473: Chawanmushi
Molly:
Hey, I'm Molly.
Matthew:
And I'm Matthew.
Molly:
And this is Spilled Milk, the show where we cook something delicious, eat it all, and you can't have any.
Matthew:
And can you tell what our new hobby is? It's boxing.
Molly:
Oh, I was thinking maybe monster trucks.
Matthew:
It's monster trucks. Molly and I have each, for 2021, our resolution was to learn to drive a monster truck. So, we've each purchased our own monster truck. I got Bigfoot, and Molly got Truckasaurus.
Molly:
What did I get?
Matthew:
Truckasaurus, it's like a truck that breathes fire and is kind of like a dinosaur, I think.
Molly:
Oh God, this sounds so cool. I can't wait to ride it over some man-made little hills.
Matthew:
Doesn't that sound great? Yes, you've got to ride it over some man-made hills. You got to ride it over some cars and crush those cars.
Molly:
Oh, oh yeah. Oh my God, I'm so excited. Monster, monster, monster, Monday, Monday, Monday.
Matthew:
Yes, that is when they have monster truck event Mondays.
Molly:
Today's Monday, when we're taping this.
Matthew:
Oh, that's right, it is Monday. Okay, yes, any day is a perfect day for a monster truck rally. Get like, several thousand of your closest friends together, go to this monster truck rally, like, scream really loud. No masks allowed.
Molly:
Wait, what is a good day for a monster truck rally?
Matthew:
Well, I think they're usually on Sunday, based on the ads and parodies of ads that I've heard. But I think Monday sounds great. I don't want to go to work. I want to go to a monster truck rally.
Molly:
Yeah, screw all these obligations I got today.
Matthew:
I don't want to be here doing this podcast with you. I want to be watching trucks crush cars.
Molly:
I'm going to go drive over some other cars.
Matthew:
Just like how we just drove each other's jokes.
Molly:
Okay, well, today's episode was suggested by host Matthew. And he's going to pronounce it.
Matthew:
Oh, it's chawanmushi.
Molly:
Chawanmushi, thank you host Matthew, for suggesting this episode. This episode came about as a response to our sweet custards episode.
Matthew:
Yeah, speaking of that custards episode, you kept blowing my mind on the custards episode by mentioning more and more things that are custard. And at some point I was like, cheesecake, is that really custard?
Matthew:
And then, wife of the show Lori and I were perusing Shirley Corriher's book ... I think it's Shirley [Currier 00:02:17], actually. Shirley Currier's book Cook Wise, which came out years ago and is kind of like, a really fun food science book. And she refers to cheesecake as "a custard by any other name."
Molly:
Oh my God, I love her, by the way.
Matthew:
Yeah, isn't she delightful?
Molly:
She is so delightful. Do you remember when she was on Alton Brown's show on The Food Network?
Matthew:
I don't think I saw that.
Molly:
And she'd like, pop in occasionally as this zany guest?
Matthew:
Yeah, I didn't ever watch very much of that show, to be honest.
Molly:
Wait, I have a question about her name. So, I was recently listening to an episode of Home Cooking, the podcast with Samin Nosrat and Hrishikesh Hirway, is that his name?
Matthew:
Yes, yes.
Molly:
Which is no longer, actually. They finished it. They ended it.
Matthew:
Oh.
Molly:
Such a bummer.
Matthew:
Wow, so they had the guts to go out on top.
Molly:
They did. It's really admirable how they just came in and did a much better job than any of the rest of us, and just like, left.
Matthew:
Yep.
Molly:
But anyway, she was pronouncing it Corriher, Samin was.
Matthew:
Oh, okay. Never mind, then.
Molly:
I've always pronounced it Courrier, but I've never heard anyone say it aloud until I heard Samin say it.
Matthew:
Okay, let's go with Corriher.
Molly:
Great, all right, thanks Samin.
Matthew:
So, during that custard episode, you said that because we were doing sweet custards, not savory custards, that it would not be the chawanmushi episode. And I said, "Fine, let's do the chawanmushi episode next week."
Molly:
And here we are.
Matthew:
And now, it's next week. It's monster truck week, and chawanmushi week.
Molly:
Nothing says chawanmushi like a monster truck rally.
Matthew:
Well, if you drove your monster truck over a bowl of chawanmushi, a teacup full of chawanmushi, which is a savory steamed Japanese custard dish, you could crush it really easily, because it's very soft and tender.
Molly:
And it could possible ... I guess it depends on how fast you're going when you drive over it. But it could maybe make kind of like, an interesting sort of chunky spray.
Matthew:
It could make an interesting chunky ... What are your top three most interesting chunky sprays?
Molly:
I can only think of one other.
Matthew:
Is it vomit?
Molly:
Yeah.
Matthew:
Yeah.
Molly:
Oh, boy. Okay, well Matthew, let's go down Memory Lane.
Matthew:
I mean, remember in the '80's when Pam really became popular, and then there was like, spray olive oil and the pump olive oil sprayer? It seemed like spray oil was really big for a time. But then, they never moved onto the next obvious step of spraying solids. I guess, was there like, an aerosol cheese?
Molly:
Oh, well, Cheez Whiz.
Matthew:
But Cheez is just like a soft cheese in a jar.
Molly:
Oh no, sorry. What's the cheese equivalent of Silly String?
Matthew:
Easy Cheese? Is it Easy Cheese?
Molly:
Easy Cheese.
Matthew:
That's what came to mind.
Molly:
Is that it?
Matthew:
Okay, let's say it's Easy Cheese.
Molly:
Okay, I remember people eating that on crackers when I was a kid.
Matthew:
Yeah, that makes sense.
Molly:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Matthew:
But why didn't they have spray ketchup? Because the thing about ketchup is, it's so hard to get out of the bottle. But what if it was a spray bottle?
Molly:
Oh, I'm sure someone has attempted to aerosolize ketchup.
Matthew:
Yep, and that's what caused the apocalypse.
Molly:
I think it was probably Grant Hacketts at Alinea or something.
Matthew:
Yeah, he probably did.
Molly:
Doesn't that seem right?
Matthew:
Yeah, there's probably just a fog of ketchup floating in that kitchen. Or not just ketchup, but it's like a fog of something.
Molly:
Yeah.
Matthew:
Like, you go into the kitchen at Alinea and you don't know what kind of cloud you're going to be stepping into.
Molly:
That's exactly right.
Matthew:
I'm stalling because ...
Molly:
This episode is sponsored by Alinea. The foggiest place on Earth.
Matthew:
That's right, yep. Yeah, it's a weird slogan, but it's worked for them. I'm kind of stalling because this is actually a dish that I have not had that many times, and don't know a whole lot about. But I did do some research. And should we start with Memory Lane?
Molly:
Well, yes, obviously.
Matthew:
What are some of your memorable chawanmushi's?
Molly:
I've never had one.
Matthew:
Yeah, that's what I thought. I had a memorable one a couple of years ago at By Tae Sushi on Capitol Hill. Which I think had Matsutake mushrooms in it. It was probably during Matsutake season, which is the fall. And chawanmushi is really, mushrooms are probably the most common ingredient, and it's really a great way to highlight the flavor of mushrooms, because it gets infused into the custard. And mushroom and egg go so well together, that was very memorable.
Matthew:
And I feel like it was maybe served ... I don't think it was literally a styrofoam cup, but it was some very modest vessel, which kind of made it that much more special.
Molly:
I love that. You know, I've been wanting to go to By Tae.
Matthew:
Yeah, I think it was maybe a paper Dixie cup. It is a wonderful restaurant, that's going to be one of the first places that I want to go to, if and when they are able to reopen.
Molly:
Great, I'll see you there once we are vaccinated and stuff.
Matthew:
And ready to get down.
Molly:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Matthew:
A few years ago I had surgery. And when I was recovering from surgery, a friend of the show, Becky Selengut, brought over some really great stuff, including chawanmushi that I think was probably also made with mushrooms. And I don't think she brought exactly the one that's in her book, Shroom, but that one is made with lobster mushrooms and lobster, and looks fantastic.
Molly:
Oh my God, that sounds really, really incredible.
Matthew:
Yeah.
Molly:
I imagine that Becky makes an incredible chawanmushi.
Matthew:
Yes, because she's a great cook and a mushroom expert.
Molly:
Mm-hmm (affirmative), and I love that mushrooms are such a part of this, because absolutely, I mean eggs, I can't think of many things that go better with eggs than mushrooms, frankly.
Matthew:
Yeah.
Molly:
I mean certainly like, cheese, butter, whatever. But oh my God, mushrooms and eggs, and I love the idea of the mushroom flavor getting all up in the whole custard.
Matthew:
Yes, that's exactly what happens.
Molly:
Okay so wait, let's get into this, because I think we need to talk more about what makes this particularly Japanese. What does it taste like?
Matthew:
Okay, so chawanmushi is a savory custard in Japanese cuisine. And it's closely related to Chinese savory custards, which tend not to be made with a fish-based broth in the way that Japanese food usually is. But it's clearly the same ancestry.
Matthew:
I've had a Chinese custard served with a ground pork topping that was really good. But the Japanese one, you mix eggs with dashi. Usually either a mushroom dashi or a bonito fish flake and kombu dashi. Soy sauce and mirin. You whisk that up and you strain it to get out any little bits of solids that would be grainy or textural in your custard.
Molly:
Oh, this seems especially important.
Matthew:
Yes, and I was surprised. I made this for the first time last night. Did I get everything perfect? No, but it was very tasty. And I was surprised, I strained through a fine mesh strainer, and there was just a little tiny bit of stuff left behind.
Molly:
Huh, that seems so pleasing, the idea of ...
Matthew:
It is.
Molly:
Because when I've made custards from other culinary traditions, or a French custard, it's just, I don't think I've ever taken this straining step. And it seems really ... God, it seems like it would make a much more delicate custard.
Matthew:
Yeah, I definitely, when I've made a chocolate cream pie, which is a type of custard pie, I think, I strained the custard after cooking it.
Molly:
Yes, well, I've done that with ice cream custard.
Matthew:
Yeah, right. This is the first time I've strained the custard before cooking it. And what you get is, there doesn't seem to be any trace of the beaten egg texture left.
Molly:
Nice. I like that.
Matthew:
It's really nice, and there's just maybe one or two bubbles sitting on top. So then, you pour that into traditionally, a teacup. Because chawanmushi means steamed in a teacup. A chawan is a teacup, and a mushi is steam.
Molly:
Oh, okay.
Matthew:
I used a couple of Pyrex bowls.
Molly:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Matthew:
And you pour the custard on top of some savory ingredients. And the three most common ingredients are chicken, mushrooms of any kind, and ginkgo nuts. I did not have chicken or ginkgo on hand, but I did have some cremini mushrooms, so that's what I used, along with some scallions and some little carrot flowers.
Molly:
So occasionally, when we have been driving somewhere ... Wow, that's really specific. Now, sometimes when we have been driving for an extended period of time in the car, and we stop at a Starbucks to use the bathroom, Ash has picked up what the call like, a sous vide egg bite.
Matthew:
At Starbucks?
Molly:
At Starbucks.
Matthew:
Yeah, I've had those.
Molly:
Have you had those?
Matthew:
Yeah.
Molly:
Well, so it seems like Starbucks is doing an American bastardization of this idea of a very small steamed egg thing.
Matthew:
Yeah, I agree. The texture is very different.
Molly:
Yes, it's much more firm.
Matthew:
Because chawanmushi is much softer and moister, to use everyone's favorite word. But yeah, I think you're right.
Molly:
Mm-hmm (affirmative), well and it's similarly tiny. They're really tiny.
Matthew:
Yes, yes, chawanmushi is often served, it's served as an appetizer or as a side dish to go with a bunch of other dishes that you would eat with rice. So it's usually a pretty small amount.
Molly:
Okay, okay.
Matthew:
And you're often highlighting a special ingredient.
Molly:
I love this. Okay by the way, obviously I recognize that chawanmushi is nothing like a Starbuck's sous vide egg bite.
Matthew:
No, we heard what you said.
Molly:
Okay, okay, fine. All right, it's out there. It's out there.
Matthew:
No, I can't get out of my head the image of us sitting or standing at a monster truck rally with little steaming cups of chawanmushi.
Molly:
I hope that they're are like, beautiful hand-painted teacups.
Matthew:
Yep.
Molly:
And that maybe with a little bit of gold around the rim.
Matthew:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Molly:
Oh this, I cannot wait for the monster truck rally.
Matthew:
And then, you can pay extra to get your cup personally crushed by Truckasaurus.
Molly:
Oh my God, yes, oh, this is great. Okay, Matthew, so wait, do you eat this hot or cold? Did you eat it hot or cold last night?
Matthew:
We ate it hot. Every time I have had it, which is not that many times, it's been served hot. But you certainly can also serve it cold.
Molly:
Okay. So you put in yours, you said, shiitake mushrooms and those cute little carrots.
Matthew:
Cremini mushrooms I did in mine, because that's what we had on hand. And I asked wife of the show Lori to order some cremini mushrooms from our regular grocery order so I would have some on hand, and we got a pound of cremini mushrooms. And the amount I ended up using for two servings of chawanmushi was two mushrooms. And that was a little too much.
Molly:
Oh my God, was it too much because it interfered with the texture of the custard?
Matthew:
Yes, and the mushrooms didn't get steamed enough.
Molly:
Okay, okay, so you didn't par cook the mushrooms.
Matthew:
I didn't par cook the mushrooms. And that does not seem to be typically something you do when making chawanmushi, but I think it might be a good idea. The issue is, you want all of the mushroom liquid to end up kind of flavoring the custard.
Molly:
Yes.
Matthew:
So, I think really, you need to use a small amount of a flavorful mushroom.
Molly:
Okay, wait, but you made carrot flowers, and I want to talk about carrot flowers. Because another thing that I'm thinking of when I think of chawanmushi because, I've seen it in a number of photographs.
Matthew:
Right.
Molly:
And it is always exquisitely beautiful. Whether it's because it was steamed in some sort of vessel that has given it a nice, graceful shape. Often, I've seen it turned out of that vessel.
Matthew:
Yeah, it gets turned out.
Molly:
Yes. It's nicely turned out with diamonds around it's neck.
Matthew:
Yes.
Molly:
No, but I feel like this is a place where you really have to beautifully slice or otherwise prepare the vegetables, because they're really on display here.
Matthew:
Yes, although yes and no. Like, it depends whether company's coming over or how much you care about impressing your family.
Molly:
Okay, tell me about your carrot flowers, is what I'm saying.
Matthew:
Oh, I took a carrot. I sliced it into coins, and then I took some of the coins and just cut little notches out of them so it would look like flowers. I don't think they were particularly elegant.
Molly:
Adorable, I love that you did that.
Matthew:
They make little cookie cutters, only for vegetables. And you can cut them that way with a cutter. But I just did it freehand.
Molly:
Is that typical of Chirashi?
Matthew:
Yeah, like a Chirashi sushi. That will often have those cut vegetables cut into pleasant, seasonal shapes.
Molly:
Okay, yes. Okay, I think that's what I've seen.
Matthew:
Another thing you will often see in chawanmushi is mitsuba, which is mitsuba, which is like a parsley-like herb that has, and you take it and tie the stems into a knot, which looks really cool.
Molly:
Oh, so is this like a fancy thing? Because when I think of seeing it in the U.S. ... Well, Japanese food in the U.S. is, we typically think of it as being expensive.
Matthew:
Right.
Molly:
So, I guess that's where I'm getting my sort of coloring of this concept. But is it typically a fancy thing?
Matthew:
So, the answer is, it can go from like, you will absolutely find it served at a high-end kaiseki restaurant. But I was delighted to discover, I don't think I've ever had this, but I'm very excited to next time I'm able to go to Japan, there is convenient store chawanmushi in Japan, and it sounds delicious.
Molly:
Did you see what it comes in? What vessel does it come in?
Matthew:
It comes in a little plastic yogurt cup.
Molly:
Okay. So, does it come cold?
Matthew:
It comes cold, but you can optionally microwave it to warm it up.
Molly:
Oh my God.
Matthew:
And I'm sure it microwaves really well, because I'm sure they scrupulously tested it. So for example, at 7-Eleven in Japan, their basic chawanmushi contains shiitake mushrooms, chicken, bamboo shoots, shrimp, ginkgo nuts, and kamaboko fish cake. It costs less than two dollars.
Molly:
This sounds like a perfect snack.
Matthew:
Yeah, it looks beautiful. So then, I went over to Lawson's website. Lawson, I think, is Molly's and my both favorite convenient store in Japan, partly because it's the home of machi café coffee. Lawson is currently selling a seasonal chawanmushi with Matsutake mushrooms, probably a very small amount, for one dollar. To be fair, it's a dollar because according to the nutrition facts, it is 46 calories worth of chawanmushi, but it looks great.
Molly:
Are you kidding me?
Matthew:
I'm not kidding.
Molly:
What is that, like a third of an egg? No, maybe half an egg?
Matthew:
Yeah, I think it's probably about half an egg.
Molly:
Wow, okay. So wait, how many yen is that?
Matthew:
I think the Lawson one is 108 yen.
Molly:
Wow. Okay, so Matthew, if you were to walk into 7-Eleven or Lawson in Japan, would you microwave yours?
Matthew:
I think I would. I mean, it would depend on the season, I think.
Molly:
Okay, okay.
Matthew:
If it was the middle of summer, probably not. If it was this time of year, yes.
Molly:
Okay, and is chawanmushi, is it typical for it to have solids in it? Like, chunks of the thing?
Matthew:
It is typical.
Molly:
Or is it every fully strained, and it's just this flavored custard?
Matthew:
You know, that is a really good question. And I would love it if listeners would weigh in. Because I have never seen that myself, but I don't want to say that it doesn't exist. It's usually served as to highlight some flavorful, seasonal ingredient that is going to be both displayed, like that you can see on top of the custard, and is contributing flavor.
Matthew:
But there's certainly no reason you can't just make a flavorful smooth, steamed custard.
Molly:
When you made yours last night, what recipe did you use? Did you go to Just One Cookbook?
Matthew:
Of course, I went to Just One Cookbook.
Molly:
Yeah.
Matthew:
Oh by the way, I think we're going to try and get Nami from Just One Cookbook on the show sometime in the near future.
Molly:
Oh my gosh, I would love that.
Matthew:
Wouldn't that be great?
Molly:
Whenever I make dashi, I go ... for some reason ... dashi is so simple to make, you would think I could just make it without looking up the recipe. But I always go and look up her recipe.
Matthew:
Oh yes, justonecookbook.com is the best. And there are several chawanmushi episodes. There are several chawanmushi recipes on the site, including an Instant Pot chawanmushi. I just did the basic one and really simplified, down to just three ingredients that I added to it, three garnishes.
Molly:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Matthew:
And then, I steamed it in my spaghetti steaming pot in Pyrex bowls covered with foil, so that water wouldn't drip on top of the custard.
Molly:
And how did you know when the custard was done? Because this was one of those things that I think really needs to be delicate, right?
Matthew:
Yep, yeah. So, I think it is not too easy to overcook, which is good. Because you've added a bunch of liquid, I think that gives you some, like a range of doneness that's okay.
Matthew:
I checked it after 15 minutes, and it still seemed just too jiggly in the middle. Like I said, I put in too many mushrooms, so it did end up a little too watery, although the chunks of custard had a beautiful texture.
Molly:
Mm.
Matthew:
And so then, after like, 23 minutes I was like, okay, the toothpick is coming out clean, I think. When I jiggle it, it doesn't seem like there's any actual liquid sloshing in the middle. So, I'm going to call it done, and it was.
Molly:
Oh, this is so exciting. For some reason, I think that the part of me that was skived out by custard textures when I was a kid ... Remember, we talked about that in the sweet custards episode.
Matthew:
Yeah.
Molly:
I think that for some reason, savory custards seemed like an even greater hurdle than sweet custards.
Matthew:
Yeah, I can understand that. I think I would have been nervous about this dish as a child.
Molly:
Yeah, yeah. But oh my God, when I think about God, how delicious it is to have scrambled eggs with mushrooms, or I just ... And I love the idea of the dashi and soy sauce and mirin in there.
Matthew:
Oh yeah, the flavor is so wonderful. It's subtle, but not too subtle.
Molly:
Sounds fantastic. Mm-hmm (affirmative), love it.
Matthew:
When I was a kid, speaking of things that are not too subtle, I had a monster truck electric toy, like motorized.
Molly:
Like, a remote control monster truck?
Matthew:
No, it wasn't remote control. It was a Bigfoot 4X4 toy. I was probably six or seven.
Molly:
Oh, you could ride in it.
Matthew:
No, it was very small. It was like, less than a foot long. And it had sort of a gearshift lever on top. And if you flicked it forward, it would go forward. And if you flicked it backwards, it would go backwards. And that was it, that's all it did.
Molly:
Wow, that sounds awesome.
Matthew:
It could roll over something, if that something was very small.
Molly:
Well, it could roll over your teacup of chawanmushi.
Matthew:
It could. I think it might get stymied by that, to be honest.
Molly:
Okay, what if I gave you ... So, when I was a kid, I had a little tea set.
Matthew:
I thought that's where this might be going.
Molly:
I had a little tea set that was actually ceramic.
Matthew:
Yep.
Molly:
Now, actually I found it in a box when my mom moved here. And there are three pieces of the entire tea set left, because giving a ceramic tea set to a child is the dumbest idea ever.
Matthew:
Yeah, for sure.
Molly:
But anyway, you could borrow one of the little teacups and run your tiny monster truck over it.
Matthew:
I think what you're saying here is if we had a time machine and could only use it once ...
Molly:
Yes, yes.
Matthew:
... we would go back to like, 1983, and we would get together.
Molly:
Okay.
Matthew:
And I would run my Bigfoot over your tea set.
Molly:
This sounds sexual.
Matthew:
It really does, and we would at that moment, simultaneously discover that that is our kink.
Molly:
Oh, yes. Oh, but now, here in the present, we're married to other people.
Matthew:
Right.
Molly:
And so this is ...
Matthew:
That doesn't mean we have to enjoy it together every time.
Molly:
Oh, that's true, that's true.
Matthew:
Every time. And I think part of it for me is, you have to painstakingly steam the custard first.
Molly:
Oh God, you love painstaking setups to sex.
Matthew:
That's right, it's all in the anticipation. And what is a more anticipatory food than custard. To be real for a minute, last night I got started a little too late on the chawanmushi. And so, when I was ready to serve the rest of dinner, it needed some more time. So I was sitting at the table with the timer sitting next to me, like I'm going to be getting up to check this custard. So there was this excitement just simmering within me during dinner, knowing that this custard was approaching.
Molly:
Wow. Okay. Do we have any listener mail this week?
Matthew:
We sure do. This comes to us from listener Cory who asks, "Can you please rank the following breakfast foods, french toast, pancakes, waffles? Important note, please rank what you consider the [inaudible 00:23:39] ultra of each dish. The very best of each that you've ever had going up against each other, for the title of supreme sweet breakfast.
Molly:
God, okay.
Matthew:
So, I don't know if I can really remember a single best for all of these.
Molly:
Okay, I think I can. Okay, I'm going to begin.
Matthew:
Yep.
Molly:
So, when I first read this question, listener Cory ... By the way, hello, listener Cory.
Matthew:
Hello, listener Cory.
Molly:
When I first read this question, I was like, "Oh, pancakes." I mean, pancakes are my number one special occasion breakfast food. But then, when I continued to read on, the very best I've ever had, that specification from you, listener Cory, really changed things for me.
Molly:
And I think that the very best french toast I've ever had was made for me by my father. Surely, the fact that it was the best was both because it was prepared for me by someone else. Because it was prepared for me by my parent, and I was a child. But also, because my dad's french toast was so good.
Matthew:
Okay, yeah.
Molly:
So I think that my father's french toast, as made by my father, is my absolute number one breakfast food. Boom, okay, there we go.
Matthew:
Okay, yep.
Molly:
Yeah, okay. Now, second to that, I'm going to go pancakes, because pancakes in general, I just prefer over waffles. So, even the greatest waffle experience for me isn't going to really hold up to a pretty good pancake experience.
Matthew:
Okay.
Molly:
Take it away.
Matthew:
All right, this is really tough. The reason I'm having trouble is, there was a time in my past, not even too distant past, where I would have said no question, french toast is my favorite.
Molly:
Mm, are you saying that I am living in the past?
Matthew:
I'm saying that you're living in my past and playing with my Bigfoot. That doesn't sound wrong at all.
Molly:
Oh, oh.
Matthew:
But we kind of got burned out on french toast, because I was making it too often. And then, it got to a point where it's like, it's Sunday. I don't actually want french toast this week, and haven't made it that often since that happened, which was maybe like eight years ago.
Molly:
Okay.
Matthew:
And so, I still love french toast, and I still make it sometimes. But I don't think I'm going to rank it number one. I think I'm going to go waffles number one.
Molly:
Wow.
Matthew:
And the waffles that I have in mind, I think you've made them also, are the leftover sourdough starter waffles from theperfectloaf.com. Let me make sure that I'm getting ...
Molly:
Yes, Maurizio is the ... I don't know his last name.
Matthew:
Yes.
Molly:
The author of that recipe. That is a fantastic waffle with not just sourdough started, but also a lot of buttermilk in it.
Matthew:
A lot of buttermilk, yeah. It's got a real tang to it.
Molly:
So you get this ... Yes, oh my God, they're so good.
Matthew:
Yeah, and they're crispy. And they smell so good when they're cooking. You can smell the bit of funk from the buttermilk and the sourdough. Oh, so good.
Molly:
This reminds me Matthew, I don't think I fed Sylvia in easily two months.
Matthew:
Is she in the fridge?
Molly:
She's in the fridge. I mean, she'll be fine.
Matthew:
It'll be fine.
Molly:
Okay, this is very interesting to me. I think that a problem for me with french toast, or particularly with my ... So, I don't like ordering french toast in restaurants. I feel like it's ...
Matthew:
I agree.
Molly:
The bread is wrong, or it's not crispy at the edges. I don't want it. I don't think I've ever ordered french toast in a restaurant.
Matthew:
I've definitely ordered french toast at Denny's. I think maybe last time I went to Denny's, I had like, a french toast slam. No, but you're right, the french toast wasn't very good.
Molly:
Yeah.
Matthew:
It kind of wasn't soggy enough. I want my french toast to be kind of crispy on the outside, but nice and soggy in the middle.
Molly:
That's exactly right, it needs to have both of those things.
Matthew:
Yes.
Molly:
But I don't tend to make french toast at home, even though I could make my dad's french toast. It's not difficult. But I don't have an exhaust fan in my kitchen. Or what I do have is like this old one that's built into the ceiling of my kitchen, and it literally sounds like an airplane taking off. And it does nothing.
Matthew:
But is french toast a dish that produces smoke?
Molly:
Oh my God, Matthew. Well, if you make my father's french toast, which is actually cooked in about half an inch of oil ...
Matthew:
Okay.
Molly:
... yes, it makes your house smell like you've just made donuts, which is a really potent smell.
Matthew:
Okay.
Molly:
In fact, Matthew ...
Matthew:
That's kind of your Alinea cloud.
Molly:
It is, it is. It's french toast grease particulant matter.
Matthew:
Yep.
Molly:
Yes. I kind of decided back in November that, I don't even think I want to really cook meat at home anymore.
Matthew:
Oh.
Molly:
Because especially if I cook it on the stove top or in the oven, the smell lingers in our house for days.
Matthew:
Yeah, I hear you. How's that going so far?
Molly:
It's actually going okay. Bacon isn't terrible. Actually, bacon ...
Matthew:
Bacon isn't terrible. That is our slogan.
Molly:
But God, for instance, if I make like Stove Top hamburgers or something, which I love to make, our house will smell like beef fat for days. There are some work-arounds in this, though, for making things with pulled chicken, the Instant Pot cuts down on the smell.
Matthew:
Mm-hmm (affirmative), yeah, that's true.
Molly:
And so does poaching. So, poaching my chicken for chilaquiles, for instance. That works well.
Matthew:
Yes.
Molly:
Also, I discovered this winter that you can fry shallots in the microwave.
Matthew:
Really? Like, you put them in a bowl with oil or something?
Molly:
Yep, yes. Yeah.
Matthew:
Okay.
Molly:
I put them in a tempered glass bowl with oil. You cook them for quite a while at first. I think maybe even like, five minutes. And then you take them out and stir.
Matthew:
Do you mean for getting crispy fried shallots?
Molly:
Yep, like for putting on top ...
Matthew:
Oh, wow.
Molly:
Yes, for putting on top of some sort of Vietnamese inspired salad or a boon type dish. Yeah, so if you, like me, want to ...
Matthew:
I do.
Molly:
... fry shallots at home, but don't want your house to smell like fried shallots for an eternity, well, you could move. Or you could try frying them in the microwave.
Matthew:
Like, move each time?
Molly:
Yeah, move each time.
Matthew:
Yeah, yeah, okay. I think I want my house to smell like fried shallots.
Molly:
Oh God, you have a lot of carpet in your house. Is your exhaust fan really good?
Matthew:
No, it's terrible.
Molly:
But when I used to come to your house, back when I used to be able to go into other people's houses, I don't remember your house ever really smelling like food or like, a particular food. Whereas, when you come into my house after I have, say, roasted a chicken, it is nauseatingly, it smells like chicken fat.
Matthew:
Mm-hmm (affirmative), do you think it's like an air flow thing? Because our place is pretty small, and has a lot of windows. So I assume that has something to do with it.
Molly:
Well, my place is definitely, has more space than yours. I don't know.
Matthew:
Or do you think you have paint that retains and emits odors and then, you didn't check the paint can when you bought it?
