Food Friends: Home Cooking Made Easy

Are you ready to simplify your fall hosting while still impressing your guests, whether for holidays, potlucks, or casual dinners with friends?Fall gatherings can be overwhelming, from multi-course holiday dinners to last-minute potlucks. This episode provides you with 4 easy yet sophisticated menus with recipes and hosting tips, so you can delight your guests without stress. Whether you're hosting for Rosh Hashanah, going to a tailgate, or just cooking a casual dinner at home, this episode helps you create a relaxed, festive vibe in your kitchen. By the end of this episode, you will learn how to:1. Create stunning, low-effort appetizers that can be assembled in advance, and made almost entirely with store-bought ingredients. 2. Choose a main course that will impress guests, like a seasonal salad that’s hearty enough to be a main, studded with fresh herbs and jewel-toned pomegranate seeds, or a delicious one-pot braised beef and aromatic rice dish 3. Enjoy the comfort of make-ahead desserts, like Kari’s crowd-pleasing chocolate sheet cake that travels well, or the spiced cookies that Sonya makes that taste better the next day Don’t miss out on this essential fall hosting episode — press play now to make your next gathering unforgettable! ***Links to from this week’s show:Menu #1Yotam Ottolenghi’s fig, radicchio, and hazelnut salad for the GuardianSonya’s beef plov and plum frangipane babka Sonya’s honey sesame cake and one-bowl tzimmes cakeMenu #2Baked brie by Ina Garten  Ottolenghi’s quinoa and fennel salad for Bon AppetitPear slab pie with sour dried cherries from Martha Stewart LivingMenu #3Sonya’s smoked fish platterColu Henry’s sheet pan roasted chicken with shallot and roasted grape for NYT CookingSonya’s apple + walnut spiced cookies in her recent SubstackMenu #4Classic cheese ball recipe from It Tastes Better From ScratchFried chicken from your favorite placeTexas Chocolate Cake from All Recipes***We love hearing from you — follow us on Instagram @foodfriendspod, or drop us a line at foodfriendspod@gmail.com! Or give us a CALL on our kitchen phone! 323-452-9084Sign up for Sonya’s free Substack, or order her debut cookbook Braids for more Food Friends recipes!

Are you stumped on what to bring to a potluck? Looking for a dish that will please a crowd but is still simple to make and transport?In this bite-sized episode, we share listener questions and offer expert advice to inspire you and each other!Discover our go-to potluck salad and the tricks to keeping it fresh for hours. Plus, get tips on making hosting easier by delegating kitchen tasks—learn what jobs to assign to your partner or friend when feeding a crowd.Tune in for a quick dose of home-cooking inspiration!Have your own culinary question? CALL on our kitchen phone! 323-452-9084***Links to from this week’s show:A kale and lentil recipe that’s similar to Kari’s sister-in-law’s, and a kale and lentil bowl recipe that’s a bit heartier (check out our Instagram for pics!) Farro and cauliflower parm by Sarah DiGregorio for the NYT CookingMelissa Clark’s spinach salad with roasted root vegetables and spiced chickpeas  for NYT CookingOur potluck episode - Season 1, Episode 4***We love hearing from you — follow us on Instagram @foodfriendspod, or drop us a line at foodfriendspod@gmail.com!Or give us a CALL on our kitchen phone! 323-452-9084Sign up for Sonya’s free Substack, or order her debut cookbook Braidsfor more Food Friends recipes!

When summer meets fall, do you find yourself both excited and overwhelmed with the abundance of produce available at the farmers’ markets this time of year? If you’re like us, you’re craving the fresh flavors of fall, like crisp apples, harvest salads with vibrant greens, and soups with warming spices like ginger and turmeric.This week, we’re sharing our fall cooking bucket lists, including what to pick up for your next fall produce haul and what to cook with it! By the end of the episode, you’ll…1. Discover a mushroom dish that’s universally loved and is ideal for both weeknights as well as dinner parties. 2. Learn how to turn simple roasted squash into a luscious mash with caramelized onions and topped with fresh herbs3. Find out how to maximize pantry staples to transform simple roasted peppers and grilled eggplant, and turn them into crowd-pleasing meatless mealsTune in now and get inspired to create memorable fall meals using your favorite seasonal produce - straight from your local farmers’ market to your table!***Links to from this week’s show:ABC Kitchen’s squash toast by way of Smitten Kitchen Delicata squash, corn, zucchini fritters by Kay Chun from NYT Cooking Kale, delicata, ricotta salata salad from Camille StylesSonya’s plum and rosemary challah, her marinated red bell peppersIna Garten’s plum cake tatin Grilled eggplant with lemons and labne, with fresh mint by Dawn Perry from Bon AppetitGreek Fisherman’s Stew by Florence Fabricant from NYT CookingGarlic butter roasted mushrooms from Smitten Kitchen***We love hearing from you — follow us on Instagram @foodfriendspod, or drop us a line at foodfriendspod@gmail.com! Or give us a CALL on our kitchen phone! 323-452-9084Sign up for Sonya’s free Substack, or order her debut cookbook Braids for more Food Friends recipes!

Are you looking for a crowd-pleasing dessert to serve at your next dinner party? Or maybe, you’re searching for an easy sheet-pan dinner that can make weeknight cooking a little easier? In this bite-sized episode, we share delicious moments about the best things we ate this week to inspire each other – and you! You’ll want to make this healthy salmon recipe that comes together with pantry staples, and take your weeknight dinners to the next level. You’ll also love this easy skillet peach cobbler that travels well and feeds a crowd, and tastes just as great with peaches from the farmers’ market OR from your freezer. Tune in for a quick dose of home cooking inspiration!***Links to from this week’s show:Harissa-honey glazed salmon (which can be swapped with steelhead trout)Hudson valley fisheries steelhead troutSonya’s favorite brand of harissa pasteMelissa Clark’s peach cobbler for NYT Cooking***We love hearing from you — follow us on Instagram @foodfriendspod, or drop us a line at foodfriendspod@gmail.com! Or give us a CALL on our kitchen phone! 323-452-9084Sign up for Sonya’s free Substack, or order her debut cookbook Braids for more Food Friends recipes!

Do you feel nervous about hosting, and wish you could create a warm and generous vibe for guests with a few simple homemade 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 lots of time to spend in the kitchen.This week you’ll…1. Learn simple yet impressive recipes like “Butter Pecan Twists” made with pantry staples like brown sugar, butter, and frozen puff pastry. 2. Discover how to create a warm and inviting atmosphere by pulling 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 to from this week’s show: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 potatoesHot mustard DoritosCarolina’s cookbook pick: Shelf Love by the Ottolenghi test kitchen***We love hearing from you — follow us on Instagram @foodfriendspod, or drop us a line at foodfriendspod@gmail.com! Or give us a CALL on our kitchen phone! 323-452-9084Sign up for Sonya’s free Substack, or order her debut cookbook Braids for more Food Friends recipes!

Are you looking for delicious ways to use up all the zucchini available right now? In this bite-sized episode, we share delicious moments about the best things we ate this week to inspire each other – and you! You’ll want to make this addictively crispy, Italian zucchini dish, that’s loaded with veggies and is gluten-free, and you’ll also be inspired to make a creamy, no-bake pie recipe that has all the nostalgic comfort food vibes, perfect for the peanut-butter-and-chocolate-lover in your life (maybe that’s you?)! Tune in for a quick dose of home cooking inspiration! ***Links to from this week’s show:Giada’s scarpaccia video and her recipe (gluten-free!)Vegan version of scarpaccia from Earth To Rocco Nutter butter ice box cake from Store Bought Is Fine***We love hearing from you — follow us on Instagram @foodfriendspod, or drop us a line at foodfriendspod@gmail.com! Or give us a CALL on our kitchen phone! 323-452-9084Sign up for Sonya’s free Substack, or order her debut cookbook Braids for more Food Friends recipes!

