KG: I’m sorry, Kelly, but I have to put a stop to this bullshit right now. My father didn’t know the difference between SpaghettiO’s and what you at Gourmet Live might classify as “spaghetti.” When she says “spaghetti,” she means a box of pasta and then sauce from a can, except she adds paprika.
MG: I can’t win this argument.
GL: Kathy, what’s been the proudest moment you’ve shared with your mom?
KG: I think the thing I’m most proud of is that on the six seasons of My Life on the D-List, I really got to show the viewers the funny, hilarious guy that my dad was and the funny, hilarious woman that my mom still is. I really am flattered when people stop me and say, “I feel like I knew your dad,” or “I feel like I know your mom.” And they do, because the way you see them on TV or in interviews is the way they really are. I have these two hilarious parents, and although my dad is no longer with us, it was so gratifying for me to share them with everybody.
MG: I certainly feel that way about Dad, but I think I’m more on the boring side. Dad was wonderful, and you two have the fast minds. I don’t know anything I say that’s all that funny.
KG: Well, you are the boring one, now that I think about it.
MG: We have to be real honest here.
GL: Speaking of being honest… Maggie, what would be your dream present for Mother’s Day?
MG: It wouldn’t be anything money-wise, or…
KG: I knew you were going to say that! Kelly, she wants cash. I’m telling you right now that every year she asks for cash.
MG: I’ve gotten a lot of nice things, but I’d love for Kathy—and she’s going to hate me for this—but I’d love for Kathy to be very happy in her personal life and find a real nice husband or companion.
KG: Mom, I’m already going out with somebody.
MG: I know you are, but we’ve got to see how long these things last. I so envy these celebrities who have wonderful careers and wonderful home lives, too.
KG: So she wants an envelope of cash and for me to get laid on a regular basis.
MG: Kathy, I don’t even want to answer that.
GL: What is your fondest food-related memory?
KG: It certainly isn’t very Gourmet, but we have a Christmas Eve tradition of having sloppy Joes. My dad worked in retail, and on Christmas Eve sometimes Dad wouldn’t come home until 10 p.m., so we needed something that was quick and easy. To this day, we have sloppy Joes every Christmas Eve, and my mom gets the Manwich and the ground beef and then puts in whatever else. It all started because it was quick, but now we can’t stray from the tradition. Of course, we also have a side of potato chips.
MG: It’s very nourishing, as you can see. Some people’s eyes widen when you tell them we enjoy that, but that’s how our family is. And I did always have a big Christmas Day feast. I really got my stuff together and had an open house for everyone.
KG: When she says, “I got my stuff together,” she means she started hiring caterers.
MG: Well, then the spinach rollups would come out.
KG: Who doesn’t want ham rolled in creamed corn and then toasted and topped with a box of bread crumbs?
GL: What’s your favorite quality about each other?
MG: Outside of her humor, I love Kathy because I don’t think she’s pretentious at all. I wish sometimes people could see the softer Kathy that I know and that other people know behind the scenes. I think she’s real and she hasn’t lost sight of who she is and where she came from.
KG: My favorite quality about Maggie is that she is very naturally funny. My dad could be funny on cue, but my mom is just super-funny and she has no clue why. That’s why she is the perfect foil for me. And if there’s a little boxed wine involved, then that can only help.
MG: That’s the truth, Kelly.
Kelly Senyei is an associate editor at Gourmet Live and author of Food Blogging for Dummies (Wiley, 2012).
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