The Dinner Plan

Cortney LaCorte—also known as Cheese Gal—joins The Dinner Plan this week to share her best advice on how to make a cheese plate and all the ways she makes entertaining more relaxed. That includes tips on what to cook for a dinner party, the most important thing you can do for a dinner party guest, and the cleaning detail you really can skip. What to make with Boursin? Cortney's all over that. On this episode, she also shares snack ideas for TV nights on the couch, memories of her mother's dinner parties, and her favorite recipe for a quick dinner you can make with grocery store fried chicken. 🍽️ Get Cortney's cookbook recs and recipe on our newsletter at TheDinnerPlan.Substack.com 🍽️ LAST CHANCE to enter our September giveaway ➡️ ___ Check out this week's sponsors: Massican Wines: Use code DINNERPLAN for 10% off at Massican.com . Must be 21+ McEvoy Ranch : Use code DINNERPLAN for 10% off at McEvoyranch.com Cheesy by Farideh Sadeghin is available wherever you buy books. Made In Cookware: Visit madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Olivia Tiedemann will be the first to tell you that working as a private chef isn't easy. You've gotta know what each guest likes and doesn't like, all the dietary restrictions, "who doesn't eat anchovies, who doesn't eat onions, who doesn't eat dairy. And there's 12 of them, and they're all there at one time," Olivia says. "How am I going to contort this same entree seven different ways?" But ultimately, she loves cooking for her clients, and shares everything she's learned in her new cookbook, Eat (Like) The Rich . In this episode of The Dinner Plan, Olivia talks with host Maggie Hoffman about what really matters in a great meal. Expensive lobster and steak is nice, but the difference all comes down to cooking technique. She walks us through a few favorite dinner recipes from the cookbook, the right way to sear a piece of fish, the way she thinks about creating a new dish for a dinner party, and reveals the popular ingredient she actually hates. 🍳 ENTER THE GIVEAWAY and get Olivia Tiedemann's Parsnip Gnocchi recipe on TheDinnerPlan.Substack.com 🍳 ___ Check out this week's sponsors: Made In Cookware: Visit madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer. Une Femme Wines : Use code DINNERPLAN at unefemmewines.com for 20% off. Must be 21+ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You may know Pati Jinich from her long-running series, Pati’s Mexican Table, or her previous cookbooks, but this fall you’ll be seeing a lot more of her, including her new docuseries, Panamericana, and her new cookbook, Foods of La Frontera . In this episode of The Dinner Plan, Pati chats with host Maggie Hoffman about the surprising dishes she tried while traveling along the Mexican-American border, and the way her time on the road has changed how she cooks at home. Pati shares favorite Mexican recipes from a wide range of border regions: lobster burritos, vegetarian pozole, surprising salsas, and easy tacos recipes you’ll want to cook this week. 🌶️ ENTER THE GIVEAWAY and Get Pati Jinich's chipotle chicken taco recipe on TheDinnerPlan.Substack.com 🌶️ ____ Check out this week's sponsors: Made In Cookware: Visit madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer. Listen to Food Friends on Apple podcasts or any podcast listening app. More Mexican cooking episodes you might like: Rick Martinez’s new salsa book will transform your weeknight cooking Claudette Zepeda’s Secret Ingredients for Bigger, Bolder Flavor Crispy Zucchini Tacos With Andrea Aliseda Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Carla Lalli separated from her ex and moved part-time into a sublet after decades of marriage, the first thing she did was make dinner. “I cooked because it gives me a sense of comfort,” Carla says in this week’s episode of The Dinner Plan. “It makes me feel like I’m in power, and it’s soothing, and it is a way to shut off other noise.” Carla shares the meals she made as she got in touch with her own cravings again and what freedom and flexibility she found cooking for one or cooking for two instead of four, and also gets into what she thinks a cookbook written by a human can offer in the age of AI. Carla’s new cookbook, Food Is a Feeling , is the rare cookbook that doesn’t start from the assumption that “every day is happy and perfect.” Instead, she says, “actually sometimes it's a really bad day, and that the best thing in your day might be this great thing that you make for dinner.” 📚📚📚 Get Carla's cookbook recommendations + the recipe for Carla's Chovy-Forward Fazool on our newsletter: TheDinnerPlan.Substack.com __________ Check out this week's sponsors: Straus Family Creamery: Find Straus organic ice cream at Whole Foods nationwide or at strausfamilycreamery.com . Michele's Granola : Use code DINNERPLAN15 for 15% off your order at MichelesGranola.com Row 7: Get 10% off Row 7’s chef-prepared tinned vegetables using code DINNERPLAN10 at Row7Seeds.com Made In Cookware: Visit madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The high-protein vegetarian recipes in Grace Elkus's new cookbook, Protein-Packed Vegetarian , are exactly the kind of dinners I crave, packed with flavor and easy to make, even on a busy weeknight. In this episode of The Dinner Plan, I talk to Grace about her must-have kitchen gear, how to cook tofu so it actually gets crispy, and what to do if you just haven't come around to the idea of cottage cheese. I've been making the easy dinners from Grace's book over and over already, and I think you'll love them too. Get Grace's recipes for sheet-pan veggie parm and unstuffed eggplant parmesan shells on our newsletter at TheDinnerPlan.Substack.com _____ Check out today's sponsors: MaraBela: Find Marabela Alcohol-Free Sparkling Tea at MaraBelaTea.com Trimona Yogurt: Find Trimona's A2A2 Bulgarian-style yogurt at TrimonaFoods.com and stores near you. Michele's Granola : Use code DINNERPLAN15 for 15% off your order at MichelesGranola.com Dirty Labs : Use code THEDINNERPLAN to get 15% off your first order at DirtyLabs.com . Made In Cookware: Visit madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I've been looking forward to chef Pim Techamuanvivit's Thai cookbook for years. It's an essential guide to cooking Thai food, including fresh curry pastes, grilled dishes, curries, soups, and laab. In this episode of The Dinner Plan, I talk to Pim about how she learned all the Thai recipes she'd missed from home, why it matters that you seek out Thai ingredients to cook these recipes, and everything she'd put on a September dinner party menu, whether the guests eat meat or are vegetarian. You'll hear about Pim's favorite cookbooks and her advice for dealing with cooking burnout, too. Get Pim's recipe for Kin Khao's chicken wings on TheDinnerPlan.Substack.com . ___ Check out this week's sponsors: Thaan Charcoal: Get a free starter kit including Thai-style charcoal, fan, and fire starters with the Thaan Grill when you use code DINNERPLAN at thaancharcoal.com/dinnerplan Listen to Food Friends on Apple podcasts or any podcast listening app. Made In Cookware: Visit madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steel Russell started The 99% Cooking Club after walking out of the grocery store with a single bag of food that cost $150. He focuses on tips for making easy, cheap meals taste complex and flavorful, and shares recipes for family dinners that stretch your grocery budget. In this episode of The Dinner Plan, we talk through the best budget-friendly ingredients to buy right now, and how to think about meal planning when you're trying to save money. We’re all in this together, Steel reminds us. "I wanted to be able to show people how to make good food for cheap, but I also wanted to find a way to give people a place that they can come to and not feel isolated," he says. "I think we need to be reminded that, you know, my neighbor is going through the same thing I'm going through right now. On the other side of my house, they're going through the same thing I’m going through right now, but we don’t talk about it." Steel gets into the backstory that inspires this work. Trigger warning: addiction. ___ Check out this week’s sponsors: Find Ajinomoto at your local grocery store, and stocked in bulk at your nearest Costco. Made In Cookware: Visit madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer. MaraBela: Find Marabela Alcohol-Free Sparkling Tea at MaraBelaTea.com Straus Family Creamery: Find Straus organic ice cream at Whole Foods nationwide or at strausfamilycreamery.com . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When you ask cookbook author Alex MacLaren how to save money on groceries, her answer is simple: don't go to the store for as long as possible. The author of We Use What We Have is known for making family dinners on a budget, thanks to smart substitutions and a lot of flexibility. Sometimes, you just gotta let things run out. In this episode, Alex explains why she doesn't think about meal plans until after she's already shopped, how she gets her kids to eat leftovers even when they claim to hate leftovers, and how she stretches a small amount of meat into a full meal. If back-to-school dinners are feeling overwhelming for you right now, you'll want to listen for Alex's easy dinner ideas and practical advice for cooking for kids. Get Alex MacLaren's recipe for honey garlic slow-cooker ribs on our newsletter at TheDinnerPlan.Substack.com ➡️ ____ Discounts for you from this week's sponsors: Dirty Labs : Use code THEDINNERPLAN to get 15% off your first order at DirtyLabs.com . Michele's Granola : Use code DINNERPLAN15 for 15% off your order at MichelesGranola.com Made In Cookware: Visit madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer. Find CookShelf on iOS and Android, and use the code DINNERPLAN for 25% off your first year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pierce Abernathy is my go-to source for summer vegetable inspiration, and he's exactly the recipe developer I turn to when I want to make the most of summer corn and tomatoes in every dinner I cook before the season ends. But Pierce's new cookbook, Every Leaf, Every Stem , goes beyond the pretty produce that gets all the attention and aims to help you fall in love with celeriac and rutabaga, mushrooms and squash. In this episode of The Dinner Plan, we talk about the best way to cook corn, Pierce's dream low-stress end of summer dinner party menu, and the way he'd meal plan for a week of eating more vegetables every day. Get Pierce's recipe for the ultimate tomato toast with corn compound butter on The Dinner Plan's newsletter at TheDinnerPlan.Substack.com . _____ Thanks to this week's sponsors: Find CookShelf on iOS and Android, and use the code DINNERPLAN for 25% off your first year. Dirty Labs : Use code THEDINNERPLAN to get 15% off your first order at DirtyLabs.com . Massican Wines: Use code DINNERPLAN for 10% off at Massican.com . Must be 21+ Made In Cookware: Visit madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Caroline Chambers knows how to make easy dinners easier , and the mother of four needs quick weeknight recipes now more than ever. In this episode of The Dinner Plan, Caroline shares a bit of her behind-the-scenes chaos and her strategy for meal prep that won’t leave you bored. She says everything that’s going on has made her an even better recipe developer, because her mindset is "if you’re putting any effort into it, it better freaking be good! Or else just get pizza!" Caroline's new book, What to Cook When You Don't Feel Like Cooking: Make It Fast , is full of quick dinner ideas that you can fit into busy back-to-school season. Get a preview recipe over at TheDinnerPlan.Substack.com . ____ Thanks to this week's sponsors: Straus Family Creamery: Find Straus organic ice cream at Whole Foods nationwide or at strausfamilycreamery.com . Row 7: Get 10% off Row 7’s chef-prepared tinned vegetables using code DINNERPLAN10 at Row7Seeds.com Made In Cookware: Visit madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer. Massican Wines: Use code DINNERPLAN for 10% off at Massican.com . Must be 21+ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next Level Chef contestant Omi Hopper has published a new cookbook full of essential Puerto Rican recipes—the ones that feel like a welcome home to the folks who follow her on Instagram and TikTok. In this episode of The Dinner Plan, she shares her story. She was working as a makeup artist when her husband was laid off; she worried about how they'd pay for groceries. Find out how she ended up cooking on TV and writing her own cookbook, Cooking con Omi , plus learn what she cooks for parties and how she stays creative in the kitchen. For Omi's recipe for stewed beans, head to our newsletter at TheDinnerPlan.Substack.com. ____ Thanks to this week's sponsors: Une Femme Wines : Use code DINNERPLAN for 20% off at UneFemmeWines.com . Must be 21+ Straus Family Creamery: Find Straus organic ice cream at Whole Foods nationwide or at strausfamilycreamery.com . Made In Cookware: Visit madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer. Check out Food Friends on Substack , Apple Podcasts , or Spotify . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Serena Wolf hosts a big pool party every year, and in this episode of The Dinner Plan, she's sharing her go-to bbq menu and the mac and cheese trick that always impresses her guests. Her new book, You Do You , is full of easy dinner recipes, all including advice on simple ingredient swaps. She offers meal planning advice that's really helpful, too. Quick summer dinners shouldn't be stressful, and Serena's tips will make you feel more confident in the kitchen, whether you're hosting a dinner party with friends or figuring out what to make with melon or nectarines for dinner at home tonight. Get recipes and cookbook links from Serena on The Dinner Plan's newsletter at TheDinnerPlan.Substack.com ➡️ __________ Thanks to this week's sponsors: Find Ajinomoto at your local grocery store, and stocked in bulk at your nearest Costco. Une Femme Wines : Use code DINNERPLAN at unefemmewines.com for 20% off. Must be 21+ Bubbies Mochi Ice Cream: Find Bubbies at Sprouts, Whole Foods Market, Safeway, Albertsons, and other grocers nationwide. Made In Cookware: Visit madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Getting your kid ready to go to college includes a lot of tangible stuff, like dorm setup. But they might also be cooking dinner for the very first time in their first apartment or a university-housing kitchen, and chef Claire Thomson has all the advice they need for that. Her new book, Dear Grace , is full of quick dinner recipes and meal planning advice for new cooks, including ways to cook on a budget—even when you're feeding friends after a night out. In this episode, Claire shares some of the most important cooking advice she'd give to first-time cook: how to make the most of cheap pantry staples, how to lean on your freezer for dinner ideas, and the most important part of meal planning: how to adjust a batch-cooked meal to eat other versions throughout the week. Get Claire's recipes for Creamy Tomato Pasta With Sausage and her Roast Sweet Potatoes With Black Beans and Spiced Pumpkin Seeds at our weekly newsletter at TheDinnerPlan.Substack.com . While you're there, enter The Dinner Plan's Big Summer Giveaway by July 29, 2026. _____ Thanks to today's sponsors: Trimona Yogurt: Find Trimona's A2A2 Bulgarian-style yogurt at TrimonaFoods.com and stores near you. McEvoy Ranch : Use code DINNERPLAN for 10% off at McEvoyranch.com Bubbies Mochi Ice Cream: Find Bubbies at Sprouts, Whole Foods Market, Safeway, Albertsons, and other grocers nationwide. Made In Cookware: Visit madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode highlights so many Italian vegetable recipes: ideas for cooking eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini, peppers and all the other produce that's at its peak right now. Your expert guide: Tuscan cooking teacher and cookbook author Giulia Scarpaleggia, whose most recent book is Vegetables the Italian Way . Tune in to learn why you should salt your eggplant even though modern versions aren't as bitter, what to make with tomatoes that aren't fantastic, and the most important steps to making pesto. Recipes and links, plus our big summer giveaway: TheDinnerPlan.Substack.com –––––– Thanks to this week's sponsors: Find Massican Wines at your local wine shop or Massican.com (21+ only) Made In Cookware: Visit madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mélanie Masarin wants you to feel less stressed out about hosting. She says that her rule with friends is: “If I’m home, you can come over.” Her pantry is stocked with tinned fish and olives, and other little snacks to serve—but her ideal setup for a dinner party is prep-ahead recipes like ratatouille that can be served at room temperature. In this episode of The Dinner Plan, Mélanie shares a behind-the-scenes look at her new cookbook, Riviera, and her advice for making homemade aioli to eat with crunchy vegetables. This episode is full of seasonal recipes that are more about assembly than actual cooking. Get the aioli recipe and the ratatouille recipe on this week's newsletter at TheDinnerPlan.Substack.com . ______ Thanks to this week's sponsors: Row 7: Get 10% off Row 7’s chef-prepared tinned vegetables using code DINNERPLAN10 at Row7Seeds.com Find Lido: Recipes and Stories from Italy’s Beach Clubs wherever you buy books. Made In Cookware: Visit madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer. Listen to Bitefully with Claudia Sandoval on your favorite podcast app. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Want to make better pizza at home but not sure how to start? Today's guest, David Tamarkin of King Arthur Baking Co., is the co-author of The Book of Pizza . This episode of The Dinner Plan podcast is packed with advice, sharing how to hack your oven for better pizza crust, how to choose toppings depending on the style of pizza you're making, and how to fit pizza-making into a weekday schedule. Why is your pizza soggy? David has the answer to that, too. Get the recipe for King Arthur's Weeknight Detroit Pizza at TheDinnerPlan.Substack.com. ____ Thanks to this week's sponsors: Straus Family Creamery: Find Straus organic ice cream at Whole Foods nationwide or at strausfamilycreamery.com . Made In Cookware: Visit madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer. Need another pizza book for your collection? Tara Jensen's Pizza Practice is available on Amazon , Bookshop , or wherever you buy books. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Camping food doesn't have to mean freeze-dried meals you reconstitute with water. On this week's episode of The Dinner Plan, Emma Frisch, the author of Feast by Firelight, shares cooking inspiration for your next outdoor adventure, and tips for camping trip meal planning, the best way to pack your cooler, and thinking ahead so you don't end up cooking dinner in the dark. Get Emma's pork chop and corn salsa recipe this week at TheDinnerPlan.Substack.com . ______ Thanks to this week's sponsors: Bubbies Mochi Ice Cream: Find Bubbies at Sprouts, Whole Foods Market, Safeway, Albertsons, and other grocers nationwide. Trimona Yogurt: Find Trimona's A2A2 Bulgarian-style yogurt at TrimonaFoods.com and stores near you. LaBelle Patrimoine: Find LaBelle Patrimoine spatchcocked chickens in select Whole Foods Markets now. Made In Cookware: Visit madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A traditional Japanese meal highlights a range of flavors and cooking methods, but that doesn't have to mean a ton of weeknight cooking. The key, according to cookbook authors Tadashi Ono and Harris Salat, is a common version of meal prep that's highlighted in their new book, Japanese Comfort Cooking . So many sozai—those side dishes that go with your rice—can be made in advance to serve over the course of a few days. In this conversation, Tadashi and Harris share a few favorite recipes that work especially well for meal prep, as well as a handful of quick Japanese recipes that they recommend you add to your meal-planning repertoire. Get their cookbook recommendation links and a preview of the book over at TheDinnerPlan.Substack.com . ––––––– Thanks to this week's sponsor: Made In Cookware: Visit madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer on cookware and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's early to name the best cookbooks of 2026, but spring was so impressive and jam-packed that The Dinner Plan team joined up with Matt Rodbard of This Is TASTE , another favorite food podcast, to produce this special episode highlighting the best cookbooks from the first half of the year, along with a preview of some of the really exciting new cookbooks that will be published this fall. Get links to the cookbooks mentioned here, plus a special limited-time discount on paid subscriptions to The Dinner Plan at TheDinnerPlan.Substack.com . ______ Thanks to this week's sponsors: McEvoy Ranch : Use code DINNERPLAN for 10% off at McEvoyranch.com Bubbies Mochi Ice Cream: Find Bubbies at Sprouts, Whole Foods Market, Safeway, Albertsons, and other grocers nationwide. Made In Cookware: Visit madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer. Straus Family Creamery: Find Straus organic ice cream at Whole Foods nationwide or at strausfamilycreamery.com . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You've probably seen Alexandra Stacey's Instagram account, @frenchfamilyfood, but now she has a whole cookbook of salad recipes that make the most of whatever produce is in season. In this episode of The Dinner Plan, host Maggie Hoffman talks with Alexandra about the French salads Alex grew up with, the way she devises new dressings for different types of salads, and the worst salad she ever had. When it's too warm out to turn on the stove to make hot food, this new cookbook is going to be your go-to for meal planning. TheDinnerPlan.Substack.com : recipes + a chance to win Salads for All Seasons ___ Thanks to this week's sponsors: Bubbies Mochi Ice Cream: Find Bubbies at Sprouts, Whole Foods Market, Safeway, Albertsons, and other grocers nationwide. Made In Cookware: Visit madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer. TCHO Chocolate: If you’re a chef, baker, or maker in the sweets business, request a chocolate sample at TCHOpro.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.