Pod Insights The Sporkful Hosting Thanksgiving With Amy Sedaris (Reheat) About this episode Amy Sedaris offers advice on dealing with family members who are drunk or confrontational at the holidays. Plus, Robert Krulwich (formerly of Radiolab) on the time a turkey fell in love with his wife.
Transcript Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.
0:00 Dan Pashman? Make holiday hosting effortless with Boars Head Sweet Slice Uncured Ham. It's the perfect centerpiece for gathering family and friends around the holiday table. Hand-packed into netting, Sweet Slice Uncured Ham has the look of a traditional holiday ham with rich flavor worth savoring. Slow roasted and delicately smoked, boneless Sweet Slice Uncured Ham delivers classic bone-in flavor made for the moments that bring everyone together. Find Sweet Slice Uncured Ham at your nearest Boars Head deli. And for holiday entertaining inspiration, recipes, and more, visit boarshed.com. As someone who has been lucky enough to go to Napa Valley, I can tell you, it's everything people say it is: beautiful scenery, quaint, beautiful towns, and phenomenal food and drink everywhere you go.
0:44 Dan Pashman? I don't even know that much about wine, but I know that every glass of wine I had in Napa Valley was excellent. I mean, there's no bad glass of wine and no bad meal. Choose between hundreds of wineries, tasting rooms, and chef-led restaurants from a low-key lunch on a vineyard terrace to a full tasting menu paired by the winemaker. Plan your trip at visitnapavalley.com.
1:15 Dan Pashman? Hey, everyone, Dan here, and of course, you know that Thanksgiving is on the way. Probably the preeminent, nationally celebrated food holiday, I think. And of course, we have covered it here on this Sporkful, although a number of years ago, we did a thing we called the last Sporkful Thanksgiving special ever, because we'd already done a bunch of stuff on Thanksgiving, and I kind of feel like food media, they're pressuring you to like, "Oh, you guys knew every Thanksgiving," and like, "Why?" Especially when there's already so much good stuff out there about Thanksgiving, like the episode I'm about to share with you. This was recorded in front of a live audience with two incredibly hilarious and special guests: one, Robert Krulwich, who you know from Radiolab. He told me about his approach to holiday eating and the story of a time that a turkey
1:59 Dan Pashman? fell in love with his wife. You gotta hear it, it makes sense, trust me. And then the legend, Amy Sedaris, one of the funniest people ever to grace this planet. She will take the stage to answer- Questions about entertaining, you know, she wrote a whole book about it, including what she likes her guests to bring her when she's hosting. Remember, if there's an episode of The Sporkful you want us to pull out of the deep freezer and reheat, drop me a line and send me an email or a voice memo to [email protected] . Tell me your name, location, what episode you want to hear, and why. Thanks so much, and happy Thanksgiving. This is The Sporkful. It's not for foodies, it's for eaters. I'm Dan Pashman, and we're coming to you live from WNYC's Jerome L. Green Performance Space in New York City.
2:59 Dan Pashman? That was great. Did we press record? We're recording for that? All right, great. Well, thank you all so much for coming where you're here tonight celebrating the release of the first ever Sporkful book, my first ever book. It's called Eat More Better: How to Make Every Bite More Delicious. Thank you all so much for coming here tonight, and let's go ahead and start the show. Joining me now is a gentleman who I have respected and admired for many, many years. I've had the privilege to work with him on multiple occasions, and I'm so excited to be able to work with him here at WNYC and walk by his desk and ask him strange questions. He is the co-host of WNYC's Radio Lab. Please welcome Robert Krulwich.
3:40 Dan Pashman? So I want to talk a bit with you about Thanksgiving.
3:44 Speaker 01 Okay.
3:44 Dan Pashman? And the holidays, Thanksgiving in particular, Thanksgiving eating.
3:47 Speaker 01 Yes.
3:47 Dan Pashman? Okay. We should also just set up here at the top, your approach to eating.
3:54 Speaker 01 I eat very fast. I don't notice what's going down, and I have, the whole thing is just pretty much a rush job. And why I am here, I have no idea.
4:05 Dan Pashman? I was gonna say, I mean, it really is a testament to your winning personality.
4:08 Speaker 01 Yes.
4:09 Dan Pashman? That I continue to invite you back.
4:10 Speaker 01 It's very amazing to me, yes. Because as little as I recall of anything, food is the thing I least recall because it happens so fast.
4:20 Dan Pashman? Do you have a favorite bite? Is there a Thanksgiving dinner? What are you looking forward to eating the most?
4:28 Speaker 01 Well.
4:31 Speaker 01 Everything and all at once is my general feeling. So I will put onto the plate everything that is available to me. And I have one very small moment of celebration of the whole. You might call it the holistic moment. I see the red stuff, the brown stuff, the green stuff, all there.
4:48 Dan Pashman? Well, slow down with all your culinary terminology here, Robert.
4:52 Speaker 01 And then I eat whatever is most available at the shortest distance between... And then, and it goes from there.
4:59 Dan Pashman? Do you actually have to rotate the plate to bring things closer? So that you can't reach across to the other, the far end of the plate?
5:04 Speaker 01 It is very nice. Like, this is one of the things. Like, my wife actually is a person who appreciates food. So she takes us to meet to these restaurants where they serve an enormously large plate with something small and delicate in the middle. So it's mostly a field of white. And I look at these things and I think, I am a golden retriever, really. And all I really want to do is take my tongue, go
5:27 Speaker 01 to the whole thing. But the meal will largely consist of me trying not to eat anything too fast. Because she's watching me like, oh, because for the 45 minutes before, she's fed me. She's, now, don't eat fast, and don't embarrass me, and don't eat heavily. And there must be something on your plate. As long as Ellen is still eating, there has to be something on your plate. Watch Ellen's plate and be, let her be your guide. And I am having not a normal evening at all.
5:55 Speaker 01 It's very difficult for me to go out to those kind of places. So, yeah, Thanksgiving meal is solves that problem. I know that there's a lot there, and I can have it all.
6:06 Dan Pashman? I want to get deep with you for a minute.
6:08 Speaker 01 Okay.
6:08 Dan Pashman? Because I know that on Radiolab, you guys get pretty existential.
6:11 Speaker 01 Yes.
6:12 Dan Pashman? You talk about big issues.
6:13 Speaker 01 Very wise.
6:14 Dan Pashman? One of the big issues that people ask me a lot about, that I've never really addressed much on this workful, but I think it's such a crucial question, is at what point in a meal should you take the best bite? Like, the plate is arrayed before you, and, I mean, if it's Thanksgiving, you know, let's say you see the perfect piece of turkey with just the right amount of crispy fat and just the right amount of juicy meat and the potatoes and the stuffing, they're all just right. You know, you see that bite. Do you want to take that bite right away? Do you save it for the end, end on a high note? Or somewhere in the middle?
6:51 Speaker 01 You cannot tell what your best bite will be. Dan?
7:00 Dan Pashman? That's good. That's a good answer.
7:01 Speaker 01 And here's why.
7:02 Dan Pashman? Please tell me.
7:03 Speaker 01 Because the reason it's the best bite is because you may look at, say, the crispy turkey part that appears to be something coming your way, which gets a 10 in your mind, or the mashed potatoes, or the crabs, or whatever it is. And you will say, "There it is. There is the thing I like." And then, by the by, a string bean that you did not anticipate will come, in my case, flying into your mouth. And that string bean will be an enormous surprise to you. And that surprise turns into the best bite. That is, you can never know the best bite. It is a shock and awe moment.
7:47 Dan Pashman? Well, that's, yeah.
7:49 Speaker 01 And everybody knows this.
7:51 Dan Pashman? Yeah. That's such a great answer, and it's really in keeping with your approach to life, Robert. Because asking, "At what point in the meal do you want to have your best bite?" It's kind of like asking, like, "At what point in your life?" Like, a meal is like a miniature lifetime. It's like, "At what point in your life do you want to have your best day?"
8:12 Speaker 01 Right. You can't know that. Right, exactly. You've learned my lesson.
8:19 Dan Pashman? It's funny, because I usually go for somewhere in the middle of the meal. Because I feel like... People who say save it to the end, I disagree with. Because your appetite is primed, your palate is primed. There is such a thing as palate fatigue. So, you're not going to get as much enjoyment from the best bite if you save it for the end. But to have your very first bite be the best bite, it's sort of like, you know, what do you have to look forward to after that?
8:42 Speaker 01 That's right, yes. There's a sexual equivalent of that, you know? You get into bed, boom! And then, you need to wait a little longer.
8:50 Dan Pashman? Right. I think that's right. I think that's right. But you can't always plan it.
8:55 Speaker 01 You can't plan it. The girls don't always know this. You just can't plan it.
9:02 Dan Pashman? Let's talk turkey in general.
9:05 Speaker 01 The nation or the animal?
9:06 Dan Pashman? The animal.
9:07 Speaker 01 The animal.
9:07 Dan Pashman? I mean, are you a... Are you a fan of turkeys?
9:11 Speaker 01 I love turkey. I love turkey more than any other meat.
9:15 Dan Pashman? Really?
9:15 Speaker 01 I wouldn't have said that 10 years ago. I would have preferred a cow part.
9:18 Dan Pashman? What changed?
9:19 Speaker 01 I don't know. Maturity, I don't know. Maybe the turkeys got better. I don't know. I don't know.
9:26 Dan Pashman? And you had told me you also had an encounter, you started telling me a while back with a...
9:30 Speaker 01 Yes.
9:31 Dan Pashman? Tell me about that again.
9:31 Speaker 01 This has... This shouldn't really... We... I live... I have a house on Shelter Island, which is about 100 miles east of here. And I have a neighbor behind my house, who's the... He actually is the concrete king of Shelter Island. He's... And he has an enormous house, and he has a bowling alley in it or something. But he also has a obsession with animal collecting. And he has small miniature cattle. And he also has recently been raising extraordinary turkeys. And one of them has somehow strayed from the reservation, and he's come through the woods, and he comes to my house. And he's a turkey, he's a wild turkey. I know he's from the Larsen's house. I say, "Hello, turkey." He's like, "Not the smartest animal." And he fell in love with my wife.
10:15 Speaker 01 I mean, I... This is a weird... He, uh... He looked at her, and then, uh... And just decided to get very close to her.
10:24 Dan Pashman? Wait, looked at her like you were inside or outside, or where were you?
10:27 Speaker 01 I was... At first, he was in the backyard. We don't have a backyard, we have like a meadow. He came through the meadow, and he just sat there, and then he looked at her.
10:34 Dan Pashman? Through the window?
10:35 Speaker 01 No, she was out in the... We were... And he kind of came really unusually close to her, I thought. So I got a tennis racket. But I didn't do anything about it. I just... And then he just hung with her wherever she went. When she would go inside, he'd wait patiently by there. And then, the next morning, at about 5:30, he had... He was there again. And the next morning, so for some strange reason, I became jealous of this animal.
11:03 Speaker 01 So I would go out with my tennis racket and go "wack", and then tell him that he couldn't like her so much. And I said, "Oh, he's a turkey. Must have turkey friends." "I mean, you have all those other turkeys." And in Shelter Island also, they have a thing now where they... A lot of people just have turkeys and they just kind of go around like like loose pedestrians or Swiss tourists or something. They're just always around. But this turkey is just huge. And I became increasingly upset. I finally called the larson and said, "There is a turkey that is making moves on my wife." "You have to get that turkey back."
11:37 Dan Pashman? And what did your wife, what was her take on all this?
11:40 Speaker 01 She was a little bit charmed to be ignored by this larson. "This will make this Thanksgiving extra special, I feel."
11:50 Dan Pashman? Let's talk a bit about leftovers.
11:53 Speaker 01 Okay.
11:54 Dan Pashman? Do you have a specific strategy for leftovers? I mean, what do you... How do you like to eat your leftovers?
