Have you ever heard a recipe rapped by one of the world’s greatest musicians? You will on this week’s episode of Ruthie’s Table 4 with her guest Wyclef Jean. Wyclef emigrated age nine from Haiti to the Brooklyn projects, played fourteen instruments by the time he was thirteen, won three Grammys, speaks seven languages, and was asked to run for President at least two times. After the recipe rap, Wyclef tells the stories of his life in food, music and memories.  Ruthie’s Table 4 is made in partnership with Moncler. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

When I’m asked why I love Mexico, the answer is the culture, cities, food, the seas, the mountains, and the history. But what I really love most are the people, and Frida Escobedo is one of those people. A prominent architect in today’s world, Frida is reimagining the contemporary and modern galleries at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, the first woman architect ever to be appointed to do so. From reinventing the world-renowned Centre Pompidou in Paris to designing the Serpentine Gallery’s annual Summer Pavilion, Frida’s unique vision now influences many of the most iconic architectural ..read more

Every year must be an anniversary for someone like Maria Sharapova, who hit her first tennis ball at the age of four, was spotted by Martina Navratilova age six, and became one of only ten women in history to win a career Grand Slam when she was 25. But this year is especially special. Maria is celebrating 20 years since winning against Serena Williams on Centre Court, becoming, at just 17, Wimbledon Champion. Today we are here at The River Cafe to celebrate - two women talking about food and memories, with stories to tell. Ruthie’s Table 4 is made in partnership with Moncler. See omnystudio.c ..read more

Quite often, people say to me, ‘I couldn’t possibly have you to dinner, you’re the chef of the river café, cooking for you would be overwhelming.’ That’s how I feel about introducing Sir David Hare. How do you write for one of the greatest writers of our generation? Whether he's scripting acclaimed plays like Skylight, Plenty, Stuff Happens, or movies like The White Crow, Denial, or The Reader, David is nothing short of a master of the written word. But I do think David and I have much in common. We both like being hosts; me, in The River Cafe, and David at his home, where he understands the t ..read more

Tina Fey has been on Ruthie's Table 4 before and she is, in fact, our first returning guest.  When we first met, she spoke about food being a major part of her life, but she only brought one half of her team. The other half, Jeff Richmond, is here with us now. A composer, producer, director, Jeff is Tina's creative partner, and he's her husband. He says he does all the cooking. Tina and Jeff have collaborated on almost everything, and now they're here in London to open the Mean Girls Musical at the Savoy theatre. I will be there on opening night.  Today we're going to talk about ..read more

Jane Hartley was the American ambassador to France and Monaco, and now to the Court of Saint James. In the two years she has spent in the United Kingdom so far, Jane has had two monarchs, three prime ministers, four chancellors, and a late-stage pandemic. She has the qualities necessary for the role in abundance: leadership, resilience, duty. I know her as a close friend, and though I always introduce Jane as Ambassador Hartley, my nickname for her is Miss Sparkle. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her without sequins on a sweater, dress, earrings, or even the shoes she’s wearing today. Now, w ..read more

If you find yourself on a mountain needing a ski jacket, going to a party needing something beautiful to wear, or in Paris or Milan craving perfect  fish, the man to meet is Remo Ruffini, CEO and Chairman of Moncler co-owner of Langosteria restaurants in cities all over the world. Remo is dynamic, elegant and a visionary, putting sustainability at the heart of the company. His leadership is a manifestation of Moncler’s ethos, dreaming big and bringing those dreams to life. Today I'm in Milan for Design Week. Moncler has taken over the central train station to launch its latest campa ..read more

We've only just met, but I'm confident Claire Saffitz and I will be friends  Claire shares the challenges of baking and life in general. She's a star in a new era of food writers who are experts in their knowledge, passionate about their craft, rigorous about their work. Claire majored in history and literature at Harvard, then one day, almost by accident, she became the host of her own cooking show. She has written two cookbooks, Dessert Person and What's For Dessert, both New York Times bestsellers. I've come to New York to meet Claire - we have a lot to discuss. This episode of Ruthie ..read more

My brother, Michael Elias, a writer and director tells me when visitors come to the set of a film, nothing stops. The only exception is if they are athletes. Maybe it’s because everyone thinks, if pressed, they could act, sing or dance, but never run a race, ski downhill or score a goal. When Gary Lineker, one of the great footballers of our time, walks into The River Cafe everything stops.  He is one of the very few footballers never to have received a red or yellow card — consistent with who he is: principled, respectful and fair — values we share. We’re also both in the world of podca ..read more

I may not know what makes a good comedian, but I do know what makes a good father.    When Judd and I met in London — where his daughter Maude was playing the lead role of Sally Bowles in Cabaret — he told me this was the eighth time he'd seen it in three weeks.   While I don’t know what makes a good comedian, Judd certainly does. His advice to kickstart your writing: think of a topic and write down as many jokes and one liners as you can. Don't be scared if your first draft doesn't make you laugh out loud — keep going.    There are definite parallels between cooking a ..read more