Pan Pals

Everyone likes fried food, right? But, fried food looks different around the world. On this episode of Pan Pals, Mike Thomas and Rima Hammo will swap their favorite fried foods. From Southern fried catfish to Jordanian Kubbeh, these home chefs heat up their oil and are ready to try something new.

Whether it's sweet or savory, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. In this episode of Pan Pals, Silvia Martinez and Pooja Lalan will trade their favorite breakfast dishes. From Mexican Red Chilaquiles to Indian Sevai Upma, these home chefs will try new recipes and learn about one another’s cultures along the way. Fried tortillas and savory noodles? You’re in for a breakfast treat!

What happens when you throw all your ingredients into one pot? There’s only one way to find out. In today’s episode of Pan Pals, we’ve paired Hayat, an Ethiopian home cook, to swap recipes with Maral who was born in Turkmenistan. As they cook plov and fuul, they learn the power of the one-pot meal and gain a new perspective along the way.

Baking may not be everyone, but for those who love it, it's an invitation to try delicious things. In this episode, we've brought in Phaedra, who was born in Bermuda, and Amy who comes from a long line of Mennonites. As the two swap recipes for Bermudian Hot Cross Buns and a Mennonite Butterscotch Pie, they expand their recipe repertoires and cultural understanding, one cup of flour at a time.

Whether you eat them in sauce, soup, stir-fried, or baked, noodles vary from country to country. In this episode, Lisa, a Vietnamese food influencer, will try a quintessential Peruvian noodle dish. And then Rodrigo, who was born and raised in Peru, will taste new ingredients for the first time as he tackles Lisa’s Vietnamese noodle dish.

Rice is life, as they say, but how it's made around the world differs greatly. In this episode, we've brought in Brad who comes from a Libyan Jewish family, and Ted, who is first generation Greek, to explore this beloved grain. By swapping a Libyan red rice with lamb and a Greek spanakorizo, our guests try new techniques and new flavors as they learn about one another's cultures in the kitchen.

How and why we gather to eat matters, but don't forget about the food! In this episode of Pan Pals, we've brought in Cara and Randy to try cooking one another's family recipes. From a Chinese steamed egg with pork dish to an Italian orecchiette with broccolini & sausage, our guests will cook new recipes and then serve them to their families to get a real taste of one another’s culture.

Comfort dishes are personal—they're just as much about the memories as the flavors themselves. In this episode of Pan Pals, we've brought in Maddy and Beryl to try cooking one another's dishes. From Korean Sujebi to Jewish Matzo Ball Soup, our guests will learn about one another's cultures, their flavors, and most of all, what comfort tastes like to them.