Simon Sinek

Ask Yourself "What If?" with Milk Bar Founder Christina Tosi | A Bit of Optimism Podcast

What if this podcast turned into a baking show? For Christina Tosi’s third visit to A Bit of Optimism, we decided to find out. So we headed to Milk Bar to make compost cookies from things in my own pantry and my favorite beer bread from scratch! Christina’s not just my best friend—she’s the founder of Milk Bar, host of "Bake Squad" on Netflix, a cookbook author, and a fan favorite on this podcast. She lives by one simple question: what if? In this experimental episode, we dug into some big ideas about creativity, uncertainty, and the magic of trying something new. Recipes below! For more on Christina and her work, check out: http://christinatosi.com/ --------------------------- Simon's Compost Cookie Recipe (makes 15-20 cookies): 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature 1 cup granulated sugar 2/3 cup tightly packed light brown sugar 2 tablespoons glucose syrup 1 large egg 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon kosher salt Maltesers 85% dark chocolate Optimism Coffee grounds Granola Space/Astronaut Ice Cream Kettle Corn Pop Chips For the full step-by-step recipe, visit Milk Bar's website: https://milkbarstore.com/blogs/recipes/compost-cookie-new?srsltid=AfmBOoq3Xn896zypVDfdBRaoxfyMcdfdyA... Beer Bread Recipe: 3 cups self-rising flour 1 teaspoon kosher salt 4 tablespoons honey (or to taste) 12 oz beer (Samual Smith's Organic Chocolate Stout is Simon's preference!) 2 tablespoons butter (and save a little for the top) Mix ingredients slowly together Bake at 350 for 45-60 mins until baked through --------------------------- This episode is brought to you by True Classic! I really love their T-shirts, so we called them up and asked if they wanted to work together. And they said yes! Check out their clothes at: http://trueclassictees.com/ + + + Simon is an unshakable optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together. Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Simon has devoted his professional life to help advance a vision of the world that does not yet exist; a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning inspired, feel safe wherever they are and end the day fulfilled by the work that they do. Simon is the author of multiple best-selling books including Start With Why, Leaders Eat Last, Together is Better, and The Infinite Game. + + + Website: http://simonsinek.com/ Live Online Classes: https://simonsinek.com/classes/ Podcast: http://apple.co/simonsinek Instagram: https://instagram.com/simonsinek/ Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/simonsinek/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/simonsinek Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simonsinek Simon’s books: The Infinite Game: https://simonsinek.com/books/the-infinite-game/ Start With Why: https://simonsinek.com/books/start-with-why/ Find Your Why: https://simonsinek.com/books/find-your-why/ Leaders Eat Last: https://simonsinek.com/books/leaders-eat-last/ Together is Better: https://simonsinek.com/books/together-is-better/ + + + #SimonSinek

SSSimon SinekhostCTChristina Tosiguest

Jun 3, 2025·51m·Watch on YouTube ↗

📖 CHAPTERS

1. 1

   Pantry oddities and the spirit of “What if?”

   Simon and Christina kick off with a playful look at the strange-but-beloved staples in Simon’s pantry—most notably space ice cream—and set the tone for the episode’s central idea: experimentation. The premise is simple: try something you’ve never tried, accept the unknown, and learn by doing.

2. 2

   From cereal milk nostalgia to real friendship: Milk Bar’s origin in Momofuku

   Simon shares how he first encountered Milk Bar in the back of a David Chang restaurant and fell for cereal milk ice cream. He introduces Christina Tosi as both the founder and a close friend, framing the episode as a hands-on baking session rather than a typical interview.

3. 3

   Christina’s early baking story: farm summers, cookie dough, and self-teaching

   Christina explains that baking began as a family tradition led by the women in her life, especially during summers on her grandmother’s farm. After getting “kicked out” for eating too much cookie dough, she started making her own experimental mixtures—learning through trial and error long before culinary school.

4. 4

   Baking as experimentation (not control): why failure is the point

   Simon contrasts the common belief that baking is rigid, scientific, and recipe-bound with Christina’s improvisational approach. Christina reframes failure as expected and useful—arguing that great bakers (and leaders) must get good at disappointment and keep iterating.

5. 5

   Breaking the rules built Milk Bar: originality, identity, and the name explained

   Christina describes how Milk Bar was intentionally designed to defy traditional bakery norms—unfrosted cake sides, unconventional flavors, and gooey textures. She also explains the name: “Milk” as a modern Dairy Queen homage and “Bar” as a nod to Momofuku’s naming convention (Noodle Bar, Ssam Bar).

6. 6

   Dessert as love language: introversion, community, and optimism

   Christina explains that baking is how she communicates care—especially as an introvert who feels most comfortable in the kitchen. Dessert becomes her way to make people feel seen and supported, and she describes baking as her personal “bit of optimism.”

7. 7

   From kitchen to company: leading with “anything is possible”

   Simon probes how Christina’s baking mindset maps to entrepreneurship. Christina attributes Milk Bar’s expansion to ignoring rigid roadmaps and continuously asking “what if,” while still honoring the classics—balancing greatest hits with experimentation to keep the brand’s heartbeat alive.

8. 8

   Compost cookie concept: using “not enough chocolate chips” creativity

   They define the compost cookie as the perfect “use what you have” dessert—born from pantry scarcity and the need to bake at scale. Christina frames it as a cookie that reflects the maker’s pantry and personality, turning leftovers into a signature flavor story.

9. 9

   Pantry dump selection: tea, granola, British candy, fancy chocolate, and space ice cream

   Simon reveals his haul—tea, homemade granola, specialty almonds, kettle corn chips, coffee, assorted chocolates, and the headline ingredient: space ice cream. Christina “categorizes” the mix-ins and builds a coherent flavor plan while keeping the wild-card spirit intact.

10. 10

    Making the dough: fat + sugar first, glucose for chew, and embracing the mess

    Christina walks Simon through cookie fundamentals—creaming butter and sugars, adding glucose for a moist fudgy center, and minimizing mixing after flour to avoid a bready texture. Along the way they celebrate mess, curiosity, and the meditative “lose yourself” quality of baking.

11. 11

    Mix-ins, scooping, and oven time: building the “A Bit of Optimism Compost Cookie”

    They add the full mix-in lineup—granola, coffee, dark chocolate, Maltesers, kettle corn chips, and space ice cream—then scoop consistent portions for even baking. Christina emphasizes spacing on the tray and gives a simple bake target of 350°F for about 8–10 minutes (longer for bigger scoops).

12. 12

    Beer bread: the five-minute “cheat code,” best beer choice, and new “what if” riffs

    Simon shares why beer bread is his go-to crowd-pleaser: minimal effort with maximum credit. They revisit how their experimentation led to the ideal beer—Samuel Smith’s Organic Chocolate Stout—while Christina adds her own recent variations (banana, kombucha-based experiments).

13. 13

    Taste test and life takeaways: friendship, love, and the “eight minutes” code

    They taste the pre-baked beer bread (butter, salt, and honey) and sample the compost cookies—discovering the coffee and space-ice-cream gamble actually works. The episode closes with reflections on baking with friends and Simon’s “eight minutes” story: a simple code phrase that signals a need for support.