Sara Pascoe is bowled over by our minestrone soup

20:34Now he's become a soup guy. I love soup. And then where would you, you know, we like Italy, like to guard a region. They're like, oh, we'd never do that in Bologna. Where's Minestrone from?

20:46Nick:Well, I think they've all got a version of it. They've all got a version of soup, you know, different regions. You know, I was talking about when I was doing it, there's one that's pasta and fagioli, so it's beans and pasta. But everywhere in Italy has got their own version of it. So, you know, but Minestrone, I think, is the north. Emilia-Romagna, probably, Tuscany, that way. There is a wine pair, and it's a blueprint gavi from Waitrose, of course. Yeah. And if you want to get that wine or the recipe or the ingredients, waitrose.com forward slash dish recipes, get them on there. This kind of thing, I think this is where people who aren't confident cooks can start to get their confidence because you can make something that's so delicious that you understand the whole process.

21:25You can't go too far wrong, I don't think. If you did overcook something a little bit or undercook it, it would be a bit al dente, it would sort itself out when you reheat it. And then you can play with seasoning and those kind of things and see the difference that it makes.

21:37Nick:I also think it's something we do at home a lot. we always have like on a Monday or something if we're off work it's because you use up stuff because you've always got tins in the you know tins of ice tinned beans you've always got old bits of vegetables you've always got an old brown onion somewhere you definitely have a garlic they can't really go off it's really delicious have we got leftover for Sarah of course we have we can take some for tonight in case take that come round they hear the podcast and they're like that soup sounds so nice we were in the neighbourhood we just already pop in so you went to the same school as my brother Really?

22:09Nick:He went to Gaines, didn't he? I did. He went to Gaines, yeah. When was he there? Oh, a good 10, 15 years before you. Oh, okay. But did you ever go to Hollywood's? Every week. Oh, there you see. I knew it. I went to Hollywood's. Hollywood's was such an institution. They didn't care, Nick, about how old you were. Yes. So, you know, 14, 15, I had braces. You just sort of cut your mouth open and that price of bounces. They didn't care. And it was a pound for a drink. You'd get a fosters per pound or a hoot back in those days. And they had podiums that you could stand on and dance. I mean, it was brilliant.

22:42Do you know who used to go there sometimes? Martine McCutcheon from EastEnders. And that was always the big thing. Tiffany from EastEnders is in. Huge. Yeah. Huge. The occasional, maybe Frank Lampard in the early days kind of thing. The occasional West Ham footballer. And what sort of music would they on in Hollywood? Dance music, but all the amazing dance music. So I'm doing Desert Island Discs in a couple of weeks. and I said I really don't want to scare like your listeners but can we have Sweet Like Chocolate Boy? Do you know the one where the world goes round? It's all those kind of songs.

23:16So like really, really good dance music with lyrics. Really good to run to now actually. I don't dance anymore. I don't go out to discos I mean but sometimes I go on a running machine and I listen to the old tunes. Are you going to do Sweet Like Chocolate as one of your designers? No, I actually... That would be amazing. It was either going to be that kind of music or it was going to be entire Take That All Eight songs. Oh yes! I know, I've been very restrained and I've only got Never Forget. Okay. Just the one, just the one. And then when you were growing up and you were going to, you know, your nights out in Hollywood, plural, plural, what were you thinking of Doom in your life?

23:49Was it always going to be comedy? Was it always a need to perform? I wouldn't have known that comedy was a thing, but I did want to be a famous, and that's very important, actor. I really, really wanted to be an actor. I was very naive. I was really precocious. and like I had my first Oscar by 22 or I'll kill myself. I remember we once had TIE coming to school. Did you ever have TIE? What's that? Theatre and Education. So we had this group and they were doing this play about why you shouldn't drink drive and it was sort of that theatre where the character, they stop and you can tap in and go like, what the character should have done.

24:24Like, I'm not coming with you. You've had free beers. And it had such an effect on me. I just suspend my disbelief too easily. So I watched it and I thought, I'm just never going to learn to drive in case I drink and I still haven't learned to drive because this play was so powerful. But at the end, I put my hands up to tell them that I was going to be an actor. And they were like, all right. And I was like, I'm going to go to RADA. I'm going to go to Broadway. And then I'm going to win my first Oscar by 22. I was like this little mini Tom Hiddleston. But it didn't happen. And did you do plays and stuff at school?

24:58Did you carry on doing it? We did assemblies, Cheryl and I, that no one had asked for. So I would ask, is the hall free today? No way. We did a two-woman version of Oliver. I played Fagin and she played the Apple Dodger. Oliver wasn't even in it. So we basically just put on stuff. I was really keen on the fact that my school wasn't doing enough about war. Right. To educate the children about war. So I did like an alphabet of war assembly for everyone, introducing them to the war poets. I was very unpopular, can you guess? But this is the thing, and it did actually serve me well in terms of becoming a comedian because even then, I knew I didn't care if people didn't like me as long as they were looking at me while they didn't like me.

25:39I was always more comfortable. I'd be more comfortable in a room with everyone looking at me being like, you, Bellend. Yeah. But they're looking. Yeah. But they're looking. Just being in the room, no one even cares that I'm here. Yeah. Wow, yeah. And then were your mum and dad, were they supportive? Were your family like, oh, you should be on the stage, you should go to drama school? I think I'm really lucky with my parents because my dad is a musician but he's a kind of musician who dedicates himself to craft. He thinks fame is sort of embarrassing. Right, okay. And to pursue that is really embarrassing.

26:10So when Cheryl and I, I think I'm really lucky that, I auditioned for Barrymore in a shopping centre to sing, but I think if we'd come up in X Factor, Pop Idol days, we'd have been at all of those shows and then Big Brother at that point when there were open auditions. I'm really lucky that it was just, I aged out of it slightly. Yeah, just got televised. Yes, yeah. Now I'd be in the geriatric group. But my dad, who didn't live with us, but he was, whenever I said about wanting to be famous, he was like, you don't even know what that is, which is true. And my mum didn't care. I think it's good to have parents who aren't too invested about your work because you're then sort of free to do it.

26:47You wouldn't want your mum ringing up and going, how did it go? Did you get it? When will you find out? I think that's a lot of pressure. A lot of pressure. My mum just said, as long as you're not asking to borrow money, you don't care. So when did you break into it?

26:59Nick:Did you go and do the comedy clubs? Did you do Edinburgh? Yeah, I really have failed sideways because I really wanted to be an actor. I auditioned for drama school for two years. I didn't go to university, I auditioned. And then the jobs I was actually doing, I sang with Robbie Williams' dad for three months in a hotel in Nottingham in 2001. You stayed with his dad? No, I worked with his dad. Oh, I thought you said you stayed with his dad. Yeah, anything to get near him, Angela. I went out with Robbie's dad. Yeah, yeah. Hang on what you did. What is going on? That's why I don't want to meet him actually.

27:29Yeah, it's a feel. Now I understand. Broke his heart. Hang on what you did at... So go on, you worked with his dad? I worked with his dad in a hotel, but I was doing those kind of jobs, like ENTS jobs. I was in a hotel in Lanzarote, doing hotel entertainment. You know, we do the bingo and stuff as well, we do little shows. Yeah, so all those kind of jobs. And then I decided to go to university because I had no money. I needed a student loan, but I also realised you could do plays there. and drama school is quite respected academia. So I did an English degree, did loads of plays, auditioned for drama school for another two years.

28:02And while I was trying to be an actor, I was living with my friend Cariad. And basically I started doing gigs as a character to sort of keep my hand in. Right, okay. Because it's so hard to be an actor and everyone wants to be an actor. And the minute I did stand up, I was like, oh, this is what I'm supposed to do. And everything became clear. It's like, oh, that is what I am. This is it. The reason I'm such a bad actor, I found this out in therapy about four years ago. You're a bad actor. I'm a really bad actor. because I don't lose myself because I want to be seen and that's comedy. Comedy is showing yourself.

28:29Whereas I would be like, I'm Lady Macbeth. What's going on? What about my hands? I was. I didn't ever. When other actors would talk about losing themselves, I'd be like, do you mean putting on a voice? So it all worked out really well. My first gig, I went home. It was in Balham. So I had this long tube where I had to barn it and I just, I was so full of all of the good chemicals, hormones, And I was like, I'm a one-man band. I'm going to travel the world, tell them my stories. And I'm so lucky. And that's 20 years next year. And I'm still in a honeymoon period with my job, really. I'm really lucky.

