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 producer Lorne Michaels, but we first met last spring when I was invited to a lunch. Now, walking into a lunch party late can be awkward—conversations stop, chairs are adjusted, introductions made. But there I was, seated next to Will and all was right with the world. He was here in London filming Barbie and I was just off to New York, but we promised to continue the conversation. And that’s what we’re doing today, on Table 4. 

Originally recorded in 2024.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 talking about family, the world, and of course, eating.

Originally recorded in 2024.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 that could have lasted for hours, but I had to go back to the kitchen and she needed to finish her lemon pasta before it cooled down.

Today we are here in The River Cafe and she is the one cooking the lemon pasta. We are going to pick up where we left off—a conversation with a woman I admire, respect and adore. Lucky me. Originally recorded in 2023.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.