12:01 Speaker 01 Always, whenever, anytime. On Thanksgiving, after Thanksgiving, the next morning, the next afternoon, the next evening, friends' houses, small gatherings, post gatherings, later gatherings, later in the week.
12:13 Dan Pashman? But how do you do... After a few days of Thanksgiving, it's like two things you're tired of, right? You're tired of... Or some people may be, you're not. Tired of your own Thanksgiving food, and you may be a little tired of hanging out with your family. So I recommend what I call a leftovers exchange party.
12:30 Speaker 01 Yes.
12:31 Dan Pashman? Invite over friends, they bring all their leftovers, you put them all on the table, everyone eats everyone's leftovers, you get rid of your leftovers, and you get to try different foods, and you learn new recipes for next year.
12:40 Speaker 01 We do this. We do that. We've done this like for four years. We go...
12:43 Dan Pashman? Well, oh, you mean you've already read my book?
12:45 Speaker 01 No. This may shock you. Having not even read the book, this was invented before you were born. I mean, I don't know. There are people, at least on the Upper West Side, who do this very thing. They invite you over, usually with their kids, so then your kids and their kids, they all know each other, and then you go sit there and you... In my case, I just eat everything. I don't speak at all.
13:11 Dan Pashman? All right, well, Robert Krulwich is the co-host of WNYC's Radio Lab. Robert, it's always a pleasure to hang out and speak with you. Big hand for Robert Krulwich.
13:32 Dan Pashman? Coming up, the Sporkful Live Holiday Show continues with the one and only Amy Sedaris. She wrote a whole book on entertaining. She'll offer advice on how to deal with drunk guests, people's pets, and difficult family. Plus, Amy and I will debate which kind of paper towels are better, the ones that offer the half-size option, or the ones that are only full-size. Clearly, we're tackling the big issues here on this Sporkful. Stay with us.
14:09 Dan Pashman? When you're cooking, ingredients matter, right? You use higher-quality ingredients, you usually get better results. And if you're listening to this show, you're probably the kind of person who puts some thought and effort into your ingredients. But ingredients don't just matter with food, they also matter with laundry detergent. Of course, the cleaning job needs to get done, the odors and stains have to be tackled, and I want to feel good about the detergent and the ingredients in it. Because remember, whatever's in your laundry detergent is essentially in your clothes, and then you're putting those clothes on, you want good stuff in there. And All Free Clear uses only essential ingredients. It's 100% free from dyes, perfumes, parabens, and irritating residues. Check out the label and see for yourself, it lists all the ingredients and what they do. We've been using it in my house, we're very happy with it, and let me tell you, family of four, two teenagers,
14:52 Dan Pashman? we do a lot of laundry, so we have Put All Free Clear to the test. It's a powerful clean that you can feel good about. All Free Clear is the number-one detergent brand recommended by dermatologists for sensitive skin. When it comes to laundry detergent, the choice is clear: All Free Clear. Pick up a bottle for your next laundry day. Last year, right around this time, I got a new jacket from Quince, a lightweight fall jacket, and it has turned into my favorite jacket. And this is why you need a lightweight jacket, and probably a new one because it's time to freshen up your look. You need a lightweight jacket from Quince because the beauty of a lightweight jacket is you can wear it in the early fall, you can wear it in the early spring, but also it goes over a sweater, over a sweatshirt, and then suddenly, your lightweight jacket is a great accessory. For pretty much the whole winter.
15:37 Dan Pashman? Bottom line, when the temperatures start to drop, Quince makes it easy to build on those everyday staples with versatile layers designed to keep you warm and comfortable all season long. They make elevated everyday essentials using premium materials and designs that are timeless, thoughtfully crafted, and made to be worn again and again. So find your next fall favorites at Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers or go to quince.com. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too. And when Quince asks where you heard about them, let them know it was this porkful. It's the best way to support the show.
