You know that feeling when you open your fridge at 5pm and think: Okay, what am I actually making tonight? We’ve all been there. That's why today we're each sharing our top eight essential ingredients and the recipes that go with them. These kitchen essentials live in our pantry, fridge, or freezer at all times, no matter what. They’re the real workhorses that pull double and triple duty across breakfast, dinner, weeknight meals, and entertaining. By the end of this episode, you'll: Discover why a simple jar of whole grain dijon belongs in every fridge, and how it transforms everything from egg salad to a creamy pan sauce for salmon Learn how two humble ingredients — shelf-stable milk and yogurt — unlock a surprising range of recipes, from a stack of perfect pancakes to a gorgeous 4-ingredient yogurt cake Find out why hoisin deserves a permanent spot in the pantry, and how it can become the star of a weeknight noodle dish that will become your new go-to Press play now for inspo on how to stock your kitchen and make home cooking feel a whole lot easier! *** 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: Yogurt for… Green Goddess dressing from Love & Lemons 4 Ingredient Yogurt Cake by Dels Cooking Twist And for ranch dressing, yogurt bowls, to make labneh, and more Shelf Stable Milk… Marcella Hazan’s bolognese sauce from NYT Cooking (unlocked) Sonya’s rice pudding Everyday pancakes by Mark Bittman from NYT Cooking (unlocked) Jordan Marsh’s Blueberry Muffins adapted by Marian Burros for NYT Cooking Mac and cheese (box or homemade), guests who need milk in their coffee or tea, for smoothies and overnight oats Ground turkey or chicken for… Sheetpan turkey meatballs with chickpeas from Smitten Kitchen Or for Keema Shimla Mirch (Ground chicken with bell peppers) by Zainab Shah for NYT Cooking (unlocked), or Sonya’s turkey kotleti (small turkey patties), or taco filling similar to what Kari and Sonya make from Feel Good Foodie, Mirepoix — aka carrots, celery, and onion… Many great soups start with carrots, celery, onion: like classic chicken soup and Clean-out-your-fridge veggie soup from our Substack Big pot of beans or beans on toast from NYT Cooking Beef Stew from Spend with Pennies Whole grain dijon mustard… For classic vinaigrette like this one by Samin Nosrat from NYT Cooking Sonya’s golden egg salad Creamy mustard pan sauce from Serious Eats for salmon Sonya’s herby potato salad from our Substack Hoisin… Soy-Basted Chicken Thighs with Spicy Cashews by Sam Sifton for NYT Cooking Hoisin Garlic Noodles by Hetty Lui McKinnon for NYT Cooking Slow-Cooker Pork Tacos with Hoisin & Ginger by Sam Sifton for NYT Cooking Kimchi Chicken Lettuce Wraps by Alexa Weibel for NYT Cooking White beans… Spicy white bean stew with broccoli rabe by Alison Roman for NYT Cooking Mediterranean white beans and greens from Grateful Grazer Big bars of chocolate and bags of mini chocolate chips… Bars of chocolate for any chocolate chip cookie recipe and Kari’s family’s favorite flourless chocolate cake by Tyler Florence via Food Network Mini chips to make Zoe Francois’ Breakfast Cookies & homemade granola bars *** 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!