Food Friends: Home Cooking Made Easy

What if using phyllo dough didn’t have to be difficult, and you could make a golden, buttery pie with a mountain of vegetables?
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 a seasonal cookbook full of flavorful intuitive recipes, and you’ll also find out why David Tanis’ fig and almond cake is a must-bake that's perfect for fall hosting.
You’ll also learn how to make a meatless main packed with chickpeas, cauliflower, and sweet potatoes that reheats like a dream and has a surprise technique that makes it easy to make.
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:
How to Start a Cookbook Club from our Substack

Cookbook club pick: David Tanis’ A Platter of Figs, which is out of print, but can be found used or at your local library too
Some highlights from cookbook club were:
Corn, squash, and green beans with jalapeno butter
Fresh shell beans with sage and garlic
Berbere pizza
Fig and almond cake by David Tanis for NYT Cooking

Spiced veggie phyllo pie by Melissa Clark for NYT Cooking
****
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 do you make dinner happen every night without feeling like you’re starting from scratch?
If you’re staring into the fridge at 5 p.m. with no idea what to make, this week Maggie Hoffman, host of The Dinner Plan, shares smart strategies for making weeknight cooking easier, along with a lineup of deeply satisfying fall dinners that come together quickly.
Think: chewy noodles tossed in a 5-minute sauce, a crowd-pleasing sheet-pan meal, and a foolproof take on pasta e ceci.
By the end of this episode, you’ll discover:
Flexible meal-planning tricks that help ingredients stretch further
Flavorful, low-effort meals that can pull you out of even the deepest cooking rut
Two meatless dinners that might end up in regular rotation in your kitchen

Press play now for practical strategies and quick fall dinners that will make answering the question, “What’s for dinner?” a little easier.
***
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:
Follow “The Dinner Plan” now wherever you listen to podcasts
Subscribe to Maggie’s Substack: The Dinner Plan for more recipe inspiration.
You can also find Maggie and more about The Dinner Plan on Instagram!

Maggie’s favorite pasta: Zaynab Issa's Gochujang-Sesame noodles (With Sun Ramen Noodles)
Meatless dinner: Georgina Hayden's clean-out-the-fridge pasta salad, from her cookbook: Medesque (with tons of weeknight-friendly recipes)
Sheet pan meal: Melissa Clark's Harissa chicken with Leeks, from her book: “Dinner Changing the Game” which has many more sheet pan recipes.
Maggie also highly recommends switching from half sheet to using stainless steel quarter sheet pans for this style of cooking (they fit in a toaster oven, and are dishwasher safe!)
Maggie (and our!) favorite brand of harissa paste is from NY Shuk
Comforting fall dinner: Jamie Oliver's Pasta e Ceci, from his book: Jamie’s Italy. Maggie loves to make small batches of stock with leftover rotisserie chicken bones in an Instantpot.
Standout from “The Dinner Plan:” Maureen Abood's Arayes from her cookbook: Lebanese Baking
What to cook when you don’t feel like cooking: A great loaded up sandwich like this Feta brined-chicken sandwiches made with grilled chicken.
Maggie recommends grilling proteins for multiple meals at the same time, and for recipe inspiration she recs Noah Galuten’s Grill Time!
Some of Maggie’s favorite cookbooks right now:
River Cafe Green by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers
Vegetables the Italian Way by Giulia Scarpaleggia
Carla Lalli’s new book: Food is a Feeling
****
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 when you have more vegetables than you know what to do with?
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 a quick refrigerator pickle that can be made with almost any veggie, and you’ll also find out about a restaurant-inspired broccoli crostini that makes a satisfying meatless dinner for busy nights.
Plus! Author Leah Koenig shares her “Best Bite” too: An easy carrot-date cake that requires no special equipment, with an unexpected ingredient in the frosting.
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:
Leah Koenig’s new book is: The Dessert Table: 100 Joyful Jewish Sweets, which includes her recipe for Date-carrot cake with orange blossom frosting.
You can find more recipes from Leah on her Substack: The Jewish Table, and on Instagram @leah.koenig
****
Other links from today's show:
Easy refrigerator pickles from Simply Recipes made with a crinkle-cut knife
And here’s another fridge pickle recipe from Coley Cooks, if you want a less sweet pickle, with more spices.

Lot 2’s pecorino-fried bread with broccoli adapted by Melissa Clark for NYT Cooking; Kari adapted it by cooking broccoli with butter and garlic, and serving it on toasted sliced bread topped with melty cheese (like young Parmesan, sharp cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Gruyere).

Italian broccoli salad by Ali Slagle for NYT Cooking

****
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 serve when you want to host, but don’t want to spend the entire day in the kitchen?
Fall is one of our favorite seasons for gathering, from back-to-school dinners and Jewish High Holidays to casual meals with family and friends. But putting together a menu — and getting everything on the table at the same time — can feel like a lot of work.
This week, we’re sharing four complete fall menus designed to help you plan ahead, cook strategically, and actually enjoy your own gathering. By the end of this episode, you’ll:
Learn how to build a fall menu around dishes that can be prepped, cooked, frozen, or reheated ahead of time
Discover a fully vegetarian menu that is casual and can feed a big crowd
Find out the secrets to achieving tender brisket and flavorful roast chicken

Press play for practical hosting strategies and fall recipes that make it easier to get dinner on the table… and enjoy it once you do!
***
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!
***
We also highly recommend The Dinner Plan podcast and Substack for more recipe inspiration!
***
Links:
Back to the Classics Rosh Hashanah Dinner:
Plum challah by Sonya and Shannon Sarna for The Nosher
Smoked fish platter
Ottolenghi fig hazelnut salad with radicchio and basil
Eggplant Caponata from The Gjelina Cookbook, the exact recipe can be found in the book, or try this slightly adapted version from The Brick Kitchen
Beer and onion braised brisket from Epicurious
Cast iron skillet potato kugel from Smitten Kitchen
Farro topped with roasted peppers and eggplants and spicy tahini dressing (recipe coming!)
Glazed apple cider doughnut cake from Smitten Kitchen
Vegetarian pizza party in Southern California Hot September
Street corn dip with tortilla chips
Mushroom pizza with kale and red onions
Potato rosemary pizza
Roasted vegetable salad with farro and goat cheese by Walder Wellness
Arugula fennel apple salad (no cheese) by The First Mess
Ice cream
Fall bounty dinner:
Harissa apricot braised chicken by Samin Nosrat from Good Things
Charred green beans and lemony yogurt by Yossy Arefi for NYT Cooking
Ottolenghi pomegranate tomato salad
David Leibovitz' oven-roasted plums over pound cake, angel food cake or with vanilla ice cream
Roast Chicken Dinner at Kari’s
Portuguese chicken and potatoes from Feasting at Home
Alison Roman’s Bitter, Leafy Salad
German chocolate cake by Tastes Better From Scratch
****
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 when you have a package of ground chicken but no plan for dinner?
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 a 5-star-rated, one-pot dinner of lemony meatballs and greens that’s perfect for busy weeknights.
You’ll also want to try two Italian cookies: an easy double-chocolate biscotti that can be made ahead and freezes well, and a buttery cookie with a distinctive shape and texture that would be right at home on a weekend brunch table.
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:
One-Pot Chicken Meatballs with Greens by Yasmin Fahr for NYT Cooking. To make this dairy-free, swap the yogurt for unsweetened coconut yogurt, or for 2 large eggs

Double chocolate biscotti by Jenn Segal from Once Upon a Chef
Torchetti al burro (Italian butter cookies) from Recipe from Italy
****
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!