Food Friends: Home Cooking Made Easy

What if cooking a dinner party with your closest food friend could make hosting easier, more fun, and even more delicious?

In this bite-sized episode, we share delicious moments about the best things we ate this week to inspire each other – and you!

By the end of this episode, you’ll want to make our menu of some of our favorite all-time recipes, like a hosting-friendly vegetarian casserole, crispy chicken cutlets that you can make-ahead and reheat like a dream, and a fruit-filled dessert that gets better with time.

Plus you’ll discover what we love to send our guests home with!

Tune in for a quick dose of home cooking inspiration!

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And join us on our live monthly calls by upgrading your subscription to paid!

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Links:

Starters:

Thin toasted small slices of homemade sourdough bread using the Communal Table Bread recipe, by Adrian Hale

Baba ghanoush by Maureen Abood made with charred eggplant + tahini

Marinated olives

Salad course:

Sonya’s rainbow salad recipe from her Substack

Mains:

Farro cauliflower parmesan by Sarah DiGregorio for NYT Cooking (unlocked)

Chicken schnitzel, like this one from Smitten Kitchen

Dessert:

Cake parfaits made with strawberry sheet cake with passionfruit buttercream by Zoe Bakes for the cake layer, with a layer of our favorite fruit salad, and labneh whipped cream (like the one from this Adeena Sussman recipe)

Gift bags:

Loaves of sourdough

Slow cooker apple butter from Family Food On The Table

Chocolate chip cookies

Plum jam bars

Cookbook gifted to us:

Talisman Cookbook

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Got a cooking question? Leave us a message on our hotline at: 323-452-9084

For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our Substack here.

Are you a local to Portland or planning a visit? You can now book a private farmers’ market tour with Sonya through Airbnb Experiences! Or order Sonya's cookbook Braids for more Food Friends recipes!

What’s the secret to a great breakfast that you’ll actually look forward to?

This week, John Kanell of Preppy Kitchen joins us to share his best breakfast ideas and the baking techniques that make a difference, from the secret to the best cinnamon rolls to how to achieve a perfectly tender cake.

By the end of this episode, you’ll learn:

1. How to make the best crisp-edged fluffy waffles for weekend breakfasts
2. Make-ahead breakfast ideas you can enjoy all week
3. The secret to a great quiche crust + how to keep a tomato tart from getting soggy

Press play now for practical breakfast inspiration and expert baking tips!

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And join us on our live monthly calls by upgrading your subscription to paid!

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John Kanell’s new book: Preppy Kitchen Everyday Baking

For more recipes, head to Preppy Kitchen and follow John on Instagram

Make-ahead breakfasts:

Muffin recipes, including the most popular ones on the site: banana, blueberry, and chocolate

Waffles

Egg muffins

Make once and eat twice breakfasts:

Quiche

Tomato tart

Bougatsa

Breakfasts for when you want to linger:

Homemade Cinnamon rolls

Orange rolls

Pan dulce (conchas)

Most popular Preppy Kitchen recipe:

Peanut butter cookies

Some of John’s favorite recipes:

Butter chicken

German chocolate cake

Princess cake with olive oil sponge

Recipes from John’s new book:

Cinnamon swirl pumpkin muffins

German chocolate brownies

Biscuit Dough Three Ways: Sweet, Savory Cheese and Herb, and Meyer Lemon

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Got a cooking question? Leave us a message on our hotline at: 323-452-9084

For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our Substack here.

Are you a local to Portland or planning a visit? You can now book a private farmers’ market tour with Sonya through Airbnb Experiences! Or order Sonya's cookbook Braids for more Food Friends recipes!

What if your next chicken piccata didn’t require dredging or sautéing and could come together in just one pot?

In this bite-sized episode, we share delicious moments about the best things we ate this week to inspire each other – and you!

By the end of this episode, you’ll want to try Alison Roman’s braised chicken piccata, a one-pot version that’s buttery and lemony with caramelized garlic and crispy capers. Plus, Ali Slagle’s chickpea-tomato salad; it only gets better as it sits, making it perfect for easy lunches and meal prep.

Tune in for a quick dose of home cooking inspiration!

***

For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our free Substack here.

And join us on our live monthly calls by upgrading your subscription to paid!

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Links:

Our best bites:

Puttanesca Chickpea-Tomato Salad by Ali Slagle for NYT Cooking (unlocked)

Alison Roman’s braised chicken piccata from her cookbook: Something From Nothing

Other resources and recipes mentioned:

Culinary Breeding Network

More about dry-farmed tomatoes and the ones that can be stored for 6 months or more

Tofu piccata by Kia Damon for NYT Cooking (unlocked)

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Got a cooking question? Leave us a message on our hotline at: 323-452-9084

For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our Substack here.

