00:13:56,120 Speaker 2: the chefs, shake a pad, And. 283 00:13:56,320 --> 00:13:58,079 Speaker 3: Have you ever reached into the album without putting a 284 00:13:58,120 --> 00:13:58,400 Speaker 3: mid on? 285 00:13:58,679 --> 00:13:58,760 Speaker 4: Like? 286 00:13:59,200 --> 00:14:00,880 Speaker 3: Have you ever reached the other for something without putting 287 00:14:00,880 --> 00:14:01,760 Speaker 3: a handle mint on them? 288 00:14:01,840 --> 00:14:04,160 Speaker 2: Because from the beginning when I because you know, he's 289 00:14:04,240 --> 00:14:06,120 Speaker 2: never trained, So we rose and I just opened the 290 00:14:06,200 --> 00:14:08,640 Speaker 2: River Cafe, and so you were never trained to do. 291 00:14:09,320 --> 00:14:13,160 Speaker 3: No, I took some don't tell yeah, ruin because okay, 292 00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:13,840 Speaker 3: So I went. 293 00:14:13,679 --> 00:14:16,240 Speaker 2: To cooking school when I was fourteen. No, we just 294 00:14:16,440 --> 00:14:18,360 Speaker 2: you know, we were family cooks, both of us. She 295 00:14:18,440 --> 00:14:21,800 Speaker 2: went to live in Italy and my mother in law 296 00:14:21,920 --> 00:14:25,280 Speaker 2: was Italian and told me to cook. But we started 297 00:14:25,360 --> 00:14:28,960 Speaker 2: so small. The River Cafe was nothing. It was teeny tiny, 298 00:14:29,000 --> 00:14:30,880 Speaker 2: and so I would say we learned. Well, we made 299 00:14:30,920 --> 00:14:33,520 Speaker 2: small movies, didn't you? How did you did you train 300 00:14:33,640 --> 00:14:34,960 Speaker 2: to be a film. 301 00:14:36,040 --> 00:14:39,200 Speaker 3: I didn't, but I just want to. The first movie 302 00:14:39,240 --> 00:14:42,760 Speaker 3: I directed was Mission Impossible three because Tom Cruise asked 303 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:45,400 Speaker 3: me if I wanted to do it, and I you 304 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:46,080 Speaker 3: know why did he? 305 00:14:46,280 --> 00:14:48,560 Speaker 2: Response was yes, yeah did he just he just knew, 306 00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:50,960 Speaker 2: uh smart, he knew. 307 00:14:51,520 --> 00:14:54,240 Speaker 3: Look, all I know is that is that he he 308 00:14:54,280 --> 00:14:55,760 Speaker 3: and I got to know each other a little bit, 309 00:14:56,040 --> 00:14:58,600 Speaker 3: and he had watched some of this TV series I 310 00:14:58,640 --> 00:15:00,720 Speaker 3: had done called Alias. It was about the spy, so 311 00:15:00,800 --> 00:15:05,240 Speaker 3: he'd seen I would be interested in doing Mission Possible three. 312 00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:07,280 Speaker 3: So that was crazy. I started as a writer and 313 00:15:07,360 --> 00:15:10,080 Speaker 3: then I got into doing TV and then ended up 314 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:14,040 Speaker 3: doing doing Mission first. But wait a minute, you were saying. 315 00:15:14,840 --> 00:15:16,440 Speaker 2: So I was just saying that I don't shake you man, 316 00:15:16,520 --> 00:15:19,360 Speaker 2: and I didn't reaching into the thing she used to 317 00:15:19,800 --> 00:15:22,200 Speaker 2: because to come back with with burns, you know, that 318 00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:22,800 Speaker 2: was the thing. 319 00:15:22,800 --> 00:15:23,960 Speaker 3: I hate that always scares hell. 320 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:25,800 Speaker 2: Say do you would you rather have a cut or 321 00:15:25,800 --> 00:15:28,680 Speaker 2: a burn? What's worse? You know? I hate burns. I 322 00:15:28,840 --> 00:15:31,240 Speaker 2: really hate burns. Cuts you can kind of burns are, 323 00:15:31,920 --> 00:15:33,000 Speaker 2: but a burn is upsetting. 324 00:15:33,480 --> 00:15:35,160 Speaker 3: But because that's always what I think when I see 325 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:39,440 Speaker 3: people in kitchens working, as you know you do, I'm 326 00:15:39,480 --> 00:15:41,560 Speaker 3: always the thing that I'm always and it's a bit 327 00:15:41,880 --> 00:15:44,200 Speaker 3: also talking about my mom. It's a bit like here's 328 00:15:44,240 --> 00:15:47,160 Speaker 3: the one thing I say. She was always so careful 329 00:15:47,160 --> 00:15:49,040 Speaker 3: about everything, like she like and wanted us to be 330 00:15:49,120 --> 00:15:53,400 Speaker 3: so careful. And to see where that came from. Her father, 331 00:15:54,080 --> 00:15:58,040 Speaker 3: who was Harry Calvin, who was one of my favorite people, 332 00:15:58,080 --> 00:16:01,800 Speaker 3: and he was an incredible influence on me because he 333 00:16:02,680 --> 00:16:06,600 Speaker 3: he worked. He had this electronics company called Calvin Electronics, 334 00:16:06,600 --> 00:16:09,720 Speaker 3: which is still around, and Calvin Electronics was a place 335 00:16:09,760 --> 00:16:12,560 Speaker 3: that would he started after the Second War and he 336 00:16:13,040 --> 00:16:16,280 Speaker 3: was he sold surplus electronics as kits to. 337 00:16:16,400 --> 00:16:20,320 Speaker 2: Schools, and he's lessons in how things work exactly. 338 00:16:20,440 --> 00:16:23,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, So here was a guy who was aware of 339 00:16:23,920 --> 00:16:27,320 Speaker 3: how certain things radios and TVs and telephones and things worked. 340 00:16:27,400 --> 00:16:30,160 Speaker 3: So as a young kid, he would take things apart 341 00:16:30,680 --> 00:16:33,120 Speaker 3: and show me how a phone worked, or how a 342 00:16:33,160 --> 00:16:35,600 Speaker 3: TV worked, or why this happened. And then we would 343 00:16:35,600 --> 00:16:37,840 Speaker 3: do these little projects together where we'd have a little 344 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:40,240 Speaker 3: plank of wood and we would put a motor on it, 345 00:16:40,320 --> 00:16:43,160 Speaker 3: and we would put little brackets to you know, screw 346 00:16:43,200 --> 00:16:44,720 Speaker 3: it in place, and then a little battery and then 347 00:16:44,760 --> 00:16:46,520 Speaker 3: a switch and he would show me how the circuit works. 348 00:16:46,560 --> 00:16:49,800 Speaker 3: And he was always demystifying things and how they work. 349 00:16:49,880 --> 00:16:53,320 Speaker 3: So that was always something. But he was also apparently 350 00:16:53,520 --> 00:16:58,320 Speaker 3: like petrified of his grandchildren ever getting hurt. But you 351 00:16:58,440 --> 00:17:01,400 Speaker 3: saw how he lived. He was a bit paranoid, and 352 00:17:02,120 --> 00:17:06,399 Speaker 3: he would have every corner in his house, whether it 353 00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:10,360 Speaker 3: was a table, a counter, anything, he would take tissue 354 00:17:10,400 --> 00:17:12,280 Speaker 3: and roll it up and then put like electrical tape 355 00:17:12,359 --> 00:17:15,040 Speaker 3: on it and everything was padded. So it was a 356 00:17:15,080 --> 00:17:17,480 Speaker 3: little bit like they ridiculous, like you'd run through the 357 00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:19,399 Speaker 3: house and everything was padded. So that was kind of 358 00:17:19,440 --> 00:17:21,400 Speaker 3: where my mom. By the way, one thing about my grandfather, 359 00:17:21,480 --> 00:17:26,200 Speaker 3: which was vaguely funny, so his company, Coven Electronics. He 360 00:17:26,200 --> 00:17:29,040 Speaker 3: had some really cool designs for some of his catalogs 361 00:17:29,359 --> 00:17:31,639 Speaker 3: and one of them was the circuit that looked like 362 00:17:31,680 --> 00:17:34,359 Speaker 3: a K and I always sort of loved it. And 363 00:17:34,520 --> 00:17:36,800 Speaker 3: I loved my grandfather. Now he was a great grandfather, 364 00:17:36,920 --> 00:17:38,960 Speaker 3: but I know as a father he was a bit 365 00:17:40,080 --> 00:17:43,159 Speaker 3: tough and my mother's sister and I think that, like 366 00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:45,680 Speaker 3: my mom would say, I think that he was bipolar. 