29:07Hey, we should talk about Zero Stars, which is your new show, which is coming in April time on the television with Rasheen. Rasheen Connorsy, I'm obsessed with, by the way. I'm obsessed with her. She is the wisest, funniest person ever. And essentially, we got pitched this job, which is, do you want to go on holiday together eight times this summer? Yes. Yes, please. So desperate for it. Didn't really listen to what the show was, which is very poorly reviewed tourist attractions. I love that. You had me at Roisin. Sorry, what's that about Albania? So what you do is you and Roisin go on your holiday, but it's holidays based on bad reviews.

29:45Yes, everywhere we go to, hotels, resorts, restaurants, are all places that some people have really disliked. And actually what kept happening in the series is that you'd read these reviews, people are really harsh on mine now. One tiny thing or something that isn't to their particular taste and often we would go and have a really wonderful time because when you are with your friend and you want to have a nice time, life is fantastic and it's what you make of it. But there was some odd stuff. We went on the worst cruise. Really? The most poorly reviewed cruise. Why was that? Why was it so bad?

30:17What were they saying about it? I think the ship is from the 80s. Right. And you can't get off. Well, there was a hole. There was a hole in my bathroom. It didn't have a drain. It just had like a hole in the floor. And I'd taken my youngest son, who was 18 months with me, and he kept putting my phone in there and it was full of hair. It was full. It was like 30 years of hair. And I said to the director, you've got to get my room. It's got this hole full of hair. And he went, we can't. We can't show a hair hole. A hair hole. We can't. It's too much. People turn off. Too much. And where was your cruise?

30:50Where did you go on that? So it starts in Turkey and it goes to Greece. Or vice versa. It starts in Greece, goes to Turkey. Right, right, right. I mean, I love the idea of this. I can't wait to see this. I really can't. I think that's what's great about it as a format is it is really funny. It's funny what they made us do. I went to Transylvania, which I never would have done by myself. No, too scary. Yeah, we got to do graffiti. We shot guns in a rifle range in Albania. So we did some stuff where I was like, I never would have done that otherwise. Of course. Roshin was really brave. She had her nose waxed in Turkey.

31:19Oh. I hope she won't mind me saying that. Right. It is in the programme. Not as part of the show. No, because they said to us, they didn't tell us really what was going to happen. So we'd go and meet a contributor. There might be a translator. And they did it and we thought we were in a barber's. I thought we might get a head massage. And then he starts putting cotton buds with wax up Roshin's nose. Oh, God. He yanks them out. He's like, your turn. I was like, no, no. No, no, I don't want. I've done that. It's fantastic. I think it is fantastic. I'm just scared of pain.

31:45Nick:Yeah, I mean, it was quite brutal. And how are these contributors? I mean, how do they feel that they were getting all these terrible reviews and then you were there to... Well, that's it. It was done very honestly, so they always knew. And usually, especially if it's a small business, what you realise is these businesses sort of sink or float based on these reviews. So quite often they wanted a chance to show. Oh, to really show, yeah. Yes, there's no lift here, but that's because it's only two floors and it's a listed building. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And that's what you'd find is that sometimes people would be going, they're mad.

32:12What do people expect when they think, You're on holiday. Obviously, if you've got issues and you can't climb stairs, but who's that lady? Just lug your suitcase up there and shut up. Yeah, exactly. I love when you see reviews. I don't love or hate it, actually. But when you see, it's a crazy thing, when you see reviews about, yeah, nothing to do with the restaurant. So the table next to me were really nice. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Two stars. I know, yeah. What's that got to do with Angela Hartnett?

32:34Nick:Yeah. No, no, no. We've had customers. We had customers a day after Trump got elected. And unfortunately, there were two Trump people who loved Trump. Celebrating, yeah. But then literally the letter I got the next day blaming me for Trump's election. I'm like, how is this my fault? I've always held you responsible. Yeah, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, you know, it's like, why am I getting abuse now? And then of course, as a result, they just went for everything else. I thought, no, you just had a bad night. I'm sorry about that, but that's not my fault. It has got out of control.

