Olivia Rodrigo Makes Lumpia and a Paloma, and Talks Tour Life, Joy, and Writing 10,000 Songs

A "Slightly Elevated" Drink

Rodrigo admits that their real go-to drink is a vodka cranberry. They thought that was "a little bit too tacky for Vogue," so they chose the paloma as something "slightly elevated." The recipe is simple: one shot of tequila, two shots of grapefruit juice, and one shot of agave, because Rodrigo likes their drinks sweet. While pouring the tequila, they mention a meme in which someone is supposed to add a few shots of tequila and pours half the bottle, and say that's how they feel every time they pour.

The personal touch is calamansi, which Rodrigo describes as small, sour, orange-like Filipino fruits, added "for a little extra pizazz." Next they do a step 13 times because someone recommended that number. Rodrigo calls the advice "just random" but follows it anyway. The glass gets a salted rim. On tasting, Rodrigo says the salt "ties it all together," and notes that although it's about 1 p.m. during filming, they might finish the whole drink since they have nothing else to do that day.

The Paloma Story

Rodrigo's favorite paloma story is from when they were about 19. They and their best friend decided to walk into a bar and act confident enough that nobody would card them. The only drink they knew was "this grapefruit tequila thing," so that was the plan. The staff seemed ready to serve them without asking for ID until the friend ordered "two palomas," and the server immediately replied, "Palomas? ID, please." They weren't served. Rodrigo says that now they know what the drink is called, and at 22 they can order it legally, which "just makes it taste even better."

The Physical Cost of Touring

The episode opens with Rodrigo's answer to what they crave right after leaving the stage: electrolyte water. They then tell a cautionary story. Once, while sick on set, they went through 16 electrolyte packets and later learned they had become severely dehydrated because of the packets. They've cut back since.

Sleep on tour is irregular. Rodrigo says their record for one night on tour is around 14 hours, because "no amount of sleep is enough" when you're constantly exhausted. They call sleeping anywhere one of their talents and joke that it comes from having a clear conscience.

The day after a show, Rodrigo is usually sore. They take ice baths because the muscles in their legs get tight enough to cause problems. They describe that morning as "a little bit hurting, but also probably fulfilled" from the night before. For energy, they emphasize eating healthy food and say that starting vitamins on tour, which they had never done before, "changed the game." They joke about taking "every letter, every number, whatever the hell is on the shelf."

Rodrigo says they have pre-show superstitions strange enough that people "would actually think I'm insane," so they keep most of them private. The one they share: before going on stage, they stop outside the door, take a deep breath while making a gesture on camera, and then walk out to "get all of the jitters out."

Lumpia and Grandma's Thanksgiving

Rodrigo explains that lumpia is "really delicious and savory and like kind of greasy in the best way," which they call feel-good food. Their first experience with it was their grandmother's Thanksgiving cooking. Rodrigo makes the rolled version. The grandmother made triangle-shaped ones, which Rodrigo keeps reserved for Thanksgiving.

The filling starts with carrots in a food processor. Rodrigo planned to mince them by hand, but worried about becoming the next Kendall Jenner cucumber meme, so they used the machine. Half an onion follows, then two cloves of garlic, cilantro, an egg, pepper, salt, and a tablespoon of sesame oil, all mixed with about a pound and a half of chicken. Rodrigo notes lumpia can be made with pork or beef but calls themself "a chicken girl." Before putting on gloves to mix, they take a sip of the drink "cuz it's getting serious."

Rodrigo is candid about their cooking skills. They call themself an okay baker but find cooking hard because of their "terrible" knife skills, which they're working on. They also say they lack the instinct to taste something and know it needs more rosemary: "If it's not on the recipe, I don't know what's going on." They admit to overdoing garlic, salt, and sugar in their baking. At one point, they say, "I feel like Rachael Ray."

Joy, Love, and the Sad Love Song

When the onion makes them tear up, Rodrigo jokes that they aren't crying because they're moved by their new album, and then talks about it. They find it hard to describe in one word and call it "very varied." Their main goal was writing about joy. Rodrigo describes their previous two albums as "rightfully so, kind of angsty and heartbroken." This time, partly as a creative challenge and partly because they were experiencing a lot of joy, they wanted to bring that feeling into the songs. They say they're proud of the album and hope people like it.

Later, asked which emotion interests them most as a writer, Rodrigo says this album is about love, "the most broad topic ever." Their favorite love songs have some sadness, wistfulness, mourning, or fear. They set out trying to write a sad love song and hope they managed it "at least in a few."

Solitude, Boredom, and "Big Magic" Ideas

Rodrigo says they create best alone. They describe a flow state that anyone doing creative work might recognize, which they call a "big magic idea": it feels like "downloading something from the universe." For Rodrigo, that only really happens in total solitude, so they consider being alone an important part of the creative process. They add that they love being alone and that, as an emotional Pisces, it suits them.

Boredom is also productive. Song ideas often come while doing dishes or sitting through a bad movie, when Rodrigo retreats into their "mind palace" and thinks, "Oh, I should write about that." They say boredom is "the best thing ever if you're trying to make something."

Quantity Over Quality

Rodrigo describes themself as a "quantity over quality person" as a writer. They love the act of writing and believe that the more often you show up and "show the universe that you're ready to work," the better the ideas you receive. They estimate they've written around 10,000 songs that didn't work. Failed songs still matter, because a line or melody from one can go into a song that does work. Rodrigo sums up the attitude as, "It's the journey."

Touring, they say, is the best test of whether a song is good: the crowd either reacts to it or doesn't. Rodrigo finds that inspiring and says they always want to write songs that would play well live and bring large crowds together, which they call a good test of whether a song is "worth its salt."

Nights In, Nights Out

Rodrigo's ideal night out is a fun Italian restaurant with glasses of wine and secrets. Lately, though, they and their friends have been staying in to play a card game Rodrigo calls Nerds, sometimes for about four hours. They admit it's "so lame" but say they're addicted and recommend it. Asked whether they're more fun before or after midnight, Rodrigo says they'd like to think they're fun all the time. Their "drunk trait" is getting sentimental after even slightly tipsy: they tell everyone how happy they are to be together, how much they love them, and that friendship is the best thing ever.

Their current TikTok obsession is Disney cruises, especially adult Disney cruises. Rodrigo went on one as a child and doesn't plan to go again but is fascinated by the culture.

Rolling, Frying, and the Verdict

For assembly, Rodrigo makes an egg wash with just the yolk to use as glue. They trim each wrapper, spread a little filling across it, fold it in, and seal the end, which they say "feels like painting." They try to make the rolls uniform but accept that it doesn't always work, "but it's okay cuz it's made with love."

Rodrigo is nervous about hot oil and says they always feel like they're hiding behind a wall when cooking bacon. They wait for the lumpia to float to the top, their sign that it's done, then leave it in a few more seconds. The rolls come out golden. After the first hot bite, Rodrigo calls them "so good." They had worried the lumpia wouldn't go with the paloma, but conclude the two are "a perfect match" and encourage viewers to try making both at home.