Miss Chef Anne Burrell

Misspelling with tory spelling and iHeartRadio podcast.

Hi Love. Oh my gosh, this is so exciting and I'm so hi. I'm such a big fan, so nice to meet you.

Oh my gosh, you have no idea. I'm sorry, I'm getting excited. My voice is going up. I'm such a big fan, and.

I don't know. I never thought you would do my podcast like and here we are.

It never occurred to me that you would even ask me, so look, here we are.

I don't even know where to start with you, Chef Anne Burrell. Do I have to call you chef?

No?

I know I wasn't going to anyway. I'm not kidding, but I do love saying your whole name. I love your name, Anne Burrell.

I just do so funny.

Yeah, people like you know, there's people in your life that it's always their first and last name, And I'm like one of those people. It's never it's just Amberrell. It's always like that, or it's chef Anne or Amberrell.

I don't know. I guess An's just not enough of a name.

Just call you ab sure.

Yes, I have a very good friend that calls me a b all.

Really, Oh my gosh, I don't even know where to start with you. I have so much to talk to you about. Oh my gosh, Oh can I start with this? Guess what I'm making? Amberrel aka b.

What are you making?

Well, it's not enough that I have five kids, I'm a single mom and working full time. I decided to I'm gonna say it wrong. I made from scratch a pottafoe. Oh what am I saying it wrong?

I don't want fo oh like a like a a braze sort of boiled beef, like kind of a Jewish girl.

So yeah, a French brisket.

Yes, yes, yeah, delicious.

So I was telling all my kids I was making this and they then my little one thought I was making faux.

He got really excited. He loves foe. Yeah.

So I was like, yeah, it's just another day. So you know, I drop off pickups and all this crap, and I was like, let me make that. I like to really challenge myself, so I was like, let me make this, and six hours later I got some tender fucking beef.

Right.

But once you get everything in the pot, it's kind of a pain to get started. But once you get everything in there, it's like set it and forget it.

And your house smells so good, doesn't it.

The house smells so good?

Right, people walk in and they're like, I'm hungry.

Except I blew it. I threw my bone marrows in too soon. I was supposed to save them for like the last thirty minutes because oh my gosh, and I didn't. So they all like fell off into it. So we couldn't like take out the bone marrow and like spread it on toast and like do all that, which is one of my favorite things, a little sea salt.

Sorry, oh don't you love that? And it's like such a weird thing where you're like, I'm scraping.

Out the middle of these bones and it's all fat mayonn Does it taste good?

I could live on bone marrow? I okay, So this I was saying. I love food so much that I feel like my tummy is my g spot.

Say the way to your heart is through your tummy, so or the way to.

You know, a man's heart is through a stomach. It's not that's a lie. I don't know where that came from. It's not enough to just feed.

Them, no, oh my gosh, hilarious.

So I've been doing this podcast for a year now, uh huh. And I love I love humans, and I love talking to people. I love telling my stories and I just kind of love putting it all out there. I learned from a young age kind of being on nine O two and OO in the nineties and so many preconceived notions about who I probably was. And back then it was so different, like you never got to really interact with actors, and so we were all groomed and what to say on press shows. So it's like

Know who I am.

They think I'm, you know, this Hollywood rich girl, and like I'm probably a bitch, and if they knew me, they.

Would really like me. And now I get to show people.

Mark was so nice.

I mean, when Donna Martin lost her virginity, it was like every the whole world stopped. I feel like I was a total fan. I loved nine O two one out. Oh my god, I think I was. I was out of college by then and living with a couple of girlfriends, and we it was like we would all make sure we were home on the night nine O two.

I know we would all watch it.

Oh my gosh, what did you eat while you watched it? I'm sure it always goes back to food with me. I'm so sorry.

This was also before before I had decided that cooking was going to be my career, and I was still like I was probably like twenty two three, about in there and still like, you know, just on the verge of becoming like a real person.

So I would sort of cook.

But it was like, you know, three girls living in the house, and actually one of them was this was kind of funny. And this I think also kind of helped make me understand that there is a real connection in life between eating and happiness. Because my roommate was

And she red things. So she would take a chopstick and stick it into a bottle of ketchup or like barbecue sauce or like red jelly, and like just eat it off the chopstick, like lick it off the chopstick and she would do it like.

So on the side was like, ambion, I'm much more creative. Wait, okay, I'm sorry.

I mean like and I'm like.

Wow, really, And she would eat like she would buy like bags of like frozen vegetables like peas and carrots and you know, and she would just eat them frozen like, and I was like, all right, I mean, you're depriving yourself from anything to eat in the first place, and what you already eat is like raw frozen, uncooked or just licking ketchup off a chopstick.

It was so bizarre to me.

And so I would cook for myself because it was at a time when I was like, you know, times were very lean back then, and so I would make I would cook for myself for like a few days and like take my lunch to work with me and stuff, and she would like eat the stuff that I would make, and I'm like, what the heck is here?

I know, did you have to label your food?

I mean, it never occurred to me to really do it. And then I you know, and then like I remember one Saturday, I was like, oh, I am feeling very adventurous. I'm going to make bread and I'm gonna I baked bread so I like needed it and rolled it and made this beautiful love of bread and I think it made two loaves and she like one of them. She just ate the top off all of it, and I was like, what are you doing? So needless to say, I did not stay in that house that long.

Wow, my gosh.

But it really made me understand, like I was like the connection between happiness and life and eating like food brings people joy. And so I say, as a chef, I'm a professional pleasure provider. And my Mom's like, do you have to say it like that? And I'm like, yeah, I sure.

You because a professional pleasure provider makes me sound like a hooker.

I know that's what I like about it.

I know that's why I say it.

Yeah, I'm a big fan of green. You love green, don't you?

I love green. Look at my kitchen is all green.

Oh oh, I know. I've been doing a deep stalk on you and Burrell.

So it's the color of So along with nine O two, one of the other show I loved so much was Friends and so look I have like the Friends cookie jar thing and.

Do I love details?

Like we can't right here, and for people listening, we get to see each other and you can only hear us.

But I want to like zoom in.

So I mean, I love to have all my stuff on display. It's like it's also easy for me to reach.

But I don't know, I feel like having stuff around and chow keys and you know, just I feel like it's the history of my life.

It's called hoarding, Amberrell, and I have that problem too, but I can phrase it nicely like you, and then people would give me cut me a break.

I don't know, I just like to have stuff, It's true, right, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

I'm a hall of doctor, yes I am. And like I collect things that mean stuff to me or you know, and I like also antique things, so I have like yeah, right, I feel like it's sort of a sense of history. I love to have, like it's I sort of consider it like the tools of the.

Of my craft, you know.

So I have like antique silverware and things that you know that's like my everyday silverware. Just things with a little history and things with a little bit of meaning.

I am a believer of you know, a lot of people if they're like no, I have something antique or something really nice, and they're like, well, we can't use it only for special occasions.

Right, And I'm just like, now.

My house never gets used.

Use it and love it.

And sure there are a few things that I have that you know are like, oh, special occasion stuff up.

For the most part, I'm like, use it, love it, try not to break it.

If you do, oh, well then that means I get to get something else.

I have five kids, so a lot of stuff gets broken. But you've been married three years now, three and a half.

This October will be four.

Oh my god, that's so cute. You still count halves?

I know.

Still.

I mean, this is my first marriage. I waited for Prince Charming. He was a little late, but he finally got here. It's also I myself was just not ready, you know. I like, I was really focused on my career. I was focused. I'd like moved to New York City when I was twenty eight, and I was.

Like, oh, I finally made it.

I wanted to moved to New York since I was like ten, and my parents were like, as wild as you are, you're not going to New York for college. And I was like, okay, so I went to college in Buffalo, where I really learned how to drink and party, and then culinary school, and then Italy for a year, and then New York. And I'm like, I was like, I just remember when I moved to New York.

The day I got here.

I was like, yes, and it was just so thrilling and exciting. And I still find New York like that.

I have a little bit of a fear of New York.

Really, it's fun, I think, cause I grew up in La and I don't know I So here's the thing I've I only went there to do like press, so I never really got to experience it. It was like I was there for work and then it was in and out. And then one time though, I went and filmed a movie and I was there for like six weeks and I really got to enjoy it. And that's when I was like, Okay, I'm not scared, like I fit in now, like I can do my own thing.

It's fast paced, correct.

Yes, yes, And what I love about New York is.

That I just we ruin our friendship. We were like doing so well, we were going to be besties, and.

Then I piped in and East Coast.

Okay, no, But I feel like New York is what you make it. You know, anything you want to find in New York you can.

You can find your people anywhere, and you can expose yourself as much or as little as you want. And and also what I love about New York is is walking and so you're out amongst people, but you're still, you know, sort of alone. It's not like you know, That's that's the thing about La. I mean, I love to visit La. I love to visit La, but I'm a New York girl. And I remember being in La for like, I don't know, a couple of weeks for

He's like, where's your helmet? And I was like, oh, yeah, home. I love New York. You know. It's just like people just have a little pressure valve. They say what they think and they move on, you know, And it's like people watching one of my favorite pastimes. I just love to visit.

And the shopping is so good, the antique shopping so good, clothing wise, vintage clothing, and the food is so good. Except are you a sushi fan?

I'm ish, not ish, you know, every once in a while, but I'm not like I'm like, oh, let's go out for sushi kind of girl.

No, I'm not really okay, So, oh my gosh, I have so much to say to you. Sorry. Sorry, I'm a bit like a squirrel.

I'm like, go in many different directions wherever my brain takes me in the moment. But so if I were because I'm single now again after being with my husband for twenty years, there weren't dating apps back then, So if I were to join a dating app, I feel like the mandatory thing would be.

Do you eat sushi?

Like?

And meat eaters?

Yeah, I'm a meat girl, so I would have to have a man that likes sushi and meat.

That's all. That's all I want in life, A good sense of humor, smart, that's it.

I think you can find body you know, she and meat eaters. You know. So are you going to go on dating apps?

Did you meet Stewart on dating app?

I did?

I met him on bumble And I have to say, you know, I enjoyed the whole sort of dating app thing. I went into it knowing what I wanted my endgame to be. I think I was like forty eight seven, no, forty six or seven when I started.

And I would do it for a while.

I would talk to people, you know, flirt a little bit, and I would I met up with a couple of people. I talked to far more people than I actually ever met up with. And I would do it for a while, and then if I was like, you know, I'm not having fun with this right now, so I would take a break and then I would go back and start sort of over. It does take effort, and you can't go into it with the idea like is.

This the guy you know? Is this the Prince Charming? You know?

You have to go into it with just an attitude of all right, this is an investment in my time. It's an investment in me and have fun and not put so much press on it.

So what do you think took you so long to go on to a dating app? Not so long? But you know what I mean, right, I don't know.

I was really like, I mean, I was living my best life.

I was like living the rock star chef life, and you know, I was working a lot and I had a great social life. And but I just started to feel like, all right, you're getting a little old to be keep on doing this, like what are we doing?

And I love.

Being an aunt, like I have nieces and nephews. I Stuart has a son, so now I'm a stepmom. So I'm like, that is the perfect amount of parenting for me.

How old is his son? Your son?

His son is twenty twenty.

My kids don't know who I am. They don't you know.

They just want to know what time dinner's ready, like they or can you drive me here?

They don't care.

And I try to engage with them, like, oh, you know, here's who's coming on my podcast, and like they don't even look up from their phones. They were so psyched you were coming on the podcast. Really, Oh my gosh, big fans, Oh my god.

Yeah, that is why that's wild.

Yeah, it's cooking. It's just Food's really been important my whole life. I've had my kids in the kitchen since they were young, and their father is a trained chef.

I did know that about him. Doesn't he do or did he do? Food Network Canada stuff?

He did?

He did Chopped Canada, he won the second season of Rachel Versus Guy, And yeah, it's he's really good and great in the kitchen, an amazing chef. It was probably the only things we ever fought about. We got along really well, so we didn't obviously, was over parenting, views and.

In the kitchen.

Because while I love cooking, you know, to me, homemade equals love and I've always had that's my motto always. But I'm a very messy cook. So but my like my friends would always say like, oh my god, she would make the best spaghetti. Oh my god, lasagna in my roommate be like, is it a good meal? When you look up and the kids see the noodles so they still stick to the ceiling and.

Then you leave them there and I'm like.

Oh see.

I was like yeah. So that would drive my husband. You know, he grew up, as you know, he was a line cook, it did all of that, so he's very clean in the kitchen and that was kind of frustrating. But then it also became once he went to culinary school, he had all these mad talents.

So he'd be like, well, if I'd be.

Making something like do you mind if I just offer you some advice?

And I'd be like, okay, sure.

But it got to the point where I actually for a bit lost my love of cooking because I felt so like and also I'm a little bitter because I was working hard and having babies and put him through culinary school and then he went and it's one of people don't know this, one of my lifelong dreams is to go to culinary school, and I feel like it's never.

Gonna do it. Yes, you should totally do it.

I don't have time.

Well, you know there are there, I'm sure because I know the.

Culinary school or dating app which one I can only do one? Ambrell?

Well important, you know, do you want to get to that g spot or do you want to do you want to?

Oh right, well right, I'm a good d I y cook.

So but you know what there are and I'm sure you can find it in LA because you know they have tons of them here in New York.

And I used to teach culinary school.

There are classes that you can take that are like one off classes like one night.

And they done that.

Yeah, those are so fun, aren't they. That's also a good thing to do on a date.

That they are fun. But I felt like.

The one off classes, I feel like tend to sometimes be a little not amateurish. But there's you know, all different levels and I'm just like, I know how to do that and this is fun. But I don't know. I'm also a very goal oriented girl and very driven and if I sent my mind to it, like I want to do the full shabbang, like I want to graduate from culinary school. But when my ex went to culinary school, I saw the math he had to take and I was like, oh my gosh, I'll never be

Like you know what I tell you.

I so this is funny you say that because I after I learned how to read it, like you know, in first grade, I really don't ever remember paying attention in school again, like grade school, high school, four years of college. And I was just like, you know, I just was not ever interested and math especially, oh my god, my nemesis.

And when I got to culinary school, the.

First classes, the first two classes and you take them together at least where I went is one was called gastronomy, which is sort of like culinary history and philosophy, and then the other one was culinary math.

And I'm like, so I got kills, just you saying, And I was like, I am not going to let this beat me.

I went to tutoring every single day after class so I could get it. And the more that you just you know, if you're driven, you'll you'll master it. Culinary math is not.

That hard, but it is.

It's it's just a different way of thinking.

You just have fractions and shd ambrell.

Yes it is, but so much of life is like that, you know, and and also science, and so you know, my two worst subjects math science.

I was like, who needs that crap? And so then a few years after I was on the Food Network, the STEM program asked me to do a like a like a promo or like a little thing about how math or when science blah blah blah, and.

My mom's I told my mom I was doing it. She's like, they want you to do that.

And every time I now when I hear myself saying like, let's do the math or the science behind this, and I'm like, really, I'm saying this, but it's all about when those things were put in a framework of something that I was interested in, then it all kind of clicked. You know when you give me like sign cosine, tangent x plus y like all that that means nothing to me, And I'm like, how does this matter to my life?

So I mean, is in the framework that it's still like my kids are in school and they're learning things. I'm like, you know what, there's a calculator in life, Like there's things you're never it's stuff. There's like that archaic plan of education that kind of doesn't apply to creatives anymore. And people know younger and younger what they want to do. Like my daughter is sixteen and at age four she knew she wanted to be a baker, and yeah, I mean her knife skills are on point.

No.

First of all, I think all culinary schools are rebels, because you know, i'd say, like culinary school the restaurant industry, you know, it's kind of like the island of the misfit toys.

And I felt like I fit right in. I was like my people.

So I think that you should just face your fears, and I think you could really do it.

I totally know you could do it.

I need to find help for my kids first, like I can't.

Like it's like culinary school doesn't have to be imminent, it's always there.

So when your kids are in a good place and you feel like because if you're doing it, I think.

I think this is kind of like in life, like when you want to do something, you will, and you know culinary school is not going anywhere. So I'd say, how about dating apps first?

Then okay, right, okay, so we're going okay, No, I like this plan, thank you.

No, I like guidance.

I'm always going to be there and you have to be in the right frame of mind in order to accept all of this information. And when you do, and when you get there, you will be like, oh, yes, what was I so scared about? I could do this?

Yeah.

I mean, I don't want to be seventy and alone and looking for a man, but I could be seventy and in culinary school. I'm the oldest person there, but that's okay.

And I think you have a little time between now and when you're seventy.

I mean I would give you the exact number, but I can't do math.

So nineteen years. Yeah, nineteen years.

I'll give me the big breath if you have a little.

Time, A little time, yes, okay, so wait you do. I'm fascinate it. Like, for your wedding is so random.

I go back to this stuff. Sorry, So for your wedding, was there a registry? Like what if people get.

Ann brell, Like I would be nervous, Like, it's not like you were asking for like the typical like cooking.

Okay, we did not ask for anything.

In fact, we said no gifts please, and we said that you know, if you feel like you need to spend money on us, we hear some charities that are very near and dear and close to us, so that

Oh my gosh, what'd you serve at your wedding?

So the rehearsal dinner, we did a pig roast and so we had everyone for who was from out of town or whatever, who's there or like everyone's invited. So we did a pig roast and then we did we had a drag queen come and we did karaokesh.

I wish we were friends.

Then I have to say, I am a karaoke jockey.

My husband and I like go out on a date night and we go to dinner and then we go karaoke singing, like we get a private room and we will just sing just the two of us for hours. We have Carryo at home too, but our neighbors get a little upset with us sometimes, so a lot of times we go out to spare the neighbors.

What's your jam? What's your good to song?

Oh my gosh.

We have like a whole set list, but I I always off, like my warm up song is like John Denver Country Roads, Take Me Home, and then I can. You know, I'm a big fan of anything Billy Joel or Elton John or sort of anything eighties.

I love eighties music so much.

Oh my god.

I graduated from high school in nineteen eighty seven, the height of.

The height of like the fun and the crazy.

Colored girl rock bands like Bengals. I love the Bengals, oh my god.

And Cyndi Lauper and Duran Duran and oh like so many of them, you know.

Like and it was just sort of a delightful wild time. And what I love about it so much also was like I sort of think of myself as the generation of what I like to call the hose drinker kids. You know, or your mom would be like god side and play and you know, you would drink out of the host and be like.

Okay, I just got that.

Okay.

But it was like you just got stuff done and you figured out how to do it all on your own, and you know, you would get creative with stuff, and you know, it was it was just like a very care free time. And I have to say, truly, I am so happy that I did not grow up in the generation or in a generation with social media.

It is rough. I've reel for this, man, I really do.

And I think if there had been social media when I was growing up, I might be a very different person.

Though the same.

I mean, I think I have pretty thick skin just because I've been hearing the negative stuff for so long.

I mean, you kind of did grow up with social media.

I have to say, you know, like so hard.

It was like just starting.

No, if it was full on social media, oh my god, and we would have been whoa. But yeah, people didn't take photos then, and like yeah, it was very kind of a little bit more normalized like now. But I see what my kids go through, and like, you know, my daughter reading something about her looks online and I'm like, oh my god.

Even though I'm like.

God, I remember going through it and just when nine two and zero was starting, and just chat rooms where people would like put things out there. I don't even know what was out there, but I would read a comment and be like I still to this day, I'm like, think I have bug eyes because people like said that. I'm just like at fifty one learning to appreciate my big eyes, which are no longer as big because my eyes are aging. So so it's handled. But yeah, it's

Well, I took a break, and.

