Food Friends: Home Cooking Made Easy

• What to Cook with Zucchini and Green Beans: Two Quick Meatless Meals! Our Best Home Cooking Bites of the Week

  Ever wished your vegetables could be the star of dinner instead of the side?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 classic Italian take on pasta that will make the most of your zucchini bumper crop, and you’ll also want to try a green bean dish that uses a very unexpected spice for extra flavor (and crunch!). Tune in for a quick dose of home cooking inspiration!***Links: Elizabeth Minchili’s pasta with zucchini and herbs, and her TikTok that made Sonya want to cook it. Kari’s favorite caramelized zucchini pasta by Ali Slagle for the NY TimesFrizzled beans with sizzled sesame and mint can be found in Justine Doiron’s cookbook: Justine Cooks. To make: Justine chars the beans in a hot cast iron pan with a little olive oil – she does this in batches so the beans don’t overcrowd the pan. Once the green beans are charred, you take them out, then in the same pan you toast raw sesame seeds, and right towards the end you add coriander seeds and dried mint. Then you add the beans back and toss it all together with some flaky salt, a splash of sherry vinegar, and a drizzle of honey. You can add pickled onions, too if desired!Another fun take on green beans and sesame flavors from Susan Spungen And a green beans with yogurt and dill recipe similar to what Sonya made. Corn ravioli from Oro Pasta in Richmond, VA ,were gifted to Kari from a friend. Richmond-area listeners: we are so very jealous of your proximity to this delicious pasta! ***Got a cooking question? Leave us a message on our hotline at: 323-452-9084For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our Substack here. You can also now find us on YouTube. We love hearing from you — follow us on Instagram @foodfriendspod, or drop us a line at [email protected]!Book a farmers’ market tour with Sonya in Portland, OR!

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• Hosting This Fall? Four Seasonal Menus For Cooking At Home Stress-Free

  Are you hosting for fall holidays, gatherings, or dinner parties but have no idea what to make? And more importantly, are you wishing it could be easier and smoother? Autumn is packed with reasons to celebrate — holiday feasts, game-day spreads, or casual weeknight dinners — but hosting can feel overwhelming when you’re juggling dietary needs, timing, and presentation. This episode is your shortcut to planning beautiful, seasonal menus that impress without keeping you in the kitchen all night. By the end, you’ll discover:Four ready-to-roll menus with mains, sides, and desserts that will have guests asking you for the recipeDietary-restriction-friendly swaps to keep your hosting vegetarian-friendly, kosher, or grain-free without sacrificing flavorTips for make-ahead dishes so that hosting can feel calmerPress play now to plan fall gatherings that buzz with energy, taste incredible, and keep you at the heart of the party!***This week’s episode is sponsored by La Baleine, makers of ancestral sea salts harvested from France.La Baleine’s Kosher Sea Salt is uniquely naturally harvested from the Mediterranean Sea, crystallized by the sun and sea breezes, and responsibly sourced.Additive free and 100% pure, its small, flake-like crystals make it perfect for everyday cooking. It seasons evenly, is easy to pinch, and enhances everything from soups and pastas to vegetables and meat.👉 Grab a box here, or find it at your local Whole Foods Market, and make this sea-harvested kosher salt a staple in your kitchen. Use code BALKOS10 for $1 off your order!***Links:Sonya’s Menu 1: Rosh Hashanah or Fall Festive Gathering Salad: Crunchy cabbage slaw with farro and pecorino (swap mayo for pecorino in the dressing to keep it non-dairy) from The KitchenMain: Sonya & Kari’s port and wine braised short ribs from the pop-up they cooked togetherSide: Fried eggplant and honey “Berenjenas con Miel” by José Andrés for Food & WineDessert: Pistachio cake with pomegranate glaze by Tannaz Sassooni for King Arthur Baking, or for a similar cake with plums try Andy Baraghani’s pistachio plum cakeKari Menu 1: “Take it Outside” Picnic, Potluck, Camping, or Tailgate-worthyMain: Swiss Chard Slab Pie by Kristin Donnelly for NYT Cooking (unlocked) Side: Oven-roasted parsnips with hazelnut picada from the Gjelina Cookbook, via Stacey SnacksDessert:

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• How to Cook Fresh Shelling Beans, and a Retro Fish Dish That’s Perfect for a Quick Weeknight Meal! Our Best Home Cooking Bites of the Weekt

  What’s the secret to cooking fish so that it doesn’t stick to the pan? 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 an easy way to turn seasonal shelling beans into a brothy, rustic meal, and you’ll find out why grilled fish with tropical fruit salsa might be the next thing you’ll cook up for dinner. Tune in for a quick dose of home cooking inspiration! *** Links:Sonya’s style of cooking cranberry beans, and a similar recipe from Taste Space (just use fresh tomato and basil instead of tomato paste, and add stock to simmer the beans in)A recipe for grilled swordfish with mango-pineapple salsa from Kevin is Cooking blogThe secret to perfectly grilled fish: mayonnaise! from The KitchnKari tried this dish at Bluewater Grill Avalon on Catalina Island Nicole Rucker’s amazing banana bread recipe can be found in her book Fat & Flour***Got a cooking question? Leave us a message on our hotline at: 323-452-9084For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our Substack here. You can also now find us on YouTube. We love hearing from you — follow us on Instagram @foodfriendspod, or drop us a line at [email protected]!Book a farmers’ market tour with Sonya in Portland, OR!

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• Fall Baking 101, with Sally McKenney of Sally’s Baking! Kicking Off Season Four of Food Friends!

  Struggling to find baking recipes that look great online but flop when you try them at home? That’s why we asked Sally McKenney, of Sally’s Baking, to share her foolproof fall bakes from her site and her new cookbook: Sally’s Baking 101. These are recipes that actually work every time, are stress-free, and will fill your home with the scent of brown sugar, warm chai, and buttery caramel. By the end of this episode, you’ll be excited to bring these seasonally inspired treats to your own table and share them at potlucks, tailgates, and fall gatherings. You’ll discover:How to bake up cozy fall treats with ease, from quick wins like Chai-spiced blondies to an impressive beginner-friendly apple cakeThe unexpected ingredient that will be the go-to addition to your next batch of muffins The secret behind Sally’s all-time most popular recipe: Chewy Chocolate Chip CookiesPress play now to get inspired by fall recipes that will make your home baking easier, more delicious, and perfect for autumnal gatherings! ***This week’s episode is sponsored by La Baleine, makers of ancestral sea salts harvested from France.A high-quality finishing salt can transform just about any dish, and their Le Saunier de Camargue Fleur de Sel with Herbes de Provence takes it a step further. Blended with organic herbs — thyme, savory, rosemary, oregano, marjoram, and hyssop — it’s a timeless mix that adds fragrance and flavor to everything from roast chicken and vegetables, or even breads.👉 Grab a jar here, or at your local Whole Foods Market, and bring the flavors of Provence straight to your kitchen. Use code LESAUNIERH15 for $2 off! ***Links:Get your copy of Sally McKenney’s new cookbook: Sally’s Baking 101!Follow Sally on Instagram, and find more of her trusted recipes on Sally’s BakingSally’s recipes mentioned in this episode: Sally’s most popular recipe from her website: Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies A cake Sally hopes more people might try: Burnt Sugar Caramel CakeAn easy fall baked good: “Chai Spiced Blondies” (from Sally’s Baking 101)A fall breakfast baked good: “Pumpkin Spice Latte Muffins” (from Sally’s Baking 101)A cozy fall quick bread: “Apple Cider Spiced Bread” (from Sally’s Baking 101)Sally's favorite fall cookie: Maple Brown Sugar CookieA delicious apple dessert:

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• What’s The Best Egg Salad? And A No-bake Treat Perfect For Back To School! Our Best Home Cooking Bites of the Week

  How do you like your egg salad? Simple and classic with minimal ingredients? Or do you like a maximalist version with tons of flavor? 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 try Kari’s 4-ingredient easy egg salad for quick meal prep and sandwiches, or Sonya’s golden egg salad with a secret ingredient and a special technique. Plus, you’ll hear about a sweet-and-salty twist on Rice Krispies treats that you’ll want to whip up for lunchboxes, after-school snacks, and back-to-school gatherings.Tune in for a quick dose of home cooking inspiration! ***Links:Our two takes on egg salad from our Substack!Brown butter rice crispie treats from Smitten Kitchen – which Kari added crumbled pretzel and golden raisins too***Got a cooking question? Leave us a message on our hotline at: 323-452-9084For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our Substack here. You can also now find us on YouTube. We love hearing from you — follow us on Instagram @foodfriendspod, or drop us a line at [email protected]!Book a farmers’ market tour with Sonya in Portland, OR!

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