Are you a local to Portland or planning a visit? You can now book a private farmers’ market tour with Sonya through Airbnb Experiences! Or order Sonya's cookbook Braids for more Food Friends recipes!

What if you could peek inside two private chefs’ kitchens and see what they really cook — and eat — at home?

If you’re tired of the same breakfast every morning or looking for ways to make your desk lunch more interesting, this episode offers a look at how two professional cooks feed themselves on an ordinary week.

By the end of this episode, you’ll:

1. Get easy ideas for better breakfasts and lunches, from a unique take on oatmeal to a satisfying broccoli salad
2. Discover how leftovers and a few smart additions can help you cook once and eat twice
3. Find a classic 30-minute chicken dinner plus a vegetarian pasta dish that is full of fall flavors

Press play now to discover two chefs’ real-life meals, and get inspired with ideas for your own kitchen this week!

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For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our free Substack here.

And join us on our live monthly calls by upgrading your subscription to paid!

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Links:

SONYA DAY 1

Breakfast: Scottish porridge, sautéed apples and cinnamon, topped with coconut sugar and nut butter (inspired by Adam Roberts’ English porridge)

Lunch: Herby tuna salad, on top of a salad made with tomato, cucumber, and lettuce with balsamic dressing

Dinner: Chicken piccata, garlic bread, Italian chopped salad

KARI DAY 1

Breakfast: Coconut overnight oats with fresh fruit – Kari adds hemp seeds too

Lunch: Deborah Madison’s Ravioli and Tomato Salad with Masses of Basil from her cookbook, Four bean salad with green romesco by Alison Roman from her cookbook: Dining In, crumbled feta, pickled cherries and herbs to pile onto sourdough slices

Snack: Dragon fruit and cucumber

Dinner: Mississippi Chicken stuffed into sourdough ciabatta

SONYA DAY 2

Breakfast: Soft-boiled egg, Tabor bread sourdough toast points, mixed berries.

Lunch: Leftover ratatouille, leftover chopped salad, toasted pita, avocado slices

Dinner: A take on Kari’s white bean soup with parm with croutons, lemony garlic parm romano beans, simple greens salad

For dessert, a cup of tea and good chocolate, like: Beyond Good, Alter Eco, Endangered Species, and CloudForest.

KARI DAY 2

Breakfast: Full-fat Greek yogurt mixed with honey and passion fruit, with cut-up dragon fruit, cucumber, strawberries, figs, and melon

Lunch: Broccoli salad, cabbage salad with peanuts, peach and herb salad with mozzarella balls and gochujang

Dinner : Creamy pumpkin pasta with a pine nut gremolata on top

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Got a cooking question? Leave us a message on our hotline at: 323-452-9084

For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our Substack here.

Are you a local to Portland or planning a visit? You can now book a private farmers’ market tour with Sonya through Airbnb Experiences! Or order Sonya's cookbook Braids for more Food Friends recipes!

What do you make when you want to try something new but still want dinner to feel familiar?

In this bite-sized episode, we share the best things we ate this week to inspire each other—and you!

By the end of this episode, you’ll discover Adrianna Adarme’s Best Bites of the week, including her viral strawberry brownies that will change the way you think about what a brownie can be. You’ll also hear about what she’s cooking in her "Cozy Kitchen," from classic Peruvian lomo saltado (with a genius shortcut) to a flavorful, herb-and-pepper-filled take on chicken soup.

Plus, we’re sharing a timeless way to cook bell peppers and a classic buttery Bundt cake made even better with toasted pecans and a cinnamon swirl.

Tune in for a quick dose of home cooking inspiration!

***

For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our free Substack here.

And join us on our live monthly calls by upgrading your subscription to paid!

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Links:

Adrianna’s A Cozy Kitchen blog, and her brand new cookbook: A Cozy Kitchen Cookbook

You can also find her on IG

Adrianna's best bites:

Cookie melting over ice cream

Strawberry brownies with white chocolate glaze

Other Adrianna Adarme recipes mentioned:

Aguadito de Pollo (Peruvian chicken soup)

Picadillo

Italian Sardine Pasta

Grandma’s seco de carne (beef stew)

Lomo Saltado with oven-baked fries

Sonya’s best bite: Marinated bell peppers

Kari’s best bite: Golden layer cakes recipe from: Rosie's Bakery All Better Fresh Cream Sugar Packed Baking Book

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Got a cooking question? Leave us a message on our hotline at: 323-452-9084

For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our Substack here.

Are you a local to Portland or planning a visit? You can now book a private farmers’ market tour with Sonya through Airbnb Experiences! Or order Sonya's cookbook Braids for more Food Friends recipes!

What do you make when you come home from the farmers’ market with a bag full of beautiful fall produce, and no plan for what to do with it?

