Betrayal, Revenge and Family Secrets: A Frozen Food "Succession"

Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Radio

Milk Street Radio

Food, Arts

4.4 • 2.8K Ratings

🗓️ 6 June 2025

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This week, we share a story of revenge, betrayal and secrets … at a frozen vegetable empire. John Seabrook investigates why running “the biggest vegetable factory on Earth” led to generations of drama in his family, like a real-life version of the TV show “Succession.” Plus, Brendan Liew gives us a tour of Japan’s incredible convenience stores; Kenji López-Alt finds the best way to crack an egg; and we learn how to make Sri Lankan Spinach and Coconut Dal with Tomato Tarka.

Get the recipe for Sri Lankan Spinach and Coconut Dal with Tomato Tarka here.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, this is Sarah, one of the producers at Milk Street Radio.
0:03.5	Chris is going to be taking calls with special guest host Jetteela soon, and we need your questions,
0:07.9	your biggest cooking problems, toughest kitchen mysteries, or whatever you're curious about.
0:12.1	Like, what do Chris and Jet actually think about brunch?
0:15.0	Please send an email into questions at milkstreetradio.com and we'll be in touch.
0:19.1	Again, that's questions at milkstreetRadio.com and we'll be in touch. Again, that's questions at milkstreetradio.com.
0:26.1	This is Milk Street Radio from PRX and I'm your host, Christopher Kimble.
0:31.9	Seabrook Farms was once called the biggest vegetable factory on Earth.
0:36.1	John Seabrook's family owned it, and when they did,
0:38.6	they were on top of the world. It's amazing how far vegetables took my family, literally from the
0:46.2	dirt to the corporate boardroom and to Grace Kelly's wedding. But behind the scenes, there was turmoil,
0:53.3	like when the patriarch tried to let the company go bankrupt out of spite.
0:57.4	And then the banker said to my father and his brothers, you know, to save the business, you may have to commit your father.
1:04.9	Family feuds over a frozen vegetable empire. That's coming up later on the show.
1:10.8	But first, we're taking a tour of Convenies, Japan's iconic convenience stores.
1:15.9	I'm joined now by chef and author Brendan Liu. We spoke before my recent trip to Tokyo,
1:21.1	where he was my local guide around the city.
1:24.6	Brendan, welcome to Milk Street. Oh, thank you for having me.
1:27.9	A pleasure.
1:28.6	You know, we're talking about convenience stores in Japan, 7-Eleven family mart and Lawson.
1:35.6	I remember four years ago I was in Tokyo and there was a 7-Eleven on the corner near my hotel.
1:43.8	And early in the morning I went in,
	...

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