Food Friends: Home Cooking Made Easy

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 alike
Cookbooks to turn to for everyday dinners, new cuisines, and inspiration when you don’t know what to cook
What 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!
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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!
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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
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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!

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!
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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!
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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
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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!

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 stew
How to make the crispiest Pacific Northwest jojos and an unexpected twist on a potato salad
Simple 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!

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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!
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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
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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 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
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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’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 less
Easy veggie soups that can be made with just water instead of store-bought or homemade stocks
Simple 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!
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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
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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!