Food Friends: Home Cooking Made Easy

• A 15-minute vegetarian main and a classic French salad! Our best home cooking bites of the week

  What if your next favorite dinner took just 15 minutes—and started with a humble can of beans?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 creamy, vegetarian butter bean recipe that you can whip in 15 minutes, but feels luxurious enough to bring to a dinner party. And you’ll discover a classic French bistro dish that will transport you to Paris with its topping of warm goat cheese – it makes for an effortlessly elegant starter or even an enticing Tuesday night dinner!Tune in for a quick dose of home cooking inspiration! ***Links:Salade de Chèvre Chaud (Warm French goat’s cheese salad) by Recipe Tin Eats Ina Garten’s take on salad with warm goat cheeseJustine Doiron’s spicy tomato beans with hot honey***Got a cooking question? Leave us a message on our hotline at: 323-452-9084For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our Substack here. You can also now find us on YouTube. Order Sonya's cookbook Braids for more Food Friends recipes!We love hearing from you — follow us on Instagram @foodfriendspod, or drop us a line at [email protected]!

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• Meatless sheet-pan dinners for easier home cooking

  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 need low-effort dinner ideas, this episode is packed with 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 requiredLearn how to turn basic veggies into shawarma-spiced mains to serve up with warm pitas and creamy dips for a build-your-own weeknight feastDiscover a gluten-free, vegetable-packed noodle dish that can be ready in 30 minutes or lessHit play and turn your veggie drawer into crowd-pleasing vegetarian meals you’ll want to make any night of the week! ***Links:Vegetarian sheet pan lasagna from Busy in Brooklyn inspired by Giada’s original version (with meat)Sheet pan eggplant parm from Food & Wine, or sheet pan cauliflower parm from How Sweet Eats. Plus, here’s a video of Sonya + Kari’s version. And here's how to make crispy garlic breadcrumbs (to top your eggplant or cauli parm) Mushroom shawarma from Eating Well, or Sonya’s eggplant shawarmaRoasted 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 & LemonsEric Kim’s Sheet-pan Japchae for NYT Cooking (unlocked), and his sheet-pan bibimbap tooSweet potato and black bean tacos by Sarah Bond from Live Eat Learn***Got a cooking question? Leave us a message on our hotline at: 323-452-9084For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our Substack here. You can also...

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• Strawberry rhubarb pie with a game-changing crust + French onion flavor in crostini form! Our best home cooking bites of the week!

  Want a pie crust that actually works and makes you feel like a baking genius?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 buttery, flaky, foolproof pie crust so you can fill it with juicy, fragrant strawberries and tangy rhubarb. You’ll also discover the ultimate make-ahead appetizer: crispy French onion soup crostini bites oozing with melted Gruyere, a low-effort high-reward recipe we can’t stop talking about. Tune in for a quick dose of home cooking inspiration! ***Links:French onion crostini by Lemon Tree Dwelling Slow cooker carmelized onions from Gimme Some OvenNicoler Rucker’s strawberry rhubarb pie recipe from Amateur Gourmet (with her old pie dough recipe)Nicole Rucker’s updated pie dough recipe can be found in her new cookbook: Fat + Flour: The Art of a Simple Bake)***Got a cooking question? Leave us a message on our hotline at: 323-452-9084For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our Substack here. You can also now find us on YouTube. Order Sonya's cookbook Braids for more Food Friends recipes!We love hearing from you — follow us on Instagram @foodfriendspod, or drop us a line at [email protected]!

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• What if making pie crust and homemade cookies could be easy? New baking methods with Nicole Rucker

  Do you dread making pie dough… and wish you could feel confident when baking your favorite treats like pies, cookies, and quickbreads? You’re not alone! So many of us home bakers struggle with outdated, overly complicated baking rules. If you’ve ever been frustrated by vague instructions like “add water as needed” or the impossible quest for “light and fluffy,” this conversation with noteable baker Nicole Rucker will change your entire outlook on baking.By the end of this episode, you’ll:Learn how to make a foolproof pie crust - no guesswork or high-level baking skills necessary! And yes, we’re serious…Discover how her no-creaming cookie method saves time and improves consistency, leaving you with the ability to turn out the cookies you’ve always dreamed of. Find out about 5 distinct banana bread recipes that go beyond basic—from warm, spiced streusel vibes to a protein-packed option that you just might want to take on your next hiking trip!Tune in now and start baking smarter, not harder—with tips you can use today! *EPISODE COVER PHOTO CREDIT: Alan Gastelum***Links:Get your copy of Nicole Rucker’s new cookbook, Fat + Flour: The Art of a Simple Bake, or check it out from your local library!To find out more about Nicole, follow her on Instagram @Nicole Rucker and her bakery @Fat + Flour Visit Fat + Flour in person in Los AngelesAlso, check out her first cookbook, Dappled: Baking recipes for fruit loversRecipes discussed in this week’s show:Nicole’s new chocolate chip cookie recipe with her genius method for making dough (the recipe is in the post description)The pie crust recipe, “Co-Op Tofu Brownie Cookies”, Banana bread recipes, and Oatmeal Chocolate Chip 90s cookies can all be found in Nicole’s new book: Fat + Flour: The Art of a Simple BakeSpecial shout out to the Zuni Cafe Chicken recipeBonus! Some of our favorite Nicole Rucker recipes: Nicole’s key lime pie recipe featured in the LA Times (with Nicole’s original crust recipe)A stunning July Flame Peach Pie recipe from The Kitchn Nicole’s famous drop biscuit recipe from the LA TimesRicotta biscuits and

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• Dinner solved with two one-pot chicken dishes! Our best home cooking bites of the week

  Could a one-pot braised chicken dish be the answer to "What should I make 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 want to cook up a Central-Asian inspired chicken and potato dish that has an unexpected ingredient, and you'll discover how to make a classic French coq au vin that’s make-ahead friendly and perfect for feeding a crowd.Tune in for a quick dose of home cooking inspiration!***Links:Sonya’s one-pot chicken and potatoes with prunes for The NosherKari tried out Melissa Clark’s coq au vin for NYT Cooking, we also love the coq au vin recipe by Ina Garten, or a slightly easier version by Damn DeliciousFor more braising dishes, check out our braises episode “Cooking low and slow…” ***Got a cooking question? Leave us a message on our hotline at: 323-452-9084For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our Substack here. You can also now find us on YouTube. Order Sonya's cookbook Braids for more Food Friends recipes!We love hearing from you — follow us on Instagram @foodfriendspod, or drop us a line at [email protected]!

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