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.comRow 7: Get 10% off Row 7’s chef-prepared tinned vegetables using code DINNERPLAN10 at Row7Seeds.comMade 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.comTrimona 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.comDirty 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/dinnerplanListen 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.comStraus 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.comMade 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.comMade 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.comBubbies 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.