Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Radio Stop Hating Processed Foods? The Case for Big Ag
Apr 24, 2026
Lindsay C. Green, Detroit dining critic who highlights local culinary diversity. Eleazar Sontag, Washington Post critic who explores criticism and anonymity. Domenica Marchetti, Italian baking author who traces cookie histories. They debate the role of big industrial food, tour secret Italian cookies, and rethink how critics and dining culture shape what we eat.
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Ancient Wine Cookies Honor Saint Lucie
- Occhi di Santa Lucia cookies date back centuries and commemorate a gruesome saint's story using a simple olive oil, wine, flour and anise dough.
- The wine creates crispness, reflecting regional use of available ingredients during harvest festivals.
Tiny Bakery Still Hand Shapes 19th Century Cookie
- Domenica Marchetti visited Casale Monferrato and found a bakery still hand-shaping a U-shaped butter cookie invented in the 1800s.
- The owner’s grandparents bought the shop in 1953 and bakers still form the cookies by hand one by one.
Make A Reliable Quiche With Blind Baking
- Blind-bake an all-butter crust and seal its bottom to prevent sogginess before adding quiche custard.
- Use 3–4 eggs to 1.5 cups liquid, pre-cook fillings, and bake until edges are firm but center still wobbles.