This is Mill Street Radio from PRX. I'm your host Christopher Kimball.

Have you ever eaten a farm fresh egg? And do you remember what it tasted like?

Tamar Hasbill says it was probably just like any other egg you've ever had before.

We had a bunch of people in, some of whom were food professionals,

and we literally blindfolded them and we spoon fed them soft boiled eggs and the net was nobody could tell them apart.

Today, Tamar Haswell of the Washington Post. And that was nobody could tell them apart.

Today, Tamar Haspel of the Washington Post

is here to stop the lies we tell ourselves about food.

From the truth about diet soda to organic vegetables,

nothing is sacred. But first we're talking about

fame. When you hear the term celebrity chef you might think of Julia Child or

perhaps Martha Stewart, but centuries before the art of French cooking,

there was a chef in England named Robert May.

And instead of earning a reputation for Kishlerin,

May was known for filling his pies with live animals.

For more on Robert May's circus-like approach to cooking,

we're joined by historian Dr. Amanda,

Amanda Herbert.

Amanda, welcome to Milk Street.

Thank you for having me, Chris.

I'm delighted to be here.

So before we get to live frogs jumping out of pies,

...