Molly:
Oh, you know, actually it could be that I've just completely covered our walls with fabric.
Matthew:
Uh-huh.
Molly:
And that I just splash oil all over the fabric while I'm cooking. God, do you think that's doing it?
Matthew:
And that you ordered a set of essential oils, shallots ...
Molly:
Chicken fat ... Yes, well, it said Schmaltz, and I thought surely, this isn't just chicken fat I'm going to burn in my oil diffuser. But it was.
Matthew:
Right. Oh, I forgot an oil diffuser was even a thing. I just imagined that you dropped the whole box in the middle of your living room, and everything smashed and mixed together.
Molly:
Can you even imagine putting a few drops of bacon fat or chicken fat in your oil diffuser?
Matthew:
I'm trying to imagine that, but first I have to imagine what an oil diffuser is.
Molly:
Don't you remember being at Tokyo Hands with me? This was years ago.
Matthew:
Yeah.
Molly:
And I spent a long time looking at all of the oil diffusers they sell in there, like essential oil diffusers. Because they had a lot of them at Tokyo Hands.
Matthew:
They have a lot of stuff there, so I honestly don't remember that specifically.
Molly:
Okay, fine.
Matthew:
But is it like a dish that has a flame under it? Or is it electric thing?
Molly:
There are a couple different kinds. At it's simplest, it is like a dish with a flame under it.
Matthew:
Okay.
Molly:
But then, there are also these ones that don't rely upon heat.
Matthew:
Oh.
Molly:
You plug them in. They're electric. You put water in them and a few drops of the oil, and then you know, cool steam.
Matthew:
Oh, so it's like a humidifier, but with flavor.
Molly:
Yeah, exactly.
Matthew:
Okay.
Molly:
Especially if you put chicken fat in it.
Matthew:
Especially, yes.
Molly:
I just want to be clear that I am not actually suggesting that anyone do any of the things that I've just been joking about.
Matthew:
Well, but I mean, do you think we'd be liable if someone did?
Molly:
Well ...
Matthew:
Maybe.
Molly:
I mean Matthew, we are influencers.
Matthew:
That's true.
Molly:
So ...
Matthew:
We're influencers embedded within a litigious society, and we may have just set off a fire bomb of the Schmaltz diffusing lawsuits.
Molly:
Quick, let's run over the grease fire with a monster truck and put it out.
Matthew:
Oh, that would be so cool.
Molly:
Okay, whew, I brought this all the way back full circle.
Matthew:
If you called the fire department and they showed up in a monster truck and put out the fire by just rolling over it with ... I wish I could think of one other monster truck name, because all I got is Bigfoot and Truckasaurus.
Molly:
Yeah, no. Let's ...
Matthew:
I think there's one called USA 1. No, I don't really like that.
Molly:
Do you think there's one called Air Force One?
Matthew:
I think there is.
Molly:
Really? A monster truck?
Matthew:
Well, the problem with that one is Gary Oldman keeps trying to climb on board.
Molly:
Wait, was that a movie?
Matthew:
And you have to push him off. This is a reference to the movie Air Force One, starring Gary Oldman and Indiana Jones.
Matthew:
Okay, I just Googled names of monster trucks.
Molly:
Okay.
Matthew:
And so, now we're going to have a quiz.
Molly:
Oh, okay.
Matthew:
Or we're not going to have a quiz, because these are all ... Okay, this is great.
Molly:
Okay.
Matthew:
These are the top six monster truck names popular on the web, according to the site google.com.
Molly:
Okay.
Matthew:
El Toro Loco, Grave Digger ...
Molly:
Yes, okay.
Matthew:
... Monster Mutt.
Molly:
Oh, yeah.
Matthew:
Yes, Avenger.
Molly:
Okay.
Matthew:
Blue Thunder.
Molly:
Okay.
Matthew:
And then the sixth one just says Dalmatian, and has a photo of two dalmatians.
Molly:
No way.
Matthew:
Yes.
Molly:
Oh my God, I love this.
Matthew:
Yeah, so Google. You're very good at this search engine thing.
Molly:
I am good at this search engine thing.
Matthew:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Molly:
Wait, were you talking to me specifically?
Matthew:
Oh, I was talking to Google, like you think great work Google, you think a dog is a monster truck. But who am I to say?
Molly:
Oh, I get it, God. Matthew, I'm running out of steam.
Matthew:
Okay, that's fine. We're almost done. Do you have any animal crossing updates?
Molly:
I don't have any animal crossing updates. We haven't been playing a lot of animal crossing around here, but maybe I'll have some soon.
Matthew:
Okay, have you been playing any other games? Cyberpunk 2077?
Molly:
Let's see here, I learned to ... Oh, how about we do, instead of an animal crossing update, how about I talk about my latest quilt?
Matthew:
My Latest Quilt, that's our new segment.
Molly:
Okay, I learned how to hand stitch a quilt. Like, instead of quilting machine quilting.
Matthew:
It's like, Betsy Ross style.
Molly:
Betsy Ross.
Matthew:
Didn't she sew, I guess ...
Molly:
Did she do the first American flag?
