Bees solve puzzles, have distinct personalities and play with balls like a puppy. Zoologist Lars Chittka reveals amazing new discoveries about the mind of a honeybee and what a bee’s consciousness means for us humans. Plus, we investigate the mysterious phenomenon of bee heists; Sylvan Mishima Brackett, chef-owner of Rintaro, shares the secrets to perfect hot spring eggs and ruby grapefruit jelly; Alex Aïnouz searches for the perfect paella; and we bake Basque Country’s burnished cheesecake. Get...
Feb 16, 2024•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. (Originally aired February 10th, 2023.) Get this week’...
Feb 09, 2024•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Alice Waters thinks David Mas Masumoto’s peaches could change the world. Today, Masumoto shares his search for the perfect peach and the shocking family secret that changed the history of his farm. Plus, we chat with Nichole Accettola about Scandinavian baking, from cinnamon knots to rye bread, and we learn the language of strawberries. We want to hear your culinary tips! Share your cooking hacks, secret ingredients or unexpected techniques with us for a chance to hear yourself on Milk Street Ra...
Feb 02, 2024•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we get inside the mind of Matty Matheson, actor and producer 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. (Originally aired January 26th, 2023.) Get this...
Jan 26, 2024•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, it’s our episode all about grocery stores. Writer Benjamin Lorr shares stories from Trader Joe’s and the rise of the superstore. Plus, Andrea Hernández, founder of Snaxshot, reveals her food predictions for 2024 and author Jeff Swystun explains how TV dinners changed the world. We want to hear your culinary tips! Share your cooking hacks, secret ingredients or unexpected techniques with us for a chance to hear yourself on Milk Street Radio! Here's how: https://www.177milkstreet.com/ra...
Jan 19, 2024•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the fishing villages of Norway, kids as young as five enter the workforce as professional cod tongue cutters. Documentary filmmaker Solveig Melkeraaen tells us why kids slice up this delicacy, plus we meet former tongue cutter Ylva Melkeraaen Lundell, who explains how she mastered this skill—and how lucrative this job can be. Also on the show: Journalist Kenji Hall embarks on a quest across Japan to find the world’s best rice; Adam Gopnik goes to the movies; and we dress up a steak salad with...
Jan 12, 2024•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast We’re joined by New York Times book critic and author Dwight Garner. He presents food quips from his favorite writers, as well as John Updike’s lunch routine and Hunter S. Thompson’s party tricks. Plus, anthropologist Manvir Singh helps us digest the world of “meat-fluencers” and their all-meat diets; A Way with Words give credit to the Old Norse words lingering in our kitchens; and we prepare a Pakistani-Style Chicken Biryani. Get this week’s recipe for Pakistani-Style Chicken Biryani here . We...
Jan 05, 2024•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we’re celebrating French cuisine. Jacques Pépin offers a masterclass in deboning chicken and recalls his early days tending the coal stove at the Plaza Athénée. Plus, Aleksandra Crapanzano provides tips for effortlessly Parisian cakes; Alex Aïnouz puts a very French spin on the classic American burger; and we learn how to make Chickpea Flour Flatbread. (Originally aired September 30th, 2022.) Get this week’s recipe for Chickpea Flour Flatbread here . We want to hear your culinary tips...
Dec 29, 2023•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 22, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we visit Belgium for holiday baking and festivities with Regula Ysewijn. Plus, we learn about a Welsh tradition that happens on the darkest days of winter, our friends from “A Way with Words” teach us old holiday drinking songs, we make Czech-style kolaches (a sweet cheese- and jam-filled pastry), and Cheryl Day returns to take your baking calls. Get this week’s recipe for Kolaches here . We want to hear your culinary tips! Share your cooking hacks, secret ingredients or unexpected te...
Dec 15, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this special episode, “The Great British Bake Off” winner Nadiya Hussain shares her hack for bread pudding and what happened when she baked for the queen of England. Plus, pastry chef Caroline Schiff tells us about her favorite treats and her time at St. Andrews; we visit a bar in London that was once an underground public loo; we chat with Yotam Ottolenghi about keeping it simple; and Angela Hui tells the story of growing up in her family’s Chinese restaurant in Wales. This special episode o...
Dec 13, 2023•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, Pierre Thiam will change the way you cook with his secrets for mafé (peanut sauce), Senegalese barbecue and his favorite ingredient, fonio. Plus, journalist Jen Doll helps explain a puzzling new trend of dinner party hosts charging their friends; Adam Gopnik and Christopher Kimball reveal their favorite food books of 2023; and we make Pasta Rotolo with Spinach and Ricotta. Get this week’s recipe for Pasta Rotolo with Spinach and Ricotta here . We want to hear your culinary tips! Share...
