A Couple Cooks | Small Bites

Cookbook authors Sonja and Alex Overhiser pair small bites of food with short form interviews to inspire you in less than 20 minutes. The married duo behind the acclaimed website A Couple Cooks has teamed up to explore the stories, ideas, and people behind what we eat, featuring leading authors, entrepreneurs, and celebrity chefs. It’s a busy world, they cut the small talk and get right to the point, all in the time of your daily commute!

Mad genius cooking tips 12/20/2018

Mad genius cooking tips Food & Wine Culinary Director Justin Chapple joins us for this episode and shares some mad genius cooking tips for spicing up your kitchen! Inspired by his grandmother’s way of making something out of nothing, Justin has gone on to have an illustrious career helping home cooks cook better, quicker, and more delicious food. For our small bite, we eat a smoky marinara soup that tastes like it’s been simmering for hours. Connect: Find Justin on and on Food & Wine’s video series Book: by Justin Chapple Small Bite Recipe: Smoky marinara soup from Just Cook It Find A Couple Cooks: Find Sonja & Alex on Instagram at or online at . Find online and everywhere books are sold. /episode/index/show/acouplecooks/id/7993940

Nutritious straight talk 12/13/2018

Nutritious straight talk Are carbs bad? Are detox diets worth it? In this episode we sit down with two Registered Dieticians with an evidence based approach to eating: Jess and Wendy of Food Heaven Made Easy and the Food Heaven Podcast. They break down food myths and help us with a few practical meal planning tips. For our small bite, some crispy, salty stovetop potatoes that count as part of a balanced diet! Connect: Find Wendy and Jess on the website, on , or as hosts of the podcast Small Bite Recipe: from Food Heaven Made Easy Find A Couple Cooks: Find Sonja & Alex on Instagram at or online at . Find online and everywhere books are sold. /episode/index/show/acouplecooks/id/7911293

Pull up a chair 12/06/2018

Pull up a chair Hosting tips straight out of Hollywood from an actress and mom of two! It’s Tiffani Thiessen, who you might know as Kelly Kapowski from Saved by the Bell. Tiffani shares her passion for bringing people together over food, and breaks down some fun ways to help people connect at the dinner table. With her interview, we pair a lemon feta dip from her new book, Pull Up a Chair. Book: by Tiffani Thiessen Small Bite Recipe: Lemon Feta from Find A Couple Cooks: Find Sonja & Alex on Instagram at or online at . Find online and everywhere books are sold. /episode/index/show/acouplecooks/id/7826177

Why organic 11/29/2018

Why organic Why eat organic? It’s a complicated question, so we’ve brought in an expert: the famed Gary Hirshberg who founded America’s largest organic yogurt company. Gary breaks down the benefits of organic for us as a Win, Win, Win: and helps us understand how to start with some organic baby steps. For our small bite with Gary’s interview, our fan favorite apple manchego salad. Another must listen! Connect: Gary’s “origin story” interview on Book: Resources: : the top 12 products you should splurge on for organic produce Gary’s Small Bite Recipe: from A Couple Cooks Find A Couple Cooks: Find Sonja & Alex on Instagram at or online at . Find online and everywhere books are sold. /episode/index/show/acouplecooks/id/7734782

Let’s stay in 11/22/2018

Let’s stay in “I don’t expect perfection: I long for relationship.” Cookbook author and video series host Ashley Rodriguez joins us to talk about life around the table. In an Instagram-saturated world, how do we overcome our desire for a perfect meal and simply gather around the table? We also chat about teaching kids of all kinds learn to embrace the beauty of food. With Ashley’s interview, we pair a charred scallion dip from her new book, Let’s Stay In. Connect: Find Ashley Rodriguez at the website, on , or as the host and producer of the video series Book: by Ashley Rodriguez Small Bite Recipe: Charred Scallion Dip from Let’s Stay In Find A Couple Cooks: Find Sonja & Alex on Instagram at or online at . Find online and everywhere books are sold. /episode/index/show/acouplecooks/id/7617188

Because food matters 11/15/2018

Because food matters Culinary legend Mark Bittman joins us for an intimate conversation about trendy diets and how to make our world a better place through food. His book Food Matters was a part of a growing food movement 10 years ago, but are we eating better today? After writing a 20-year New York Times food column, authoring countless books and being in 4 television series’, there’s still conversation to be had. With Mark's interview, we pair a simple bruschetta you can make in 5 minutes with simple ingredients. Connect: Find Mark Bittman at , subscribe to , and follow him on Instagram Small Bite Recipe: White Bean Bruschetta, Idea 19 from Find A Couple Cooks: Find Sonja & Alex on Instagram at or online at . Find online and everywhere books are sold. /episode/index/show/acouplecooks/id/7572965

