Itzhak Perlman

Summary

Be My Guest with Ina Garten – Itzhak Perlman

Episode Date: November 2, 2025
Host: Ina Garten
Guest: Itzhak Perlman, legendary violinist and conductor
Podcast: Food Network

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Episode Overview

In this heartwarming and humorous episode, Ina Garten welcomes the iconic violinist and conductor Itzhak Perlman to her East Hampton barn for a day filled with cooking, laughter, and rich personal stories. Their conversation weaves together themes of food, family, tradition, music, and resilience—punctuated with memorable anecdotes from Perlman’s extraordinary career and insights into the connections between culinary and musical artistry.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Welcoming Itzhak Perlman (01:32–07:19)

• Ina introduces Itzhak: Sharing his background, achievements, and her excitement about his visit.
• Potato Galettes (Latkes) Cooking Demo: Ina prepares a potato galette with smoked salmon, connecting it to Perlman’s childhood flavors.
• Perlman’s Culinary Role at Home:
  • Perlman describes cooking for his family after his wife, Toby, “retired” from the kitchen.
  • Perlman’s playful cooking style: “Little bit more breadcrumbs. I’m very, very much exact. … Since then, I see no more recipe. I’m gonna do something that’s called logic.” (08:05)

Food Memories and Family Traditions (07:19–10:14)

• Latkes and Smoked Salmon:
  • Ina and Perlman share the galette, reminiscing about latkes, discussing favorite types of smoked salmon, and how tastes differ within family traditions.
  • Memorable exchange:
    • Perlman: “Salmon’s pretty good, too. But you had nothing to do with that.”
    • Ina: “I smoked it myself. … I like drier salmon.”
    • Perlman: “My favorite salmon is on the opposite. I like it fatty and not salty.” (09:35–09:49)

The Ed Sullivan Show and Coming to America (12:37–15:22)

• Breakthrough at Age 13:
  • Perlman speaks about auditioning for the Ed Sullivan Show and being discovered in Israel despite not owning a TV at the time.
  • Perlman: “I thought I was a pretty obvious choice. I played pretty well.” (13:30)
  • Moving to New York with his mother, learning to adapt, hunting for kosher food, and developing a taste for “very American lunch” (hot dogs and french fries). (14:33–15:10)
• First Encounter with the Violin:
  • Perlman recounts how, at three, he became captivated by the sound of the violin, asking for one: “Automatic. … It’s what you hear, and you’re just making it real.” (15:56)

The Value of Classical Music & Teaching (16:01–17:37)

• Why Classical Music Still Matters:
  • “It’s like learning history. That’s where we came from.” (16:09)
  • Perlman compares learning classical music to foundational cooking:
    • Ina: “It’s like learning how to make a roast chicken … the simplest.” (16:23)
    • Perlman: “During exams at Juilliard … we ask them to give us an unaccompanied Bach. … It humbles you.” (16:29)
• On Teaching Style:
  • “Don’t play the music—talk the music… Now you have to say something.” (17:02)
  • Perlman illustrates the difference between reciting and truly communicating emotion through music.

High-Profile Performances and Staying Grounded (17:37–19:33)

• From the White House to Billy Joel:
  • Perlman shares the nerves (and fun) of recording with Billy Joel and the honor of playing for presidents.
  • “With Billy Joel? Of course!” (17:43)
• Playing Schindler’s List:
  • Perlman tells the charming story of John Williams’s invitation:
    • “‘Itzhak, it’s John ... I hear a violin. Would you do that?’… I said, well, let me think about it.” (18:22)
    • Toby Perlman (his wife) insists he must accept: “You said you’re gonna think about it. Are you crazy?”
    • “The theme from Schindler’s List, I play it in every recital that I give. … It’s very simple, but there is poignant.” (18:22–19:33)

The Influence of Family and Looking Forward (19:36–21:14)

• Who Believed in Perlman Most:
  • “I would have to say my wife, because I really trust her. … when she says it was okay, then I know it was just all right. But when she’s saying that was really something… I know that she means that.” (19:42)
• Favorite Comfort Food:
  • Perlman recalls his mother’s “Suez Canal”—mashed potatoes with a well of goulash and gravy: “Would you like a Suez Canal today?” (20:24–20:50)
• Memories of Passover and Gefilte Fish:
  • Humorous take on childhood food memories; Perlman’s mother’s “reek of gefilte fish” (sweet Polish style):
    • “I cannot stand gefilte fish that’s not sweet.” (22:17)
    • “Onion and pepper and sweet and sugar … with jelly thing … she would take the carp and … stuff the skin of the carp.” (22:40)

Cooking Together: Scrambled Eggs with Caramelized Onions (21:14–27:08)

• Sharing the Cooking Process:
  • Ina plays sous chef as Perlman makes scrambled eggs, emphasizing ample butter and careful technique.
  • “The trick is, the more butter, the—” “The more butter, the better.” (21:46)
  • Chef’s tip: “The beauty about the scrambled eggs is not to overcook it. … Sometimes I take it off the fire and just cook it like that.” (25:46)
• Food & Travel:
  • Perlman discusses keeping kosher at home but being flexible on the road, indulging in Indian food because his wife dislikes it. (26:18–26:42)
  • On concert days, he prefers a light lunch and snacks later, with simple green room provisions.

Sweet Endings & Dessert (30:15–33:08)

• Strawberries Romanoff:
  • Ina prepares the classic dessert and explains its surprising Hollywood origin.
  • Playful banter:
    • Perlman: “As long as you don’t mix the Romanoff with the scrambled eggs, I think we have a good chance of something.” (30:23)
    • Perlman, folding cream: “I’m just gonna eat this whole thing.” (31:50)
    • Ina: “I think we need to rename this after my favorite prince—Strawberries Perlman. How’s that?” (32:59)
• Favorite Desserts:
  • Perlman loves simple cakes, seven layer cake, yellow cake with milk chocolate icing, and his daughter’s creations.
• Tasting Moment:
  • Perlman: “It’s like a concert, you know, It’s a one time experience.” (32:55)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Adapting Recipes:
  “Since then, I see no more recipe. I’m gonna do something that’s called logic.” —Itzhak Perlman (08:05)

• On The Sound of the Violin:
  “Automatic. … It’s what you hear, and you’re just making it real.” —Itzhak Perlman (15:56)

• Classical Music’s Value:
  “Because it’s … like learning history. That’s where we came from.” —Itzhak Perlman (16:09)

• Teaching Philosophy:
  “Don’t play the music—talk the music… Now you have to say something.” —Itzhak Perlman (17:02)

• On Schindler’s List:
  “‘Itzhak, it’s John. … I hear a violin. Would you do that?’ … The theme from Schindler’s List, I play it in every recital … It’s very simple, but there is poignant.” —Itzhak Perlman (18:22–19:33)

• On Goulash Memories:
  “My mother used to make a dish … we called it the Suez Canal—plate full of mashed potatoes, a thing in the middle … goulash in the middle with gravy.” —Itzhak Perlman (20:29)

• On Food and Culinary Technique:
  “The trick is, the more butter, the better.” —Itzhak Perlman and Ina Garten (21:46)

• On Dessert:
  “I think we need to rename this after my favorite prince—Strawberries Perlman.” —Ina Garten (32:59)

• On Living in the Moment:
  “It’s like a concert, you know. It’s a one time experience.” —Itzhak Perlman (32:55)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Ina introduces Perlman/fishcakes/biography: 01:32–06:15
• Perlman arrives and reflects on family cooking: 06:15–09:06
• First memories of the violin and early career: 12:44–16:01
• Classical music and pedagogy: 16:01–17:37
• High-profile performances & Schindler’s List story: 17:37–19:33
• The importance of family and remembered flavors: 19:36–21:14
• Scrambled eggs and food traditions: 21:14–27:20
• Food on tour and performance rituals: 26:16–27:12
• Making and eating Strawberries Romanoff: 30:15–32:59
• Dessert discussion and reflections: 32:59–33:08

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Episode Highlights

• Generous portions of humor—Perlman’s playful wit shines, especially around food and family.
• Vivid childhood stories of growing up in Israel, immigrating to New York, and learning resilience through music and food traditions.
• Practical culinary insights—from the best way to cook eggs (“the more butter, the better”) to the magic of remembered flavors and the joys of improvisational cooking.
• Musical wisdom—the vital importance of classical music, storytelling through melody, and the humility required to teach and perform at the highest level.
• Touching tributes to family, especially Toby Perlman—her influence, honesty, and support.

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For Listeners Who Haven’t Tuned In

This episode is a joyful blend of food, music, and laughter—a portrait not just of Itzhak Perlman’s towering talent but his humanity and warmth. Ina Garten orchestrates a conversation that’s both comforting and inspiring, peppered with practical life advice, behind-the-scenes stories, and the shared nostalgic flavors that define the good life.

Transcript

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[Itzhak Perlman]

You look the same.

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[Itzhak Perlman]

Especially me.

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[Ina Garten]

I'm Ina Garten. I love to invite interesting people to my house for good food, great conversation and lots of fun. The legendary violin virtuoso and conductor Itzhak Perlman is joining me for a wonderful day at the barn. I'm welcoming him with a potato galette with smoked salmon. So is this enough for two of us? Barely. We're talking about surprise calls.

[Itzhak Perlman]

A film made by Steven Spielberg, a score by John Williams, and you're gonna think about it.

[Ina Garten]

We're cooking the musical superstars. Scrambled eggs with caramelized onions. That looks gorgeous. And my sweet strawberries, Romanoff.

[Itzhak Perlman]

It's like a concert, you know. It's a one time experience.

[Ina Garten]

Be my guest. Be my guest.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Be my guest. Guest, guest.

[Ina Garten]

Today is gonna be an amazing day. The renowned musician Yitzhak Perlman is coming to spend the day with me. How did this happen? I can't wait. And I understand he has a great sense of humor and he cooks, so I just thought I'd make something that was like a remembered flavor for him. I'm making potato galettes, which is kind of like potato pancakes with smoked salmon. I'm starting with one russet potato that I peeled and julienned. You can do it by hand, or you can use a mandolin like I did. It's so much easier. And then just season it with salt and pepper. I pat these dry with paper towels to make sure they're really dry, and it makes a crispier galette. Okay. Into the pan. So it's an 8 inch saute pan, just goes into a little canola oil just like this. I'm just gonna take a spatula and press it down so it makes a nice galette. And this is gonna cook for five minutes, completely undisturbed. And while that happens, let me tell you about my fabulous guest. Superstar violinist and conductor Yitzhak Perlman was born in tel Aviv in 1945. Despite contracting polio, he began to learn the violin when he was 4 years old and a year later earned a place at the Tel Aviv Music Academy. In 1958, when he was just 13, he gained national recognition in the United States by performing on the Ed Sullivan television show. And that same year, he moved to New York to attend the Juilliard School. In 1963, he made his American debut with the National Orchestra association of New York, and he hasn't looked back. Itzhak played at the US Capitol for President Obama's inauguration to 40 million TV viewers, and also at the White House State Dinner in honor of Queen Elizabeth ii. He has played the violin on film scores, including the Academy Award winning movies, Schindler's List and Memoirs of Bigisha. He also has conducted for the New York and LA Philharmonics, plus the Chicago and San Francisco symphonies, just to name a few. Itzhak has been granted a Presidential Medal of Freedom, a National Medal of Arts, and a Medal of Liberty. He has 16 Grammy Awards, four Emmys, a Kennedy Center Honor, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and a Genesis Prize. He's also an incredible teacher and a mentor to gifted young string players at the Perelman Music program, founded in 1994 by his wife, Toby. He has taught every summer since the program started. Itzhak and Toby have five children, 12 grandchildren, and live just around the corner in East Hampton. I just can't wait for him to get here. Okay. The galettes cook for five minutes. What I'm going to do is put a little butter around the edge and just let it cook for another three minutes, because you can never have too much butter, Right? And then I'm gonna flip it. The extra few minutes means it gets really crispy. So when the time's up, I'll loosen the galette gently around the edge before flipping it. Okay. Here goes. Perfect. And nicely browned on the bottom. Now I'll drizzle another tablespoon of melted unsalted butter around the edge and cook the second side until it's nicely brown, about four minutes. Okay. I'm just gonna put it on a plate with a paper towel just to drain off any oil. And then I'm gonna make it even better. I'm gonna put some creme fraiche on top, just about 2 tablespoons. This is gonna be so good. I love the hot galette with a cold creme fraiche. And just spread it out on top. And then I'm gonna put smoked salmon on top. And you can put it flat on top. But I kind of like to do little ribbons of it. Looks better. Okay. Just a little chive, little salt. It's amazing how something this simple can look this good. And it's ready for Yitzhak.

[Itzhak Perlman]

I'm on my way to Ina's. I'm very, very excited. I've always seen her on tv, and now I'm supposed to cook for her, and I'm a little nervous. So wish me luck. So this is it. We have arrived at Aina's. Here we go.

[Ina Garten]

It's. I'm so happy to meet you.

[Itzhak Perlman]

It's finally, finally, finally. After all these years, you live around.

[Ina Garten]

The corner for 35 years and I've never seen you.

[Itzhak Perlman]

That's right. That's right.

[Ina Garten]

How exciting is this? I was afraid I was going to burst into tears when you.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Oh, no, no.

[Ina Garten]

You have that effect on women. I'm sure.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Thanks a lot.

[Ina Garten]

Come with me. I have something for you.

[Itzhak Perlman]

I see Something amazing. Did you have anything to do with.

[Ina Garten]

I made it for you. I had no idea you didn't know anyone to cook.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Did you make the galette?

[Ina Garten]

I made the latte. But you and I know it's what it really is, right?

[Itzhak Perlman]

Latkes. Latkes.

[Ina Garten]

Latkes, yes, exactly.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Well, that looks.

[Ina Garten]

So is this enough for two of us? Barely.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Barely.

[Ina Garten]

So I think I'll cut it like this. Cut it. And then we'll each have, like, two pieces, right?

[Itzhak Perlman]

Right. Absolutely.

[Ina Garten]

So you cook A lot.

[Itzhak Perlman]

I cook. You know, my wife, Toby, she decided one day, about two or three years ago that she says, I'm retiring. I'm not cooking.

[Ina Garten]

Seriously?

[Itzhak Perlman]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Ina Garten]

So the only way you're gonna feed everybody.

[Itzhak Perlman]

We have five children.

[Ina Garten]

Yeah.

[Itzhak Perlman]

When you think about cooking every day, it's a big deal.

[Ina Garten]

It's a big deal.

[Itzhak Perlman]

So I've been cooking, you know, a lot. I've been doing dinner and so on and so forth.

[Ina Garten]

I actually have a little bone to pick with you. You did cooking videos during the pandemic?

[Itzhak Perlman]

Yes.

[Ina Garten]

You trying to put me out of business?

[Itzhak Perlman]

Remind me what I remember.

[Ina Garten]

There was one. I can't remember what it was, but for measuring, you decided to use the back of a fork to get the breadcrumbs into the pan. No measurements at all.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Little bit more breadcrumbs. I'm very, very much exact. The only time that I cooked from a recipe, I remember a long, long time ago. My wife wasn't feeling well, so I said, I'll cook for you. So I took out the recipe. I remember it was a wonderful, great Italian that was said, I'm gonna make you tortellini with tomato sauce.

[Ina Garten]

Sounds Fabulous.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Fantastic. First of all, my tortellini was like balloons.

[Ina Garten]

You made the tortellini?

[Itzhak Perlman]

Yes, yes. From that. Well, no, no. Let me correct you. I tried to make the tortellini. It was my first effort. And then there was the sauce. So I presented it to Toby, and that's a little strong. Then I realized that the recipe was for four people, and I used the same Ingr. Two people, especially the spices. And since then, I see no more recipe. I'm gonna do something that's called logic. You know, you're not gonna take something.

[Ina Garten]

It really works.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Well, I can't wait to do. Should I. Shall we? Absolutely. So are we doing like this, or.

[Ina Garten]

Are we gonna do it with our hands?

[Itzhak Perlman]

I think so. Oh, yes.

[Ina Garten]

That's the only menchie way to eat a potato latkes right now.

[Itzhak Perlman]

You know what's wonderful about this potato thing is that there is a crunch, but in the middle, there is a softness that gives it the taste of the potato. Because sometimes it's all crunch. Yeah, but this is combination. Both. One more bite.

[Ina Garten]

I'm so glad he likes it.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Salmon's pretty good, too. But you had nothing to do with that.

[Ina Garten]

I smoked it myself. You know, the salmon is. I like drier salmon, so it's like Norwegian salmon or Scottish salmon. It's a little drier, and I think.

[Itzhak Perlman]

It'S better for this because my favorite salmon is on the opposite. I like it fatty and not salty and not salty. Really not salty. And it's usually when you put in the refrigerator you do fatty and not salty. After a while it gets a little salty. You know when it's so always I want not salty because when it's just right becomes too salty for me anyway. That's just me.

[Ina Garten]

Everybody has an opinion about salad.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Yeah.

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[Itzhak Perlman]

Oh, yes.

[Ina Garten]

I have so much to talk to you about. Music, food, so many subjects. I can't wait.

[Itzhak Perlman]

All right. I'm at your disposable disposal, Dude.

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[Itzhak Perlman]

You look the same.

[Ryan Reynolds]

But with this camera, everything looks better.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Especially me.

[Ina Garten]

You haven't changed your hair in 15 years.

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[Itzhak Perlman]

Are you.

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[Ina Garten]

I'm here with Itzhak Perlman, musician, conductor, teacher, and famous cook. I understand.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Sort of in my own house. I'm famous.

[Ina Garten]

That's good. And a comedian.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Not quite.

[Ina Garten]

And I have so much to talk to him about. So in 1958, you were 13 years old and there was a competition for the Ed Sullivan show in Israel. How did you even know about the competition? Did you have a tv?

[Itzhak Perlman]

No, no, no, no. It was. First of all, there was no TV at that time.

[Ina Garten]

Yeah, I don't think I had a tv.

[Itzhak Perlman]

But everybody knew that he was sending emissaries. He didn't come himself to begin with. There was a competition in Israel, and of course, he was the master of the variety show. Right. So anybody who did anything that was unusual auditioned. And so I made it to the finals. And the finals, that's when he himself arrived in Israel.

[Ina Garten]

And so he chose you?

[Itzhak Perlman]

Yeah, and then I was, I thought, a pretty obvious choice. I played pretty well.

[Ina Garten]

You know, for 13 years, I've seen you played pretty well. It's the understatement of.

[Itzhak Perlman]

I was a little chubby.

[Ina Garten]

Yeah.

[Itzhak Perlman]

I was walking with crutches. So the whole thing was a very nice package for him, I suppose.

[Ina Garten]

But you probably didn't understand why that that was going to be the change in your life, because somebody discovered you.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Well, that was. Yeah, that was a way that, you know, when you're in a small country like Israel, you know, the dream of everybody is to go, they call it, which is to go and complete yourself abroad. So it was either Europe or the United States. So that was a way of getting to the Juilliard School. And then, as a result of the Ed Sullivan show, it took all the artists who were on this show on the tour, you know, tour of the state. Called it the Ed Sullivan Cavalcade of Stars. We went on a tour, and then afterwards, I got accepted to Juilliard.

[Ina Garten]

Worked pretty well.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Very nicely. Yeah.

[Ina Garten]

So you came to the United States. What was it like living in. I mean, you were 13 years old, living in a totally different country. Did you speak English?

[Itzhak Perlman]

I did not speak English. I missed. I came with my mother first. My father was left in Israel to sort of sell everything and redo Everything so that he could come and join us. So for a year I was in the States just with my mother, and we. You basically were looking all the time for kosher food. She found a place across the street from our hotel and we had hot dogs and French fries every day for lunch. That was it, you know, because that was safe. So, you know, I learned to really adore french fries and hot dogs.

[Ina Garten]

And that's what we had, a very American lunch.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Ina Garten]

This all started with a moment that just knocks me out whenever I think of it. When you were three, you heard on the radio a violin, right. And you decided you wanted to learn how to play the violin.

[Itzhak Perlman]

At three and a half, I got the fiddle. You know, I tried to play something and it sounded like nothing. And so I'm repeating what my parents always told me. So he threw the violin under the bed and he says, I don't want that. So then later on, at the age of five, first, you know, I was contracted with polio and so on. So what happened was that that kind of took a little bit of time and then still wanted to play the violin. So they got me another violin and that it became serious, and then they got me a teacher.

[Ina Garten]

But you connected with that sound immediately. When you were three and a half, you just knew.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Yeah, automatic. It's automatic. It's what you hear, and you're just making it real. Yeah.

[Ina Garten]

In a world where everybody's listening to hip hop and country and rock, why is it important to still learn about classical music?

[Itzhak Perlman]

Because it's. First of all, classical music has proved to be pretty much durable. You know, that's number one. Number two, it is like learning history. That's where we came from.

[Ina Garten]

It's the base.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Exactly.

[Ina Garten]

It's like learning how to make a roast chicken so that you can.

[Itzhak Perlman]

The simplest.

[Ina Garten]

The simplest. So you can really build on it.

[Itzhak Perlman]

During exams, Julia, for example, kids always. We always ask them to give us an unaccompanied Bach. And it's very interesting. It humbles you. Simple, but it's technically difficult and so on. And that's the equivalent, I suppose, of a roast chicken.

[Ina Garten]

I think it's probably like making an omelette. It's the simplest thing because it's probably three eggs and a few ingredients, and it's the hardest thing to make. Well, it's the bond of cooking.

[Itzhak Perlman]

I agree.

[Ina Garten]

I know you love teaching. How would you describe your teaching style?

[Itzhak Perlman]

You know, I always say to them, don't play the music, Talk the music, because everybody can play. I Mean, all this, you know, on a certain level, you can play. I said, it's all right. Playing time is over. Now you have to say something. Or, like, even. Like I said, this morning the sky was full of clouds and the rain was threatening. So if I say, this morning the sky was full of cloud and the rain was threatening, so who cares? But if you say, this morning the sky was full of clouds and the rain was threatening, that's all you have to do. And all of a sudden, everything is more meaningful.

[Ina Garten]

Yeah. So you've played for presidents, world leaders, and even Billy Joel. Did you get nervous?

[Itzhak Perlman]

I mean, with Billy Joel? Of course. You know, I'm taking part in a little recording of his called Down Easter. Alexa. If you hear the violin in the background, it's me. And he is a fantastic artist. So that was a lot of fun. And for president, it's just an honor.

[Ina Garten]

Isn't it wonderful to have something like that, where you just say, wow, you know, where you came from? And to end up there, it's just. You have to take a moment and just say, this is wonderful.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Very, very nice. But you don't want to get arrogant because of that. You want to know exactly where you are.

[Ina Garten]

One of the many wonderful things you've done is play the theme song for Schindler's List. How'd that come about?

[Itzhak Perlman]

Well, it's a nice story, you know, I get a telephone call from some guy by the name of John Williams, and he says, itzhak, it's John. You know, that's a very good imitation, by the way. Hello, Itzhak, it's John. You know, I'm writing this score for this movie, Schindler's List. Do you know it? And I said, no, I don't. And he explained it to me, what it was all about. And he says, and I hear a violin. Would you do that? Would you. Would you pay for the thing? And I said, well, let me think about it. And we hung up. And I told my wife, Toby, you know, he said, you know, he just called me. And she says, you said, you're gonna think about it. Are you crazy? You're gonna see, you know, a film made by Steven Spielberg, a score by John Williamson. You're gonna think about it. I said, oh, well, you know. So the next day, I think a couple of days, I called up, I said, okay, I'll do it. And the theme from Schindler's List, I play it in every recital that I give. And that's the only thing, literally, that people say could you play that? I mean, it's just like sounds like my theme song. You know, it's very simple, but there is poignant.

[Ina Garten]

I love that story.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Yeah.

[Ina Garten]

I have this theory that every successful person has one person who really believes in them. Who is that for you?

[Itzhak Perlman]

I would have to say my wife, because I really trust her. When things are going well, she will tell me when things are sort of okay. I mean, obviously my challenge is when I perform is to make sure that it's not below a certain level. But when it's about that level and it's not above it, she would always say it was okay. And then I know that it was just all right, you know? But when she's saying that was really something. And I'm very happy because I know that she means that she doesn't want to make me feel good.

[Ina Garten]

So what do you look forward to?

[Itzhak Perlman]

Goulash.

[Ina Garten]

I love that answer.

[Itzhak Perlman]

I tell you this story. My mother used to make a dish that we called it the Suez Canal. And the reason that we called it this, it was a plate full of mashed potatoes. And there would be a thing in the middle, and she would put goulash in the middle with gravy. And so she would go, would you like a Suez Canal? Today we go.

[Ina Garten]

So are you making these scrambled eggs with caramelized onions?

[Itzhak Perlman]

I'm going to let you look at it. I'm not showing you anything. You're too good for me to show you anything? Yes.

[Ina Garten]

You know what I learn from everybody?

[Itzhak Perlman]

Oh, that's good. I think it's pretty good. I say my mother actually used to do that. Really? She did a lot of stuff for Passover. You know, she did something else, which we're not doing today because we did not used to have too many eggs that were expensive. So what she did is she made an egg salad and she substituted as part of the egg salad, potatoes. And she would do mashed potatoes, hard boiled eggs, and chicken schmaltz.

[Ina Garten]

You.

[Itzhak Perlman]

And some raw onions. And we would eat that with matzah. So we also make this with matzah.

[Ina Garten]

The remembered flavors are our favorite ones.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Always right. Always try to.

[Ina Garten]

What do you need first?

[Itzhak Perlman]

I need something that is right here.

[Ina Garten]

Okay.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Butter.

[Ina Garten]

Butter. Should I turn this on for you?

[Itzhak Perlman]

Yeah, please.

[Ina Garten]

Okay.

[Itzhak Perlman]

The trick is, the more butter, the.

[Ina Garten]

More butter, the better.

[Itzhak Perlman]

The better. The more butter, the better is. Yes. Oh, absolutely. I want to make sure that the onions are swimming in the butter.

[Ina Garten]

Okay.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Okay. So you might as well put these in.

[Ina Garten]

Shall I do it?

[Itzhak Perlman]

Sure.

[Ina Garten]

You're a sous chef.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Right, Absolutely.

[Ina Garten]

Okay, that's lots of onions. So what other things are your remembered flavors from childhood? Was your mother a good cook?

[Itzhak Perlman]

So she was a good. I mean, she was not a gourmet. Gourmet kind of cook. She.

[Ina Garten]

Nobody was then.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Yeah, she would make, for example, gefilte fish.

[Ina Garten]

Yeah.

[Itzhak Perlman]

When she made gefilte fish, the whole house reeked.

[Ina Garten]

It's not the aroma of gefilte fish, it's the reek of gef.

[Itzhak Perlman]

The reek of gefilte fish. And she made it the Polish way, which is sweet. Oh, so I didn't know that. Oh, yeah, absolutely. I mean, I cannot stand gefilte fish. That's not sweet. And some people think, are you crazy?

[Ina Garten]

How this is sweet with honey?

[Itzhak Perlman]

No, sweet with sugar.

[Ina Garten]

Sugar.

[Itzhak Perlman]

You should. Onion and pepper and sweet and sugar. And then she would do it with the, you know, sliced carrots, you know, and then there would be a jelly thing, you know, and then she would put it in the refrigerator. And that's. In the beginning, she would actually take the carp. It was made from carp. And she would cut the carp and she would take the meat out of the skin and she would stuff the skin of the carp. So you see a piece of the.

[Ina Garten]

Bark with skin around it. Yeah, interesting.

[Itzhak Perlman]

But because today we're just like canal, you know, I mean, you're just head of it. But she used to do this whole thing. And of course, the head. She would stuff the head and she would have that. Because that was the cheapest cutting. We didn't have any money, so that's.

[Ina Garten]

I love that it's canal in French and it's gefilte fish.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Gefilte fisch. Yeah. Or in Yiddish you can say candle. And I have a kennel. So. Anyway.

[Ina Garten]

So will you tell me a story? I've heard a little bit about this, but I just. It's unbelievable about the missing violin. Didn't you get a. Violence stolen sometime? What happened?

[Itzhak Perlman]

I was 18 and was taking part of the competition that the finals was at Carnegie Hall. And I played and then I took the violin and put it in my dressing room and went down to stage level and waiting for the results. And the results came and luckily I won.

[Ina Garten]

Luckily.

[Itzhak Perlman]

And then we went up to my room and the fiddle was gone. And Toby had said, I saw some guy in a raincoat, you know, going up and down with a fiddle. And it didn't occur to me.

[Ina Garten]

What kind of a violin was it?

[Itzhak Perlman]

The violin was a guarneri. Which is one of the great fiddles, was on loan for me from the Juilliard School. And so he took it and there was a pawn shop near Carnegie Hall. He gave it to the pawn shop. It was in my case with two bows. But the guy looked and said, two bows? Okay, I'll give you 15 bucks. And so the next day, this thing was in the front page of the New York Times, below the fold, but still in the front page of the New York Times. And the pawnbroker looked at it and he says, I think I have that figure.

[Ina Garten]

Oh, that this Guarnerian had gotten stolen.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Yeah. So he called the Juilliard School and then they recovered it. So it was a one day affair, but it was very exciting.

[Ina Garten]

And all's well that ends well.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Yeah, that's right.

[Ina Garten]

Okay, put me to work. You need eggs.

[Itzhak Perlman]

All right, I need eggs. Give me about six eggs. Eggs.

[Ina Garten]

Okay.

[Itzhak Perlman]

I need them to be done. Oh, you're doing it so beautifully.

[Ina Garten]

Thank you very much. I have 40 years of experience cracking.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Eggs, so six, I think, should be fine.

[Ina Garten]

Okay. Am I beating these or are you.

[Itzhak Perlman]

I want to do something.

[Ina Garten]

You have special technique.

[Itzhak Perlman]

I want to do something. I'm not wearing an apron, so I better do it very carefully.

[Ina Garten]

Otherwise you're going to be wearing things.

[Itzhak Perlman]

I'm going to be. Yeah. All right. So you can hold on to this. Now what I need.

[Ina Garten]

What do you need?

[Itzhak Perlman]

Some salt. Now, let's see. Let's put this thing. Are you ready for the big thing?

[Ina Garten]

But I feel like I need a drum roll here. Maybe a whole orchestra.

[Itzhak Perlman]

All right, finish.

[Ina Garten]

Thank you. So how about if I slice some bread while you do that?

[Itzhak Perlman]

Absolutely. But the thing is that it'll be ready before you know it.

[Ina Garten]

Okay, I'm gonna. I'm slicing fast. How's that?

[Itzhak Perlman]

Before you know it. The beauty about of the scrambled eggs is not to overcook it. Sometimes I take it off the fire and just cook it like that.

[Ina Garten]

Well, that's how the French cook eggs at a very low heat so that it cooks slowly. If it cooks too fast, it just gets tough.

[Itzhak Perlman]

That's right. There's nothing worse than, you know, sometimes you go to a hotel and they give you a whole thing of eggs.

[Ina Garten]

Yeah. And they're just like, hard as a rock.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Rubbery, you know, Rubbery. You can go and play tennis on the eggs. They bounce beautifully.

[Ina Garten]

So when you're on the road, how do you.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Do you keep kosher on the road? Not really.

[Ina Garten]

You have a little lax rules. What do you like to eat on the road when you, like, say anything.

[Itzhak Perlman]

I can because we have kosher at the house, so anything that's not kosher.

[Ina Garten]

I won't tell Toby.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Don't use it. Don't use it. You know, I like a lot of stuff. Toby does not like Indian food. So I eat a lot of Indian food when I'm on the road.

[Ina Garten]

That's great. That's really smart.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Ina Garten]

When I'm giving a talk, I always hate to eat before. I always prefer to eat afterwards. Are you the same way or do you feel like.

[Itzhak Perlman]

No, I'm much more nervous talking than he is today. On the day of a concert, I eat like maybe a late lunch and then nothing.

[Ina Garten]

Oh, that's good.

[Itzhak Perlman]

And then usually they give me stuff, you know, in the green room. In the green room. They give you, you know, just terrible stuff. No, sometimes it's pretty good.

[Ina Garten]

And sometimes, I mean, it's delicious, but it's not exactly vegetables and protein.

[Itzhak Perlman]

No, they give you. I ask for bananas and fruits and stuff like that. Yeah, that's right. All right, I think we're ready.

[Ina Garten]

That's fabulous.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Do you believe this?

[Ina Garten]

Okay, let's see if the toast is ready.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Yeah.

[Ina Garten]

And the toast is ready, too.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Yeah.

[Ina Garten]

Okay.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Okay, so we're ready.

[Ina Garten]

Oh, do you want to put it. Oh, you want to put it next to the bread?

[Itzhak Perlman]

Next to the bread.

[Ina Garten]

That looks gorgeous. And so easy to do.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Yeah.

[Ina Garten]

Especially if you have a famous violinist.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Exactly. Let's see. Is it any good? Pretty good.

[Ina Garten]

It's pretty good. It's fabulous. And it's so simple. It's butter, onions and eggs.

[Itzhak Perlman]

And this goes well with matcha. Or with bread.

[Ina Garten]

Or with bread. I think it's just great on its own. Oh, my God. It's just perfect. And now I'm going to return the favor. Yeah, I'm going to make you strawberries Romanoff. But they're never going to be as good as this. Eggs.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Well, because they will not taste the same. I hope.

[Ina Garten]

I hope not.

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Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson star in Die My Love, a ferocious portrait of a woman engulfed by love and madness. Lawrence and Pattinson play a passionate couple who, after moving to an isolated house in the country, find their relationship unraveling following the birth of their first child. Vanity Fair hails Lawrence's performance as astonishing and and time calls it the kind of performance you go to the movies for. From director Lynne Ramsey. Die My Love is Only in theaters November 7th. Rated R.

[Ina Garten]

Yitzchak showed me how to make his scrambled eggs with caramelized onions, which are so good. So in return, I'm making strawberries Romanoff for him.

[Itzhak Perlman]

As long as you don't mix the Romanov with the scrambled eggs, I think we have a good chance of something.

[Ina Garten]

That's a deal.

[Itzhak Perlman]

I can't wait.

[Ina Garten]

I'm going to show you how good it is. It's really simple. So we're cutting up strawberries. You know, the funny thing about Strawberries Romanoff is it sounds like it's from like the Russian czars, doesn't it? It turns out there was a guy in Hollywood that had a restaurant, he called himself Prince Romanoff. I don't think he was anywhere from.

[Itzhak Perlman]

New Jersey or something.

[Ina Garten]

He was probably from New Jersey and he used to make this, but it's still delicious. I need orange juice. Right there. Pour it right in.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Pour in. Orange juice right there.

[Ina Garten]

Right in.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Oops.

[Ina Garten]

And if you want to go crazy, you can always use orange liqueur. But we'll use orange juice and then a little bit of sugar.

[Itzhak Perlman]

How much?

[Ina Garten]

Just. It's a quarter of a cup.

[Itzhak Perlman]

The whole thing?

[Ina Garten]

Whole thing.

[Itzhak Perlman]

All right.

[Ina Garten]

Right in. Voila. Just. I'm gonna mix it up like this and then I let it marinate. Okay. So next is the topping. So first I'm gonna make sour cream, brown sugar, and a little vanilla. This is the proman method of measuring. Okay, good. So that's heavy cream that I whipped with confectioner's sugar. You want to send it over here?

[Itzhak Perlman]

Oh, absolutely.

[Ina Garten]

And then what I'm going to do is because it's not rich enough, I'm going to put the sour cream mixture into the heavy cream and mix it. Fold it in and fold it.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Fold it out. Yes.

[Ina Garten]

You knew. Okay, I'm going to fold. You want to fold it in?

[Itzhak Perlman]

Sure, I'd love to fold it in.

[Ina Garten]

Okay. And so doesn't that look good? It smells just a little, you know, forget the strawberry.

[Itzhak Perlman]

I'm just gonna eat this whole thing.

[Ina Garten]

That's the highest compliment. Ugh. It's just perfect. Yeah, so I like to put it in martini glasses.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Oh, really?

[Ina Garten]

How's that? What's your favorite dessert besides strawberries?

[Itzhak Perlman]

Romanoff seven layer cake.

[Ina Garten]

Oh, really? Oh, good.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Or some of my daughter's cakes. They're very good, but I. Oh, your.

[Ina Garten]

Daughter makes great cakes, doesn't she?

[Itzhak Perlman]

I like a simple cake. I like yellow cake.

[Ina Garten]

I like pound cake.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Yeah. Pound cake with white.

[Ina Garten]

Yeah, it's the best.

[Itzhak Perlman]

With milk chocolate icing. Ooh, you know, I like that.

[Ina Garten]

Okay, I'm just gonna put a dollop on each dessert. A dollop.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Dollop.

[Ina Garten]

That's an exact, exact amount.

[Itzhak Perlman]

I like a dollop.

[Ina Garten]

See if I can do the perfect dollop for you.

[Itzhak Perlman]

You know, there's a large perfection here. It's called volume.

[Ina Garten]

How's that?

[Itzhak Perlman]

Oh, that looks.

[Ina Garten]

Does that look like I'm a good dollop for you?

[Itzhak Perlman]

Oh, yeah.

[Ina Garten]

Gentlemen, start your engines.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Oh, my God. All right.

[Ina Garten]

I hope you love it.

[Itzhak Perlman]

I will. I'm not saying anything. I'm holding my prince. Enjoying it. Oh, my God.

[Ina Garten]

I would say that's a compliment.

[Itzhak Perlman]

It's like a concert, you know, It's a one time experience.

[Ina Garten]

I think we need to rename this after my favorite prince Strawberries Perlman. How's that?

[Itzhak Perlman]

I think it's a great idea.

[Ina Garten]

I'm so glad.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Absolutely. A great idea. No, this is absolutely wonderful. Thank you so much.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Dude, did you order the new iPhone 17 Pro? Got it from Verizon, the best 5G network in America. I never looked so good.

[Itzhak Perlman]

You look the same, but with this.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Camera, everything looks better.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Especially me.

[Ina Garten]

You haven't changed your hair in 15 years.

[Itzhak Perlman]

Selfies check, please.

[Mint Mobile/Verizon Announcer]

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[Movie Trailer Announcer]

Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson star in Die My Love, a ferocious portrait of a woman engulfed by love and madness. Lawrence and Pattinson play a passionate couple who, after moving to an isolated house in the country a find their relationship unraveling following the birth of their first child. Vanity Fair hails Lawrence's performance as astonishing, and Time calls it the kind of performance you go to the movies for. From director Lynn Ramsey, Die My Love is Only in theaters November 7th.

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[Itzhak Perlman]

Acast powers the world's best podcasts Here's a show that we recommend.

[Ina Garten]

Hi, I'm Joanna Coles.

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And I'm Michael Wolff.

[Ina Garten]

No other modern American president has impacted.

[Itzhak Perlman]

The world like Donald Trump.

[Ina Garten]

To understand his mercurial whims, we dive deep inside Trump's head.

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[Ina Garten]

So search for Inside Trump's Head wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes are released three times a week on all major podcast platforms. Or tune in a day earlier on The Daily Beasts YouTube channel.

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[Itzhak Perlman]

Acast.com.