Christopher Kimball's Milk Street Television Season 9, Episode 12: Best Italian Desserts

The Real Spaghetti & Meatballs

Italians really do eat Spaghetti and Meatballs! We head to Abruzzo to learn the ancient origins of this all-American dish. Plus, we share two more red sauce recipes with surprising origin stories: Charred Red-Sauce Spaghetti (Spaghetti all’Assassina) and Slow-Cooked Short Rib Ragù with Pasta.

26 min

New Salads

Milk Street dresses up salads, from a warm Greek bean salad to a Spanish twist on Caesar.

26 min

Best Romanian Baking

Christopher Kimball travels to the Saxon villages of Transylvania with author Irina Georgescu to learn the secrets of Romanian baking. Back at Milk Street, we make Romanian Crème Fraîche Cake (Lichiu), a sweet yeasted dough with a lemony filling anda custard topping; a new spin on apple pie, Romanian Apple Pie with Cinnamon and Walnuts; and last but not least, Meringue-Topped Cake with Cherries.

26 min

Tomato Makeovers

Milk Street shows you how to turn even a mediocre supermarket tomato into something special. First, it’s a bright and bold Calabrian Panzanella, followed by Burmese Tomato Salad with Shallots and Peanuts. Then, we show you how to preserve your summer bounty with a recipe for Tomato Conserva. Finally, we solve the problem of soggy tomato pies with a recipe for Upside-Down Tomato Tart with Parmesan Pastry, inspired by tarte tatin.

26 min

Hong Kong Classics

Milk Street goes to Hong Kong in search of Cantonese classics. We solve the mystery of Cantonese Sweet and Sour Pork, figuring out what ingredient gives the dish its signature flavor profile. Then, it’s a different take on meat and potatoes: Cantonese Stir-Fried Black Pepper Beef and Potatoes. Finally, we sizzle aromatics over lightly steamed shrimp in our recipe for Hot Oil-Flashed Garlic-Ginger Shrimp.

26 min

Milk Street Pizza Party

It’s pizza night at Milk Street! Christopher Kimball solves the problem of tough dough with his recipe for Easy-Stretch Yogurt Pizza Dough. Then, we show you how to turn your home kitchen into a pizzeria by comparing pizza steels and stones. We also figure out how to get a crisp-bottomed pizza using only a sheet pan with a recipe for Arrabbiata Slab Pizza. Finally, we share a French take on pizza, Tarte Flambée, which gets topped with bacon and caramelized onions.

26 min

Apple Strudel & Schnitzel

Christopher Kimball travels to Salzburg to uncover the secrets of great Strudel and Schnitzel. He learns how to stretch dough to near-transparency and demonstrates the art of rolling up Austrian Apple Strudel. Then, he goes to a restaurant that makes over 700 servings of Schnitzel per day to find out how to make Austrian Pork Schnitzel. Plus, we show you how to make homemade Spätzle.

Coconut Curry & Stir-Fried Chicken

We head to Malaysia to learn about the fusion of Indian, Chinese and Malay flavors. First up, it’s a punchy Malaysian-Style Chicken and Coconut Curry, demonstrating the art of blending fresh curry pastes. We make a pot of aromatic Coconut Ginger Rice and then prepare Malaysian Twice-Cooked Turmeric Chicken with Lemon Grass and Sweet Soy, fried chicken tossed in an umami-rich glaze.

Everyone Is Wrong About Pie!

Pie school is in session! Christopher Kimball shows off his tried-and-true recipe for pie pastry, then uses the crust to make a pumpkin pie with a caramelized pumpkin filling (and a splash of bourbon for good measure). We answer your questions about blind baking and investigate pie pan performance. Then, we ditch the pans altogether and make a freeform Three Berry Crostata.

Cheese Bread & Garlic Chicken

Milk Street heads to the Republic of Georgia to investigate the country’s famous cheese bread, coming home with a fuss-free recipe for Puff Pastry Khachapuri. Then, we showcase Georgia’s love for walnuts with recipes for Red Adjika and Georgian Tomato and Cucumber Salad with Walnuts. Finally, we make Georgian Creamy-Garlic Chicken, a hands-off traybake with a sour cream and herb sauce.

New Holiday Vegetables

Milk Street transforms vegetables for the holidays. First, we make Buttery Hazelnut and Winter Squash Tian, shingling thinly sliced pieces of butternut squash for an impressive presentation. Then, we call on cornstarch to make Crisp Oven-Fried Cauliflower with Tahini-Yogurt Sauce and use the “braise and glaze” technique for Moroccan-Spiced Glazed Carrots flavored with garlic, honey and cumin.

The New Chicken Noodle Soup

In South Korea, Milk Street finds a recipe that will change the way you cook chicken noodle soup: Korean Hand-Torn Noodle Soup with Chicken (Sujebi). Then, we make a quick Korean Spicy Stir-Fried Pork, which offers a lesson in working with Korean pantry staples. Finally, we learn how to make Korean Stir-Fried Chicken with Rice, inspired by communal dining at South Korea’s dakgalbi restaurants.

New Christmas Cookies

Milk Street offers something new and something old when it comes to holiday cookies. Inspired by Austrian linzertorte, we make a batch of Linzer Bars with raspberry jam and a warmly spiced crust. Then, we bake up Chocolate-Dipped Tahini and Browned Butter Cookies, showcasing the flavor combination of chocolate and sesame. Finally, it’s Polish Gingerbread Cookies with Honey and Rye.

Backroads Romania

Christopher Kimball travels across Romania to meet cooks who are bringing back lost culinary traditions. He comes back with recipes for Romanian Meatball Soup, Romanian Baked Polenta with Sour Cream and Cheese and Romanian Musaca, a relative of the better-known Greek moussaka, which features layers of potato and a rich pork sauce.

Professional Breads at Home

Become a master bread maker! We start with Three-Seed Beer Pretzels, showing you how to get the perfect chewy crust and soft interior. Then, it’s an Olive Oil Challah that employs the technique used to make Japanese milk bread, resulting in a light, feathery and better-structured crumb. Plus, we show you all you need to know about kneading and the best way to sharpen serrated knives.

Favorite Italian Soups

Milk Street explores Italy’s repertoire of simple soups. We learn there are no meatballs in authentic Italian Wedding Soup; instead, it’s all about the marriage of meat and greens. We learn how to make Bread and Tomato Soup with Poached Eggs and Ribollita (Tuscan White Bean and Vegetable Soup), two soups that exemplifies cucina povera. Plus, we share four ways to boost your store-bought broth.

Fearless Fish

Take the fear out of fish! First, we make Crisp-Skinned Broiled Salmon with Cucumber-Sesame Salad, which borrows a Japanese technique that uses salt to draw out moisture from the fish. Then, we make an Italian Seafood Stew with scallops and clams, as well as Sautéed Cod Fillets with Spicy Cilantro Sauce (Zhoug). Plus, we figure out the best ways to sear shrimp and steam white fish fillets.

Easy Enchiladas

Christopher Kimball travels to Mexico City to learn how to make Cheese Enchiladas with Salsa Roja, featuring an easy, blender-blitzed red salsa that also offers a lesson in charring vegetables. Then, it’s Mexican Cowboy Beans (Frijoles Charros), flavored with bacon and chipotle. Finally, inspired by a popular street snack, we make Mexican-Style Corn with Chili and Lime (Esquites).

Favorite Forgotten Cakes

These are some of the best cakes you’ve probably never heard of. First, it’s Hot Milk Sponge Cake, which offers a science lesson on scalded milk. Then, we make Broken Phyllo Baklava Cake, which uses broken pieces of phyllo instead of flour. Finally, it’s Invisible Apple Cake (Gâteau Invisible), where thin slices of apple disappear into an egg-rich batter.

The Secrets of Curry

Milk Street travels to Sri Lanka to learn the fundamentals of curry. First, we make a comforting pot of Sri Lankan Spinach and Coconut Dal with Tomato Tarka. Next, it’s a tangy Sri Lankan Deviled Shrimp that employs a trusty single-sided sear technique for perfect shrimp. Finally, we offer a lesson on blending your own curry powder with a recipe for Sri Lankan Chicken and Coconut Curry.

Eggs Around the World

We go around the world in search of smarter ways to cook eggs, starting with Velvety Turkish Scrambled Eggs with Yogurt. Then, we showcase eggs as a topping for soups and salads with recipes for Wok-Fried Eggs and Soy Sauce Eggs. Finally, we encounter a recipe for deconstructed fried rice in Hong Kong, Cantonese-Style Shrimp Omelet on Rice, that employs cornstarch to transform the texture of eggs.

Simple Italian Pastas

Christopher Kimball heads to Calabria in search of pasta recipes based on the simplest of ingredients. First up, it’s Spaghetti with Garlic and Walnut Breadcrumbs. Then, we learn about Calabrian chilis while making Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato and Red Pepper Pesto. Finally, we make Pasta with "Fake" Sauce, so-named because it mimics a deeply-flavored ragu without any meat.