Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Summary

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Be My Guest with Ina Garten – Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Date: October 6, 2024
Podcast: Food Network

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Episode Overview

In this lively and heartfelt episode, Ina Garten welcomes Emmy-winning actress and comedian Julia Louis-Dreyfus to her Hamptons barn for a day filled with great food, candid conversation, and a healthy dose of laughter. The episode explores Julia’s remarkable career—from Saturday Night Live to Seinfeld and Veep—her love of comedy, family stories, the making of a fabulous chocolate cake, and lessons from her podcast, Wiser Than Me. The chemistry between Ina and Julia makes for a delightful mix of wisdom, warmth, and wit.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Warm Welcome & Setting the Scene

• Ina prepares a French country omelette with bacon, potatoes, and chives in anticipation of Julia’s arrival, demonstrating her signature hosting style (04:16–05:34).
• Julia gifts Ina homemade blood orange marmalade from her first blood orange tree, reflecting both warmth and mutual admiration (07:02).

2. On Podcasting and Authenticity

• Julia discusses the difference between performing as a character and being herself on her podcast Wiser Than Me, highlighting the intimacy and relaxed nature of Zoom interviews:

  “It's not a performance. ... It sort of engenders a kind of intimacy in conversation, which is what we're going for.”
  — Julia Louis-Dreyfus (07:58)

• Ina and Julia joke about always being “camera-ready,” infusing humor into their reflections on authenticity (08:26–08:36).

3. Family, Childhood, and the Roots of Comedy

• Julia shares about her upbringing, navigating divorce at a time when it was less common:

  “My parents were divorced...but I was really raised by my mom and stepfather.”
  — Julia Louis-Dreyfus (12:39)

• Both discuss humor as a family trait:

  “I think it's in my DNA. Certainly in the culture of our family. ... My mother was funny. My grandmother was funny. My dad was very funny.”
  — Julia Louis-Dreyfus (12:03–12:13)

• Julia tells a hilarious childhood story:

  “I stuck raisins up my nose...I inhaled them and we had to go to the emergency room. But it was totally worth it!”
  — Julia Louis-Dreyfus (12:16–12:34)

4. Lessons from SNL and Bouncing Back

• Julia candidly addresses her challenging years at Saturday Night Live:

  “I didn't really succeed in any kind of way there, except to say, I learned by not succeeding.”
  — Julia Louis-Dreyfus (13:12) “I didn't want a tense work environment...If I can't find work that's happy making...I don't think I'm going to do this.”
  — Julia Louis-Dreyfus (13:23)

• The connection with Larry David, born of mutual discontent, led to Seinfeld:

  “We connected through our misery...he was working on that show called the Seinfeld Chronicles.”
  — Julia Louis-Dreyfus (13:58–14:11)

5. The Joy and Challenge of Comedy

• The magic of making people laugh:

  “It's like endorphins you can taste.”
  — Julia Louis-Dreyfus (14:16) “Sharing a laugh with someone is like another kind of language. ... It's just a great way to live life.”
  — Julia Louis-Dreyfus (14:22)

6. Navigating Comedy and Drama

• Both reflect on blending dramatic and comedic elements:

  “Playing a role that's both comedic and dramatic is where I live.”
  — Julia Louis-Dreyfus (14:38) “That's life. ... I hate a movie that's just all one thing. Hate it.”
  — Ina Garten (14:49–14:51)

• On the challenge of finding meaningful, fun work:

  “If you find it, don't let go of it.”
  — Julia Louis-Dreyfus (15:40–15:44)

7. Reflections on Motherhood and Work

• Julia describes the juggle of pregnancy and rising fame during Seinfeld:

  “While I was making Seinfeld...I gave birth to both of my [kids]. Super challenging. ... It really kept all of that in perspective.”
  — Julia Louis-Dreyfus (16:50–17:02) “The first go round, yes, I stood behind things, I carried boxes, etc. By the time I was pregnant the second time, nobody cared. I walked in, I was out to here, and no one said anything.”
  — Julia Louis-Dreyfus (17:07)

8. The Art, Absurdity, and Heart of Veep

• Diving into the role of Selina Meyer:

  “She's in a position of power, but she's not quite there yet...you think you've made it. No, you didn't.”
  — Julia Louis-Dreyfus (17:40–17:46)

• The collaborative, improvisational process behind Veep:

  “It was the most exhilarating experience...a lot of improvisation and goofing around that got folded into the show and it was all caps. Fun, all caps.”
  — Julia Louis-Dreyfus (18:11)

9. Wisdom from 'Wiser Than Me'

• Takeaways from interviewing older women:

  “There's a common thread, and the common thread is complete comfort in their own skin.”
  — Julia Louis-Dreyfus (18:34–18:46)

• The challenges of youth, as noted by Jane Fonda:

  “Jane Fonda said, it's so hard to be young. And I thought, oh, my God, she's so right.”
  — Julia Louis-Dreyfus (19:03–19:09)

• Technical mishaps become memorable podcast moments, with Julia rolling with the chaos (19:12–19:41).

10. Her Father's Unique Art Legacy

• Julia describes her late father’s eclectic, celebrated outsider art collection:

  “My father, I think of him as sort of...a hoarder, but a hoarder of really nice things.”
  — Julia Louis-Dreyfus (20:05) “He has bequeathed the entire collection to the Harlem Children's Zone...we are slowly selling it down to benefit the Harlem Children's Zone.”
  — Julia Louis-Dreyfus (20:49)

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Memorable Kitchen Moments & Recipes

French Country Omelette (04:16–07:26)

• Ina demonstrates classic techniques—crisp bacon, sautéed potatoes in bacon fat, eggs, and chives.
• Julia’s enthusiasm for “the big hat” (the largest slice) and salt is a running joke:

  “You want to just pour the salt on the plate and I’ll eat the salt?”
  — Julia Louis-Dreyfus (07:33)

Chocolate Cake & Icing Tutorial (23:33–32:59)

• Cake Recipe (24:47): Ina walks Julia through her famous chocolate cake, from sifting dry ingredients to combining wet ingredients and baking.

• Buttercream Icing (24:46–27:01): The duo laughs through each step—Julia jokes about drinking butter and “fluffers,” mixing confectioner’s sugar, and melting chocolate.

• Cake Decoration Tips (27:21–32:59):

  • Use parchment under a rotating cake stand for easy cleanup (27:38).
  • Thin icing layer first to avoid crumbs; final smoothing with a warm spatula yields pro results (28:32–30:29).
  • Piping techniques: “stars” and the “shell” method, with Julia learning the rhythm of piping (30:44–32:19).
  • Decorating stories: simple, direct toppings like mandarin oranges or pecans (29:04–29:29).
  • Ina and Julia joke about starting a cake decorating business:

    “Are you gonna go home and start a cake decorating business in your spare time?”
    “Oh, 100%. ... Don’t make me laugh. You’re ruining my cake.”
    — Ina Garten & Julia Louis-Dreyfus (32:19–32:22)

• Tasting and Reactions:

  “First of all, the cake part is off the chain, don’t you think?”
  — Julia Louis-Dreyfus (33:00) “The frosting is yummy to the 10th power. I can’t talk to you. I gotta eat this.”
  — Julia Louis-Dreyfus (33:09)

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Notable Quotes & Funniest Moments

• On Being Real:
  “What’s it like, instead of playing a character, actually being yourself on Wiser Than Me?”
  — Ina Garten (07:40)

• Childhood Humor:
  “I got the last laugh. ... I had a very complicated childhood.”
  — Julia Louis-Dreyfus (12:34)

• Microcosm of Life:
  “Playing a role that's both comedic and dramatic is where I live.”
  — Julia Louis-Dreyfus (14:38)

• On Finding Joy:
  “If you find it, don't let go of it.”
  — Julia Louis-Dreyfus (15:40)

• Life Wisdom:
  “Complete comfort in their own skin—that is very freeing.”
  — Julia Louis-Dreyfus (18:34–18:54)

• On Cake:
  “Don’t make me laugh. You’re ruining my cake!”
  — Julia Louis-Dreyfus (32:22)

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Important Timestamps & Segments

| Time (MM:SS) | Segment | |--------------|------------------------------------------------------| | 04:16–07:26 | Ina prepares omelette; Julia’s gift; breakfast chat | | 07:47–09:14 | Podcasting vs. performance; authenticity | | 12:03–13:01 | Family humor, childhood stories | | 13:12–14:11 | Lessons from SNL, Larry David, move to Seinfeld | | 14:16–15:32 | Humor, endorphins, comedic + dramatic work | | 16:14–17:27 | Career challenges, motherhood & work balance | | 17:27–18:27 | Behind the scenes of Veep | | 18:34–19:12 | Lessons from older women, Jane Fonda episode | | 19:51–21:23 | Father's art collection & giving back | | 23:33–33:09 | Chocolate cake recipe, decorating, tasting |

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Episode Tone and Language

The conversation is energetic, warm, and peppered with quick wit and mutual admiration. Both women share personal anecdotes with humor and candor, offering a blend of culinary curiosity, real-life wisdom, and playful teasing. The episodes’ relaxed atmosphere, laughter, and practical kitchen tips make listeners feel like they’re right at the table.

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Summary

This episode of Be My Guest with Ina Garten offers a delectable mix of genuine conversation, behind-the-scenes stories, and culinary adventure. Julia Louis-Dreyfus shines as a storyteller—unafraid to share both her stumbles and successes. Ina’s kitchen becomes a stage not just for baking but for reflecting on the joys and messiness of life. The highlights: savory French omelette, luscious chocolate cake, and a warm friendship that turns the everyday into something extraordinary.

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Transcript

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

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[Mayra Amit]

A Mochi moment from Mark who writes, I just want to thank you for making GLP1s affordable. What would have been over $1,000 a month is just $99 a month with mochi. Money shouldn't be a barrier to healthy weight. Three months in and I have smaller jeans and a bigger wallet.

[Ina Garten]

You're the best.

[Mayra Amit]

Thanks, Mark. I'm Mayra Amit, founder of Mochi Health. To find your mochi moment, visit joinmochi.com.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Mark is a Mochi compensated for his story?

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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 incredible 11 time Emmy Award winning actor, comedian and producer Julia Louis Dreyfus is coming to the barn. We're sharing a French omelet.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Can I have the big hat?

[Ina Garten]

Talking life, love and laughs.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

It's like endorphins you can taste, then.

[Ina Garten]

We'Re fooling around with frosting.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Don't make me laugh. You're ruining my cake.

[Ina Garten]

Making an amazing chocolate cake and I better watch out. It looks good.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

I'm here to take over.

[Ina Garten]

Be my guest.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

What?

[Ina Garten]

Julia's moved in. My guess is Julia Louis Dreyfus. I mean, who doesn't love her? So I know she likes eggs and I know she likes bacon. So I'm gonna make her my French country omelette. And it starts with four slices of bacon that I've cooked until crisp. I'm just gonna take them out and put them on a plate. And then what I'm gonna do in a little bit of fat that's left, I'm gonna cook some potatoes. I mean, who wouldn't like that? Eggs, potatoes, bacon. Yum. This actually comes from a recipe from a bistro in Paris that I love. Okay. Lots of salt and pepper, and that's going to cook for about eight to 10 minutes, until the potatoes are crispy on the outside and tender. And while they cook, let me tell you about my insanely talented and beloved guest, Julia Louis Dreyfus. The incredible actor, comedian, and producer is one of the greatest performers in TV history, winning 11 Emmys. Born in New York, she divided her time living with her stepfather and mom, a writer, and her French entrepreneur and philanthropist father. Julia studied theater at Northwestern, where she met her husband, fellow comedian Brad hall. At just 21, she was discovered by SNL, the youngest member in history. There she met Larry David, and three years later, she joined him and Jerry Seinfeld to play the beloved character Elaine in Seinfeld, where she won her first Emmy and went on to win a Golden Globe and five Screen Actors Awards. She won her second Emmy for her hit TV series the New Adventures of Old Christine, while picking up a star on the Hollywood Walk of fame. In 2012, the political satire Veep hit our screens, where she played Vice President Selina Mayer, a role she won six consecutive Emmys for. It's no wonder she has received the coveted Mark Twain Prize for American humor. Her range also extends to incredible dramatic roles and in movies such as Enough Said, you Hurt My Feelings, and Tuesday. She lives in California with her husband, Brad, and two sons. I have met Julia virtually on her hugely successful podcast, Wiser Than Me. And I can't wait to meet her in person. She just does it all, doesn't she? She's got comedic roles and dramatic roles and streaming and movies. She's the real deal. She's amazing. Okay, the potatoes are cooked. Nothing like the smell of bacon and potatoes. I'm just gonna put the potatoes on the plate, and now I'm gonna get the eggs ready. So I've got five eggs, just gonna beat them, three tablespoons of milk, lots of salt and pepper. So I'm gonna put a little butter in the pan, just let it melt. Okay. Eggs go in just like that. So next I'm gonna put the potatoes and bacon in, but I wanna mix them up and then a little bit of Chives always looks good. Add a little onion flavor to it. I mean, that looks pretty good, doesn't it? Okay, I'm just gonna put this in the oven. 350 degrees for 8 minutes, just until the eggs are set, and I'll be ready when Julia gets here.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Okay. I am so excited because I'm in the Hamptons and I've been invited to Ina Carton's house to help her make a chocolate cake. She needs my help, guys. She needs my help. Alrighty. So how much are they asking for this place? What if she isn't here? Wouldn't that be hilarious? Are you guys punking me? Did she not show? Is this not Ina's house? I swear to God, if this is some sort of joke. It's funny, Ina. Okay, well, I'm cooking in here no matter whose house it is.

[Ina Garten]

Ooh. How good does that look? It smells just as good. I understand Julia's as big a fan of salt as I am, so I think good French sea salt would be perfect on it. Two plates. And I'm all set for Julia.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Ina. Ina.

[Ina Garten]

Julia.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Ina. You're here.

[Ina Garten]

Of course I'm here. Where else would I be?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

I thought maybe you were punking me.

[Ina Garten]

I would never punk you. Come on in.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Oh, my goodness, I'm so happy to see you. So wait a minute. Before anything happens, I brought you something.

[Ina Garten]

You brought me something?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

I did. It's a little hostess gift.

[Ina Garten]

Oh, I love this blood orange marmalade. Yes. Can't wait to eat this.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

We planted our first blood orange tree. Yes. And this is the fruit from the very.

[Ina Garten]

Thank you so much.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

First season.

[Ina Garten]

Oh, of course.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Oh, I love you. Enjoy.

[Ina Garten]

Thank you. I can't wait. Well, I've made you an omelette of French. Well, French fruit. Well, finally you did something with bacon and potato. Something nice and light for. For breakfast.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Perfect.

[Ina Garten]

No, seriously, is this a large enough piece?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Can I have the big hat?

[Ina Garten]

You like salt, right?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yeah, I mean, just everything. You want to just pour the salt on the plate and I'll eat the salt? Oh, you did give me the bigger piece.

[Ina Garten]

I did give you the bigger piece, yeah. So what's it like instead of playing a character, actually being yourself on wiser than me?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Oh, it's a different ball game.

[Ina Garten]

It's totally different, isn't it?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yeah. In what way?

[Greenlight/Instacart/Advertisement Announcer]

Well.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

It'S not a performance. I mean, I know it is, but it doesn't feel like one at all. And also, you know, we do the podcast over zoom, and so there's something kind of relaxed about it as a result. One of them we did in person for a variety of reasons when we talked to Carol Burnett. But other than that, everybody's on zoom. And I think just because you get to be in your own, you don't have to put on hair and makeup. Even though this is how we look.

[Ina Garten]

Normally, I always look like this. I get out of bed like this.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Oh, absolutely. I mic myself first thing in the morning.

[Ina Garten]

That was great.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

But anyway, so it sort of engenders a kind of intimacy in conversation, which is what we're going for. Yeah.

[Ina Garten]

But also I think it's interesting because when you're. Because you really connect with people.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yeah, that's what I'm trying to do.

[Ina Garten]

And you do. You really do. And when you're playing a character, you're not really connecting with an audience. You're playing a character. So I think connecting with people is what we love to do and it's just really satisfying.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yeah. Although I agree with that. But the thing is too, is that when you're playing a role, you're actually also connecting.

[Ina Garten]

Oh, you're connecting with the other characters.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yeah. It's a different kind of a. But there has to be an authenticity in place as well.

[Ina Garten]

As a matter of fact.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

But anyway, so now. Wait a minute. What is this?

[Ina Garten]

It's Belgian granite.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

It's Belgian granite. Okay. I need a list. I'm taking this with me.

[Ina Garten]

You'll have a hard time getting that into the box. It's fine.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

You'll be able to replace it after I'm gone.

[Ina Garten]

You'll figure it out. If it's missing, I'll know where it is. Coming up. Wisdom.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

I didn't really succeed in any kind of way there. Except to say I learned by not succeeding.

[Ina Garten]

Wisecracks.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

You know what you need in this kitchen?

[Ina Garten]

I know. Paper towels and chocolate cake.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

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[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

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[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

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[Mayra Amit]

Emoji moment from Mark, who writes, I just want to thank you for making GLP1s affordable. What would have been over $1000 a month is just $99 a month with Mochi. Money shouldn't be a barrier. To healthy weight. Three months in and I have smaller jeans and a bigger wallet.

[Ina Garten]

You're the best.

[Mayra Amit]

Thanks, Mark. I'm Mayra Amit, founder of Mochi Health. To find your mochi moment, visit joinmochi.com.

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Mark is a Mochi member, compensated for his story.

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[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

That'S fantastic.

[Ina Garten]

You know, people ask my friends, what's INA really like? And my closest friend always said, well, she's exactly the way you think she is, but her language is worse.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Nice.

[Ina Garten]

What would your friends say about you?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Exactly what you just said.

[Ina Garten]

I kind of thought so.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yeah, exactly.

[Ina Garten]

Right?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yeah.

[Ina Garten]

Do you think that you were always meant to be a comedian or is it just like in your DNA?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

I think it's in my DNA. Certainly in the culture of our family. You know, was just.

[Ina Garten]

Who was funny?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

My mother was funny. My grandmother was funny. My dad was very funny.

[Ina Garten]

Do you remember making them laugh when you were young?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Sure.

[Ina Garten]

What'd you do?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

When I was really little, I was trying to make my mom laugh and I stuck raisins up my nose and she laughed just like that. It's so funny. And then she said, okay, take them out. And I inhaled them and we had to go to the emergency room. But it was totally worth it because.

[Ina Garten]

I got the last. I had a very complicated childhood. Yes. What was your childhood like?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

I mean, my parents were divorced and I went back and forth between the two homes, but I was really raised by my mom and stepfather. But it was. This was back when divorce was like.

[Ina Garten]

Yeah, it was.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

It wasn't a dime a dozen.

[Ina Garten]

And it was whispered.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

It was whispered after I went to jail. Yes. Divorced.

[Men's Wearhouse/US Cellular/Trimble/McDonald's Advertisement Announcer]

A divorce.

[Ina Garten]

But you still had your mother and your stepfather to ground you.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yes, I did.

[Ina Garten]

So in 1985.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yes.

[Ina Garten]

When you weren't renewed at SNL, what did you learn from that experience? It must have.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Well, I went to SNL very young. I was 21, and I was there for three years. And I didn't really succeed in any kind of way there, except to say, I learned by not succeeding. And I learned what I didn't want. I didn't want a tense work environment. I didn't want to be unhappy. And I thought to myself, well, if I can't find work that's happy making, like the work I was doing in Chicago in theater, I don't think I'm going to do this because it's not right for me.

[Ina Garten]

I always think some of the worst things that ever happened turn out to be the best.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

That's right. Because my final year on snl, Larry David, was, for one year, he was deeply miserable there.

[Ina Garten]

He was more miserable than you, and.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

I was deeply miserable. And so we connected through our misery. And then a couple of years later, I heard from him about this show he was working on that was called the Seinfeld Chronicles.

[Ina Garten]

And the rest is history.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

And the rest is history.

[Ina Garten]

How does it feel to make people laugh?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

It's like endorphins you can taste.

[Ina Garten]

That's a good description.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

I would say that sharing a laugh with someone is like another kind of language. It's a very. God, it's just a great way to live life.

[Ina Garten]

Just wonderful. Is it hard to play roles that are both dramatic and funny at the same time?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Well, first of all, playing a role that's both comedic and dramatic is where I live.

[Ina Garten]

I love that, too.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

I love it. So I.

[Ina Garten]

Cause that's life.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yeah.

[Ina Garten]

That's how we live. I hate a movie that's just all doable One thing. Hate it.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Exactly. I wouldn't describe one as being harder than the other. You know, I have to. I really enjoy doing dramatic work that has sort of maybe a comedic shell over it. Finding those roles can sometimes be a challenge, but when I find them, I dive in headfirst.

[Ina Garten]

Yeah, that's great. Yeah. One of my favorite quotes of all time is, oscar Wilde said, work is easy, fun is hard. I always run my business. If I'm having fun, everybody else will have fun, too. Yeah. And I think, am I right that you do the same thing?

[Greenlight/Instacart/Advertisement Announcer]

Oh, without question.

[Ina Garten]

Because people know what to do for work. They know how to do their jobs. But finding something that's fun to do, I think it's much harder, isn't it?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yeah. But if you find it, don't Let go of it.

[Ina Garten]

Exactly.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Keep it going.

[Ina Garten]

And you found it. I mean, it's just so magical and it's. It has so much energy and positivity. It's just fabulous. Tell me about your recent movie, Tuesday.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

It's sort of an adult fairy tale. The story centers around a mother and a daughter, and the daughter's quite ill. And so it has a lot of pathos to it, but it's magical. But it's completely fanciful. So I think people might really enjoy it. I hope you'll like it.

[Ina Garten]

I'm sure I will. What was the toughest time in your career?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Well, getting employed. There was a period of time where I was after SNL. It was about a 1, 2 year period, 3 year period in which I was, you know, I was really pounding pavement. I nabbed pilot, which is the first episode of a TV series, but then it didn't go to series. The other challenge for me in my career has been the juggling act, because while I was making Seinfeld, for example, I gave birth to both of my. Super challenging.

[Ina Garten]

Yeah.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

But also fabulous because I was becoming very famous at this time and it really kept all of that in perspective. It did.

[Ina Garten]

Isn't that interesting? Did they put you behind the potted plant so they couldn't see that you were pregnant?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yeah. Well, let's see the first go round. Yes. I stood behind things. I carried boxes, et cetera. By the time I was pregnant the second time, nobody cared. And we just kept. It was like it wasn't happening. We just sort of. I walked in, I was out to here, and no one said anything.

[Ina Garten]

In 2012, you created the character of Selena in Veep, who is both egomaniacal and kind of crazy and kind of delusional in some way, right? Totally delusional.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yeah. She's in a position of power, but she's not quite there yet.

[Ina Garten]

That's so smart.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

And so, you know, you think you've made it. No, you didn't.

[Ina Garten]

And nobody cares.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Isn't that so? I thought that there was so much to be, so much material could be mined from that position.

[Ina Garten]

Starting with every time you walked into a room saying, did the president call 100%. Just love that line. And the answer's always no.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

It was just the most exhilarating experience because there was a lot of improvisation and a lot of goofing around that got folded into the show and it was all caps. Fun, all caps.

[Ina Garten]

Isn't that great? Yeah. In your podcast, Wiser Than Me, you interview older women. What have you learned from them. That was interesting.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

The big takeaway for me is that all of the women, including yourself, there's a common thread, and the common thread is complete comfort in their own skin.

[Ina Garten]

Isn't that interesting?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

And that is very freeing.

[Ina Garten]

And it's like rocket fuel. It really gives you freedom to do exactly what you want to do.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

That's right.

[Ina Garten]

But don't you think that a lot of your guests were that way when they were young? Actually, not necessarily. Yeah. I mean, like, Jane Fonda wouldn't say that.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

She would not. No. I mean, Jane Fonda said, it's so hard to be young.

[Ina Garten]

Yeah.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

And I thought, oh, my God, she's so right.

[Ina Garten]

I love that episode, because in the middle of it, you ended up with a bomb cyclone and you got disconnected. Oh, yeah. Disconnected. And you handled that so beautifully. It was total Julia Louis Driver's.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

I was screaming the universe. It was so crazy.

[Ina Garten]

But it became like a character in the show, and it was just brilliantly done.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

I will say that in the second season of the show in which you are in, we have another technical snafu.

[Ina Garten]

And I'm sure you handled it the same way.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Well, anyway, let's just say the audience gets another taste behind the scenes.

[Ina Garten]

You made a wonderful documentary that I adored about your late father and his kind of wacky art collection. Right? Yeah.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

My father was an art collector, and he amassed quite a collection of art.

[Ina Garten]

Describe his art collection, because it's wild, Right.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

He was sort of a mentor to a lot of the artists whose work he collected and was very interested in the sort of the outsider art world. He got to know people like Giacometti and Dubuffet and people like that. My father was French. French and American both. And so anyway, he just. My father, I think of him as sort of. He was a hoarder, but a hoarder of really nice things, whatever that is.

[Ina Garten]

And he collected what he loved.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

And he collected what he loved to.

[Ina Garten]

Collect what other people would love. He collect what he loved.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

What he loved. Exactly.

[Ina Garten]

And I love what he did with it.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

What he did with it was. Can you describe that? Yes. He set up his collection in such a way, so. And he has bequeathed the entire collection to the Harlem Children's Zone. It's most magnificent school. And so the whole idea is to raise the awareness about the collection. We are slowly selling it down to benefit the Harlem Children's Zone. And we've been. My father passed in 2016, and we've been. Since he's passed. We have been, in fact, Doing exactly that.

[Ina Garten]

Fabulous.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yeah.

[Ina Garten]

So I understand you like chocolate cake. Would you like me to show you how to ice a chocolate cake?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

If you don't show me, I'm gonna kill you.

[Ina Garten]

Then I'm definitely gonna show you. I give up. Coming up, competitive cake making. This is our first fight with incredible results.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

I can't talk to you. I gotta eat this.

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[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

And we're back. I'm Julia Louis Dreyfus and I'm with Ina Garten. And she's evidently going to show me how to do something.

[Ina Garten]

You like chocolate cake, right?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Love it.

[Ina Garten]

Okay, I picked the right thing. So I'm going to show you how to make a chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream. Ok. And we're going to get it all over ourselves, I'm sure.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Now, wait a minute. How did this happen?

[Ina Garten]

Well, I'm going to show you how I did it. The cake is really easy. First, I sift it together. 1 1/3 cups of all purpose flour, 2 cups of sugar, 3/4 of a cup of good cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons of baking soda, a teaspoon of baking powder, and a teaspoon of kosher salt. Then I put the dry ingredients into the bowl of my electric mixer. Next, the wet mix. I combine a half a cup of vegetable oil, a cup of buttermilk, and two extra large eggs, plus one teaspoon of pure vanilla extract and mix them together. Then with a mixer on low, I added the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, plus a cup of freshly brewed hot coffee and mixed it all together. Then I poured the batter into two 8 inch pans that had been buttered, floured and lined with parchment into the oven 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. Then I took them out to cool in their pans for 30 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Okay, so that's the cake.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yeah.

[Ina Garten]

Now the frosting.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Oh, boy. The best part.

[Ina Garten]

You're in charge. I am? How's that?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Okay.

[Ina Garten]

Two sticks of butter. Unsalted butter.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yep.

[Ina Garten]

Oh, no, you're not gonna put that in yet.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Can I just drink it?

[Ina Garten]

No, you can do that. You can forget the icing. Okay, we're gonna turn this on.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yeah, that's good.

[Ina Garten]

And then we're gonna put in one egg yolk.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Should I do it?

[Ina Garten]

You should just do it. And if you don't want to use an egg yolk, you don't have to use an egg yolk.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

I just did better. You told me too late.

[Ina Garten]

Exactly. One teaspoon of vanilla.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yes. One teaspoon good vanilla extract.

[Ina Garten]

And this is really strong coffee. It's a tablespoon of instant coffee grounds. Okay. And then slowly. This is one and a quarter cups of sifted confectioner's sugar.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yes.

[Ina Garten]

And just slowly. Just put it in. You're in charge.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

I'm in charge?

[Ina Garten]

Yeah.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Hope I don't screw it up.

[Ina Garten]

You won't screw it up.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Am I going too fast?

[Ina Garten]

No, you're doing just fine.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Okay.

[Ina Garten]

That's why it's sifted. So it's like. That won't clump.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

How important do you think sifting is for real?

[Ina Garten]

Actually, you know why I like sifting is because when you sift it, every cup is exactly like every other cup.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yeah.

[Ina Garten]

So it lightens it sometimes, you know, it can be really packed and sometimes it can be light.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yes. Yes.

[Ina Garten]

So you get the same amount of confectioner sugar Every time.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Or flour, for that matter.

[Ina Garten]

Flour, right, exactly. Actually, flour. I don't sift. You know what I do? I put a cup in and I lighten it and then I scoop it.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

What does it mean, lighten it?

[Ina Garten]

Just fluff it up. Oh, you know, like fluffers.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Excuse you.

[Ina Garten]

Different kind of fluffer.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

She doesn't know what she's saying.

[Ina Garten]

She has no idea.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Poor dear.

[Ina Garten]

Ok, you've been to the Hamptons before, right?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yeah, when I was like three. For real? Really?

[Ina Garten]

You haven't been back since?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

The story goes that my mom took me down to the Hamptons. I was at the beach. She was talking to a friend. She looked over. I was butt naked, running around and talking to everybody. I'd taken all my clothes off. And this was, you know, 1960.

[Ina Garten]

Actually, I know that story because I've heard people talking about it.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Adorable naked little girl running around. Yeah, that was me.

[Ina Garten]

And then this is 6 ounces of semi sweet chocolate melted. And we're good. That's the icing. Yep. You ready to ice a cake?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yeah.

[Ina Garten]

Ok, I'm going to show you how.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Does this sink work? Or is it a prop sink?

[Ina Garten]

No, it's a real sink.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

You know what you need in this kitchen?

[Ina Garten]

I know.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Paper towels. Have you heard of paper towels?

[Ina Garten]

It's a prop towel. It's a prop towel. Ok, next we're going to ice the cake.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yeah, let's do it.

[Ina Garten]

You ready to do that?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yeah, let's do it.

[Men's Wearhouse/US Cellular/Trimble/McDonald's Advertisement Announcer]

Let's go.

[Ina Garten]

And we're having a terrible time, as you can imagine.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

It's really one of the worst days of my life.

[Ina Garten]

So the first thing is you take the chocolate cake that we made before.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yeah.

[Ina Garten]

And put it on the cake stand. And I put it on a rotating stand so we can turn it around while we ice it. How's that?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

I love it.

[Ina Garten]

So the trick to keeping the plate clean is I use parchment paper or wax paper and just put it underneath the cake. And then you don't have to clean up the plate after you make a mess with the icing. Just put it underneath there all the way around.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Smart.

[Ina Garten]

So now you wanna put some frosting on the middle. Do you wanna make sure you have enough for the outside, too?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

That's perfect. Yeah, no kidding. You can always make more. We've got our whole lives ahead of us.

[Ina Garten]

Isn't it great having a turntable?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Oh, my God, I love it so much. I think I need more frosting in here.

[Ina Garten]

I think you're doing okay, though.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Really? This is our first.

[Ina Garten]

That looks perfect.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Okay.

[Ina Garten]

Excuse me, but I think you really know what you're doing. You know what? What? That's good.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

I'm here to take over.

[Ina Garten]

Ok. Ok. And the second one I'm going to put on upside down. Yeah, because you want the top to be really flat.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Right.

[Ina Garten]

Looks more professional. It's good and sticky.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

What's your technique for this moment?

[Ina Garten]

I do the sides first. First and then the top.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

I want to watch you because you're here to teach me.

[Ina Garten]

So take the spatula and just do a thin layer. And the key is you don't go back and forth. If you go back and forth over the cake, what happens is crumbs just like this. Just smooth it in one direction and then we'll smooth the whole thing when we're done. But just get the icing on first.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

I'm watching.

[Ina Garten]

You're watching. Okay. How do you decorate cakes? What do you like to do?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

I'm not a. I mean, I certainly appreciate cake decorating, but usually when I'm making a cake, like if I make my son's orange cake, I decorate it with mandarin oranges on top.

[Ina Garten]

Love that.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yeah.

[Ina Garten]

So you know what it is? Yeah, it just tells you what it is.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

It's a tasty thing to eat.

[Ina Garten]

Yeah, exactly.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

And then if it's a carrot cake, often I'll just really have really crumbly pecans. And just put that on the top.

[Ina Garten]

Yeah, which is in the cake.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Exactly.

[Ina Garten]

Right. That's exactly what I do.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

What about you? Is there anything else you do?

[Ina Garten]

No. I don't know. I'm pretty simple about decoration.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

What about flowers? You ever put flowers, actual flowers, on a cake?

[Ina Garten]

For a wedding cake, maybe, but not a regular cake. I don't know why. And they can't be scented flowers. So I'm gonna take the spatula, I'm gonna put the rest of it on top and just smooth it out.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

May I?

[Ina Garten]

Yep, you may. I insist, in fact. And then I'll show you how I'd like to pipe it. Ooh.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Look at this. Icing the cake.

