Food Friends: Home Cooking Made Easy

Food Friends
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Do you love home cooking but hunger for better recipes that help you deliver quick and delicious meals to your dinner table? Two former personal chefs turned best friends share their expertise with each other and you! Kari and Sonya have been inspiring each other in the kitchen for over 15 years by swapping recipes, tips, and trade secrets in the pursuit of better home cooking. FOOD FRIENDS is a bi-weekly podcast inspiring home cooks to try new dishes in the kitchen by sharing trusted recipes, tips, and friendship. Every Tuesday, each host delivers 3 unique solutions to seasonal home cooking, like: how to make craveable soups with your farmers market haul, the easiest one-pot meals for busy nights, or what to do with leftover rotisserie chicken. On Thursdays, we serve up a pint-sized chat about our “Best Bite” of the week, pantry essentials we can’t live without, and more. Previous guests include Seth & Lauren Rogen, actor Randall Park & writer/director Evan Goldberg, recipe developer Justine Doiron, #1 Food & Beverage Substacker Caroline Chambers, and more. If you’re looking for a boost of fun in the kitchen by discovering recipes that will make mealtime easier and more delicious with a healthy dose of laughter, then you’ll want to dig in with FOOD FRIENDS! First-time listener? Tune into Episode 2: Don’t send flowers, send soup! and Episode 4: What do you bring to a potluck?

  1. 1d ago

    One-Pot Pasta! | Our Best Home Cooking Bites of the Week, with Nora Singley

    For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our free Substack here. Want to join our live monthly calls? Upgrade to a paid subscription for $5/month or $55/year. Our Thanksgiving Zoom is coming up on November 18 at 4:30 PM PT! *** What if you could make restaurant-quality pasta in just one pot? Leave your colander behind, because this week, we’re joined by Nora Singley, author of the new book: One Pot Pasta. Nora shares the techniques behind making glossy, flavorful pasta dishes, all with the ease of cooking them in a single pot. She’s also sharing her “Best Bite” of the week, a dish that’s full of surprises and relies on a humble can of tuna. Kari shares her own “Best Bite,” an inventive pasta and salad combination straight from Nora’s book! Tune in for a dose of home cooking inspiration! *** LINKS Nora Singley’s new book: One-Pot Pasta Saucy, Satisfying, and Simple-to-Make Pastas That Come Together in a Single Pan Stay connected with Nora on her Substack: Noodle, and follow her on Instagram The original one-pot pasta recipe from Martha Stewart Nora’s best bite: Tuna Surprise by Zora Tangorra for Molly Baz’s recipe club (Free trial available) (you have to taste it to believe it) Recipes discussed in this episode that you can find in Nora’s book: Caesar on Caesar, Bottle of White Pasta e Piselli, One Pot Lasagna, Rainy day Tomato Soup and Pastina, Pasta alla Vodka alla Boursin Other recipes mentioned: Roasted fruit and veg with Martha Stewart Sticky toffee pudding Nora developed for Martha Stewart Molly Baz’s pistachio chili crisp **** 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!

  2. 3d ago

    Meal Prep Like A Private Chef: Four Menus for Busy Weeks

    What do private chefs actually cook for families during the week… and what can home cooks learn from it? In this episode, we’re pulling back the curtain on our client menus. These are the kinds of meals designed to work in real life, they’re flexible, flavorful, make-ahead friendly, and built to stretch into multiple lunches and dinners throughout the week. We’re also sharing the strategies we rely on in our own kitchens, and by the end of this episode, you’ll discover: How to build “mix-and-match” weekly meal plans that don’t feel boringStrategies for prepping proteins, sauces, and vegetables once and using them throughout the week4 unique menus that feature some of our go-to dinners Tune in now to cook like a private chef in your kitchen! *** 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! *** SONYA: Menu #1 Main Dishes for Tuesday night (served fresh): Ina’s Perfect roast chicken (used rosemary instead of thyme), and rosemary garlic tofu like this, served with rustic mashed potatoes and arugula parm salad, lemon vinaigrette Mix and Match for the week: Soup/Stew for the week: Kitchri + toppings: sliced onion, sliced cucumber, hard boiled eggs Protein: Mediterranean-style marinated and grilled skirt steak A pot of brothy beans – made with pinto beans Sides: Crispy parm-roasted brussels sprouts Leafy greens Dressing: Homemade ranch Deli salad: Golden egg salad KARI Menu #1: Sunday Meal Prep: pot of black beans, pot of short-grain brown rice, marinate and bake or grill lime chicken, cut up mango and/or pineapple or fruit from the farmers market Sunday Dinner: Roasted fish (snapper, salmon, Arctic Char) with rice and roasted carrots and parsnips Monday dinner: Lime chicken with black bean and queso fresco salad with chopped zucchini jicama, red peppers, cilantro scallion, chile powder, and lime juice Tuesday dinner: Carrot and radicchio salad via The James Beard Foundation Leftover rice and beans make good burritos or tacos later in the week Sonya Menu #2: Monday Dinner: Roasted salmon with green herbs, saffron rice, and wedge salad Tuesday Dinner: Stuffed peppers – turkey stuffed peppers and vegetarian stuffed peppers with chickpeas and cheese Mix and Match for the week: Soup: Georgian tarragon soup Protein: Greek meatballs (you can also use 100% beef, or swap beef for chicken, and add crumbled feta if desired) Side: Cauliflower roasted with red onion and dates (used turmeric and black pepper instead of spice mix) Dressing: Tahini sauce Snack: Tzatziki and crudités Deli salad: Pepperonicin chicken salad, and a similar one that doesn’t require a subscription Kari Menu #2: Sunday Meal Prep: Slow cooker caramelized onions (for tomato soup) Tomato soup Early Bird granola, aka “Nekisia’s olive oil and maple granola” from A Grain of Salt Pot of quinoa Quinoa cakes and set aside ½ cup of quinoa for Erewhon greenies Erewhon “greenies”: Blanched or steamed kale and broccoli until bright green and crisp tender, add quinoa, hemp seeds, virgin coconut oil and sea salt Sunday Dinner: Honey garlic-glazed salmon with Erewhon “greenies” Additional meals during the week Quinoa cakes with herby salad, leftover greenies with a fried egg, tomato soup, granola with yogurt or over a smoothie bowl or in your frozen yogurt **** 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!

    Meal Prep Like A Private Chef: Four Menus for Busy Weeks

  3. Oct 29

    The Best Chocolate Cake? + A Better Way to Make Scones | Our Best Home Cooking Bites

    What is the best chocolate cake recipe? 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 a classic chocolate cake with ganache frosting that makes for the perfect dinner party dessert. You’ll also discover a new technique for tender scones swirled with marmalade before baking, and are just right for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon treat! 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: World’s Best Chocolate Cake by Helen Goh and Yotam Ottolenghi, from Food52; the original recipe comes from their book: Sweet: Desserts from London’s Ottolenghi Texas Sheet Cake from Tastes Better From Scratch Smitten Kitchen chocolate cake that Sonya baked for Kari’s son Mac’s first birthday Preppy Kitchen’s base scone recipe. The marmalade scone recipe can be found in John Kannell’s new book: Preppy Kitchen Everyday Baking *** 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!

    The Best Chocolate Cake? + A Better Way to Make Scones | Our Best Home Cooking Bites

  4. Oct 27

    What Cookbooks Should You Cook From Next? | Recommendations from “Everything Cookbooks”

    There are more cookbooks published every season, but which ones are worth keeping on your shelf? And which ones will you actually reach for, year after year? This week, we’re joined by Molly Stevens and Kate Leahy, two hosts of the Everything Cookbooks podcast. Both are accomplished cookbook authors and avid collectors, and they know what makes a cookbook worth returning to. They’re sharing the books they rely on for everything from weeknight dinners to baking, along with underrated finds and cookbooks that open the door to new cuisines and experiences. By the end of this episode, you’ll discover: Essential baking books for beginners and experienced bakers alikeCookbooks to turn to for everyday dinners, new cuisines, and inspiration when you don’t know what to cookWhat makes a cookbook stand the test of time, and which trends are worth paying attention to Press play now to get recommendations from two cookbook experts, and find your next favorite cookbook today! *** 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: Most used (wouldn’t get rid of) cookbooks: Molly: All About Dinner, by Molly Stevens Kate: Dorie Greenspan’s Dorie’s Anytime Cakes, and she especially loves the “Almost Maida Heatter’s Buttermilk Lemon Bundt Cake” (and here’s the original recipe) Essential cookbooks: Kate: Sunday Suppers at Lucques, by Suzanne Goin (especially for West Coast cooks) Molly: Richard Olney’s Simple French Food, Joy of Cooking, The Silver Palate, and Cooking Thai by Pim Techamuanvivit and Andrea Nguyen Transportative Cookbook: Kate: Washoku: Recipes from the Japanese Home Kitchen, by Elizabeth Andoh Molly: Amy Thielen’s Company: The Radically Casual Act of Cooking for Others Baking books: Molly: Richard Sax’s Classic Home Desserts and Chez Panisse Desserts, by Lindsay Shere Kate: Holiday Cookies: Showstopping Recipes to Sweeten the Season, by Elisabet der Nederlanden Underrated Cookbooks: Kate: I Am From Here: Stories and Recipes from a Southern Chef, by Vishwesh Bhatt and John Currence Molly: Tasty: Get Great Food on the Table Every Day, by Roy Finamore Cookbooks for Figuring out Dinner: Kate: Andrea Nguyen’s Vietnamese Food Any Day Molly: Nigel Salter’s Eat: The Little Book of Fast Food Discoveries from the Everything Cookbooks podcast: Kate: Anna Voloshyna’s Budmo: Recipes from a Ukrainian Kitchen Molly: Her co-hosts' books like Turtle Island and Kate’s Wine Style, as well as Perfectly Good Food: A Totally Acheivable Zero Waste Approach to Home Cooking by Margaret and Irene Li **** 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 Cookbooks Should You Cook From Next? | Recommendations from “Everything Cookbooks”

  5. Oct 22

    A 15-Minute Skillet Dinner + Bakery-Style Pumpkin Muffins | Our Best Home Cooking Bites of the Week

    How can you get a satisfying, vegetarian dinner on the table in 15 minutes or less? 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 have a new pantry-friendly dinner to try, plus tips for getting bakery-style muffin tops at home, and a reason to appreciate the seasonal foods that don't stick around for long. 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: Cheesy, spicy black beans in 15 minutes by Ali Slagel, for NYT Cooking Preppy kitchen pumpkin muffins with tall bakery-style tops, and the ones with streusel topping can be found in John Kannell’s new book: Preppy Kitchen Everyday Baking Sonya’s pumpkin bread from her Substack **** 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!

    A 15-Minute Skillet Dinner + Bakery-Style Pumpkin Muffins | Our Best Home Cooking Bites of the Week

  6. Oct 20

    Hot Potato! Our Top 10 Recipes for Cooking Up Spuds at Home

    Potatoes are one of the most versatile, affordable, and delicious ingredients… and the possibilities are endless. This week, we’re sharing 10 recipes that make the most of potatoes in all kinds of ways, from smashed and baked to sautéed and frittered, with inspiration from Korean, Mexican, and other global cuisines. By the end of this episode, you’ll discover: Easy ways to turn potatoes into a meal, from sheet-pan chicken and potatoes to a spiced cabbage and potato stewHow to make the crispiest Pacific Northwest jojos and an unexpected twist on a potato saladSimple techniques for better baked potatoes and mashed potatoes, plus creative ways to dress them up Press play now for 10 new ways to cook with potatoes, whether you’re looking for an easy weeknight dinner or a side dish worth repeating! *** 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: Jojo's (fried) from Taste of Home, and JoJo's (baked) from Copy Cat Paprika chicken and potatoes by Yasmin Fahr for NYT Cooking (unlocked) Tacos de papa dorados (crispy potato tacos) by Nancy Lopez Potato calzone by Cooking with an Italian Korean potato pancake by Maangchi Frisee and potato salad by Richard Landau of Vedge Restaurant in Philadelphia, from Mainly Drizzle, originally published in Food & Wine Tikka gomen (Spiced Potato, Cabbage & Carrots) from Baking Hermann Deborah Madison’s Potato and green chile stew from Food 52, originally from her book: What We Eat When We Eat Alone No-peel rustic garlic mashed red potatoes from Fork In The Kitchen Baked potatoes with shallot corn butter from Wine Just a Pinch, originally printed in Food & Wine **** 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!

    Hot Potato! Our Top 10 Recipes for Cooking Up Spuds at Home

  7. Oct 15

    Two Breakfasts: Indian Comfort Food + A Whole Grain Breakfast Loaf | Our Best Home Cooking Bites

    What do you make for breakfast when you’re tired of eating the same thing every day? 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 a lightly sweetened einkorn breakfast loaf studded with fruit. You’ll also discover a comforting Indian flattened rice dish, poha, made with potatoes and warming spices. 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: Einkorn breakfast loaf from Adrian Hale’s Einkorn Made Easy, and a similar breakfast blueberry bread with einkorn from A Modern Homestead Einkorn flour you can buy online, and if you’re in Oregon you can find a great one from Camas Country Mill Poha (spiced flattened rice with potato) from Indian Healthy Recipes You can find the poha (flattened rice) online **** 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!

    Two Breakfasts: Indian Comfort Food + A Whole Grain Breakfast Loaf | Our Best Home Cooking Bites

  8. Oct 13

    Soup Season! 10 Recipes For Cooking Up Comforting Soups At Home

    What’s the secret to flavorful soups that don’t involve a ton of ingredients or a ton of time to prepare? This week, we’re back with our annual fall soup episode, with 10 recipes to keep in your rotation all season long, from quick weeknight dinners to soups worth sharing with friends. By the end of this episode, you’ll discover Soups you can make with 5 ingredients or lessEasy veggie soups that can be made with just water instead of store-bought or homemade stocksSimple toppings and finishing touches that make everyday soups special enough for hosting Press play now to find out how a few simple ingredients can make a really good bowl of soup! *** 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: Golden potato and greens soup by Andy Baraghani for NYT Cooking Cauliflower soup with green olive salsa verde by Justine Doiron Chickpea noodles soup by Ali Slagle for NYT Cooking Lebanese crushed lentil soup by Yumna Jawad of Feel Good Foodie Marcella Hazan’s 5-ingredient, 15-minute white bean soup from Simply Recipes (and the Marcella bean) 5-ingredient creamy celery soup by Martha Stewart Samin Nosrat’s curried carrot and coconut soup from Good Things, also similarly a version where she uses butternut squash instead of carrots Spinach and artichoke soup by Carolina Gelen Roasted tomato and pepper soup from 101 Cookbooks (and Kari’s tomato soup is another favorite) Albondigas de Familia Ronstadt by Linda Ronstadt and Lawrence Downes, adapted by Kim Severson via NYT Cooking Our previous soup episodes: Soup Season 2025 Soup Season 2024 Soup Season 2023 Soup Season 2022 **** 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!

    Soup Season! 10 Recipes For Cooking Up Comforting Soups At Home
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Do you love home cooking but hunger for better recipes that help you deliver quick and delicious meals to your dinner table? Two former personal chefs turned best friends share their expertise with each other and you! Kari and Sonya have been inspiring each other in the kitchen for over 15 years by swapping recipes, tips, and trade secrets in the pursuit of better home cooking. FOOD FRIENDS is a bi-weekly podcast inspiring home cooks to try new dishes in the kitchen by sharing trusted recipes, tips, and friendship. Every Tuesday, each host delivers 3 unique solutions to seasonal home cooking, like: how to make craveable soups with your farmers market haul, the easiest one-pot meals for busy nights, or what to do with leftover rotisserie chicken. On Thursdays, we serve up a pint-sized chat about our “Best Bite” of the week, pantry essentials we can’t live without, and more. Previous guests include Seth & Lauren Rogen, actor Randall Park & writer/director Evan Goldberg, recipe developer Justine Doiron, #1 Food & Beverage Substacker Caroline Chambers, and more. If you’re looking for a boost of fun in the kitchen by discovering recipes that will make mealtime easier and more delicious with a healthy dose of laughter, then you’ll want to dig in with FOOD FRIENDS! First-time listener? Tune into Episode 2: Don’t send flowers, send soup! and Episode 4: What do you bring to a potluck?

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