One on One: Kristen Mulrooney

Published May 26, 2022, 4:00 AM

If you saw our deviled eggs and mojito...well then...you know we don't know what we're doing.
So, here's Kristen Mulrooney, the author of the brand new Gilmore Girls: The Official Cookbook.

She watched the episodes while writing the book and she's here to give you the BTS of creating a G.G. Cookbook!

I am all in, Kiss you, I Am all in with Scott Patterson and I Heart Radio podcast Everybody Scott Patterson, I'm all in Podcast One on one interview with Kristen mulroon as she see a, the author of the Gilmore Girls Official Cookbook. A little bit about Kristen. She's a humorist and editor whose writing has appeared in the New Yorker magazine McSweeney's Internet Tendency in The Belladonna. Her words and wisdom on the pitfalls of parenting are including in the forthcoming McSweeney's anthology. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband, three children, and dog. Well, first of all, nice to meet you. Nice having you on UH, and congrats on the new book. Tell us you know how did this idea to have the first official cookbook for Gilmore come along? UM? So I was actually brought on UM after they had started working on it UM. So I co authored the book with Elena Craig, whose recipe developer UM Food Stylists, and she was already working on it UM and so I heard from an editor that they were looking for someone UM to collaborate. They said, at first, UM a popular two thousands show and it was like, that sounds fun and exciting, so I'd be interested in that. UM. And then she told me to the official Gilmore Girls Cookbook and I was like, Okay, that's actually a dream project UM to be a part of. So I would love to do it. UM because the voice of the show was just so fun and distinct UM. And as a comedy writer, UM, there's really nothing better than being able to get into that voice UM and making it authentic, which in this case largely UM consisted of, you know, finding ways to take a paragraph of text and make it go my limited UM. So just really fun to work on. So what was that process, Like, how did you choose what to write about? UM? As far as the recipes are just on my end. UM. So I actually had a great summer UM. Last summer we wrote this whole thing, UM, and I had a great time because I have three small children, UM, and so my husband took them and I was just like, I have to work, and I put on Netflix and then I just watched the show and it was wonderful. UM. So every every episode, I think, every every recipe we had, I think I watched the episode and saw what was going on. UM. And just tried to um and compass that in what I was writing. Um, so you how did you recreate so many the same foods you see on the show though, Um well, Elena did most of that. We did all of that. UM So I think she had the hard job here. Um some of them. I think we're probably tougher than others for her. Um. For example, we did um mashed bananas on toast. Um. And the whole thing about the mash bananas on toast was that it was disgusting. Um. Same with the drink um the Rory, which was served at Rory's twenty one birthday, and it was very, very pink um. And again it was just known for being disgusting. UM. So we kinda she kind of revamped those recipes and um made them tasty. Um. So that was kind of my job, I guess, to kind of take it and spin it in my text. But it tasted better. Well, here's kind of an obvious question. Why do you think food plays such an important role in the show. Um? Well, if I think a big part of the magic of the show is the stars Hollow community, and you know, this group of people who are like this big, weird extended family UM, and food is such a symbol of community and gathering and it brings people together um and I talked with this a bit in the book, UM, but I always felt as a viewer, I felt like the characters safe say so much through the food UM. So, for example, when the book was first announced and since then, UM, one of the comments I keep hearing is it better include the Santa Burger UM. And there's a reason why in a series where one of the main characters as a gourmey chef, it's the Santa Burger Um that people want. And I think that's because the scene where Luke serves it to Laurel I so special because it's the first time I think that we really see him UM showing how much he cares for her UM. And so I think over and over again in the show we see food being UM shared in moments of love and comfort and even sometimes right right. And it also delineates between class structure, right, Emily's food and the dinners that she serves and how they're prepared and how you're supposed to eat them. In the commentary and whatever versus Lucan versus the kind of sort of junk food that Laurel I and Rory uh enjoy from time to time and more often than not. Actually, um, um, so, what's your favorite Gimee More Girls episode that features food? Like really features food? Okay, you know, I was gonna say, I feel like they all feature food to me now, and they're writing this book, Like some people look at an episode and identify it as like this is the episode where lower Leon Richard get into a fight at Yale, and I'm like, that's the episode where they get take out from Hector's tacos. Um. As far as the ones that really feature food, Um, I'm in New England, so I really like all of like fall and Christmas in wintry episodes. Um so I like the brace is It the Bracebridge Dinner? The Medieval Feast? I like that woman because it's like a very Star's Halloween magical episode, but there's a lot of fun food in there. Um. We did a medieval plum pudding. We did a take on that, right. Um. Did you have a favorite recipe from the book. I have a few favorite recipes from the book. Um. As far as like a practical, simple recipe, um, the chibbada bun caprazy sandwiches are so good. Um, I'm so hungry. Yeah, and I like I love the crazy, I love pretty salad sandwiches, and I have been like consistently underwhelmed by them for like my entire adult life. But think it's so so good, So I recommend that one. It's very easy. Uh. And as a fans, does it feel kind of full circle to be officially part of of this Gilmore Girls universe? Now? Yeah, it's super exciting. Um, And I'm happy to be a part of it and happy to be able to create something that's so um beautiful and I think authentic to the show for the other fans to write. Do you get do you now here? Do you get recognized? Or when people find out that you've written this book do they immediately plant themselves in front of you? And I ask you this maybe the same questions I'm asking