Milk Street 365 Cookbook
Cook with confidence every day! Dig into 365 essential recipes and tons of foundational resources—from the James Beard Award winning team at Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street.This is Milk Street’s new and comprehensive guide to today’s recipe repertoire, full of fresh flavors and simple yet game-changing techniques. This is everyday cooking you actually want to cook every day.
Milk Street 365 is both inspiration and reference for the contemporary kitchen, with recipes that will change the way you cook at home from soups, stews and salads to flatbreads, pizzas and noodles. Dishes include:
- Velvety Turkish Scrambled Eggs with Yogurt
- Vietnamese Pork and Scallion Omelette
- Butter Beans in Tomato Sauce with Dill and Feta
- Thai Green Curry Chicken and Vegetables
- Taiwanese Five-Spice Pork with Rice
- Garlic-Rosemary Burgers with Taleggio Sauce
- Cheese-Crisped Pinto Bean Quesadillas
Plus deep dives into ingredients, pantry basics, and foundational techniques that every cook should master.
You’ll learn better ways to roast chicken (hint: flat birds crisp better, and seasonings stay in place when slid under the skin) and discover bold finishes for chops and steaks (think a slather of cilantro-lime sauce or a smear of miso butter).
Here, fundamental recipes and their nearly endless variations are paired with lessons on the art and science of good cooking. Sidebars and charts deliver valuable guidance about the tools, ingredients and techniques that comprise the modern kitchen.
It’s a 360-degree approach for all 365 days of the year.
Page Count: 640 pages
Proud Grill UltraVersatile Grill Basket
Our trick to seamless grilling? Grill baskets. Perfect for grilling delicate foods without damage from sticking or falling through the grate, we put ten grill baskets to the test to find the cream of the crop. Proud Grill’s UltraVersatile Grill Basket beat out the competition thanks to higher perforated walls and dividers, plus a removable, stay-cool handle. The durable yet lightweight stainless steel heats up quickly, and thanks to a large fire-facing surface area, food can spread out and grill instead of steam, which is the case with some other grill baskets. Plus, higher sides keep food in the basket when flipping—no fallen ingredients in sight.
Unlike most grill baskets, the Proud Grill has a detachable handle that remains cool throughout use, offering excellent maneuverability while remaining safe. And it can be attached to all four sides of the basket. Removable dividers are also an added bonus feature, allowing you to divide the basket into up to five sections to grill more than one item at once. Compatible when placed both vertically or horizontally on most grills, even smokers, use it for vegetables, fish, shrimp, wings or any other ingredient that might fall through the grates on a standard grill.
Proud Grill Magnetic Two-Piece BBQ Tool Set
Replace your bulky collection of grill tools with Proud Grill’s Magnetic Two-Piece BBQ Tool Set. This multi-use tool serves as extra-long grill tongs when connected, but apart, one piece serves as a spatula while the other serves as a grill fork. The unique design works thanks to an easy-to-operate magnet: It keeps the tools connected as tongs—perfect for serving and rotating—or disconnects easily to separate the long, flat spatula for flipping burgers and the sturdy grill fork for picking up grilled chicken. And because the set is magnetic, you can take them apart and configure them however you like, then attach them to your grill when you’re done for safekeeping. Dishwasher-safe, this set can handle anything from chicken and steak to cauliflower with ease, without all the clutter of typical grill tools.
Milk Street Cast Iron Stovetop Korean BBQ— Factory Seconds
Factory Seconds
Inspired by the communal style of grilling thinly sliced meats, our Cast-Iron Stovetop Korean Barbecue brings the experience of Korean barbecue to your table. Simply place thinly sliced meat on the ridged, domed center—the juices will slide down into a reservoir, where vegetables pick up that flavor as they cook. The cast-iron construction means the grill heats evenly and retains that heat well even after it’s removed from the source. It fits well over any type of burner or cooktop, including portable stoves, so you can use it just about anywhere. And besides grilling sliced meats, it’s also great for thin fish filets, sliced vegetables, flatbreads, tortillas and more—perfect for entertaining groups. Plus, two side handles make for easy maneuvering.
Milk Street Bunka Knife— Factory Seconds
Factory Seconds
The Milk Street Bunka Knife is the turbocharged take on what an all-purpose knife can be. Similar in size to the more widely known santoku, the bunka’s nearly constant 6.75-inch blade width functions much like a nakiri, ideal for precise vegetable prep, safety (shields the fingers when slicing) and scooping up foods like a bench scraper into your mixing bowl or hot skillet. But unlike the squared-off tip of the nakiri, the bunka’s blade tapers into a chisel-like kiritsuke tip (translates as “slit open”), which allows for piercing cuts and fine detail work when prepping ingredients like meat. The nearly flat blade profile arcs subtly to the tip, meaning it can be used for rock chopping or mincing. You know those instances where you thought you sliced a pepper into thin strips and it all stuck together, like an accordion? Not a chance of that with the bunka. The mid-sized, premium German steel blade is also the perfect compromise in length. It’s long enough to cleanly slice proteins or span a whole cabbage, but short enough to always be in complete control without feeling unwieldy. And the ergonomic handle provides a comfortable grip regardless of your hand size. No more slipping and twisting when you really just want to hold tight. It’s a knife you can use for everything from peeling garlic and onions to chopping a precise brunoise and peeling the tough silverskin off a pork tenderloin, then slicing it into fine cutlets. If you’re confident with a razor-tipped chef’s knife and precision handling, the bunka is your answer.
Milk Street Flex Spatula— Factory Seconds
The Milk Street Flex Spatula is an indispensable and endlessly useful kitchen tool for sautéing, stir-frying, grilling and more. The 6.5-inch flexible paddle is lightweight and easy to manipulate, yet it's sturdy enough to lift half-pound burgers and whole grilled cheese sandwiches. The sharp, angled edge and ultrathin design will easily slide underneath delicate foods like eggs, pancakes or its namesake fish fillets. Plus, the spatula’s slats make it perfect for lifting frying foods from the pan as the cooking oil drips right through. And it might be the world’s best tool for serving light, crumbly cakes.
Kitchen Note: This spatula isn’t designed for nonstick cookware and can scratch those surfaces.
Milk Street Funayuki All-Purpose Prep Knife— Factory Seconds
Factory Seconds
Once an essential tool of Japanese fisherman, the funayuki (literally “boat-going knife”), is designed as the original do-it-all knife for fish, meats and vegetables. The 6½-inch long, leaf-shaped blade is tall enough to safely chop through large amounts of ingredients at one time like a cleaver, yet it tapers quickly to a fine tip for precision tasks. The strongly arced blade and forward stance excels at cutting meats, though it minces and rock chops vegetables equally well. The curve extends the blade length for cleaner slicing in a compact package.
Milk Street Precision Peeler— Factory Seconds
Factory Seconds
Most peelers do a lousy job. The blades are made of inferior steel so they do not peel easily and the peel itself is often too thick. The blades dull over time so you have to throw it out. Many designs have uncomfortable handles or the handles are awkward since they are not aligned properly with the blade. And when it comes to thick, tough skins such as butternut squash, you might as well give up before you start. That is why we just redesigned the peeler, using top-grade 420 stainless steel for the replaceable blade (why don’t all peelers have replaceable blades?) and a handle that is big enough for a firm, easy grip. Try it just once and you will find that it peels like cutting through butter. It’s that good!
Milk Street Nakiri— Factory Seconds
What if we told you there is a Japanese knife specifically designed for vegetable prep that will make your cooking safer, easier and faster? It is vastly better than the all-purpose European chef’s knife, which is clunky, heavy and too thick to precisely slice and dice onions, cut carrots into perfect coins or reduce chard into feathery ribbons. The solution is the Milk Street Nakiri. It’s light, thin and sharp, with a design that resembles a mini cleaver—2 inches deep with a squared-off tip. A very thin blade, just 1.6 millimeters at the top, tapers down even thinner toward the end so it slices through even tough ingredients effortlessly without bending. The broad blade shields your fingers when you chop and works as a bench scraper to transfer chopped veggies to the simmering pot. With the help of veteran industrial designer David Lewin, we added a few special touches. The blade is embossed with a nonstick file pattern that replicates the kourochi (blacksmith) or tshuchime (pear skin) finish to traditional nakiris, so sliced ingredients fall right off. A gentle curve accommodates fingers when choking up tight for control, and the handle has been designed to provide a nonslip grip.
Kuze Fuku & Sons Garlic Miso
Combining the umami depth of miso and the sweet bite of garlic, Kuze Fuku & Sons’ Garlic Miso Topping has become a staple ingredient in the Milk Street fridge. A coarse yet spreadable paste, it begins with garlic-forward, savory flavor, followed by sweet and subtly funky notes of miso. Perfectly balanced for more than just Japanese dishes, a first intense hit of flavor mellows out and leaves you craving another bite. Add it to noodles, pizza, pasta dishes, dressings, dips, sandwiches, broths and sauces. Use it as a marinade for meats, fish and vegetables, or mix into butter for an elevated compound butter. Or just slather it on bread. It’s that good.
Kimchi Toasted Sesame Seeds - (Set of 2)
Adding a punch of flavor and texture, these toasted Japanese sesame seeds are the definition of “good things come in small packages.” Available in a set of two, this Kimchi-flavored crunchy topping far surpasses your standard sesame seed. Tangy, garlicky and sweet, it pairs well with the warm, gentle nuttiness of sesame. Add them just about anywhere, from sauces and oils to stir-fries, salads, noodles, veggies and meat. You may even find yourself popping a handful on their own—we certainly have.
Belazu Sour Cherry Molasses
Mouthwateringly tart, balanced by sweet, silky wine-like notes, Belazu’s Sour Cherry Molasses is not to be conflated with pomegranate molasses. Made with a blend of dark red Kutahya and Katirli sour cherries sourced from Türkiye, this complex and rich rendition tastes distinctly like cherries. Winner of a Great Taste Award in 2023, it’s full of body—thick and deep red with a pourable viscosity thicker than your average balsamic. While we love it drizzled over sweet applications like cheesecake, pudding and ice cream, it also is a dynamic addition to pork, duck, vegetables like eggplant, yogurt, oatmeal, cocktails, marinades and so much more.
Marukin Mentsuyu All-Purpose Noodle Sauce & Soup Base
Used widely across Japan as a standalone sauce, soup base and dressing for cold noodles, this umami-packed mentsuyu from Marukin needs no diluting. Unlike other similar products on the market, this full-flavored, complex sauce is completely ready to use—without adding any water. A blend of premium soy sauce and dashi broth, each high quality ingredient is sourced from Japan. Balancing both salty and sweet, each bite is smoky and briny without overpowering. With a variety of uses, we like it served alongside both hot or cold noodles, as a dipping sauce or as a broth. It also works well as a dipping sauce for tempura, as a base for other soups, subbed in for dressing, marinade, pickling liquid or splashed in as a flavor enhancer for egg dishes.
Cruzilles Pâtes de Fruits Gift Tin
Delightfully fruity, with a crunchy sugar exterior that melts into a tender gummy center, these French Pâtes de Fruits from Cruzilles are full of distinct fresh berry flavor. A traditional French confection, pâtes de fruits have to be made with a high percentage of fruit puree and pulp (Cruzilles uses up to 75%), which gives the jellies a bright fruitiness. They have a higher moisture content than supermarket jellies—so they are not dry, tough or overly chewy—and the light sugar coating prevents stickiness and adds a light crunch. Try all three flavors: Raspberry, Strawberry and Blueberry, made from high-quality berries picked at peak freshness and packaged in an adorable metal pail.
Salad Sling
Simple but brilliant, the space-saving Salad Sling is our go-to replacement for a bulky, breakable traditional salad spinner. Made from ultra-absorbent microfiber, the Salad Sling is designed with four long “handles;” simply load your greens into the middle, pull the corners together and swing. A combination of the Salad Sling’s absorbent fibers and centrifugal force pull moisture from lettuce (it’s big enough for a whole head), hearty greens and herbs in a matter of seconds. The triple-layer Salad Sling has a waterproof liner to keep any water droplets from flying around your kitchen. Have multiple ingredients to dry? Just empty and flip the Salad Sling and load up the dry side. When you’re done, simply hang it to dry or toss it in the washing machine, then store it away compactly with your kitchen towels. Available in Original and Mini sizes, and as a set of two.
Fundodai "Clear" Soy Sauce
Salty, rich soy flavor that’s completely clear in color? From the masters at Fundodai, this clear shoyu made in Japan was inspired by clear colas and non-alcoholic beers, quickly gaining international attention for its unique attributes. Just as full of complex flavor as a typical dark soy sauce, this shoyu is ideal for incorporating into dishes without altering the color like traditional soy would. Transparent or “invisible,” the clear salinity is matched with sweet boozy notes, a bit of tang and tons of umami. Use it anywhere you would soy sauce, especially in dishes in which you’d prefer to avoid a color change. We especially like it to season a lightly colored soup, raw or cooked fish or a fresh pot of rice.
Fundodai Irizake- Ancient Japanese Seasoning
Translating to “roast sake,” Fundodai’s Irizake is the special Japanese seasoning that you’ve probably never heard of. And we truly believe it will change the way you cook. An ancient Japanese seasoning that predates soy sauce, it’s made by combining bonito flakes and plum vinegar with sake for a less salty condiment that can be used in a wide variety of dishes. Fundodai’s Irizake has a savory-sweet depth from the concentrated sake, along with smoky, fishy sweet notes from the katsubushi, plus a tart, savory, fruity plum flavor that cuts through and lingers on your palate. It can serve the role of soy sauce but sets itself apart thanks to the complexity of the blended flavors. Mix it into sauces, vinaigrettes and marinades; use as a seasoning for rice; as a dipping sauce for shabu shabu or sashimi; as a brine for salmon and so much more. It pairs especially well with roasted vegetables, like summer squash or charred cabbage.
Fundodai Liquid Miso Dashi
Restaurant-quality miso soup at home just got easier—no need to spend days making your own dashi or using an instant version with little flavor. Enter Fundodai’s Liquid Miso Dashi, made from a duo of powerhouse Japanese ingredients. It’s crafted in Japan from a miso made of rice and barley paste, incorporated with a rich dashi containing bonito, scallops, sardines and kombu. The dashi’s unique blend of seafood gives it far more flavor and complexity than a typical dashi, while the combination of rice and barley makes for an equally flavorful miso. With a well-balanced salt level, the toasty, nutty miso pairs well with the umami notes from the dashi, dissolving easily into broths, sauces, marinades and more. Use it to add slow-cooked depth to soups and stews in minutes, as a marinade on its own, mixed into sauces, tossed into noodles, as the base for a stir-fry and so much more.
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