Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Radio

We interview Jason Wise about his film “Somm: Cup of Salvation,” which tells the story of winemaker Vahe Keushguerian, who smuggled ancient grapes from Iran to make the first Persian wine in over 40 years. Plus, food scientist Anwesha Sarkar explains how she built a 3D-printed human tongue to study food texture; we cook up the original Spaghetti and Meatballs; and Adam Gopnik shares what’s new wit...

Chef Carla Hall is here to change the way we think about soul food. Plus, we explore cooking with cannabis; Adam Gopnik tells us how to cope when our favorite restaurants close; and we serve up Sweet Fresh Corn Pudding. (Originally aired May 17, 2019). Get this week’s recipe for Sweet Fresh Corn Pudding here . We want to hear your culinary tips! Share your cooking hacks, secret ingredients or unex...

This week, it's all about food inventions and innovations. Nicola Twilley reveals the secret history of refrigeration, from ingenious fridge designs to Rwanda’s pioneering “coldscape.” Plus, meat scientist Chris Calkins invents new cuts of steaks, and Dan Pashman wonders if the food tech takeover is actually a bust. Finally, we share a recipe for the pope’s spaghetti. Get this week’s recipe for Sp...

Falcons are smart, fast and lethal––but they can also be a farm’s greatest defense against losing an entire harvest. Master falconer Alina Blankenship tells us about protecting fields of grapes and blueberries with her flock of highly-skilled birds, from the falcon that operates like a jet-fighter to the hawk that patrols crops like a bouncer. Plus, Kim Severson reports on Gen Z’s “milk shame” and...

Journalist Adam Iscoe takes us inside the underworld of restaurant reservations. Plus, Viola Buitoni teaches us about weeknight Italian cooking, Adam Gopnik shares Mark Twain’s favorite American foods, and Cheryl Day returns to answer baking questions. 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...

Today, we're sharing an episode from our friends at “Dinner SOS.” “Dinner SOS” is the podcast where Bon Appétit answers desperate home cooks' cries for help. This week we’re sharing the episode “I Need to Feed My Friend Group.” Caller Maggie invited a group of old friends to her small upstate New York house, expecting some to drop out last minute. But nobody did, and now she has to feed 21 adults,...

In honor of the Paris Olympics, 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 a...

It's a very happy hour of Milk Street Radio: Chef Edward Lee returns for a tour of Kentucky’s bourbon distilleries, where the water is sweeter, the barrels are (accidentally!) charred, and the rickhouses are sacred territory. Plus, Gary Shteyngart recounts his wet, dry, twisted and dirty martini tour of New York City; Grant Barrett and Martha Barnette of “A Way With Words” reveal the surprising or...

We dive into the world of state, county and agricultural fairs with Marla Calico to learn about their history, impact and why roast beef sundaes are all the rage at fairgrounds across the country. Plus, we head to the Iowa State Fair to meet the woman who carves cows out of butter and the kids striving to create the world’s ugliest cake. We also get a crash course in wine from sommelier André Hues...

Is airplane food bad on purpose? Historian Richard Foss takes us through the turbulent history of food in flight, from extravagant meals aboard zeppelins, to the flaming Baked Alaskas once served en route to Singapore, to the truth about mediocre food service on planes today. Plus, Rebecca Rupp tells us how carrots won the Trojan War, Amanda Herbert shares a recipe for the world’s first macaroni a...

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...

Fire up the grill: This week, we’re covering all of your July Fourth favorites. We unravel the history of the hot dog with author Bruce Kraig and hear from Hot Dog Ambassador John Champlin about one unforgettable frankfurter. Plus, Ken Zuckerman of the National Mustard Museum touts mustard as the ultimate condiment; J. Kenji López-Alt takes grilled corn to the next level; and Rose Hattabaugh share...

It’s our first live episode of Milk Street Radio, recorded at The Beverly Theater in Las Vegas! In this special episode, Su Kim Chung shares Las Vegas’s most fascinating restaurants from history; “Top Chef” contestant and Black Sheep chef/owner Jamie Tran answers live cooking questions; and Neon Feast creator Al Mancini takes us on his ultimate food and drinking tour—complete with tiki rooms, hidd...

We chat with research chef Shola Olunloyo about the cutting-edge culinary projects he undertakes at his experimental food laboratory, Studiokitchen. He tells us about mashing up tortellini and soup dumplings, how to make bread that tastes like a malted milkshake and why he looks to jazz musicians for culinary inspiration. Plus, New Zealand chef Monique Fiso teaches us about Māori cuisine, Dan Pash...

In this special episode, we chat with Meathead about how to grill the perfect steak; Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich of Honey & Co. share grilling traditions from across the Levant; Dan Pashman brings on the controversy and tells us why he thinks grilling is overrated; and Chris and Sara take your cookout questions. We want to hear your culinary tips! Share your cooking hacks, secret ingredi...

Forget the bedroom: the kitchen is where relationships are made and broken. Journalist Ella Quittner reveals the many ways the kitchen causes problems in our love lives, and what psychologists say we can do about it. Plus, listeners call in with their own culinary feuds; writer Crystal Wilkinson recalls the kitchen ghosts and family recipes of her Appalachian childhood; and we make Pakistani-style...

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...

This week, we’re sitting down with “Modern Family” star Jesse Tyler Ferguson, who once scored an invite to Passover at Joan Rivers’ house and can’t stop eavesdropping at restaurants. Plus, we hear the music of the Vienna Vegetable Orchestra; A Way With Words teaches us the language of the grill; and we prepare Yucatecan Citrus-Marinated Pork Tacos, just in time for summer. Get this week’s recipe f...

This week, we’re diving into the foods of summer. Culinary historian Tonya Hopkins tells us about the Black innovators who made ice cream what it is today; Bill Alexander reveals the history and fate of the tomato; artist Ana Inciardi tracks down a tomato from her family's past; Dan Pashman gives us a lesson on his favorite ways to eat watermelon and corn; and we bake up a Fresh Peach and Raspberr...

Sara Franklin shares the life story of Judith Jones, the legendary editor behind some of the greatest cookbooks of the 20th century. We hear how she discovered Julia Child, why Edna Lewis sent her a box of squirrels and what happened when she was told to reject the diary of Anne Frank. Plus, historian Stephen Puleo recounts the sticky disaster that was Boston’s Great Molasses Flood of 1919, and we...

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...

Chantha Nguon, co-author of “Slow Noodles,” shares her story of survival as a Cambodian refugee. Also this week: We learn about the world’s first fast-food chain from Kansas City reporter Mackenzie Martin, and Alex Aïnouz ranks the best pastas at the grocery store. We’re working on a story about the battles we have in our kitchens at home, and we want to hear about your kitchen drama—from the bigg...

Missy Robbins, chef and founder of Lilia and Misi in Brooklyn, teaches a masterclass in making pasta at home—she explains why her noodle recipes include a copious number of egg yolks, why she often leaves salt out, and her secret to cacio e pepe. Plus, Romy Gill takes us on a food tour of Kashmir; Adam Gopnik explains the rules of time in the kitchen; and we make Zucchini and Chickpea Salad with T...

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 w...

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 c...