Won’t you be my neighbor? 11/08/2018

Won’t you be my neighbor? This episode stars one woman who’s combating Islamophobia in America one bite at a time! Amanda Saab is founder of Dinner with Your Muslim Neighbor, an organization that brings Muslims and non-Muslims together over home-cooked meals. She’s also the chef behind the Butter Bear Shop bakery in Detroit and star of a new television show called Chef in Hijab. With Amanda’s interview, we pair it with a small bite: a cookie from her Butter Bear Shop. Connect: Find Amanda Saab at and on Instagram Small Bite Recipe: Chocolate Cardamom Halawa Cookies from Find A Couple Cooks: Find Sonja & Alex on Instagram at or online at . Find online and everywhere books are sold. /episode/index/show/acouplecooks/id/7486145

Eating to save the world 11/01/2018

Eating to save the world Can what we eat affect climate change? In this episode we take a bite into the big topic of how what we eat affects the planet. We’re joined by Eliza Barclay, Science and Health Editor at Vox.com, to break it down and share practical takeaways to help our world by eating more plant based meals. With Eliza’s interview, we pair a small bite: irresistible tomato almond dip from our vegetarian cookbook, . Read: Eliza Barclay and Umair Irfan’s article, Connect: Find Eliza Barclay at and on Twitter Small Bite Recipe: Find A Couple Cooks: Find Sonja & Alex on Instagram at or online at . Find online and everywhere books are sold. /episode/index/show/acouplecooks/id/7399025

Sobremesa 10/25/2018

Sobremesa In this episode, we’re transported to Spain by the writer behind the popular blog Gimme Some Oven. Ali Martin reports in from Barcelona about lingering over the table and Spanish tapas. Where American culture is all about speed when it comes to food, Spain is about nourishing relationships around the table. With Ali’s interview, we pair a small bite: homemade roasted patatas bravas. Connect: Find Ali Martin at , and on Instagram at and Small Bite Recipe: Find A Couple Cooks: Find Sonja & Alex on Instagram at or online at /episode/index/show/acouplecooks/id/7275254

Team Leftovers 10/18/2018

Team Leftovers In this episode, cookbook author Julia Turshen shares with us how to reinvent leftovers into new dishes, à la her new cookbook Now & Again. Plus, she provides inventive ideas on what to bring if you’re a dinner guest, and how to connect to your community through food. With Julia’s interview, we pair a small bite: charred broccoli crostini with creamy goat cheese. /episode/index/show/acouplecooks/id/7230731

Season 2 Teaser 10/12/2018

Season 2 Teaser /episode/index/show/acouplecooks/id/7158733

Mindset matters 02/02/2018

Mindset matters “Mindset matters. Everyone talks so much about what the perfect diet is—we debate what foods you should take out of your diet, and whether you should exercise or meditate in the morning or the night. And those are all important, but they are totally missing the point if you have a mindset that has you suffering and feeling like you’re a failure.” That’s Robyn Downs, and along with her husband Dr. Andrew, they’re fascinated with the mindsets that lead to healthy eating. This podcaster teamed up with her psychology professor husband to conduct a study on the way we think about food—and the results were surprising. They joined us to talk about their story and what mindsets can help us to be actually healthy. Robyn & Dr. Andrew Downs Their online course! | A Couple Cooks Preorder A Couple Cooks cookbook >> A Couple Cooks on and /episode/index/show/acouplecooks/id/6218132

Tasting Rome | A Couple Cooks Podcast Episode 61 01/23/2018

Tasting Rome | A Couple Cooks Podcast Episode 61 Want to be transported to the Eternal City without leaving your couch? We got Rome on the phone in this episode and chatted with Kristina Gill, author and photographer behind the cookbook Tasting Rome. Hear about her love affair with the city that’s kept her there for nearly 20 years, and what she’s learned about authentic Italian cuisine from cabbies to restaurateurs. Kristina Gill | Order her book: via Date Night In Preorder A Couple Cooks cookbook >> A Couple Cooks on and /episode/index/show/acouplecooks/id/6180979

