How do you like your egg salad? Simple and classic with minimal ingredients? Or do you like a maximalist version with tons of flavor? 

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 Kari’s 4-ingredient easy egg salad for quick meal prep and sandwiches, or Sonya’s golden egg salad with a secret ingredient and a special technique. Plus, you’ll hear about a sweet-and-salty twist on Rice Krispies treats that you’ll want to whip up for lunchboxes, after-school snacks, and back-to-school gatherings.

Tune in for a quick dose of home cooking inspiration! 

***

Links:

Our two takes on egg salad from our Substack!

Brown butter rice crispie treats from Smitten Kitchen – which Kari added crumbled pretzel and golden raisins too

***

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. You can also now find us on YouTube. 

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

Book a farmers’ market tour with Sonya in Portland, OR!

What if the secret to making effortless, delicious meals was already in your pantry?

If you’ve ever opened your pantry searching for dinner inspiration but ended up cooking the same-old boring meal, this episode is for you! 

By the end of this episode, you’ll: 

1. Learn how a staple like tomato paste can be the base of a flavor broth or quick sauce 
2. Learn why chefs swear by anchovies to bring a punch to countless dishes… including an easy dressing!
3. Find out how Japanese curry cubes are your ticket to a quick dinner with any protein or veggies you have on hand

Hit play now! The secret to flavor-packed cooking is already sitting on your pantry shelf! 

***

Links:

Tomato paste:  in Sonya’s manti in brothy tomato sauce, and Alison Roman’s caramelized shallot pasta, and for our go-to coconut red lentil dish

Canned chickpeas: Kari’s #1 quick meal = bite-sized pasta with chickpeas, and whatever veg/herbs she has (we also love Serious Eats' pasta e ceci), and a simple chickpea salad is always a great base for a bigger salad. We love a simple chickpea coconut curry, and also using a can for a 5-minute hummus!

Anchovies: Discover what to do with a tin of anchovies from Serious Eats, and we love them for a simple dressing, and as the base of pasta sauces like Midnight pasta

Coconut Milk: for a 30-minute veggie coconut curry from Minimalist Baker, and for Coconut Miso Salmon Curry from Kay Chun for NYT Cooking (unlocked), and in Kari's sunny chicken soup with lemon and coconut milk

Tahini: Some of our favorite tahini brands: Soom, Seed & Mill, Whole Foods 365 Organic Tahini, and Eden Foods. Sonya’s 3 favorite tahini sauces, and her sesame sauce for noodles. For a sweet treat, try Sonya’s tahini chocolate chunk cookies (swap the chocolate with dried fruit)

Farro: Charlie Bird’s farro salad, the cabbage and farro soup from Six Seasons, and crusty baked cauliflower and farro from Smitten Kitchen 

Orzo: One-pan garlic butter chicken orzo from How Sweet Eats, and a one-pan lemon orzo and salmon from Something Nutritious

Couscous: Ina Garten’s couscous with pine nuts, currants & shallots, a showering of fresh herbs

Japanese curry cubes: Here’s a great guide and recipe for Japanese chicken curry, but Sonya typically makes hers vegetarian

Jarred Roux: Kari’s go-to premade jarred roux for gumbo, soups, stews, and more.

Pomegranate Molasses: For salad dressings like this one, as a sauce for wings, and drizzled on top of roasted squash. (We love the Cortas brand for its flavor)

***

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.

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

Have you ever wanted to make a deli-style pickle at home, but are too intimidated to try? 

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 learn how easy it is to turn a bevy of cucumbers + salt into homemade pickles – with no fancy equipment or complicated ingredients required! You’ll also discover a vegetarian Italian pasta dish that uses up all the gorgeous eggplant at the farmers’ market right now. 

Tune in for a quick dose of home cooking inspiration!

***

Links:

One of our favorite recipes for lacto-fermented (sour) pickles is from The Gefilteria. They use 2 Tablespoons of kosher salt to 4 cups of water. For half-sour pickles, ferment for a shorter amount of time. 

A more exact and very helpful guide to making lacto-fermented pickles at home from Farmhouse on Boone!

A simple guide to lacto-fermentation from Noma

Pasta alla Norma by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt for Serious Eats, similar to how Kari made hers, and David Lebovitz’s Pasta alla Norma that uses roasted eggplant  

***

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

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

For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our Substack here. You can also now find us on YouTube. 

Book a farmers’ market tour with Sonya in Portland, OR!

Craving a sweet treat to beat the summer heat, but can’t even imagine walking into your hot kitchen, let alone turning on the oven? 

In this episode re-release, we’re divulging our tried and true easy summer dessert recipes to make at home, from cold and creamy to perfectly packable, no cooking required! 

This week you’ll discover:

1. Fast and easy icebox cakes and frozen pies that bring excitement to any table and rely on easy to find ingredients
2. A chocolatey cookie treat that travels easily to the beach, picnic, or on a road trip
3. A make-ahead dessert from Sonya’s childhood that maximizes seasonal fruit and is perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream

Tune in now for a spoonful of sweet inspiration!   

***

Links:

Sonya’s raspberry mocha icebox cake, strawberry tiramisu, and fruit compote recipes

Ina Garten’s mocha icebox cake

Chocolate wafers for icebox cake (or use oreo thins!)

18 ice cream pie ideas from Taste of Home

Not-so-classic peach melba from David Tanis for the NY Times

Classic Scotheroos recipes from Tastes Better From Scratch

Buckeyes recipe by Tammy Winters for All Recipes

Tricia Yearwood’s no-bake rocky road bars

All the rocky road bar combos on TikTok

Ina Garten’s limoncello fruit salad recipe 

***

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. You can also now find us on YouTube. 

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

Book a farmers’ market tour with Sonya in Portland, OR!

What if you could make the creamiest, smoothest hummus in only 5 minutes? 

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 learn how to make the easiest, most delicious 5-minute hummus that can be the start of your next great dinner or might become a lunchbox hero. You’ll also discover a recipe for a colorful red pepper relish that’s smoky, tangy, and perfect for crostini, which can be made ahead and easily packed up for al fresco dining.

Tune in for a quick dose of home cooking inspiration!

***

Links:

Michael Solomonov’s 5-minute hummus recipe

Sabich sandwiches from Serious Eats

Make-ahead grilled pepper relish by Elaine Johnson from Sunset Magazine 

Hetty Lui McKinnon’s roasted tomato and dumpling salad from NYT Cooking 

Broccoli spoon salad by Beverly Kim from Bon Appetit 

***

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. You can also now find us on YouTube. 

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

Book a farmers’ market tour with Sonya in Portland, OR!

Have you ever wondered why corn, beans, and squash are often grown –  and cooked – together?

In late summer and early fall, sweet corn, tender squash, and every kind of bean offer a special kind of abundance at our gardens and local farmers’ markets. But with all that bounty, what do you actually cook?

We’re sharing our top 10 Three Sisters-inspired recipes, and by the end of this episode, you’ll:

1. Learn why these crops are called the “Three Sisters,” and get reliable recipes to combine all three... because “what grows together, goes together”
2. Discover quick and easy ways to maximize all that remaining zucchini piling up, from a simple Korean side dish to a rich and nutritious bruschetta topping
3. Find out trusted recipes to make the most of corn while it’s still here, like an irresistible soup and a weeknight chicken dinner 

Tune in now for peak summer flavors, comforting meals, and exciting ways to cook with beans, corn, and squash!

***

This week’s episode is sponsored by La Baleine, makers of ancestral sea salts harvested from France.

A high-quality sea salt can transform just about any dish, and finishing sea salt is one of those small touches that makes a big difference in home cooking. 

We love their Le Saunier de Camargue Fleur de Sel. It’s harvested by hand during a few weeks each year, when the sea, air, and wind align to create the delicate “salt flower” that rises to the surface. 

Grab a jar of their flaky fleur de sel here, or at your local Whole Foods Market, and add a little French sparkle to your next dish. Use code LESAUNIER15 for $2 off your order!

***

Links:

Our three sisters’ episode from Season 2 with Javier Lara: The three sisters: Indigenous wisdom for growing, sharing, and home cooking squash, beans, and corn

Also from season 2, you can listen to an entire episode about Summer Corn 

To learn more about the three sisters, we highly recommend Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Braiding Sweetgrass

Corn

Sonya’s corn soup

Grilled chicken thighs and corn with lime-basil butter by Clare de Boer for NYT Cooking (unlocked)

Beans

Greek marinated gigante baked beans from My Greek Dish, or a stovetop version from Real Greek Recipes. And here are gigante beans if you’re looking to order some online

Tortilla & black bean pie by Martha Stewart

Squash

Korean pan fried rounds of zucchini (Hobak Jeon) from Kimchi Mari

Zucchini bruschetta (aka zucchini crostini!) by Martha Stewart (add a little basil in it too!)

All Three

Three Sisters Bowl with Hominy, Beans, and Squash by Sean Sherman (The Sioux Chef) for NYT Cooking (unlocked)

Lobster succotash by David Tanis for NYT Cooking (unlocked)

***

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. You can also now find us on YouTube. 

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

Book a farmers’ market tour with Sonya in Portland, OR!

Ever wondered what muffin recipe is endlessly versatile, and also yields fluffy, not-too-sweet results? 

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 simple, reliable muffin recipe that you can make with just about any fruit, and a stunning 30-minute summer pasta dish that uses an unexpected herb (that you might already have growing in your garden).

Tune in for a quick dose of home cooking inspiration!

***

Links:

King Arthur Baking’s best basic muffin recipe

Sonya’s “galette with any fruit” recipe, we love using Nicole Rucker’s pie dough technique from recipe in Fat & Flour

Wishbone Kitchen’s sungold tomato pasta 

***

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. You can also now find us on YouTube. 

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

Book a farmers’ market tour with Sonya in Portland, OR!

What’s one recipe that changed everything in your kitchen — and maybe even your friendships? 

If you’re a home cook who’s ever felt stuck in a rut, outgrown old favorites, or longed for a deeper connection at the dinner table, this episode is for you. We’re reflecting on the recipes we return to again and again, and how they shape our kitchens, our routines, and our relationships. Passing a recipe from one friend to another can ripple outward, becoming part of something bigger than just dinner.

To celebrate our 200th episode, we’re sharing the top 10 recipes that have transformed how we cook and host… and brought us closer as friends. that have transformed how we cook and host…  and brought us closer as friends. 

By the end of this episode, you’ll:

1. Discover reliably delicious recipes for entertaining, potlucks, meal delivery, and quick weeknight meals
2. Learn unexpected tips, from slow cooker short-cuts to the dish that turned a salad-skeptic kid into a salad lover
3. Find out the easiest dessert that we have made dozens of times, and have even served for breakfast!

Press play now, and rediscover why cooking at home still feels exciting, nourishing, and new… even after hundreds of meals. 

***

This week’s episode is sponsored by La Baleine, makers of ancestral sea salts harvested from France.

A good quality salt can enhance the flavor of just about any dish, and even your next dessert!

We love their fine grey sea salt from the mineral-rich clay of the Guérande region. Untreated and additive free, it’s hand-harvested using traditional know-how. 

👉 Grab a jar here or at your local Whole Foods Market, and bring a little French magic to your kitchen. Until August 12th, the first 1,000 customers who order from the link can select a coupon for $1 off their purchase!

***

LINKS:

Sonya’s favorite recipes from Kari:

1. Farro and Cauliflower Parm by Sarah DiGregorio for NYT Cooking (unlocked) is now a go-to for hosting or for meal delivery
2. Quinoa and broccoli spoon salad by Sohla El-Waylly for the NYT Cooking (unlocked)
3. Blueberry Pudding Cake from Epicurious has been made countless times in every season

Kari’s favorite recipes from Sonya:

1. Kari eats more salad because of Sonya, and her favorites are the kale with mint and strawberries, the Maria’s chopped salad, and most importantly, the rainbow salad recipe that converted her son to a salad eater. 
2. Sonya’s turkey chil is a family favorite
3. Using her slow cooker more! Especially slow cooker apple butter from Family Food On The Table, and slow cooker caramelized onions from Gimme Some Oven (which she uses for her tomato soup recipe) 

Our top recipes discovered by hosting the podcast:

1. Olia Hercules’ Tarragon Soup from her cookbook Kaukasis: The culinary journey through Georgia, Azerbaijan & Beyond
2. Adrian Hale’s recipe for: “Communal Table Bread - My easiest first bread recipe.” If you want to take a baking class with her in Portland, OR, sign up here. 
3. The life-changing frittata inspired by Lauren Chandler’s take on a frittata. She referenced this Bon Appetit How to Master Frittata for a Crowd, as well as How to Make a Perfect Frittata: Rules to Follow and Mistakes to Avoid. Lauren adds: “This was the jumping-off point. They say any dairy, but I used ½-cup of heavy cream per dozen eggs. The creaminess was definitely also due to the heavily caramelized onions. Also, I added ¾ cup shredded Tillamook cheddar per dozen eggs, as well as herbs.”
4. Nicole Rucker’s pie dough recipe can be found in Fat + Flour: The Art of a Simple Bake

***

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. You can also now find us on YouTube. 

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

Book a farmers’ market tour with Sonya in Portland, OR!

Are you looking for a fresh take on how to use up your haul of peak-season summer corn?

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 some winning recipes from Sonya’s recent cookbook club meeting, and you’ll want to try an herbaceous, plant-based take on classic creamed corn. You’ll also discover an easy twist on butter chicken that requires no chicken at all, and comes together in one pot for a satisfying meatless weeknight dinner. 

Tune in for a quick dose of home cooking inspiration!

***

Links: 

This month’s cookbook club pick: The Cook You Want To Be, by Andy Baraghani 

Andy Baraghani’s Kufteh (rice + meat meatballs), his pistachio plum cake, and the coconut creamed corn recipe can be found in the cookbook. 

Spicytude butter chicken spice mix (not sponsored for this episode)

Paneer butter masala recipe (a veggie take on butter chicken) from Indian Healthy Recipes, we recommend adding chickpeas too!, and a fully vegan butter chicken option from Vegan Richa

***

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. You can also now find us on YouTube. 

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

Book a farmers’ market tour with Sonya in Portland, OR!

Do you feel nervous about hosting, and wish you could create a warm and generous vibe for guests with a few simple starters and snacks? 

If you’re looking for unfussy recipes that make entertaining easy, tune into our episode with Carolina Gelen. Her simple-to-follow recipes communicate love and care, even when you don’t have a lots of time to spend in the kitchen, allowing you to enjoy more quality time with your guests!

This week you’ll…

1. Learn simple yet impressive recipes like “Butter Pecan Twists” that come together quickly with pantry staples like brown sugar, butter, and frozen puff pastry. 
2. Discover how to create a warm and inviting atmosphere by pulling a fluffy homemade focaccia out of the oven just as the doorbell rings. 
3. Get inspired by what Carolina learned from her childhood about being resourceful in the kitchen, and how that translates into accessible and impressive potluck dishes like her cabbage roll cake or one-pot baked risotto. 

Tune in now for home cooking tips, recipes, and heart-warming stories with Carolina Gelen! 

***

Links: 

Get your copy of Pass the Plate, Carolina Gelen’s debut cookbook with recipes like butter pecan twist, stuffed dates, cabbage roll cake, and more!

Carolina’s Instagram, TikTok, and Substack!

Carolina’s recipes for phyllo wrapped fish sticks, her pickle latkes, her viral roasted cherry tomato soup and loaded smashed potatoes, 

Hot mustard Doritos

Ottolenghi test kitchen cookbook: Shelf Love

***

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. You can also now find us on YouTube. 

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

Book a farmers’ market tour with Sonya in Portland!