Food Friends: Home Cooking Made Easy

What if your next chicken piccata didn’t require dredging or sautéing and could come together in just one pot?
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 try Alison Roman’s braised chicken piccata, a one-pot version that’s buttery and lemony with caramelized garlic and crispy capers. Plus, Ali Slagle’s chickpea-tomato salad; it only gets better as it sits, making it perfect for easy lunches and meal prep.
Tune in for a quick dose of home cooking inspiration!

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Links:
Our best bites:
Puttanesca Chickpea-Tomato Salad by Ali Slagle for NYT Cooking (unlocked)
Alison Roman’s braised chicken piccata from her cookbook: Something From Nothing

Other resources and recipes mentioned:
Culinary Breeding Network
More about dry-farmed tomatoes and the ones that can be stored for 6 months or more
Tofu piccata by Kia Damon for NYT Cooking (unlocked)
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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 peek inside two private chefs’ kitchens and see what they really cook — and eat — at home?
If you’re tired of the same breakfast every morning or looking for ways to make your desk lunch more interesting, this episode offers a look at how two professional cooks feed themselves on an ordinary week.
By the end of this episode, you’ll:
Get easy ideas for better breakfasts and lunches, from a unique take on oatmeal to a satisfying broccoli salad
Discover how leftovers and a few smart additions can help you cook once and eat twice
Find a classic 30-minute chicken dinner plus a vegetarian pasta dish that is full of fall flavors

Press play now to discover two chefs’ real-life meals, and get inspired with ideas for your own kitchen this week!
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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 DAY 1
Breakfast: Scottish porridge, sautéed apples and cinnamon, topped with coconut sugar and nut butter (inspired by Adam Roberts’ English porridge)
Lunch: Herby tuna salad, on top of a salad made with tomato, cucumber, and lettuce with balsamic dressing
Dinner: Chicken piccata, garlic bread, Italian chopped salad

KARI DAY 1
Breakfast: Coconut overnight oats with fresh fruit – Kari adds hemp seeds too
Lunch: Deborah Madison’s Ravioli and Tomato Salad with Masses of Basil from her cookbook, Four bean salad with green romesco by Alison Roman from her cookbook: Dining In, crumbled feta, pickled cherries and herbs to pile onto sourdough slices
Snack: Dragon fruit and cucumber
Dinner: Mississippi Chicken stuffed into sourdough ciabatta

SONYA DAY 2
Breakfast: Soft-boiled egg, Tabor bread sourdough toast points, mixed berries.
Lunch: Leftover ratatouille, leftover chopped salad, toasted pita, avocado slices
Dinner: A take on Kari’s white bean soup with parm with croutons, lemony garlic parm romano beans, simple greens salad
For dessert, a cup of tea and good chocolate, like: Beyond Good, Alter Eco, Endangered Species, and CloudForest.
KARI DAY 2
Breakfast: Full-fat Greek yogurt mixed with honey and passion fruit, with cut-up dragon fruit, cucumber, strawberries, figs, and melon
Lunch: Broccoli salad, cabbage salad with peanuts, peach and herb salad with mozzarella balls and gochujang
Dinner : Creamy pumpkin pasta with a pine nut gremolata on top
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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 want to try something new but still want dinner to feel familiar?
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 Adrianna Adarme’s Best Bites of the week, including her viral strawberry brownies that will change the way you think about what a brownie can be. You’ll also hear about what she’s cooking in her "Cozy Kitchen," from classic Peruvian lomo saltado (with a genius shortcut) to a flavorful, herb-and-pepper-filled take on chicken soup.
Plus, we’re sharing a timeless way to cook bell peppers and a classic buttery Bundt cake made even better with toasted pecans and a cinnamon swirl.
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:
Adrianna’s A Cozy Kitchen blog, and her brand new cookbook: A Cozy Kitchen Cookbook
You can also find her on IG

Adrianna's best bites:
Cookie melting over ice cream
Strawberry brownies with white chocolate glaze

Other Adrianna Adarme recipes mentioned:
Aguadito de Pollo (Peruvian chicken soup)
Picadillo
Italian Sardine Pasta
Grandma’s seco de carne (beef stew)
Lomo Saltado with oven-baked fries

Sonya’s best bite: Marinated bell peppers

Kari’s best bite: Golden layer cakes recipe from: Rosie's Bakery All Better Fresh Cream Sugar Packed Baking Book
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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 come home from the farmers’ market with a bag full of beautiful fall produce, and no plan for what to do with it?
This week, we’re sharing our top fall farmers’ market must-haves AND how we’re using them at home to make approachable dinners, nutritious meal-prep salads, satisfying lunches, and cozy vegetarian mains.
By the end of this episode, you’ll:
Find new foolproof techniques for cooking fall staples like eggplant and sweet potatoes
Discover a hearty, weeknight-friendly sheet pan meal that makes the most of seasonal squash
Make the most of unexpected market finds, like quince, plus ideas for turning them into something delicious

Press play now for inspiration for your next farmers’ market trip — and what to make when you get home!
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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:
Join Sonya in person for a guided Portland Farmers' Market tour through Airbnb Experiences!
Delicata Squash
Lemon garlic roast chicken with delicata squash by David Tanis for NYT Cooking
Sweet Potato
Japanese sweet potato with creamy miso glaze by Faraway Kitchen
Peppers
Vegetarian stuffed poblano peppers by the Picky Eater
Peperonata by Serious Eats
Roasted red pepper and cheddar cheese egg bites from Jenn Lueke
Eggplant
Olia Hercules' Azerbaijani butter-braised eggplant, Sedakh
Eggplant adobo by Kay Chun for NYT Cooking
Apples
Crunchy Brussels Sprouts and Apple Slaw by Hetty Lui McKinnon from NYT Cooking
Caramelized onion, apple and goat cheese melts by Jerrell Guy for NYT Cooking
Quince
Poached quince by David Leibovitz, I like to serve with whipped cream, creme anglaise, or ice cream -- or turn into his quince tatin
Pears
Easy maple baked pears by Sally’s Baking Addiction
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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.
Order Sonya's cookbook Braids for more Food Friends recipes!

Could beets become a family favorite if you just found the right way to make them?
In this bite-sized episode, we share a listener's question with expert advice, simple strategies, and lots of delicious ideas to inspire your cooking!
By the end of this episode, you’ll discover our favorite ways to use beets, like in colorful soups, as crispy chips, and in meal-prep-friendly salads.
You’ll also learn some unexpected ways to incorporate beets into both savory AND sweet dishes. Plus, we share our best tips for the easiest ways to cook a big batch or even freeze beets for later.
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:
Pineapple beet smoothie from Three Little Chickpeas
Roasted beet hummus from Food 52
Persian yogurt beet dip from Unicorns in the Kitchen
Jeweled roasted vegetables (mix of beets, carrots, and Brussels sprouts) from The Food You Crave
Oven-baked beet chips from A Spicy Perspective
Scuttlebutt sandwiches from NYT Cooking
Sabich sandwiches from Food Network
Beautiful Soup by Celia Barbour for NYT Cooking
Sonya’s family borscht recipe
Ukrainian beet salad (Vinegret) from The New Baguette
Roasted beet salad over labneh from Evergreen Kitchen
Roasted beets in a sherry vinegar marinade from Superman Cooks
Flourless beet brownies by Jerelle Guy for NYT Cooking
Chocolate beet cake by Nigel Slater for Food 52
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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!