Food Friends: Home Cooking Made Easy

What’s the secret to flavorful soups that don’t involve a ton of ingredients or a ton of time to prepare?
This week, we’re back with our annual fall soup episode, with 10 recipes to keep in your rotation all season long, from quick weeknight dinners to soups worth sharing with friends.
By the end of this episode, you’ll discover
Soups you can make with 5 ingredients or less
Easy veggie soups that can be made with just water instead of store-bought or homemade stocks
Simple toppings and finishing touches that make everyday soups special enough for hosting

Press play now to find out how a few simple ingredients can make a really good bowl of soup!
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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:
Golden potato and greens soup by Andy Baraghani for NYT Cooking
Cauliflower soup with green olive salsa verde by Justine Doiron
Chickpea noodles soup by Ali Slagle for NYT Cooking
Lebanese crushed lentil soup by Yumna Jawad of Feel Good Foodie
Marcella Hazan’s 5-ingredient, 15-minute white bean soup from Simply Recipes (and the Marcella bean)
5-ingredient creamy celery soup by Martha Stewart
Samin Nosrat’s curried carrot and coconut soup from Good Things, also similarly a version where she uses butternut squash instead of carrots
Spinach and artichoke soup by Carolina Gelen
Roasted tomato and pepper soup from 101 Cookbooks (and Kari’s tomato soup is another favorite)
Albondigas de Familia Ronstadt by Linda Ronstadt and Lawrence Downes, adapted by Kim Severson via NYT Cooking
Our previous soup episodes:
Soup Season 2025
Soup Season 2024
Soup Season 2023
Soup Season 2022
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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 cooking a dinner party with your closest food friend could make hosting easier, more fun, and even more delicious?
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 our menu of some of our favorite all-time recipes, like a hosting-friendly vegetarian casserole, crispy chicken cutlets that you can make-ahead and reheat like a dream, and a fruit-filled dessert that gets better with time.
Plus you’ll discover what we love to send our guests home with!
Tune in for a quick dose of home cooking inspiration!

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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:
Starters:
Thin toasted small slices of homemade sourdough bread using the Communal Table Bread recipe, by Adrian Hale
Baba ghanoush by Maureen Abood made with charred eggplant + tahini
Marinated olives
Salad course:
Sonya’s rainbow salad recipe from her Substack
Mains:
Farro cauliflower parmesan by Sarah DiGregorio for NYT Cooking (unlocked)
Chicken schnitzel, like this one from Smitten Kitchen
Dessert:
Cake parfaits made with strawberry sheet cake with passionfruit buttercream by Zoe Bakes for the cake layer, with a layer of our favorite fruit salad, and labneh whipped cream (like the one from this Adeena Sussman recipe)
Gift bags:
Loaves of sourdough
Slow cooker apple butter from Family Food On The Table
Chocolate chip cookies
Plum jam bars
Cookbook gifted to us:
Talisman Cookbook
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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’s the secret to a great breakfast that you’ll actually look forward to?
This week, John Kanell of Preppy Kitchen joins us to share his best breakfast ideas and the baking techniques that make a difference, from the secret to the best cinnamon rolls to how to achieve a perfectly tender cake.
By the end of this episode, you’ll learn:
How to make the best crisp-edged fluffy waffles for weekend breakfasts
Make-ahead breakfast ideas you can enjoy all week
The secret to a great quiche crust + how to keep a tomato tart from getting soggy

Press play now for practical breakfast inspiration and expert baking tips!

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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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John Kanell’s new book: Preppy Kitchen Everyday Baking
For more recipes, head to Preppy Kitchen and follow John on Instagram

Make-ahead breakfasts:
Muffin recipes, including the most popular ones on the site: banana, blueberry, and chocolate
Waffles
Egg muffins

Make once and eat twice breakfasts:
Quiche
Tomato tart
Bougatsa

Breakfasts for when you want to linger:
Homemade Cinnamon rolls
Orange rolls
Pan dulce (conchas)

Most popular Preppy Kitchen recipe:
Peanut butter cookies

Some of John’s favorite recipes:
Butter chicken
German chocolate cake
Princess cake with olive oil sponge

Recipes from John’s new book:
Cinnamon swirl pumpkin muffins
German chocolate brownies
Biscuit Dough Three Ways: Sweet, Savory Cheese and Herb, and Meyer Lemon

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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 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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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:
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!
***
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!