Ruthie's Table 4

I’m often asked who would be my dream guest on Ruthie’s Table 4, and this episode with Vice President Kamala Harris is top of the list. Vice President of The United States, candidate for President, Kamala Harris is passionate about food, and an excellent cook. She gives us her special recipes for Thanksgiving collard greens, her mother's Smorgasbord and her 'world famous' bolognese. We...

Marina, Richard and Ruthie discuss the secret to hosting a good dinner party, Marina's love for schnitzel, and how their podcast 'The Rest Is Entertainment' began. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark is a musician, producer, DJ and now an author, with his memoir Night People: How to Be a DJ in 90s New York City , a moving account of his childhood and early days.  He and Ruthie talk together about how DJ’ing a club night is like being a chef, how cooking a curry is like composing a track, how running a restaurant is like running a rave, and much much more. Ruthie’s Table 4...

When Will Ferrell said he'd be my guest on Ruthie's Table 4, I expected some laughs, some great stories, but not ‘Happy Birthday’ in Swedish. Everyone seems to love Will, whether they worked with him or, of course, watched him on screen in those classic comedies, Elf  and  Anchorman and many more. We do have a mutual friend,  Saturday Night Live  creator and produce...

Adam Gopnik is a brilliant mind. An acclaimed writer, essayist and commentator; he's authored nine books, and has written for  The New Yorker for nearly forty years ,  to which he's contributed non-fiction, fiction, memoir and criticism. I've been lucky enough to share 34 years of friendship with Adam, and in that time, we've never stopped cooking, and sharing our passion for food. Today...

I first met Olivia over food one night in The River Cafe, she was with Maggie Gyllenhaal and they had just wrapped filming for their movie  The Lost Daughter  in Greece. It is not an exaggeration to say they pretty much ordered everything on the menu. We immediately got into talking about feeding our kids, cooking, and inflicted distance from family when working. This was a conversation...

The mysterious world of professional foraging, roasting the perfect porcini, and our favourite dishes for newcomers to mushrooms. With Ruthie Rogers, Sian Owen and Joseph Trivelli. Ruthie's Table 4, made in partnership with Moncler. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Memories of disappearing croissants, covering up kitchen mistakes, and how good chefs 'dance' around the kitchen. With Ruthie Rogers, Sian Owen and Joseph Trivelli. Ruthie's Table 4, made in partnership with Moncler. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

...on how they met following a prophetic dream from Keira's agent, how dating Keira forced James to eat more adventurously, and the parallels between songwriting and winemaking.  Originally recorded in 2024. Ruthie's Table 4, made in partnership with Moncler. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The architect describes keeping live carp in the bathtub for dinner, how fish influence his designs, and holding matzo brei 'bake-offs' with his friends. Originally recorded in 2023. Ruthie's Table 4, made in partnership with Moncler. Thumbnail photograph: © Alexandra Cabri See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

...on accidentally eating movie props, how food on film sets has changed, her passion for regenerative farming, and writing a book with her mother. Originally recorded in 2024. Ruthie's Table 4, made in partnership with Moncler. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The former Surgeon General of the United States discusses how loneliness can be understood as a medical condition, and the hot sauce his father made which was so spicy it required a mask. Originally recorded in 2024.    Ruthie's Table 4, made in partnership with Moncler. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

...on working as a chambermaid in Florence, the joy of room-temperature meals and what 'comfort food' means to her. Originally recorded in 2021.    Ruthie's Table 4, made in partnership with Moncler. Thumbnail Photograph: Matt Holyoak See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s episode, recorded in 2021, Victoria Beckham reveals the secret use of her mother’s microwave, the diet best for a Spice girl, and the thrill of her first taste of Cristal Champagne. Ruthie's Table 4, made in partnership with Moncler. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Part Two of our ‘Best Of Season 4’  revisits guests from some of our favourite episodes.  Join Richard E. Grant, Francis Ford Coppola, Cate Blanchett, Tony Blair, Bono, Sienna Miller and Erling Kagge talking about food and memories, food and family, food and adventure and much much more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 In October, I sat down at The River Cafe with director Guillermo del Toro for the first episode in a new season of Ruthie's Table 4. 40 guests later, season four has come to an end and we thought it would be fun to look back at some of those conversations. Today we'll be hearing from Guillermo, Elton John, David Furnish, Zoe Saldaña, Josh Brolin, Bella Freud, Alice Walters, and Anthony Sca...

In the final bonus episode of season 4, Benedict Cumberbatch discusses his role in The Courier, and the toll it takes on actors' health to gain and lose weight for a part. Ruthie's Table 4, made in partnership with Moncler. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Life is about connections. Rick Rubin, (season two, episode 7), invited me for dinner with Benedict Cumberbatch, where Benedict talked mostly about the food he was cooking for his children. Cary Fukunaga, (season one, episode 4) recently asked me to find a fishmonger who could teach Benedict how to fillet a sea bass for his role in the thriller Blood On Snow. JJ Abrams, (season two, episode 9) tex...

In the bonus this week, Bono shares the River Cafe recipe for Spaghetti alla Puttanesca. He also  describes fulfilling his father's dream of performing Torna A Surriento in the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, and reflects on how he was shaped by his father's values.  Ruthie's Table 4, made in partnership with Moncler. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Like everyone else, I know Bono through U2, his fight for social justice with his ONE campaign and (RED), his philanthropy, his strong values, his vision. I also know him as family. One of the best days we've had in The River Cafe was with Ali, his wife, his children and friends, celebrating the birthday he shares with one of my best friends, his daughter Jordan.  Today, Bono and I are going...

In this week's bonus, Alexandra Mousavizadeh remembers the food of her childhood in Denmark. She and I discuss its roots in Viking times - heavily grounded in fishing and foraging - and how this laid the foundation for Denmark as a food mecca. Ruthie's Table 4, made in partnership with Moncler. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alexandra Mousavizadeh is my friend, and yet I have little idea how to describe what she does. This I do know: she’s an economist, an expert in game theory, and co-founded Evident in 2022 to benchmark companies on their AI performance.  In Alexandra's house, the place I love most is her kitchen and the smell of an extraordinary Persian dish about to be served. Alexandra and I are here togeth...

In this behind-the-scenes bonus, I talk with executive chefs Sian Owen and Joseph Trivelli about the challenges and rewards of cooking for hundreds of guests to celebrate the Tate Modern's 25th birthday. We pay tribute to the tireless work of those who made it happen and reflect on grating kilos of parmesan and zesting endless lemons. Ruthie's Table 4, made in partnership with Moncler. See omnystu...

In this bonus episode, John Lithgow recalls appearing on the celebrity edition of The Great British Bake Off, his attempt to make a Swiss roll which was deemed 'not sellable in any cake shop', as well making a Winston Churchill gingerbread man.  Ruthie's Table 4, made in partnership with Moncler. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Lithgow has played a cardinal, serial killer, prime minister, alien and president. But the role I know him best in is as a great friend. John is currently living in London, playing Roald Dahl in Giant to rave reviews. I’ve seen it three times.  We met at The River Cafe on Father’s Day, to talk about acting and food, theatre and food, film and food, family and f...