Food Friends: Home Cooking Made Easy

What do you make when you want a homemade dessert that feels special, but takes almost no effort to bake?
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 make a buttery plum jam crumb bar inspired by Sonya’s grandmother. It’s beginner-friendly, and so delicious you’ll want to eat the whole tray as soon as it comes out of the oven.
You’ll also discover a recipe for a quick one-skillet dinner made with sweet summer corn and chew rice cakes, and flavored with nutty miso + brown butter.
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:
Sonya’s grandmother’s plumb crumb bars
Kari’s strawberry rhubarb crumb bars
Miso brown butter rice cakes with corn by Shilpa Uskokovic for Bon Appetit

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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 you could easily fill your kitchen with the comforting aromas of sizzling sofrito, fluffy rice, and tender stews?
This week, we’re talking to Omi Hopper, TikTok creator and runner-up on Next Level Chef, and author of Cooking Con Omi: A Love Letter to Puerto Rican Home Cooking.
She’s sharing her favorite weeknight dinners, meal-prep strategies, and the techniques she uses to build big Puerto Rican flavor at home.
By the end of this episode, you’ll discover:
How fresh sofrito and homemade sazón can transform even simple weeknight meals
How to meal prep for flexibility, instead of a fridge full of repetitive leftovers
Flavor-packed shortcuts to get dinner to taste special without starting from scratch

Press play to hear Omi’s approach to making flavorful, satisfying food that works for real home cooks!
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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:
Omi Hopper’s new book – Cooking Con Omi: A Love Letter to Puerto Rican Home Cooking
You can find more inspiration from Omi on her TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and her site: Cooking Con Omi
Omi’s Recipes:
Sofrito
Alcapurrias
Roast pork shoulder
Homemade Sazon spice blend
Potato salad with apples
One pot macarone con carne (macaroni with beef)
Other dishes mentioned:
Bacalao (Puerta Rican Salt Cod Stew) from Simply Recipes
Her winning pineapple jalapeno salmon dish
Some of Omi’s favorite recipe developers;
King Rey Cooks
Tini
Michelle Disla
Cassie Yeung
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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 cook when it's too hot to turn on the oven (or even the stovetop)… but everyone still needs dinner?
When summer temperatures climb, even the simplest meal can feel like too much effort. If you've been relying on takeout, eating cereal for dinner, or are staring into the fridge hoping for inspiration, this episode is full of practical ideas for keeping your kitchen cool.
We're sharing our favorite no-cook and low-cook meals, make-ahead recipes, refreshing drinks, and easy summer desserts that make the most of the season without heating up the house.
By the end of this episode, you'll discover:
A 5-minute meal built around a single package of tofu
How a rotisserie chicken can become a picnic-friendly Vietnamese-inspired dinner
Two noodle dishes that rely on quick, flavorful, no-cook sauces

Press play now and build a rotation of easy summer recipes you'll rely on that will keep you well-fed and out of a hot 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:
Spicy cold silken tofu with soy and scallions from The Woks of Life
Salsa cruda di Pomodoro — pasta with raw summer tomato sauce — from Lidia Bastianich
Zucchini quesadillas by Smitten Kitchen, and a wonderful squash blossom quesadilla recipe can be found in the Frida’s Fiestsa’s (a Friday Khalo cookbook)
Rainbow veggie pinwheels by Dinner at the Zoo
BiBim Guksu (spicy mixed noodles) by Maangchi
Italian grinder bean salad by Alexis de Boschnek for The Kitchn, and Edi’s favorite sun-dried tomato dense bean salad
Summer tartines four ways from Serious Eats
Chicken banh mi by Recipe Tin Eats
Lemon possets by Toni Chapman for NYT Cooking
Homemade Gatorade by Lexi at Crowded Kitchen
Frozen coconut limeade by Smitten Kitchen
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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!

Are you up to your ears in corn and scrambling for new ways to use up one of the best summer ingredients?
If you’re looking for easy and inspired recipes to enjoy this seasonal darling, then you’ll want to tune in to this fan-favorite episode.
By the end of this episode, you'll:
Uncover the secrets to cooking perfectly grilled corn on the cob
Get inspired by a 30-minute corn-filled ramen with miso butter
Learn how to make “corn ribs,” a popular restaurant dish that’s easy and delicious to recreate at home

Press play now to satisfy all of your corn cravings!
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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:
Compound chili lime butter
How to make corn ribs from Food Wishes
Sonya' s corn soup recipe from our Substack, and a similar corn soup with basil by David Tanis for the NY Times, as well as a chilled corn soup with basil oil from Food52
Soy butter corn ramen by Hetty Lui McKinnon for the NY Times
Sarah Jampel’s spicy corn coconut soup for the NY Times
Ham El-Waylly’s corn and miso pasta salad for the NY Times
Sue Li’s grilled corn and avocado salad with feta dressing for the NY Times
“Ears and Ears” Orecchiette and corn pasta similar to what Kari makes
Colu Henry’s orecchiette with corn, jalapeno, and feta for the NY Times
Sonya’s corn, romano bean, tomato pasta dish
Korean corn cheese by Darun Kwak for the NY Times

Other mentions:
Our episode with Javier Lara: The three sisters: Indigenous wisdom for growing, sharing, and home cooking squash, beans, and corn
All Time restaurant in Los Angeles

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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 salads can really hold up for days and transform into multiple meals?
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 5-star broccoli salad that's meal-prep-friendly and full of Italian flavors. You’ll also want to try a summery cucumber-avocado salad that's perfect for piling onto toast or for serving at your next gathering.
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!

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Links:
Italian broccoli salad by Ali Slagle for NYT Cooking
And Quinoa and broccoli spoon salad by Sohla El-Waylly for the NYT Cooking
Also, we love this Cauliflower Salad Sandwiches recipe from Ham El-Waylly
Obsessively good cucumber avocado salad from Smitten Kitchen
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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!