The Dinner Plan

Anissa Helou wrote her first book about Lebanese cooking in 1994. In this week's podcast conversation (recorded February 24), Anissa shares the story of that book, which largely focused on her mother's recipes, and the differences between that first 250-recipe collection and her new cookbook, Lebanon: Cooking the Food of My Homeland. Anissa's new book dives into Lebanese regional specialties, and in this episode, she shares the most memorable dishes of her travels throughout the country, her recommended menu for a Lebanese feast, and the cookbooks that inspire her most when she's cooking at home. For a preview recipe from Lebanon, go to The Dinner Plan's newsletter at TheDinnerPlan.Substack.com.
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Thanks to today's sponsors:
Rouxbe Online Culinary School: Get 30% off your first course with code DINNERPLAN30 at Rouxbe.com/dinnerplan.
Find Bethlehem by Fadi Kattan on Bookshop, Amazon, or your local bookstore.
Made In Cookware: Head to madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer.
Find In the Test Kitchen wherever you listen to podcasts and on Netflix.
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Anna Hezel's new book is full of fun party food you can serve when you're entertaining—and this conversation with Anna offers tips for hosting without stress. Learn how Anna likes to serve party food in courses of quick snacks, heartier appetizers and warm dishes, and even dessert, and get her thoughts on the things we can learn from cocktail parties of generations past. If you've been in a cooking rut, it could be that planning a casual gathering is exactly what you need: "Asking yourself the question of, 'what do I want to cook for my friends?’ is a good answer," Anna says, "to the question of 'what do I want to cook for myself?'" Get Anna's matrimonio tartine recipe on The Dinner Plan's newsletter at TheDinnerPlan.Substack.com—you'll need to scroll all the way down.
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Thanks to this week's sponsors:
Made In Cookware: Head to madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer.
Nice Cans: Get 20% off Nice Cans sardines by using code DINNERPLAN20 at JustNiceCans.com
Find In the Test Kitchen from America's Test Kitchen wherever you listen to podcasts and on Netflix.
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Spice importer Sana Javeri Kadri and her team traveled for four and a half months across the length and breadth of India and Sri Lanka to learn family recipes from the spice farmers she works with. They joined a wedding feast in Kashmir and a pakora party in Gujarat, toured a women's market in Manipur, and learned to make fish puffs like the ones at a legendary Sri Lankan bakery. In this episode of The Dinner Plan, Sana shares the bites and cooking techniques that surprised her most during these travels—and how, back in California, they were translated into a cookbook for an American audience. Sana also mentions the recipes she leans on most when cooking at home for her stepdaughters. Get a preview of The Diaspora Spice Co. Cookbook on this week's newsletter at TheDinnerPlan.Substack.com.
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Thanks to this week's sponsors:
Dirty Labs: Use code THEDINNERPLAN to get 15% off your first order at dirtylabs.com.
Made In Cookware: Head to madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer.
Find Not from Concentrate wherever you listen to podcasts and at CatherineSmart.Substack.com
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Cookbook author and content creator Maxine Sharf organized her new cookbook, Maxi's Kitchen, by day of the week. Easy recipes for Mondays anticipate lower energy and keep things simple, while Tuesday recipes cut down on dishes. Wednesday mixes things up a bit, and Thursday is date night, with restaurant-worthy dishes you can make at home. Listen to the full episode to learn how she plots the rest of the week, the important thing she does before serving every meal, and why she thinks it's worth building up a regular repertoire of dinner ideas of your own. For Maxine's easy teriyaki chicken meatballs recipe and a list of her favorite cookbooks, head to TheDinnerPlan.Substack.com.
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Thanks to today's sponsors:
Find LaBelle Patrimoine chicken at Whole Foods or GrownAsPromised.com
Brooklyn Delhi: Use code DINNERPLAN15 for 15% off your order at BrooklynDelhi.com.
Made In Cookware: Head to madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer.
Find Brami’s made-in-Italy protein pasta at Costco or wherever you shop.
Get Franklin Farms Ready Bake Tofu Kits wherever you buy groceries.
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Ella Quittner conducted around 1500 recipe tests as a part of her research for her new book, Obsessed With the Best. In this episode of The Dinner Plan, Ella and host Maggie Hoffman discuss the pros and cons of the internet's preoccupation with pronouncing certain foods and cooking techniques "the best," and what Ella was looking for as she attempted to figure out the best roast chicken, crispy smashed potatoes, and other favorite dishes. Ella shares one game-changing pantry staple that’s worth adding to your pantry, the struggle meals she makes when she's out of energy at dinner time, and the weird and fun dinner party tradition she's started with a few friends. Get Ella's Definitely Not a Lasagna and vodka sauce recipe at TheDinnerPlan.Substack.com.
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Thanks to today's sponsors:
Rouxbe Online Culinary School: Get 30% off your first course with code DINNERPLAN30 at Rouxbe.com
Find LaBelle Patrimoine chicken at Whole Foods or GrownAsPromised.com
Stone and Skillet English Muffins: Check stoneandskillet.com for a store locator.
Find Franklin Farms Veggie Balls and Veggie Burgers in the refrigerated aisle. Store locator: FranklinFarms.com/where-to-buy
Made In Cookware: Head to madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.