Our story: behind the scenes of a cookbook 01/10/2018

Our story: behind the scenes of a cookbook Ever wondered what it’s like to write a book—and adopt a baby at the same time? This episode is an exclusive with Alex and Sonja about the process of writing their new cookbook, Pretty Simple Cooking. They share about starting A Couple Cooks, deciding to write a book, adopting their son Larson, and all the trials and triumphs in between. Along the way, you’ll learn the entire process of book writing from agent to proposal to launch. Preorder A Couple Cooks cookbook >> A Couple Cooks on and /episode/index/show/acouplecooks/id/6133394

Beauty in the Bronx | A Couple Cooks Podcast Episode 59 12/19/2017

Beauty in the Bronx | A Couple Cooks Podcast Episode 59 "You have to see things not as they are, but as they could be. That's what an artist does. And that's what I am at heart." That’s Majora Carter, real estate developer and urban revitalization strategist who’s won a long list of accolades for her work, including the coveted MacArthur Genius fellowship. Her 2016 TED talk was one of the first 6 on that groundbreaking website. Majora joins us to talk about beautifying our neighborhoods, the value of coffee shops and groceries, and how to create “demand” for real good food. She shares about the Boogie Down Grind Cafe, a coffee shop she helped to start serving high quality coffee (and veggies) in the South Bronx, and the value of taking risks to try new things. Majora Carter | Boogie Down Grind Cafe | Coffee lovers gift available on | A Couple Cooks Preorder A Couple Cooks cookbook >> A Couple Cooks on and /episode/index/show/acouplecooks/id/6066250

The sweet spot | A Couple Cooks Podcast Episode 58 11/29/2017

The sweet spot | A Couple Cooks Podcast Episode 58 “Treat sugar like salt.” That’s Bill Yosses, former White House pastry chef for Barack and Michelle Obama. When the First Lady asked him to create healthier treats for her family, he discovered that dialing back the sugar actually made his desserts taste better. In this episode, we learn Bill’s secrets to creating stellar, decadent tasting desserts that are “healthified” but still incredibly delicious. /episode/index/show/acouplecooks/id/5989557

The art of the dinner party | A Couple Cooks Podcast Episode 57 11/08/2017

The art of the dinner party | A Couple Cooks Podcast Episode 57 “I love the imperfections in a dinner party. When we micromanage, we lose all ability to see what the dinner party is about. In all truth, no matter what Pinterest tells us or what we see in a magazine, the only things that really matter are the food and the people.” That’s Megan Gilger, Creative Director of the Fresh Exchange blog and brand. She’s passionate about getting people around the table, for events simple and elaborate. This episode is all about the dinner party: practical tips for pulling one off, and how to focus on what matters most: building relationships, shunning perfection, and making it work for you. The Fresh Exchange | Some Fresh Exchange gatherings: | A Couple Cooks Preorder A Couple Cooks cookbook >> A Couple Cooks on and /episode/index/show/acouplecooks/id/5922610

A family affair 10/25/2017

A family affair It’s not every day that you get to hear from an entire family of cooks, especially one that’s had such an impact on American food culture. Enter the Pollan Family: Corky, Lori, Dana, and Tracy. Only missing brother Michael Pollan, bestselling author about food and agriculture, the Pollan family shares the story of growing up around the table. Mom Corky passed down a culture of cooking and eating together, which has now been passed down to a new generation of cooks. Along they way, they wrote a cookbook: accessible, everyday recipes, heavy on the vegetables, to inspire families to come together around the table. The Pollan Family Table | Their cookbook: Recipes: | A Couple Cooks Preorder A Couple Cooks cookbook >> A Couple Cooks on and /episode/index/show/acouplecooks/id/5874488

A farmer’s life 10/11/2017

A farmer’s life “The day to day romantic vision you have of farming: that is completely gone. It’s full panic mode from the moment we wake up to the moment we go to sleep. We have that in our chest from March until August.” That’s Taylor and Andrea Bemis on what it takes to run a farm as a husband-wife team. Theirs is Tumbleweed Farm, a picture perfect mountain-view farm outside of Portland, Oregon. What’s more, Andrea is a farmer with a first-class food blog and a popular cookbook. For Dishing Up the Dirt, Andrea develops recipes with the produce she grows and photographs them in her home studio. Hear about how she got a cookbook deal to tell their story and behind the scenes of a successful organic vegetable farm. While running a farm is not as romantic as it seems, in the end it’s the most fulfilling work they’ve known. Andrea and Taylor Bemis, Dishing Up the Dirt & Tumbleweed Farm | Her cookbook: Recipes: Preorder A Couple Cooks cookbook >> A Couple Cooks on and /episode/index/show/acouplecooks/id/5827991

Cake brings us together 09/26/2017

Cake brings us together “Everyone is so busy. We're constantly getting fast food or ordering out because our schedules are so, so busy. Sitting around the table and enjoying a meal, or being in the kitchen and preparing a meal with other family members, the joy and the love of that experience has gotten drowned out. And I really want to make sure that doesn't happen." That’s Jocelyn Delk Adams, the personality behind Grandbaby Cakes. She’s appeared on The Today Show, Everyday with Rachael Ray, and the Cooking Channel with her modern takes on her grandmother’s traditional recipes. Jocelyn sat down with us to chat about her family history in the kitchen, her road to becoming a mother, and how food can have a place in expanding diversity and understanding. Jocelyn Delk Adams of Grandbaby Cakes | Her cookbook: Julia Turshen’s new cookbook: Recipes: | A Couple Cooks | Grandbaby cakes Links: This Lebanese cookbook author’s career was Why eating the same food Preorder A Couple Cooks cookbook >> A Couple Cooks on and /episode/index/show/acouplecooks/id/5780278

Major hustle 09/13/2017

Major hustle “‘If the front door is closed, climb in through the window.’ That's my life motto. You don't stop when someone says no. You don't stop when there's a bump in the road. You just have to keep going through it. It's tenacity, grit, and perseverance that gets you to the other side of tough times and to your goal.” Ellen Bennett of Hedley & Bennett lives that inside and out. In just five years, she’s built a multi-million dollar apron company from the ground up. She now sells to 6,000 restaurants all over the world, and counts Martha Stewart and Mario Batali as customers. Hear about her Mexican roots that led her to Mexico City for culinary school, and how she’s propelled herself to the top of her game by age 30. This lady’s got major hustle, and her positive, no-nonsense approach will have takeaways for your kitchen and life. Ellen Bennett of Hedley & Bennett Recipes: | A Couple Cooks Preorder our cookbook >> A Couple Cooks on and /episode/index/show/acouplecooks/id/5734344

Pizza, pizza, pizza 08/30/2017

Pizza, pizza, pizza “It’s one thing to be influenced and inspired by a food tradition, but it’s another thing to believe that’s the only way to do it. When I was in Italy I loved so many things about it, but I knew the most Italian thing I could do was to use things in my backyard.” That’s Chris Bianco, award-winning chef and grandfather of artisan pizza in America. He joins us to chat about his new book, Bianco, and how he went from making pizza in the back of a Phoenix grocery store in the 1980’s to one of the top pizza chefs in the country. Along the way, he shares how to be inspired as a home cook, cook for your eaters, and craft something truly simple. Hear us chat with one of the greats in American pizza-making. Chris Bianco | Buy his cookbook >> Recipes: Preorder our cookbook >> Pizza tools: | | A Couple Cooks on and /episode/index/show/acouplecooks/id/5688868

Feeding the family 08/16/2017

Feeding the family Feeding yourself is one thing, but feeding other people with various diets and food preferences? It can feel terribly overwhelming. Author and blogger Catherine McCord of Weelicious joins us for this episode to talk about her journey from modeling to culinary school to starting a blog focused on feeding families. We chat about the moment she redefined her career around food, how her son’s health issues disappeared after eating a smoothie per day, and how to adjust to picky eating “seasons”. And, we add few strategies of our own for cooking meals for eaters of all kinds. Recipes: | A Couple Cooks | A Couple Cooks | Weelicious | Weelicious Catherine McCord | | Her cookbooks: Her organic meal kit delivery service, Use code “COUPLES25” to get $25 your order. One Potato delivers to the following US states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. A Couple Cooks on and /episode/index/show/acouplecooks/id/5647291

Around the table 08/02/2017

Around the table Food is the great connector—nothing transcends our differences like sharing food around the table. And no one knows that more than Daniel Klein, producer of The Perennial Plate, a James Beard award-winning online documentary series. Daniel has traveled the globe with his filmmaker wife Mirra making short films about sustainable food and the people who make it. He shares his journey from chef to shooting the first season in Minnesota to traveling the word. Along the way, we touch on some big questions: What’s sustainable food, anyway? Should we buy organic? In the current political climate, how do we embrace people different from us and transcend differences? Daniel shares about his latest project telling positive immigrant stories, and we add a story of our own about how sharing food unites us all. All that, and a few new recipes to inspire your kitchen journey. Recipes: Daniel Klein, of The Perennial Plate online documentary series | | Watch at: A Couple Cooks on and /episode/index/show/acouplecooks/id/5600864

Savvy cooking 07/19/2017

Savvy cooking Twenty-one-year old British cooking phenom Izy Hossack started in food at the tender age of 15 with her food blog, Top with Cinnamon. Now an author of two cookbooks with a large Instagram following, she’s a college student who proclaims a message of sensible, balanced eating—which isn’t such a sexy message, she admits. Her latest book, The Savvy Cook, is all about everyday cooking with real, whole foods that even works on a college student’s time table and budget. A student of nutrition science, she’s also passionate about the spread of misinformation and health fads. As she cautions, “Don’t believe anything you read on the internet!” All that, plus her recipe for spaghetti and vegetarian meatballs, and a few cooling summer treats. Recipes: Izy Hossack, author of Top with Cinnamon | Get her cookbook: ! A Couple Cooks on and /episode/index/show/acouplecooks/id/5552651

Eat this poem 07/05/2017

Eat this poem “Slow it down and enjoy the journey” is author Nicole Gulotta’s motto. She wrote an entire cookbook in the spare time in between her day job and raising her young son. This episode slows it down and explores Nicole’s story, including her journey into the kitchen first for survival and later as a meditative practice. Learn how she made time for things that made her feel alive, like cooking and poetry, and how this evolved into the website and cookbook, Eat This Poem. Plus, a simple and satisfying simple weeknight meal inspired by a poem. Recipes: Nicole Gulotta, writer and author of Eat This Poem | Cookbook: A Couple Cooks on and /episode/index/show/acouplecooks/id/5507644

Cook like a master 06/21/2017

Cook like a master This episode’s guest had an office job for 15 years before landing on her dream cooking competition show, Master Chef! It’s Tanorria Askew, quarterfinalist of Season 7 of the show. She shares about how she went from office job to personal chef, what it’s like to be “famous”, and how staring into Gordon Ramsey’s baby blues makes her weak in the knees. She also shares about her passion for diversity and inclusion, and how eating around the table together brings unity even during difficult discussions. Plus, Alex surprises Sonja with her own mystery box challenge right in the A Couple Cooks studio. Recipes: Garnish like a Tanorria Askew, Personal Chef and Master Chef Quarterfinalist | about a Unity table Join Tanorria on a ! A Couple Cooks on and /episode/index/show/acouplecooks/id/5466977

Six seasons 06/07/2017

Six seasons You’ve heard of four seasons, but six? This episode stars Joshua McFadden, chef/owner of the acclaimed Ava Gene’s in Portland. Joshua shares about his massive cookbook project, Six Seasons, intended to teach everyone from first time cooks to foodies how to make seasonal vegetables taste incredible. He also chats about his journey from film school to chef of one of the premier restaurants in the country. Plus, we share how to make raw falafel, and tips for shopping affordably at your local farmer’s market. Recipes: Joshua McFadden, Ava Gene’s Chef/Owner (Portland) | >>Order the cookbook: A Couple Cooks on and /episode/index/show/acouplecooks/id/5425331

Midwest ‘ventures 05/24/2017

Midwest ‘ventures Think the Midwest is all cornfields and cow tipping? Shelly Westerhausen, author of the cookbook Vegetarian Heartland, joins us for this episode about adventurous eating in the Midwest. Shelly shares about her story growing up in the Midwest as a vegetarian, and how this overlooked region is full of culture, vibrant food, waterfalls, caves, and forests. We chat recipe ideas galore, and her favorite delicious restaurants in the heartland of America. (Giveaway included!) Recipes: Restaurants: Bloomington, Indiana: | | Chicago: | Shelly Westerhausen, Vegetarian Ventures | | >>Order the cookbook: A Couple Cooks on and /episode/index/show/acouplecooks/id/5383655

Love real food 05/09/2017

Love real food Do you find yourself turning to food in times of stress or anxiety? If you’ve ever stress-eaten a pint of ice cream, this episode is for you. We go deep with Kathryne Taylor of Cookie and Kate about emotionally healthy eating and her new cookbook, Love Real Food. We also share a new tacos recipe that’s simple and filling, and a life hack: how to manage your email inbox. Life Hack: for Gmail Recipes: | A Couple Cooks | Cookie and Kate Kathryne Taylor, Cookie and Kate | | Her cookbook: A Couple Cooks on and /episode/index/show/acouplecooks/id/5342055

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