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Food People, Parent Picks: we ask our favorite chefs, food writers, and industry insiders who we interview in our Order Up! Series to share the products, books, and bites they can’t live without.
From Our Friend Katie: A Summer Camp That Sticks: 🛠️ Save Your Family’s Spot in the #LifeSkillsNow Summer Camp
If you’ve ever wished your kids could learn how to cook, manage money, or even just make their own lunch without help — you’ll want to check out #LifeSkillsNow. It’s a totally free, virtual summer camp from our friend Katie Kimball (founder of Kids Cook Real Food) that teaches kids real-world confidence through short, hands-on workshops. Camp starts June 9, but early access is open now!
If you’ve ever cooked with Diaspora Co.’s spices, you know Sana Javeri Kadri is out to change the way we think about flavor—and where it comes from. She’s bold, brilliant, and the kind of person who will make you laugh and question the global food system in the same breath. In her Order Up! interview, Sana talked about growing up in Mumbai, becoming a stepmom, and building a company with real purpose behind it.
Now, she’s giving us a peek inside her kitchen, where shortcuts meet slow food and where feeding the people you love doesn’t have to mean cooking from scratch every night. From her ultimate dinner hack to the one pantry item that always saves the day, these are Sana’s real-life picks—the ones that make everyday meals feel a little more magical.
📖 Is there a cookbook that’s shaped how you cook?
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat. That book reprogrammed my brain. I think it did for a lot of us. (Get it on Amazon or Bookshop.org)
🍽️ What’s something we’d always find in your fridge?
Always a big pot of brothy beans. I make them with homemade chicken or beef broth, tons of aromatics, and spices. The type of bean changes every week, but there’s always some version ready to go with rice.
🍛 Favorite shortcut or ingredient that makes food taste amazing—fast?
Tandoori Masala, hands down. It’s our Diaspora blend with 16 ingredients, including saffron. It makes everything better—from roasted veggies to mac and cheese. Our sales director adds it to boxed mac, and it’s incredible.
🍲 What’s your go-to, no-time dinner?
Pickles, cheese, olives, and whatever charcuterie I’ve stashed in the fridge. Sometimes I just wrap a pickle in deli meat and cheese. Pickle roll-ups are a thing in our house.
🥘 A dish that instantly says “comfort food”?
Rasam. It’s a super thin, peppery, tamarind-y lentil soup—almost like a spicy, sour broth. The moment I feel a cold coming on, I defrost some from the freezer. Always hits the spot.
🫘 Favorite artisan food brand you love to support?
Primary Beans! We go through so many. They source from small U.S. farms, and their Mayocoba beans are the cleanest I’ve ever had. Total game-changer.
🥣 What’s a pantry staple that saves dinner when you’re in a pinch?
Bone broth—shelf-stable for when I haven’t made fresh. And lentils, always. I can throw them in a pressure cooker and have dinner ready in no time.
🔪 One kitchen tool you can’t live without?
My chef’s knife—classic. But I also use my bronze mortar and pestle every single day. It’s actually functional and beautiful, which is rare.
🍚 Any kitchen gadgets that make life easier as a busy parent?
My Instant Pot. I got a new one recently and use it constantly.
☕ If you could splurge on one big kitchen item, what would it be?
A really fancy espresso machine. It’s on my wishlist.
🎁 Favorite food gift to give (or receive)?
Spices, of course. I love gifting six-packs from Diaspora. But I’m also big on giving good olive oil—Séka Hills is an Indigenous Californian brand I love sharing with people. [Note from One Potato: you can pick up a Séka Hills Olive Oil Set from our friends at Tocabe Indigenous Marketplace!]