you, know, um, because there a little celebrity status that comes along with this. My friends are very excited about it. I don't think I've been recognized outside of my friends yet. Right in the book was just released a few days ago. How many times did you rewatch the show to be able to write the book? Well? I watched it when it was when it originally aired. I watched it week to week. Um. And then right before Year in the Life came out, I just had my third baby and so I was up all night, so I binge watched it again. Um. In preparation to watch A Year in the Life, I watched it a couple of times. And I said, last summer when I was working, I was I did a lot of watching the show, right. I was trying to make good use of my time. So I did try to like just stick to like, okay, these episodes with the recipes, but sometimes that would get stuck in like a storyline and just h So you're a humorist. Uh. What Gilmourrism has made it into the book. What Gilmourrism said into the book. Um, she could think of one or two that were kind of iconic. Some of the coffee quotes, Um, coffee in and I V called the first entry and the recipes action. Yeah, I mean, you know that's one of the more famous ones that that defines Laurela and that maybe defines the relationship between Luke and Laura. Um. And do you know how to make the perfect cup of coffee? And if you do know, can you tell us? Well? I mean, Elena did a good job explaining in the book. I am so bad at making it though when I don't know why. Even if I follow the directions exactly, I can't do it. But to me, the perfect cup of coffee coffee is diner coffee. Any coffee had a diner in a diner coffee mug is like it's always perfect, it's always strong, it's always hot, to keep refilling it so it stays hot. That's that Northeast thing. Man. I grew up there too, and it's like you can't. Yeah, I grew up in uh. I was born in Philadelphia and grew up in southern New Jersey. So I and I've been all over New England. Yeah, it's my favorite place in the world. Um keep trying to move back there, you know, but they won't let me. U us. It's great. We're having like this bonker storm right now, and so I was worded you wouldn't be able to hear me because it's like deafening, but really, really right, You're getting a big rainstorm or snowstorm or no rainstorm, lots of rain, a little bit of hail, lightning, it's just very creepy out. Well, so you're in Massachusetts. Who are you near Boston? Okay? All right, yeah, I've been looking a lot of you know, I was looking in Brookline, I was looking in downtown Boston. Really, my kid is a robotics freaking he wants to go to m I T. And he's seven, you know. So it's like, all right, well we'll move to Massachusetts so you can be near you know, the robotics where it's happening. Alright, So we do a little segment here called rapid Fire. Okay, so I'm gonna fire some questions at you, and we're gonna see, I see your acumen of the show. All right, We're gonna see how much detail. I'm probably in a panic and freeze. But it's okay. Everybody does everybody does? Um? All right? You ready? Here we go three? Two on? How many cups of coffees do you have a day? Are you? Team Logan, Team Jesser, Team Dean? Who's your favorite Gilmore girl's character? I don't know what, Kirk, what would you order at Luke Steiner Coffee? Would you rather go on a road trip with Taylor? Michelle? Michelle finish the lyric, and where you lead, I will follow. Isn't that the doesn't that finish? Where you lead? I will follow? What's the rest of it? Anywhere that you take me to? Tell me? Too? Nice? You were very close, you know what. I know the song, but I don't think I ever really like knew what the lyrics were, and I just kind of like mumble it, Hey, don't distract me. We've still got to do this rapid fire. Okay, yeah, you're buying yourself time. I know what you're doing. Jackson's vegetables are Suki's bait goods? Would you rather listen to Drells, Harpers, a Truebadoor's cover songs, Children, Prepper Stars, hollow HILLO? Hi, really, can you explain that? Can you explain that just less commute? You're a Northeastern or died in the world northeaster or with all the traffic? I get I get that, I get that answer. Um well, there you go, boy. That was I wish we had more time. Um oil with the poodles already the first offensive official collection of recipes inspired by the world of the fast talking Gilmore Girls. This is my god, look at all this stuff. You have born fifty recipes. There are dozens of recipes for Stars Hall of Favorites, from Suki's risotta to Luke's cheeseburger. You got everything. What's in here? Let me let me, let me read off some of these things in here. There's uh, there's Sukis risottas, there's Mrs Kim's flax seed muffins, There's Luke's cheeseburger and fries, and of course the perfect cup of coffee. Um, what else do you have? Well, that's enough right there. Yeah, there's a lot there. And you know, instead of dividing it up the way a lot of cookbooks do, which is like appetizers, SUPs and salads Andrea's desserts, Um, we divided it up by um, you know, different places and Stars hollow. So we have Luke's niner and then um, suki stuff at the ends Laura Librory's house, and so it's kind of kind of different levels of cooking too. Like if you're a beginner, you might be great in chapter four in Laura Linne Rory's house. Um, there's a lot of bag salads and stuff. But fans, you might want to try chapter two with suki stuff, a little bit more, a little fancier. Sounds good, sounds good. Now I see you on the cover here. Uh you have featured Luke's Diner with a cheeseburger and fries with a coffee mug and a coffee pot and the mugs on the wall in the background, the new cell phone sign. Oh my god, I feel honored, thank you so much. And there's a Luke's dinner. There's a Lukes Diner menu. Well, um, let me let me ask you this. Did you have to get permission? Did you deal with Warner Brothers legal affairs to get permission to do the cover like that? Um? I mean not me personally, but yeah, somebody darn right we did. Yeah, man. Anyway, Kristen has been a pleasure. Thank you for coming on. Everybody listen, run out and get Christen's new book that she co authored called Gilmore Girls, the Official Cookbook. It is filled with humor and treats and everything Gilmore and everything wonderful. Kristin, thanks so much. Hope you survived this the storm. The sun just came out. The sun there you go, see see what happens. Anyway, All the best to you, all right, You're great having you and good luck with the book. Thank you all right, take care Bye Tave.