Podcast Summary: "Obsessed (with Cooking Perfection), But In the Best Way"

Podcast: All Of It
Host: Alison Stewart (WNYC)
Guest: Ella Quintner, author of Obsessed with the Best
Date: March 16, 2026

Overview of the Episode

This episode spotlights Ella Quintner, former Wall Street professional turned obsessive culinary experimenter and cookbook author. Discussing her new book Obsessed with the Best, Quintner dives into her methodical, science-driven food experiments to discover (and re-define) the idea of "the best" in home cooking. Through interviews, listener call-ins, and hands-on advice, the conversation explores perfectionism in the kitchen, culinary creativity, and how experimentation leads to memorable food.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Philosophy Behind "Obsessed with the Best"

• No Absolute Best in Cooking

  • Quintner openly challenges the myth of universality in cooking the “best” way, even as she investigates it.
    • Quote: “At a fundamental level, I do not think the best way to do anything in the kitchen exists.” (02:26, Ella)
  • The cookbook’s title is “sort of a bait and switch”—the opening lines stress that “there’s no such thing as the best,” embracing subjectivity and context in food.

• From Wall Street to Food Science

  • Her analytical, systematic approach to recipe testing is rooted in her prior finance career.
    • Quote: “I have this sort of producerial quality to my brain where I can very easily and efficiently plan...45 different scrambled eggs in six hours.” (03:39, Ella)
  • Cooking became both a creative and communal outlet from Wall Street stress, fostering a drive to optimize for pleasure and texture in food.

Ella’s Recipe Testing Methodology

• Choosing What to Test

  • Focus on kitchen fundamentals and “building block basics”—the foods people obsess and debate over, such as scrambled eggs, bacon, biscuits, and yellow cake (05:19, Ella).
  • Mix of quintessential Americana staples and international/niche classics (including latkes).

• Most Challenging Foods to Perfect

  • Fresh Pasta & Meatballs required extensive travel and research, not just bench testing.
    • Quote: “For the fresh pasta section...I traveled all throughout Italy...and then to Japan...to learn how to knead udon dough with my feet.” (06:04, Ella)
    • Trilogy of inspirations—culinary techniques adapted from Italy and Japan for home cooks.

Memorable Food Experiments & Recipes

• Chocolate Chip Cookies (09:52–10:58)

  • Ella offers three cookie approaches:
    • An “extra” two-day, optimized version using brown butter, milk powder, and tangzhong.
    • A one-hour “shortcut” version using malted milk powder and a cookie bar method.
    • Adaptation for those balancing time and taste.
  • Quote: “Not everyone feels the best chocolate chunk cookie should take...two days to age in the fridge...so I also have the best one hour recipe...” (09:52, Ella)

• Biscuits (10:58–13:26)

  • Travel to Alabama with Scott Peacock (Edna Lewis collaborator) for biscuit inspiration.
    • Quote: “The way he talks about biscuits is so lyrical. He’s like an orchestra conductor or a preacher...” (11:10, Ella)
  • Breakthroughs: vodka added to dough to inhibit gluten formation, blend buttermilk and grated butter for “faux-laminated” flaky texture.
    • Quote: “Biscuits are just pie dough with a better personality...” (12:28, Ella)
    • Bakery science hack: vodka puffs up layers via steam due to lower boiling point.

• Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies (13:37)

  • Tips: Add extra egg white, more white sugar, reduced flour, use melted butter, bake at higher temp for maximal spread and crispness.

• Smashed Potatoes (15:50–17:23)

  • Non-negotiables: Combination of crisp and tender, flavor throughout (not bland or one-textured), “variety in each bite.”
  • Step-by-step: Boil with baking soda, smash, roast with fat—recommend duck fat for extra richness.
    • Quote: “I think that smashed potatoes unite people who like different types of potatoes...that’s what makes them pair so well with sauces.” (16:54, Ella)

• Pancakes (21:52–23:18)

  • For fluffiest buttermilk pancakes: Whip egg whites with sugar (hand or electric mixer fine), fold into batter, optionally add ricotta for texture.
    • Quote: “You want some little lumps in there because it gives the batter something to climb—like roses up a trellis.” (22:11, Ella)

Practical Advice & Philosophy for Home Cooks

• Budget-Friendly Cooking and Ingredient Swaps (17:34–19:38)

  • Center affordable ingredients (like cabbage) as the star; build meals around them.
  • Flexibility and substitutions: Know what effects swaps will have on texture/taste so you can riff creatively and avoid waste.
    • Quote: “What I think cooks should do is learn the basics and the fundamentals so they know how to swap things and what the effects will be...” (18:10, Ella)

• Matzo Balls: Diversity of “Best” (19:38–21:40)

  • No universal best matzo ball—texture preferences rooted in memory/family.
  • Science: Add seltzer and whipped egg whites for fluffiness, more matzo/less hydration for density.
    • Quote: “The best is an entirely subjective thing...so much of how we feel about food has to do with our emotions and our experiences...” (20:20, Ella)

Secret Weapons and Tips

• Toasted Mushroom Powder (23:37)
  • DIY by blending and toasting dried mushrooms; adds umami to foods.
  • Uses: dry brine or seasoning for roast chicken and meatballs; instant broth.
    • Quote: “It is this major umami flavor bomb...I can’t recommend that enough.” (24:27, Ella)

How Obsession Changed Ella's Cooking

• Practical change: Greater confidence, broader understanding of culinary cause/effect.
• Personal growth: Now “freestyles” in the kitchen, treating recipes like a painter choosing colors, relying on knowledge built from obsessive experimentation (25:37–26:40).

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:26] Ella’s philosophy: “No such thing as the best.”
• [03:39] Wall Street influences kitchen obsessive methods.
• [06:04] Travels & research for pasta and meatballs.
• [09:52] Strategies for “best” and “fastest” chocolate chip cookies.
• [11:10] Biscuit journey with Scott Peacock in Alabama.
• [12:28] The science behind “vodka biscuits.”
• [13:37] Tips for crispy chocolate chip cookies.
• [15:50] Ideal potato side dishes (smashed potatoes).
• [17:34] Grocery budget and ingredient substitutions.
• [19:38] Science behind matzo ball textures.
• [21:52] Pancake tricks—egg whites, ricotta, “trellis” batter.
• [23:37] Mushroom powder: what it is, how to use it.
• [25:37] How all the experimentation changed Ella’s approach to cooking.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “At a fundamental level, I do not think the best way to do anything in the kitchen exists.”
  (02:26, Ella Quintner)

• “Biscuits are just pie dough with a better personality...”
  (12:28, Ella Quintner)

• “The best is an entirely subjective thing...so much of how we feel about food has to do with our emotions and our experiences...”
  (20:20, Ella Quintner)

• “I approach cooking and baking for fun...much like I would approach making a painting...”
  (26:07, Ella Quintner)

Conclusion

Ella Quintner’s interview offers an inspiring, open-minded lens on chasing culinary excellence. Her approach honors both the science of testing and the soul of personal preference—reminding home cooks that “best” is as much about curiosity, context, and community as objective results. Obsessed with the Best emerges both as a how-to manual and an invitation to embrace experimentation, confidence, and pleasure—all through the simple acts of making, tasting, and sharing food.