On this Fourth of July, baker Stacey Fong shares highlights from her 50 States/50 Pies project, which includes odes to Nevada’s all-you-can-eat buffets, West Virginia’s pizza rolls and Tennessee icon Dolly Parton. Plus, live-fire cooking expert Genevieve Taylor reveals show-stopping tips for your backyard barbecues; Dan Pashman debates the finer points of ketchup and mustard; and we dress up charred pineapple with spiced honey and coconut ice cream. (Originally aired July 1, 2022.) Get the recip...
Jun 30, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we share stories from the world of fine dining. Maître d' Michael Cecchi-Azzolina has encounters with mobsters, fainting celebrities and unruly guests at New York’s top restaurants and reveals the secrets to great service. Writer Geraldine DeRuiter sits down for the world’s strangest Michelin-starred meal: She eats rancid cheese, slurps foam out of a ceramic mouth and is forced to watch the kitchen staff play extreme sports. Plus, historian Rebecca Spang uncovers the invention of the ...
Jun 23, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Literary scholar Rebecca May Johnson earned her PhD studying Homer’s Odyssey, but now she’s analyzing a new kind of text: Marcella Hazan’s tomato sauce recipe. Johnson reveals how studying a recipe isn’t all that different from studying Ancient Greek, and what you can learn from cooking the same recipe a thousand times. Plus, Hetty McKinnon celebrates vegetables and her father's legacy in her latest cookbook, Tenderheart ; Kenji López-Alt and Chris close out their egg-peeling debate with help fr...
Jun 16, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Experimental psychologist Charles Spence introduces us to gastrophysics, the science of how the brain melds color, smell and sound to create powerful multisensory taste experiences. Plus, Nicola Twilley investigates the rise of alternative sugars; Alex Aïnouz goes on a hunt for the ultimate knife; and we offer a recipe inspired by Tel Aviv’s Shlomo & Doron, where hummus gets a Mexican twist. Get the recipe for Hummus with Chipotle Black Beans and Tomato Salsa here . We want to hear your culi...
Jun 09, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we taste the sweeter side of Mexican cuisine with chef Fany Gerson. Traveling from Mexico City to Veracruz to Oaxaca, we explore regional confections like chili-flavored paletas and guava and cheese doughnuts. Plus, we take a seat at the Noir Bar with writer and television host Eddie Muller, who infuses classic cocktails with a cinematic twist; Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett of “A Way With Words” unpack the history hidden in your spice cabinet; and we prepare a very crispy Korean F...
Jun 02, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich, the husband-and-wife team behind London’s Honey & Co., tell us about chasing the smell of smoke through the alleyways of Jordan and the markets of Egypt in search of the secrets of grilled food in the Middle East. Plus, pizza consultant Anthony Falco shares tips for making great pizza at home, Grant Barrett and Martha Barnette explain why we say “soup to nuts,” and we learn to make Honey & Co.’s recipe for Almond-Coconut Cake with Cherries an...
May 26, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Jefferson ate capon, Eisenhower craved squirrel soup and Grant had a habit of throwing bread across the table. This week, we go into the White House with Alex Prud’homme to hear culinary stories from presidential history, like how Julia Child charmed her way into a state dinner and why Eleanor Roosevelt may have used Jell-O salad to get revenge on FDR. Plus, the late Raghavan Iyer reflects on curry, Indian cuisine and his legacy as a culinary educator; Alex Aïnouz experiments with AI in the kitc...
May 19, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast We’re joined by baker Claire Ptak, whose desserts are a winning combination of California flavor and London style—and even royalty agrees. She shares her favorite recipes and reveals the behind-the-scenes details of being chosen to bake the cake for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding. Plus, Rowan Jacobsen crash-lands into the Amazon for an up-close look at wild cacao harvesting; Adam Gopnik revisits his mother’s sourdough bread; Cheryl Day answers your toughest baking questions; and we mak...
May 12, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Fermentation expert Sandor Katz takes on a journey around the globe for a look at some of the world’s greatest fermented foods. He tells us about the joys of making sauerkraut and why fermentation may hold the secret to life. Plus, cookbook author Kristina Cho guides us through classic Chinese baking at home, J. Kenji López-Alt shows us how to reinvent leftover mashed potatoes, and we learn to make Japanese-style curry. (Originally aired on January 14th, 2022.) Get the recipe for Japanese-Style ...
May 05, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Investigative journalists Doug Frantz and Catherine Collins take us inside the farmed salmon industry to explore the open net pens, health effects and future of America's favorite fish. Plus, Homa Dashtaki shares the traditional Iranian method for making creamy old-world yogurt; Dan Pashman invites us to a picnic; and we make Thai hot and sour soup. Get the recipe for Thai Hot and Sour Soup with Chicken and Mushrooms here . Take the Milk Street Listener Survey here . We want to hear your culinar...
Apr 28, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Palestinian cookbook author Reem Kassis discusses her latest cookbook, “The Arabesque Table,” which takes a fresh look at defining Arab cooking. Plus, we learn how food is used to create Hollywood sound effects, discover what people 80 years ago thought food would look like today and make pasta sauce out of tomato paste. (Originally aired on April 9th, 2021.) Get the recipe for Pasta with Tomato, Garlic and Basil here . Take the Milk Street Listener Survey here . We want to hear your culinary ti...
Apr 21, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast We’re joined by death scholar Candi K. Cann to learn how food is used in grieving rituals around the world, from ancient Roman funeral tubes to shiva bagels. Plus, we dive into the murky riverbeds of Oklahoma to get a crash course in catfish noodling from Bradley Beesley; J. Kenji López-Alt battles Chris over the best way to peel an egg; and we make a No-Fry Neapolitan Eggplant Parmesan. Get the recipe for No-Fry Neapolitan Eggplant Parmesan here . “Eating Together” by Li-Young Lee, courtesy of ...
Apr 14, 2023•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast Dr. Samuel West is back to teach us about history’s greatest food failures, from Colgate’s frozen meals to the time Gerber made food for grown-ups. Plus, Massimo Montanari helps us uncover the true history of spaghetti; J. Kenji López-Alt tells us how to make the most perfect scrambled eggs; and we bake Chocolate Olive Oil Cake. (Originally aired on April 22nd, 2022.) Get the recipe for Chocolate Olive Oil Cake here . We want to hear your culinary tips! Share your cooking hacks, secret ingredien...
Apr 07, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we explore our most essential pantry staple: salt. Naomi Duguid takes us around the world to learn its history, from Cambodia to Basque Country to an underground salt cathedral in Poland, while Alex Aïnouz gets obsessed with making gourmet salt in his lab. Plus, writer Doug Mack tells the odiferous details of the Great Midwest Cheese Duel of 1935, and we make Hungarian Paprika-Braised Potatoes. Get the recipe for Hungarian Paprika-Braised Potatoes here . We want to hear your culinary ...
Mar 31, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Are humans the only species that loves sour? Does everyone taste bitter the same way? And could there be flavors we can’t even comprehend yet? Emily Kwong and Aaron Scott from NPR’s “Short Wave” join us to explore the amazing science of taste, from the mysteries of salt to why dolphins can’t taste sweet. Plus, chef Khanh-Ly Huynh shares Vietnamese street food from Paris; Adam Gopnik investigates what it takes to become a culinary maestro; and we go to Bangkok for Thai Cashew Chicken. Get the rec...
Mar 24, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast We go beyond soda bread and shepherd's pie to discover the new Irish cooking with chef Jp McMahon. We discuss why the Irish ate very little seafood, how leftover cake was turned into a new dessert, the joys of frying with animal fat and the best way to cook any vegetable. Plus, we chat with Dan Pashman about the perfect ice cube; we discover the magic of crispy pasta; and the New Yorker’s Burkhard Bilger asks: Can babies learn to love vegetables? (Originally aired on March 13, 2020.) Get the rec...
Mar 17, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Chef Omar Tate has spent the last few years building a grocery cafe in West Philadelphia that reimagines the corner store. He tells us how he interprets Black culinary traditions with menu items like hoagies and black-eyed pea scrapple, and why he thinks our neighborhoods no longer feel like communities. Plus, mixologist Neal Bodenheimer shares cocktails from New Orleans, J. Kenji López-Alt offers a new way to use leftover scallions, and we make gnocchi out of flour, not potatoes. Get the recipe...
Mar 10, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast YouTube coffee expert James Hoffmann shares the best, worst and weirdest coffee in the world—from his tried-and-true recipe for the ultimate cup at home to the time he tasted 70-year-old beans in Japan. Plus, Don and Petie Kladstrup tell us the story of the man who taught America to love Champagne; we make Beef Chili Colorado Tacos; and Adam Gopnik discusses the greatest food debates of our time. Get the recipe for Beef Chili Colorado Tacos here . We want to hear your culinary tips! Share your c...
Mar 03, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Angela Hui tells the story of her childhood growing up in her family’s Chinese restaurant—there are flaming woks, short tempers and zero privacy. Plus, we’re joined by journalist Jenn Harris to learn how influencers are making their mark on the restaurant industry; Alex Aïnouz speeds up beef bourguignon; and we make Italian Wedding Soup. Get this week’s recipe for Italian Wedding Soup here . We want to hear your culinary tips! Share your cooking hacks, secret ingredients or unexpected techniques...
Feb 24, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Mother and daughter Alice Randall and Caroline Randall Williams tell us what studying the cooking of four generations of women in their family has taught them about the origins of soul food. Plus, we speak with international bagel consultant Beth George; Dan Pashman explores cold-weather cocktails; and we make pesto out of lemon zest, not basil. (Originally aired on February 19th, 2021.) Get this week’s recipe for Spaghetti with Lemon Pesto here . We want to hear your culinary tips! Share your c...