367 00:17:46,440 --> 00:17:48,440 Speaker 3: That's interesting, But to me, he was just a great 368 00:17:48,480 --> 00:17:50,280 Speaker 3: grandfather And I didn't get any of that. There was 369 00:17:50,280 --> 00:17:52,880 Speaker 3: a little bit of the you know, anger here and there, 370 00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:55,679 Speaker 3: but like I never had the issues as yet anyway, 371 00:17:55,800 --> 00:17:57,840 Speaker 3: So the k design was really cool, and we were 372 00:17:57,880 --> 00:18:00,760 Speaker 3: doing a little in house the U effects company that 373 00:18:00,800 --> 00:18:04,600 Speaker 3: we were calling Calvin Optical. So I had this graphic 374 00:18:04,680 --> 00:18:06,760 Speaker 3: designer who was working on a logo, and I said, oh, 375 00:18:06,800 --> 00:18:08,560 Speaker 3: why don't we just use the logo that he used 376 00:18:08,560 --> 00:18:10,639 Speaker 3: to use, which is the case. So she looked at 377 00:18:10,640 --> 00:18:12,159 Speaker 3: it and she did some researcher. You came back and 378 00:18:12,320 --> 00:18:14,560 Speaker 3: she she said to me, oh, this is this is 379 00:18:14,560 --> 00:18:18,120 Speaker 3: an actual circuit that exists. I'm like, oh, really, yes, 380 00:18:18,240 --> 00:18:21,600 Speaker 3: and she's like, it's called a bipolar circuit. Now, my 381 00:18:21,680 --> 00:18:23,679 Speaker 3: mom had passed away at that point, so I couldn't 382 00:18:23,720 --> 00:18:25,720 Speaker 3: call her to say, you're not going to believe this, 383 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:32,800 Speaker 3: but his logo was bipolar anyway. But my mother was 384 00:18:32,800 --> 00:18:37,080 Speaker 3: always like, you know, nervous about things and how things happened. 385 00:18:37,160 --> 00:18:39,480 Speaker 3: And for whatever reason, when I look at a kitchen 386 00:18:39,560 --> 00:18:42,719 Speaker 3: and see how crazy it is, I feel like it's 387 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:44,600 Speaker 3: sort of that kind of like nervousness that she used 388 00:18:44,600 --> 00:18:47,239 Speaker 3: to have. And I think, dear God, please put an 389 00:18:47,240 --> 00:18:49,240 Speaker 3: oven mid on, because the idea of reaching into and 390 00:18:49,320 --> 00:18:54,160 Speaker 3: grabbing a mozzarella marin ara pan bare handed is a nightmare. 391 00:18:54,240 --> 00:18:57,719 Speaker 2: Heavy. Yeah, I think that fear. People sometimes say can 392 00:18:57,760 --> 00:18:59,520 Speaker 2: we come and cook in the kitchen? Or can I 393 00:18:59,520 --> 00:19:01,320 Speaker 2: spend the day with you in the kitchen, And sometimes 394 00:19:01,480 --> 00:19:03,760 Speaker 2: it says, but you know, it is a dangerous place. 395 00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:06,760 Speaker 2: So that's my you know, if you come in a kitchen, 396 00:19:06,840 --> 00:19:08,720 Speaker 2: you know, and the chef's the way they move and 397 00:19:08,760 --> 00:19:11,399 Speaker 2: they carry hot pans and they're always saying. And in 398 00:19:11,480 --> 00:19:13,720 Speaker 2: the River Cafe, you know, we have an open kitchen, 399 00:19:13,840 --> 00:19:16,680 Speaker 2: so you can't shout, you know, hot behind you or 400 00:19:17,359 --> 00:19:22,199 Speaker 2: move or whatever. Everybody's kind of navigating it between between 401 00:19:22,280 --> 00:19:24,320 Speaker 2: hot plates. And if you are a chef and you 402 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:27,000 Speaker 2: leave something hot and you burn one of your colleagues, 403 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:28,880 Speaker 2: it's very upsetting. 