Puerto Rican Home Cooking, with Omi Hopper
Puerto Rican Home Cooking, with Omi Hopper  
Podcast: Food Friends: Home Cooking Made Easy
Published On: Tue Aug 11 2026
Description: What if you could easily fill your kitchen with the comforting aromas of sizzling sofrito, fluffy rice, and tender stews?This week, we’re talking to Omi Hopper, TikTok creator and runner-up on Next Level Chef, and author of Cooking Con Omi: A Love Letter to Puerto Rican Home Cooking.She’s sharing her favorite weeknight dinners, meal-prep strategies, and the techniques she uses to build big Puerto Rican flavor at home.By the end of this episode, you’ll discover:How fresh sofrito and homemade sazón can transform even simple weeknight mealsHow to meal prep for flexibility, instead of a fridge full of repetitive leftoversFlavor-packed shortcuts to get dinner to taste special without starting from scratchPress play to hear Omi’s approach to making flavorful, satisfying food that works for real home cooks!***For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our free Substack here. And join us on our live monthly calls by upgrading your subscription to paid!***Links:Omi Hopper’s new book – Cooking Con Omi: A Love Letter to Puerto Rican Home CookingYou can find more inspiration from Omi on her TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and her site: Cooking Con OmiOmi’s Recipes:SofritoAlcapurrias Roast pork shoulder Homemade Sazon spice blendPotato salad with apples One pot macarone con carne (macaroni with beef)Other dishes mentioned:Bacalao (Puerta Rican Salt Cod Stew) from Simply RecipesHer winning pineapple jalapeno salmon dishSome of Omi’s favorite recipe developers;King Rey CooksTiniMichelle DislaCassie Yeung****Got a cooking question? Leave us a message on our hotline at: 323-452-9084For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our Substack here.Are you a local to Portland or planning a visit? You can now book a private farmers’ market tour with Sonya through Airbnb Experiences! Or order Sonya's cookbook Braids for more Food Friends recipes!