Food Friends: Home Cooking Made Easy

Looking for more answers to your home cooking questions? Every month, we'll gather on Zoom for "Around the Table with Food Friends: Live Q&A". Together, we'll connect in real time as a community and share recipes, tips, and solutions to everyday cooking struggles and successes. Join in by becoming a paid subscriber on our Substack today. Sign up here!
What if a seasonal winter produce haul could be as versatile, delicious, and exciting as a flat of berries in peak summer?
This week we’re sharing our 10 must-have winter farmers’ market produce picks, and the recipes to go with them.
By the end of this episode you’ll:
Discover a viral sweet potato recipe that will change how you make it forever
Learn simple and quick techniques for coaxing sweetness and depth from veggies like parsnips, turnips, and cabbage
Find out about our go-to winter weeknight meals, like a sheetpan chicken dinner full of greens and a rustic cabbage skillet dish

Tune in now to learn how the winter farmers' market might surprise you, and how to turn seasonal produce into satisfying meals you’ll want to dig into all season long!
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Links
Sweet Potato:
New technique for the best whole roasted japanese sweet potatoes by Jamesyworld, + the viral TikTok cheese stuffed version from The Kitchen
And our favorite Carla Lalli Music recipe for steamed sweet potatoes with tahini butter for NYT Cooking (unlocked)
Squash:
Zucotte, garlicky braised squash, by Whistling Train Farm in Kent, WA

Bok Choy/Tatsoi:
Sheetpan Scallion Chicken with Bok Choy by Kay Chunfrom for NYT Cooking (unlocked)
We also like to use bok choy and tastoi instead of lettuce in salads

Cabbage:
Venetian smothered cabbage, “Verze Sofegae”
And a shout out to our favorite cabbage soup from Six Seasons by Joshua McFadden and Martha Holmberg

Leek:
Two takes on a leef tart, one straightforward Leek puff pastry tart from It’s A Veg World Afterall, or a stunning upside down leek tart from Live Eat Learn
And we love Braised leeks from Fox and Briar too!

Turnips:

Ever bring home beautiful winter vegetables from the market, and then completely blank on what to cook with them?
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 deeply comforting, grandmother-approved borscht that celebrates winter vegetables, plus a one-pot, meatless main designed to use up every last leafy green, finished with a bold, garlicky, crispy topping that makes it irresistible.
Tune in for a quick dose of home cooking inspiration, and turn your winter produce into meals you’ll genuinely look forward to cooking.
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Links:
Sonya’s family borscht recipe from our free Substack
Utica Greens from Chesterfield Restaurant in Utica, NY; adapted by Jim Shahin for NYT Cooking
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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.
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]!

Struggling to put together easy, satisfying weeknight meals during these chilly winter months?
This week, we’re taking the guesswork out of meal planning and sharing ten fast dinners for nights when you don’t want to rely on takeout or make an extra trip to the grocery store. All quick. All comforting. All genuinely delicious.
By the end of this episode, you’ll:
Discover flavorful ways to turn a single package of ground beef, turkey, or pork into a dinner that rivals your favorite takeout
Learn a simple tofu technique that transforms it into a craveable, meatless main
Explore pasta dishes beyond spaghetti and red sauce — think silky sauces, peppery greens, toasted breadcrumbs, and brothy bowls of comfort

Press play now and walk away with a handful of reliable weeknight dinners you’ll want to make on repeat all winter long!
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Links:
Turkish pasta by Rachel Perlmutter for The Kitchen (sub red pepper paste, or with a few roasted bell peppers, with a spoonful of tomato paste)
Salad pasta, by Anna Stockwell for Epicurious
10-minute Thai Basil from The Woks of Life
Egg Roll in a Bowl by Ree Drummond
Garlic butter steak bites by Coco Morante for Simply Recipes, and easy mashed cauliflower from Joyful Healthy Eats
Chicken with mustard cream sauce, by Sarah Carey for Martha Stewart
30-minute gado gado bowl by Minimalist Baker
Salmon patties by Nagi Maehashi of Recipe Tin Eats
I can't believe it's not chicken (it’s tofu!) by Nisha Vora for NYT Cooking (unlocked)
Butter beans, paprika, and piquillo peppers, excerpted from Three: Acid, Texture, Contrast by Selena Kiazim
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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.
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

What if baking at home didn’t require special skills or effort and instead could deliver a shareable sweet treat to warm up a chilly, busy week?
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 Alison Roman's recipe for blueberry muffins that are as easy to bake as they are to eat. Bonus: they're freezer and make-ahead-friendly. You’ll also want to try bright and citrusy classic Italian ricotta cookies – one simple batch yields a mountain of soft, lemony treats that are perfect for taking on the go, or for filling your cookie jar.
Tune in for a quick dose of home cooking inspiration!
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Links:
Alison Roman’s blueberry muffin recipe
Italian Ricotta Cookies by Melissa Huett, adapted by Melissa Clark for NYT Cooking
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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.
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]!

What’s the secret to transforming tough cuts of meat and sturdy vegetables into fork-tender meals that feel like a warm hug on a cold day?
If you’ve ever been disappointed by a chewy brisket, flavorless chicken, or dry pot roast, we're re-releasing this fan-favorite episode to give you the foolproof techniques and tips for braising success.
By the end of this episode, you’ll:
Learn how to braise like a pro with equipment you already have in your kitchen (no Dutch oven required!)
Explore classic recipes like comforting smothered pork chops and a rich coq au vin
Discover time-saving tricks that will make a braised dish your next go-to for hosting

Tune in now to bring the magic of braising into your kitchen this season!
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Links:
Tyler Florence’s wine-braised beef brisket recipe
Beer braised brisket with onions from Food.com, and one for the slow cooker from The Kitchn
George Graham’s Smothered Pork Chops with andouille, which are richer than his wife’s Roxanne’s version (which Kari describes in the show). Here’s a simpler version, too. Just be sure to use thin, bone-in chops and continue simmering until they are fork-tender and falling off the bone.
Traditional coq au vin by Ina Garten, or a slightly easier version by Damn Delicious
Eric Kim’s garlic-braised chicken recipe from NYT Cooking (unlocked)
Amateur Gourmet’s braised chicken recipe and video
Samin Nostrat’s soy-braised short rib recipe
Ginger beer-braised butternut squash by Alexa Weibel from NYT Cooking (unlocked)
Oven-braised red kuri squash video on TikTok from Kate Woodward (inspired by Prune by Gabrielle Hamilton)