This week, we’re sharing our top fall farmers’ market must-haves AND how we’re using them at home to make approachable dinners, nutritious meal-prep salads, satisfying lunches, and cozy vegetarian mains.

By the end of this episode, you’ll:

1. Find new foolproof techniques for cooking fall staples like eggplant and sweet potatoes
2. Discover a hearty, weeknight-friendly sheet pan meal that makes the most of seasonal squash
3. Make the most of unexpected market finds, like quince, plus ideas for turning them into something delicious

Press play now for inspiration for your next farmers’ market trip — and what to make when you get home!

***

For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our free Substack here.

And join us on our live monthly calls by upgrading your subscription to paid!

***

Links:

Join Sonya in person for a guided Portland Farmers' Market tour through Airbnb Experiences!

Delicata Squash

Lemon garlic roast chicken with delicata squash by David Tanis for NYT Cooking

Sweet Potato

Japanese sweet potato with creamy miso glaze by Faraway Kitchen

Peppers

Vegetarian stuffed poblano peppers by the Picky Eater

Peperonata by Serious Eats

Roasted red pepper and cheddar cheese egg bites from Jenn Lueke

Eggplant

Olia Hercules' Azerbaijani butter-braised eggplant, Sedakh

Eggplant adobo by Kay Chun for NYT Cooking

Apples

Crunchy Brussels Sprouts and Apple Slaw by Hetty Lui McKinnon from NYT Cooking

Caramelized onion, apple and goat cheese melts by Jerrell Guy for NYT Cooking

Quince

Poached quince by David Leibovitz, I like to serve with whipped cream, creme anglaise, or ice cream -- or turn into his quince tatin

Pears

Easy maple baked pears by Sally’s Baking Addiction

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Got a cooking question? Leave us a message on our hotline at: 323-452-9084

For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our Substack here.

Order Sonya's cookbook Braids for more Food Friends recipes!

Could beets become a family favorite if you just found the right way to make them?

In this bite-sized episode, we share a listener's question with expert advice, simple strategies, and lots of delicious ideas to inspire your cooking!

By the end of this episode, you’ll discover our favorite ways to use beets, like in colorful soups, as crispy chips, and in meal-prep-friendly salads.

You’ll also learn some unexpected ways to incorporate beets into both savory AND sweet dishes. Plus, we share our best tips for the easiest ways to cook a big batch or even freeze beets for later.

Tune in for a quick dose of home cooking inspiration!

***

For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our free Substack here.

And join us on our live monthly calls by upgrading your subscription to paid!

***

Links:

Pineapple beet smoothie from Three Little Chickpeas

Roasted beet hummus from Food 52

Persian yogurt beet dip from Unicorns in the Kitchen

Jeweled roasted vegetables (mix of beets, carrots, and Brussels sprouts) from The Food You Crave

Oven-baked beet chips from A Spicy Perspective

Scuttlebutt sandwiches from NYT Cooking

Sabich sandwiches from Food Network

Beautiful Soup by Celia Barbour for NYT Cooking

Sonya’s family borscht recipe

Ukrainian beet salad (Vinegret) from The New Baguette

Roasted beet salad over labneh from Evergreen Kitchen

Roasted beets in a sherry vinegar marinade from Superman Cooks

Flourless beet brownies by Jerelle Guy for NYT Cooking

Chocolate beet cake by Nigel Slater for Food 52

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Got a cooking question? Leave us a message on our hotline at: 323-452-9084

For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our Substack here.

Are you a local to Portland or planning a visit? You can now book a private farmers’ market tour with Sonya through Airbnb Experiences! Or order Sonya's cookbook Braids for more Food Friends recipes!

What if your fridge were stocked with delicious fall salads, ready whenever you needed an easy lunch or a dish to bring to the next potluck

Fall gets busy fast, and that’s why this week we’re sharing eight make-ahead salads that hold up beautifully in the fridge, so you can have easy, nutritious meals and sides ready all week long.

By the end of this episode, you’ll find out:

1. The best fall produce for prepping salads in advance
2. Simple techniques for keeping vegetables crisp, layering textures, and maximizing flavor
3. Flexible recipes for hearty lunches, potlucks, and holidays

Press play now for make-ahead salads that make busy fall days a little easier!

***

For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our free Substack here.

And join us on our live monthly calls by upgrading your subscription to paid!

***

Links:

Sonya’s fennel, apple, celery, pomegranate salad, and we like to use this mandoline for slicing veggies thin

Honey and harissa farro salad by Deb Perelman from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, via Serious Eats

Quinoa with caramelized corn and scallions by Lauryn Tyrell for Martha Stewart

Four bean salad with green romesco by Alison Roman from her cookbook: Dining In

Warm green bean and lentil salad by Ottolenghi

Lentil salad with roasted radicchio and cauliflower by Alexandra Stafford for Food 52

Pearled couscous and tomato salad from Baked By Melissa

Deborah Madison’s Ravioli and Tomato Salad with Masses of Basil from her cookbook: Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone (and the shelf-stable tortellini Kari gifted to Sonya, which would go great in this salad)

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Got a cooking question? Leave us a message on our hotline at: 323-452-9084

For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our Substack here.

Are you a local to Portland or planning a visit? You can now book a private farmers’ market tour with Sonya through Airbnb Experiences! Or order Sonya's cookbook Braids for more Food Friends recipes!

What if using phyllo dough didn’t have to be difficult, and you could make a golden, buttery pie with a mountain of vegetables?

In this bite-sized episode, we share delicious moments about the best things we ate this week to inspire each other – and you!

By the end of this episode, you’ll discover a seasonal cookbook full of flavorful intuitive recipes, and you’ll also find out why David Tanis’ fig and almond cake is a must-bake that's perfect for fall hosting.

You’ll also learn how to make a meatless main packed with chickpeas, cauliflower, and sweet potatoes that reheats like a dream and has a surprise technique that makes it easy to make.

Tune in for a quick dose of home cooking inspiration!

***

For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our free Substack here.

And join us on our live monthly calls by upgrading your subscription to paid!

***

Links:

How to Start a Cookbook Club from our Substack

Cookbook club pick: David Tanis’ A Platter of Figs, which is out of print, but can be found used or at your local library too

Some highlights from cookbook club were:

Corn, squash, and green beans with jalapeno butter

Fresh shell beans with sage and garlic

Berbere pizza

Fig and almond cake by David Tanis for NYT Cooking

Spiced veggie phyllo pie by Melissa Clark for NYT Cooking

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Got a cooking question? Leave us a message on our hotline at: 323-452-9084

For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our Substack here.

Are you a local to Portland or planning a visit? You can now book a private farmers’ market tour with Sonya through Airbnb Experiences! Or order Sonya's cookbook Braids for more Food Friends recipes!

How do you make dinner happen every night without feeling like you’re starting from scratch?

If you’re staring into the fridge at 5 p.m. with no idea what to make, this week Maggie Hoffman, host of The Dinner Plan, shares smart strategies for making weeknight cooking easier, along with a lineup of deeply satisfying fall dinners that come together quickly.

Think: chewy noodles tossed in a 5-minute sauce, a crowd-pleasing sheet-pan meal, and a foolproof take on pasta e ceci.

By the end of this episode, you’ll discover:

1. Flexible meal-planning tricks that help ingredients stretch further
2. Flavorful, low-effort meals that can pull you out of even the deepest cooking rut
3. Two meatless dinners that might end up in regular rotation in your kitchen

Press play now for practical strategies and quick fall dinners that will make answering the question, “What’s for dinner?” a little easier.

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For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our free Substack here.

And join us on our live monthly calls by upgrading your subscription to paid!

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Links:

Follow “The Dinner Plan” now wherever you listen to podcasts

Subscribe to Maggie’s Substack: The Dinner Plan for more recipe inspiration.

You can also find Maggie and more about The Dinner Plan on Instagram!

Maggie’s favorite pasta: Zaynab Issa's Gochujang-Sesame noodles (With Sun Ramen Noodles)

Meatless dinner: Georgina Hayden's clean-out-the-fridge pasta salad, from her cookbook: Medesque (with tons of weeknight-friendly recipes)

Sheet pan meal: Melissa Clark's Harissa chicken with Leeks, from her book: “Dinner Changing the Game” which has many more sheet pan recipes.

Maggie also highly recommends switching from half sheet to using stainless steel quarter sheet pans for this style of cooking (they fit in a toaster oven, and are dishwasher safe!)

Maggie (and our!) favorite brand of harissa paste is from NY Shuk

Comforting fall dinner: Jamie Oliver's Pasta e Ceci, from his book: Jamie’s Italy. Maggie loves to make small batches of stock with leftover rotisserie chicken bones in an Instantpot.

Standout from “The Dinner Plan:” Maureen Abood's Arayes from her cookbook: Lebanese Baking

What to cook when you don’t feel like cooking: A great loaded up sandwich like this Feta brined-chicken sandwiches made with grilled chicken.

Maggie recommends grilling proteins for multiple meals at the same time, and for recipe inspiration she recs Noah Galuten’s Grill Time!

Some of Maggie’s favorite cookbooks right now:

River Cafe Green by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers

Vegetables the Italian Way by Giulia Scarpaleggia

Carla Lalli’s new book: Food is a Feeling

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Got a cooking question? Leave us a message on our hotline at: 323-452-9084

For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our Substack here.

Are you a local to Portland or planning a visit? You can now book a private farmers’ market tour with Sonya through Airbnb Experiences! Or order Sonya's cookbook Braids for more Food Friends recipes!