Have you ever wondered what to do with the bean liquid from a can or pot of beans?

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 strawberry-studded shortcake that’s easy, make-ahead, and party-ready. You’ll also get inspired to taste summer’s jammiest berries thanks to Sonya’s foraging and farmers’ market shopping tips.

Plus: we answer a listener's question about what to do with bean liquid from the can -- what to keep, what to rinse, and how bean broth might upgrade your soups, stews, and even baking.

Tune in for a quick dose of home cooking inspiration!

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Links:

Double strawberry shortcakes by Melissa Clark for NYT Cooking (unlocked)

MFK Fisher’s How to Cook a Wolf and Tamar Adler’s An Everlasting Meal

So many ways to use aquafaba! From Plant Based Folk, and a few more from America’s Test Kitchen.

For aquafaba, typically 3 tablespoons is used for 1 whole egg, and 2 tablespoons for 1 egg white

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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. 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!

Book a farmers’ market tour with Sonya in Portland!

Links:

Endive and snap pea salad with parmesan dressing from Bon Appetit – but we like to use our own creamy lemon parmesan vinaigrette

Strawberry Hibiscus Limeade by Millie Peartree for NYT Cooking, that makes use of overripe berries

Sonya’s “galette with any fruit” recipe, we love using Nicole Rucker’s pie dough technique from recipe in Fat & Flour

Tube of marzipan for the bottom layer of your galette

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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. 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!

Book a farmers’ market tour with Sonya in Portland!

Do you ever get to the farmers’ market and feel completely overwhelmed by all the incredible, colorful summer produce?

This week, we’re helping you navigate peak produce season by sharing our top farmers’ market picks for summer, PLUS all the dishes we’re making with our favorite fruits and veggies. Whether you’re filling up your tote bag or harvesting from your own garden, these are recipes we rely on for quick weeknight meals, warm weather hosting, and easy desserts.

By the end of this episode, you’ll:

1. Discover how to turn your big ripe tomatoes into a quick weeknight sauce or into a refreshing, Vietnamese-inspired soup
2. Learn how to make the most of all that extra zucchini with a dish that’s ideal for hosting or potlucks
3. Get the scoop on the recipe developers and cookbooks we rely on to make seasonal produce shine, including a legendary chef's classic corn dish that you’ll want to serve any time of day

Press play now to make the most of your farmers’ market haul!

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Links:

Book a farmers’ market tour with Sonya in Portland!

Tomatoes-

Salmon with freshly grated tomato and butter by Carolina Gelen for NYT Cooking

Nuoc Cham Gazpacho by Kendra Vaculin for Bon Appétit

Jose Andres’ wife’s famous gazpacho recipe from Food & Wine, and

Gazpacho with coconut water, developed by Sonya for Harmless Harvest

Corn -

Alice Waters’ corn cakes

Summer garden tortelloni by Ian Knauer from Gourmet Magazine

Our summer corn episode from last year!

Eggplan -

Sabich sandwiches from Serious Eats, but Sonya likes Michael Solomonov’s eggplant preparation in his Sabich recipe on The Nosher. If you can find amba, it’s a great addition!

Zucchini -

Zucchini rice gratin with tomatoes and parmesan by Andrea Albin for Gourmet...

Drowning in recipes?

Whether you’ve got stacks of cookbooks, screenshots galore, or a folder full of old magazine clippings, figuring out how to organize the recipes you love (or want to try) can feel overwhelming.

In this bite-sized episode, we share what’s working for us and how to make your recipe stash more usable and inspiring.

We’re also sharing the best things we ate this week to inspire each other—and you!

By the end of this episode, you’ll discover two quick, kid-friendly ways to turn a pound of ground meat into a flavorful, filling dinner, and you’ll learn simple, effective ways to organize all those recipes you’ve bookmarked, ripped out, or saved on your phone.

Tune in for a quick, satisfying dose of home cooking inspiration—plus practical answers from our kitchen hotline!

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Links:

Ground beef taco filling similar to what Kari and Sonya make, from Feel Good Foodie

“Middle School Tacos” by Sam Sifton for NYT Cooking - the kind Kari grew up with

A simple version of Arayes from All Recipes, and arayes packed with more herbs from Little Spice Jar

Paprika recipe organizer app, suggested by our listener Roy

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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. 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!

