The Dinner Plan

Postpartum meal prep is all over the internet in the US, but in Taiwan, 65% of new moms check into a full-service postpartum hotel to recover after giving birth. When Clarissa Wei, author of Sitting the Month, had her first baby, she wanted to learn more about the postpartum meals she was offered there. “What I didn't expect,” she says, “was that I would be given these herbal broths and soups. But no one would tell me what was in it or what it was for.” Clarissa, who also wrote the acclaimed cookbook Made in Taiwan, shares this experience in her new cookbook of postpartum recipes, and she cooked right from the book when her second child was born. In this episode of The Dinner Plan, she talks us through the tradition in Chinese medicine of gradually introducing more and more warming foods into a new mom's diet, describes the easiest way to prepare traditional postpartum foods for yourself or a friend, and shares all the advice she’d give a friend who was anticipating having a baby.

• Lotus Professional Series: Use code DINNERPLAN for 10% off at Lotuscooking.com
• MaraBela: Find Marabela Alcohol-Free Sparkling Tea at MaraBelaTea.com
• Made In Cookware: Visit madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer.

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In A Cozy Kitchen Cookbook, Adrianna Adarme zeroes in on the right recipe for every mood: There are easy dinners for the midweek slump, quick family dinners for the nights you’re low on time, and pajamas-recommended weekend recipes that can simmer in the oven while you relax on the couch. In this episode of The Dinner Plan, Adrianna walks us through a full meal plan for the week, including a big-batch dinner you can make on Sunday and freeze for Thursday, and quick dinner ideas for Monday when you need things to be easy. She shares her thoughts on which viral recipes that are actually worth cooking, and offers advice on stocking the freezer for lunchboxes and easy dinners for her toddler. Before you do any meal prep this weekend, listen in.

• Lotus Professional Series: Use code DINNERPLAN for 10% off at Lotuscooking.com.
• Dirty Labs: Use code DINNERPLAN to get 15% off your first order at DirtyLabs.com
• Made In Cookware: Visit madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer.

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In this episode of The Dinner Plan, cookbook author Nora Singley shares the story behind Martha Stewart's famous one-pot pasta, a pasta recipe that's been riffed on so many times you probably don't even remember the first time you saw it. Nora's new book dives deep on the method, and here, she shares the many reasons why it can actually be better to skip the separate pot of boiling water when you're making weeknight dinners. She walks us through her finely-tuned version of the popular cooking method, and explains why it works so well for carbonara, cacio e pepe, and even lasagna. Nora also shares her most-loved pantry staples, her go-to easy dinner, and the wildest story of a cooking disaster we’ve had on the show yet.

• Lotus Professional Series: Use code DINNERPLAN for 10% off at Lotuscooking.com
• MaraBela: Find Marabela Alcohol-Free Sparkling Tea at MaraBelaTea.com
• Made In Cookware: Visit madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer.

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“A lot of my books have been very much about reflecting traditional Chinese cooking and trying to just report accurately on what I find in China,” Fuchsia Dunlop says in this episode of The Dinner Plan podcast. For her new cookbook, Five Tastes, the author of Land of Fish and Rice, The Food of Sichuan, and Every Grain of Rice, among other Chinese cookbooks, found herself reflecting on the flavor combinations she learned in culinary school in Sichuan but applying those templates to dishes and ingredients that are more common in the UK. The result: a more personal book that reflects what Fuchsia's been cooking at home lately. Fuchsia shares her go-to quick and easy dinner ideas for nights when she hasn't been shopping, and helps us think through a dinner party menu for less stressful hosting.

• CookShelf: Use code DINNERPLAN for 25% off your first year at CookShelf
• 50Hertz: Use code TINGLYDINNERPLAN for 15% off at 50hertzfoods.com
• Lotus Professional Series: Use code DINNERPLAN for 10% off at Lotuscooking.com
• Made In Cookware: Visit madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer
• Hardie Grant Books: Find Taiwanese? by Eric Sze wherever you buy cookbooks

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Jeanine Donofrio of Love and Lemons was in a cooking rut. Rushing through busy weeknight dinners made cooking so much less enjoyable, and she missed the days when she had time to linger in the kitchen. Her dinners felt boring, too. With small kids underfoot, “If I took 20 minutes longer to do something, everyone would kind of be off the rocker. And it’s just not enjoyable to cook that way," Jeanine says. In this episode, Jeanine explains how she found her way to easy dinners that are still super-flavorful. These simple recipes (and flexible flavor-boosters) are featured in her new book, Love and Lemons: Pop of Flavor. If you're overwhelmed with meal prep and not excited about the dinners you cook, this episode is for you.

• Find STAUB enameled cast iron Dutch ovens at Staub.com
• McEvoy Ranch: Use code DINNERPLAN for 10% off at McEvoyranch.com
• Dirty Labs: Use code DINNERPLAN to get 15% off your first order at DirtyLabs.com
• Made In Cookware: Visit madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer.
• Find Just Date at Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Kroger or online at enjoyjustdate.com.
• Chronicle Books: Find Nik Sharma's Fundamentals of Flavor wherever you buy books.

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John Kanell of Preppy Kitchen is practical about dinner; he’ll use two air fryers at once to get chicken on the table fast. But the former middle school teacher sees baking as an important outlet for his family, and a way to make even leftovers-for-dinner nights feel special. In this episode of The Dinner Plan, John shares his go-to quick dinners, the doughs he'll stash in the freezer for enjoying later, and his advice for lower-stress baking with kids. You’ll also hear smart tips for make-ahead homemade rolls and pie crusts...Thanksgiving is coming!

• Lotus Professional Series: Use code DINNERPLAN for 10% off at Lotuscooking.com.
• CookShelf: Use code DINNERPLAN for 25% off your first year at CookShelf.
• Made In Cookware: Visit madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer.
• Nectar & Nest: Find reusable bread bags at NectarAndNestHome.com
• Nordic Ware: Use code DINNER10 at checkout for 10% off your purchase at Nordicware.com. (Nordic Ware note: Excludes sale items. Offer can not be combined with other promo codes, and only one promo code may be used per customer. The offer is valid for U.S. online purchases only. This promotion is non-transferable, not redeemable for cash, and not valid on prior purchases, special orders, or taxes. Discount is valid until 11:59 PM CST on December 31st, 2026.)

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Mark Bittman's latest cookbook, How to Cook Everything Vegan, isn't meant to convince you to declare yourself a 24/7 vegan. Instead, Mark explains in this episode of The Dinner Plan with Maggie Hoffman, he's trying to inspire you to cook more plant-based meals. (And trying to help you make them delicious.) "If I say to you, we're doing How to Cook Everything Grilling, everybody goes, 'Oh, great. We know exactly what that means,'" Mark says. "But no one thinks, 'Oh, Mark is now suggesting that we grill everything.'" Bittman offers his advice on how to make cooking dinner easier, plus his ideas for unexpected ways to cook tofu, mashed potatoes, and grains. We also get a peek at the dinner he made last night, and the way he thinks about batch cooking things like rice and beans.

• Lotus Professional Series: Use code DINNERPLAN for 10% off at Lotuscooking.com.
• Equator Coffees: Use code DINNERPLAN for 25% off your first order at EquatorCoffees.com
• Made In Cookware: Visit madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer.
• Find Just Date at Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Kroger or online at enjoyjustdate.com.

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Kay Chun has created numerous recipes for the New York Times, and worked in the test kitchens at Gourmet, Bon Appétit, and Food + Wine in addition to being a restaurant chef. She's one of my go-to trusted names when I'm looking for new dinner recipes. In this episode, Kay talks about how her youth practicing tae kwon do prepared her for life in a restaurant, and shares the way she thinks about meal planning for a busy week of dinners without too much repetition. Her new cookbook, Gather Around My Table, is full of smart techniques and ingredients that make for extra-flavorful dinners.

• Kuhn Rikon: Use code DINNER26 for 25% off at KuhnRikon.com (does not apply to items on sale)
• Lotus Professional Series: Use code DINNERPLAN for 10% off at Lotuscooking.com.
• Made In Cookware: Visit madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer.
• Chronicle Books: East to East by Rachel Gurjar is available on Amazon and wherever you buy books.

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Meal prep systems can feel like an all-or-nothing commitment, but Leah Victoria thinks there’s a reasonable way to prep some dinner building blocks without committing to a full week of recipes that you cook on Sunday and get sick of by Wednesday. In Episode 132 of The Dinner Plan, Leah shares her flexible meal planning philosophy, ideas for what to make with shredded chicken, ways to use up leftover meatballs, and flavor boosters you can make ahead on the weekend for easy meals all week long. She picks pantry staples you'll want to have on hand for easy dinners, and explains how you can do a little meal prep while still staying flexible and open to last-minute cravings or inspiration. “I think people put a lot of pressure on themselves to make it, like, this whole production. And it really just doesn't have to be that,” Leah says.

• Lotus Professional Series: Use code DINNERPLAN for 10% off at Lotuscooking.com.
• Cangshan Cutlery: Use code DINNERPLAN15 for 15 percent off a purchase of $100 or more until Dec 31, 2026 at CangshanCutlery.com.
• Dirty Labs: Use code DINNERPLAN to get 15% off your first order at DirtyLabs.com
• Made In Cookware: Visit madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer.

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Yotam Ottolenghi’s new cookbook, Simple Too, makes weeknight dinners even easier than the original book did. In this episode of The Dinner Plan, Yotam admits that he feels pressure to host the perfect dinner party, and so he’s set himself a few rules to cut down the stress of entertaining. He walks us through the whole menu he's preparing for guests tonight, and also shares his favorite no-fuss techniques for cooking vegetables, the shortcuts and simple recipes he relies on on busy weeknights, and a peek behind the scenes of the Ottolenghi test kitchen.

• Find Just Date at Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Kroger or online at enjoyjustdate.com.
• Une Femme Wines: Use code DINNERPLAN at unefemmewines.com for 20% off. Must be 21+
• Find the CookShelf app on iOS and Android, and use code DINNERPLAN for 25% off your first year.
• Made In Cookware: Visit madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer.
• Dirty Labs: Use code DINNERPLAN to get 15% off your first order at DirtyLabs.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.