As the hosts of podcast Table Manners – where they interview famous guests over a slap-up meal (series 12 out now) – Jessie and Lennie Ware spend a fair amount of their lives cooking, eating and thinking about food.

That doesn’t mean they find answering food-related quickfire questions easy though- they agonised over their answers, often questioning each other’s choices…

Their death row meal…

Jessie: “It would be mum’s chicken soup with matzah balls. I’m bored of saying Christmas dinner so then I’ll go for a big, full plate of Greek food from calamari to gigantes [beans] with feta and chili on. That’s what I do like – a massive, massive spread, the more the merrier.”

Lennie: “It was Jessie’s daughter’s birthday party and people were commenting on my cheddar and tomato sandwiches. I absolutely think that’s one of the things I’d have to have, even if it was just a starter. Very delicious brown bread or rye brown bread with very sharp cheddar cheese and delicious sweet tomatoes, with lots of pepper and salt. I’d love that. I do love Greek food as well. I love very simple grilled fish and I absolutely adore seafood pasta made on Limnonari Beach [on the island of Skopelos]- that is so delicious, with seafood and really fantastic olive oil and parsley and garlic.”

Something they just can’t get right in the kitchen…

Lennie: “Yorkshire puds. I’m not a great baker – although I didn’t do badly the other day though Jess, did I?”

Jessie: “Mum made an amazing birthday cake.”

Lennie: “It was nice, it was light the cake. So maybe I’m a bit more of a baker than I thought. But Yorkshire puddings, it really is touch and go whether they ever work. You know when you go to a restaurant and they’re so big, they’re like as big as your head, and they’ve clearly made them ages before – I can never achieve that, I just don’t know how they do it.”

Their favourite store cupboard essential…

Jessie: “Something like tahini – that actually should be in the fridge, but whatever.”

Lennie: “Mine’s tinned tomatoes.”

Jessie: “Cumin, I think actually. ”

Lennie: “Really? That wouldn’t be mine, that would have to be basil as opposed to cumin.”

Jessie: “That’s not store cupboard – I’d like to think you’d have it fresh, mother.”

The kitchen utensil they can’t live without…

Jessie: “What are they called? Microblades?”

Lennie: “What’s that? I thought that’s what you did your eyebrows with, darling.”

Jessie: “That is what you do your eyebrows with, sorry. What’s the one you do parmesan with? You do your garlic and you can do it with the skin still on, and it means you’re not chopping garlic up forever – that is the best thing ever.” [Jessie is referring to a microplane]

Lennie: “I like tongs, I always have tongs because you can turn everything over and make sure everything’s done properly.”

Their favourite late night snack…

Lennie: “Cheese on matzah.”

Jessie: “Marmite and peanut butter on toast with grated cheese.”

How they like their eggs…

Jessie: “I’ll have them any way, I have eggs every day. Today I’m having them parboiled – actually I’ve already had an omelette, I’ve had too many eggs today.”

Lennie: “I love poached eggs on toast with marmite underneath, I adore that.”

Their favourite childhood dinner…

Jessie: “Lasagne.”

Lennie: “Probably my mum’s gefilte fish [poached, mixed fish].”

What they ate last night…

Lennie: “I went to a friend’s for dinner and she cooked me a delicious rack of lamb with nice roast potatoes, cabbage, and leeks, that was really wonderful. It was such a treat because she cooked for me.”

Jessie: “I had spatchcock chicken we did on the gas barbecue outside because we’ve got no kitchen, so it’s [about] trying to be a bit imaginative. It was delicious, but the kids of course didn’t eat any of it. We had it with corn and rice and a really mustardy vinaigrette with radishes – which are my favourite thing at that moment.”

Their takeout of choice is…

Jessie: “Probably Indian, a curry.”

Lennie: “I quite like Vietnamese or Thai.”

Their ultimate hangover cure…

Lennie: “A big fried breakfast.”

Jessie: “No, that’s what they tell you to have – but I think marmite on toast with a glass of wine to get back on it, to soften the blow.”

Jessie and Lennie Ware have partnered with the British Airways American Express® Premium Plus Card to celebrate the Companion Voucher benefit which could entitle you to a second seat for a companion when making a Reward Flight booking. For more information, search BA Amex.