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 tour through the foods of the Spanish-speaking world; Adam...

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 Pancetta Sauce. Get the recipe for 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 chicken tetrazzini were named after; and we make pork in...

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-Style Chocolate-Glazed Carrot Cake. Get the recipe for...

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 better vegetable sandwich. (Originally aired May 27th,...

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.  Get the recipe for Korean Hand-Torn Noodle Soup with Chicken here. Get...

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.) Get the recipe for Brazilian-Style Pizza Carbonara here. Listen...

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 Coconut and Chicken Soup here. We want to hear your culinary tips!...

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 aired March 25th, 2022.) Get the recipe for Brazilian Black Bean...

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...

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...

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...

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 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:...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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!...

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...

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...

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...