Ruthie's Table 4

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 in his films, conveying sensuous desire and transformation. We're here today, in the one kitchen I have in my home, to talk about food, memories, film and family. A beginning to a new friendship, one cook to another. Ruthie's Table 4, made in partnership with Moncler.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 with Bella, we were told never to interrupt, as this was their precious time. Now when Bella comes with her friends, I always wish I could whisk her away and have her all to myself.  Today, on Table 4, I finally do. Ruthie's Table 4, made in partnership with Moncler.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 heart of it all. He's also been a prominent mental health activist and joins me today in The River Cafe to talk about food, family, values, and even busking in the south of France with his bagpipes. How do I really feel about hosting him today? I'm not nervous at all, just honoured and excited. Ruthie's Table 4, made in partnership with Moncler.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 ‘Never Too Late’ from the documentary about his life of the same name. Zoe Saldaña is nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her magnetic performance in the musical Emilia Pérez. Ruthie's Table 4, made in partnership with Moncler.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. For me, a discovery of a little-known Sicilian recipe. Today, we're here on our own adventure, not on the top of a mountain or in the icy North Pole, but safe and warm in the River Cafe. Ruthie's Table 4, made in partnership with Moncler.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 Moncler.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 family involved in everything we do? I'm happy to take any of the above. In part one of my conversation with Francis, we talk about the vocabulary gangsters use when cooking, meeting an aspiring young filmmaker called George Lucas, the pain of losing our sons far too young - and everything in between. Also… in a first for the podcast, we even find time for a musical break - and sing a duet of the Howdy Doody theme song. Ruthie's Table 4, made in partnership with Moncler.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 seen her everywhere, on screens and newspapers, magazines and posters. Last month she won a Golden Globe, and in February and March she’s a contender for both a BAFTA and an Oscar. Now, Zoe is back here with me on a Saturday morning in The River Cafe, to talk about food, family, and happiness.   Ruthie's Table 4, made in partnership with Moncler.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.