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 best thing you’ve ever made with a pound of strawberries?

Whether you’ve picked up a perfect pint at the farmers market or opened a slightly-too-early clamshell from the store, we’ll show you how to coax the deepest, juiciest flavor from your summer strawberries—no matter where you got them or what shape they’re in.

By the end of this episode, you’ll:

1. Learn how to turn a pound of strawberries into show-stopping desserts like a giant sheet pan pastry or a tender, easy-to-make cake
2. Discover a silky strawberry tiramisu, layered with tropical juice-soaked ladyfingers and clouds of whipped mascarpone
3. Get inspired by summery ideas beyond dessert, like a fruity iced tea with an unexpected ingredient upgrade, and a way to use up those past-their-prime berries for a tangy, refreshing drink.

Hit play now and walk away with your new go-to strawberry recipe (or eight) before berry season passes you by!

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Links:

Strawberry summer cake via Smitten Kitchen, and her sheet cake version for when the 9” cake isn’t enough

Giant strawberry turnover (like a giant pop tart) by Yossy Arefi for NYT Cooking (unlocked)

Ina Garten’s Strawberry Country Cake

Double strawberry shortcakes by Melissa Clark for NYT Cooking (unlocked)

Sonya’s strawberry tiramisu and watch her make it on ABC/KATU’s AMNW

Gabrielle Hamilton’s strawberry milk from her cookbook Prune, via Smitten Kitchen

How to make strawberry shrub with two separate techniques from Food52

Strawberry Hibiscus Limeade by Millie Peartree for NYT Cooking, that makes use of overripe berries

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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. 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

Need a meal that’s fast, flavorful, and starts with what’s already in your pantry?

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 learn how a humble packet of ramen turned into a produce-packed weeknight favorite (yes, there’s a jammy egg involved), and how a store-bought cookie became the secret star of a dreamy layered trifle that can feed a crowd. Whether you’re cooking for yourself or for your next dinner party, these pantry-meets-fresh combos are all about making home cooking feel easy… and a little bit unexpected.

Tune in for a quick dose of inspiration, a few clever tips, and your next best bite!

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Links

Momofuku ramen noodles, and this one is Sonya’s favorite flavor (not sponsored)

Grilled asparagus from Love & Lemons

A bok choy salad similar to what Sonya made from The Cozy Apron

Japanese BBQ sauce to top noodles with

For the “Chocolate Cookie Crunch Trifle”: make chocolate pudding, make vanilla pudding, make a batch of whipped cream, and grab one package of Tate’s cookies. Layer all three in a big bowl or trifle dish just before serving! (And for the vanilla pudding, Kari added a bit of white chocolate ganache, a tip she learned from Nicole Rucker’s book, Fat + Flour)

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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. 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!

Ever wonder what food people actually cook when guests come over—and why those recipes always work?

In this episode, Adam Roberts—aka The Amateur Gourmet—takes us inside his kitchen, shares his favorite cookbooks and go-to recipes, and tells us all about his fantastic debut novel, Food Person. We talk summer cooking, dinner party philosophy, and why even a slightly undercooked salmon can still lead to a great night.

By the end of this episode, you’ll:

1. Get a sneak peek at Food Person, Adam’s twisty, funny, page-turning, novel (think The Devil Wears Prada, but for cookbook publishing).
2. Discover the dessert that never fails a dinner party.
3. Find out the #1 mistake home cooks make when hosting, and the mindset shift that turns chaos into calm.

Press play for Adam’s best dinner party advice, his all-time favorite cookbooks, and the recipes he relies on most to make hosting feel like a breeze.

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Links:

Food Person, Adam Roberts’ debut novel, is out now!

Subscribe to Adam’s Amateur Gourmet Newsletter on Substack

Follow Adam on Instagram

Adam’s cookbook recs from today’s episode:

The Barefoot Contessa books (especially for beginners)

Or level up your home cooking with Mozza at Home, by Nancy Silverton and Carolyn Carreno

For the best homemade ice cream recipes and techniques, check out David Leibovitz’s The Perfect Scoop

Anything by Melissa Clark is dependably excellent

Some of the cookbooks highlighted in Food Person: The Zuni Cafe Cookbook, The Chez Panisse Cookbook, and The Auberge of the Flowering Heart

Food writing that has inspired Adam:

Calvin Trillin

Amanda Hesser’s