You know, who knows what's going to happen in the future, but I do. There is a new show coming out on March eighteenth that I'm a part of that's called House of Knives, which is like I'm back in the fray, like I'm competing, I'm cooking, and it was a blast.

I read about that, and I'm very excited. I enjoy watching you, not just like a fan, and I just I love the light and energy that you bring to everything you do, so you're a.

Joy to watch.

So okay, so you did say on social media they said fans were like, why aren't you going to be on it?

And you wrote, I don't know, right, well, you know, it's got a lot of people start up.

Though, you know what I will say, and still like every time I post something now, people are still like where are you? And you know, it has been very lovely and I so appreciate it.

And but that show has been on for a long time, you.

Know, and it always amazes me that after all this time and how popular Food Network is, there's still so many worst cooks in America, you know. But it has been a big part of my life. And it's also now I'm like, all right, what else, so you know, like so interestingly. I just started taking acting classes. Really, yes, I started yesterday actually was my very first one. And it's like an improv for actors class. And I got there and it's like eight people in the class. I'm

I've never taken an acting class. I don't know.

This is new to me, and I wonder if they these like delightful and super talented kids look at me and they're like, what's this old lady doing here?

But I'm like, in culinary school? What what made you want to do this?

Because I'm like, you're creative? What else? You know? Like? I love this for I can cook, Yes, I can do TV, but also like what else? What's more? Like? I've got more to do in my life.

I feel like, so, would you do stand up?

Stand up? Would scare the crap out of me? I think that is?

You gotta phrase it a one woman's show?

Yeah, you know, like maybe, And I don't know.

I'm like just dipping my toe into this pool and I'm like, where's this gonna go?

And I feel very excited about it, and.

Uh, you know, I've got a few other things that I'm working on as well, and which I'm not quite ready to share yet, but hopefully like exciting things coming.

I'm so, oh my god, you're such a force. I love this. Do you do you love the horror genre? Like horror films? Do you like horror films?

Now? Okay, I lost you on two things. Sushi and horror. Okay, well I was doing well.

But you know, the horror movies are great to do on a date though, because you can be like, right, I'm.

So scared when you're not. Yeah yeah, okay, yeah yeah right.

So no, because you were just saying, so Ryan Murphy loves people associate with pop culture, and I mean his tone, not that he's not labeled like horror. He does so many different things and there's always such like a cheekiness to things.

But now they're getting into acting.

I just feel like he is probably obsessed with you and would put you into something. And I'm just saying it because I would die to work with him. So if and when, and I'm doing this premonition, I'm going to make it happen. And we're going to make it happen when your gas into a Ryan Murphy series or movie.

Will you mentioned that I'm a fan, that's all?

Yes, absolutely, Oh my gosh.

And you know, if you cross paths with them, tell them. You know, Anne Barrell would love.

To done and done.

Okay, right, we're like each other's well man, we'll do that for each other.

You you know, if you if if it crosses your path, you put me out for it. If it crosses my path, I'll recommend you too. Okay, perfect, that's like a little pinky promise.

Okay, oh wait think I love pinky promises. I really believe in them me too.

You know, I'm someone that I try to be a person that is true to my word. So if I say something that I'm going to do something, I really try to make sure that I do that.

I try to be the person.

That, you know, like because it annoys me when people are like, oh, we'll do this, and there are you know, so I feel like I really try to be true to my word. So I promise you if my path ever crosses Ryan Murphy, I will definitely say, oh, Tory Spelling really wants to, you know.

Work with you.

It's same same man for ow Oh my gosh. Okay, wait, we have to go back to sorry. So pig Rose carryoka rehearsal dinner. Ah, I never forget anything, okay, uh. And the night of the wedding.

Oh so then the next day and it's so funny.

The second I left for the rehearsal dinner, it started raining, and you know, it was like I wanted this beautiful upstate New York wedding in the fall with all the foliage. It started raining and it did not stop until I left the brunch on Sunday.

But they say that's good luck though rain.

Everyone says that.

But my husband is also English, and so I think it was him. You know, that was sort of his like feeling like the misty sort of you know, all kind of countryside and it did not matter one tiny bit. But the funny thing was though I had a horse and carriage take me and my mom and my sister and my two nieces, and it was like we were in the words and garriage that being like, it was

The street, So that's kind of like what it was.

People were going by even though it was like pouring rain and they were beeping and you know, we're raved.

It was.

It was delightful and I was like, whatever this is, this is what's happening. Like one of my bridesmaids lost her dress and I was like, well, uh, you better find another one. And she's like, oh, and I'm like, no, the only thing that's going to ruin my wedding is if you keep doing that.

I don't care about the dress, I hear, I care who's in it.

And then she ended up wearing the dress that I had worn the night before to the rehearsal dinner. It was like, you better fab reason because I was really sweating last night.

So and did smell like pig.

Now I'm sure it had my natural natural Well, I didn't like wipe my hands on my dress, but I you know, I may have who knows.

But then for the dinner, I'm trying to remember we had uh.

I remember we had pumpkin uh ravioli with a sage butter sauce.

