1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to River Cafe Table four, a production of iHeartRadio 2 00:00:03,760 --> 00:00:08,920 Speaker 1: and Adami Studios. 3 00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:11,840 Speaker 2: I have three brothers. My brother Joe is the eldest. 4 00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:17,120 Speaker 3: I'm Valerie, the second and the only girl, and then 5 00:00:17,160 --> 00:00:20,720 Speaker 3: my brother Jimmy, and then the baby is Frankie. And 6 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:24,360 Speaker 3: we are a typical mid twentieth century American family. 7 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:29,720 Speaker 4: Valerie Biden's family are typical Americans in some ways, but 8 00:00:29,880 --> 00:00:34,080 Speaker 4: not that typical. Her brother Joe is President Biden. And 9 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:37,720 Speaker 4: in today's River Cafe Table four, we'll be talking about 10 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:41,680 Speaker 4: food and family from the kitchen table to the White House. 11 00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:47,080 Speaker 4: When President Biden's first wife died in a tragic accident, 12 00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:51,800 Speaker 4: Valerie stepped up to support her nephew's beau and hunter 13 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:56,280 Speaker 4: ice cream, hot dogs, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, vows. 14 00:00:56,320 --> 00:00:59,920 Speaker 4: Food memories are made up of American classics. But we'll 15 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:04,640 Speaker 4: begin right now with her favorite recipe from the River Cafe. 16 00:01:05,480 --> 00:01:07,319 Speaker 2: It's quick sweet tomato sauce. 17 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:12,400 Speaker 3: Serve six to eight, three tablespoons olive oil, three garlic 18 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:18,080 Speaker 3: cloves peeled and cut into slivers. Two one kilogram jars 19 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:22,959 Speaker 3: peeled plum tomato drained of their juices, A handful of 20 00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:27,560 Speaker 3: fresh basil or oregano leaves. Heat one to two tablespoons 21 00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:30,280 Speaker 3: of the olive oil in a large pan and fry 22 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:32,160 Speaker 3: the garlic until it is soft. 23 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:32,640 Speaker 2: But not brown. 24 00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:36,319 Speaker 3: Add the tomatoes with some sea salt and black pepper, 25 00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:40,200 Speaker 3: and cook fiercely, stirring constantly to prevent the tomatoes from 26 00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:44,040 Speaker 3: sticking as they break up. As they cook, the tomatoes 27 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:47,720 Speaker 3: will release their juices when the liquid has evaporated. Add 28 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:51,240 Speaker 3: the remaining olive oil, the basil or oregano, and more 29 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:52,680 Speaker 3: seasoning if necessary. 30 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:54,240 Speaker 2: Serve hot and I. 31 00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 3: Always use the basil, and it's spectacular. It makes me 32 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:04,320 Speaker 3: smile because every family dinner, we all sit down and 33 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:07,440 Speaker 3: we have spaghetti and meat balls with tomato sauce, tell 34 00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:09,600 Speaker 3: the same stories and laugh at the same jokes as 35 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:11,280 Speaker 3: if it's the first time we ever heard them. 36 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:13,440 Speaker 4: Can I ask you about food at the White House? 37 00:02:13,440 --> 00:02:17,519 Speaker 4: What's it like when you go to eat with your brother. 38 00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:18,440 Speaker 2: At the White House? 