Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Radio

If you’ve turned on your TV in the last 30 years, you’ve seen Kyle MacLachlan: Think “Twin Peaks,” “Sex and the City” and “Desperate Housewives.” But when he’s not starring in Hollywood, he’s wandering vineyards in Washington. This week, MacLachlan joins us for memories from the set of “Blue Velvet,” the food of “Twin Peaks” and the reason why Napa Valley isn’t the be-all and end-all of American wine. Plus, Sandra Gutiérrez leads a...

Valentine Thomas goes spearfishing—though she calls it ocean hunting. She dives in without a tank—up to 170 feet deep—and holds her breath for minutes at a time. Today, she tells us about her best and scariest deep-sea adventures and her favorite ways to eat fish. Plus, Roger Horowitz explains how Oreos became kosher; Alex Aïnouz reveals three tips that will change the way you make ramen; and we cook up Pasta with Spicy Tomato and ...

Food science expert Harold McGee helps us separate food science fact from fiction and explains our most profound questions about taste and smell. Why do oysters taste like cucumbers? Is there such a thing as the smell of raspberries? McGee has the answers! Plus, we learn about 30-foot longevity noodles from Jason Wang, the co-founder of New York’s Xi'an Famous Foods; Grant Barrett and Martha Barnette tell us who lobster Newburg and...

José Andrés returns to tell us how he feeds millions with World Central Kitchen. Plus, he reveals his secret ingredient for chicken stock and his special method for cooking eggs. Also on this week’s show: silversmith Andreas Fabian takes an artist's look at spoons and "spoonness"; Grant Barrett and Martha Barnette uncover the language of restaurants; and we share our favorite new way to make cakes with our recipe for Brazilian-Styl...

Before McDonald’s or KFC, there was the Horn and Hardart Automat—a cafeteria-style restaurant where you could buy everything from creamed spinach to lemon meringue. This week, filmmaker Lisa Hurwitz tells us the story of the rise and fall of the Automat—with a little help from Mel Brooks. Plus, Emiko Davies takes us to Venice’s favorite wine bars; we whip up Greek Meatballs with Tomato Sauce; and Dan Pashman makes the case for a be...

Jamie Oliver has been on your TV for over 20 years, but how well do you really know him? This week, Jamie Oliver returns to Milk Street Radio and we get up close and personal! Plus, flavor scientist Arielle Johnson shares the unexpected ways she uses prosciutto and olives; J. Kenji López-Alt reveals his ultimate breakfast; and we divulge our new favorite spin on chicken soup, Korean Hand-Torn Noodle Soup with Chicken. 

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99% Invisible’s Chris Berube shares margarine’s secret history—from Supreme Court battles to Eleanor Roosevelt’s advertising campaign—and why in some states you could only buy margarine that was dyed pink or black. Plus, we learn about snacks from around the world with Unsnackable’s Folu Akinkuotu; Dan Pashman tells us what there is to love about canned foods; and we make Brazilian-Style Pizza. (Originally aired April 15, 2022.)

Tamar Haspel of the Washington Post is here to share 10 truths about food that nobody wants to believe. From diet soda to organic vegetables to farm-fresh eggs, nothing is sacred. Plus, Amanda Herbert brings us inside history’s wildest dinner parties; Adam Gopnik reveals what your drink of choice says about you; we make Thai Coconut and Chicken Soup; and Cheryl Day returns to take your baking calls.

Get the recipe for Thai Cocon...

This week: Jet Tila on Thai food. He tells us about real Thai sriracha, what it takes to make the world’s largest stir-fry and why working at his family’s market sometimes meant visiting the set of “Star Trek.” Plus, we explore the wild world of cooking manga with Deb Aoki; Grant Barrett and Martha Barnette tell us what food you’re obsessed with if you’re a turophile; and we make one of Brazil’s signature meat stews. (Originally ai...

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 perfe...

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 chic...

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 unexpecte...

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 Doughn...

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 yoursel...

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; A...

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.

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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.)

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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 t...

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 culina...