404 00:19:28,920 --> 00:19:28,960 Speaker 4: It. 405 00:19:29,080 --> 00:19:33,480 Speaker 2: So the kitchen is you know, but it's a dangerous place. 406 00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:35,280 Speaker 2: And a film sets a David place, isn't it. 407 00:19:35,680 --> 00:19:39,000 Speaker 3: A film set can be really dangerous and in ways 408 00:19:39,040 --> 00:19:42,120 Speaker 3: that you cannot predict sometimes. I mean I have friends 409 00:19:42,119 --> 00:19:46,560 Speaker 3: who have been injured by falling lights or planks of 410 00:19:46,600 --> 00:19:48,720 Speaker 3: wood or things that you know, and there are all 411 00:19:48,800 --> 00:19:51,480 Speaker 3: sorts of protections that you know, sort of procedures that 412 00:19:51,520 --> 00:19:54,320 Speaker 3: are in place, but like a kitchen, yeah, but when 413 00:19:54,320 --> 00:19:56,639 Speaker 3: you have that many people moving parts, that many people 414 00:19:57,040 --> 00:20:01,040 Speaker 3: that the lights are incredibly hot, and the there are 415 00:20:01,480 --> 00:20:03,800 Speaker 3: cables everywhere, and a lot of times, like in the 416 00:20:03,880 --> 00:20:06,480 Speaker 3: case of the accident that we had, there was, you know, 417 00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:09,280 Speaker 3: this hydraulic door that was being triggered by someone and 418 00:20:09,359 --> 00:20:11,359 Speaker 3: it just went down at the wrong moment in the 419 00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:13,960 Speaker 3: wrong way, and it luckily didn't kill anyone, but certainly 420 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:14,240 Speaker 3: could have. 421 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:17,399 Speaker 2: But talking about restaurant kitchens, what about restaurants? Did your 422 00:20:17,440 --> 00:20:19,440 Speaker 2: parents take you to restaurants? Was that a kind of 423 00:20:19,560 --> 00:20:21,440 Speaker 2: abras or you celebrate in a restaurant? 424 00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:24,680 Speaker 3: Sure, but you know, growing up again in La like 425 00:20:25,480 --> 00:20:27,359 Speaker 3: going to the Sizzler was a big deal. What's that 426 00:20:27,800 --> 00:20:31,080 Speaker 3: the Sizzler? Oh, my god, steak steaksy food salad. It's 427 00:20:31,119 --> 00:20:33,320 Speaker 3: a chain here American. 428 00:20:33,400 --> 00:20:33,960 Speaker 4: I should know that. 429 00:20:34,160 --> 00:20:37,280 Speaker 3: You should. No, No, I know what embarrassed. 430 00:20:37,160 --> 00:20:40,480 Speaker 2: Davidson talked about that this favorite But what Pete Davison, 431 00:20:40,880 --> 00:20:42,639 Speaker 2: He's saying that his favorite meal was just. 432 00:20:42,840 --> 00:20:43,400 Speaker 3: A couple of noodles? 433 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:44,840 Speaker 2: Was it a couple of noodles? 434 00:20:44,920 --> 00:20:45,120 Speaker 3: Yeah? 435 00:20:45,160 --> 00:20:47,080 Speaker 2: No, I have been a way too long. But so 436 00:20:47,200 --> 00:20:48,959 Speaker 2: what was you tell me about Sizzler? 437 00:20:49,119 --> 00:20:51,800 Speaker 3: Schizler? Was I mean, look, there were a handful of 438 00:20:52,119 --> 00:20:56,720 Speaker 3: very seventies and early eighties restaurants that were on at 439 00:20:56,840 --> 00:20:58,880 Speaker 3: least on the West Coaster in California. One of them 440 00:20:58,960 --> 00:21:00,960 Speaker 3: was Hamburger Hamlet. Yeah, I know that one, so I 441 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:03,280 Speaker 3: would go there. It was good. There was a place 442 00:21:03,320 --> 00:21:05,280 Speaker 3: in west Would called the Chatham that was like a 443 00:21:05,480 --> 00:21:08,440 Speaker 3: little sort of fancy I don't know. My mom would 444 00:21:08,440 --> 00:21:09,760 Speaker 3: take me there. Like there were just there were certain 445 00:21:09,760 --> 00:21:12,880 Speaker 3: places we would go at the time growing up Westwood, 446 00:21:13,160 --> 00:21:16,160 Speaker 3: which is where UCLA is. It was a great area 447 00:21:16,520 --> 00:21:18,119 Speaker 3: and it was fun and there were just tons of 448 00:21:18,600 --> 00:21:21,600 Speaker 3: restaurants and great stores. It was an amazing kind of 449 00:21:21,840 --> 00:21:26,440 Speaker 3: destination which has now changed dramatically and is sadly not 450 00:21:26,520 --> 00:21:28,119 Speaker 3: what it used to be in you know, hopefully you 451 00:21:28,200 --> 00:21:32,000 Speaker 3: can recapture some of its former glory. But there were 452 00:21:32,040 --> 00:21:33,000 Speaker 3: just a ton of places there. 453 00:21:33,080 --> 00:21:36,520 Speaker 2: So you read out quite often or very often, but but. 454 00:21:38,320 --> 00:21:40,600 Speaker 3: Enough that, like, I have a lot of memories of 455 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:43,240 Speaker 3: going to these places and what I would order. 456 00:21:54,600 --> 00:21:57,680 Speaker 2: I haven't been to very many commencement addresses, but I 457 00:21:57,920 --> 00:22:01,600 Speaker 2: did listen to your address's lawrence, and it's something I 458 00:22:01,720 --> 00:22:04,560 Speaker 2: often quote, because you were talking to these kids who 459 00:22:04,560 --> 00:22:06,399 Speaker 2: were about to go out into the world, and you 460 00:22:06,960 --> 00:22:11,359 Speaker 2: were kind of there giving them guidance and advice at 461 00:22:11,359 --> 00:22:15,040 Speaker 2: a commencement speech. But what moved me enormously was when 462 00:22:15,080 --> 00:22:18,920 Speaker 2: you talked about kindness and the value of kindness, and 463 00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:21,840 Speaker 2: you asked the question, have you ever been in a 464 00:22:21,920 --> 00:22:24,080 Speaker 2: restaurant where food was served to you and you were 465 00:22:24,119 --> 00:22:25,960 Speaker 2: with somebody who didn't look up at the waiter and 466 00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:29,200 Speaker 2: say thank you? And I thought, that is something that 467 00:22:29,280 --> 00:22:31,480 Speaker 2: I say all the time because I work with waiters 468 00:22:31,840 --> 00:22:36,200 Speaker 2: and they again so value and so moving to them 469 00:22:36,359 --> 00:22:40,240 Speaker 2: when somebody says thank you. Why did you say that 470 00:22:40,320 --> 00:22:41,280 Speaker 2: in a commencement speech. 471 00:22:41,640 --> 00:22:43,280 Speaker 3: I don't remember anything I said in that speech, but 472 00:22:43,400 --> 00:22:45,359 Speaker 3: and I'm so glad you said it, because I was like, 473 00:22:45,400 --> 00:22:45,960 Speaker 3: what are you quoting? 474 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:46,640 Speaker 2: What do I say? 475 00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:46,760 Speaker 1: Oh? 476 00:22:46,840 --> 00:22:49,760 Speaker 2: My God, should listen to it. It's wautiful speech. 477 00:22:49,800 --> 00:22:53,000 Speaker 3: You're very sweet. But I to that. I would just 478 00:22:53,040 --> 00:22:56,359 Speaker 3: say part of it is the peeve of it, But 479 00:22:56,480 --> 00:22:59,360 Speaker 3: it's deeper than that, because anyone who's worked in any 480 00:22:59,440 --> 00:23:02,760 Speaker 3: kind of service industry, and I, while I was never 481 00:23:04,160 --> 00:23:07,280 Speaker 3: I did. I was a host at this Mexican restaurant 482 00:23:07,280 --> 00:23:09,320 Speaker 3: here in LA but I worked it like a you know, 483 00:23:09,359 --> 00:23:12,159 Speaker 3: an ice cream store, and you know, I'm at different 484 00:23:12,200 --> 00:23:15,720 Speaker 3: stores growing up and that feeling that you have of 485 00:23:16,160 --> 00:23:19,200 Speaker 3: of doing well by someone and doing your job and 486 00:23:20,119 --> 00:23:24,680 Speaker 3: being helpful and getting not even an acknowledgment or a 487 00:23:24,760 --> 00:23:27,760 Speaker 3: look or not. And look, I'm sure that this happens 488 00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:30,800 Speaker 3: all the time to everyone, but it's a different thing 489 00:23:30,960 --> 00:23:33,439 Speaker 3: when you have the job and you know what it's 490 00:23:33,600 --> 00:23:38,600 Speaker 3: like to be dehumanized and disregarded, and you know, and 491 00:23:38,840 --> 00:23:41,200 Speaker 3: and yet that experience for me, and part of it 492 00:23:41,280 --> 00:23:45,960 Speaker 3: is because I remember as a young kid not being athletic. 493 00:23:46,160 --> 00:23:49,880 Speaker 3: The value you have socially as a kid is often 494 00:23:49,920 --> 00:23:53,159 Speaker 3: connected to sort of how well you play sports or 495 00:23:53,280 --> 00:23:55,399 Speaker 3: how well what your grades are if you're you know, 496 00:23:55,760 --> 00:23:57,560 Speaker 3: my grades were never particularly great, and I was never 497 00:23:58,320 --> 00:24:01,639 Speaker 3: any good at sports, so weirdly I had no I 498 00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:04,560 Speaker 3: had nothing of value as a kid, and I remember, 499 00:24:06,240 --> 00:24:09,439 Speaker 3: I remember that feeling of oh, I'm not seen as 500 00:24:09,560 --> 00:24:16,119 Speaker 3: anything of either note or importance or you know, anything special. 501 00:24:16,200 --> 00:24:18,080 Speaker 3: It was just I remember that feeling. And so in 502 00:24:18,200 --> 00:24:19,879 Speaker 3: a way one of the reasons why in terms of 503 00:24:19,960 --> 00:24:23,920 Speaker 3: stories like I tend to love underdogs and I'm look, 504 00:24:24,640 --> 00:24:27,880 Speaker 3: no one is crying for the little white boy who, 505 00:24:28,040 --> 00:24:30,280 Speaker 3: you know, felt like he couldn't throw a ball. But 506 00:24:30,400 --> 00:24:32,840 Speaker 3: it's like the fact that you, you know, you grow 507 00:24:32,960 --> 00:24:37,600 Speaker 3: up in some ways. We all have insecurities and experiences 508 00:24:37,680 --> 00:24:40,480 Speaker 3: that shape us. And I remember feeling like, you know, 509 00:24:40,840 --> 00:24:43,919 Speaker 3: growing up, and then in these jobs, it's so easy 510 00:24:44,119 --> 00:24:49,800 Speaker 3: to be unseen or overlooked or treated badly. I mean, 511 00:24:49,800 --> 00:24:52,240 Speaker 3: I think people sometimes go out in order to break 512 00:24:52,320 --> 00:24:54,600 Speaker 3: people and treat people badly because it makes them feel better, 513 00:24:55,160 --> 00:25:00,280 Speaker 3: and use people as punching bags. And a waiter is 514 00:25:00,359 --> 00:25:02,879 Speaker 3: like the prime example of someone who is who is 515 00:25:03,119 --> 00:25:06,639 Speaker 3: doing you, you know, this sort of beautiful service. And 516 00:25:07,359 --> 00:25:10,960 Speaker 3: even if the waiters not particularly great, they're still serving you. 517 00:25:11,119 --> 00:25:15,560 Speaker 3: They're a server like on that level. To not acknowledge 518 00:25:15,600 --> 00:25:18,640 Speaker 3: that person and have gratitude for them says so much 519 00:25:18,720 --> 00:25:21,159 Speaker 3: more about who that person is. So I don't know 520 00:25:21,280 --> 00:25:22,879 Speaker 3: quite what the context of that comment was, but my 521 00:25:22,920 --> 00:25:25,320 Speaker 3: guess it was like, don't be a friend with, don't 522 00:25:25,320 --> 00:25:28,240 Speaker 3: continue to relationship with the person. Treat someone, she said, 523 00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:29,680 Speaker 3: And the wait is that we have. 524 00:25:29,920 --> 00:25:31,560 Speaker 2: You know, you see a lot in a restaurant. You 525 00:25:31,640 --> 00:25:35,040 Speaker 2: see people crying, You see people coming to a restaurant 526 00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:39,000 Speaker 2: for very private things in a public space. They get fired, 527 00:25:39,080 --> 00:25:42,199 Speaker 2: they admit affairs, they get divorced, they get married, they 528 00:25:42,280 --> 00:25:46,480 Speaker 2: get proposed to, And do you take people to a restaurant? Sometimes? 529 00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:49,800 Speaker 2: Would you before hiring somebody take them to a restaurant 530 00:25:49,880 --> 00:25:51,520 Speaker 2: and kind of see before. 531 00:25:51,200 --> 00:25:54,159 Speaker 3: They I have. I mean I've had all sorts of 532 00:25:54,760 --> 00:25:59,159 Speaker 3: meetings like that with people before working on something or 533 00:26:00,320 --> 00:26:03,560 Speaker 3: committing to something. Sure, But I also I go to 534 00:26:03,600 --> 00:26:05,400 Speaker 3: restaurants to work all the time. 535 00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:05,760 Speaker 4: Like I. 536 00:26:07,240 --> 00:26:10,080 Speaker 3: Write most of what I write at restaurants because the 537 00:26:10,320 --> 00:26:13,000 Speaker 3: energy of the space, the noise of it, what you 538 00:26:13,080 --> 00:26:15,920 Speaker 3: were just describing, it's like when you're at a restaurant, 539 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:20,240 Speaker 3: it's like it modulates between the most extreme dramatic breakup 540 00:26:20,320 --> 00:26:22,200 Speaker 3: that might be happening at the table, you know, two 541 00:26:22,280 --> 00:26:26,359 Speaker 3: tables over to that first date between people, to you know, 542 00:26:26,680 --> 00:26:30,359 Speaker 3: a parent, and like there's everywhere you look there is 543 00:26:30,440 --> 00:26:34,720 Speaker 3: a window into a drama that is probably its own story. 544 00:26:34,840 --> 00:26:37,280 Speaker 3: So the inspiration that comes from just sitting in a 545 00:26:37,720 --> 00:26:42,440 Speaker 3: restaurant and a coffee shop too, but restaurants are my preference. 546 00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:46,200 Speaker 3: I just feel like it kind of fuels me in 547 00:26:46,320 --> 00:26:49,359 Speaker 3: a way that when I'm in a room alone, I 548 00:26:49,440 --> 00:26:51,280 Speaker 3: can do that too, and I don't mind it, and 549 00:26:51,320 --> 00:26:53,200 Speaker 3: I'll put headphones on listen to music. They like, but 550 00:26:53,240 --> 00:26:56,959 Speaker 3: there's something about being in a restaurant that is hugely 551 00:26:57,640 --> 00:27:01,399 Speaker 3: inspiring and it helps me. 552 00:27:01,640 --> 00:27:03,480 Speaker 2: Do you do it now? You still all the rest? 553 00:27:03,600 --> 00:27:04,360 Speaker 3: Really all time? 554 00:27:04,760 --> 00:27:06,360 Speaker 2: Do you write Longhand on a laptop? 555 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:08,200 Speaker 3: What do you do long hand? When I first start 556 00:27:08,240 --> 00:27:10,960 Speaker 3: working on something until it starts to become something that 557 00:27:11,280 --> 00:27:14,919 Speaker 3: is starting to become more congealed and solid like an 558 00:27:14,960 --> 00:27:17,520 Speaker 3: omelind and then I will go and start to do 559 00:27:17,680 --> 00:27:19,480 Speaker 3: it on the laptop. 560 00:27:19,520 --> 00:27:22,000 Speaker 2: Instead of talking this case that we're going to finish now. 561 00:27:22,119 --> 00:27:26,480 Speaker 2: But comfort, So if we have food, like your mother 562 00:27:26,680 --> 00:27:30,440 Speaker 2: to express love or your father to grandfather about fear 563 00:27:30,720 --> 00:27:34,639 Speaker 2: or hungry, you know, or where in the pandemic and 564 00:27:34,720 --> 00:27:36,760 Speaker 2: we want to cook, we also go to food for comfort. 565 00:27:37,400 --> 00:27:41,560 Speaker 2: So if you need comfort, jj Abrams, is there a 566 00:27:41,920 --> 00:27:45,040 Speaker 2: food that you would go to for comfort? Is there 567 00:27:45,240 --> 00:27:46,119 Speaker 2: a food. 568 00:27:47,600 --> 00:27:48,000 Speaker 3: There isn't? 569 00:27:48,040 --> 00:27:48,200 Speaker 4: Really? 570 00:27:48,400 --> 00:27:51,240 Speaker 3: Like, I mean, it's funny. I just took my dad 571 00:27:51,320 --> 00:27:56,800 Speaker 3: to dinner at the Dantana the other night in West Hollywood, 572 00:27:57,040 --> 00:28:00,320 Speaker 3: and we were talking about how it was such comfort food. 573 00:28:00,359 --> 00:28:04,760 Speaker 3: And usually comfort food feels like it's got a bit 574 00:28:04,800 --> 00:28:08,680 Speaker 3: of an Italian like there's something about a pasta that 575 00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:11,440 Speaker 3: is just so comforting and feels so good, and you know, 576 00:28:11,560 --> 00:28:13,359 Speaker 3: so there's that kind of thing, and it's usually like 577 00:28:13,480 --> 00:28:16,600 Speaker 3: I guess it might be like the carby starchy thing 578 00:28:16,720 --> 00:28:18,640 Speaker 3: that does it. That's funny because as you were asking, 579 00:28:18,680 --> 00:28:22,240 Speaker 3: I was like thinking, it's hard to imagine like a 580 00:28:22,359 --> 00:28:25,440 Speaker 3: food that on some level doesn't provide some kind of 581 00:28:25,520 --> 00:28:28,600 Speaker 3: like you know, a really great sushi dinner or a 582 00:28:28,760 --> 00:28:31,560 Speaker 3: wonderful you know, like a great pizza or something that 583 00:28:31,640 --> 00:28:33,800 Speaker 3: you know, of course there's bad versions of everything, but 584 00:28:34,359 --> 00:28:36,600 Speaker 3: food in general is just is such a comfort. 585 00:28:39,840 --> 00:28:43,280 Speaker 2: You like that ice cream, I know, almond ice cream, 586 00:28:43,480 --> 00:28:45,720 Speaker 2: you know, the toasted almond ice cream. 587 00:28:47,280 --> 00:28:48,000 Speaker 3: There is that a question? 588 00:28:48,120 --> 00:28:48,720 Speaker 4: What do you have? 589 00:28:49,360 --> 00:28:53,920 Speaker 3: I mean my ordering multiple dishes of it indicate that 590 00:28:54,040 --> 00:28:54,440 Speaker 3: you might. 591 00:28:54,360 --> 00:28:55,280 Speaker 2: Be part of it. 592 00:28:55,880 --> 00:28:56,880 Speaker 4: Can be fine, I'm doing it. 593 00:28:56,880 --> 00:28:58,160 Speaker 3: I'm claiming it all right? 594 00:29:02,280 --> 00:29:04,760 Speaker 2: Oh hi, can you give me a really quick favor. 595 00:29:05,320 --> 00:29:06,719 Speaker 3: You're looking for the recipe itself. 596 00:29:07,480 --> 00:29:10,640 Speaker 2: See if there's a recipe there for almond ice cream. 597 00:29:10,920 --> 00:29:13,479 Speaker 2: You're so kind? Do you want to hold on if 598 00:29:13,520 --> 00:29:14,600 Speaker 2: you find I'm gonna hold on. 599 00:29:20,800 --> 00:29:24,080 Speaker 1: The River Cafe lookbook is now available in bookshops and online. 600 00:29:24,800 --> 00:29:28,880 Speaker 1: It has over one hundred recipes, beautifully illustrated with photographs 601 00:29:28,920 --> 00:29:32,840 Speaker 1: from the renowned photographer Matthew Donaldson. The book has fifty 602 00:29:32,960 --> 00:29:36,560 Speaker 1: delicious and easy to prepare recipes, including a host of 603 00:29:36,640 --> 00:29:40,400 Speaker 1: River Cafe classics that have been specially adapted for new cooks. 604 00:29:41,440 --> 00:29:45,040 Speaker 1: The River Cafe Lookbook Recipes for Cooks of all ages. 605 00:29:51,000 --> 00:29:53,720 Speaker 1: Ruthie's Table four is a production of iHeart Radio and 606 00:29:53,800 --> 00:29:59,200 Speaker 1: Adamized Studios. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, 607 00:29:59,520 --> 00:30:02,800 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.