39 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:22,880 Speaker 3: Joe the President and First Lady aka Joe and Jill. 40 00:02:23,560 --> 00:02:26,600 Speaker 3: They don't have breakfast served. That's a time when you 41 00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:29,320 Speaker 3: can get up and go to the small kitchen and 42 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:34,840 Speaker 3: have coffee or cereal and not have people around, you know, 43 00:02:34,880 --> 00:02:37,720 Speaker 3: who are very gracious and want to take care of you. 44 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:41,800 Speaker 3: But it's just a quiet time lunch. My brother is 45 00:02:42,919 --> 00:02:48,760 Speaker 3: rather a pedestrian eater like I. He'll have a ponifish salad, 46 00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:53,960 Speaker 3: ponfish sandwich or a chicken salad sandwich, and always if 47 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:57,680 Speaker 3: we can, tomato soup. They make great tomato basil soup. 48 00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:03,839 Speaker 3: And then dinner, normal dinner that they suits set and 49 00:03:03,880 --> 00:03:08,720 Speaker 3: it's usually Jill, my sister in law, is very conscious 50 00:03:08,840 --> 00:03:12,280 Speaker 3: of help. I mean she's she's what I want to 51 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:14,520 Speaker 3: be when I when you grow up. 52 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:16,160 Speaker 2: Yes, when I grow up. 53 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:21,280 Speaker 3: And generally she has a fish meal salmon and a 54 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:24,960 Speaker 3: crust and delicious. But Joe and I said, oh we're 55 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:28,320 Speaker 3: eating healthy again. Okay. 56 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:31,600 Speaker 4: Do you share a lot of time over food? 57 00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:35,240 Speaker 2: It's almost always over a meal. 58 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:39,800 Speaker 3: Especially since my you know brother, when he travels now 59 00:03:40,160 --> 00:03:44,640 Speaker 3: it's an entourage and it's generally and it's an inconvenience 60 00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 3: to other people. I mean, it's for his safety and 61 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:52,160 Speaker 3: he's very we're very appreciative, but it inconveniences other people, 62 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:53,680 Speaker 3: you know, to go in in the arrest. 63 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:57,360 Speaker 2: So we don't go to restaurants very often. 64 00:03:57,400 --> 00:04:02,760 Speaker 3: We either at his house or my house and Jimmy 65 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:06,120 Speaker 3: Biden's house. Frankie, our youngest, is in Florida, so not 66 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:09,560 Speaker 3: at his house. But we sit and again tell the 67 00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:13,360 Speaker 3: same old stories. We poke fun at each other, and 68 00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:17,679 Speaker 3: you know, in I have found that in a family 69 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:20,719 Speaker 3: that's close or a large family, your place in the 70 00:04:20,720 --> 00:04:23,200 Speaker 3: family stays the same if you're sixty years old or 71 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 3: if you're six years old. Once the baby, always the baby, 72 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:28,920 Speaker 3: you know, once the middle, always the middle, once the 73 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:32,400 Speaker 3: eldest always and once the only which is of course 74 00:04:32,480 --> 00:04:34,880 Speaker 3: me and I would have it no other way. I love, 75 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:38,960 Speaker 3: I love, love love growing up with my three brothers. 76 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 3: They were a gift to me. I always say that 77 00:04:41,160 --> 00:04:43,599 Speaker 3: I earned my husband, but my brothers were a gift. 78 00:04:43,839 --> 00:04:46,760 Speaker 4: What was food like in the Biden household growing up? 79 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:50,880 Speaker 3: Food was we always had enough of it to begin with, 80 00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:57,240 Speaker 3: but it was ordinary. We didn't dine, we ate, but 81 00:04:57,839 --> 00:05:01,560 Speaker 3: we always ate together every night. We grew up in 82 00:05:01,600 --> 00:05:04,280 Speaker 3: a middle class Irish Catholic background. 83 00:05:05,080 --> 00:05:05,680 Speaker 2: My brothers. 84 00:05:05,800 --> 00:05:08,120 Speaker 3: As the first born, he was born in Scranton, but 85 00:05:08,279 --> 00:05:10,760 Speaker 3: by the time I guess he was eight years old, 86 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:15,960 Speaker 3: my father got work and moved to back home to Delaware, 87 00:05:16,040 --> 00:05:17,040 Speaker 3: where dad was from. 88 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:18,400 Speaker 4: But what did your father do. 89 00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:23,039 Speaker 3: My father was a car salesman and then he ended 90 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:28,000 Speaker 3: up managing mostly Chevrolet dealerships, different ones here in Delaware. 91 00:05:28,520 --> 00:05:31,279 Speaker 2: He come home for dinner. My father. 92 00:05:31,640 --> 00:05:35,640 Speaker 3: The one thing about him was he had insisted upon 93 00:05:35,839 --> 00:05:41,800 Speaker 3: impeccable table manners. My brother Jimmy probably has a left 94 00:05:41,839 --> 00:05:45,240 Speaker 3: elbow that's still weak from my father smacking it, you know. 95 00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:46,560 Speaker 2: When he put it on the table. 96 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:50,560 Speaker 3: So we had to know what the right knife and 97 00:05:50,680 --> 00:05:55,479 Speaker 3: fork were and how to pass our dishes. And that 98 00:05:55,600 --> 00:05:59,720 Speaker 3: was the only thing he was absolutely stern about. And 99 00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:03,520 Speaker 3: he thought it represented good matters. 100 00:06:03,520 --> 00:06:06,680 Speaker 4: And I think it is very telling the way people 101 00:06:07,279 --> 00:06:09,360 Speaker 4: are considerate in a way, if that's what matters are 102 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:11,960 Speaker 4: at the table, and how things have changed. When I 103 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:15,080 Speaker 4: talked to Nancy Pelosi, she said that she'd never sat 104 00:06:15,120 --> 00:06:17,839 Speaker 4: down in her child at a table where there wasn't 105 00:06:18,320 --> 00:06:21,320 Speaker 4: a tablecloth. Was that the Biden household as well? 106 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:22,040 Speaker 2: Well? 107 00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:25,040 Speaker 3: What Mom and Dad had on the dining room table 108 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:29,040 Speaker 3: was a piece of glass that was fitted that covered 109 00:06:29,080 --> 00:06:31,240 Speaker 3: the table so it would save the wood. And we 110 00:06:31,279 --> 00:06:34,800 Speaker 3: always had place met and we always had napkins. And 111 00:06:34,920 --> 00:06:38,880 Speaker 3: Mom was an ordinary cook in the best sense of 112 00:06:38,880 --> 00:06:43,039 Speaker 3: the word. I mean, we were Hamburger's hot dogs. My 113 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:45,760 Speaker 3: favorite dish at the time was pot roast. You would 114 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:47,800 Speaker 3: always make that for me for my birthday. 115 00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:50,440 Speaker 2: But there were certain rituals. 116 00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:54,719 Speaker 3: Sunday morning after Mass, we would come home and Dad 117 00:06:54,760 --> 00:06:56,360 Speaker 3: always made hotcakes. 118 00:06:56,560 --> 00:06:57,480 Speaker 2: That was a big deal. 119 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:00,440 Speaker 3: There are three foods that I never ate when I 120 00:07:00,520 --> 00:07:02,720 Speaker 3: was a child, and I don't know why, but I 121 00:07:02,760 --> 00:07:05,640 Speaker 3: didn't like hotcakes, and I didn't like hot dogs, and 122 00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:09,560 Speaker 3: I didn't like cam oh the h Yeah, and my 123 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:13,080 Speaker 3: mother never made me eat them. So everybody would have 124 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:15,320 Speaker 3: hot hotcakes with maple syrup. 125 00:07:15,360 --> 00:07:17,200 Speaker 2: I had my cheerios and milk. 126 00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:21,360 Speaker 3: The second ritual was because we were a Catholic family, 127 00:07:21,840 --> 00:07:26,160 Speaker 3: we didn't eat meat on Friday, so on Fridays we 128 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:31,240 Speaker 3: had missus Paul's frozen fish sticks, which meant that all 129 00:07:31,240 --> 00:07:35,240 Speaker 3: four children grew up to really dislike fish, I mean 130 00:07:36,040 --> 00:07:38,960 Speaker 3: because we had to eat it. But more often than 131 00:07:38,960 --> 00:07:41,960 Speaker 3: that Mom would substitute. And that's when we had spaghetti. 132 00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:44,240 Speaker 3: Mom made her homemade spaghetti sauce. 133 00:07:44,520 --> 00:07:46,280 Speaker 4: What was that? Can I ask you what that was? 134 00:07:46,440 --> 00:07:47,840 Speaker 2: Big kansa tomato sauce. 