[Ina Garten]

That's it. See it? There's enough, isn't there? Okay, so how about turning on the hot tap?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yes.

[Ina Garten]

I'm gonna show you what I do. Gonna warm up the spatula, and then we're gonna smooth it all out. Okay. Just a little bit. Just enough so that it's a little smoother. Lord have mercy. It's a miracle. And then just run your spatula around the edge and you have a nice square edge. How's that? You get to lick that. Well, I'm gonna tell you what.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

That's fantastic.

[Ina Garten]

Thank you. Okay, so you wanna pipe it. I have some icing in a piping bag just for you. So this is the way I learned how to do piping just on the board.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Okay.

[Ina Garten]

Just do it like that. And when you're comfortable with it, we'll do it on the cake.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Okay. I think I have to have a heavier hand with it.

[Ina Garten]

Here, I'll show you what I do in order to do a shell. And you know what we can do too. We can do it just stars. Would that be easier? Want to do that?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Oh, sure. But I'd also like to learn these.

[Ina Garten]

Ok. Yeah.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Okay. Well, that's easy peasy learning.

[Ina Garten]

And the other one is like a shell. I'll show you what you do. You start here and you go up and down and then up and down.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Oh, oh, I see.

[Ina Garten]

How's that?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

That's what this is.

[Ina Garten]

That's what that is.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Up and down, up and then you.

[Ina Garten]

Stop and then start again. You're doing okay.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

You're doing okay. I'm not doing okay. I'm not doing okay.

[Ina Garten]

So up and down and then stop. Lift the stop. That's why it takes time. It takes time to figure it out. Up and down. Look at that stop. Perfect.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Oh, I see.

[Ina Garten]

Now you got it. Yeah, there's like a rhythm to it. Up and down and down.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yeah, I'm getting there.

[Ina Garten]

Yeah. See?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yeah.

[Ina Garten]

It took me like 40 years to get that. So I'd say in like five minutes. You did pretty well.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

I did pretty well.

[Ina Garten]

Okay, now.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

And am I doing it along the edge?

[Ina Garten]

Yeah, I'll start it. I'll start. Yeah, I'll do it around the edge. You start here and you go up, up and down and then up and down.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Oh, oh, I see.

[Ina Garten]

How's that?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

So you really lift it.

[Ina Garten]

Yeah. Right, right. You've got it. Look at that. Fabulous. Fabulous. There's like a rhythm to it. I mean, how good does this look?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Up and down. Oh, God. You got it.

[Ina Garten]

Are you gonna go home and start a cake decorating business in your spare time?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Oh, 100%. I've got all the paperwork drawn up. Don't make me laugh. You're ruining my cake.

[Ina Garten]

Okay, so I'm going to show you what to do in order to take the paper out. Just run your knife along the bottom just like this and just pull it out.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

That is so clever.

[Ina Garten]

And now you have a clean plate. All right, here we go.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yeah.

[Ina Garten]

Big piece, little piece.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Enormous.

[Ina Garten]

Enormous. Does that look like a beating heart? One for me, one for you.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Thank you.

[Ina Garten]

Cheers.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Cheers. Here we go. Let's see what we think. First of all, the cake part is off the chain, don't you think?

[Ina Garten]

That's right. And the ice cream.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

The frosting is yummy. To the 10th power. I can't talk to you. I gotta eat this. Oh, my God. We need a picture of this. Does anybody have a camera?

[Ina Garten]

Oh, my gosh.

[Greenlight/Instacart/Advertisement Announcer]

I love it.

[Ina Garten]

That's ruined my career. I love it that we have just been canceled. If you loved this episode of Be My Guest, the podcast with me, Ina Garten, please make sure to rate and review us on Apple podcasts. It would mean so much to me. Thanks. Cheers.

[Men's Wearhouse/US Cellular/Trimble/McDonald's Advertisement Announcer]

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[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

If your small business is booming, you.

[Ina Garten]

Might say cha Ching. But you should say, like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

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And we'll help your growing business.

[Ina Garten]

Like a good neighbor, State farm is there.

[Men's Wearhouse/US Cellular/Trimble/McDonald's Advertisement Announcer]

Mr.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Monopoly here.

[Men's Wearhouse/US Cellular/Trimble/McDonald's Advertisement Announcer]

Monopoly is back at McDonald's. Register in the McDonald's app so you're.

[Ina Garten]

Ready to get your bag. Two ways to peel for a chance to get your bag Physical peels with.

[Men's Wearhouse/US Cellular/Trimble/McDonald's Advertisement Announcer]

Select items and digital peels with others. To get your bag, play Monopoly at McDonald's. No purchase necessary. See rules@play atmcd.com for full details and [e-mail] to play without purchase ends November 23rd. But bonus play ends November 2nd. Monopoly is a registered trademark of Hasbro. Copyright McDonald's.

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