16:14 Speaker 02 This podcast is supported by Nurtac ODT. Remedy Pant. We know you didn't ask for an interruption, but migraine doesn't wait for the right moment to interrupt either. It just barges in, takes your time, and throws everything off. So when migraine takes your time, take Nurtac. It's for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura in adults. Nurtac can provide pain relief in two hours, which can last up to two days. Ask your healthcare provider if Nurtac is right for you, because your time is for you, not migraine. Don't take if allergic to Nurtac ODT. Allergic reactions can occur even days after use. Get help right away for trouble breathing, rash, swelling of face, mouth, tongue, or throat. High blood pressure and Raynaud's syndrome can occur.
16:56 Speaker 02 Get help for high blood pressure, numbness, coolness, pain, or color changes in fingers and toes. Common side effect is nausea. For full prescribing information, call 1-833-4-NUR-TAC or visit Nurtac.com. All right, back to your podcast, playlist, or whatever's keeping you going today.
17:14 Speaker 03 With the Discover Cash Back Card, it's payback time when you earn cash back on everyday purchases. Activate and earn 5% cash back at different categories each quarter on up to $1,500 in purchases. That's 5% cash back at different places each quarter, like grocery stores, on gas, and at restaurants. It pays to discover. Terms apply. See discover.com/five for details.
17:49 Dan Pashman? Welcome back to A Sporkful Reheat. I'm Dan Pashman. Hey, if you're not already following The Sporkful in your podcasting app, what are you waiting for? In Apple Podcasts and Spotify, go to our show page and click Follow. In other apps, it might be like a plus sign, or a subscribe button, or a heart. Whatever it is in your podcasting app, please do that thing. It's the best way to ensure you'll never miss an episode, and it's good for our show. So please, go ahead and do it right now while you're listening. Thank you.
18:15 Dan Pashman? Let's get back to The Sporkful Live Holiday Show. It's time for Amy Sedaris. Joining me now is a woman whose work I've admired for a very long time. I'm a huge fan of hers currently. She's starring in the Netflix animated series BoJack Horseman. She's also the author of I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence. Please welcome the one and only Amy Sedaris.
18:42 Dan Pashman? So let's talk hosting around the holidays. I've identified I've identified two types of hosts.
18:51 Speaker 04 Okay.
18:51 Dan Pashman? Missionaries and martyrs.
18:54 Speaker 04 Okay, missionaries and martyrs, alright.
18:56 Dan Pashman? A missionary is like someone who leads by example.
18:58 Speaker 04 Okay.
18:59 Dan Pashman? Like, I'm hosting this party, I'm having a great time. Like, that's why I brought a beer out with me tonight.
19:04 Speaker 04 Okay.
19:04 Dan Pashman? You know, drink up, party.
19:06 Speaker 04 Drinking kills feelings, go on.
19:11 Dan Pashman? Martyrs are the people who are like, you know, I'm focusing on making everyone else happy. And I get my happiness from knowing that other people are happy, even if I don't even get to sit down. Or I don't even get to eat. But if everyone else is having fun, I'll be happy.
19:23 Speaker 04 Alright.
19:24 Dan Pashman? I aspire to be a missionary, but sometimes I end up being a martyr. When you host in your home, which do you want to be and which are you?
19:34 Speaker 04 I think I'm both. I'm really organized enough where I can sit back and have a good time. But I'm also, you know, because I've planned. If you plan, then you can be both, you know what I mean? It's important for your guests to have a good time, and you want to be in charge, and you want to make sure that that beer is fresh, you know, when it's empty or whatever. But, so, I think if you plan enough, you can be both. You can have a good time and still, you know, be that martyr.
19:57 Dan Pashman? What are some of the things that you like for people to bring you if they're guests that come into your house?
20:02 Speaker 04 Weed.
20:05 Speaker 04 I answer that too quickly.
20:09 Speaker 04 I just don't, I don't always like them to surprise me with something to serve. Because if you've planned the menu out, like, one time I was having this big traditional Greek dinner and someone showed up with their grandparents and a chocolate cake and, and that was a double whammy.
20:25 Dan Pashman? So like, when someone says, "Oh, Amy, I can't wait to come to your house, what can I bring?"
20:30 Speaker 04 Mm-hmm.
20:30 Dan Pashman? What do you say?
