Fun
Knit to This: From Scratch with Michael Rulhlman
Dear Ann,
Well, I’ve gone and done it. I’ve been interviewed on a podcast. It’s a relatively new arrival, From Scratch with Michael Ruhlman. Michael is the author of widely respected, deeply researched books about cooking and chefs. He’s an excellent writer and a wonderful conversationalist, truly interested in what the other person has to say, and helping them say it.
The concept of From Scratch is really interesting. In each episode, Michael talks with two people, a chef and a person from outside the food world, on a theme, exploring connections between two worlds and two minds. The podcast is beautifully written and edited, and Michael knows a lot of fascinating people. Case in point: my pod-mate for this episode is none other than Thomas Keller. Whoa—I know! We were not interviewed at the same time, so Chef Keller was spared my fan-personing. (I really want to talk about how he does that deep-fried soft-boiled egg.)
Our theme—my buddy Thomas’s and mine—was Awareness, in cooking and in knitting.
How this lovely adventure came about: Michael is married to a knitter, novelist Ann Hood. I first came to know her work through her 2008 novel, The Knitting Circle, which is based on Ann’s real-life experience of learning to knit as a way to navigate through unfathomable grief after losing her young daughter to virulent illness. I’ve recommended The Knitting Circle countless times to friends in the throes of deep loss; it’s right up there with Rosanne Cash’s album Black Cadillac on my own short list of things that are a present help in times of trouble. When Michael was looking for a non-chef to talk to about awareness, it was Ann who said he should talk to a knitter, and kindly sent him to me.
For me, one of the pleasures of our conversation was Michael’s genuine interest in knitting. I didn’t feel that pat on the head that I sometimes do when conversing with a non-knitter about knitting. He gets it, in part from living with someone for whom knitting has been such a touchstone, I’m sure, but also because cooking does some of the same things for him that knitting does for me.
One funny thing that doesn’t come through in the edit is that Michael and I kept saying “Ann Shayne” and “Ann Hood,” or “my Ann” and “my Ann,” to keep our two Anns straight. I bet the Anns’ ears were burning!
My thanks to Michael and His Ann for inviting me. I had a great time.
Love,
Kay
While one cannot actively cook while actively knitting, one can listen to a podcast while doing either – and this one is so good. I very much enjoyed hearing you, Kay – thank you!
Really enjoyed your interview, Kay. Makes one think about slowing down and enjoying the moment. Knitting is so therapeutic. Thanks.
Will listen to this later today. It would have been so much fun if you an TK were together!
I so thoroughly enjoyed listening to this! Thank you so much for sharing your interview with us. I related to it in ways you can’t imagine. Thank you
Oh, I can’t wait to listen, this podcast sounds delightful.
You’re the Big Time, girl!
I usually am not one to comment, but I loved both of the conversations. I found that both offered spot on feelings in both cooking and knitting.
Another ANN loves this post
Woot woot!
Off main topic, but there was an article on socks on NPR this morning: https://www.npr.org/2019/12/07/785585133/sock-it-to-me-in-praise-of-an-evergreen-holiday-gift
Happy Saturday!
It was great to hear your voice Kay and your wonderful insights into what we’re all fanatical about. Thanks for representing this passion that we all share and speaking so well on it.
Good job Kay! Way to represent! I thoroughly enjoyed both interviews – I heard the theme “back to basics” in both. Thanks for sharing!
So cool! You and Thomas Keller in one podcast… I know what I will be knitting to on my lazy Sunday morning. Can’t wait.
Great interview Kay! I never thought about the similarities between cooking and knitting. Slowing down, making using your hands, mindfulness, awareness, being in the moment;)
I so enjoyed the podcast! From Thomas, I loved the part about the thrill of transforming food from uncooked to cooked and from you, I loved your definition of knitting as pulling one loop of yarn through another loop of yarn.
I am one who checks for your column daily, so I don’t know how I missed this last Saturday. However, I’m very glad that I stumbled across it, and enjoyed it very much! Despite my cooking skills being…rudimentary? at best, I often knit to Food Network shows, as I can find them as soothing as knitting, in a different way. (Oh, and GBBS: most soothing show in the history of television!) So I very much enjoyed your discussion with Michael, and put Marion Cunningham’s book on hold at my local library. There was just one thing that I sort of expected to hear, but didn’t in your mentions of “knitting below your skill level,” and his mention of “if cooking is hard, you’re not doing it right.” It was your mantra, “knitting is supposed to be fun.”
I enjoyed your interview! I am really enjoying this new podcast.
Thanks for posting this, Kay. I don’t know why I didn’t listen to it when it first came up, but it was exactly what I needed today. I needed to apply mindfulness to a gnarly task, that is, untangling and hand winding a hank that had imploded when my swift collapsed on itself. Grrr. I had to do the thing where you start winding the ball and keep passing it through the loops of the mess–over and over until you are done. I had been doing it little by little for a couple of days, putting it down when I became frustrated. Your message was in tune with my universe, and I was able to progress slowly through without feeling impatient that i had to finish.
I really cracked up when you described your chain-smoking Campfire Girls instructor. My stop-smoking shrink (four visits and still clean after 18 years) recommended I use my knitting to keep my hands busy so I couldn’t smoke! That really helped me.