Matthew:
Yeah, I don't know if that constitutes quilting.
Molly:
I feel like that was maybe embroidery.
Matthew:
Maybe.
Molly:
Anyway, I have been hand quilting, so sewing together the quilt top, the batting, and the backing by hand. And it's so beautiful. And I don't say that because I'm good at it, because I'm not.
Matthew:
Wait, can you please say those things again? The quilt top, the batting, the backing?
Molly:
Yes.
Matthew:
I feel like the way you said that had such rhythmic flow. The quilt top, the batting, the backing.
Molly:
Thank you, thank you. Well, I have learned everything that I know from being a monster truck announcer.
Matthew:
That makes sense, yeah. Okay.
Molly:
Anyway yeah, so I'm really bad at it. It's difficult. You're stitching through three layers, and it's difficult to get the stitch length even. I have to use two thimbles while I do it.
Matthew:
Like, on the same finger?
Molly:
No, I wear one on my middle finger and one on my thumb.
Matthew:
Okay.
Molly:
It's so satisfying, and even if you're bad at it, it looks really beautiful. Some of it almost looks like, you know Sashiko mending. Am I pronouncing that correctly?
Matthew:
I don't know what it is.
Molly:
Sashiko mending. Oh, it's a particular type of embroidery, really, that is used ... I believe it originated in Japan, and it's used for mending clothing.
Matthew:
Okay.
Molly:
It's really beautiful. Anyway ...
Matthew:
Sashiko, yeah.
Molly:
So, this is really exciting. And it's really exciting. And probably exciting to no one but me. But anyway, I'm really enjoying it. And wow, I've spent ...
Matthew:
No, this is great. Okay, so tune in next week for another installment of My Latest Quilt. And now, it's time for the segment you've all been waiting for, Cute Animals You Need To Know.
Matthew:
In Thailand, there's a restaurant that has a cat that likes to sleep in the middle of the floor on it's back. And this is, you can find more information on this cat and see it in action in a YouTube video that we'll link to called Lazy Cat Sleeps On Busy Restaurant Floor Refusing To Move.
Molly:
Okay, I'm going to look at it right now.
Matthew:
Yep, when you start watching this video, you may like me, you may feel a little concerned. Like, is this cat okay? Because it's literally lying flat on it's back in the middle of this restaurant. And then, they zoom in and you see that the cat is absolutely fine. It's just lazy as fuck, like every cat.
Molly:
Oh my God, the cat really does look dead.
Matthew:
I know. But it's fine.
Molly:
Wow, Matthew, this cat looks ... So let's be clear, it's a female cat. It's got kind of a lumpy belly. Oh my God, this cat, how can you tell it's okay? I can't tell yet. I can't tell if it's breathing.
Matthew:
It's fine, you'll see.
Molly:
Oh, there it is, it opened it's eyes. Oh my God, and does it do this often?
Matthew:
I don't know, this is the only video of it I've seen. You can tell it's okay because it does that thing like, "How dare you interrupt my nap?" Like, "This is my space."
Molly:
I love ... I mean, this cat has flattened itself.
Matthew:
Yeah, I've been watching a lot of cat videos lately. I'll try not to let this segment devolve into just a cat video of the week. I'll pick a different animal next week. Maybe a hedgehog. We'll see.
Molly:
Everyone must go watch this video. It is life-giving.
Matthew:
It's so, it's like it's seeing life goals, right?
Molly:
It really is.
Matthew:
Because it's nap goals.
Molly:
Well, and what I really love is, you're right. At the beginning you're like, "Oh my God, it's a dead cat."
Matthew:
Yeah. No, it's fine.
Molly:
It's an absolutely fine cat. More than fine.
Matthew:
You can find us napping this afternoon probably, and online at spilledmilkpodcast.com. That's where you can find transcripts of the show. I was looking at a recent transcript because I was curious. We started calling sister-in-law of the show, Wendy Silots W. And so, I was looking at the transcript to see like, "Oh, how did our transcription service transcribe this?" And it said "inaudible W," which made me laugh very hard.
Molly:
Oh my God, really? I love that.
Matthew:
And I'm like, "Yeah, fair."
Molly:
It was really funny. You sent me a snippet of a recent episode in the transcription. And maybe we're a little bit funnier in transcription.
Matthew:
Yeah, you can get all of this without having to listen to our voices.
Molly:
Please, do.
Matthew:
But please download the show, because we desperately need your downloads.
Molly:
Oh, yeah. Nevermind, forget what I said.
Matthew:
You can find us on Reddit and our unofficial Reddit discussion site, Reddit.com/r/everythingspilledmilk. Oh, you know what I just realized? I never ranked pancakes and french toast. I just said waffles were number one.
Molly:
Oh, that's right.
Matthew:
So, waffles, then french toast, then pancakes. Our producer is Abby Cerquitella, and until next time, thank you for listening to Spilled Milk. Listen to us every Thursday, Thursday, Thursday.
Molly:
I'm Molly Wizenburg.
Matthew:
And I'm Matthew Amster-Burton.
Molly:
All right, yeah.
Matthew:
Episode.