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
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About this listen

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, and NY Times Recipe Developer, Sue Li! 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
  • Can you make pasta sauce with a container of hummus? And a springy sheet-pan meal! Our Best Home Cooking Bites of the Week
    May 29 2025

    Are you tired of the same old pasta and red sauce? What if a store-bought container of hummus could be transformed into a family-friendly weeknight pasta dish?

    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 this 5-star lemony hummus pasta that is kid-approved, and you’ll also discover an easy sheet-pan dinner that uses an unexpected seasonal ingredient!

    Tune in for a quick dose of home cooking inspiration!

    Links:

    Lemony Hummus Pasta by Christian Reynoso via NYT Cooking

    Our favorite brand of storebought Little Sesame Hummus (not sponsored, we just love it!)

    Greek lemon potatoes from Recipe Tin Eats

    Sonya’s sheet-pan lemony baby artichokes and potatoes, and also her simple roasted artichoke recipe

    ***

    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. You can also now find us on YouTube.

    We love hearing from you — follow us on Instagram @foodfriendspod, or drop us a line at foodfriendspod@gmail.com!

    Order Sonya's cookbook Braids for more Food Friends recipes!

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    13 mins
  • Burger Night at Home! Cooking Tips for Classic Burgers, Turkey Patties, Veggie Options & More
    May 27 2025

    When’s the last time you made a burger at home that was better than takeout?

    Whether you're craving a juicy smash burger, need a foolproof turkey patty, or want a plant-based option that actually tastes good, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking great burgers only come from restaurants. But burger night at home can be quick, easy, and way more customizable than you might think — especially when you’ve got pro tips from two former personal chefs.

    By the end of this episode you’ll:

    1. Master the art of deeply savory, crisp edged burgers, from the of smash burgers to the secret to juicy turkey patties. No grill required!
    2. Discover unexpected flavor upgrades—like mustard-brushed patties, kimchi toppings, and a 5-star recipe for an entirely vegan option
    3. Learn how to build a low-stress, high-impact burger bar with topping must-haves and sides that make even a weeknight dinner feel like a party (without the stress).

    Press play for your next easy, healthy dinner that is stacked, sauced, and sizzling with flavor!

    ***

    This episode is sponsored by Spicytude: premium Indian spice kits and flavorful recipes!

    Spicytude makes Indian cooking easy with all-in-one spice kits. They source and blend the finest spices in perfect proportions, providing you with recipe cards and video instructions to guide you through the cooking process. Say goodbye to half-used spice jars turning to dust at the back of your pantry, and say hello to the era of precise and flavorful culinary experiences!

    ***

    Links:

    Homemade smash burger by Kenji Lopez Alt for Serious Eats

    Bacon and kimchi burgers by Wesley Genovart from Food & Wine

    A classic turkey burger recipe; add finely diced peppers, or shredded zucchini, chipotle pepper, sliced scallions, or herbs to modify it to your liking. Worcesteshire is a great addition too.

    Sonya’s turkey kotleti (small turkey patties)

    Mark Bittman’s salmon burger from NYT Cooking made with fresh salmon (unlocked)

    Ina Garten’s salmon cakes made with leftover salmon

    Homemade tartar sauce and Kenji’s shake shack sauce from Serious Eats

    Double Drive-Thru veggie burgers by Chloe Cascarelli for Food & Wine, with Thousand Island sauce made with tofu

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    32 mins
  • Cookbook club wins and how to make the easiest biggest batch of monster cookies! Our best home cooking bites of the week
    May 22 2025

    Searching for a recipe you can bring to your next potluck?

    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 discover two recipes that can serve a crowd, or are great for make-ahead meals. You'll want to make a spinach ruffle milk pie—a savory, veggie-packed twist on spanakopita that’s perfect for meal prep, healthy lunches, or dinner parties—and a nostalgic monster cookie recipe that’s chewy, gluten-free, and ideal for freezing ahead.

    Tune in for a quick dose of home cooking inspiration!

    Links:

    Hetty Lui McKinnon’s Tenderheart Cookbook, which has her recipe for savory spinach and mint ruffle milk pie

    Here’s another take on a savory phyllo spinach and feta pie from Super Golden Bakes, and one that looks delicious from Serious Eats

    Sonya’s apple and honey ruffle milk pie with video on how to ruffle your phyllo dough

    Monster Cookie recipe (double to make 15 lbs of cookie dough just like Kari did!)

    ***

    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. 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 foodfriendspod@gmail.com

    Show more Show less
    12 mins
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