33:01And I think people sometimes need to go, am I doing this because I just need to feel better? And it's very bad karma sometimes. Unless you really do need to warn other patrons. do you need to write that? Could you be more reasonable? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think so. I'll tell you something that happens on Amazon if you write a book. When you sell your book, sometimes something might go wrong with the parcel or maybe it gets a bit ripped. You know, it's an accident and they'll put a one-star review on your book. It turns up and the front covers rips. You go, I didn't rip it. It's in your Amazon package.

33:32You send it to your book. Oh, yeah, eight quid down the drain. Yeah, no, and then it f***ed up the average and everything. No, that's good. Yeah, like I ate Sarah Pascoe, my envelope would be picked. Never forgive her. Well, I can't wait to see that. And I love Roisin. I've not seen Roisin Connesty for years. She's never on here. Roisin would have lots to talk to you about food. Because I don't eat animals, a lot of the places we went to, obviously a lot of countries, their delicacies are horrible bits of animals. So every time we would get to a restaurant, they were like, okay, this is the best Georgian restaurant.

34:02Sarah, they're not going to be able to have anything for you. And then I would sit there and have a nice glass of wine and they'd be bringing her like, you know, full skulls with brains in and like lambs, heads and testicles and all that. And she'd be like, oh, great, okay. Oh, I mean, this then. Thank you. Great, thank you. So that's coming in April on TLC. Yeah. Also on TLC now is Mock the Week. It's the place to be for comedy now. It's the place to be. There's that was of two programmes. Mock the Week. So this was really exciting. I don't know. But so it got cancelled on the BBC, which is a shame because there used to be more panel shows, there used to be more satire.

34:36and it was a bit sad and I think people like myself who'd actually stopped doing the show were like, oh, you know, and then when they brought it back, everyone was really thrilled. Like Russell Howard did the first one, you know, back in the day and then Catherine Ryan and I did one together that's on this Sunday but it'll already have been on by the time the podcast comes out. They've got an amazing lineup. The world is such a horror show and we're all having to process it and feel useless about it. So finding some of the little chinks of light to make fun of is really glorious. Sarah Pascoe, it is time for your fast food quiz.

35:08Sarah Pascoe, what is your favourite sandwich filling? Hummus. Did I say that like a pervert? Hummus. Hummus. Hummus.

35:17Nick:Okay. What's your favourite herb? Basil. What's your favourite form of potato? Mashed. The dish you miss most when you're away from home? God, what do I miss? Soup, soup, soup. Soup, soup. Homemade soup, yeah. What is the best crisp? Corn cocktail. I think there's milk in it, though. The vegans will be writing in. But I'm still saying it. Yeah, whatever. It's still amazing. What's your favourite bean? Butter bean. Butter bean. All day long. A very personal question. What's your favourite kitchen utensil? What is the name for the one that's like this shape on a stick? Yeah. And I feel like you could smack someone with it or you could scoop...

35:55Spatula. Do you think that is a spatula? Yeah, certainly, yeah. But not like a wooden one, like a triangle. Right. Lentil. No, I think probably plastic, some kind of silicon. You have different colours. Yeah, a spatula, I think. Spatula, okay. Yeah, but more square, you mean? Yeah, the end. Yeah, I know what you mean. Like a paddle. It's like a small kitchen paddle. Yeah, what is that for? Slapstick. It doesn't go under an egg. You could get it. Scrambled egg would be great. Yeah, yeah. What would you call that? I'd call it a spatula. Yeah, a spatula. Yeah, okay. What's your best Sunday rice? I think you want some kind of vegan Wellington.

36:31but lots and lots then of you need moisture you need gravy roast potatoes mashed potato red cabbage carrots broccoli sweet corn is that enough?

