Be My Guest with Ina Garten

Guest: Ann Patchett
Original Air Date: October 27, 2024
Host: Ina Garten
Episode Summary by Podcast Summarizer

Overview: A Day of Stories, Insights & Shared Plates with Ann Patchett

In this delightful episode, Ina Garten welcomes acclaimed author and beloved independent bookstore owner Ann Patchett to her East Hampton barn for a celebration of friendship, storytelling, and inspired cooking. Over homemade cherry clafouti and a collaborative riff on the iconic Charlie Bird salad, the two women share reflections on creativity, forging unconventional lives, and the joys of good food. The episode flows seamlessly between intimate conversation and practical kitchen wisdom, peppered with laughter, honest moments, and a mutual admiration that sets a warm, inviting tone throughout.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. A Cherry Clafouti for Tom Lake

00:13–06:08

• Ina introduces Ann by preparing cherry clafouti, inspired by Patchett’s latest novel, Tom Lake, which is set in a cherry orchard (01:44).
• Ina demonstrates her easy blender method for the dessert, sharing tips (“How easy is this? Right?” — 03:10) and the clever cheat of using melted vanilla ice cream as crème anglaise (05:16).
• Ann arrives, charmed by Ina’s kitchen (“I am the luckiest novelist in the country going into the inner sanctum of cookbooks.” — Ann, 05:47) and delighted by the dessert, marveling at its tenderness and “gentle” flavor (07:02).

2. On Choosing Not to Have Children & Living Authentically

07:12–08:36

• Ina and Ann bond over their decision not to have children.
  • Ina: “I like that we didn’t do things because we were supposed to do them. We did them because we chose them. And that really… is what feminism is about.” (07:47)
• Ann confides that Catholic nuns were her childhood role models—independent women choosing their own path (“Original career women…the women who decided not to have children, not to get married and to do what they wanted to do.” — 08:03).
• Both reflect on seeing their work as a calling, deeply influenced by these strong female figures.

3. The Writing Process: Imagination, Research, and the “Ping”

11:32–14:37

• Ann describes her process of carrying stories in her head for years before writing (“I think about a story, maybe for a year, maybe for three years… always thinking, I wonder what she would be doing now…” — 11:38).
• Ina compares this to recipe development, both agreeing on the concept of a creative “ping” that signals when something is right (“I can hear it. Hear that ping. I can hear the ping.” — Ann, 13:11).
• Ann relishes research, from learning about cherries and evolutionary biology for her characters, to shadowing a malarialist at Bethesda Naval Hospital (“People want to be asked questions…they just wanted somebody to talk about mosquitoes all day.” — 14:08).

4. Owning a Bookstore: Unexpected Joys & Business as Creativity

14:37–15:49

• Ann shares the surprise and pleasure she’s found in the business side of Parnassus Books in Nashville (“I had no idea how interested I would be in business.” — 14:51).
• Her goal as an owner: “to make a place where people loved to work. Because I thought, if that’s there, everything else will work.” (15:01)
• Ina echoes her experience finding creativity in business and the joy of building a team.

5. Advice for Writers & Gourmet Adventures

15:43–17:49

• Ann’s advice to young authors: “You need to write because you love it, because you don’t have any idea what else you could possibly do but write.” (15:49)
• Reflects on her nontraditional assignments for Gourmet magazine, including a revealing trip to the Bel Air Hotel where, as a single woman, she wasn’t welcomed (“They were horrible to me because I was a single woman alone.” — 17:00).

6. Early Reading Struggles & the Teacher Who Changed Her Life

17:50–19:22

• Ann reveals she was a “brilliant little faker” who struggled to read as a child due to frequent moves.
• A stern yet devoted nun, Sister Nina, stepped in and taught Ann to read, a transformative experience (“She saved my life. I would have nothing if not for [her].” — 19:20). They’re still in touch, and Ann sees her as a lifelong inspiration.

7. Cooking Together: Charlie Bird Salad & Whole Roasted Cauliflower

19:34–23:05

• Ina and Ann joyfully walk through preparing the Charlie Bird farro salad, exchanging practical advice:
  • On cooking farro, Ina instructs, “You have to cook it just until it’s al dente so it has a little bite…” (21:08).
  • Ann is enthralled by Ina’s salad wisdom (“This is why I am on the show—to learn.” — 21:15).
• Ann shares her spin: a roasted cauliflower inspired by Israeli chef Eyal Shani, describing how to boil “your cruciferous vegetable… up to the cauliflower’s shoulders” before roasting (21:50).
• The chemistry between the two women shines as they joke about anthropomorphizing cauliflower and the importance of texture and freshness, especially mint (“Well, you mint, you can’t grow it in the garden. You have to grow it in a pot. Otherwise it takes over the whole garden.” — Ina, 23:22).

8. The Art and Science of Jammy Eggs

24:00–24:15

• Ina demystifies the now-trendy “jammy egg,” explaining it’s simply a soft-boiled egg with a rebranded name, giving clear instructions for perfect results (“Six and a half minutes. Do you have a watch? I do.” — 24:36).

9. A Shared Meal & Comfort Food

26:04–28:39

• They assemble their salads, Ann slicing her “cauliflower steak” on top while Ina adds her eggs, a drizzle of lemon, and flaky salt.
• As they carry lunch into the garden, Ann admits her replenishing go-to is “salad in a blender” (“I take spinach, kale, carrots, celery, cucumber, always an apple and a lemon, and I stick it all in the blender… and I drink it.” — 28:13), while Ina professes her eternal love for ice cream.
• Both enjoy the fruits of their labor, reveling in the simple pleasure of good company and good food.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Ann Patchett on feminism and role models:
  “You know who my role models were when I was growing up? Nuns.” (07:55)
• On creative process:
  “For me, it is almost tonal… when I’ve written, especially the end of a book… I can hear that ping.” — Ann (12:55)
  “That ping in my head that says, that’s what I was looking for.” — Ina (12:44)
• On research:
  “This is the best part of my job—that I get to say: I want to write about someone who’s an opera singer. Therefore, I am going to learn about opera.” — Ann (13:24)
• On the business of books:
  “I wanted to make a place where people loved to work. Because I thought, if that’s there, everything else will work.” — Ann (15:01)
• On finding her calling:
  “I really saw my work as a calling because that’s the way they talked about it. You’re going to be a writer…that’s your calling. And you’ve got to follow that.” — Ann (08:25)
• On comfort food:
  “Mine’s ice cream. Well, no, I mean, yours is blender vegetables. It’s not food, you know, it’s nourishment.” — Ina (28:39)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:15 — Show begins; Ina introduces Ann Patchett and cherry clafouti
• 06:11 — Ann arrives; warm greetings and dessert tasting
• 07:12 — Discussion: Choosing not to have children; role models and feminism
• 11:32 — The writing process: pre-writing, research, and intuition
• 14:37 — Owning a bookstore and lessons in business
• 15:49 — Advice to young writers; Gourmet magazine assignments and adventures
• 17:50 — Early struggles with reading; Sister Nina’s pivotal role
• 19:34 — Cooking segment: Charlie Bird salad and roasted cauliflower
• 24:00 — Jammy eggs: history and technique
• 26:04 — Assembling and tasting their lunch; comfort food rituals

Tone & Atmosphere

The tone is candid, playful, and full of mutual admiration. Ann’s humor and reflectiveness match perfectly with Ina’s warmth and practical wisdom, making the episode feel like an intimate gathering between friends—generous, inspiring, and delicious.

Summary prepared by Podcast Summarizer – perfect for those who haven’t listened, but want all the flavor of Ina and Ann’s memorable day together.