Dec 08, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Nancy Silverton is here to make you a better baker. She tells the story about the time she made Julia Child cry on TV and the very best way to make cornbread, angel food cake and more classic desserts. Plus, Joan De Jesus explains the wine world’s biggest trend right now, natural wines; J. Kenji López-Alt shares his secrets for cooking salmon at home; and we make Korean Stir-Fried Chicken with Rice. Get this week’s recipe for Korean Stir-Fried Chicken with Rice here . We want to hear your culina...
Dec 01, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Stanley Tucci shares his life through food—on- and off-screen. He takes us behind the scenes of “Big Night” and “Julie & Julia," reveals why catering on an Italian movie set is surprisingly bad and recounts dining disasters with Meryl Streep. Plus, Dr. Jennifer Mathews uncovers the secret history of chewing gum, from the Aztecs to Dubble Bubble; Grant Barrett and Martha Barnette reveal the origin of the couch potato; and we whip up plush yogurt flatbreads from Crete. (Originally aired Novemb...
Nov 24, 2023•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast Our Thanksgiving special is here! Jet Tila returns to take your calls, Dan Pashman constructs the ultimate plate, Rossi Anastopoulo reveals the secret history of pie in America, our Milk Street culinary team gives mashed potatoes a makeover, and we hear what Jacques Pépin, Carla Hall, Dorie Greenspan, and more friends are looking forward to on Thanksgiving Day. Plus, we share the shocking story of a turkey that antagonized an entire city. Click here for The Many Ways Milk Street Makes Mashed Pot...
Nov 17, 2023•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast Madhur Jaffrey joins us and shares memories from mountain picnics in the Himalayas, her favorite way to enjoy a mango and stories from her career as a film and food star. Plus, we make Turkish-Style Flaky Flatbreads and journalist David Johns tries to find out—could ice cream actually be good for you? Get this week’s recipe for Turkish-Style Flaky Flatbreads here . We want to hear your culinary tips! Share your cooking hacks, secret ingredients or unexpected techniques with us for a chance to he...
Nov 10, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Illyanna Maisonet takes us on a culinary journey through Puerto Rico and its diaspora. She reveals the secrets to her guava barbecue sauce, the only flan she’ll ever eat and the best way to cook rice. Plus, Kim Severson tells us about the rise of salvage food stores, we make Aguachile Negro, and Adam Gopnik asks—what do we do when our favorite places close? (Originally aired October 21, 2022.) Get this week’s recipe for Mexican-Style Shrimp in Chili-Lime Sauce here. We want to hear your culinary...
Nov 03, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast We venture inside the Alnwick Poison Garden to find the world’s most dangerous plants––including some common fruits and vegetables with a sinister side. Guide Tom Pattison takes us on a tour and offers up tales of deadly accidents, hallucinogenic honey and the case of the Curry Killer. Plus, Tristan Donovan reveals how soda changed the world, Dan Pashman reimagines breakfast cereal, Cheryl Day tackles your baking dilemmas, and we make Upside-Down Cardamom-Spiced Plum Cake. Get this week’s recipe...
Oct 27, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we get a seafood masterclass from one of the world’s greatest chefs, Eric Ripert. He also explains why sauce is the hardest technique to master and reflects on the moment he decided to change the way he ran Le Bernardin. Plus, Milk Street’s science editor, Guy Crosby, joins us to answer our most pressing food science questions, and we uncover the true origins of Chicken Kyiv. Get this week’s recipe for Chicken Kyiv here . We want to hear your culinary tips! Share your cooking hacks, s...
Oct 20, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, your favorite apples get ranked, mercilessly . Find out which apples comedian Brian Frange deems “horse food” and “indigestible filth,” and which crisp, glorious apples rise to the top of the heap. Plus, reporter Katie Thornton joins us to discuss the history and ingenuity of the Frankfurt Kitchen, the blueprint for space-saving kitchen design; Adam Gopnik revels in the alchemical wonder of stovetop cooking; and we make Indian-Spiced Smashed Potatoes. Get this week’s recipe for Indian...
Oct 13, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast We chat with chef and TV host Marcus Samuelsson about his childhood in Ethiopia, his adoption by Swedish parents and the rich complexity of the Black experience in America, from cooking to culture. Plus, Joe Berkowitz reveals secrets from the little-known world of cheesemaking; Bianca Bosker gives us a history lesson on the humble fork; and we make hearty Soupe au Pistou. This episode is brought to you by Sleep Number and King Arthur Baking. Get this week’s recipe for Soupe au Pistou here . We w...
Oct 06, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Christina Ward, author of “Holy Food,” reveals why Pythagoras and his followers never ate beans, the religious movement that helped invent fake meat and Little Debbie, and why food and faith are so closely linked. Plus, Clarissa Wei transports us to Taiwanese kitchens and the Raohe Night Market; Grant Barrett and Martha Barnette of “A Way with Words” peel back the mysteries of the onion; and we make Beef Bulgogi. Get this week’s recipe for Beef Bulgogi here . We want to hear your culinary tips! ...
Sep 29, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Nick Fountain from NPR’s “Planet Money” shares the skills and strategy it takes to sell food at the ballpark. Plus, chef Angela Dimayuga gives us a crash course in Filipino flavors and techniques; we learn about the language of eating outdoors with Grant Barrett and Martha Barnette; and we make Swedish Cardamom Buns. (Originally aired October 14, 2022.) Get this week’s recipe for Swedish Cardamom Buns here. We want to hear your culinary tips! Share your cooking hacks, secret ingredients or unexp...
Sep 22, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Did you know that pad Thai was invented less than a hundred years ago? And that pizza became popular across Italy only after it was embraced in the United States? This week, we’re joined by author Anya von Bremzen to discuss the unlikely origins of some of the world’s most famous national dishes, from pot-au-feu in France to borscht in Ukraine. Plus, we crack the case on wine fraud with journalist Rebecca Gibb; Dan Pashman de-influences school lunch; and we prepare Thai Salad Rolls. Get the reci...
Sep 15, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Stephanie Li and Chris Thomas travel around China in search of the best recipes and techniques for their YouTube channel Chinese Cooking Demystified. Today we learn the secrets to perfect fried rice, how to cook with chopsticks and why the best KFCs are in China. Plus, Abigail Koffler helps us navigate food in the metaverse; we make Mexican-Style Corn with Chili and Lime; and Adam Gopnik cries tears of joy. (Originally aired June 24, 2022.) Get the recipe for Mexican-Style Corn with Chili and Li...
Sep 08, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we’re exploring Italy’s best recipes and stories. Leah Koenig brings us inside the Roman Jewish kitchen for fried artichokes as crisp as potato chips, a cherry pie that has a secret and the beef stew that made her break vegetarianism. Plus, Katie Parla gives us a tour of Italian island cuisine, Matt Goulding infiltrates the secret society that reigns over Neapolitan pizza, Viola Buitoni reveals a surprising use for balsamic vinegar, and we make Rome’s “dirty” pasta, Rigatoni alla Zozz...
Sep 01, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast We chat with Great British Bake Off judge and author of “BAKE” Paul Hollywood about the best and worst parts of his job, his secret to perfect scones and what a bin lid is—and why it's so delicious. Plus, journalist Alex Beggs tells us about cookbooks for pets; J. Kenji López-Alt takes wok cooking outdoors; and we make Spicy Chinese Beef Skewers. (Originally aired July 22, 2022.) Get the recipe for Spicy Chinese Beef Skewers here . We want to hear your culinary tips! Share your cooking hacks, se...
Aug 25, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Is it possible to become better at tasting—to enjoy dinner, wine and your favorite bourbon even more? This week, Mandy Naglich, author of "How to Taste," shares secrets from competitive tasters and food scientists. Plus, Meathead tells us his favorite tips, tools and techniques for grilling this summer; Adam Gopnik unearths an old cookbook collection; and we make Turkish Rice Pudding. Get the recipe for Turkish Rice Pudding here . We want to hear your culinary tips! Share your cooking hacks, sec...
Aug 18, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast We are traveling back in time with chef Sohla El-Waylly, host of “Ancient Recipes with Sohla.” We learn how to make Roman cheesecake, fish head aspic and Mary Todd Lincoln’s white almond cake. Plus, Maggie Hennessy breaks down the hottest trends in restaurant names, from animals to ampersands; Lynn Clark makes Korean spicy chilled noodles; and Grant Barrett and Martha Barnette dig into a slice of language pie. (Originally aired July 15, 2022.) Get the recipe for Korean Spicy Chilled Noodles . We...
Aug 11, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Cowboys work hard—which means they need to be fed well. This week, hear how ranch cook Kent Rollins feeds cowboys out of his chuck wagon, serving up his famous coffee, steaks and “burger dogs.” Plus, Tove Danovich introduces us to Mike the Headless Chicken, as well as her brood of mail-order chickens and their complex emotional lives; Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett of “A Way with Words” make lemonade out of lemon idioms; and we prepare a Tomato Salad with Peanuts, Cilantro and Chipotle-Sesame...
Aug 04, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast