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 and cheese, and we head to Bogotá for a lesson on great barbecue. Get the recipe for Colombian-Style Asado Pork Chops here. Listen to Milk Street Radio on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

For this special bonus episode, we share a story from the Points North podcast about blue moon ice cream—it's a wacky, surprisingly delicious and very blue ice cream flavor beloved in the Midwest. But no one knows what the flavor actually is, and ice cream makers are notoriously secretive about it. We hear about Morgan Springer's quest to find out more. Plus, we share a few of our all-time favorite ice cream stories: Journalist David Johns investigates whether ice cream could actually be good for you; we talk with Saturated Ice Cream founder Lokelani Alabanza, who invents new flavors from peanuts and Coke to Nashville hot chicken; and we make charred pineapple and honey ice cream. Get the recipe for Charred Pineapple with Spiced Honey and Coconut Ice Cream here. Listen to Milk Street Radio on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

This week we’re joined by Noor Murad—longtime recipe developer at the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen. She’s here to share cooking inspired by her home country, Bahrain. We talk about the magic of tahini dates, lamb with fenugreek, and spiced rice. Plus, Meathead is back to take more of your barbecue and grilling calls, from the rules of ribs to whether bones actually make your meat taste better; we learn how to eat like a Greek with Athens chef Carolina Doriti; Adam Gopnik considers the tart cherry; and we make Cantonese Barbecued Pork. Get this week's recipe for Cantonese Barbecued Pork here. Listen to Milk Street Radio on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

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 Dressing, just in time for high summer. (Originally aired August 3rd, 2023.) Get this week's recipe for Tomato Salad with Peanuts, Cilantro and Chipotle-Sesame Dressing here. Learn how to make a Freezer Door Daiquiri here. Listen to Milk Street Radio on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify. 

He cooked for the czar of Russia, the Rothschilds, and he even made Napoleon Bonaparte's wedding cake. He invented the chef’s hat and published the first recipes for soufflé and meringue, but you’ve probably never heard his name. This week, it’s the story of the world’s first celebrity chef: Marie-Antoine Carême. Plus, we’re joined by one of today’s best chefs, Enrique Olvera; Kenji López-Alt returns with a brand-new way to fry an egg; we make Indonesian Beef and Sweet Soy Sate; and Chris and Sara take your calls — how to organize handwritten recipes, why we season everything with pepper, and much more. Get this week’s recipe for Indonesian Beef and Sweet Soy Sate here. Listen to Milk Street Radio on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

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 origin of the word “cocktail”; and J.M. Hirsch offers an innovative mixology tip. (Originally aired July 25, 2024.) Get this week’s recipe for Lemon Grass Martini here. Cover image credit: Landon Nordeman, The New Yorker. Listen to Milk Street Radio on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Adam Gopnik takes us on a tour of great food writing from the New Yorker in celebration of the magazine's centennial. We hear A.J. Liebling’s tip for finding a good restaurant in Paris, M.F.K. Fisher’s fantasy about potato chips and Calvin Trillin’s obsession over constructing the perfect bagel. Plus, Matt Goulding shares why paella is a hotbed of controversy; we explain why a cold oven is the secret to the best creme brûlée; and Christopher Kimball and Sara Moulton answer your questions and share their favorite things to do with tomatoes. Get this week’s recipe for Cold-Oven Crème Brûlee here. Listen to Milk Street Radio on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

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 Potato Stuffed Naan at home. (Originally aired June 13, 2024.) Get this week’s recipe for Potato-Stuffed Naan here. Artwork credit: Millie von Platen Listen to Milk Street Radio on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

We’re covering everything you've ever wanted to know about grilling and barbecue. First up, a road trip with Daniel Vaughn, barbecue editor at Texas Monthly. We taste whole-hog barbecue in Greenville, coffee-rubbed brisket in Nacogdoches and cow-eye tacos in Brownsville. Then, Meathead Goldwyn joins Chris on the phone lines for your toughest cookout questions; Kenji López-Alt makes the case for his favorite backyard dinner; and Grant Barrett and Martha Barnette of “A Way With Words” cool us down with summertime treats. Listen to Milk Street Radio on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

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 shares new ideas for an old favorite: flag cake. (Originally aired June 25, 2024.) Get this week's recipe for 1-2-3 Frosting here. Song credit: It’s All Right Baby - Assaf Ayalon, courtesy of Artlist. Listen to Milk Street Radio on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

This week, we travel to Mexico. Rick Martínez shares the salsa that changed his life; Aarón Sánchez answers your Mexican cooking questions; we uncover the secret history of avocados; and we take a food tour of Mexico City. Listen to Milk Street Radio on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Author Anne Byrn scoured the South, uncovering the stories behind the region’s best bakes. She found lane cakes in Georgia, chess pies in North Carolina and a shocking twist on chocolate cake in Arkansas. Plus, Kim Severson offers a timely report on the MAHA organic food movement; we whip up an Almond and Rum Tres Leches Cake; and Cheryl Day returns to take your baking questions. Get the recipe for Almond and Rum Tres Leches Cake here. Listen to Milk Street Radio on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

We chat with Dr. Jessica B. Harris about her seminal book "High on the Hog,'' which offers a diverse and complex history of African American cuisine—from the escape of George Washington’s enslaved master chef to the birth of the catering industry. Plus, we investigate Korean television’s obsession with Subway sandwiches, learn about the origins of egg-based idioms from Grant Barrett and Martha Barnette, and share the secret to making Turkish kebabs on your backyard grill. Get the recipe for Turkish Minced Meat Kebabs here. Listen to Milk Street Radio on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

In this special episode, we share a few of our favorite moments about getting experimental in the kitchen. Kenji López-Alt shares the perfect way to make potatoes; Alex Aïnouz attempts to create a 1 million-layer puff pastry; and we chat with flavor chemist Dr. Arielle Johnson about how to eat a tree.

This week, we share a story of revenge, betrayal and secrets … at a frozen vegetable empire. John Seabrook investigates why running “the biggest vegetable factory on Earth” led to generations of drama in his family, like a real-life version of the TV show “Succession.” Plus, Brendan Liew gives us a tour of Japan’s incredible convenience stores; Kenji López-Alt finds the best way to crack an egg; and we learn how to make Sri Lankan Spinach and Coconut Dal with Tomato Tarka. Get the recipe for Sri Lankan Spinach and Coconut Dal with Tomato Tarka here. Listen to Milk Street Radio on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

In 2008, Roy Choi was fired from his big restaurant job and ready to give up—then he started his food truck, Kogi. He joins us today to discuss the making of his now-legendary food truck, how he taught Jon Favreau to look like a cook for his 2014 film “Chef,” and why there's poetry in lowriding around LA. Plus, we hunt for clams, eels and anchovies with sea forager Kirk Lombard, and Chris and Sara Moulton take your calls—what constitutes the middle rack of the oven, how to make the perfect toum, and much more. Listen to Milk Street Radio on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

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 kitchen; and we learn a recipe known as “killer spaghetti.” (Originally aired May 25th, 2023.) Get the recipe for Spaghetti all’Assassina here.  Listen to Milk Street Radio on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify 

Famed architect and designer David Rockwell shares the best, worst and most hidden aspects of restaurant design. He recalls his favorite projects, from Sushi Zen to Union Square Cafe, and the tiny details you should pay attention to the next time you go out to eat. Plus, Nathalie Cooke takes us on a quirky journey through the history of menus; Adam Gopnik pays tribute to the legendary achievements of Alice Waters; and we prepare a no-cook Tiramisu. Get the recipe for Tiramisu here. Listen to Milk Street Radio on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

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 head to Paris for the world’s greatest ham and cheese sandwich. (Originally aired May 16, 2024.) Get the recipe for Oven-Baked Three-Layer Croque Monsieur Sandwiches here. Listen to Milk Street Radio on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

We get real with Top Chef host Kristen Kish. She speaks out about her career, her show and what bugs her most about restaurant goers. Also on the show—we chat with Reya Hart about eating and traveling on tour with her father, Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart; Kim Severson explains why meat is on the rise again; we make Puff Pastry Khachapuri; and Chris Kimball and Sara Moulton answer listener calls. Get the recipe for Puff Pastry Khachapuri here. Listen to Milk Street Radio on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify