Ruthie's Table 4

In this bonus episode, record-setting ocean rower Angus Collins talks about salsa verde, the emotional toll after completing a crossing, and the food he looks forward to most when stepping back on dry land. Ruthie's Table 4, made in partnership with Moncler. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Angus Collins has been hailed as the greatest ocean rower of our time, setting records for the fastest and youngest four man crossing of any ocean. He's rowed across the Atlantic not once, but twice, and faster than anyone before him. And he's not finished yet. In a few months, Angus is aiming to be the first to row solo and unsupported around Great Britain. But today he isn't going anywhere. He's...

In this bonus episode of Ruthie's Table 4, BAFTA-winning and Oscar-nominated director Luca Guadagnino discusses pasta and the diversity of Italian food from different regions. Ruthie's Table 4, made in partnership with Moncler. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 What I know about Luca Guadagnino is, of course, the films he's made. But what I know from Luca is how passionate he is about food. Friends tell me Luca has three kitchens at his home in Piemonte, including one elaborately equipped for pastries, and a special room for keeping vinegar and dried herbs from his garden.  Food not only plays a strong role in his home life, but an important role i...

Whenever I'm with Bella Freud, which isn't often enough, I always wish I could see more of her. Bella and I share the same social values and beliefs, and we pursued careers which are both fleeting but lasting: She is in fashion, and I'm in food. A meal is a moment, and an outfit changes daily.  In our early years, Bella's father, Lucian Freud, came almost every day to The River Cafe. When wit...

People often say they'd be too nervous to cook a meal for me, so imagine how I feel interviewing Alastair Campbell, co-host of The Rest Is Politics, one of the UK's top podcasts.  Alistair is a journalist, author, broadcaster, and defining political figure of our time. I've known him since the early days of New Labour, where he was Director of Communications and Strategy at the hear...

The Oscars are only a few days away and Ruthie’s Table 4 is excited. Ralph Fiennes, Zoe Saldaña and Elton John - three Ruthie’s Table 4 guests - are nominated for Academy Awards, and we’re revisiting their interviews in this episode. Ralph is nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his brilliant performance in Conclave. Elton for Best Original Song for ‘N...

Erling Kagge  is one of the world's great explorers - a man whose life embraces solitude. That is, when he‘s not being attacked by a polar bear… thankfully, he lived to tell the tale. He is the first person to reach, by foot, the North Pole, South Pole, and Mount Everest. Erling and my life might be dissimilar, but we share a love for the unknown. For him, it might be a new horizon. F...

In Francis Ford Coppola (Part 2), we discuss the origins of pizza, his experience eating lambs’ brain as a child, and how a loophole during America’s prohibition led to Francis buying the Inglenook winery with his earnings from The Godfather. We both bought in bottles of his wine to taste - a lovely way to begin and to continue a conversation. Ruthie's Table 4, made in partnership with...

When Francis Ford Coppola agreed to do a podcast with me, good friends who know us both said “actually Ruthie, the two of you are rather alike”. Did they mean being a Chef is like being a Film Director? Or producing a movie is like running a restaurant? Or is choosing the grapes for your vineyard is like choosing the herbs for your fish? Or most of all, did they mean we both have our f...

In this bonus episode of Ruthie's Table 4, Golden Globe-winning actress Zoe Saldaña discusses her love for New York - a melting pot of different foods and cultures. Ruthie's Table 4, made in partnership with Moncler. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A couple of months ago I discovered a sign on the door to my office, saying ‘Do not disturb.’ Zoe Saldana was inside, changing into her dress for lunch downstairs to celebrate the release of her new movie, Emilia Pérez. Afterwards I walked her to her car, talking about how to make the perfect rice. A few minutes later, we'd agreed to do a podcast together. Since then, I've...

What can a lunch tell you about a colleague, or a job candidate? In this bonus episode, Founder and Editor of Tortoise Media, James Harding, discusses the power of the working lunch. Ruthie's Table 4, made in partnership in Moncler. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Around the table with friends we were talking about the kind of movies we like best. My vote was for movies about journalism — His Girl Friday, Broadcast News, The Insider, All the President's Men. I don’t need to watch a movie to see my favourite journalist, I just call James Harding — the youngest ever editor of The Times, Washington editor of the Financial Times, and head...

When the great filmmakers Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach wrote to say they were moving to London for a year, we decided to meet for Sunday lunch with their son in The River Cafe. After that first lunch we made a date for the following Sunday, and the next one. Soon they became a tradition. Today, Noah, Greta and I are here in The River Cafe to talk about food and life, food and friendship, and the...

In this bonus episode of Ruthie’s Table 4, with the inauguration approaching, Ruthie joins friend and writer for The New Yorker, Adam Gopnik, to discuss James Carville, the election and America’s future.   Ruthie's Table 4, made in partnership with Moncler. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"It’s the economy, stupid." You may recognise the slogan which won Bill Clinton the presidency in 1992. It was the creation of James Carville, the brilliant campaign strategist who has gone on to become a key voice in American politics as a consultant, commentator and author. Now, James is here at The River Cafe to share memories of growing up in the Deep South, stories about his mother, and...

The first time I met Josh Brolin was here at The River Cafe, and there was an instant connection between us. Josh is a storyteller, and I sat there listening as he described what it was like to be a 14-year-old chef in an Italian restaurant, and acting in No Country for Old Men, Milk, and most recently Knives Out. Josh is back in The River Cafe today to talk about his beautiful memoir, From Under...

In this bonus helping of Ruthie's Table 4, Sienna and Ruthie discuss the art of the Sunday roast — a sacred ritual in Sienna's life. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everyone knows Sienna Miller—not just as an actress and a fashion designer, but also as a brave combatant who stood up against a powerful media empire. At The River Cafe, we know her as a fabulous eater. Always here with a big table, always with children, always sharing. On this episode of Ruthie's Table 4, I’m here with Sienna for a conversation about food, family and braver...

Happy holidays to all of our listeners, we thank you so much for your responses and for your support. As a present for you, we’ve made this podcast with Sian Wyn Owen and Joseph Trivelli, the executive chefs at The River Cafe. We’ll take you inside the world of The River Cafe during this special time of year, and answer some of your festive cooking questions. Ruthie’s Table 4, ma...

I’m often asked about the inspiration for Ruthie’s Table 4. The answer is easy. Two words — Ian McKellen. For some years, Richard and I invited actors to perform at our home. Ian ended his performance with a reading of a recipe for Ribollita, a traditional Tuscan soup. Compelling as any sonnet, we were all spellbound. Ian is known to everyone as different characters —...

Acting, directing, cooking. In this candid conversation, Saoirse, Greta and Ruthie explore their personal approaches to learning, and mastering their own confidence. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The other week, the director Greta Gerwig sat at my table, describing the unique experience of working with Saoirse Ronan — ‘Ruthie, you have to meet her.’ In a way, I feel like I’ve already met Saoirse through the intimacy of her award-winning performances in 'Atonement', 'Lady Bird' and 'Brooklyn', and her forthright interviews. Now, the three of us are here together at T...

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, we're ta...