American children are some of the fussiest eaters in history, but it wasn’t always this way. In the 19th century, kids ate oysters and corned beef, and loved all things sour, smoky, and funky. Helen Zoe Veit shares how American children become picky eaters—and how to raise kids who aren’t. Plus, honey sommelier Marina Marchese guides Chris through a blind taste test (which includes the bitterest honey in the world!) and Milk Street’s Digital Editor Claire Lower sits down with comedian Josh Gondelman to discuss a controversial, hyperlocal phenomenon: the North Shore Beef sandwich.

Questions in this episode:

"I’ve experienced some vision loss in the last five years. I love to cook, but a lot of things I cook call for me to look at the color of the food to know when it's ready (e.g. meat for browning). How do I know when I’m at the next stage?"

"I was born and raised outside of Redding, PA, and I remember as a kid going to a neighbor's house and eating a bowl of corn curls. I don't exactly remember the taste, but I know that whatever those corn curls were, they tasted nothing like the industrial type of mass-produced corn curls. Any suggestions for homemade corn curls?"

"I am very good at making pasta. I am very good at making sauce. But when I put them together, I feel like I end up with pasta on one side and sauce on the other side. How do I make a pasta dish that's fully mixed together?"

"I've seen a lot of recipes call for powdered milk. Is it necessary?"