135 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:50,960 Speaker 3: I think she would put in a pork chop, but 136 00:07:51,320 --> 00:07:53,560 Speaker 3: I never I was not in the kitchen. I was 137 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:56,440 Speaker 3: out playing ball with my with my brothers. We came in, 138 00:07:57,120 --> 00:08:00,480 Speaker 3: you know, Mom had dinner ready. We sat down and 139 00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:03,120 Speaker 3: ate and there were no chores, like we didn't have 140 00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:06,280 Speaker 3: to clean up after the table or because Mom would 141 00:08:06,320 --> 00:08:10,000 Speaker 3: always say, my job is to be the mom, and 142 00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:11,880 Speaker 3: your job is to be the students. 143 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:12,840 Speaker 2: Go do your homework. 144 00:08:13,480 --> 00:08:17,960 Speaker 3: The big deal in the house of food was if 145 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:24,640 Speaker 3: things were good on Saturday night, we would my brother 146 00:08:24,680 --> 00:08:26,960 Speaker 3: and I would ride our bike, or if it were bad, 147 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:30,560 Speaker 3: Mom would drive us up to the local Custlers pharmacy 148 00:08:31,120 --> 00:08:34,160 Speaker 3: where they had ice cream, and we would get a 149 00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:37,400 Speaker 3: half gallon of Briar's ice cream and the ice cream 150 00:08:37,520 --> 00:08:41,480 Speaker 3: was vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. Nobody liked strawberry. I think 151 00:08:41,559 --> 00:08:43,559 Speaker 3: Jimmy I think Jimmy Biden was the only one to 152 00:08:43,640 --> 00:08:46,360 Speaker 3: eat the strawberry. But that was the big deal. We'd 153 00:08:46,360 --> 00:08:48,200 Speaker 3: had the half gallon of ice cream and we would 154 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:51,520 Speaker 3: watch at Sullivan Joe on Sunday night. 155 00:08:51,880 --> 00:08:55,440 Speaker 4: And then when you went to college, did you cook 156 00:08:55,480 --> 00:08:57,679 Speaker 4: for yourself? You no longer had your mother saying go 157 00:08:57,760 --> 00:08:59,760 Speaker 4: and study. What did you do for food? 158 00:08:59,800 --> 00:09:02,720 Speaker 3: Then? Well, I had a meal ticket, and at the time, 159 00:09:03,160 --> 00:09:07,480 Speaker 3: everybody lived on campus all four years, so I didn't 160 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:10,320 Speaker 3: have an apartment where I had to experiment. You know, 161 00:09:10,360 --> 00:09:17,160 Speaker 3: there was a meal ticket and we ate normal college food. 162 00:09:17,960 --> 00:09:19,040 Speaker 4: What college did you go to? 163 00:09:19,080 --> 00:09:23,400 Speaker 3: Where was the University of Delaware, Delaware about fifty minutes 164 00:09:23,440 --> 00:09:26,600 Speaker 3: from our home. But to me, I had graduated from 165 00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:30,880 Speaker 3: Ursuline Academy for Young Girls. But I thought I had 166 00:09:30,920 --> 00:09:33,200 Speaker 3: died and gone to heaven. I went to the University 167 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:39,360 Speaker 3: of Delaware, five thousand undergraduates, co ed, and I was 168 00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:42,760 Speaker 3: in a brand new world and I loved every single 169 00:09:43,120 --> 00:09:46,240 Speaker 3: minute of it. And my big brother Joey was there too. 170 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:48,760 Speaker 3: He was a junior when I was a freshman, and 171 00:09:49,679 --> 00:09:53,200 Speaker 3: I was there because because of him, I was a 172 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:58,040 Speaker 3: good student and I got in Delaware. But my mom 173 00:09:58,080 --> 00:10:02,720 Speaker 3: and dad were not able to afford room and board, 174 00:10:03,240 --> 00:10:05,960 Speaker 3: which is what the essence of college was. And I 175 00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:09,599 Speaker 3: desperately wanted to go in room and board, and my 176 00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:13,560 Speaker 3: dad told me, Toney, look, I can't swing it. You know, 177 00:10:13,640 --> 00:10:18,000 Speaker 3: you could commute. And my brother in that right after 178 00:10:18,040 --> 00:10:22,199 Speaker 3: that called a family meeting with mom and dad, and respectfully, 179 00:10:22,240 --> 00:10:26,199 Speaker 3: we were very, very aware of my father's dignity and 180 00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:30,280 Speaker 3: it pained him that he wasn't able to send us 181 00:10:30,320 --> 00:10:34,160 Speaker 3: both to room and board. But my brother said, Dad, 182 00:10:34,200 --> 00:10:38,199 Speaker 3: I've thought about this, and here's what I proposed. Vo's 183 00:10:38,240 --> 00:10:41,720 Speaker 3: a good kid, She's smarter than I. She deserves college 184 00:10:41,800 --> 00:10:44,720 Speaker 3: more than I do. So I'm going to drop out 185 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:48,280 Speaker 3: this coming semester in September. I'm going to work for 186 00:10:48,360 --> 00:10:50,840 Speaker 3: the year, save money so that I can go back 187 00:10:50,880 --> 00:10:53,680 Speaker 3: the next year, so that Voo could take my place, 188 00:10:53,800 --> 00:10:58,760 Speaker 3: because she should be able to go to Delaware. She's 189 00:10:58,960 --> 00:11:01,960 Speaker 3: earned it, ye, my father said. My father called my 190 00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:04,679 Speaker 3: brother champ and he said, Champion can't do that because 191 00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:09,680 Speaker 3: my dad was as in that generation and that time, 192 00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:14,120 Speaker 3: in mid nineteen sixties, my dad assumed that I would 193 00:11:14,320 --> 00:11:17,920 Speaker 3: get married and have children and that you know, the 194 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:19,719 Speaker 3: man had to be was the breadwinner. 195 00:11:20,559 --> 00:11:23,160 Speaker 2: And he said, you know, you have to raise a. 196 00:11:23,160 --> 00:11:26,040 Speaker 3: Family and support a family, and VAL's not going to 197 00:11:26,040 --> 00:11:28,200 Speaker 3: have to do that. She'll have her pick of whatever 198 00:11:28,240 --> 00:11:33,640 Speaker 3: she wants. But my brother said, no, he wanted to 199 00:11:33,679 --> 00:11:36,720 Speaker 3: do it that way. And somehow, long story short, Ruthin 200 00:11:37,720 --> 00:11:40,360 Speaker 3: And it was late August, right before school started. My 201 00:11:40,440 --> 00:11:44,840 Speaker 3: father somehow managed to get alone another loan and I 202 00:11:44,960 --> 00:11:49,760 Speaker 3: went to the university with my brother, and as I said, 203 00:11:49,760 --> 00:11:54,000 Speaker 3: I realized what a gift it was from my parents, 204 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:57,240 Speaker 3: and I squeezed every single thing I could out of 205 00:11:57,280 --> 00:11:57,760 Speaker 3: the school. 206 00:11:57,960 --> 00:11:58,559 Speaker 2: I loved it. 207 00:12:09,640 --> 00:12:12,560 Speaker 4: You were thrust at a very young age into cooking 208 00:12:12,559 --> 00:12:15,600 Speaker 4: for young children, taking care of your brother's children. 209 00:12:16,080 --> 00:12:19,000 Speaker 3: I jumped into domestic life, and you know what. I 210 00:12:19,080 --> 00:12:22,600 Speaker 3: had a very close friend. Her name was Maureen. She 211 00:12:22,720 --> 00:12:24,840 Speaker 3: had two young boys who were close in age to 212 00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:27,520 Speaker 3: bow and hunt, and she would give me quick, down 213 00:12:27,559 --> 00:12:28,599 Speaker 3: and dirty recipes. 214 00:12:28,640 --> 00:12:30,679 Speaker 2: You know that they like this, and they like that. 215 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:34,959 Speaker 3: She used to make scalop potatoes and she said, get 216 00:12:35,200 --> 00:12:37,800 Speaker 3: brock worst, which I didn't know. They were fat hot 217 00:12:37,800 --> 00:12:40,480 Speaker 3: dogs as far as I was concerned, and put them 218 00:12:40,520 --> 00:12:43,920 Speaker 3: on top. And that was a great dish, an easy dish. 219 00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:47,000 Speaker 3: And I did that and I served it. We used 220 00:12:47,040 --> 00:12:51,200 Speaker 3: to have a lazy Susan in the kitchen and I 221 00:12:51,200 --> 00:12:53,960 Speaker 3: served it. Nobody told me to take the skin off 222 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:55,800 Speaker 3: the brock wars. So when I took it off and 223 00:12:56,000 --> 00:12:57,839 Speaker 3: went to serve it to the boys. 224 00:12:57,840 --> 00:13:02,960 Speaker 2: It flew off the table. They said, Aunt vaol. I 225 00:13:02,960 --> 00:13:05,280 Speaker 2: mean it was always a little bit of you. 226 00:13:05,400 --> 00:13:07,440 Speaker 4: But you were twenty. You were twenty six. You know, 227 00:13:07,520 --> 00:13:10,560 Speaker 4: cut yourself some slack. I mean that is very very young. 228 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:15,080 Speaker 3: When I got the boys and started to cook, I 229 00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:15,839 Speaker 3: wasn't a cook. 230 00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:17,040 Speaker 2: I mean I was an eater. 231 00:13:17,559 --> 00:13:23,240 Speaker 3: So I made probably most nights of the week chicken breast, 232 00:13:23,520 --> 00:13:29,960 Speaker 3: which I boiled interesting boiled sucken breast. 233 00:13:29,600 --> 00:13:33,000 Speaker 2: And came to be known as my rubber chicken. 234 00:13:33,679 --> 00:13:38,520 Speaker 3: And boiled chicken breast. And meat loaf was another thing 235 00:13:38,559 --> 00:13:42,360 Speaker 3: that I made. And I would try in the beginning 236 00:13:42,440 --> 00:13:44,040 Speaker 3: now and I'm trying when I had the boys, I'm 237 00:13:44,080 --> 00:13:47,840 Speaker 3: trying to be healthy, and I tried making flounder and 238 00:13:47,920 --> 00:13:51,880 Speaker 3: telling them that it was chicken oh. 239 00:13:50,920 --> 00:13:52,640 Speaker 2: In their favorite dish. 240 00:13:53,320 --> 00:13:56,160 Speaker 3: And all of both friends who called me aunt vol 241 00:13:56,720 --> 00:13:58,800 Speaker 3: when you know this whole, these kids who all grew 242 00:13:58,880 --> 00:14:03,440 Speaker 3: up together. Specialty was egg in the cup, and that 243 00:14:03,679 --> 00:14:08,160 Speaker 3: was a soft bailled egg. And I never had a time, Ruthie, 244 00:14:08,160 --> 00:14:10,960 Speaker 3: I had an instinct exactly when it was right. 245 00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:13,800 Speaker 4: That's very that's impressive because it's really hard to make 246 00:14:13,840 --> 00:14:15,360 Speaker 4: a good soft boiled egg. Yeah. 247 00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:17,839 Speaker 3: I would put it in the cup along with some shell, 248 00:14:18,160 --> 00:14:21,440 Speaker 3: always a little bit of shell, some salt and pepper butter, 249 00:14:21,560 --> 00:14:23,600 Speaker 3: and I would break up toast and put it in 250 00:14:23,640 --> 00:14:26,520 Speaker 3: an egg in the cup, and that was bowen hunts. 251 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:29,760 Speaker 3: My children and all their kids. That was that was 252 00:14:29,800 --> 00:14:32,040 Speaker 3: a favorite meal. Aunt found didn't really screw that one 253 00:14:32,160 --> 00:14:32,560 Speaker 3: up much. 254 00:14:32,680 --> 00:14:34,960 Speaker 4: It's very traditional. It's very English. I think they call 255 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:38,640 Speaker 4: it as a fellow American. It's called soldiers, isn't it. 256 00:14:38,680 --> 00:14:41,080 Speaker 4: They'd make the little sticks of bread and then you 257 00:14:41,320 --> 00:14:42,360 Speaker 4: tip it into the egg. 258 00:14:42,400 --> 00:14:46,320 Speaker 3: Yo that I would give my children with tang and 259 00:14:46,360 --> 00:14:50,400 Speaker 3: what they call they called uh, I would sing it, do. 260 00:14:50,440 --> 00:14:51,800 Speaker 2: It with a ting tang kong. 261 00:14:52,440 --> 00:14:55,520 Speaker 3: That was the drink of astronauts. 262 00:14:55,880 --> 00:14:57,040 Speaker 2: But it was, I mean, it was. 263 00:14:57,120 --> 00:15:01,080 Speaker 3: It was a terrible time, Ruthie, a terrible tragedy, but 264 00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:02,720 Speaker 3: it was also a time of healing. 265 00:15:03,320 --> 00:15:04,360 Speaker 2: And there was joy. 266 00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:10,400 Speaker 3: These boys they loved me full throttle, and I love 267 00:15:10,640 --> 00:15:14,760 Speaker 3: them and uh, and they healed Joe and we healed 268 00:15:14,760 --> 00:15:18,800 Speaker 3: as a family, I mean, and there was there was joy. 269 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:22,520 Speaker 3: And as I said, five years later, Joe was able 270 00:15:22,560 --> 00:15:25,760 Speaker 3: to come out of it because he met this wonderful woman, 271 00:15:25,920 --> 00:15:27,520 Speaker 3: Joe Jacobs, and fell in love. 272 00:15:28,240 --> 00:15:29,600 Speaker 2: So Uh. 273 00:15:29,920 --> 00:15:34,120 Speaker 3: The best thing that my memories of raising being with 274 00:15:34,160 --> 00:15:37,880 Speaker 3: the boys would My brother bought me a jeep to 275 00:15:38,120 --> 00:15:40,360 Speaker 3: travel around with the boys, and we were up high 276 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:45,080 Speaker 3: and we would look out the window and. 277 00:15:44,280 --> 00:15:45,320 Speaker 2: We had a passer by. 278 00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:48,400 Speaker 3: We'd be at a stop signer or a red light, 279 00:15:49,120 --> 00:15:52,160 Speaker 3: and the boys would look out and we'd see the person, 280 00:15:52,240 --> 00:15:55,000 Speaker 3: and then we'd go off and we would spin magical 281 00:15:55,040 --> 00:15:57,320 Speaker 3: tales like where they were going? What do we think 282 00:15:57,400 --> 00:15:59,320 Speaker 3: that they were doing? The jeep was like a magic 283 00:15:59,480 --> 00:16:02,520 Speaker 3: carper ride. And we always had peanut butter and jelly 284 00:16:02,520 --> 00:16:05,600 Speaker 3: sandwiches and ting tang tong in the backseat, okay for 285 00:16:05,720 --> 00:16:06,400 Speaker 3: an emergency. 286 00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:09,120 Speaker 4: If this was a food of everyday life, and you 287 00:16:09,200 --> 00:16:13,160 Speaker 4: describe the meals around the table after school and before homework, 288 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:16,520 Speaker 4: did your parents ever or did your family ever go 289 00:16:16,600 --> 00:16:18,040 Speaker 4: to restaurants. 290 00:16:17,840 --> 00:16:22,920 Speaker 3: A graduation or first communion or something like that. But 291 00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:26,640 Speaker 3: we would always have a tray and you know, bring 292 00:16:26,680 --> 00:16:29,320 Speaker 3: it help. The big thing that we did in Delaware 293 00:16:29,880 --> 00:16:33,160 Speaker 3: that we always brought home where hoggies or subs we 294 00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:33,840 Speaker 3: call them. 295 00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:35,480 Speaker 2: And that's when the. 296 00:16:35,440 --> 00:16:39,800 Speaker 3: Family gets together, if it's lunchtime or even going into dinner, 297 00:16:39,880 --> 00:16:43,800 Speaker 3: it's either hogies where we all grab them go out 298 00:16:43,840 --> 00:16:46,040 Speaker 3: and sit in the porch on the picnic table, or 299 00:16:46,080 --> 00:16:47,640 Speaker 3: when we sit down to dinner. 300 00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:49,680 Speaker 2: It's spaghetti and meatballs. And now it's my. 301 00:16:49,680 --> 00:16:53,320 Speaker 3: Spaghetti sauce, which is very similar to your quick suite 302 00:16:53,640 --> 00:17:08,399 Speaker 3: tomato sauce. At the risk of sounding preachy, but again 303 00:17:08,520 --> 00:17:13,000 Speaker 3: from our parents, there was family, and there's faith, and 304 00:17:13,040 --> 00:17:16,720 Speaker 3: there was a responsibility to each other. And then that 305 00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:21,879 Speaker 3: went to moved over to the community at large. And 306 00:17:22,080 --> 00:17:27,679 Speaker 3: there are so many people who are in need of food, 307 00:17:27,720 --> 00:17:33,119 Speaker 3: which is a travesty in this country. And I'm very 308 00:17:33,119 --> 00:17:35,800 Speaker 3: happy that I'm able to work with the Ministry of Caring. 309 00:17:35,880 --> 00:17:40,720 Speaker 3: We have three places throughout the city that serve food, 310 00:17:40,960 --> 00:17:46,040 Speaker 3: and it's over a hundred churches and synagogues and religious 311 00:17:46,040 --> 00:17:48,960 Speaker 3: groups and that do that. And I think, I mean, 312 00:17:49,280 --> 00:17:53,880 Speaker 3: it's just so obvious if we if we don't have nutrition, 313 00:17:54,200 --> 00:17:57,719 Speaker 3: then we don't have energy. And we don't have energy, 314 00:17:57,760 --> 00:18:02,560 Speaker 3: we don't have power, we don't have an ability to 315 00:18:02,880 --> 00:18:06,080 Speaker 3: think and to be on our feet. If we have 316 00:18:06,160 --> 00:18:10,000 Speaker 3: food shortages, we. 317 00:18:08,680 --> 00:18:11,920 Speaker 2: Fall into political problems where you have to cross borders 318 00:18:11,960 --> 00:18:13,640 Speaker 2: to go. 319 00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:16,359 Speaker 3: You know, politics is the art and signs of living 320 00:18:16,400 --> 00:18:20,520 Speaker 3: together peacefully. While we tussle over the allocation of scarce 321 00:18:20,600 --> 00:18:25,040 Speaker 3: resources and with climate change, with our scarce resources, with 322 00:18:25,119 --> 00:18:28,680 Speaker 3: the fact that in America, only less and two percent 323 00:18:28,840 --> 00:18:33,199 Speaker 3: of our families, our farm and ranchers. We have to 324 00:18:33,200 --> 00:18:35,640 Speaker 3: be more vigilant and we have to be aware that 325 00:18:36,480 --> 00:18:38,280 Speaker 3: we are our brother's keeper. 326 00:18:39,560 --> 00:18:42,600 Speaker 4: I'm really glad we talked about this because talking to 327 00:18:42,640 --> 00:18:46,080 Speaker 4: a woman who is campaigned, who is political, who is active, 328 00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:49,720 Speaker 4: who has values, you just defined politics in a certain 329 00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:53,320 Speaker 4: way of caring for each other. But politics is also active. 330 00:18:53,800 --> 00:18:56,600 Speaker 4: It should be the role of a government to make 331 00:18:56,640 --> 00:19:00,320 Speaker 4: sure that every child is fed when they go to 332 00:19:00,359 --> 00:19:02,840 Speaker 4: start their day at school, that they go home to 333 00:19:02,920 --> 00:19:06,280 Speaker 4: a house where there is food, that there's access to food. 334 00:19:06,320 --> 00:19:09,400 Speaker 4: And when we look at the poverty in the United States, 335 00:19:10,640 --> 00:19:13,960 Speaker 4: it is shocking that our children are hungry. I know 336 00:19:14,080 --> 00:19:18,320 Speaker 4: that the President has tried to push laws through is 337 00:19:18,400 --> 00:19:20,760 Speaker 4: working on it. It must be one of the great 338 00:19:20,760 --> 00:19:23,119 Speaker 4: concerns of his political life. 339 00:19:23,520 --> 00:19:26,400 Speaker 3: And it all comes under the umbrella of health and 340 00:19:26,600 --> 00:19:31,159 Speaker 3: health for every American should be a right and not 341 00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:31,959 Speaker 3: a privilege. 342 00:19:32,359 --> 00:19:34,639 Speaker 4: And what was food like on the campaign trail? 343 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:38,399 Speaker 3: Well, very very rarely did we get to go to 344 00:19:38,600 --> 00:19:42,679 Speaker 3: a nice restaurant. The truth is the food on a 345 00:19:42,720 --> 00:19:48,399 Speaker 3: campaign is grab and grow. Applebee's is a great I 346 00:19:48,520 --> 00:19:51,399 Speaker 3: presume great restaurant, but one I never ever want to 347 00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:55,600 Speaker 3: walk into again, because every meeting in Iowa was that 348 00:19:55,720 --> 00:19:59,080 Speaker 3: Applebee's and we had fried food and fried food and 349 00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:03,960 Speaker 3: whatever it was. It reminds me of campaigning. And I'm 350 00:20:03,960 --> 00:20:07,600 Speaker 3: not disparaging Applebee's. I just it reminds me of sitting 351 00:20:07,680 --> 00:20:11,080 Speaker 3: trying to talk a county chair into supporting my brother. 352 00:20:12,640 --> 00:20:15,920 Speaker 3: The foods were what, you know what. We would pick 353 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:19,840 Speaker 3: up those fruit bars that were supposed to give me 354 00:20:20,119 --> 00:20:24,280 Speaker 3: energy and nutrition, but mostly it was Coca cola, a 355 00:20:24,320 --> 00:20:28,919 Speaker 3: Hamburger grabbing on the road. And then any and I 356 00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:32,400 Speaker 3: mean this in the best sense, any local Italian restaurant 357 00:20:32,960 --> 00:20:36,240 Speaker 3: was really good. My choice of restaurants would either be 358 00:20:36,320 --> 00:20:37,320 Speaker 3: Italian or Greek. 359 00:20:37,480 --> 00:20:39,399 Speaker 2: I love both of those foods. 360 00:20:39,960 --> 00:20:43,360 Speaker 4: I suppose. My last question to you is to say, 361 00:20:43,359 --> 00:20:47,880 Speaker 4: if food is alleviates hunger and food is an expression 362 00:20:47,920 --> 00:20:50,560 Speaker 4: of love, it is also comfort. And so if you 363 00:20:50,640 --> 00:20:53,399 Speaker 4: were having a day where you just looked at a 364 00:20:53,440 --> 00:20:56,439 Speaker 4: meal or food as comfort, is there a food that 365 00:20:56,480 --> 00:20:58,400 Speaker 4: you would choose to give you that comfort. 366 00:20:58,960 --> 00:20:59,440 Speaker 2: Yeah? 367 00:20:59,600 --> 00:21:04,760 Speaker 3: I would have a rigatoni with red sauce, and if 368 00:21:04,760 --> 00:21:10,120 Speaker 3: I were particularly adventuresome, I would chop a salad because 369 00:21:10,160 --> 00:21:12,320 Speaker 3: I know how to make oil and moneager dressing. That's 370 00:21:12,359 --> 00:21:14,280 Speaker 3: one of the few things I do know that I'm 371 00:21:14,280 --> 00:21:16,480 Speaker 3: good at. And I would have a salad and I 372 00:21:16,520 --> 00:21:21,280 Speaker 3: would have some French bread with butter. I would have 373 00:21:21,640 --> 00:21:25,119 Speaker 3: a coke first, and this just shows you how unrefined 374 00:21:25,119 --> 00:21:28,359 Speaker 3: I am. I would have my glass of wine after 375 00:21:28,560 --> 00:21:30,840 Speaker 3: because I wouldn't want to mess. 376 00:21:30,680 --> 00:21:31,600 Speaker 2: Up either taste. 377 00:21:31,640 --> 00:21:34,080 Speaker 3: I know it's supposed to have wine and it's supposed 378 00:21:34,119 --> 00:21:37,240 Speaker 3: to reflect and augment the food. I just want the 379 00:21:37,280 --> 00:21:37,879 Speaker 3: red sauce. 380 00:21:39,080 --> 00:21:41,760 Speaker 4: Well, you can have whatever you want. Val Biden, you 381 00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:44,520 Speaker 4: can have whatever you want. Thank you very much. 382 00:21:44,960 --> 00:21:45,919 Speaker 2: I'm going to come see you. 383 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:47,720 Speaker 4: Okay, we'll waity for you. We're going to get that 384 00:21:47,840 --> 00:21:51,399 Speaker 4: dive coke and red tomato sauce and glass of white 385 00:21:51,400 --> 00:21:59,600 Speaker 4: wine ready for you. To visit the online shop of 386 00:21:59,680 --> 00:22:06,000 Speaker 4: the cafe, go to shop Therivercafe dot co dot Ukka. 387 00:22:07,880 --> 00:22:10,720 Speaker 1: River Cafe Table four is a production of iHeartRadio and 388 00:22:10,760 --> 00:22:15,960 Speaker 1: Adamized Studios. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, 389 00:22:16,119 --> 00:22:19,080 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.