Feeling overwhelmed with weeknight dinners? Cooking at home can be challenging when your schedule is crammed or unpredictable!In our Season 3 premiere (!!!), we’re sharing our 6 favorite quick pasta recipes that are perfect for those busy evenings when you just need dinner to be comforting and easy. This week you’ll…1. Discover versatile pasta recipes that rely on the most basic pantry staples2. Learn expert tips for maximizing flavor in minimal time, from incorporating gluten-free noodles to creative uses for zucchini and chickpeas.3. Find out our 3-ingredient weeknight go-to cheesy pastaDon't miss out on these lifesaving pasta recipes—hit play now and make your next weeknight dinner a breeze!***Links to from this week’s show:A chickpea and spinach pasta similar to Kari’s greens and beans Sonya’s cranberry brothy bean and orzoZucchini Bow Ties with parm and yogurt from Food & Wine Melissa Clark’s one-pan spinach and feta orzo with peas from NYT CookingSausage and Peppers with Broccoli by Kay Chun from NYT CookingCarolina Gelen’s tuna cacio e pepe recipeTortellini with Brown Butter, Sage + Walnuts by Molly Baz from Bon AppetitSungold tomato pasta from Wishbone Kitchen Pasta with Pumpkin Brown Butter Sauce from Food & WineRigatoni with Lemony Kale and Pecorino Pesto from Food & Wine***We love hearing from you — follow us on Instagram @foodfriendspod, or drop us a line at foodfriendspod@gmail.com! Or give us a CALL on our kitchen phone! 323-452-9084Sign up for Sonya’s free Substack, or order her debut cookbook Braids for more Food Friends recipes!

Do you have veggies sitting in your fridge that need to be cooked…today? In this bite-sized episode, we share delicious moments about the best things we ate this week to inspire each other – and you! You’ll want to make this easy dumpling stir fry; it brings dinner to the table quickly while creating more space in both your fridge and freezer. You’ll also be inspired by this unexpected way to cook green beans (no blanching required!), plus a delicious salad that includes both crunchy and grilled elements and celebrates fresh seasonal flavors. Tune in for a quick dose of home cooking inspiration!***Links to from this week’s show:A dumpling stir-fry recipe from the Kitchn, similar to what Kari made this weekGrilled green beans from A Couple CooksA marinated kale and green bean salad from Bon Appetit***We love hearing from you — follow us on Instagram @foodfriendspod, or drop us a line at foodfriendspod@gmail.com! Or give us a CALL on our kitchen phone! 323-452-9084Sign up for Sonya’s free Substack, or order her debut cookbook Braids for more Food Friends recipes!

Do you ever find yourself wanting the comfort a homemade meal, but not wanting to spend a ton time OR have to take out a bunch of pots and pans to make it? This week, we're re-releasing one of our fan-favorite episodes where we dive into the ultimate guide to sheet pan meals. Whether you're a busy parent or someone who loves a no-fuss dinner, we've got you covered. Imagine the sizzle of perfectly crispy chicken, the aroma of saucy teriyaki chicken, and the vibrant colors of a hearty vegetarian dinner — all made on just one sheet pan.By the end of this episode you’ll…1. Learn how to whip up a flavor-packed teriyaki chicken dinner in under 30 minutes.2. Discover the secret to making the crispiest oven-baked chicken parm that will rival your favorite restaurant.3. Get our go-to vegetarian sheet pan meal that’s as satisfying as it is simple — perfect for Meatless Mondays or any night of the week.Tune in now to discover how a sheet pan meals can make any dinner easier!***Links to from this week’s show:We recommend local restaurant supply stores for sheet pans, or these excellent Nordicware pansSonya’s sheet pan Seattle-Style chicken teriyaki The Meatball Shop’s cookbookSheet pan sausage supper via Food NetworkSheet pan chicken parm via Rich RosendaleSheet pan haloumi via The KitchnSheet pan eggplant parm via Food & WineSheet pan harissa salmon by Colu Henry for the NY Times***We love hearing from you — follow us on Instagram @foodfriendspod, or drop us a line at foodfriendspod@gmail.com! Or give us a CALL on our kitchen phone! 323-452-9084Sign up for Sonya’s free Substack, or order her debut cookbook Braids for more Food Friends recipes!

Are you looking for an easy meatless meal that you can cook in 30 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! You’ll want to make our favorite one-pot soy butter corn ramen that captures the sweetness of late summer, and a soba noodle dish that’s dressed with a surprise ingredient!Tune in for a quick dose of home cooking inspiration!***Links to from this week’s show:Soy-butter corn ramen by Hetty Lui McKinnon for the NY TimesOttolenghi’s soba noodle and eggplant recipe via 101 Cookbooks – skip the dressing in the recipe and make a nutty peanut or tahini sauce instead. For an easy dressing, use this peanut sauce recipes but swap the peanut butter with tahini, and the chili sauce with gochujang, in this ***We love hearing from you — follow us on Instagram @foodfriendspod, or drop us a line at foodfriendspod@gmail.com! Or give us a CALL on our kitchen phone! 323-452-9084Sign up for Sonya’s free Substack, or order her debut cookbook Braids for more Food Friends recipes!