美国国家公共电台 NPR The Best Hostess Gift? A Pound Of Butter, Says Amy Sedaris

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

The actress and comedian 1 Amy Sedaris has become famous for her roles in shows like "Strangers With Candy"...

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AMY SEDARIS: (As Jerri Blank) I was a builder, a loser and a user.

SHAPIRO: ...And "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt."

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SEDARIS: (As Mimi Kanasis) Call Make a Wish. I want to meet Shaq. Jacqueline, Jacqueline, Jacqueline, Jacqueline, Jacqueline, Jacqueline, Jacqueline...

SHAPIRO: At the same time, Amy Sedaris has always harbored a not-so-secret love of home crafting projects. She has written books about it. There is "Simple Times: Crafts For Poor People" and "I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence." And now she has a new program on truTV called "At Home With Amy Sedaris."

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SEDARIS: My businessmen will be here soon, and we didn't even address the most important part of a fish dinner - making lamb chops. As it turns out, a lot of people don't like fish, so it's very important...

SHAPIRO: Amy Sedaris, welcome to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.

SEDARIS: Thank you for having me.

SHAPIRO: What were your inspirations for this show?

SEDARIS: Well, I grew up with these two local hospitality shows, "At Home With Peggy Mann" and the "Betty Elliott Show." And that's what triggered the whole thing. I remember pointing to the TV when I was 10, saying, I'm going to do that show when I grow up. And then I was inspired by Lawrence Welk and "Galloping 2 Gourmet 3" and "Frugal 4 Gourmet" and Julia Child and "Two Fat Ladies" - I mean, all those shows.

SHAPIRO: You mention the show "Two Fat Ladies," which was also a favorite of mine. And one thing that I loved about that show which your show also shares is that the things that they made so enthusiastically so often looked totally inedible 5. It would be like a breakfast dish made of anchovies 6.

SEDARIS: Yes, and butter and everything. But that's the thing. Like, Martha Stewart, who's really talented and she had that great PBS show how she would, like, teach you how to roast a chicken - but my stuff never looked like her stuff. Or like, I'd look at her magazine where she'd make a pipe cleaner mouse, and then I would make a pipe cleaner mouse, and I'm like, this looks nothing like a mouse. So I'm like, how do they do this? So I just like things to look as, you know, real. And I think a lot of people are like that.

SHAPIRO: Was there a moment that you realized your weakness was actually your strength in home crafting?

SEDARIS: (Laughter) That's funny. Yeah, you're right. I mean, I just - if I do the best I can do, then it's just funny without trying to be funny, which I like. That's how I like to do everything, is like, if you're just true and you're in the moment, then it's just going to be more unique and more you.

SHAPIRO: You make these adorable baked potato boats in the episode on a fish dinner.

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SEDARIS: OK, for this craft you will need baked potato, skewer 7, cheese singles, mushroom button caps, construction paper and a little bit of glue.

SHAPIRO: Yes, you are making boats out of baked potatoes. And yet it's hard for me to describe this like a project you could see on any other TV home crafts program.

SEDARIS: But it's a real craft. I've seen it in a cookbook before.

SHAPIRO: I think we need you to describe this activity now.

SEDARIS: You take a baked potato and you put butter and sour cream on it, and then you top it with mushroom caps. And I just added a flag. And what's funny about that craft is, you know, I wanted to make the flag look like it was blowing in the wind. So you apply - you take the construction paper and make a flag. And you have to apply some glue, but I added too much glue by accident.

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SEDARIS: OK. Squeeze. A little dab 8 will do it.

SHAPIRO: This show has a roster 9 of all-star visiting celebrities 10 - Stephen Colbert, Jane Krakowski. How did you describe to them what they were signing up for?

SEDARIS: I think they did it for the money, which was $600. Well, Colbert I was like, come on. I can't do this show without you. It was really good to have him on set.

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SEDARIS: I'm in the craft room. Hello, Stephen.

STEPHEN COLBERT: Hi, Amy.

SEDARIS: Stephen Colbert, my turtle sitter.

COLBERT: How are the turtles doing?

SEDARIS: Everyone was so enthusiastic, and they said yes right away. And I didn't think we'd get half the people we got. I mean, I - Michael Shannon - are you kidding me? - or Paul Giamatti or Chris Elliott. I was shocked when they said yes.

SHAPIRO: OK. So, Amy Sedaris, if you're invited to a party for the holiday season, can you suggest a host or hostess gift that somebody could bring that's different from the typical bottle of wine or bouquet 11 of flowers?

SEDARIS: Well, I always appreciate someone bringing me a pound of butter because butter's really expensive and it's a nice thing you can throw in your freezer.

SHAPIRO: If someone is going to show up at your house with a pound of butter, would they put a ribbon on it or shape it into - I mean, is there something more you can do than just arrive with a pound of butter?

SEDARIS: Well, if you gift wrap it - I mean, I love having art in my refrigerator. And if you gift wrap it it'll look beautiful in your freezer all - you know, with a little bow on it.

SHAPIRO: Amy Sedaris, congratulations on your new show.

SEDARIS: Thank you so much.

SHAPIRO: The new program on truTV is called "At Home With Amy Sedaris," and it starts tonight.

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