Can't remember what we started off with.

And then we did sort of like a pair on the plate of like a herb crusted halibit with something a short rib. Also, so like because I'm like I'm not having I don't want to go around and be like fisher beef fisher bee, I was like, just give everyone everything and people can eat what they want and.

Like family style or plates, serve with everything, late serve.

You these questions.

Oh, I'm happy to talk about my wedding. It was such just a joyous occasion.

Do you believe in small bites?

Yes?

I love a grazing nibble situation.

Yes, A big believer in that.

So but the last thing, Buddy Velastro, the cake boss, made our cake, and it was the biggest cake, the tallest cake I have ever seen. It was so beautiful and it was actually so delicious, so I mean, but it was like.

Six feet tall.

Tears, what was it?

Tears?

And so the layers alternated between an olive oil rosemary and.

Then a zucchini cake. So like it was like.

It was so delicious, I mean, I have to say.

And then you know, we had a big party.

Did you freeze a piece?

Yes, of course, uh huh, I tell you we ate it just like last year or so, it was like on our second year. But the cake was still it was stale, but the flavor was still really good. But then we had at the after party, we had a donut truck and a taco truck.

You know, it was just it was just so fun.

It was like really just it was everything I wanted it to be.

Oh my gosh, Well I'm an ordained minister and I'm also a wedding planner. So when you guys renew your vows, now we're friends.

If you want me to help out, it sounds like you don't need any help. You're great at planning.

Oh, I mean er, I had a wedding planner and you did.

Oh my god, Yes it could have been a contender. I mean, I've impressed the ship, have you, Ambrell? I promise you.

So who have you married?

Oh?

I think I've married like seven people at this point.

Wow.

I had a bed and breakfast for a brief bit.

My husband and I and we were hosting a couple and they were having same sex marriage and they were like, we did oh my toy spelling. We just want you to marry us. And I was like, I can't. I don't think I can And.

What do you mean? What do I have to do? Sure, I'll do anything.

So I took my course online and got Ordaine and went on to marry some of my best friends. I had a wedding planning show, married a couple on there. I like the planning part better because I like hosting. I get nervous speaking in front of people, so.

Really, yeah, I find that very interesting really yeah, because I mean you're an acteur, you're a performer, like that's what you do.

It's true.

Interesting. Okay, here's the thing. In front of people, I get nervous as an actor typically, unless you know you're doing a play or something, we get to rehearse it, and if you screw up your lines, you can do another take as many as you want to.

It's perfection.

Once they see it on the screen, it's perfect, you know, and no one knows you like forgot your line twenty times, but you know in person it's the real deal.

You can't go back.

So I just always get nervous about disappointing people, like what if, and especially at a wedding and they have certain things they want you to say.

I bet you you're probably really good at it.

I bet whatever you say is from the heart and very loving and warm.

I just feel that from you.

We had our friend marry us too, so like the bridesmaid who lost her dress and had to wear my rehearsal dinner dress. Her husband officiated our wedding. Oh, like, are very good friends.

Yes, and it makes it so much yes, exactly.

And I feel also, you know, people put so much pressure on it. It's got to be perfect and what ever to make it what you want. And if it isn't perfect, you know, so what so what I mean? You know, all right, sure, huge things can go wrong. Let's hope that, you know, that kind of stuff doesn't happen. But you know whatever, if it rains, someone loses their dress,

You know. I just remember, like because.

We had shuttle buses take people, and I just remember seeing people get off the bus at the rehearsal dinner, and that's when it.

Really got real for me. And I was like, oh my god. I'm like, oh my god, there's whoever. And I'm like, oh yeah, dummy, you invited everybody.

But it was like sort of a it was sort of a like who's who of your life, you know, like your life in sort of all the people that come.

But only the ones you like.

I know, but see that's also a revelation of being an a little bit older bride.

Like I feel like.

You know when first time, when people are getting married in their early twenties and the families are getting involved and the moms are planning it, it's kind of like.

You're like, uh, what do I do?

You know?

Right, you knew what you wanted at this age, like you knew so you wanted to come.

To say, there was no way that I could.

Like if I had gotten married any younger in life, I would have been one hundred percent.

I would have been divorced.

Like I myself just wasn't ready. I didn't know, like really who I was. And you know, even like being married now, like marriage is a trip, man, and it's quite a journey and you learn so much about yourself.

Through the whole process. And I have to say, I love it and it's fascinating.

Can I talk really quickly about your shoe collection? Yes, Oh my god, Okay, So I'm a big believer in shoes. I have all my shoes. I've kept them forever. And I love what you said because people would say to me, why are you keeping all these And I'd be like, you don't wear them.

Ever, I'm like, because their art and you said the same thing.

Yes, and I truly believe that. And it's like, right across from my bed.

I have a whole shelf, a whole line from one wall to the other.

All of my beautiful shoes that I never when I was playing. My husband was like, what are you doing? Why are you putting those up that you don't wear them on? They're all and I look at them every morning and I look at them before I go to bed, and I'm like, oh, hello, lovelyes, You're beautiful and I'm so happy I don't marry you anymore.

What say, shoe do you wear?

I wear?

So if we're talking European sizes of forty in American sizes eight and.

Half, okahead because I saw some Lubatons, I really was covered in the whole self.

So I was hoping we had the same size shoes.

One of them are lubaton and that's what I mean. I went through a phase.

As we all do.

Ambrell I went through the same phase and put them on once and was like, I can't stand these, but I want to look at them. So did your husband get to display something in the room. If you get the shoes, you have a man cave somewhere in your apartment.

He So, we have an office and that's the kind of man cave. So it has a sliding barn door, and it's like paint. It's got a big TV in there on a couch and it's painted sort of like this midnight blue, so it feels cozy.

Yeah, so that's kind of his man cave.

I mean, he loves you a lot to let you display your shoes in the bedroom.

I'm just gonna say it.

Yeah, a choice, you know.

I the next one. I'm not going to give choices too. You're right, right right. I gave too many choices there.

He has plenty of other choices and lots of other stuff, but the shoes no, non negostable.

My gosh, I love that view. Can I say? I know everyone asks you cooking questions.

Ask me.

So I have five I have five kids.

And cooking for them is, Oh, it's brutal because they all eat different things. That there's it's I have one picky eater, he's twelve now he s doesn't grow Now the damn butter noodles. And I'm like, okay, so when I make a pasta, I can't just make a whole pot and put the sauce and do what I want.

I have to like put his to the side.

And it's maddening because I'm a people bleezer and I find myself making versions of so many different meals. It's exhausting and I don't want to do it. And I'm like a casserole girl. I like home cooking, and you know, they see all the sauces and stuff and they're like, ew, I'm can you just try it hard?

I feel like, you know, so during the pandemic, I was upstate with my family and so with Stewart and his son, and my sister her three kids, and my mom and so I was cooking for nine people every night.

And now, even like.

When it's just me and Stuart, the hardest thing about cooking dinner is just figuring out what to make.

I'm exhausted with that, you know, And I'm just like, I don't know what to make, and I'm like, all right.

I'll just do another roasted chicken here, how about another chicken piarn salad situation?

You know, I'm like, I don't know.

Is chicken ever bore you at this point in life.

I do love a chicken, and yes, chicken does get boring, so then I'll stop for a while and you know, kind of but but I do like a roasted chicken. Ye I could eat a roasted chicken all the time because it's like, you eat some roasted chicken, then you know what, make chicken soup, make chicken salad, make you know, like I love a roasted chicken. And it's the funny thing about a roasted chicken is it's so simple and

It's so true.

I feel like I can make really like crazy hard dishes and I'm I'm like, I'm not a rule follower. Sorry, so I'm a rule breaker. So even though I love baking, I know that's like a science. I really love cooking because I can look at recipes and be like, oh great, But I really love just kind of finding and doing and being like a mad scientist in the kitchen. Where was I going with that story? I have no idea roasted chicken yeah. So sometimes the kids will be like, oh,

It's like, nope, right, you do it.

Yeah, a boneless, skinless chicken breast.

I'm like, oh, I love skin.

I like the skin, but like a chicken leg and a chicken thigh or my like a drumstick and a thigh are my favorite parts.

You know.

That's like when I do sure, I like, give me the dark meat. I love to make braised chicken thighs, you know, like just a chicken thigh, a chicken leg. That's that's always the part that I want.

Do you believe that?

You know? They say like people will be like, so do you like red licorice or black licorice? And it's telling about like somebody's energy or the type of person they are.

I kind of feel, and I do.

I don't mean, I'm not a judging person at all, and I'll still be friends with you anyway, not you, but like anybody if you like black licorice. But if so, I'm like red or black licorice, And if they're like black, I'm like em.

I feel like. It's the same thing with chicken. Do you like white the white meat or the dark meat?

So, I mean anyone who says they like the white meat, I'm like, cool, we can eat chicken together.

Because you get the dirt. Oh so you look at it that that way?

Okay, that's also like you.

When you have chicken wings like buffalo buffalo wings, I'm like, do you like the rounds or the flats? And people who say they like the flats, I'm like perfect. I will eat chicken wings with you anytime because I like the rounds.

My favorite thing is to go this is so gris but not you'll get it. Is to go around everyone who's had like the drumats or the wings and everything and eat their bones like the gristle like it's my favorite thing. And I'll be like are you going to eat that? And someone will be like, uh, I ate it.

I finished it. I was like, you'll have the good part. What do you mean?

I'm like, oh, the gristle, yeah, the little chewy And then I also feel like, ooh, this is collagen. This is good for my bones and my skin.

Wait.

Someone, when I was making my potafou, my friend was like, oh my gosh, all this meat, this is so great. And she was telling me there's something about putting the meat the fat that you can skim it off on your face. Is this true? And then another friend was like, you shouldn't put like beef tendent on your face. It's like we could get mad cow disease. And I was just like, wait, what what's happening here?

Okay, I've never heard of that, but I can say, I mean, be fat is some serious fat.

So you know, all right, sure, I don't know if I would do that kind of funny.

But you no, you're not going to get mad cow disease from just from the fat.

I mean you're eating the rest of the beads, right. Yeah.

That was crazy.

Yeah, so that was mad that she said, that's mad mad mad cow.

Yes, Oh my gosh, but weat but eat how they have snail masks and they have like.

I am all about the snail music.

I'll let all those like Koreans like, I'm like, all right, I am a sucker for that you should see.

Like my bathroom. It's like I've taken over the medicine cabinet. All my drawers filled with like what I cream, what sea?

What?

You know?

I just like and I feel like your skin gets used to something and then it stops working.

So I feel like I need to switch it up all the time.

But you have such great skin.

I tell you I've been working on it. Really.

Used to be the girl that would be like Hawaiian tropic zero on my face. I yes, and I'm like, oh, the smell of it, and but I would like cry my face and I would look like a lobster. And I'm like, if I can do this, and my face feels a little crunchy, I'm like, yes, that's what I'm

On my face, you know, like just scrub it.

Cuny buff puff. Were those wait, it's.

Like not a you know, like a like a scrubby for your face.

Not like a loofah that'd be too rough.

No, it's it's it was called It's called I remember the name right, And I still like I folly all the time, every time I'm in the shower.

I'm an idea girl, so I love to think of new things. So beef fat could be a thing, though ambrel, it could be that.

It could be the thing is though it is. It has such an intense smell. It really smells like, you know, a roast beef dinner you're putting on your.

Face exactly when when? What are you talking about?

Like?

Is that a bad thing?

The way your kitchen smells great when I'm cooking my pottafo and everyone's like, what is that? We just want to inhale it? Wishould it was a candle? It could now be in in your bathroom?

Wat?

Can we can we go in? Can we do a line of this?

Sure? And then we could also do a chicken one, you know a smell a schmaltz mask.

Oh, I love that, Yes, And then I guess we could have like a vegetable fat one.

It wouldn't be as fun. We have t PC some.

Point we have the snail one for the French people.

Oh there's wait, this is an endless line. This could go on and on.

Tell look at you and I let's let's coordinate.

Oh my gosh. Food is the way to your stomach, but it's also the way to great skin.

We okay, yeah, that collagen mare, And I tell you it's.

Not food is not just my g spot, it's my face spot.

No, I can do better, I promise you. Right.

Well, we'll keep workshopping that one.

Okay, great, perfect, perfect.

Oh. I had one more question I want to ask you, and then I promise I'm gonna let you go. So you were talking about your cake the buty made and so you said zucchini and an olive oil and so savory cakes. Do you feel like save it could be next level savory? Like do you think and I know there's meat pies, but like meat cakes, just put short wayb into a cake is.

What I'm asking. That's all I want to know.

You know, I feel like, you know, there's the whole world of like savory pies and stuff like.

Chicken pie cakes, that kind of stuff. Cakes I don't know so much about. I guess see when it comes to dessert. I'm not.

I don't like things that are super sweet. I mean I like things that are like sort of minimally sweet.

I don't know.

I think about like how the texture of it would be, how it hmm m.

Well, you've given me a lot to think about here, tories.

Oh my gosh, you know I just stump the amazing chef An Burrell. Well, I made you ponder for a second. I disarmed you out of.

The box ideas that I'm like, yeah, I like it.

You know, you mentioned short ribs at your wedding and then you talked about those cakes. I was like, oh, this sounds so good because I'm not you give me savory or sweet. I'm always going to take savory. I'm not a sweet girl, except sour stuff. And then I was like, you said short ribs. I was like, oh my gosh, you said zucchini cake. And I was just like, I wonder if you could put finely.

Shredded short ribs. I mean, I guess it could be. I mean, can we work on this recipe.

You could totally do it.

I think you just have to. I really have to think about and play around with like sort of the texture of it, how much meat would be in there?

What you know, like how that would all work?

And then because baking is a science, so you do have to go back to the k or you.

Know, would you serve it with gravy? Then you know kind of like this is where my mind goes. Would you put vegetables in it to.

Kind of thing? Yeah, I don't know. I'm sure you could totally do it.

I just tried to think about like what that final product would end up being, and I would have to I would have to noodle on that and play around with it a bit.

Food for thought, ambro definitely literally, I love it.

I'll leave you on that, Okay, Oh my gosh, thank you so much for being on here.

I could I feel like I could talk to you all day and night.

I know, I know, and I'm like, I can't believe you've never met. I feel like brand new but already old friends.

I like that sometimes those are the best.

Right exactly.

Well, thank you so much for having me. I have to say I loved it, and I've been a fan of yours for years and years, and I love to see you doing well and just living your best life.

That makes it.

Oh my gosh, thank you so much. I'm so excited to see your new show, Gray.

Like to see it. Would you say, did you say March eighteenth?

March eighteenth, yes?

Awesome?

All right, perfect? This was so fun, lovely. Thank you so much for having me.

I love you, em b real Okay