Spilled Milk

Put on your pepper pants, people, because we're frying, pickling, and enchiladafying chiles today. We're crazy for medium-sized, medium-hot chiles (padrons, shishitos, anaheims, poblanos, and their cousins), and we're going to drive you crazy, too, with a little help from Bryan Adams. Recipes: Pan-Fried Peppers, Pickled Peppers, and Folded Enchiladas. www.spilledmilkpodcast.com Support Spilled Milk Podcast!Molly's SubstackMatthew's Bands: Early to the Airport and Twilight DinersProducer Abby's WebsiteListen to our spinoff show Dire DesiresJoin our reddit Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How do you get your niblets off the cob? Wait, that's not a euphemism! Join us for a lunch of corn off the cob: how to buy it, how to coax the kernels off (still not a euphemism!), and how to cook it--or not cook it. Recipes: Tomato-Corn Salad; Spicy Sauteed Corn. www.spilledmilkpodcast.com Brought to [...] Support Spilled Milk Podcast!Molly's SubstackMatthew's Bands: Early to the Airport and Twilight DinersProducer Abby's WebsiteListen to our spinoff show Dire DesiresJoin our reddit Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How were Triscuits created? What's that white powder on the outside of a White Cheddar Cheez-It? And what, exactly, does the "stoned" in Stoned Wheat Thins mean? Join us as we try, and mostly fail, to answer these questions. If you're nice, we'll teach you how to eat a Wheat Thin. www.spilledmilkpodcast.com Brought to you [...] Support Spilled Milk Podcast!Molly's SubstackMatthew's Bands: Early to the Airport and Twilight DinersProducer Abby's WebsiteListen to our spinoff show Dire DesiresJoin our reddit Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Raw, primal, stomach-churning fear. It's brought on by snakes, public speaking, and...lunch? Tune in as Molly and Matthew face down a meal they'll never forget, no matter how hard they try. www.spilledmilkpodcast.com Brought to you by Sur La Table. Support Spilled Milk Podcast!Molly's SubstackMatthew's Bands: Early to the Airport and Twilight DinersProducer Abby's WebsiteListen to our spinoff show Dire DesiresJoin our reddit Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Have you ever sunk your teeth into a juicy Grandma's Recliner heirloom tomato? Neither have we, because we made it up. We investigate the world of real and fake tomatoes in this special episode, recorded live at the Queen Anne Farmers Market in Seattle. www.spilledmilkpodcast.com More photos by Glenn Fleishman Support Spilled Milk Podcast!Molly's SubstackMatthew's Bands: Early to the Airport and Twilight DinersProducer Abby's WebsiteListen to our spinoff show Dire DesiresJoin our reddit Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It's hot outside, and who wants to cook? Not us. Instead, we're talking salad dressing. Join us for a discussion of oil, vinegar, miso, gloop-gloop, and Paul Newman's bare chest. Support Spilled Milk Podcast!Molly's SubstackMatthew's Bands: Early to the Airport and Twilight DinersProducer Abby's WebsiteListen to our spinoff show Dire DesiresJoin our reddit Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

They may be expensive, highly perishable, and a little tricky to find, but it's not summer without them: sour cherries! 'Tis the season, and we're celebrating in classic Spilled Milk style, with milkshakes, pickles, and puns. Support Spilled Milk Podcast!Molly's SubstackMatthew's Bands: Early to the Airport and Twilight DinersProducer Abby's WebsiteListen to our spinoff show Dire DesiresJoin our reddit Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week, we revisit the breakfast cereals of our youth and ask, once and for all, if they're really as good as we thought they were. What happened to Cracklin' Oat Bran? Why is Lucky the Leprechaun making that face? What cereal was stolen by a rabbit, was the Hamburglar involved, and why can't we [...] Support Spilled Milk Podcast!Molly's SubstackMatthew's Bands: Early to the Airport and Twilight DinersProducer Abby's WebsiteListen to our spinoff show Dire DesiresJoin our reddit Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If we told you what it was about, it wouldn't be mystery lunch, WOULD IT? It's definitely more than just Matthew's plot to get Molly to clean out his fridge. Dear God, what is that--could it be? An entire...? Recipe: Yaki Udon. www.spilledmilkpodcast.com Support Spilled Milk Podcast!Molly's SubstackMatthew's Bands: Early to the Airport and Twilight DinersProducer Abby's WebsiteListen to our spinoff show Dire DesiresJoin our reddit Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We love rhubarb in all its forms: stewed, roasted, in a cake, in a crumble, in a pie, churned into sherbet--and even raw. (Well, sort of.) Join us on an odyssey to the grocery store and back, and find out, once and for all, what happens when you eat a poisonous rhubarb leaf. Recipe: Rhubarb [...] Support Spilled Milk Podcast!Molly's SubstackMatthew's Bands: Early to the Airport and Twilight DinersProducer Abby's WebsiteListen to our spinoff show Dire DesiresJoin our reddit Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The squeezing, my god, the squeezing! Today we're woman- and manhandling rice into onigiri, Japanese rice balls, and filling them with all sorts of traditional ingredients like pickled plum, salmon, and...black forest ham? Recipe: Rice balls. www.spilledmilkpodcast.com Brought to you by Sur La Table. Support Spilled Milk Podcast!Molly's SubstackMatthew's Bands: Early to the Airport and Twilight DinersProducer Abby's WebsiteListen to our spinoff show Dire DesiresJoin our reddit Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you've been taught to cook your peas just until they're bright green and fresh-tasting, you're about to get schooled. We know a guy with a pea-encrusted axe to grind. Guest: Francis Lam of The Splendid Table. MUSHY PEAS Adapted from Jamie Oliver 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 small onion, chopped 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves 1 pound frozen peas (preferably not petite peas) 2 tablespoons water 2 tablespoons butter salt and pepper In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent but not browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mint and peas and cook until the peas begin to lose their frosty tinge. Add the water, cover, and simmer until the peas are army green, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a food processor, add the butter and salt and pepper to taste, and process to just shy of smooth. Serve hot. Yield: 4 servingsSpecial Guest: Francis Lam. Support Spilled Milk Podcast!Molly's SubstackMatthew's Bands: Early to the Airport and Twilight DinersProducer Abby's WebsiteListen to our spinoff show Dire DesiresJoin our reddit Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Here at Spilled Milk, our Easter party is still raging, because we can't stop eating ham. Dry-cured, wet-cured, we don't care: we love and investigate them all, with stops in Spain, the mall, and the Middle Ages. Recipe: Greens with ham and cheesy grits. www.spilledmilkpodcast.com Brought to you by Sur La Table. Support Spilled Milk Podcast!Molly's SubstackMatthew's Bands: Early to the Airport and Twilight DinersProducer Abby's WebsiteListen to our spinoff show Dire DesiresJoin our reddit Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Do you smell something burning? Sorry, that was us. Not even the smoke alarm can deter us from our mission to make crispy potatoes two ways. Plus, Matthew's freezer contains an embarrassing secret. Again. Recipes: Smashed Roasted Potatoes; Cold-Oil French Fries. www.spilledmilkpodcast.com Support Spilled Milk Podcast!Molly's SubstackMatthew's Bands: Early to the Airport and Twilight DinersProducer Abby's WebsiteListen to our spinoff show Dire DesiresJoin our reddit Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Do you enjoy stinky little fish like sardines, anchovies, mackerel, and herring? We do. So does Becky Selengut of www.chefreinvented.com and Mission Sustainable, who joins us to help answer the age-old question: what is your power fish? We're on a mission to get you to eat weird fish. TRISCUITS WITH SARDINES AND MUSTARD Inspired by Gabrielle Hamilton, chef-owner of Prune Triscuits (regular flavor) Dijon mustard Canned sardines, drained and coarsely chopped Spread a Triscuit with a generous smear of mustard. Pile some sardines on top. Repeat, and serve. KYOTO MISO-MACKEREL HOT POT Adapted from Japanese Hot Pots: Comforting One-Pot Meals, by Tadashi Ono and Harris Salat 2 mackerel fillets (about one pound) salt 1/4 pound daikon, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices 2 cups dashi 2 cups water 1/2 cup sake 1/2 cup white miso (or saikyo miso, if you can find it) 1/2 pound napa cabbage, sliced 1/2 pound firm tofu, cut into four pieces 4 ounces oyster mushrooms, trimmed and pulled apart 1/2 pound spinach, stemmed 4 teaspoons grated ginger sliced scallions (optional) Salt the mackerel fillets generously on both sides and place on a plate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Simmer the daikon in a small pan of water until tender, about 5 minutes. Rinse under cold water and set aside. Bring a large pan of water to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Fill a large bowl with cold water. Slice the mackerel into 1-inch squares. Dip the fish, a few pieces at a time, into the simmering water for 15 seconds to blanch, then transfer to the cold water. When you've blanched all the fish, drain it and dry on paper towels. Combine the dashi, 2 cups water, sake, and miso in a bowl and whisk to blend. Place the cabbage on the bottom of a large stockpot. Add the tofu, daikon, and oyster mushrooms, arranging each ingredient in a neat bunch. Pour in the broth. Cover the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Uncover, reduce heat to medium-low, and add the mackerel in a separate pile. Simmer ten minutes, reducing heat further if necessary to maintain a low simmer. Serve in individual bowls, garnished with grated ginger and optional scallions. Yield: 4 servingsSpecial Guest: Becky Selengut. Support Spilled Milk Podcast!Molly's SubstackMatthew's Bands: Early to the Airport and Twilight DinersProducer Abby's WebsiteListen to our spinoff show Dire DesiresJoin our reddit Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Your hosts may not be Irish, but we make a mean corned beef and colcannon, not to mention fools of ourselves. Join us as we drink Guinness from the can (wrong!), discuss the etymology of bubble and squeak (not Irish!), and otherwise give St. Patrick an excuse to chase us out of Ireland. Recipes: Corned [...] Support Spilled Milk Podcast!Molly's SubstackMatthew's Bands: Early to the Airport and Twilight DinersProducer Abby's WebsiteListen to our spinoff show Dire DesiresJoin our reddit Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As a kid, Molly coveted Hostess Twinkies, and Matthew ate something called Jingles. This week, we bury our faces in childhood junk food favorites and ask: which salty and sugary sensations still make our mouths happy? We also find out, once and for all, what cherry snot tastes like. And we talk with our mouths [...] Support Spilled Milk Podcast!Molly's SubstackMatthew's Bands: Early to the Airport and Twilight DinersProducer Abby's WebsiteListen to our spinoff show Dire DesiresJoin our reddit Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Only braising can get you through the winter alive. But what to braise? Matthew says meat. Molly says vegetables. If this strikes you as stereotypical, however, check out Matthew's gender-bending headgear. Support Spilled Milk Podcast!Molly's SubstackMatthew's Bands: Early to the Airport and Twilight DinersProducer Abby's WebsiteListen to our spinoff show Dire DesiresJoin our reddit Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As Shakespeare didn't put it, "If food be the food of love, eat food." That's how we would put it, though, and we are turning your Valentine's Day into a scorcher with a feast of noted aphrodisiacs, from green M&Ms to ambergris. You know that movie Love Actually? This episode is ten times more romantic [...] Support Spilled Milk Podcast!Molly's SubstackMatthew's Bands: Early to the Airport and Twilight DinersProducer Abby's WebsiteListen to our spinoff show Dire DesiresJoin our reddit Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We're whizzing up trouble here in the Spilled Milk test kitchen, as your hosts make milkshakes and mistakes in equal measure. Follow us down the rabbit hole. Recipe: Chocolate malt. NOTE: Even though this episode has the Explicit tag, it is probably safe for Grandma's house, but don't say we didn't warn you. Includes suggestive [...] Support Spilled Milk Podcast!Molly's SubstackMatthew's Bands: Early to the Airport and Twilight DinersProducer Abby's WebsiteListen to our spinoff show Dire DesiresJoin our reddit Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Winter squash is a big, scary vegetable. Matthew is scared of its sweet taste. Molly is scared of its thick skin. Can they put their fears to rest? What is the "throwdown method"? And is squash-licking fatal? Recipe: Warm Butternut and Chickpea Salad with Tahini Sauce. Support Spilled Milk Podcast!Molly's SubstackMatthew's Bands: Early to the Airport and Twilight DinersProducer Abby's WebsiteListen to our spinoff show Dire DesiresJoin our reddit Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Does everything taste better with a fried egg on top? Molly and Matthew come up with many things that do and a few that don't. Plus, the pros and cons of snowy white bottom. Recipe: Kimchi fried rice with a fried egg. Support Spilled Milk Podcast!Molly's SubstackMatthew's Bands: Early to the Airport and Twilight DinersProducer Abby's WebsiteListen to our spinoff show Dire DesiresJoin our reddit Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.