Food Friends: Home Cooking Made Easy Podcast By Food Friends cover art

Food Friends: Home Cooking Made Easy

Food Friends: Home Cooking Made Easy

By: Food Friends
Listen for free

Do you love home cooking but hunger for better recipes that help you deliver quick and delicious meals to your dinner table? Two former personal chefs turned best friends share their expertise with each other and you! Kari and Sonya have been inspiring each other in the kitchen for over 15 years by swapping recipes, tips, and trade secrets in the pursuit of better home cooking. FOOD FRIENDS is a bi-weekly podcast inspiring home cooks to try new dishes in the kitchen by sharing trusted recipes, tips, and friendship. Every Tuesday, each host delivers 3 unique solutions to seasonal home cooking, like: how to make craveable soups with your farmers market haul, the easiest one-pot meals for busy nights, or what to do with leftover rotisserie chicken. On Thursdays, we serve up a pint-sized chat about our “Best Bite” of the week, pantry essentials we can’t live without, and more. Previous guests include Seth & Lauren Rogen, actor Randall Park & writer/director Evan Goldberg, recipe developer Justine Doiron, #1 Food & Beverage Substacker Caroline Chambers, and more. If you’re looking for a boost of fun in the kitchen by discovering recipes that will make mealtime easier and more delicious with a healthy dose of laughter, then you’ll want to dig in with FOOD FRIENDS! First-time listener? Tune into Episode 2: Don’t send flowers, send soup! and Episode 4: What do you bring to a potluck?Food Friends Podcast 2022 Art Food & Wine
Episodes
  • What to Do with Tahini, Gochujang & Miso | Answering a Listener Question

    What to Do with Tahini, Gochujang & Miso | Answering a Listener Question
    Apr 16 2026
    What do you do with those jars of tahini, gochujang, and miso sitting in your pantry?If you have condiments in your kitchen that you always mean to use — but never quite know how — this episode is for you!This week, we’re answering a listener question and breaking down three powerful, versatile ingredients: tahini, gochujang, and white miso. We share simple techniques and go-to recipes to help you actually use them in your everyday cooking.By the end of this episode, you’ll discover:Easy, flexible ways to use tahini, gochujang, and misoGo-to ideas for sauces, sheet-pan meals, noodles, and moreHow a small spoonful of can add big flavor to your next stew, BBQ, or braiseTune 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:Tahini:Easy Tahini Sauce with just water and lemon from The Immigrants TableSonya’s tahini sauce 3 ways from The Nosher (including with gochujang!)Sonya’s Tahini Chocolate Chunk CookiesSonya’s flourless Tahini Brownies from The NosherTahini roasted swordfish from Ham El-WayllyDavid Leibovitz has a a really good loaded tahini granola recipeSome of our favorite tahini brands Soom, Seed & Mill, Whole Foods 365 Organic Tahini, and Eden Foods GojuchangGochujang Buttered Noodles by Eric Kim for NYT CookingSheet-Pan Bibimbop by Eric Kim for NYT CookingRoasted Gochujang Salmon by Sue Li for NYT CookingHetty Lui McKinnon’s sticky gochujang brussels sprouts from her cookbook TenderheartA great list of Korean recipes made with gochujang from MaangchiMiso Coconut Miso Salmon Curry by Kay Chun for NYT CookingMaple and Miso Sheet-Pan Salmon with Green Beans by Colu Henry for NYT Cooking Nobu’s Miso Black Cod from The KitchnMiso Caesar from Top Chef Melissa King from our Substack 5-Minute Carrot Miso Dressing by Kale Junkie, similar to what Sonya makes Corn and Miso Pasta Salad by Ham El-Waylly for NYT Cooking****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.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!
    Show more Show less
    21 mins
  • 30-Minute Meals! Our Top 6 Recipes for Quick Spring Home Cooking

    30-Minute Meals! Our Top 6 Recipes for Quick Spring Home Cooking
    Apr 14 2026
    Are you looking for quick, satisfying dinners and seasonal ideas to get out of a cooking rut and get dinner on the table faster?If you’ve ever come home with a bundle of asparagus, some greens, or a beautiful piece of fish— only to fall back on the same old routine— this episode is for you.This week, we’re sharing 30-minute spring meals that feel fresh and seasonal but are built for real weeknights: minimal prep, big flavor, fewer dishes, and smart shortcuts.By the end of this episode, you’ll have:Two easy stir-fries to make the most of asparagus seasonA surprisingly simple dumpling you can make in about 15 minutesA way to turn a small piece of fish into a Japanese restaurant-style meal at homePress play now to make your spring cooking simpler and easier!***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:15-minute turmeric black pepper chicken with asparagus by Ali Slagle for NYT Cooking – we love the turmeric from Diaspora Co and from Burrlap & BarrelSteak and asparagus stir fry with rice by Martha Stewart Easy lamb meatballs for mediterranean bowls from Recipe Tin EatsLemony Peas and Dumplings by Carolina Gelen for NYT CookingJapanese Sashimi and Rice (Chirashi) by Staci Adimando for SaveurSalmon with Swiss Chard and Radishes (one-pot) by Emily Paster for Midwest LivingSome of our favorites from last year’s episode: Sonya’s sheet-pan lemony baby artichokes and potatoes, and also her simple roasted artichoke recipePenne with asparagus and lemon sauce by Faith Heller Willinger, from The 150 Best American Recipes cookbook***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.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!
    Show more Show less
    30 mins
  • What One Ingredient Can Do for Your Cooking + A Standout Sandwich & Italian Pastry! Our Beest Home Cooking Bites fo the Week

    What One Ingredient Can Do for Your Cooking + A Standout Sandwich & Italian Pastry! Our Beest Home Cooking Bites fo the Week
    Apr 9 2026

    How can one ingredient completely change your weeknight cooking?

    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 highly-rated Kung Pao tofu recipe that’s perfect for breaking out of a cooking rut. You’ll also want to try a loaded veggie sandwich that’s a fridge-cleanout hero, and you’ll discover a fresh take on a morning pastry.

    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:

    Kung Pao Tofu by Ham El Waylly for NYT Cooking

    Ham El Waylly’s new book book: Hello, Home Cooking: Do-able Dishes for Everyday and our episode with Ham

    Raspberry Danish with puff pastry video

    Sonya’s blueberry cheesecake danish recipe

    Kari’s Veggie Sandwich:

    • Thickly sliced whole-wheat sourdough (Adrian Hale’s recipe), but any thick-sliced fresh bread would work!
    • Spread hummus on one slice of bread (I love Little Sesame classic) and top with grated carrot and crumbled feta
    • Mash avocado and a little kosher salt on the second siide, then top with thinly sliced cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced kohlrabi, and honey-mustard pickles (my family’s local fave Kaylin & Kaylin)
    • Shred romaine, baby gem, or iceberg lettuce and carefully top one side, then close the sandwich, and cut in half
    • Serve with your favorite chips!

    ****

    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!
    Show more Show less
    19 mins
No reviews yet