Food Friends: Home Cooking Made Easy

Food Friends
  • 4.7 (327)
  • Food
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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. 2h ago

    Easy Pickles, A Quick Way To Use Up Broccoli + A Surprising Carrot Cake with Leah Koenig | Our Best Home Cooking Bites

    What do you do when you have more vegetables than you know what to do with? 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 a quick refrigerator pickle that can be made with almost any veggie, and you’ll also find out about a restaurant-inspired broccoli crostini that makes a satisfying meatless dinner for busy nights. Plus! Author Leah Koenig shares her “Best Bite” too: An easy carrot-date cake that requires no special equipment, with an unexpected ingredient in the frosting. 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: Leah Koenig’s new book is: The Dessert Table: 100 Joyful Jewish Sweets, which includes her recipe for Date-carrot cake with orange blossom frosting. You can find more recipes from Leah on her Substack: The Jewish Table, and on Instagram @leah.koenig **** Other links from today's show: Easy refrigerator pickles from Simply Recipes made with a crinkle-cut knife And here’s another fridge pickle recipe from Coley Cooks, if you want a less sweet pickle, with more spices. Lot 2’s pecorino-fried bread with broccoli adapted by Melissa Clark for NYT Cooking; Kari adapted it by cooking broccoli with butter and garlic, and serving it on toasted sliced bread topped with melty cheese (like young Parmesan, sharp cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Gruyere). Italian broccoli salad by Ali Slagle for NYT Cooking **** 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!

    Easy Pickles, A Quick Way To Use Up Broccoli + A Surprising Carrot Cake with Leah Koenig | Our Best Home Cooking Bites

  2. 2d ago

    Hosting this Fall? Four Menus for Seasonal Cooking at Home

    What do you serve when you want to host, but don’t want to spend the entire day in the kitchen? Fall is one of our favorite seasons for gathering, from back-to-school dinners and Jewish High Holidays to casual meals with family and friends. But putting together a menu — and getting everything on the table at the same time — can feel like a lot of work. This week, we’re sharing four complete fall menus designed to help you plan ahead, cook strategically, and actually enjoy your own gathering. By the end of this episode, you’ll: Learn how to build a fall menu around dishes that can be prepped, cooked, frozen, or reheated ahead of timeDiscover a fully vegetarian menu that is casual and can feed a big crowdFind out the secrets to achieving tender brisket and flavorful roast chicken Press play for practical hosting strategies and fall recipes that make it easier to get dinner on the table… and enjoy it once you do! *** 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! *** We also highly recommend The Dinner Plan podcast and Substack for more recipe inspiration! *** Links: Back to the Classics Rosh Hashanah Dinner: Plum challah by Sonya and Shannon Sarna for The Nosher Smoked fish platter Ottolenghi fig hazelnut salad with radicchio and basil Eggplant Caponata from The Gjelina Cookbook, the exact recipe can be found in the book, or try this slightly adapted version from The Brick Kitchen Beer and onion braised brisket from Epicurious Cast iron skillet potato kugel from Smitten Kitchen Farro topped with roasted peppers and eggplants and spicy tahini dressing (recipe coming!) Glazed apple cider doughnut cake from Smitten Kitchen Vegetarian pizza party in Southern California Hot September Street corn dip with tortilla chips Mushroom pizza with kale and red onions Potato rosemary pizza Roasted vegetable salad with farro and goat cheese by Walder Wellness Arugula fennel apple salad (no cheese) by The First Mess Ice cream Fall bounty dinner: Harissa apricot braised chicken by Samin Nosrat from Good Things Charred green beans and lemony yogurt by Yossy Arefi for NYT Cooking Ottolenghi pomegranate tomato salad David Leibovitz' oven-roasted plums over pound cake, angel food cake or with vanilla ice cream Roast Chicken Dinner at Kari’s Portuguese chicken and potatoes from Feasting at Home Alison Roman’s Bitter, Leafy Salad German chocolate cake by Tastes Better From Scratch **** 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!

    Hosting this Fall? Four Menus for Seasonal Cooking at Home

  3. Aug 27

    One-Pot Meatballs & Greens + Two Italian Cookies | Our Best Home Cooking Bites

    What do you make when you have a package of ground chicken but no plan for dinner? 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 5-star-rated, one-pot dinner of lemony meatballs and greens that’s perfect for busy weeknights. You’ll also want to try two Italian cookies: an easy double-chocolate biscotti that can be made ahead and freezes well, and a buttery cookie with a distinctive shape and texture that would be right at home on a weekend brunch table. 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: One-Pot Chicken Meatballs with Greens by Yasmin Fahr for NYT Cooking. To make this dairy-free, swap the yogurt for unsweetened coconut yogurt, or for 2 large eggs Double chocolate biscotti by Jenn Segal from Once Upon a Chef Torchetti al burro (Italian butter cookies) from Recipe from Italy **** 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!

    One-Pot Meatballs & Greens + Two Italian Cookies | Our Best Home Cooking Bites

  4. Aug 25

    Recipes We’re Really Cooking! A Summer Recap + The Best of Season 4

    What if the best recipes aren’t the newest ones, but the ones you keep coming back to? This week, we’re revisiting some of our favorite summer meals and sharing the recipes from Season 4 that have earned a permanent spot in our kitchens. By the end of this episode, you’ll: Discover make-ahead salads that have become staplesFind a hosting-worthy sheet-pan dinner that’s easy enough for a weeknightGet two cookie recipes we bake year-round — and that are perfect for cookie boxes and gifting Tune in now for easy, reliable recipes you’ll want to make again and again! *** 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: Tostadas: Vegetarian Mexican tostadas from Muy Bueno Cooking Kari also mentioned making a take on tostadas based on Roasted Broccoli and Potato Tacos by Kay Chun for NYT Cooking Salads: Sweet and spicy melon salad by Christian Reynoso from NYT Cooking Savory watermelon cucumber salad from the Mediterranean Dish (similar to what Sonya makes, but hers doesn’t have feta) Korean carrot salad recipe from Alyona’s Cooking, and watch Danielle walk you through making her viral version on TikTok Sweets: Sonya’s galette recipe Sonya made a version with apricot + sour cherry and marzipan (she used frozen fruit), and Kari made a version with nectarine, peaches, and frangipane (with fruit from her Flamingo Estate farm box) OUR TOP RECIPES FROM SEASON FOUR: Mains: Broiled salmon and asparagus with creme fraiche by Molly Gilbert for Sunset Magazine Kung Pao Tofu by Ham El Waylly for NYT Cooking Salads: Smitten Kitchen’s simplified version of the famous roasted chicken and bread salad from the Zuni Café Cookbook Frizzled-onion cabbage salad by Shilpa Uskokovic for Bon Appetit Sweets: Pistachio Halvah Rice Krispie Treats by Miro Uskokovic from NYT Cooking (unlocked) Jam sugar cookies by Hewn restaurant in Chicago Mag MORE RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: How to Start a Cookbok Club The date fudge recipe Kari talked about can be found in Ham El-Waylly’s book: Hello, Home Cooking Sonya mentioned great tostadas from El Sazaon Di Mi Rancho in Portland, OR, and her Chicken Tinga recipe

    Recipes We’re Really Cooking! A Summer Recap + The Best of Season 4

  5. Aug 20

    A Must-Try Pizza Recipe + A Favorite Breakfast Dish | Our Best Home Cooking Bites

    Can a mountain of zucchini turn into a homemade pizza you can’t stop taking “just one more” slice of? 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 standout Smitten Kitchen recipe for a thin-crust summer pizza that’s loaded with zucchini yet somehow still crispy, golden, and nutty with browned Gruyère. You’ll also want to try a saucy, spicy breakfast dish inspired by a recent visit to a street food stand in Los Angeles. 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: Smitten Kitchen’s summer squash pizza Chilaquiles from ChiLAquiles on Venice and Hauser in Los Angeles Chilaquiles master recipe from Rick Bayless, and a store-bought sauce recommendation (and great article!) by Jarret Melendez from Epicurious Also mentioned: Giada’s scarpaccia video and her recipe (gluten-free!) And a vegan version of scarpaccia from Earth To Rocco **** 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 Must-Try Pizza Recipe + A Favorite Breakfast Dish | Our Best Home Cooking Bites

  6. Aug 18

    Meatless Sheet-Pan Dinners for Easy Home Cooking (Re-Release)

    What if your next vegetarian dinner could be packed with flavor - and made entirely on a sheet-pan in your oven? Whether you're trying to cook more plant-based meals, accommodate a vegetarian at your table, or just need low-effort dinner ideas, this episode is full of satisfying recipes that are anything but boring. By the end of this episode, you’ll: Learn how to make a sheet pan lasagna dotted with creamy ricotta cheese — no layering or béchamel-making requiredDiscover how to turn basic veggies into shawarma-spiced mainsFind out about a gluten-free, noodle dish that takes less than 30 minutes to make Hit play and turn your veggie drawer into crowd-pleasing vegetarian meals you’ll want to make any night of the week! *** 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: Vegetarian sheet pan lasagna from Busy in Brooklyn, and Giada’s original version Sheet pan eggplant parm from Food & Wine, or sheet pan cauliflower parm from How Sweet Eats – and here’s a video of Sonya + Kari’s version How to make crispy garlic breadcrumbs (to top your eggplant or cauli parm) Mushroom shawarma from Eating Well, or Sonya’s eggplant shawarma Roasted chickpea gyros by Sarah Bond from Live Eat Learn Sheet pan feta chickpea tomatoes by Ali Slagle for NYT Cooking (unlocked) Vegetarian stuffed peppers from Love & Lemons Eric Kim’s Sheet-pan Japchae for NYT Cooking (unlocked), and his sheet-pan bibimbap Sweet potato and black bean tacos by Sarah Bond from Live Eat Learn **** 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!

    Meatless Sheet-Pan Dinners for Easy Home Cooking (Re-Release)

  7. Aug 13

    Grandma’s Plum Crumb Bars + A One-Skillet Summer Dinner | Our Best Home Cooking Bites

    What do you make when you want a homemade dessert that feels special, but takes almost no effort to bake? 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 want to make a buttery plum jam crumb bar inspired by Sonya’s grandmother. It’s beginner-friendly, and so delicious you’ll want to eat the whole tray as soon as it comes out of the oven. You’ll also discover a recipe for a quick one-skillet dinner made with sweet summer corn and chew rice cakes, and flavored with nutty miso + brown butter. 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: Sonya’s grandmother’s plumb crumb bars Kari’s strawberry rhubarb crumb bars Miso brown butter rice cakes with corn by Shilpa Uskokovic for 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. 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!

    Grandma’s Plum Crumb Bars + A One-Skillet Summer Dinner | Our Best Home Cooking Bites

  8. Aug 11

    Puerto Rican Home Cooking, with Omi Hopper

    What if you could easily fill your kitchen with the comforting aromas of sizzling sofrito, fluffy rice, and tender stews? This week, we’re talking to Omi Hopper, TikTok creator and runner-up on Next Level Chef, and author of Cooking Con Omi: A Love Letter to Puerto Rican Home Cooking. She’s sharing her favorite weeknight dinners, meal-prep strategies, and the techniques she uses to build big Puerto Rican flavor at home. By the end of this episode, you’ll discover: How fresh sofrito and homemade sazón can transform even simple weeknight mealsHow to meal prep for flexibility, instead of a fridge full of repetitive leftoversFlavor-packed shortcuts to get dinner to taste special without starting from scratch Press play to hear Omi’s approach to making flavorful, satisfying food that works for real home cooks! *** 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: Omi Hopper’s new book – Cooking Con Omi: A Love Letter to Puerto Rican Home Cooking You can find more inspiration from Omi on her TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and her site: Cooking Con Omi Omi’s Recipes: Sofrito Alcapurrias Roast pork shoulder Homemade Sazon spice blend Potato salad with apples One pot macarone con carne (macaroni with beef) Other dishes mentioned: Bacalao (Puerta Rican Salt Cod Stew) from Simply Recipes Her winning pineapple jalapeno salmon dish Some of Omi’s favorite recipe developers; King Rey Cooks Tini Michelle Disla Cassie Yeung **** 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!

    Puerto Rican Home Cooking, with Omi Hopper
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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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