Phil Rosenthal loves food. The creator of the CBS hit comedy Everybody Loves Raymond is the star of Somebody Feed Phil, a Netflix series where the eponymous subject travels the world to revel in the joy of eating. His effusive smile and unbridled enthusiasm dominate every episode. It's clear that Phil Rosenthal also loves people.
Phil’s Favorites: Recipes from Friends and Family to Make at Home (written with Jenn Garbee and published by Simon & Schuster) is now in print. I spoke with Phil by phone to discuss (among other things) his second cookbook, food as a love language, and his claims to be the luckiest person in the world.
Congratulations on the book.
Thank you!
Can you tell us a little about your background?
Sure. I was born in Queens in Jamaica Hospital. I only lived there until I was two. Then I lived in Riverdale in the Bronx until I was nine, and then I lived in Rockland County, New York, until I went to college, which was at Hofstra on Long Island. I moved into Manhattan for 10 years, and then I moved to Los Angeles where I have been ever since.
At what point was food introduced to your life and in what way?
Well, I was fed at home. They were feeding me from the very beginning. But food in my parents house was not spectacular. I didn't have delicious food until I left that house.
Where and when was that introduction to delicious food?
When I was in college, I went to an Italian restaurant, and I realized I was eating something that had a flavor I’d never had before, and the kids told me that it was garlic. I had never had garlic before. I was living like an animal. I was thrilled, and it became a passion of mine to find new flavors. And when I was 23, I took my first trip to Europe, and that kind of blew the doors off. It was like that scene in the Wizard of Oz when she opens the door and now the movie is in color. It was like that for me. And that's why I do my show because people literally don't know what they're missing.
The family in Everybody Loves Raymond was Italian. Was that choice specifically made so you could use food as a device in the show?
I can’t say that's why I did the show, but food is featured prominently in the show. As a matter of fact, it's how Ray's mother is able to rule the family. Because she's the one who can cook the best. Her food is so delicious that everyone will do whatever she says. Food is what brings a family together, and most themes in family life take place around the table, don't they?
What’s your favorite thing about food?
I say that food is my love language. If I like you, I want to go eat with you. The number one thing I want to do with my friends and loved ones is to eat. That's where the joy is. That's where, hopefully, the food is good, and that just makes everything elevated. Everything is better because the food is so delicious. That's the number one thing. It's why I do my show. It's why I tour. It's why I write the books. It's so that we can get together and eat.
What's your favorite thing about Italian cuisine?
I'm going to say the flavor. I'm going to say the warmth and love that I feel in the best of Italian foods. I love the diversity of dishes. Everything is done with such love and care with quality ingredients and a kind of flavor genius.
What's your favorite region in Italy cuisine wise?
Oh, my God. It's really hard. I love them all. I mean, they're all great. I love the food in Florence. I love the food on the Amalfi Coast. I love the food in Rome. I've even found great restaurants in Venice, which is notoriously touristy, but there's phenomenal cuisine there, too. I haven't been everywhere yet.
Tell us about Phil’s Favorites.
It’s really a celebration of family and friends. It’s a cookbook, yes, but it’s also an invitation into my life. I’m not a great cook, and I only contribute two recipes (though one of them, the tuna fish sandwich is a must), but I want to share the best recipes of my friends and family for readers to make at home. Among the mouthwatering meals, there’s also lots of stories. There's a lot of love.
Is there an emphasis on a particular cuisine?
No. There are recipes from all around the country and all around the world. We cover breakfast, sandwiches, shareable plates, soups, main courses, pastas, desserts, condiments, sauces and more. One thing they all have in common is they can be considered comfort foods.
Of course, your love of Italian food is well known. There’s a cheeky reference in the opening of the chapter “The Reason I Pace Myself” to the book being called Everybody Loves Italian Food. Of the Italian recipes in the book, is there one that you'd recommend to our readers?
You have to help me because you have the book in front of you, and I don't. Plus, I love them all.
I'm happy to help. The pastas are all impressive, as is the braciole and the seafood risotto, but I'll step in with a shout out to your son-in-law. The chicken dish of his - Mason Royal’s Lemony Chicken with Garlic-Anchovy Sauce - looks spectacular.
My daughter married a brilliant chef. I'm so glad you picked that one because it is absolutely delicious.
Finally, at the end of the book, the last line is that you claim to be the luckiest man in the world. Can you explain why?
Well, look, how can I have this life? I'm the luckiest person you're ever going to have in your magazine. I really believe that. I think I'm the luckiest guy in the world. Not just because of the success I’ve had, but the luck I’ve had. The luck I’ve had to have a family like I have, to have friends like I have, to get to travel the way I can, to meet beautiful people from around the world, to eat delicious food, to be on TV where it's like a calling card to human beings who come up to me and give me a hug. How could I not feel blessed and lucky?
