Food is more than what’s on the plate. It’s who we are, where we’ve been, and what we carry. Hosted by Sandie Markle, each episode explores how food shapes identity, memory, and connection. From comfort food to cultural dishes, this show features honest conversations with food creators, home cooks, and people with recipes that carry history, healing, and a little bit of heart.
Mixing Tradition, Tech, and Trust: Finding a Good Fit in Food and Parenting
In this season finale of Your Friend in Food, Sandie sits down with Kay Lim, co-founder of Heartful Sprout, to explore how culture, parenting, and systems thinking shape the way we feed our families.
Kay shares her journey growing up Korean, navigating food traditions, and later facing the overwhelm of feeding young children in a world full of rules and conflicting advice. Together, they talk about blending intuition with data, tradition with technology, and why there’s no single “right” way — only better fits.
This conversation reflects on confidence, care, and designing food systems that support real life. A thoughtful close to the season, rooted in trust, flexibility, and nourishment.
28 Nov 2025
From Stroopwafels to Marry Me Chickpeas: A Conversation with Sarah Bond
In this episode of Your Friend in Food, I’m joined by Sarah Bond, creator of Live Eat Learn, nutrition scientist, cookbook author, and the mind behind some of the most dependable plant-forward recipes on the internet.
We talk about everything from her first chocolate-chip-cookie triumph to the unexpected life lessons learned from an exploding eggplant. Sarah shares stories from her years living in the Netherlands, the comfort foods that kept her grounded, how seasonality shaped her palate, and why ranch dressing became a lifeline abroad.
She also breaks down how Marry Me Chickpeas went wildly viral, how travel fuels her creative well, why mushrooms deserve way more love, and what it really took to design her spiral-bound cookbook of reader favorites.
If you love food memories, practical creativity, or recipes that make vegetables shine, this conversation will make you smile.
In this episode:
Falafel Sheet Pan Recipe → https://www.liveeatlearn.com/sheet-pan-freezer-falafel/ (https://www.liveeatlearn.com/sheet-pan-freezer-falafel/)
Sarah’s Cookbook → https://shop.liveeatlearn.com/products/eat-100-easy-vegetarian-recipes-you-ll-make-again-and-again (https://shop.liveeatlearn.com/products/eat-100-easy-vegetarian-recipes-you-ll-make-again-and-again)
Live Eat Learn → https://www.liveeatlearn.com/ (https://www.liveeatlearn.com/)
16 Oct 2025
From Soul Food to Self-Care: Marsha McDougal on Healing Through Food
When Nashville native Marsha McDougal started Maple Jubilee, she wasn’t just sharing recipes — she was redefining what comfort food could mean.
In this episode of Your Friend in Food, Sandie Markle sits down with Marsha to talk about growing up in a southern kitchen, the health journey that reshaped her cooking, and how she’s building a bridge between soulful flavor and mindful eating.
We talk about:Food memories that anchor us in family and placeHow a health diagnosis inspired her new approach to soul foodHer time developing recipes at Budget Bytes
The balance between comfort, culture, and care
Recipes in this episode:
Magic Cookie Bars (Hello Dollies): https://maplejubilee.com/magic-cookie-bars/ (https://maplejubilee.com/magic-cookie-bars/)
Sausage Balls: https://maplejubilee.com/sausage-balls/
Listen to more episodes of Your Friend in Food wherever you get your podcasts — where every meal tells a story.
28 Aug 2025
Mangú, Memories, and Making It Your Own
From her first taste of mangú and tres golpes to her journey as a content creator, Belqui of Belqui’s Twist (https://belquistwist.com/) shows how food can be both comfort and connection.
In this episode of Your Friend in Food, host Sandie Markle talks with Belqui about growing up Dominican, the role of food in family and culture, and how her recipes reflect both tradition and creativity.
Food, family, and stories — it’s all here.
23 Jul 2025
Roasted Potatoes, Milk Rice, and the Comfort of Cooking
In this episode of Your Friend in Food, Sandie Markle sits down with Giangi Townsend of Giangi’s Kitchen (https://www.giangiskitchen.com) to talk about how food can be a source of comfort, creativity, and connection. Raised in a French and Italian household, Giangi shares her unexpected journey into cooking, how she started blogging for just two friends, and the recipes that still bring her back to herself.
From the crispy rosemary potatoes that remind her of home to the milk rice that once soothed her grandmother, Giangi’s story is a beautiful reminder that the simplest dishes often carry the most meaning.
25 Jun 2025
Pikliz, Pelau and Preserving Culture
Chef Chris De La Rosa discusses how Caribbean cuisine forges identity and preserves cultural heritage through family recipes, food traditions, and the enchantment of familiar cooking in this interview.
28 May 2025
The Recipe That Changed Everything
Host Claire Tansey recounts her journey from a Haitian upbringing to a career in food tech, highlighting how a baked ziti recipe ignited a significant career change and revealed the power of food stories.
21 May 2025
Welcome to Your Friend in Food
Host Sandie Markle introduces "Your Friend in Food," exploring the personal narratives and meaningful connections woven into cherished recipes, initiating a new dialogue around food.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 16 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
19
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
32
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