20:31 Speaker 04 Sometimes, it depends who it is. Sometimes I'm like, "Ice," you know, if they really want to, or I'm like, you know, "Beer," or, you know, something like, I know it's not, you know, maybe it's too heavy for me to bring up, like charcoal birdseed or kitty litter, but,
20:45 Speaker 04 I'll get them to bring things like that. Or, I'm always like, "Forks, bring forks," or "Sharp knives," like, "Could you really use some sharp knives?" Or, "Bring your own container, because I know you're gonna wanna take some food home," you know? So, you know, little things like that, but very seldom do I really, or ice cream. You know, you give them the easy stuff.
21:01 Dan Pashman? Right. You also have a book called, "Simple Times Crafts for Poor People." I wanna get your help here.
21:09 Dan Pashman? Now, cloth napkins are something that, you know, certainly classes up any event.
21:15 Speaker 04 Class.
21:16 Dan Pashman? But if you, if you can't afford cloth napkins, or if you're just too lazy, like my wife and I were last year at Thanksgiving, you may just go with paper. Do you have any tricks? I have some paper towels here.
21:26 Speaker 04 Oh.
21:28 Dan Pashman? I know you love a demonstration. Do you have any tricks that you can show me for ways to fold?
21:32 Speaker 04 First of all, I hate these, select a size.
21:34 Dan Pashman? The half-size paper towel?
21:35 Speaker 04 And they're getting harder and harder to find, the ones that don't have this.
21:38 Dan Pashman? Why do you hate them? They're more practical.
21:40 Speaker 04 Ugh, what are you gonna do with that? No, I'm sorry, I don't like it at all.
21:44 Dan Pashman? You can always take two half-size paper towels and end it with a regular-size paper towel, but you can not take a full-size paper towel and make it into a half.
21:51 Speaker 04 Oh, God, and to think that you have to think about that with all the other problems going on. Just make it easy. I mean, are you saying, "This is my dinner napkin, what would I do?"
21:59 Dan Pashman? Yeah.
22:01 Speaker 04 That.
22:02 Dan Pashman? Fold it in half.
22:04 Speaker 04 I don't do anything fancy. Like, I'm fine with using paper towels and napkins, and I like cloth napkins too, but yeah, it is a drag to, you know, you have to wash them. You know, you have to, you know, so that's probably paying the butt.
22:15 Dan Pashman? So I put the call out on Facebook and asked people for questions about hosting for you. Karen writes, "How do I keep drunk guests from quote-unquote 'helping with cleanup?' My sisters-in-law have broken more wine goblets with their hams for hands than I even care to count."
22:32 Speaker 04 Oh, it's such a problem.
22:34 Dan Pashman? Yeah.
22:34 Speaker 04 It is such a problem to get people out of your house. Well, my favorite thing to do is to clean up. I know people have a hard time believing that, but then you can reminisce about the party, you can talk about the disasters or whatever. You know, usually if they're drunk, they've been told before, "You need to go home now." You know what I mean?
22:50 Dan Pashman? Right. But they're relatives, that makes it harder to kick them out.
22:54 Speaker 04 "You need to go home now." I think it's easier if they're a relative, don't you? Dad, Mom, you know, I think it's, you know, easier.
23:05 Dan Pashman? Jeff Childs writes, "One year, my wife's aunt, who had volunteered to bring the turkey, called 30 minutes after dinner was supposed to start to say she was just leaving and would be at our house in about an hour. She said she would finish cooking the turkey when she got to our house."
23:20 Speaker 04 Fantastic. I love that. That is hilarious.
23:24 Dan Pashman? "Should we have eaten without her and without the turkey?"
23:28 Speaker 04 Well, why do they put her in charge of the turkey? Maybe is this a pattern of hers? Is she always late? That's happened to me before. Like, people are coming at 5:00 and the girl just arrived with the turkey, uncooked, and didn't even apologize. And then I thought, "Oh, well, that's stupid. I should have done that."
23:43 Dan Pashman? Well, this is one of the things you talk about in your book, is that people need to know their limitations. Like, if you're chronically late and disorganized, don't volunteer to bring the turkey to Thanksgiving.
23:52 Speaker 04 Right.
23:53 Dan Pashman? But it's also a food safety hazard, because now you've got a half-cooked turkey coming to room temperature in the backseat of a car.
24:02 Speaker 04 Oh, that's so stupid. That is so stupid.
24:05 Dan Pashman? Right?
24:05 Speaker 04 I think I would have panicked and I would have maybe gone to some kind of a grocery store that makes roasted chickens or roasted turkeys, and I think I would have just gotten it. And then I would say, "Mom, Grandma, whatever, you stupid lady, we're still gonna make your turkey, but we're gonna make it for tomorrow for leftovers. It's just too late right now." I think that's what I would do.
24:25 Dan Pashman? On Facebook, Linda Pashman writes...
24:29 Speaker 04 I was gonna say, okay.
24:31 Dan Pashman? Mom, writing on my Facebook page again, how do you handle dinner guests who arrive with their pets? I know you're an animal lover.
24:39 Speaker 04 Yeah.
24:40 Dan Pashman? But if someone comes with a pet that they didn't tell you about,
24:42 Speaker 04 Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
24:42 Dan Pashman? How do you respond to that?
24:43 Speaker 04 Well, usually, if I know they have a pet, I'll make a point to say, "Don't bring your dog." And then they bring the dog, and then they pick the most expensive bowl you have in your kitchen, and they put it down for water in a spot that everyone's gonna be walking by. It always happens, doesn't it? Plus, they have a rabbit, and I'm like, "Your dog, we don't know if they're gonna get along." And then that means I have to lock my bedroom up, and there goes the airflow. I mean, people have no idea.
25:06 Dan Pashman? Yeah. Airflow is crucial. I gotta have you back on to talk about that in more detail.
25:09 Speaker 04 Let's talk about airflow.
25:11 Dan Pashman? What do you...
25:11 Speaker 04 Or kittens with claws. I don't think so. I don't think so.
25:17 Dan Pashman? Another question on Facebook from Linda Pashman.
25:22 Speaker 04 The Pashman family.
25:24 Dan Pashman? Yeah. What about the guest who's the perennial provocateur, usually a relative? How do you ward off the... How do you ward off the expected annual family conflict? And a related question, what do you do when your mom handles family conflict by asking you questions through your podcast Facebook page?
25:46 Speaker 04 Uh-oh.
25:50 Speaker 04 That's pretty good.
25:53 Dan Pashman? Any tips, Amy, for dealing with family at the holidays?
25:56 Speaker 04 Well, my family, we all get along, and whenever there's a... If there is a fight or a conflict or whatever, we all just get excited. And we're a fantastic audience for it, you know what I mean? I think I'd be happy to have a fight. I think it's just like, it's entertaining and it's fun. I love to hear people arguing or complaining. I mean, that's when I worked as a waitress forever, and I loved it when someone would get up in my face and complain about something.
26:19 Dan Pashman? And how would you deal with it?
26:20 Speaker 04 I would just take... I would just be staring at them, taking it all in. You know, it all depends. Maybe it's something I could handle, maybe they have to see a manager. I mean, I wouldn't respond by yelling back at them or getting mad, you know? I would just be like, "I can't believe you're so angry about this," you know? But when it's family, you just eat it up, and then you divide up, and you go into the bedroom, you talk to somebody about it, and then you go... You're two-faced about it the whole night. You play both sides. It's great. That's right. Take this, swallow that, you'll be fine.
26:52 Dan Pashman? And then another thing that I want to get your take on is how do you know when the party is over?
26:57 Speaker 04 Turn the music off and the lights off, I guess. I'm pretty good about it. You can kind of tell, no? People start to leave and winding it down. I don't know. I'm just pretty... It's something you just kind of sense. Unless you want to put a time, you know, like for kids' parties, you say 2 to 2:30, done. You know what I mean? You kind of know. You know when to go or be like, you know, party's over at midnight, I have to work at tomorrow morning or something like that.
