Milk Street Q&A

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Bonnie - I'm not 100% sure to which episode of the show you are referring, but I know Chris loves the Marshmallow Buttercream from Stella Parks. You can find the recipe in her book, "Brave Tart - Iconic American Desserts." I also love her version of American buttercream (the key is using organic powdered sugar, which is less sweet and more flavorful than conventional) which you can also find in her book. Good luck! Best, The Milk Street Team

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Joshua - Bison is literally and figuratively a different animal when it comes to BBQ. Beef is 5x fattier than bison and takes about 1/3 longer to cook. Because of this, we would probably recommend smoking a bison brisket for an hour or two over very low heat and then wrapping the meat and braising it in it's own liquid. I'd even argue pressure cooking or slow cooking would be good options here. Because the meat is so lean it really needs the added moisture of braising so it's not ideal for dry BBQ'ing. As for flavor profiles, bison is gamier than beef so you can likely do anything and it would hold up to the bison. Hope that helps! Best, The Milk Street Team

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi David - Thank you for your feedback. We have passed it along to our TV team. Best, The Milk Street Team

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Joshua - There is definitely a difference in flavor in heritage chicken breeds and, even, brands. That's due to their respective genetics. But, it's also partly due to the fact that heritage chickens, unlike commercially-raised chickens, forage for food. So, depending on their location and the foods available there, the chicken will eat different things and, therefore, the meat will taste different. Similar to how terroir affects the flavor of wine. There's a good article from The Atlantic you can read about the distinct flavor differences in a chicken tasting the author did here. However, for eggs the same isn't entirely true. Any flavor differences in eggs are solely due to differences in the hen's diet. Flavor differences among breeds are just not noticeable in eggs. Best, The Milk Street Team

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Scott - We don't often use a stockpot in the kitchen at Milk Street. A Dutch oven or large pot usually suits most of our needs and, since we don't do equipment testing here, we don't have a specific recommendation. Generically speaking, we would recommend buying a stainless steel pot with a tight-fitting lid and a weight that, when full, is easy to maneuver. Height and width are more of a personal choice. Shorter and wider pots stack more easily for storage, whereas taller and thinner pots take up less space on the stovetop making it easier to have multiple pots going at once. Best, The Milk Street Team

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Louise - Maybe someone else on the board has the specific recipe you are looking for but, at Milk Street, we only have this delicious Turkish Red Lentil Soup and this Spicy Red Lentil Soup with Coconut Milk and Spinach from India's Goa region. Best, The Milk Street Team

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Joshua - Ha! There are tons of flavor variations for spaetzle out there. Basically, if you think of it as a grain side dish like orzo or even pasta the variations are endless. You can also use the spaetzle maker to rice potatoes for mashed potatoes. We also have this amazing recipe for Passatelli in Brodo (recipe here - https://www.177milkstreet.com/recipes/passatelli-in-brodo). Passatelli are sort of like longer spaetzle made with parmesan, breadcrumbs and egg that are poached and served in chicken broth. It's my new favorite "chicken soup" for winter. Enjoy your new toy! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Mary - Although it won't produce nearly as much heat, you can try placing a rimmed baking sheet in the oven while the oven is preheating and then baking the quiche on the hot sheet. Good luck! Best, The Milk Street Team

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Mitch - You always have the most fun party ideas! :-) My only tip is something they do at the dumpling shop I go to sometimes. They paint the dumpling wrapper with just a small marking made with food coloring so they know which are pork, shrimp, tofu, etc. Each flavor has a corresponding color. There are also edible markers that are used for cake decorating that might do the job as well. Not sure if/how that might work when boiling, but maybe it's worth a trial run? Good luck and have fun at the party! Best, The Milk Street Team

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Renee - We checked in with Chris and he said he almost exclusively uses this Maalouf olive oil from Lebanon. Stone-milled exclusively from a single grove of small, slender Souri olives grown in North Lebanon, Maalouf's early-harvest oil possesses a potent green color and a buttery, rich flavor with hints of green apple and artichoke. It has a subtle peppery kick and addictively long, nutty finish. This is truly an all-purpose, extra-virgin olive oil without the overpowering bitterness that mars many other brands. We get a very limited inventory of this small-batch oil; once we're sold out, we can't get more until the next year's olive harvest and, unfortunately, right now we are sold out. However, if you click the "Notify" button we will let you know when it's back in stock! Best, The Milk Street Team