You know that feeling when you open your fridge at 5pm and think: Okay, what am I actually making tonight?

We’ve all been there. That's why today we're each sharing our top eight essential ingredients and the recipes that go with them. These kitchen essentials live in our pantry, fridge, or freezer at all times, no matter what. They’re the real workhorses that pull double and triple duty across breakfast, dinner, weeknight meals, and entertaining.

By the end of this episode, you'll:

1. Discover why a simple jar of whole grain dijon belongs in every fridge, and how it transforms everything from egg salad to a creamy pan sauce for salmon
2. Learn how two humble ingredients — shelf-stable milk and yogurt — unlock a surprising range of recipes, from a stack of perfect pancakes to a gorgeous 4-ingredient yogurt cake
3. Find out why hoisin deserves a permanent spot in the pantry, and how it can become the star of a weeknight noodle dish that will become your new go-to

Press play now for inspo on how to stock your kitchen and make home cooking feel a whole lot easier!

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Links:

Yogurt for…

Green Goddess dressing from Love & Lemons

4 Ingredient Yogurt Cake by Dels Cooking Twist

And for ranch dressing, yogurt bowls, to make labneh, and more

Shelf Stable Milk…

Marcella Hazan’s bolognese sauce from NYT Cooking (unlocked)

Sonya’s rice pudding

Everyday pancakes by Mark Bittman from NYT Cooking (unlocked)

Jordan Marsh’s Blueberry Muffins adapted by Marian Burros for NYT Cooking

Mac and cheese (box or homemade), guests who need milk in their coffee or tea, for smoothies and overnight oats

Ground turkey or chicken for…

Sheetpan turkey meatballs with chickpeas from Smitten Kitchen

Or for Keema Shimla Mirch (Ground chicken with bell peppers) by Zainab Shah for NYT Cooking (unlocked), or Sonya’s turkey kotleti (small turkey patties), or taco filling similar to what Kari and Sonya make from Feel Good Foodie,

Mirepoix — aka carrots, celery, and onion…

Many great soups start with carrots, celery, onion: like classic chicken soup and Clean-out-your-fridge veggie soup from our Substack

Big pot of beans or beans on toast from NYT Cooking

Beef Stew from Spend with Pennies

Whole grain dijon mustard…

For classic vinaigrette like this one by Samin Nosrat from NYT Cooking

Sonya’s golden egg salad

Creamy mustard pan sauce from Serious Eats for salmon

Sonya’s herby potato salad from our Substack

Hoisin…

Soy-Basted Chicken Thighs with Spicy Cashews by Sam Sifton for NYT Cooking

Hoisin Garlic Noodles by Hetty Lui McKinnon for NYT Cooking

Slow-Cooker Pork Tacos with Hoisin & Ginger by Sam Sifton for NYT Cooking

Kimchi Chicken Lettuce Wraps by Alexa Weibel for NYT Cooking

White beans…

Spicy white bean stew with broccoli rabe by Alison Roman for NYT Cooking

Mediterranean white beans and greens from Grateful Grazer

Big bars of chocolate and bags of mini chocolate chips…

Bars of chocolate for any chocolate chip cookie recipe and Kari’s family’s favorite flourless chocolate cake by Tyler Florence via Food Network

Mini chips to make Zoe Francois’ Breakfast Cookies & homemade granola bars

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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!

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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Is it a soup… or is it a stew? And why does it matter which we call it?

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 a weeknight-friendly Alison Roman recipe that uses just a handful of ingredients but delivers big, bold flavor. You’ll also discover a seasonal take on toubeloueh that’s perfect for meal prep or even your next dinner party.

Tune in for a quick dose of home cooking inspiration!

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Links:

Spicy White Bean Stew with Broccoli Rabe by Alison Roman for NYT Cooking (unlocked), and Sonya loves the NY Shuk brand of harissa paste

Winter Tabbouleh, aka Brussels Sprouts Salad with Pomegranate & Pistachios by Sheela Prakash for NYT Cooking (unlocked)

For the marinara pasta with peppers, sauté a red pepper, a green pepper, and a generous amount of garlic. Add a jar of your favorite marinara (we like Rao's) and then toss in the cooked pasta with some grated Parmesan and stir in the pot for a few minutes until glossy.

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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!

What if baking isn’t about perfection — but about paying attention?

In this week’s episode, we sit down with the brilliant Victoria Granof to talk about baking as ritual, instinct, creativity, and care.

From working alongside Anthony Bourdain and Snoop Dogg to cooking for Ruth Reichl in her home, Victoria brings a lifetime of wisdom and experience as a culinary creative, legendary food stylist, mentor, and coach.

A James Beard Award finalist and one of Cherry Bombe’s 100 most inspiring women in food, Victoria shares how baking can be both grounding and transformative, whether you’re baking as an act of service for those in need or making shortbread cookies in your home kitchen.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

1. The influences and cookbooks that have shaped Victoria’s culinary life
2. How ritual, full moons, and community come together in her monthly Substack gathering, Be Kneady
3. What decades of food styling have taught her about risk and instinct

If you’ve ever wanted to bake with more confidence, more curiosity, and more meaning, this conversation will change the way you think about what happens in your oven.

Press play now and rediscover the joy of baking at home!

(Photo of Victoria Granof by Louise Hagger)

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Looking to connect with avid fellow home cooks?

Join us on our live monthly calls by becoming a paid subscriber to our Substack here!

Or sign up for free to receive recipes and roundups straight to your inbox.

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Links:

Victoria Granof’s Substack: Delicious Tangents, where she hosts her “Be Kneady” monthly gatherings, you can also follow her on Instagram, and find more about her here, or sign up to work with her 1:1.

Check out Victoria’s gorgeous book: Sicily, My Sweet – Love Notes to an Island, with Recipes for Cakes, Cookies, Puddings, and Preserves.

Cookbooks Victoria referenced: Marcella Hazan’s Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, The Joy of Cooking, Maida Heatter’s cookbooks, Rose Levy Berenbaum’s baking books, and Carol Field’s The Italian Baker.

Silver dollar pancake recipe from Betty Crocker (the recipe Victoria originally used was from The Betty Crocker Cookbook for Boys and Girls.

Victoria’s grandmother’s simple braided cookies with sesame seeds can be found in her book, Sicily My Sweet

Some of Victoria’s food styling: her Belgian food shoot with Kenji Toma, and the dripping ice cream cone for Bon Appetit Magazine

Lady M Crepe Cakes

Pretzel shortbread cookie recipe from Host The Toast. In Victoria’s words: “I discovered from the label of the Lost Bread pretzel shortbread that they use breadcrumbs (wheat, rye,barley), which I guessed were crumbs from their wheat, rye and barley sourdough bread, so I made dried breadcrumbs from that exact bread and whirred them in the food processor to the consistency of whole grain flour, and subbed them measure for measure for the pretzel crumbs and EUREKA!!! The pretzel flavor comes from the lye bath and pretzel salt.”

The new Gourmet Magazine.

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

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

We love hearing from you — follow us on Instagram @foodfriendspod, or drop us a line at [email protected]!

What if one simple technique could change how you make roast chicken forever? 

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 why the Zuni Café Cookbook is a timeless classic for home cooks – including why the roast chicken and bread salad is still its most famous recipe!

You’ll also want to make our favorite nachos layered with veggies, beans, and meat. Discover how to construct it so each layer is perfectly cheesy and flavorful, and it might just become your new favorite weeknight meal.

Tune in for a quick dose of home cooking inspiration!

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Join us on our live monthly calls by becoming a paid subscriber to our Substack here! Or sign up for free to receive roundups and recipes straight to your inbox. 

We can’t wait to gather in community and swap recipes + tips with fellow curious home cooks!

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Links:

Zuni Cafe Cookbook, by Judy Rodgers

A simplified version of the famous roasted chicken and bread salad from Smitten Kitchen 

Pasta with spicy cauliflower from Amateur Gourmet (the original uses a mix of broccoli and cauliflower, which he mentions) 

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

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

Ever wonder what two former personal chefs actually eat in a day?

If you’re constantly asking, “What’s for breakfast, lunch, or dinner?” This episode is packed with easy meal ideas and real-life recipes to reduce that feeling of overwhelm, and deliver practical inspiration you can use all week.

In this episode, you’ll learn how to:

1. Upgrade your breakfast with a simple Turkish-inspired egg dish or a skillet pancake that brings joy to any morning
2. Make lunchtime easier with smart leftover transformations and a few make-ahead, deli-style salads 
3. Discover two flavorful sheetpan dinners, and a one-pot meatless main we're making on repeat

Tune in now, peek inside our kitchens, and leave with fresh ideas for the week ahead!

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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: 

Day 1

Sonya:

Breakfast – Yogurt bowl with homemade granola, flax, kiwi, blueberries, goji berries and homemade granola.

Kari’s granola recipe is from Sony’as cookbook, Braids, and David Leibovitz has a a really good loaded tahini granola recipe

Lunch – Golden egg salad, black sesame rice crackers, tangerine, carrots, sauerkraut, radishes, grapes, pickled kohlrabi

Dinner – Tomato lentil stew with crispy potatoes, by Hetty Lui McKinnon for NYT Cooking (unlocked)

Kari:

Breakfast – Dutch Baby recipe by Florence Fabricant from NYT Cooking (unlocked), made with Einkorn flour and inspired by the recipe in Einkorn Made Easy by Adrian J.S. Hale

Lunch – Huevos Rancheros by Kay Chun for NYT Cooking (unlocked), made with leftover refried beans and salsa from takeout 

Dinner – Roasted Cauliflower with Feta & Dates Sheet Pan Salad by Kendra Vaculin for Bon Appetit (radicchio and shredded cabbage was subbed for the arugula, and hazelnuts were swapped for pistachios )

Day 2

Sonya:

Breakfast – Turkish-inspired eggs, but instead of poached eggs, they were fried in butter spiced with smoked paprika and aleppo pepper, once cooked placed on yogurt with added dill and pepper, served with toast

Lunch – Herby tuna salad, winter citrus, pomegranate, mint salad, celery and kohlrabi salad with date and almond 

Dinner – Shawarma chicken thighs by Sam Sifton for NYT Cooking (unlocked) (using this shawarma spiced blend, and bone-in skin-on thighs), served with roasted thyme carrots and parsnips from Food Network (honey is optional)

Kari: 

Breakfast – Peanut Butter & Honey Cereal Bars from our Substack, using a combination of Grape Nuts and Rice Krispies, Kari froze the bites in individual snack bags, served with a smoothie with banana, dates, blood oranges, kohlrabi leaves, ice and full-fat Greek yogurt  

Lunch: Saucy chickpeas with sour cream in a tortilla with cabbage on top (coming soon to our Substack!)

Dinner –  Leftover pizza from Prime Pizza with radicchio salad topped with crispy panko breadcrumbs, toasted hazelnuts, and balsamic vinaigrette

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

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

We love hearing from you — follow us on Instagram @foodfriendspod, or drop us a line at [email protected]!

What if your best bite of the week came from beans… or a conversation at the butcher counter?

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 favorite crispy-topped “pizza beans” that are hearty, cheesy, and ideal for a meatless dinner. You’ll also discover how a local butcher inspired our new favorite collagen-rich braised meat sauce.

Tune in for a quick dose of home cooking inspiration!

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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!

***

Links:

Smitten Kitchen’s pizza beans

Sausage Ragu by Sara Jenkins and Nancy Harmon Jenkins, adapted by Julia Moskin for NYT Cooking (unlocked)

Pennsylvania-Dutch scrapple from Food Network

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

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

We love hearing from you — follow us on Instagram @foodfriendspod, or drop us a line at [email protected]!

Are your weeknight pasta nights starting to feel predictable…even though you know pasta has so much more potential?

When you’re tired and hungry, it’s easy to reach for the same jar of sauce and the same box of noodles. In this episode, we’re showing you how to turn pantry staples and simple techniques into pasta dinners that feel comforting, craveable, and completely new.

By the end of this episode, you’ll:

1. Learn the secrets to a crispy-topped, gooey baked pasta that’s worth turning on the oven
2. Expand your rotation with dishes built around seasonal greens, wild mushrooms, and bright citrus
3. Discover how to harness your pantry to build bold, flavor-packed sauces—including a Samin Nosrat recipe we can’t stop making
4. 
   

Press play and make pasta night the best night of the week.

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Links

Six Seasons of Pasta by Joshua McFadden and Martha Holmber, for all the best ways to make a baked pasta dish

Baked Ziti from All Recipes – Sonya made a version with Cavatapi pasta and swapped sausage for blanched broccoli rabe

Cheesy baked pasta with Sausage and Ricotta by Melissa Clark for NYT Cooking 

Baked gnocchi alla Sorrentina from Wishbone Kitchen 

River Cafe Walnut Tagliatelle from The Guardian (we skip adding oil to our pasta water)

Sausage ragu by Sara Jenkins and Nancy Harmon Jenkins, adapted by Julia Moskin for NYT Cooking (unlocked)

Bucatini with Swiss Chard, Raisins and Parm by Joshua McFadden by way of Nigella Lawson by way of Amateur Gourmet

Creamy Mushroom Pasta with Garlic Miso Butter by Chandra Ram for Food & Wine

Nigella Lawson’s famous lemon linguine

Chicken Piccata pasta by Anna Theoktisto for Food & Wine

Samin Nosrat’s spicy tuna pantry pasta from Food and Wine

Do you want to know the secret to cooking the crispiest, fluffiest roast potatoes at home? 

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 British-style roastie potatoes known for their golden, crackly exterior and fluffy interior. You’ll also want to cook up our go-to chicken enchiladas; they're perfect for weeknight dinners, feed a crowd, and make smart use of leftovers so you can get dinner on the table with ease. 

Tune in for a quick dose of home cooking inspiration!

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Links:

British roast potatoes from The Jam Jar

For a deep dive on roasties, check out  The Best Crispy Roast Potatoes by Kenji Lopez-Alt for Serious Eats

Sam Sifton's Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde for NYT Cooking (unlocked)

But this week, Kari used leftover roasted chicken and green enchilada sauce by Siete Foods (not sponsored!), and topped them with Monterey Jack and Queso Fresco

***

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 free Substack here. And join us on our live monthly calls by upgrading your subscription to paid!

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

We love hearing from you — follow us on Instagram @foodfriendspod, or drop us a line at [email protected]!

Think salads are a summer thing? Great salads don’t have to disappear in the colder months.

If you’re craving something crisp, bright, and alive during the winter, this week we're making the most of peak cold-weather produce. We’re sharing 10 salad recipes built around seasonal ingredients like juicy citrus, crunchy celery, hearty winter greens, and smart pantry staples.

By the end of this episode, you’ll:

1. Discover make-ahead–friendly salads that work just as well for meal prep as they do for entertaining
2. Find stunning, flavor-packed salads that might completely change how you cook with celery, citrus, and even Brussels sprouts
3. Learn which two salads are hearty enough to stand alone as a full meal

Press play now and let this episode change the way you enjoy salads all winter long.

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Sign up for our Substack here for original recipes and a roundup from each episode.

Upgrade to paid, and join our monthly live Q&A!

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Links: 

Sonya’s citrus, pomegranate, mint and feta salad with pomegranate molasses dressing

Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranate & Pistachio by Sheela Prakash for NYT Cooking (unlocked)

Celery root remoulade by Alice Waters, shared by Full Belly Farm 

Celery dates almonds parmesan inspired by Six Seasons by Joshua McFadden, recipe by Cookie & Kate

Sonya’s celery and kohlrabi salad with date and almond

Ultimate Winter Salad by Natalie Perry for The Pioneer Woman

Thai Pomelo Salad from Healthyish and Happy

Thai Peanut and Cabbage Salad from Cookie & Kate 

Anna’s California salad from A Modern Way to Eat by Anna Jones, shared by 101 Cookbooks

Winter Panzanella from Floating Kitchen

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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!

We love hearing from you — follow us on Instagram @foodfriendspod, or drop us a line at [email protected]!

Is the viral Japanese yogurt cheesecake worth making?

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 find out for yourself if you should jump on the Japanese yogurt cheesecake trend, and you'll also discover a next-level take on no-bake rice crispies treats!

You'll also want to try our favorite slow-cooker braised chicken dish, which relies exclusively on pantry staples and can be the foundation for countless dishes -- like a delicious weekday taco.

Tune in for a quick dose of home cooking inspiration!

***

To join our monthly live hang, or for more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our Substack here.

***

Links:

Two-ingredient viral Japanese yogurt cheesecake recipe from Food & Wine

Pistachio Halvah Rice Krispie Treats by Miro Uskokovic from NYT Cooking (unlocked)

Kari’s slow cooker braised chicken for an easy taco lunch

Tortilla Land ready-to-cook flour tortillas that Kari uses (not sponsored!)

***

To join our monthly live hang, or for more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our Substack here.

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

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

We love hearing from you — follow us on Instagram @foodfriendspod, or drop us a line at [email protected]!