Phil Rosenthal’s Egg Cream
This week on @yourmamaskitchen, I’m joined by TV writer, producer, and all-around food adventurer Phil Rosenthal!
You may know Phil from a number of his television credits from over the years. He was the creator, writer, and executive producer of Everybody Loves Raymond; he’s also known for the food/travel documentary series I’ll Have What Phil’s Having and Somebody Feed Phil.
On this episode of #YourMamasKitchen, Phil and I talk about his childhood and his love of fluffy eggs. We discuss how Everybody Loves Raymond came to be, and what it meant for him in his career. He reminisces about the trip to Paris that changed his life, and he reveals what he thinks money should really be spent on.
Plus: he previews what’s on the menu at his new Los Angeles diner with Nancy Silverton—including an ode to his parents’ nightly Egg Cream, recipe included!
Your Mama’s Kitchen is produced by the dream team at @highergroundmedia 🎙️Check out this episode of Your Mama’s Kitchen now on YT and wherever you find your podcasts. 🎧
Listen, and as always, let us know whatcha think!
IngredientsCold milk – enough to fill ¼ of a tall glass
Chocolate syrup – about equal in volume to the milk
Seltzer water – unsalted, preferably from a seltzer siphon / squirt bottle
Tall glass
Long spoon
STEPS:
Traditional Method
Pour milk into the tall glass until it reaches ¼ of the way up.
Add chocolate syrup in an amount roughly equal to the milk.
Slowly pour seltzer while stirring continuously as it hits the milk-and-syrup mixture.
The stirring + carbonation causes a chemical reaction that forms a thick foamy head on top—like a soda fountain beer foam.
Once the glass is full and the head forms, give it one gentle stir near the bottom and serve immediately.
Alternate Technique (for a white foam cap)
Some people insist on this method for beauty points:
Milk first
Seltzer second
Stir chocolate syrup in last
For reasons no one quite knows, this version produces a white crown of foam on top rather than a chocolate-colored one—very photogenic.
Serve with a straw and a long spoon. First sip through the foam, then mix as you go.
Michele’s Kitchen Notes
Cold ingredients make better foam. Avoid club soda or seltzer with salt — it changes the flavor. Whole milk is traditional and half-and-half creates a decadent, milkshake-like version!!
