Smuggling Baby Eels: The New Black Market
4/17/202650 min
This week: suitcases full of contraband, a smuggler who writes poetry in jail and the chance to make thousands of dollars in a single night. Reporter Otis Gray brings us the story of America’s eel fishing boom, and what happened when it got out of hand. Plus, Kenji López-Alt discusses the surprising science of salting scrambled eggs, and we make kefta in a creamy tahini sauce. (Originally aired September 27, 2024.)
Get this week’s recipe for Baked Kefta with Tahini here.
Listen to Otis Gray’s “Sleepy” podcast here.
Music in Otis Gray’s piece is by Blue Dot Sessions.
Listen to Milk Street Radio on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
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First 90 secondsChristopher Kimball· Host0:00
I founded Cook's Magazine back in 1980, and the last, well, 45 years, I've never had the chance to speak openly and frankly about the food world, recipes, travel, and food celebrities. That is until now. My new Substack allows me to speak directly to you, to home cooks, including my own personal recipes, cooking, food science, Vermont, as well as what I'm watching and reading. Plus, I will be interviewing culinary stars to find out what they are really like. Paid subscribers get exclusive recipes, some from my travels, others from my own personal repertoire. Founding members get those recipes, plus direct access to me personally, plus a tote bag and a signed copy of The Milk Street Cookbook. So go subscribe at christopherkimball.substack.com. One more time, christopherkimball.substack.com. Thanks to our friends at Shipt for sponsoring this episode. In the kitchen, in the middle of a recipe, same-day delivery from a supermarket can be a beautiful thing. Shipt offers same-day delivery on groceries, but they also deliver decor, gifts, and so much more from your favorite local and national stores. Personal shoppers with Shipt shop your favorite store same day, and by the way, they know the difference between cilantro and parsley, almond milk and oat milk. You can even text one-on-one with your shopper to fulfill special requests or to get exactly what you want. Plus, Shipt members can place as many orders as they want and pay zero dollars in delivery fees with orders over thirty-five dollars.