27:25 Dan Pashman? Final question for you, Amy. I want you to talk now to a person who's hosting for Thanksgiving, who's maybe a little nervous or they're insecure, they don't, for whatever reason, they're worried that they can't pull it off. I want you to talk directly to that person and I want you to give them some advice, give them a pep talk.
27:42 Speaker 04 Okay, let's see. Gosh, I don't know. Just, just, do they cook at all, this person? Do they, are they, can they, they do?
27:53 Dan Pashman? Some cooking expertise.
27:54 Speaker 04 Just make it easy on yourself. You'd only need three things on your plate, really. You know what I mean? So, just don't, don't, just look at, don't just go crazy. If you have a good, some friends that cook, you might want to assign some dishes to make it easy on yourself. Like, great, can you bring the mashed potatoes? Can you do this? Teach me how to make the gravy or something like that. Boom, you got it. It's easy.
28:15 Dan Pashman? Well, Amy Sedaris, I'm so glad that you could be here. I really appreciate it. Check her out in Bojack Horseman. Her lines at Fish's Eddie. The book is I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence. Big hand, ladies and gentlemen, for Amy Sedaris.
28:28 Speaker 04 Thank you.
28:30 Dan Pashman? This show is a production of WNYC and the Spork Bowl. It's produced by Kristen Meinzner and Ann Sandy. We get web help from Talia Ralph and Alay Trong. Special thanks to Chris Bannon and special thanks to the folks at the Green Space, Jennifer Sendro, Nancy Sechow, Ricardo Fernandez and everyone else, and to all of you for coming out tonight. Until next time, I'm Dan Pashman reminding you to eat more, eat better and eat more better. Thank you.
29:21 Dan Pashman? This reheat was produced by Gianna Palmer. The team that produces The Sporkful today includes me along with managing producer Emma Morgenstern. And senior producer Andres O'Hara. Our engineer is Jared O'Connell. Music help from Black Label Music. The Sporkful is a production of SiriusXM Podcasts. Our executive producer is Camila Stanley. And hey, did you know you can listen to The Sporkful on the SiriusXM app? Yes, the SiriusXM app has all your favorite podcasts, plus over 200 ad-free music channels curated by genre and era, plus live sports coverage. Does your podcasting app have that? And there's interviews with A-list stars and so much more. It's everything you want in a podcast app and music app all rolled into one. And right now, Sporkful listeners can get three months free of the SiriusXM app by going to siriusxm.com/sporkful.
30:06 Dan Pashman? Until next time, I'm Dan Pashman.
30:14 Speaker 05 Who's ready for a bike ride? Peppa Pig is learning to ride her bike. First, pop on her helmet. Safety first. Then attach the push stick and give her bike a push. And watch Peppa paddle. Her legs go round and round as the wheels turn. With more than 75 sounds and phrases, every ride is a big adventure. Peppa Pig Ready, Pedal, Go. Available at all major retailers now.
30:44 Speaker 02 This podcast is supported by Nurtac ODT, Remedy Pant. We know you didn't ask for an interruption, but migraine doesn't wait for the right moment to interrupt either. It just barges in, takes your time, and throws everything off. So when migraine takes your time, take Nurtac. It's for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura in adults. Nurtac can provide pain relief in two hours, which can last up to two days. Ask your healthcare provider if Nurtac is right for you, because your time is for you, not migraine. Don't take If Allergic to Nerthec ODT. Allergic reactions can occur even days after use. Get help right away for trouble breathing, rash, swelling of face, mouth, tongue, or throat. High blood pressure and Raynaud's Syndrome can occur. Get help for high blood pressure, numbness, coolness, pain, or color changes in fingers
31:29 Speaker 02 and toes. Common side effect is nausea. For full prescribing information, call 1-833-4-NERHTEC or visit nerthec.com. All right, back to your podcast, playlist, or whatever's keeping you going today.
Previous The Last Meal Roy Wood Jr. Made For His Father Next What’s It Like To Cook With A Brain Injury? Page updated October 31, 2026 · transcript and summary are machine-generated