Feb 17, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we interview Nigella Lawson. We discuss what’s to love about brown food, what’s to hate about tasting menus and what everyone gets wrong about cooks. For Valentine's Day, we explore the life of chocolatier Milton Hershey, make a decadent Dark Chocolate Terrine with Coffee and Cardamom, and take your baking questions with Cheryl Day. Plus, Dan Pashman gets us ready for the Super Bowl with a definitive guide to eating chicken wings. Get this week’s recipe for Dark Chocolate Terrine with...
Feb 10, 2023•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sonoko Sakai teaches us about real Japanese home cooking—from the world’s easiest broth to bento boxes to the surprising way she kneads her udon dough. Plus, we investigate counterfeit caviar with David Gauvey Herbert; we share our recipe for a fresh take on the chocolate cookie; and Dan Pashman explains why he’d rather eat alone this Valentine’s Day. (Originally aired on February 7th, 2020.) Get this week’s recipe for Dried Cherry-Chocolate Chunk Cookies here . We want to hear your culinary tip...
Feb 03, 2023•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we get inside the mind of Matty Matheson, actor and culinary consultant on the hit TV comedy “The Bear.” Matheson reveals his thoughts on internet stardom, what it takes to open five restaurants in two years and why “The Bear” stands alone in the food TV genre. Plus, we peer into the illicit history of rum-running on Long Island with Amy Kasuga Folk; Adam Gopnik considers the act of fasting; and we make Cinnamon Sugar Yogurt Doughnuts from Romania. Get this week’s recipe for Cinnamon ...
Jan 27, 2023•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast Ukrainian chef, author and activist Olia Hercules shares recipes and traditions from her home, and how she’s coping after almost one year of war. Plus, Jess Edberg tells the story of Dorothy Molter, who sold hundreds of bottles of root beer every day in Minnesota’s remote Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness; J. Kenji López-Alt teaches us what to do when there’s too much lettuce in the house; and Christopher Kimball takes your calls with co-host Sara Moulton. We want to hear your culinary tips!...
Jan 20, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast J. Kenji López-Alt gives us a lesson on Wok 101 and reveals the science behind great stir-fry. Plus, Cheryl Day joins Christopher Kimball to tackle your baking questions about everything from powdered milk to cardamom buns; cookbook author Chelsea Monroe-Cassel explores the food of “Game of Thrones” and “Star Wars”; and we visit Morocco’s communal bakeries to learn an all-purpose flatbread recipe. (Originally aired on March 4th, 2022.) Get this week’s recipe for Moroccan Flatbreads here . We wan...
Jan 13, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast We tackle difficult fruits with author Kate Lebo. She introduces us to the world of rare fruits that are hard to find, harvest, prepare or just plain love. Plus, we study the staples of Gabonese cooking with chef Anto Cocagne, we get a lesson in the language of bread from Grant Barrett and Martha Barnette, and we learn about the history of Hungarian Chicken Paprikash. Get this week’s recipe for Hungarian Chicken Paprikash here . We want to hear your culinary tips! Share your cooking hacks, secre...
Jan 06, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Pati Jinich is on a quest to show people what Mexico looks like and tastes like. She breaks down the common denominators of Mexican cuisine, tells us why she lives and dies for her blender and reveals her favorite recipes for chicken soup. Plus, writer Brandon Cook gives us a language lesson on drinking toasts from around the world, Alex Aïnouz has an epiphany about homemade pasta, and we bake up an ultra-easy Swedish “Sticky” Chocolate Cake. Episode originally aired December 2, 2021. Get this w...
Dec 30, 2022•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, it’s Rachael Ray! She tells us about re-making a home after her house burned down, her best friendship with her Sicilian grandfather and why her lifelong affinity for Eeyore might inspire her to get a tattoo. Plus, baking champions Chris Taylor and Paul Arguin share their best tips for baking Blue Ribbon cookies, and we whip up a Chocolate-On-Chocolate Three-Layer Cake. Episode originally published December 16, 2021. Get this week’s recipe for Chocolate-On-Chocolate Three-Layer Cake h...
Dec 23, 2022•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we’re getting ready for the holidays. Rose Levy Beranbaum shares everything we need to know about baking cookies—from favorite equipment and core techniques to her ultimate chocolate chip cookie recipe. Plus, we go to Oaxaca to experience the Night of the Radishes with Gabriel Sanchez; Dan Pashman invents a “Hanukkah Miracle” sandwich; Cheryl Day answers your holiday baking questions; Chris shares his favorite books of the year; and we make a show-stopping Triple Crème Cheesecake with...
Dec 16, 2022•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this special episode, we share a few of our favorite moments about baking. Cheryl Day—cookbook author, co-owner of Back in the Day Bakery in Savannah, Georgia, and now Milk Street Radio guest co-host—reveals her tips for perfect biscuits, cakes and cookies. Plus, a computer designs the ultimate chocolate chip cookie; Chris Kimball and Dan Pashman consider the muffin; and is it magic, or is it Maple-Whiskey Pudding Cakes? Get the recipe for Maple-Whiskey Pudding Cakes here . Listen to Milk Str...
Dec 15, 2022•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast