1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to River Cafe Table four, a production of iHeartRadio 2 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:05,480 Speaker 1: and Adami's Studios. 3 00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:12,959 Speaker 2: I'm sitting here in the River Cafe garden with David Beckham. 4 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:16,960 Speaker 2: He has just cooked an exquisite tagatelly with fresher rolls, 5 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:21,239 Speaker 2: butter and parmesan. It's a bit much, really, as I 6 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:26,200 Speaker 2: don't go around scoring free kicks. I know David has 7 00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:29,480 Speaker 2: a lot of friends, a lot of colleagues, and certainly 8 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:31,880 Speaker 2: a lot of fans, but when he comes to the 9 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:36,120 Speaker 2: River Cafe, it's with his family, Victoria and their four children, 10 00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:41,159 Speaker 2: always sitting at table one, basking and family, love, sharing 11 00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:45,320 Speaker 2: food and always having his favorite wine, Sassakia. 12 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:48,080 Speaker 3: Thank you, David, You're welcome. Thank you. 13 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:51,720 Speaker 2: You were describing cooking as one of the great pleasures 14 00:00:52,159 --> 00:00:52,760 Speaker 2: the other night. 15 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:55,840 Speaker 3: It's one of my biggest passions, you know, along with wine. Now. 16 00:00:56,200 --> 00:00:58,160 Speaker 3: I love to cook and I was in the kitchen 17 00:00:58,240 --> 00:01:01,120 Speaker 3: the other day cooking for the kids and Victoria was like, 18 00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 3: can I help? What can I do? And I was like, honestly, 19 00:01:04,760 --> 00:01:09,080 Speaker 3: sit down, have a vogron tonic, relax, be with the kids. 20 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:10,440 Speaker 3: This is what I love to do. 21 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:12,560 Speaker 2: And I really relate to that because you kind of 22 00:01:12,640 --> 00:01:16,160 Speaker 2: far there's a method, isn't there. But it's also creative, 23 00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:18,760 Speaker 2: and it's also you're doing it for your kids who 24 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:22,080 Speaker 2: you haven't seen all day, and there's the anticipation, and 25 00:01:22,120 --> 00:01:24,360 Speaker 2: I think that is something why you probably like to 26 00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:25,679 Speaker 2: cook and I like to cook. 27 00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:28,200 Speaker 3: It's just one of the main reasons why I love 28 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:31,800 Speaker 3: to cook, because it's why I love lego also, you know, 29 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:34,280 Speaker 3: because it relaxes me, you know, and I'm forty seven 30 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 3: years older and I'll still sit there with you on 31 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:39,360 Speaker 3: my own actually till two, three, four in the morning 32 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:42,319 Speaker 3: doing lego because actually it relaxes me. And it's the 33 00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:45,000 Speaker 3: same cooking for the kids. I love to cook for 34 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:48,160 Speaker 3: my parents. I love to cook for my friends. And 35 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:52,040 Speaker 3: I think that it's obviously come from, you know, my upbringing. 36 00:01:52,120 --> 00:01:53,320 Speaker 2: What was your mother a cook? Cooking? 37 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:57,080 Speaker 3: My mum cooked for me and my sisters every single night, 38 00:01:57,320 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 3: and I had hard working parents, working class parents. When 39 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:02,840 Speaker 3: my dad was out from six in the morning till 40 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:06,080 Speaker 3: seven in the evening. My mom was a hairdresser and 41 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:09,440 Speaker 3: still is a hairdresser. She used to spend her evenings 42 00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:12,320 Speaker 3: obviously cooking for me and my sisters, and then at 43 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:15,839 Speaker 3: about eight or nine, o'clock in the evening. Some old 44 00:02:15,919 --> 00:02:18,880 Speaker 3: ladies would arrive and she'd be doing their hair too, 45 00:02:18,919 --> 00:02:21,880 Speaker 3: eleven twelve at night. So yes, my mom used to 46 00:02:21,880 --> 00:02:25,600 Speaker 3: cook for us every evening, every Sunday lunch. And my 47 00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:29,440 Speaker 3: grandma was exactly the same as well. So that's really 48 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 3: my childhood with my grandparents. And my granddad was Jewish, 49 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:37,280 Speaker 3: so every Saturday when we turn up, my grand would 50 00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:43,959 Speaker 3: have this most amazing chicken noodle soup with the motsameal dumplings. 51 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:47,400 Speaker 3: So I was brought up That's what I was brought 52 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:50,320 Speaker 3: up on. And the jelly deals. One of the delights 53 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:52,720 Speaker 3: of been from the East End of London was pie 54 00:02:52,760 --> 00:02:55,400 Speaker 3: mash and jelly deals and liquor. That was what I 55 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 3: was really brought up on. It was the one treat 56 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:01,600 Speaker 3: that I used to go with my nan my grandad. 57 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:04,920 Speaker 3: We used to go down to Chapel Market. There was 58 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:08,520 Speaker 3: the most amazing pie and mash shop there and we 59 00:03:08,600 --> 00:03:11,480 Speaker 3: used to sit in there, sawdust on the floor, sat 60 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:15,560 Speaker 3: on wooden seats and eating our pie mash and jelly deals. 61 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:18,480 Speaker 3: What was in the pie Actually, it's just mince meat. 62 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:22,720 Speaker 3: It's just mince meat. The pis are the most amazing pastry, 63 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:25,400 Speaker 3: and I always get them to turn them upside down 64 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:28,200 Speaker 3: on my plate. And then it's a big dollop of mash. 65 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:31,119 Speaker 3: And the mash is literally there's no there's hardly any 66 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:34,840 Speaker 3: butter in it. It's just salt and the potatoes. And 67 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:38,800 Speaker 3: then the liquor is this most amazing green sauce. It's 68 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:42,880 Speaker 3: made with parsley and stewed eels, and then I put 69 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:46,680 Speaker 3: some spicy vinegar over the top, with some a little 70 00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:49,000 Speaker 3: bit of salt and lots of pepper. But the jelly 71 00:03:49,040 --> 00:03:52,120 Speaker 3: deals are the thing that not many people that I 72 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 3: know love the jelly deals. My grand used to like 73 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 3: them stewed. I literally like them in the jellatine. So 74 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:03,360 Speaker 3: they come up in slices, so the earls are cut up, 75 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:06,640 Speaker 3: and they come in this this plastic pot and I 76 00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:09,440 Speaker 3: just pour vinegar and pepper on it, and I have 77 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:11,000 Speaker 3: it at least once a week. Now. 78 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:13,920 Speaker 2: Many people that I talked to talk about the food 79 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:18,240 Speaker 2: of their parents, but the memory of their grandparents is 80 00:04:18,520 --> 00:04:19,720 Speaker 2: really important to them. 81 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:25,080 Speaker 3: We used to go there every weekend because my dad's 82 00:04:25,120 --> 00:04:29,000 Speaker 3: parents actually had passed away before we had all grown up, 83 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:32,920 Speaker 3: so we always used to spend weekends at my man 84 00:04:32,960 --> 00:04:35,839 Speaker 3: and grandad's house. So my mom's mom and dad and 85 00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:38,760 Speaker 3: we used to turn up at their at their flats 86 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:42,240 Speaker 3: in London, and the first thing that I would do 87 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:44,719 Speaker 3: and I walked through the door in my grand's flat 88 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:49,080 Speaker 3: would open, I'd open the fridge and there she'd have 89 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:52,480 Speaker 3: fresh strawberries. Every Saturday morning that we turned up, she'd 90 00:04:52,520 --> 00:04:54,920 Speaker 3: have fresh strawberries and a big pot of sugar. 91 00:04:55,279 --> 00:04:58,480 Speaker 2: It's interesting that you talk about that because my husband, 92 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:02,960 Speaker 2: Richard designed house which was a very strong route from 93 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:07,160 Speaker 2: the park through the garden, through the courtyard into the 94 00:05:07,160 --> 00:05:09,640 Speaker 2: house and into a garden. But my route, I always 95 00:05:09,720 --> 00:05:12,200 Speaker 2: used to say, was from the courtyard into the house 96 00:05:12,360 --> 00:05:14,560 Speaker 2: and into the fridge. You know, my first stop was 97 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:17,920 Speaker 2: always at the fridge because again his mother always had 98 00:05:17,960 --> 00:05:18,520 Speaker 2: food for us. 99 00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:21,240 Speaker 3: Yeah. Well, they had a very They had a very 100 00:05:21,279 --> 00:05:24,479 Speaker 3: small flat. So as you walk in, literally the toilet 101 00:05:24,520 --> 00:05:27,560 Speaker 3: was on your left and just slight a foot fervor 102 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:30,040 Speaker 3: was the fridge. So you open the fridge and there 103 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:34,200 Speaker 3: there was, you know, the most amazing fresh strawberries every 104 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:38,039 Speaker 3: Saturday morning. Every Saturday morning. Because my grandfather used to 105 00:05:38,080 --> 00:05:40,279 Speaker 3: go to work at about eleven o'clock in the morning. 106 00:05:40,720 --> 00:05:43,680 Speaker 3: So what we'd do is we'd arrive really early, like 107 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:48,120 Speaker 3: nine o'clock. My grand would have this thick, freshly cut bread. 108 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:52,840 Speaker 3: She'd make the most amazing sandwich. I'd sit and watch 109 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:56,200 Speaker 3: like the football on a Saturday morning before my grand 110 00:05:56,200 --> 00:05:58,160 Speaker 3: had left, and then he'd go to work and then 111 00:05:58,240 --> 00:06:01,920 Speaker 3: go and watch Spurs play. He was in the print, 112 00:06:02,520 --> 00:06:04,520 Speaker 3: so he was in the print, and he worked up 113 00:06:04,560 --> 00:06:08,719 Speaker 3: until he was eighty eighty one eighty two, he still 114 00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:12,760 Speaker 3: went to work. And yeah, he's an amazing man. And 115 00:06:13,320 --> 00:06:14,920 Speaker 3: he was a Tottenham fan. So he used to go 116 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:18,159 Speaker 3: and watch Tottenham in the afternoons. And that's where my 117 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:20,120 Speaker 3: gran and my mom used to take me down to 118 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:22,160 Speaker 3: Chapel Market and we used to go and have piemash. 119 00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:23,200 Speaker 2: How old would you have been? 120 00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:28,080 Speaker 3: Oh my god. We went there from as long as 121 00:06:28,120 --> 00:06:30,960 Speaker 3: I can remember, I mean two three years old and 122 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:33,760 Speaker 3: up until up until they passed away. 123 00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:37,760 Speaker 2: So there's your mother. That's interesting that she worked all 124 00:06:37,880 --> 00:06:42,040 Speaker 2: day and she cooked for you at night, so you 125 00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:44,880 Speaker 2: sat at the table and then worked again. Would she 126 00:06:44,920 --> 00:06:46,920 Speaker 2: have done a weekly shop or would you stop at 127 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:50,160 Speaker 2: the market or how would she do all that? 128 00:06:50,279 --> 00:06:52,760 Speaker 3: Do you think I mean she'd do. She'd probably do 129 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:55,680 Speaker 3: a weekly shop shop, I'd say, But you know, my mom, 130 00:06:55,800 --> 00:06:58,800 Speaker 3: like I said, she'd drop us to school in the mornings. 131 00:06:59,080 --> 00:07:02,719 Speaker 3: Then you know, you do hairdressing throughout the day, pick 132 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:05,760 Speaker 3: us up from school, bring us home, cook us, you know, 133 00:07:05,880 --> 00:07:08,719 Speaker 3: whatever we were going to eat that evening, which was 134 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:12,040 Speaker 3: either she used to make the most amazing gammon and chips, 135 00:07:12,280 --> 00:07:14,559 Speaker 3: which again it's one of those things that I still 136 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:19,680 Speaker 3: have now. It was amazing gammon, fried egg, pineapple from 137 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:24,600 Speaker 3: a tin, coleslaw and chips, and it was one of 138 00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:27,000 Speaker 3: my favorite meals and she still cooks that for me now. 139 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:30,120 Speaker 3: So yeah, that was one of the things that I 140 00:07:30,200 --> 00:07:30,720 Speaker 3: used to love. 141 00:07:44,680 --> 00:07:47,360 Speaker 2: When you left home and you were no longer had 142 00:07:47,400 --> 00:07:50,280 Speaker 2: your mother to cook, but you also you had such 143 00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:53,320 Speaker 2: a love for food and an understanding of the connection 144 00:07:53,400 --> 00:07:55,800 Speaker 2: of food and the importance of sitting at the table. 145 00:07:56,440 --> 00:07:57,840 Speaker 2: What was that like when you left that? 146 00:07:59,320 --> 00:08:01,840 Speaker 3: I was actually quite excited because I left home when 147 00:08:01,840 --> 00:08:04,200 Speaker 3: I was fifteen years old to move up to Manchester 148 00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:08,720 Speaker 3: when I was fifteen, and then I was in lodgings. 149 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:10,920 Speaker 3: So I was in lodgings for about four years and 150 00:08:10,960 --> 00:08:13,720 Speaker 3: then I bought my first house and actually I was 151 00:08:13,800 --> 00:08:18,160 Speaker 3: quite excited about it, because, in all honesty, I spent 152 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:20,320 Speaker 3: a lot of time in the kitchen with my mum, 153 00:08:20,600 --> 00:08:24,280 Speaker 3: you know, helping her with the dinners, and then when 154 00:08:24,320 --> 00:08:27,080 Speaker 3: she would do her hair dressing in the evenings, I 155 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:29,280 Speaker 3: used to make the cups of tea and bring the 156 00:08:29,320 --> 00:08:33,760 Speaker 3: biscuits or the cake for all my mum's ladies that 157 00:08:33,840 --> 00:08:36,560 Speaker 3: she was doing their hair. So I used to love 158 00:08:36,640 --> 00:08:38,960 Speaker 3: that kind of thing. So get in my own house 159 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:43,360 Speaker 3: having to cook for myself, actually, I was very excited about. 160 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:45,160 Speaker 2: Did you entertain what did you cook for? 161 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:47,720 Speaker 3: I would entertain I'd have a few friends around, you know. 162 00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:51,000 Speaker 3: I did like to go out for dinner, but my 163 00:08:51,120 --> 00:08:54,800 Speaker 3: favorite evenings were and still are, you know, cooking for 164 00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:57,800 Speaker 3: the kids, cooking for friends, you know, and especially when 165 00:08:57,840 --> 00:09:00,280 Speaker 3: I have when I have like a lot of time, 166 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:04,280 Speaker 3: you know. Pretty recently, I was in isolation actually for 167 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:07,720 Speaker 3: five days because I've just been to Italy. So I 168 00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:11,800 Speaker 3: came back and on one of the last days, Victoria's 169 00:09:11,800 --> 00:09:14,560 Speaker 3: parents had a party and I couldn't actually go to it, 170 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:17,400 Speaker 3: so everyone was out of the house, and I actually 171 00:09:17,440 --> 00:09:23,079 Speaker 3: secretly loved it. So I literally had two most amazing 172 00:09:23,120 --> 00:09:28,679 Speaker 3: cuts of meat and one was a t bone and 173 00:09:28,720 --> 00:09:32,360 Speaker 3: I had some English wagou. I poured one glass of 174 00:09:32,720 --> 00:09:36,760 Speaker 3: the most amazing red wine that I treated myself too, 175 00:09:36,760 --> 00:09:38,880 Speaker 3: because I was on my own, feeling sorry for myself, 176 00:09:38,920 --> 00:09:41,160 Speaker 3: looking forward to watching the football in the afternoon. On 177 00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:43,880 Speaker 3: my own, I set the barbecue up, and I think 178 00:09:43,880 --> 00:09:48,200 Speaker 3: there's nothing better than when you have time to get 179 00:09:48,200 --> 00:09:50,720 Speaker 3: everything right you have, you know, I had a nice 180 00:09:50,800 --> 00:09:54,240 Speaker 3: tomato and onion or shot salad, and I literally had 181 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:56,400 Speaker 3: the meat and a glass of wine, and it was 182 00:09:56,440 --> 00:09:59,960 Speaker 3: the most amazing meal that I'd had for a long time. 183 00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:05,040 Speaker 3: So those are my perfect afternoons. Even it was actually 184 00:10:05,120 --> 00:10:10,360 Speaker 3: quite thick. I don't like to brag, but absolute perfection, 185 00:10:10,480 --> 00:10:13,000 Speaker 3: that's your idea of perfect. Well, I've been watching Chef's 186 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:15,240 Speaker 3: Table that morning and it gave me the idea of 187 00:10:15,280 --> 00:10:19,480 Speaker 3: obviously doing you know, the barbecue in the afternoon. So 188 00:10:19,520 --> 00:10:23,360 Speaker 3: I've been watching the butcher. There was a there's an 189 00:10:23,400 --> 00:10:26,480 Speaker 3: Italian butcher on the chef's table. So I put it 190 00:10:26,520 --> 00:10:29,800 Speaker 3: on the grill, cooked it for six or seven minutes 191 00:10:29,960 --> 00:10:33,960 Speaker 3: either side, and it was quite a thick piece, a 192 00:10:33,960 --> 00:10:36,600 Speaker 3: bit of salt, bit of pepper, and I like I 193 00:10:36,720 --> 00:10:41,480 Speaker 3: like my meat. I like it rare medium, a push, 194 00:10:42,120 --> 00:10:45,600 Speaker 3: but rare, more rare, and it was it came out perfect, 195 00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:47,679 Speaker 3: and it was only me in the house, so I 196 00:10:47,800 --> 00:10:48,000 Speaker 3: ate it. 197 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:50,640 Speaker 2: I like it when it's when if it's thick enough, 198 00:10:50,679 --> 00:10:53,959 Speaker 2: then you can get it really black on the outside. 199 00:10:54,280 --> 00:10:56,880 Speaker 2: So there's that contrast. 200 00:10:55,800 --> 00:11:01,640 Speaker 3: You think of the the So that's what it was 201 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:03,439 Speaker 3: like that day. So that was the perfect day. And 202 00:11:03,480 --> 00:11:06,840 Speaker 3: I had a bottle of Italian massetto, so I had 203 00:11:06,920 --> 00:11:10,120 Speaker 3: Cora vand it and poured a cup of glasses for myself. 204 00:11:10,360 --> 00:11:13,040 Speaker 2: Tell me, we've been talking about food, what do you 205 00:11:13,040 --> 00:11:14,120 Speaker 2: feel about wine? 206 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:16,320 Speaker 3: You know, I'm at the end of the dawn from 207 00:11:16,360 --> 00:11:18,840 Speaker 3: the East end of London, so really I only saw 208 00:11:18,880 --> 00:11:22,880 Speaker 3: my mom and dad drinking either you know, blue nuana 209 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:26,280 Speaker 3: or lambriusco, and that was as good as it really got. 210 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:31,439 Speaker 3: So then when me and Victoria actually first started dating, 211 00:11:32,920 --> 00:11:34,960 Speaker 3: we used to go to this restaurant in the Midland 212 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:38,720 Speaker 3: Hotel in Manchester called the French Restaurant, and it was 213 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:41,360 Speaker 3: very fancy and we used to go in there and 214 00:11:41,400 --> 00:11:43,480 Speaker 3: we used to sit in the corner and we used 215 00:11:43,520 --> 00:11:47,360 Speaker 3: to order the most expensive bottle of champagne and the 216 00:11:47,400 --> 00:11:50,959 Speaker 3: most expensive bottle of wine, not knowing what we were drinking. 217 00:11:51,040 --> 00:11:53,200 Speaker 3: We were just wanting to have a nice night out 218 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:55,840 Speaker 3: and know that we were drinking something great, even though 219 00:11:55,880 --> 00:11:58,600 Speaker 3: we had no idea what we were drinking. And I 220 00:11:58,640 --> 00:12:04,720 Speaker 3: think that was my first introduction into tasting a grape wine. 221 00:12:05,040 --> 00:12:08,880 Speaker 3: One of the first things, remember, I want to say, 222 00:12:09,080 --> 00:12:13,840 Speaker 3: it was either a sixty two or sixty seven Lautour, 223 00:12:15,040 --> 00:12:18,560 Speaker 3: And that was my first introduction into tasting something that 224 00:12:18,679 --> 00:12:21,960 Speaker 3: I thought was great. Even though I had no idea 225 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:23,679 Speaker 3: whether it was great or not, I knew that I 226 00:12:23,720 --> 00:12:27,920 Speaker 3: was tasting something special. So at that point, obviously I 227 00:12:27,960 --> 00:12:30,680 Speaker 3: was still, you know, a professional player, so I never 228 00:12:30,720 --> 00:12:33,520 Speaker 3: really I was never a big drinker. I used to 229 00:12:33,520 --> 00:12:35,960 Speaker 3: have a glass of wine or you know, every now 230 00:12:35,960 --> 00:12:38,680 Speaker 3: and again, but I never really drank throughout my career. 231 00:12:38,800 --> 00:12:44,160 Speaker 3: But then I really started loving wine when we first 232 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:46,240 Speaker 3: moved to la and we used to go to Napa 233 00:12:46,280 --> 00:12:48,360 Speaker 3: Valley a lot, and I used to sit with people 234 00:12:48,440 --> 00:12:52,000 Speaker 3: like Bill Harlan or An Colgan, and I think that 235 00:12:52,040 --> 00:12:55,280 Speaker 3: there's nothing better than actually sitting at a table with 236 00:12:55,400 --> 00:12:59,319 Speaker 3: someone that knows what they're talking about and what they're drinking, 237 00:12:59,400 --> 00:13:03,520 Speaker 3: and what they're smelling and what they're tasting annoyingly. Victoria 238 00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:06,560 Speaker 3: is very good on that. It is annoying. 239 00:13:06,720 --> 00:13:10,480 Speaker 2: Actually she has she can say this wine tastes of 240 00:13:10,520 --> 00:13:13,360 Speaker 2: cigarette smoke. Yes, and that's exactly what. 241 00:13:13,240 --> 00:13:15,800 Speaker 3: She can say. And I'm like, yeah, it really does. 242 00:13:15,880 --> 00:13:20,600 Speaker 3: And I'm like, I don't taste that, but no, but annoyingly, 243 00:13:20,720 --> 00:13:23,800 Speaker 3: she's very good at that, and she'll never admit it. 244 00:13:23,840 --> 00:13:27,320 Speaker 3: She'll always say, well, David's the expert. Then then you know, 245 00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:29,160 Speaker 3: all of a sudden she'll come out with all that 246 00:13:29,280 --> 00:13:32,839 Speaker 3: smell that tastes a little bit smoky, and you know, so, yeah, 247 00:13:32,880 --> 00:13:35,000 Speaker 3: but you know, I love wine. 248 00:13:35,280 --> 00:13:37,160 Speaker 2: Does it matter to you if you order a wine 249 00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:39,080 Speaker 2: that you might not be happy? 250 00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:45,080 Speaker 3: You know what I have? How does it make me feel? Actually? 251 00:13:45,600 --> 00:13:48,160 Speaker 3: I think it can make or break an evening in 252 00:13:48,200 --> 00:13:51,720 Speaker 3: my opinion. I really do think it does. Even though 253 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:54,440 Speaker 3: you know that you're going to get great food in 254 00:13:54,800 --> 00:13:59,120 Speaker 3: the restaurant wherever you are. For me, if I have 255 00:13:59,240 --> 00:14:02,560 Speaker 3: picked the wrong wine, wrong glass of wine, or the 256 00:14:02,600 --> 00:14:06,200 Speaker 3: wrong bottle of wine, I wouldn't say it ruins my evening, 257 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:09,600 Speaker 3: but yeah, it does ruin my evening. And I get 258 00:14:09,679 --> 00:14:13,000 Speaker 3: quite emotional about food and wine, you know, when I'm 259 00:14:13,040 --> 00:14:17,160 Speaker 3: eating something great. I want everyone to try it, you know, 260 00:14:17,280 --> 00:14:21,600 Speaker 3: And that's unfortunately I'm married to someone that has eaten 261 00:14:21,640 --> 00:14:24,320 Speaker 3: the same thing for the last twenty five years since 262 00:14:24,480 --> 00:14:30,120 Speaker 3: since I've met Victoria. She only eats you know, grilled fish, steam, vegetables. 263 00:14:30,400 --> 00:14:34,760 Speaker 3: She will very rarely deviate away from there. The only 264 00:14:34,880 --> 00:14:38,760 Speaker 3: time that she's ever probably shared something that's been on 265 00:14:38,800 --> 00:14:41,480 Speaker 3: my plate was actually when she was pregnant with Harber 266 00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:43,920 Speaker 3: do you remember, And it was the most amazing thing. 267 00:14:44,680 --> 00:14:48,240 Speaker 3: It was one of my favorite evenings. I can't remember 268 00:14:48,240 --> 00:14:50,480 Speaker 3: what it was, but I know that she's not eating 269 00:14:50,520 --> 00:15:04,120 Speaker 3: it since. To be honest, I've been so lucky because 270 00:15:05,480 --> 00:15:08,920 Speaker 3: in a way, when I left Manchester and I had 271 00:15:08,920 --> 00:15:12,840 Speaker 3: to leave Manchester United, I was obviously devastated at the time, 272 00:15:12,920 --> 00:15:17,760 Speaker 3: but it's really really educated me in living in different countries, 273 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:21,960 Speaker 3: eating different foods, trying different things. And when I was 274 00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:25,560 Speaker 3: playing in Italy for eleven months, i was on loan 275 00:15:25,760 --> 00:15:28,960 Speaker 3: at AC Milan, so i'd train in the morning and 276 00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:31,760 Speaker 3: in the afternoon. I decided to take a culinary course 277 00:15:31,840 --> 00:15:36,000 Speaker 3: in Italian cuisine and I absolutely loved it. So I 278 00:15:36,080 --> 00:15:39,720 Speaker 3: did that lesson or as I had a few private 279 00:15:39,800 --> 00:15:42,720 Speaker 3: lessons and then it was in a class, but everybody 280 00:15:42,800 --> 00:15:46,040 Speaker 3: was very focused on what they were all doing, so 281 00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:49,520 Speaker 3: they weren't even bothered that I was. Obviously at the time, 282 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:54,200 Speaker 3: it's a big deal to be playing for an Italian team. 283 00:15:54,600 --> 00:15:58,800 Speaker 3: So I did the culinary course because my kid's favorite 284 00:15:58,800 --> 00:16:03,000 Speaker 3: food is Italian. So I wanted to perfect making the 285 00:16:03,040 --> 00:16:08,040 Speaker 3: perfect ragu. I wanted to perfect doing the perfect risotto. 286 00:16:08,920 --> 00:16:11,400 Speaker 3: I always had it in my head that doing a risotto. 287 00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:15,240 Speaker 3: Making a risotto was difficult. Actually it turns out not 288 00:16:15,280 --> 00:16:18,280 Speaker 3: to be that difficult. So why did they teach you 289 00:16:18,320 --> 00:16:23,680 Speaker 3: about making Obviously the stock is really most important, and 290 00:16:24,280 --> 00:16:27,000 Speaker 3: literally you're stood there for twenty minutes kind of making 291 00:16:27,040 --> 00:16:29,040 Speaker 3: sure that you're keeping an eye and everything that's not 292 00:16:29,120 --> 00:16:31,240 Speaker 3: going too dry, that it's not going it's not got 293 00:16:31,240 --> 00:16:34,080 Speaker 3: too much liquid in it. And then obviously the ending 294 00:16:34,200 --> 00:16:37,360 Speaker 3: is the part where everything comes together with the parmesan, 295 00:16:37,600 --> 00:16:41,760 Speaker 3: you know. So that I just loved that time because 296 00:16:41,920 --> 00:16:45,040 Speaker 3: I got to perfect the perfect well, I think it's 297 00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:49,600 Speaker 3: the perfect ragu, making fresh pasta from scratch, and obviously 298 00:16:49,640 --> 00:16:52,560 Speaker 3: the risotto. So that was one of the things that 299 00:16:52,600 --> 00:16:55,240 Speaker 3: I loved about living in Italy, you know, And it's 300 00:16:55,280 --> 00:16:57,400 Speaker 3: the one thing that I love about Italians and the 301 00:16:57,760 --> 00:17:01,480 Speaker 3: Italian food and the culture because for a start, it's 302 00:17:01,520 --> 00:17:05,240 Speaker 3: all about family. It's all about food and the wine, 303 00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:09,360 Speaker 3: of course, but whether you go into a small cafe 304 00:17:09,560 --> 00:17:12,159 Speaker 3: on the side of the street or you're in the 305 00:17:12,200 --> 00:17:16,199 Speaker 3: middle of Tuscany with an old Italian mama making the 306 00:17:16,200 --> 00:17:20,399 Speaker 3: most amazing pasta, everything that I ate and I have 307 00:17:20,640 --> 00:17:25,120 Speaker 3: always eaten in Italy has always been astonishing. 308 00:17:25,720 --> 00:17:28,000 Speaker 2: Everything I would say when you say that it's family, 309 00:17:28,440 --> 00:17:31,000 Speaker 2: I always tell the story that I was once in 310 00:17:31,040 --> 00:17:33,880 Speaker 2: a room in a house with Richard with his family 311 00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:37,239 Speaker 2: in Tuscany, and I heard this huge argument going on 312 00:17:37,320 --> 00:17:40,159 Speaker 2: downstairs in Italian and I thought, oh, no, you know 313 00:17:40,240 --> 00:17:42,800 Speaker 2: what's going on. So I kind of made my way 314 00:17:42,840 --> 00:17:46,320 Speaker 2: downstairs and there were two sisters and they were in 315 00:17:46,359 --> 00:17:50,479 Speaker 2: the kitchen and they were having this unbelievable argument about 316 00:17:50,560 --> 00:17:53,399 Speaker 2: whether or not with a papa pomodoro, which is a 317 00:17:53,440 --> 00:17:56,639 Speaker 2: bread soup of just bread and tomatoes. One wanted to 318 00:17:56,640 --> 00:17:58,480 Speaker 2: add a bit of water at the end and the 319 00:17:58,520 --> 00:18:01,280 Speaker 2: other one didn't. And you know, so it's not even 320 00:18:01,720 --> 00:18:05,159 Speaker 2: village to village, family to family, region to region. It 321 00:18:05,200 --> 00:18:07,600 Speaker 2: can be sister to sister. You know that there's the 322 00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:09,200 Speaker 2: right way to do it, and they care so. 323 00:18:09,240 --> 00:18:12,000 Speaker 3: Much, so much, and even when they're not arguing, it 324 00:18:12,040 --> 00:18:15,200 Speaker 3: sounds like they're arguing. They're so passionate about it. 325 00:18:19,359 --> 00:18:21,920 Speaker 2: I hope we'll cook together more. And they loved having 326 00:18:21,960 --> 00:18:22,640 Speaker 2: you in the kitchen. 327 00:18:25,119 --> 00:18:32,359 Speaker 3: Kitchen that well, Thank you, David, wonderful, Thank you for 328 00:18:32,359 --> 00:18:34,280 Speaker 3: having me. You're welcome, Love you too. 329 00:18:43,080 --> 00:18:45,920 Speaker 2: In the next episode, you can hear David cooking Apasta 330 00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:49,359 Speaker 2: in the River Cafe kitchen. Then we'll continue our conversation 331 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:57,879 Speaker 2: about football, family and food. To visit the online shop 332 00:18:57,960 --> 00:19:02,040 Speaker 2: of the River Cafe, go to shop Therivercafe dot co 333 00:19:02,560 --> 00:19:03,160 Speaker 2: dot uk. 334 00:19:06,280 --> 00:19:09,119 Speaker 1: River Cafe Table four is a production of iHeartRadio and 335 00:19:09,160 --> 00:19:14,320 Speaker 1: Adamized Studios. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, 336 00:19:14,480 --> 00:19:17,639 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.