Food Friends: Home Cooking Made Easy Hosting This Spring? Four Seasonal Menus for Cooking + Entertaining for Passover, Easter, and Casual Dinners
What if it could be easier to host and plan your next spring dinner party?
Whether you're preparing a Passover Seder, an Easter dinner, or a casual spring gathering with friends, this episode delivers four complete seasonal menus with appetizers, mains, sides, and showstopping desserts. Every menu relies on the best ingredients of the season, includes make-ahead options, and works around common dietary restrictions and holiday traditions.
In this episode, you'll discover:
- Dishes you can prep days in advance (both vegetarian and meat options)
- Simple, high-impact recipes like slow-cooked salmon, an herb-packed salad, and a cozy soup-and-grilled-cheese dinner menu that guests will rave about
- Grain-free and gluten-free desserts starring seasonal fruit like tangy rhubarb and sweet strawberries
Hit play and walk away with the recipes and hosting confidence to pull off beautiful, relaxed spring gatherings all season long!
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Links:
Previous Spring Hosting episodes with menus:
Last year’s and our very first episode on spring hosting from season one
Sonya’s Passover Menu:
Sicilian tuna crudo by Coley Cooks
Sonya’s golden chicken and veggie soup with matzo balls and dill pistou
Slow cooked lamb with white wine and potatoes by Alison Roman
Roasted fennel onion and orange by Molly Stevens
Sephardic leek patties from Fashion Tales Blog
Simplest almond torte by Chaya Rappoport of Retro Lillies
Grain free carrot cake from Smitten Kitchen
Grain free dairy free chocolate chip pecan blondies from Ambitious Kitchen
Kari’s Seasonal Dinner Party:
Spinach and artichoke dip by Tastes Better From Scratch, served with baguette or chips
Steak + spring veg with spicy mustard by Claire Saffitz for Bon Appetit
Malted Strawberry Cream Puffs from Midwest Living
Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote with Ginger and Lime via Live Earth Farm and based on a Bon Appetit article, served over Sonya’s rice pudding
Sonya’s Spring Entertaining Menu:
Oma’s green mountain salad by Sara Grueneberg for Food & Wine
Slow salmon with citrus and herb salad by Alison Roman
Green rice pilaf by Mark Bittman for NYT Cooking (unlocked)
Strawberry cheesecake ice cream pie by Smitten Kitchen
Kari’s Casual Grilled Cheese and Soup Night:
Bagna Cauda Dip with Assorted Vegetables from Epicurious
Creamy asparagus soup from Dishing Up The Dirt, paired with white cheddar grilled cheese from Love & Lemons
No-bake lemon mousse by Kristina Razon for The Kitchn
Episode 263: BB French Yogurt Cake from Substack + Roasted Cabbage Salad with Kimchi Ground Turkey
A “No-Measure” French Cake and Combining Two Dinner Recipes into One! Our Best Home Cooking Bites of the Week
A “No-Measure” French Cake and Roasted Cabbage Salad! Our Best Home Cooking Bites of the Week
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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!