

Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Radio
Milk Street Radio
Every week, Milk Street Radio travels the world to find the most fascinating stories about food—a detective who tracks down food thieves and a look inside the most famous (and often scandalous) restaurant kitchens—and interviews with culinary icons such as José Andrés, Padma Lakshmi, Jacques Pépin, and Marcus Samuelsson. And on Milk Street Radio you can always find the unexpected: the comedian who ranks apples using an elaborate 100-point system, the scientists who study if vegetables have souls, and the journalist who reveals the world’s 10 biggest food lies. We also answer our listeners’ cooking questions, find out how to make the perfect cup of coffee, and share how to eat your way through Italy.
Episodes
Mentioned books
26 snips
Aug 15, 2025 • 51min
Outdoor Summer: Cowboy Cooking, Mail Order Chickens and Freezer Door Daiquiris
Join cowboy cook Kent Rollins as he shares the hearty delights of chuck wagon cuisine, from famous coffee to burger dogs. Tove Danovich introduces the charming antics of backyard chickens, including the legend of Mike the Headless Chicken. Cheryl Day offers baking wisdom, tackling listener queries and creative techniques. Finally, Martha Barnett delves into the intriguing origins of lemon-related idioms, providing a sprinkle of language fun. It's a flavorful journey filled with culinary tips and lively anecdotes!

Aug 8, 2025 • 51min
I Catered Napoleon's Wedding: Carême, the First Celebrity Chef
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

Aug 1, 2025 • 51min
Welcome to Our Cocktail Hour! Bourbon Myths, Martini Crawls and Mixology Tips
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

11 snips
Jul 25, 2025 • 51min
100 Years of Food Writing at the New Yorker: M.F.K. Fisher, Calvin Trillin and A.J. Liebling
Adam Gopnik, a staff writer at The New Yorker, dives into a century of iconic food writing, showcasing gems from M.F.K. Fisher, A.J. Liebling, and Calvin Trillin. He shares A.J. Liebling's tips for finding stellar Parisian restaurants and Fisher's whimsical musings on potato chips. Matt Goulding, the creative director at Milk Street, stirs the pot discussing the heated debate around authentic paella in Spain. The conversation offers rich cultural insights and the secret to a perfect cold oven crème brûlée.

Jul 18, 2025 • 51min
Food Fights: I Love You But I Hate Your Cooking
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 PlatenListen to Milk Street Radio on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Jul 11, 2025 • 1h 1min
Summer Lollapalooza! Meathead Q&A, BBQ Road Trip and Grilling Pizza
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 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

Jul 4, 2025 • 51min
July Fourth Jubilee: Weiner Wisdom, Mustard Madness and Flag Cake Confections!
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

Jun 27, 2025 • 51min
Who's Your Salsa Daddy? Tacos, Salsas and Avocados!
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

Jun 20, 2025 • 57min
Moonshine Cake and Cantaloupe Cream Pie: The Secrets of Southern Baking
Cheryl Day is a celebrated Southern baker and author known for her expertise in desserts, while Anne Byrn dives into the rich history of Southern recipes. They reveal tantalizing tales of lane cakes and chess pies, emphasizing the transformative impact of ingredients like baking powder. Kim Severson weighs in on the MAHA organic food movement and its influence on school food systems. Tips for mastering the perfect pie crust and crafting an Almond and Rum Tres Leches Cake provide delicious insights for all baking enthusiasts.

Jun 13, 2025 • 51min
High on the Hog: Black Cooks and the Making of American Cuisine
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