The Dinner Plan

Anissa Helou wrote her first book about Lebanese cooking in 1994. In this week's podcast conversation (recorded February 24), Anissa shares the story of that book, which largely focused on her mother's recipes, and the differences between that first 250-recipe collection and her new cookbook, Lebanon: Cooking the Food of My Homeland. Anissa's new book dives into Lebanese regional specialties, and in this episode, she shares the most memorable dishes of her travels throughout the country, her recommended menu for a Lebanese feast, and the cookbooks that inspire her most when she's cooking at home. For a preview recipe from Lebanon, go to The Dinner Plan's newsletter at TheDinnerPlan.Substack.com.___Thanks to today's sponsors:Rouxbe Online Culinary School: Get 30% off your first course with code DINNERPLAN30 at Rouxbe.com/dinnerplan.Find Bethlehem by Fadi Kattan on Bookshop, Amazon, or your local bookstore.Made In Cookware: Head to madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer.Find In the Test Kitchen wherever you listen to podcasts and on Netflix.

Anna Hezel's new book is full of fun party food you can serve when you're entertaining—and this conversation with Anna offers tips for hosting without stress. Learn how Anna likes to serve party food in courses of quick snacks, heartier appetizers and warm dishes, and even dessert, and get her thoughts on the things we can learn from cocktail parties of generations past. If you've been in a cooking rut, it could be that planning a casual gathering is exactly what you need: "Asking yourself the question of, 'what do I want to cook for my friends?’ is a good answer," Anna says, "to the question of 'what do I want to cook for myself?'" Get Anna's matrimonio tartine recipe on The Dinner Plan's newsletter at TheDinnerPlan.Substack.com—you'll need to scroll all the way down.____Thanks to this week's sponsors:Made In Cookware: Head to madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer.Nice Cans: Get 20% off Nice Cans sardines by using code DINNERPLAN20 at JustNiceCans.comFind In the Test Kitchen from America's Test Kitchen wherever you listen to podcasts and on Netflix.

Spice importer Sana Javeri Kadri and her team traveled for four and a half months across the length and breadth of India and Sri Lanka to learn family recipes from the spice farmers she works with. They joined a wedding feast in Kashmir and a pakora party in Gujarat, toured a women's market in Manipur, and learned to make fish puffs like the ones at a legendary Sri Lankan bakery. In this episode of The Dinner Plan, Sana shares the bites and cooking techniques that surprised her most during these travels—and how, back in California, they were translated into a cookbook for an American audience. Sana also mentions the recipes she leans on most when cooking at home for her stepdaughters. Get a preview of The Diaspora Spice Co. Cookbook on this week's newsletter at TheDinnerPlan.Substack.com.___Thanks to this week's sponsors:Dirty Labs: Use code THEDINNERPLAN to get 15% off your first order at dirtylabs.com.Made In Cookware: Head to madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer.Find Not from Concentrate wherever you listen to podcasts and at CatherineSmart.Substack.com

Cookbook author and content creator Maxine Sharf organized her new cookbook, Maxi's Kitchen, by day of the week. Easy recipes for Mondays anticipate lower energy and keep things simple, while Tuesday recipes cut down on dishes. Wednesday mixes things up a bit, and Thursday is date night, with restaurant-worthy dishes you can make at home. Listen to the full episode to learn how she plots the rest of the week, the important thing she does before serving every meal, and why she thinks it's worth building up a regular repertoire of dinner ideas of your own. For Maxine's easy teriyaki chicken meatballs recipe and a list of her favorite cookbooks, head to TheDinnerPlan.Substack.com.____Thanks to today's sponsors:Find LaBelle Patrimoine chicken at Whole Foods or GrownAsPromised.comBrooklyn Delhi: Use code DINNERPLAN15 for 15% off your order at BrooklynDelhi.com.Made In Cookware: Head to madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer.Find Brami’s made-in-Italy protein pasta at Costco or wherever you shop. Get Franklin Farms Ready Bake Tofu Kits wherever you buy groceries.

