Food Friends: Home Cooking Made Easy

How do you get a perfectly fudgy brownie with a glossy top without using a box mix?
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 want to bake a batch of triple-chocolate brownies that are beginner-friendly, deeply fudgy, and achieve that coveted glossy crust. You’ll also discover a simple sole meunière recipe that’s buttery, lemony, and easy enough for a weeknight dinner.
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:
Seriously fudgy brownies from Sally’s Baking Addiction, Sonya also talked about the recipe in Sally McKenna’s book: Sally’s Baking 101 (which is different from the online version)
More brownies we love:
Alice Medrich’s best cocoa brownies
Sonya’s flourless chocolate tahini brownies
Fudgy brownies from Inspired Taste blog
Glossy fudge brownies from Bravetart

Sole Meuniere by Martha Stewart

Secret Food Tours: NYC – Chinatown & Little Italy
Kari’s best bite: pineapple pork bun at Mei Lai Wah Bakery
And the Original Chinatown Ice Cream Factory, whose logo was designed by the children at a local public school

Join Sonya on a Portland farmers’ market tour through Airbnb Experiences!
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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.

Have a fridge full of summer berries and no idea what to make before they're past their prime?
If you're standing in front of gorgeous summer berries at the farmers market but feel stuck making the same old recipes, this week we're sharing our favorite ways to make the most of berry season.
By the end of this episode, you’ll discover:
Easy berry desserts that require minimal effort, including kid-friendly frozen yogurt pops and a British classic: Eton mess
Baking recipes that let peak-season berries shine, from snacking cakes to rustic cobblers
No-bake berry desserts for hot summer days, including one of our favorite recipes from Ina Garten

Press play now and walk away with a full season’s worth of berry dessert recipes that will help you turn every pint of fresh summer berries into something memorable.
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This episode is brought to you by: Little Sesame Hummus

We’ve both been longtime store-bought hummus skeptics… until Little Sesame. Their hummus is unbelievably smooth, bright, and it was created by passionate chefs, they use regeneratively farmed chickpeas, and it's clean label certified.
And now, Little Sesame has launched snacking options available at Targets nationwide. The lineup includes: a hummus snacker with pretzel pita chips, protein hummus with 10g of protein per pack, and hummus for kids — a grab-and-go pack perfect for lunch boxes and long car rides.
Find Little Sesame at Targets nationwide or visit eatlittlesesame.com to find a store near you. Use code SNACKING10 for 10% off!
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Links:
Strawberry Brown Sugar Sour Cream Eton Mess by Sonya
Raspberry Spuma by David Tanis for NYT Cooking
Blueberry galette from Sonya’s Substack, Dream Kitchens
Strawberry hand pies by Zoe Bakes
Huckleberry cake by James Beard
Frozen yogurt and fruit pops by Riley Wofford for Martha Stewart
Smitten Kitchen Flag Cake
Strawberry sheet cake with passionfruit buttercream by Zoe Bakes
Blackberry cobbler by Stella Parks for Serious Eats
Frozen berries with hot white chocolate by Ina Garten

For more berry inspiration, check out our previous episodes:
Strawberries with Melissa Clark’s double strawberry shortcakes and a giant strawberry tart made with store-bought puff pastry
No-Bake Desserts with Sonya’s recipes for strawberry tiramisu and raspberry mocha icebox cake
“Year-Around Fruit Desserts includes an easy raspberry fool and a no-bake cheesecake
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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!
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 hosting a dinner party without spending the whole night stressed in the kitchen?
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 have two go-to entertaining menus: one for a smaller dinner party and one for feeding a bigger group. We’re sharing the dishes, strategies, and make-ahead elements that help hosting feel more relaxed and enjoyable.
You’ll also discover prep-friendly mains and salads, a summery dip that disappears quickly, and two desserts built around sweet, jammy strawberries and tart rhubarb.
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:
Sonya’s Hosting at Home Menu
Chicken schnitzel, like this one from Smitten Kitchen
Crispy Tofu Schnitzel from Live Eat Learn
Charred asparagus and snap peas
Marinated beets, dilly cucumber salad (both can be found in her cookbook Braids )
Samin Nosrat’s labneh dip
Michael Solomonov’s 5-minute hummus recipe
Nicole Rucker’s Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Recipe from Amateur Gourmet

Kari’s Picnic- Style Menu
Spinach corn dip by Hetty Lui McKinnon for NYT Cooking from Episode 282 Picnics + Potlucks
Crudites
Chevre swirled with Calabrian chili sauce and topped with honeycomb (or drizzled with honey)
Hailee Catalano’s Mean Green Turkey Sandwich on pretzel rolls + vegetarian version on ciabatta rolls
Big green salad with tons of dill and avocado with lemony orange-marmalade vinaigrette
Strawberry rhubarb bars from Food Friends’ 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!