36:42Nick:That's quite a lot I think that is enough yeah that's good but then I would also then still want cranberry and mint sauce I don't eat the meat but I like the you have the option yeah that's good you need the wet you need the wet for sure you need the wet so we come to the end of the show question for your chance to win the waitress goodie bag here I really want it by the way yeah it's good it is good all you've got to do is take on the challenge of the end of the show question there you go oh my god oh my goodness yeah hi Sarah thank you for coming on Dish you're welcome it's been a pleasure that was and we don't use the spelling of this word lightly super see what we did there in order to win the Waitrose Goodie Bag you just need to take part in a winner stays on game vegan soup edition yeah Nicolangelo read out the names of soup flavours you just decide the winner of each soup of.

37:31Thanks, Team Dish. Thank you, Team Dish. Let's go. Okay, let's go. Are you ready? Yeah. Okay. Tomato and basil soup or pea, leek and watercress?

37:40Nick:Tomato and basil. Okay, tomato and basil soup or butternut squash and tarragon? Tomato and basil. Tomato and basil soup or chunky vegetable? Chunky vegetable. Okay, chunky vegetable or spicy red lentil? Spicy red lentil. Spicy red lentil or miso? Spicy red lentil. Spicy red lentil or carrot and coriander? Spicy red lentil. Spicy red lentil or potato and leek? Spicy red lentil. Spicy red lentil or mushroom soup? Spicy red lentil. Spicy red lentil or gazpacho? Spicy red lentil! It's boiled soup! Spicy red lentil or Angela's minestrone? Angela's minnabludistrone. Minnabludistrone. Angela's minestrone or French onion?

38:22Angela's minestrone. You're not going to beat it, by the way. Angela's minestrone. Angela's minestrone or your minestrone Angela's minestrone well the game has ended, what have we learnt? Angela made an amazing minestrone yes and the green bag is yours thank you thank you that's a really high octane I don't know why I was like, really wanted to get that bag but it's like, the bag's yours I think we've got a game show there just that Just that. Yeah. It's called PLC. Please, come on. And if it was a kids' show, then we could, like, gunge people with soup. Yes. Every time they turned one down. Yes.

39:04And it would come. Yeah, yeah. And it's hot. Boiling up. Sarah, thank you so much. That was really fun. Thank you so much. That was really lovely. Thanks. And that was so delicious. Have we got more for Sarah to say? We have, yeah. So kind. So kind. Thank you. A round of applause to Sarah Pascoe. Thank you. Thank you, everybody. Thank you. Thank you, Sarah. Thank you. Thank you so much. Massive thank you to Sarah Pascoe for coming to see us. Before we go, we have a message and also some art from a listener called Bella. Bella says, hello, lovely Angela and Nick. Not a dilemma. I just wanted to show my appreciation for the two of you.

39:41I discovered Dish recently and it honestly turned out to be just what I need to feed. No pun intended. My grumpy and lonely soul of late. I've had quite a few big life changes to deal with recently but you guys and the whole team at Dish have brought me so much comfort and peace it feels like sitting down to have a cozy chat with old friends and the addition of an amazing guest 50 times a day on repeat whilst I catch up with every episode twice over what's not to love aside from this I fill my spare time with doodling and creating art on my iPad so I thought why not combine the two an attempt to create some of you.

40:21I hope you love my drawing as much as I love the podcast and all my love, Bella. Oh, well, thanks for your message, Bella. Should I show you? This is it. Oh my God, let me see it. Oh my God, thanks, Bella. That's really good, isn't it? Oh my God, it's really good.

40:36Nick:Oh, bless Bella. If you're listening to this, Bella has done a picture of us. Yeah. Right here on the dish table. Look at how she's got your hair cut. She's done it really well. It's really good. That's actually a great hair reference for me. Bella, well done. Thank you, Bella. Oh, thank you, Bella. Thank you, Bella. And thanks for reaching out. If you do want to get in touch with us, please email us, dish at waitrose.co.uk. Well, yeah, that's fab. I love the colours and everything. Yeah. There's texture. She's done it brilliantly. Yeah, thank you so much, Bella. Thank you, Bella. And thank you, everybody, for listening.

41:04And we will see you next week for more Dish. So we'll see you then. If that episode has left you wanting more, find us on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Just search Dish.

41:16Nick:If you want to make any of the meals I cook on Dish, head to waitrose.com forward slash dish recipes for all the ingredients and the recipes. Dish from Waitrose is a cold glass production. Waitrose, the home of food lovers.