Food Friends: Home Cooking Made Easy

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!
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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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We also highly recommend The Dinner Plan podcast and Substack for more recipe inspiration!
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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
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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 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!
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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
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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 the best recipes aren’t the newest ones, but the ones you keep coming back to?
This week, we’re revisiting some of our favorite summer meals and sharing the recipes from Season 4 that have earned a permanent spot in our kitchens.
By the end of this episode, you’ll:
Discover make-ahead salads that have become staples
Find a hosting-worthy sheet-pan dinner that’s easy enough for a weeknight
Get two cookie recipes we bake year-round — and that are perfect for cookie boxes and gifting

Tune in now for easy, reliable recipes you’ll want to make again and again!
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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:
Tostadas:
Vegetarian Mexican tostadas from Muy Bueno Cooking
Kari also mentioned making a take on tostadas based on Roasted Broccoli and Potato Tacos by Kay Chun for NYT Cooking

Salads:
Sweet and spicy melon salad by Christian Reynoso from NYT Cooking
Savory watermelon cucumber salad from the Mediterranean Dish (similar to what Sonya makes, but hers doesn’t have feta)
Korean carrot salad recipe from Alyona’s Cooking, and watch Danielle walk you through making her viral version on TikTok

Sweets:
Sonya’s galette recipe
Sonya made a version with apricot + sour cherry and marzipan (she used frozen fruit), and Kari made a version with nectarine, peaches, and frangipane (with fruit from her Flamingo Estate farm box)

OUR TOP RECIPES FROM SEASON FOUR:
Mains:
Broiled salmon and asparagus with creme fraiche by Molly Gilbert for Sunset Magazine
Kung Pao Tofu by Ham El Waylly for NYT Cooking

Salads:
Smitten Kitchen’s simplified version of the famous roasted chicken and bread salad from the Zuni Café Cookbook
Frizzled-onion cabbage salad by Shilpa Uskokovic for Bon Appetit

Sweets:
Pistachio Halvah Rice Krispie Treats by Miro Uskokovic from NYT Cooking (unlocked)
Jam sugar cookies by Hewn restaurant in Chicago Mag
MORE RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:
How to Start a Cookbok Club
The date fudge recipe Kari talked about can be found in Ham El-Waylly’s book: Hello, Home Cooking
Sonya mentioned great tostadas from El Sazaon Di Mi Rancho in Portland, OR, and her Chicken Tinga recipe

Can a mountain of zucchini turn into a homemade pizza you can’t stop taking “just one more” slice of?
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 standout Smitten Kitchen recipe for a thin-crust summer pizza that’s loaded with zucchini yet somehow still crispy, golden, and nutty with browned Gruyère.
You’ll also want to try a saucy, spicy breakfast dish inspired by a recent visit to a street food stand in Los Angeles.
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:
Smitten Kitchen’s summer squash pizza
Chilaquiles from ChiLAquiles on Venice and Hauser in Los Angeles
Chilaquiles master recipe from Rick Bayless, and a store-bought sauce recommendation (and great article!) by Jarret Melendez from Epicurious
Also mentioned:
Giada’s scarpaccia video and her recipe (gluten-free!)
And a vegan version of scarpaccia from Earth To Rocco

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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 your next vegetarian dinner could be packed with flavor - and made entirely on a sheet-pan in your oven?
Whether you're trying to cook more plant-based meals, accommodate a vegetarian at your table, or just need low-effort dinner ideas, this episode is full of satisfying recipes that are anything but boring.
By the end of this episode, you’ll:
Learn how to make a sheet pan lasagna dotted with creamy ricotta cheese — no layering or béchamel-making required
Discover how to turn basic veggies into shawarma-spiced mains
Find out about a gluten-free, noodle dish that takes less than 30 minutes to make

Hit play and turn your veggie drawer into crowd-pleasing vegetarian meals you’ll want to make any night of the week!
***
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:
Vegetarian sheet pan lasagna from Busy in Brooklyn, and Giada’s original version
Sheet pan eggplant parm from Food & Wine, or sheet pan cauliflower parm from How Sweet Eats – and here’s a video of Sonya + Kari’s version
How to make crispy garlic breadcrumbs (to top your eggplant or cauli parm)
Mushroom shawarma from Eating Well, or Sonya’s eggplant shawarma
Roasted chickpea gyros by Sarah Bond from Live Eat Learn
Sheet pan feta chickpea tomatoes by Ali Slagle for NYT Cooking (unlocked)
Vegetarian stuffed peppers from Love & Lemons
Eric Kim’s Sheet-pan Japchae for NYT Cooking (unlocked), and his sheet-pan bibimbap
Sweet potato and black bean tacos by Sarah Bond from Live Eat Learn
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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!