What do private chefs actually cook for families during the week… and what can home cooks learn from it?
In this episode, we’re pulling back the curtain on real client menus — from busy families with teenagers to households balancing different dietary needs. These are the kinds of meals designed to work in real life: flexible, flavorful, make-ahead friendly, and built to stretch into multiple lunches and dinners throughout the week.
But this episode isn’t just about cooking for clients. We’re sharing the strategies we rely on in our own kitchens, too: prepping components, building meals around adaptable proteins and sauces, and making food that can evolve throughout the week instead of feeling repetitive by day two.
By the end of this episode, you’ll discover:
How to build “mix-and-match” weekly meal plans that don’t feel boring
Strategies for prepping proteins, sauces, and vegetables once and using them throughout the week
Four unique menus that feature some of our go-to meals like customizable taco nights, a make-ahead panini, and our favorite mac n’ cheese (that has a secret serving of veggies)

Tune in now to cook like a private chef in your kitchen!
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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:
SONYA's -- Menu #1
For: 2 meat eaters /2 vegetarians/ 1 meal fresh + other meals prepped in advance
Dinner for that night (plus extra):
Taco bowls with ground beef, crispy tofu (add your favorite seasonings), cabbage slaw with jalapeno, cilantro, and lime dressing, spicy crema, avocado, and salsa verde + tortilla chips
Additional meals for mix and match throughout the week:
Creamy Lentil tomato soup by Carolina Gelen for NYT Cooking
Roasted shawarma chicken thighs, also added onion wedges and placed on a sheet pan
Turmeric black pepper tofu (I use potato starch or cornstarch instead of arrowroot powder)
Roasted cauliflower and red onion, spiced with turmeric, cumin and corainder, with currants
Herby tuna salad (recipe can be found in Braids)
Mixed lettuces and cucumber
Green goddess dressing (I use yogurt or sour cream in lieu of half of the mayo – you can skip anchovies for vegetarians)

KARI - Menu #1
2 parents/2 teenage boys on Wednesdays
Fish tacos with peach + mint + chive salsa by Martha Tinkler for Food Network Kitchen, plus tip for grilling fish: coat it in a thin layer of mayonnaise before putting on a very hot grill and don’t move it until it looks almost cooked through! It won’t taste like mayo and it won’t stick.
Spicy skirt steak tacos with red cabbage - similar to Kari’s approach
Roasted corn
Grilled zucchini
Kari’s Granola recipe is published in Sonya’s cookbook, Braids
Chicken cheddar sandwich paninis for the fridge similar to what Kari makes

SONYA - Menu #2
Family of 2, 1 low carb, 1 teenager
Monday:
Burger night – cooked in a cast iron pan, one served on a bun (for the teen), the other wrapped with iceberg (for the adult), topped with tomato, onion, avocado, cheese, and bacon. Served with roasted potato wedges (for the teen) and parsnip fries (adult), and a simple salad
Tuesday:
Turkey Kheema (similar to this, but with turkey instead of chicken and no peppers), cauliflower and peas (Gobi Matar), with raita, cauliflower rice, and steamed rice
Wednesday:
Sheetpan sausage with peppers and tomatoes with arugula salad
Thursday:
Vietnamese bowls lemongrass marinated grilled pork, served with rice vermicelli noodles, shredded carrot and cucumber, bed of shredded romaine, almond butter dipping sauce

KARI - Menu #2
2 dads/2 little kids on Thursdays
Sweet potato mac and cheese similar to Kari’s: use full-fat dairy and can sub canned pumpkin for the sweet potato
Chicken cheddar sandwichpaninis for the fridge similar to what Kari makes
Roasted delicata squash salad with kale
Tuna salad
Chicken soup - simply made, recipe from our Substack
Granola bars
Strawberries, apriums
Ina Garten’s honey orange yogurt
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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 simple chef trick that can make a basic fish dinner taste restaurant-worthy?
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 want to try an easy technique for cooking fish at home that relies on one surprisingly simple ingredient: store-bought crème fraîche. You’ll also discover two comforting weeknight meals— a noodle bowl and French onion crostini— both built from a single pot of rich oxtail broth and its tender meat.
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:
Herb grilled halibut with creme fraiche (once cooked, brush the fish with the creme fraiche)
Arancini made with sushi rice from Serious Eats
Wildwood Cookbook and Rustic Fruit Desserts Cookbooks by Cory Schreiber
Grandma’s beef and noodles by Gimme Some Oven – Kari used wheat ramen noodles in place of the egg noodles, and oxtail in place of the roast
French onion crostini by Lemon Tree Dwelling
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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!