If you find feeding your kid frustrating, you're absolutely not alone. In this episode of The Dinner Plan, host Maggie Hoffman interviews cookbook author Phoebe Lapine, who is also the voice behind the Munch Menus newsletter on Substack. Phoebe's menu system helps busy parents figure out kid dinners, and in this conversation, she shares her advice for increasing variety if your child is picky (perhaps the word "rigid" is a better one.) She also talks about the ways her experience with auto-immune disease and SIBO changed her thinking about food and home cooking. Listen for Phoebe's favorite store-bought shortcuts for easy dinners, how she strategizes using the freezer to make weeknights less stressful, and how the logistics actually work in her family's busy schedule. Get Phoebe's favorite sheet-pan chicken recipe from Carbivore here at TheDinnerPlan.Substack.com.___Thanks to today's sponsors:Rouxbe Online Culinary School: Get 30% off your first course with code DINNERPLAN30 at Rouxbe.comMade In Cookware: Head to madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer.Find Franklin Farms Veggie Balls and Veggie Burgers in the refrigerated aisle. Store locator: FranklinFarms.com/where-to-buyListen to The Side Dish from America’s Test Kitchen on your favorite podcast app or watch on Netflix.

They call Naoko Takei Moore "Mrs. Donabe"—she’s taught classes on cooking with these Japanese clay pots, and wrote the first English-language book on the topic. Her new book, Simply Donabe, focuses on simple one-pot meals made in the donabe. In this week’s episode of The Dinner Plan podcast, host Maggie Hoffman asks Naoko about the advantages of donabe cooking, the best things to cook in the pot, and how she chooses between the many types of miso she always keeps on hand in the fridge. Over on The Dinner Plan's newsletter, you'll get Naoko's recipe for salmon steamed over quinoa. Find it at TheDinnerPlan.Substack.com.____Thanks to this week's sponsors:Aunt Fannie’s cleaning supplies are available on Thrive Market and Amazon or AuntFannies.comMade In Cookware: Head to madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer.Society Insurance: Find your local agent at SocietyInsurance.comCatch The Side Dish from America’s Test Kitchen on Netflix or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Jerrelle Guy was in the midst of a serious case of burnout when she began to dream up her new book, We Fancy. It's not a cookbook highlighting high-end ingredients or elaborate meals—it’s about finding magic in everyday weeknight dinners. In this episode of The Dinner Plan, Jerrelle talks to host Maggie Hoffman about how to calm your nervous system if your kitchen is stressing you out, what to make for dinner when time and energy is limited, and the ways that creativity in the kitchen relates to the kind of creative flow she feels as an artist. Get Jerrelle's jerk mushroom taco recipe and her cookbook recommendations for free on our newsletter at TheDinnerPlan.Substack.com.____Thanks to this week's sponsors:Stone and Skillet English Muffins: Check stoneandskillet.com for a store locator.Made In Cookware: Head to https://madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer.

Chef Vivian Howard has written two cookbooks—and now she's the star of a public television series called Kitchen Curious. But she still struggles with the challenge of cooking on busy weeknights. In Episode 82 of The Dinner Plan, Vivian chats with host Maggie Hoffman about her real-life dinner routine, the way she's cut down her grocery spending, and some important fridge safety tips that she learned in professional kitchens. Get links to Vivian's recipe recommendations and favorite cookbooks at TheDinnerPlan.Substack.com.____Thanks to today's sponsors:Rouxbe Online Culinary School: Save 30% on any course over $50 with code DINNERPLAN30 at Rouxbe.comFind LaBelle Patrimoine chicken at Whole Foods or GrownAsPromised.comFind Brami’s made-in-Italy protein pasta at Costco or wherever you shop. Learn more at EnjoyBrami.comSociety Insurance: Find your local agent at SocietyInsurance.comMade In Cookware: Head to madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer.