Food Friends: Home Cooking Made Easy

A Memorable Spring Menu, Seasonal Fried Rice & the Best Philly Sandwich | Best Bites with Special Guest David Page
What makes a meal truly memorable? And what’s actually worth repeating at home?
In this bite-sized episode, we’re sharing the best things we ate this week — and with special guest David Page of “Culinary Characters Unlocked” — to inspire each other and you.
By the end of this episode, you’ll discover a simple but unforgettable spring menu, a fried rice that makes the most of seasonal ingredients, and a Philly sandwich that lives up to the hype.
We also get into a few cooking techniques, from reverse-searing steak to building a seafood stew, that are worth trying (or rethinking) in your own kitchen.
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:
Tune into David Page’s Culinary Characters Unlocked wherever you listen to podcasts!

The menu from the birthday party: Farro & spring radish salad, spring green salad, marinated farm asparagus, thyme-scented baby new potatoes, Pacific NW smoked salmon, grilled Bavette steak
The potatoes were prepared similarly to simple roasted new spring potatoes (but add thyme!)
Green garlic salsa verde from Wishbone Kitchen

Kari’s fried rice: Use avocado oil to fry the rice first; add butter and spring onion tops and cook until softened. Add scrambled eggs into the buttery onion mixture until just cooked. Add favas to warm them up; top with fresh dill and crumbled feta.

David’s best bites:
Philly Roast Pork Sandwich from Serious Eats
SF-style Cioppino (but David prefers to cook each fish element separately)
Reverse-seared steak from Serious Eats

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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!

Do your weeknight meals ever start to feel a little flat — even when you’re cooking all the time?
In this episode, we’re talking to Yumna Jawad of Feel Good Foodie, known for her viral, approachable dishes. She shares how she transforms familiar recipes like banana bread, pancakes, and sheet-pan dinners with Mediterranean ingredients in ways that feel accessible for home cooks.
By the end of this episode, you’ll discover:
The five Mediterranean ingredients to stock your pantry with, so you can easily whip up delicious weeknight dinners
Understand what makes a recipe go viral (including a must-try pasta)
New ways to use up oats – including a unique take on a savory breakfast

Press play now for practical home cooking tips that will make your meals brighter, and weeknight dinners feel easier!
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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:
Yumna’s website, Feel Good Foodie, her Instagram, and her TikTok
Grab a bag of her Oath Oats!

Recipes:
Strawberry rose pancakes and tahini banana bread, full recipes can be found in her cookbook: The Feel Good Foodie
Dry yogurt with strawberry and spirulina powder
Stuffed onions with ground beef and rice
Overnight oats recipe
One-pot Arabic-style stew
Viral recipes: Baked feta pasta, pasta chips, and cottage cheese ice cream

Yumna’s top Mediterranean ingredients: feta cheese, dates, tahini, olives, oregano, lemon

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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 actually wins a chili cook-off — and is it even the kind of chili you want to eat?
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 why Edna Lewis' "The Taste of Country Cooking" is an essential addition to any cookbook collection, plus the recipe from the book we can’t stop thinking about.
We also break down a cook-off-winning chili, along with other versions that may not take home a prize, but are staple recipes in our kitchens.
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!
***
Links:
The Taste of Country Cooking, by Edna Lewis

Edna Lewis recipes from Cookbook Club:
Plum Torte
Sweet Potato Pie
Biscuits
Edna Lewis-style Spoon bread from Serious Eats
Recipes for: Parker House Rolls, Salad of Grand Rapids Lettuce and Romaine, Ring Mold of Chicken with Wild Mushrooms sauce, and New Cabbage with Scallions can be found in the book

Sonya’s chili recipe from our Substack; two options – turkey and vegetarian!
To get the winning chili recipe from the cookoff, Subscribe to our Substack here and you’ll get it for free Sunday 5/3!
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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 if one ingredient could turn your weeknight dinners into satisfying dishes in less than 30 minutes — without ever feeling repetitive?
Cooking dinner can sometimes feel like a dull routine, but a simple can of chickpeas can change that.
In this re-release of a fan-favorite episode, and with the help of Sarah Bond, nutritionist and creator of Live Eat Learn, we dive into the world of vegetarian meals built around our favorite versatile, affordable pantry staple.
By the end of this episode, you’ll learn how to:
Whip up the 15-minute viral “Marry Me Chickpeas”
Discover the unique, simple spice blend for addictive “Dorito” chickpeas – a snack-turned-main-dish that even reluctant bean lovers will enjoy
Cook up easy-to-make meatless dinners, like crispy, golden air-fried chickpeas and a flavorful sheet pan meal packed with vegetables

Hit play on this episode to uncover the endless possibilities of chickpeas!
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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
Sarah Bond’s Instagram, her site: Live Eat Learn – Easy Vegetarian Recipes, and her cookbook!
Marry Me Chickpeas (with creamy Tuscan sauce)
Roasted chickpea gyros
Roasted veggie glow bowls
Copy cat Cafe Yum sauce
Crispy air fryer chickpeas
15-minute chickpea tacos with creamy cilantro sauce
Chickpea blondies
Vegan chicken and dumplings (with chickpeas!)
Chickpea pot pie
Vegan aquafaba + coconut popsicles
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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 do with those jars of tahini, gochujang, and miso sitting in your pantry?
If you have condiments in your kitchen that you always mean to use — but never quite know how — this episode is for you!
This week, we’re answering a listener question and breaking down three powerful, versatile ingredients: tahini, gochujang, and white miso. We share simple techniques and go-to recipes to help you actually use them in your everyday cooking.
By the end of this episode, you’ll discover:
Easy, flexible ways to use tahini, gochujang, and miso
Go-to ideas for sauces, sheet-pan meals, noodles, and more
How a small spoonful of can add big flavor to your next stew, BBQ, or braise

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:
Tahini:
Easy Tahini Sauce with just water and lemon from The Immigrants Table
Sonya’s tahini sauce 3 ways from The Nosher (including with gochujang!)
Sonya’s Tahini Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Sonya’s flourless Tahini Brownies from The Nosher
Tahini roasted swordfish from Ham El-Waylly
David Leibovitz has a a really good loaded tahini granola recipe

Some of our favorite tahini brands Soom, Seed & Mill, Whole Foods 365 Organic Tahini, and Eden Foods
Gojuchang
Gochujang Buttered Noodles by Eric Kim for NYT Cooking
Sheet-Pan Bibimbop by Eric Kim for NYT Cooking
Roasted Gochujang Salmon by Sue Li for NYT Cooking
Hetty Lui McKinnon’s sticky gochujang brussels sprouts from her cookbook Tenderheart
A great list of Korean recipes made with gochujang from Maangchi
Miso
Coconut Miso Salmon Curry by Kay Chun for NYT Cooking
Maple and Miso Sheet-Pan Salmon with Green Beans by Colu Henry for NYT Cooking
Nobu’s Miso Black Cod from The Kitchn
Miso Caesar from Top Chef Melissa King from our Substack
5-Minute Carrot Miso Dressing by Kale Junkie, similar to what Sonya makes
Corn and Miso Pasta Salad by Ham El-Waylly for NYT Cooking
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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!