Dirty Martinis, Cheese Boards & Instant Friendship with Cheese Gal Cortney LaCorte

All on the Table with Katie Lee Biegel

Cheese Gal Cortney LaCorte joins Katie Lee Biegel for an intimate, playful conversation covering everything from her 30-day dirty martini ch

Key takeaways

Authentic friendship can form instantly through vulnerability and shared humor.

Main topics

Cheese Gal's cookbook 'Oversharing'
Couch snacks and casual entertaining

Notable quotes

"We've just skipped it all and went right to being good friends."

Conclusion

The episode ends with deep friendship blossoming in real time, cemente

Transcript preview

Speaker 3 (0:00) The following podcast is a Dear Media production. Speaker 2 (0:20) Courtney LaCourte, Cheese Gal. Finally, we're here together. Finally. Speaker 3 (0:25) We have so many mutual friends. We were just saying we're planning a trip. We've just met. We've already covered like Speaker 2 (0:32) postpartum sex. Wanting to go on a trip together. We've just skipped it all and went right to being good friends. Speaker 3 (0:45) Yeah, it's like kindred. We're both in button Speaker 2 (0:46) downs. We're in button downs just for you. Speaker 3 (0:49) Can we talk about how we both, well, not today, but we've been letting our hair just like do the thing. Oh, I was going to talk about that with you. We are letting our curly Speaker 2 (0:57) flags fly. Curly flags. Speaker 3 (0:59) And it feels good. I Speaker 2 (1:00) love not doing my hair. Let me tell you. Speaker 3 (1:03) It's like freeing. Speaker 2 (1:05) Yes. Speaker 3 (1:05) I thought this must be what men feel like, that they just take a shower and they're ready to go. I know. If they even wash their face, by the Speaker 2 (1:13) way, Speaker 3 (1:13) they just like get ready and go. I know. Speaker 2 (1:15) My Speaker 3 (1:15) husband actually Speaker 2 (1:16) always takes longer than me to get ready. He takes the longest showers. And if you ever see him in the shower, you've never seen a human being with so much soap on their body. Speaker 3 (1:26) I'm like, why do you think you're so dirty? Like Speaker 2 (1:29) the Speaker 3 (1:29) amount Speaker 2 (1:29) of soap that is on him, his whole face is like covered, like he looks like a snowman. I love it. He's really, he's getting in there. Oh, Speaker 3 (1:37) he scrubs. He's scrubbing. That's Speaker 2 (1:38) for Speaker 3 (1:38) sure. He's always clean. That's great. And then I take a shower and he's like, did you clean yourself? I Speaker 2 (1:43) was Speaker 3 (1:43) like, is Speaker 2 (1:43) that Speaker 3 (1:43) it? Because Speaker 2 (1:43) that Speaker 3 (1:43) was Speaker 2 (1:43) really fast. Speaker 3 (1:45) You're like, listen though, it takes me however long to do my hair. I know, the hair. The hair. Speaker 2 (1:50) So Speaker 3 (1:51) what Speaker 2 (1:51) is your curly hair routine? I Speaker 3 (1:54) mean. Katie, all that I'm doing is putting mousse in it. So I wash it, I get out, I do the mousse and I let it air dry. I've been using like a specific air dry mousse. So I don't know if they're all that way, but- I'm going to Speaker 2 (2:05) have to get that mousse. Speaker 3 (2:06) I mean, this is coming from someone that's been, I mean, a superpower is extending a blowout approximately seven to 10 business days. this i'll have it till friday you know what i mean oh Speaker 2 (2:15) yeah Speaker 3 (2:15) i'm the same way if i get my hair blown out that is staying it's there Speaker 2 (2:19) seven days especially in the winter i will stretch it so long in the winter because i i cannot be bothered to be when you have a lot of hair it's just it's and when it's curly and and it's like mine's curly but not like curly curly so it's like that in between sometimes it's even harder right it's like the wavy yeah the only Speaker 3 (2:39) thing Speaker 2 (2:40) that gets me is you know i live in tennessee So the Speaker 3 (2:42) humidity sometimes, I will Speaker 1 (2:43) say the Speaker 3 (2:43) other day it did go wrong. So I was like, oh God, I have this event tonight. Hop in the shower. I'm like, I'm going to do my curly hair. Of Speaker 2 (2:51) course I am. So I do it. I let it air dry, but the party was outside Speaker 3 (2:54) and it had just rained. Oh, I'm sorry. In my peripheral. I'm like, well, Speaker 2 (3:00) I don't know about tonight, guys. Speaker 3 (3:01) And some of the photos, I'm like. Speaker 2 (3:03) Yikes. But if you had blown it out and had the frizz, it would have looked even worse. So true. It's like you get that halo of frizz Speaker 3 (3:10) that Speaker 2 (3:10) happens. Yeah, absolutely. I will think that I look really cute and then I'll go to the bathroom and be like, oh. That's what it looks like. Speaker 3 (3:17) This is what we're doing. Speaker 2 (3:18) Good to know. This is what happened. I'm crying. I loved all of your Italy content this summer. And I mean, it looked like that you're... I mean, this is the thing about you. And this is why I was so drawn to you and probably why so many people are so drawn to you. You and your family always... Well, A, you look like you really love each other and that... You are actually friends as well as family members. But you always look like you're having fun and you always are just having a good time. And your Italy trip just looked like you were enjoying every Spritz, every mortadella sandwich, like you were having a like living your best life. There Speaker 3 (3:55) is something about. But first of all, thank you. That's a really kind compliment and something that means a lot because we do like I always say in marriage, it's almost. actually it is as important to like your spouse as it is to be in love with them. Absolutely. Because Speaker 2 (4:11) having Speaker 3 (4:11) that friendship is the base of everything. So like we genuinely are best friends. That's being like, we don't fight. I'm not saying that, but you know, we get along really great. But travel is like our thing for sure. I would so much rather have an experience and give my kids an experience than just to, than the stuff. I'll take the bag too, but you know what I'm saying? Same. I'm the same way. Like that's Speaker 2 (4:32) where I want to splurge is the Speaker 3 (4:33) travel. I love it. It's Speaker 2 (4:35) the Speaker 3 (4:35) good stuff. It's the memories. It's the food. It's the, it's just the moments. And that for me is what life is all about. You know, like there was one day when we were in Sicily that I literally said to myself, it almost makes me cry. I'm like, I will remember this day when I'm old. Like my babies are swimming in the ocean. Really. for the first time like that, because they can both swim now. So, you know, that's really, you know, my husband is living his Sicilian truth. I mean, that man, the second he steps in Sicily, immediately takes on this, like, he just looks, he's one pinky ring away from running the family. And it's so true. Like, it cracks me up. He just has like a comp. So I'm looking at him, my mom, my sister. It just was like. It's magic. It's magic. Yeah. And it's like, that's what life's all about, right? It is. It's to Speaker 2 (5:25) be together and have that happiness. And you all do. Like, I see the picture in your book of you all in bed eating together. And it's like, I know that's a photo shoot, but it feels like it's real. Like, I imagine that's what you all really do. We Speaker 3 (5:38) do it on Speaker 2 (5:38) Sunday Speaker 3 (5:38) mornings. That's like our time to stay in bed and we'll watch TV. Charlotte likes to watch Ina. So for real, like that kid is like she dressed up once as her. Oh, how cute. But anyway, but yes, we really do lay in bed, eat, watch a show, play Mario Kart. How great is Speaker 2 (5:56) it to lay in bed and watch a show and eat? It's so great. Speaker 3 (6:00) It's the best. Speaker 2 (6:02) Now, I also love speaking of laying around, eating, watching shows. I love your couch snacks. Thank Speaker 3 (6:09) you. So Speaker 2 (6:09) can you tell anybody who doesn't know what a couch snack is? And then I want to know. What are we eating? Yeah. What are we drinking? And what are we watching right now? If you and I are hanging out tonight, what is on the menu and on the TV? Well, Speaker 3 (6:22) diving into what the couch snacks are, and then I cannot wait to tell you what I'm eating and then what we're going at the Greenbrier. Like, can you imagine the lineup? We'll do your wine paired with the snacks. We are doing a trip to the Greenbrier. Yeah. We have already invited our friends. It's already happening, by the way, Carmen, Chrissy. Yes, Speaker 2 (6:37) we're going. Speaker 3 (6:38) So the idea of couch snacks. theoretically it's food on the couch right but to me it is so much more than that there's like a spirit behind it i love tuesday nights wednesday nights thursday nights because i've learned to romanticize them life is worth living to the fullest but that doesn't mean you have to be like out of the steakhouse you got to be out of this fancy place for me i'm like give me a potato chip i'm going to melt a little bit of butter i'm going to do some garlic some parsley some you know what i mean i'm going to toss it And it's going to be now this moment. And I'm maybe pairing it with a sparkling wine and I'm watching a trash TV. Maybe I'm watching Bravo, like a house. It's that juxtaposition of this fabulous moment on your couch. Speaker 2 (7:24) You Speaker 3 (7:24) know what I mean? I'm Speaker 2 (7:25) there for it. I love to be on my couch more than I like being at a nice restaurant. Speaker 3 (7:31) I would love Speaker 2 (7:32) to be eating Speaker 3 (7:33) those potato chips. I didn't have lunch before I came and I'm sitting here salivating, thinking Speaker 2 (7:37) about them. We should have done this with a snack and Speaker 3 (7:40) a martini. What Speaker 2 (7:41) kind Speaker 3 (7:42) of martini Speaker 2 (7:43) are you making? Speaker 3 (7:44) Okay, so I'm a dirty martini gal. I am a dirty martini Speaker 2 (7:47) gal too. Are you a Speaker 3 (7:48) vodka or a gin? Speaker 2 (7:49) Vodka. Same. Speaker 3 (7:50) Oh, great. I knew we were friends. Let's say I'm like, or do we just become best friends? I'm the same. I'm a dirty martini girl. And I went on a what I called the dirty martini journey about five years ago. Have you heard about this? Tell me about this. Yes. So this was honestly also a pivotal moment in my career where I was like, I think people care what I have to say here. It was kind of a fun experiment. But so I got online or one of my stories and I said, I keep ordering dirty martinis when I'm out and about at restaurants. I keep telling my husband, this is my drink and then I'll drink. two sips. And he's like, I don't think it's your drink. And I'm like, yes, yes, it is. It's like fabulous. I can feel it. He's like, okay, we finally had one at Sperry's in Belle Meade outside of Nashville or it's in Nashville and it changed the game. So I thought, how can I create that exact thing at home? So I quite literally went on a journey for 30 days, Katie, where I tried different vodkas, vermouth, gin, different brines. How are we hand stuffing our olives? Are we doing already pre-stayed. I did everything and I arrived at what I think is the perfect dirty martini recipe. Can you Speaker 2 (8:54) share the perfect dirty martini recipe? I'd be happy to. Speaker 3 (8:57) So first your glass is chilled. You are in the freezer or you can do it across the ice. Every ingredient must be cold. I want to skate on that martini. That's exactly how I order Speaker 2 (9:08) my martini. I want to skate across Speaker 3 (9:10) the top. That's right. So I do that first. Then I take it out. I do like a vermouth rinse. And then I discard. I like just that little kiss of it. I don't want too much of it. I Speaker 2 (9:20) don't like too much vermouth either. Not in the dirty Speaker 3 (9:23) because then it's like the sweet and salty. And then I like either Belvedere or Chopin vodka. And I keep that in the freezer too. I do three ounces of that. And then I do Castaviltrano brine. Oh. It's my favorite because it just has the right salinity and brininess. Love it. I just got chills. So I do sometimes equal parts, but let's say I've matured a little. I'm doing two ounces of Speaker 2 (9:51) Dirty Martini. So Speaker 3 (9:51) it's a filthy, dirty martini. It's a little filthy. I trademark Speaker 2 (9:55) dirty like the Cumberland. And Speaker 3 (9:57) I guess here it'd be Speaker 2 (9:58) dirty like the Hudson, which I don't know. Speaker 3 (10:00) Anyway, let's Speaker 2 (10:01) take Speaker 3 (10:01) a turn. Yeah. So then I do that and I shake it 100 times in a really good cocktail shaker full of ice. And then you pour it. I forgot to mention the hand stuffed olives. That's essential, too. I do the blue cheese. What Speaker 2 (10:15) do you stuff them Speaker 3 (10:15) with? Speaker 2 (10:15) Oh, with blue cheese. A splash of Speaker 3 (10:16) vodka. And it kind of gives it that extra like booziness, but it helps, I don't know, a bit more creamy that I pipe it in. Speaker 2 (10:24) Wow, that sounds like a good martini. It's Speaker 3 (10:26) a great Speaker 2 (10:26) dinner. How many olives are you putting in there? Three. Speaker 3 (10:28) Oh, Speaker 2 (10:28) three or five. It's got to be a lot of olives for Speaker 3 (10:31) me. Speaker 2 (10:31) It's never enough. Three to five. Do you know, I've never had a martini made with a blue cheese stuffed olive. I always order it with the regular olives because I love pimento stuffed olives so much. Speaker 3 (10:43) Okay, hold on.