This week on Cooking Issues, Dave welcomes back Matt Sartwell from Kitchen Arts & Letters for a special “Classics in the Field” episode. They dig into historic cookbooks, from Mrs. Marshall’s 1890s ice cream innovations to early 20th-century Russian preservation techniques involving millet, pig bladders, and cellars. Dave recounts recent culinary misadventures—including purging a pantry, misidentifying whiskey as tequila, and investigating black garlic from the early pandemic era—while fielding listener questions about ancient wheat, Spinzall butter math, sturgeon spinal cords, and more. Plus: a deep dive into American barbecue lore, McGee’s nut superiority, and how Star Trek IV changed the whaling conversation forever.

• Deep Freeze and Dairy Experiments – Dave and Matt explore Fancy Ices by Mrs. Marshall, dissecting her unconventional custards, starch-thickened ice creams, and patented rapid-freezing contraptions from 1890s England.
• Pantry Purges and Questionable Bottles – The crew shares horror stories and small victories from cleaning out ancient ingredients, including black garlic, forgotten miso, and mystery whiskey in fancy tequila decanters.

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This week on Cooking Issues, the crew goes deep on unforgettable meals, kitchen gadgetry, and the enduring legacy of experimental cooking. Dave revisits the lessons of the "molecular gastronomy" era and breaks down his latest cream syrup experiments, while the team debates service etiquette, restaurant value, and the emotional weight of food memories. Plus: anesthetizing crabs, carbonating cocktails without a freezer, and why it might be time to resurrect original soy-based Worcestershire.

• Highs and Lows of Dining Culture – Michelin stars, pajama dress codes, and the eternal question of whether anyone actually wants their dish described at the table.

• Kitchen Workarounds and Technical Deep Dives – Clove oil protocols for humane shellfish prep, DIY cold plates for carbonation, and what Dave regrets calling “milk washing.”

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On this episode of Cooking Issues, Dave and the crew reconnect for a sprawling, high-energy session that ranges from centrifuge butter failures to 24-hour pumpernickel experiments, with diversions into the nightmare of strawberry seeds, giant pretzels, and the strangest tips ever left in bars and restaurants. Along the way: raspberry beret brainworms, peeling strawberry heresy, and why changing your water filter matters more than you think.

• Centrifuge Butter Problems and Strawberry Seed Disgust – Quinn’s stalled butter dehydration project leads to a deep dive into centrifugal puréeing, why strawberry seeds ruin everything, and a passionate argument about why peeling strawberries is a crime against food.

• Westphalian Pumpernickel and Giant Pretzels – Dave details his attempt at real Westphalian pumpernickel—pure rye, 24 hours of low-temperature steam baking, and 48 hours of aging—plus recommendations for Pennsylvania butter pretzels, massive local potato chips, and surviving blistered hands from slicing bricks of bread.

• The Craziest Tips Ever Received – The crew shares the most bizarre tips they’ve encountered, from stacks of $2 bills to fortune cookie fortunes to a memorable crack rock offering—plus a rant about Bible-verse tippers and the fine line between generosity and insult.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.