In this bite-sized episode, we share delicious moments about the best things we ate this week to inspire each other – and you!

You’ll want to make this delicious and cleverly named “Scuttlebutt sandwich,” which combines pillowy foccacia with tangy pickled beets for an unexpected summer meal that’s equally perfect for entertaining as it is for your next beach day.

And if you bought too many peaches at your local stand or farmers’ market, you’ll want to whip up one of our favorite peach desserts — a simple take on peach melba, or classic pie with a buttery crust.

Tune in for a quick dose of home cooking inspiration!

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Links to from this week’s show:

Scuttlebutt sandwich adapted by Sara Bonisteel for the NY Times

Not-so-classic peach melba by David Tanis for the NY Times

Perfect peach pie from Sally’s Baking Addiction, and Peach Pie with Honey and Ginger from Alison Roman

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

Or give us a CALL on our kitchen phone! 323-452-9084

Sign up for Sonya’s free Substack, or order her debut cookbook Braidsfor more Food Friends recipes!

Have you ever found yourself craving the comfort and ease of a homemade casserole dish, but you just wish it could be full of vibrant flavors and veggies instead of something bland and starchy?

In this episode, we’re sharing delicious vegetarian casseroles that offer solutions for those of us seeking hearty but not heavy dishes that are perfect for weeknight meals, potlucks, or even your next dinner party.

You will discover:

1. Casseroles that emphasize veggies, herbs, and flavor, yielding delicious modern meals that are hearty but not heavy

2. Six recipes that can be adapted for any dietary need, including dairy-free and gluten-free options.

3. Time-saving tips for making casseroles ahead and freezing them for future enjoyment

Tune in now to learn how to transform your home cooking with modern vegetarian casseroles that are sure to become your new go-to dishes!

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Links to from this week’s show:

Kari and Sonya’s recipes for Mediterranean quinoa casserole, Ratatouille casserole, and Cheesy baked polenta casserole with greens and summer herbs

Heidi Swanson’s quinoa patties

Eggplant and bulgur stuffed vegetables from Gourmet Magazine

Sonya’s stuffed tomato recipe

Smitten Kitchen’s ratatouille

Layered Eggplant, Zucchini and Tomato Casserole from Food & Wine

Our favorite brand of mandoline

Summer squash gratin by Laura Rege for Food & Wine

Classic Jiffy corn casserole from The Kitchn

Scratch-made corn casserole with poblano from My Texas Kitchen and also from Eating Well

Farro and cauliflower parm by Sarah DiGregorio for the NY Times

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We love hearing from you — follow us on Instagram @foodfriendspod, or drop us a line at foodfriendspod@gmail.com! Or give us a CALL on our kitchen phone! 323-452-9084

Sign up for Sonya’s free Substack, or order her debut cookbook Braids for more Food Friends recipes!

Are you looking for an easy way to amp up your fruit desserts and take them to the next level this summer?

In this bite-sized episode, we share delicious moments about the best things we ate this week to inspire each other – and you!

You’ll want to make this easy rich almond cream, aka frangipane, to instantly improve fruit desserts made with summer’s juiciest peaches, apricots, and cherries. You’ll also want to make a winning crunchy and delicious rainbow salad that’s stunning to bring to the weeknight dinner table, and beloved by kids and adults alike!

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Links to from this week’s show:

King Arthur flour frangipane (almond cream) recipe

Sonya’s rainbow salad

Seka Hills elderberry balsamic vinegar

Great Jones’ baking sheets

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

Or give us a CALL on our kitchen phone! 323-452-9084

Sign up for Sonya’s free Substack, or order her debut cookbook Braids for more Food Friends recipes!

Tune in for a quick dose of home cooking inspiration!

Do you find yourself staring at gorgeous piles of ripe, colorful summer tomatoes and longing to turn them into something special? Something unforgettable?

If you need a boost of inspiration to make use of the juicy tomatoes in your kitchen and are underwhelmed with your standard summer tomato repertoire, tune into this week’s episode to enhance your home cooking!

This week you’ll learn….

1. The trick to keeping even the juiciest BLT sandwiches neat and tidy, plus a genius vegetarian version that’s full of flavor and sure to please all the guests at your dinner table.

2. How to bake a summer tomato tart that even The Great British Bake-Off would approve of, hint: no soggy bottom pies allowed.

3. An easy recipe that turns sweet cherry tomatoes into a weeknight sheet-pan dinner, helping you get a delicious dinner on the table in minutes

Don’t miss out on these six mouth-watering tomato recipes and tune in now to transform your summer cooking!

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Links to from this week’s show:

How to make a bacon weave video from Justin Chapple for Food and Wine, and his BLT recipe

An HLT sandwich from the NY Times – like a BLT but with halloumi instead

Yemenite tomato dip from Ottolenghi

Pan con tomate (spanish tomato bread) by Kenji Lopez-Alt for Serious Eats

Hoda’s restaurant in Portland, OR

A fatoush salad with pomegranate molasses dressing by Reem Assil via Tasting Table

How to make homemade pita chips from Natasha’s Kitchen

Fresh tomato tart by David Leibovitz, and another great tomato tart from Smitten Kitchen

Paneer with burst cherry tomato sauce by Sohla El-Waylly for Bon Appetit

10-minute sausage skillet with cherry tomatoes and broccoli by Anna Stockwell for Epicurious

Simply Tomato cookbook by Martha Holmberg, and her tips on frying up tomato leaves

57 summer tomato ideas from Bon Appetit

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We love hearing from you — follow us on Instagram @foodfriendspod, or drop us a line at foodfriendspod@gmail.com! Or give us a CALL on our kitchen phone! 323-452-9084

Sign up for Sonya’s free Substack, or order her debut cookbook Braids for more Food Friends recipes!

In this bite-sized episode, we share delicious moments about the best things we ate this week to inspire each other – and you!

If you have a sweet tooth and a love for stone fruit, you’ll want to whip up one of our favorite easy cherry cakes. Kari’s stunning sweet cherry upside-down cake can be baked in a well-loved cast iron pan and topped with a healthy dollop of whipped cream, and Sonya’s favorite one-bowl snacking sour cherry cake comes together in minutes with no special equipment required.

Tune in for a quick dose of home cooking inspiration!

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Links to from this week’s show:

Upside-down sweet cherry cake by Jerelle Guy for the NY Times

Sonya’s One-bowl sour cherry cake

Cherry pitter from OXO

Great Jones colorful sheet pans

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We love hearing from you — follow us on Instagram @foodfriendspod, or drop us a line at foodfriendspod@gmail.com! Or give us a CALL on our kitchen phone! 323-452-9084

Sign up for Sonya’s free Substack, or order her debut cookbook Braids for more Food Friends recipes!

Have you ever wandered through a summer farmers’ market, hypnotized by stand after stand of crisp lettuces, juicy peaches, colorful tomatoes of every shape and size, and giant watermelons…yet unsure of what to buy and how to cook with it?

Our latest episode dives into this common dilemma, offering practical tips and creative ideas to make the most of your market finds, including our top 6 essential items we can’t stop buying.

In this episode you’ll learn how to:

1) Transform seasonal produce into delicious, easy-to-make meals - ensuring you never face wasted vegetables or fruit again

2) Time-saving tricks for prepping and storing your farmers' market haul, including how to preserve the bounty for future ease and enjoyment.

3) Unique, trusted recipes for our top 6 produce items

Tune in now to turn your next farmers market trip into a culinary victory that makes shopping, cooking, and hosting a pleasure!

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Links to from this week’s show:

Grilled potato recipe from The Kitchn

Mixed sabzi with yellow 8-ball squash from the NY Times

Superba restaurant in Los Angeles

Grilled romano beans by Karen Martini

Cauliflower salad by Ham El-Waylly for the NY Times – serve it in buttered hot dog buns!

Cilantro date chutney by Samin Nostrat for the NY Times, (she suggests putting it on turkey sandwiches)

Little breakfast parfaits with lemon yogurt + fresh cherries, kid friendly!

Upside-down sweet cherry cake by Jerelle Guy for the NY Times

Sonya’s One-bowl sour cherry cake

You can find Sonya’s cucumber deli salad in her cookbook, Braids

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We love hearing from you — follow us on Instagram @foodfriendspod, or drop us a line at foodfriendspod@gmail.com! Or give us a CALL on our kitchen phone! 323-452-9084

Sign up for Sonya’s free Substack, or order her debut cookbook Braidsfor more Food Friends recipes!

Are you craving a crispy, fun, and inclusive party dish that will satisfy vegans, vegetarians, and meat-eaters…all at the same dinner table?

In this bite-sized episode, we share delicious moments about the best things we ate this week to inspire each other – and you!

You’ll want to make this classic Mexican party dish that accommodates a range of dietary restrictions from gluten-free to dairy-free, and are easy to customize with fresh toppings! You’ll also want to cook up this one-pot weeknight meal that’s veggie-forward, helping you get dinner on the table in a snap!

Tune in for a quick dose of home cooking inspiration!

Links to from this week’s show:

The kind of veggie quinoa bake that inspired Sonya’s weeknight meal

Rick Martinez’s chicken taquitos from the NY Times

Mashed potato taquitos from Abraca Shaba

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We love hearing from you — follow us on Instagram @foodfriendspod, or drop us a line at foodfriendspod@gmail.com! Or give us a CALL on our kitchen phone! 323-452-9084

Sign up for Sonya’s free Substack, or order her debut cookbook Braids for more Food Friends recipes!

Have you ever wished you could get that smoky, charred flavor of grilled food without the hassle of firing up a grill?

If you dream of inviting friends over for a summer meal to enjoy a beautiful, grilled dinner, tune in to this episode for 8 BBQ recipes you can cook at home, even if you have limited space, time, or no grill whatsoever.

In this episode, you’ll discover

1) How to use a cast iron grill pan to achieve those perfect grill marks and smoky flavors right in your kitchen, plus tips on how NOT to set off the fire alarm.

2) Catering strategies from our personal chef days on how to braise, broil, and char a range of foods in your oven to mimic the grill experience

3) How to make delicious grilled pizzas and what to top them with, that will have your guests begging for the recipe and another invite to your house for dinner.

Don't miss out on these game-changing grilling hacks — tune in now to take your summer cooking skills to the next level!