Hello and Welcome to Our New Community! (Patreon)

I've been working in the food and food writing industry now for over 25 years, and throughout that time, my goal has been the same: to make your time in and out of the kitchen easier, more joyful, more rewarding, and more delicious. Whether through restaurants, recipes, doing deep nerdy dives, cookbooks, videos, new tools, or live events, my mission is to empower you to cook more, stress less, and share better meals with the people you love.

You folks here on Patreon are my people—the folks who have first access to the projects I'm working on and a line to the inside of my brain. To celebrate that, I’m launching a few new features and tiers here on Patreon designed to help you engage more with me and the community, and to get even more inspiration in your kitchen.

You'll also get the opportunity to help me write my next cookbook and see your name in print!

Sound fun? Read on for the details or explore the new community options here.

What does this mean for you?

First off, don't worry: nothing changes for those at the free level. Donations here have always been voluntary, and I want to make sure everyone—regardless of what you contribute—will continue to access the same weekly content they’ve come to expect. Whether you're a paying subscriber or not, your support means the world to me.

That said, I’m giving the free tier an upgrade in spirit (and in name): you’re no longer just free subscribers—you’re officially Frienjis of Kenji.

All Frienjis, at any level (including free), will continue to receive a brand-new recipe, article, and ad-free video every single week, delivered straight to your inbox. You’ll also get early access and discount codes for new events, tools, and products. This community is full of smart, generous, creative cooks, and I’m proud to be part of it right alongside you.

If you’d like to go a little deeper, you can become a Super Frienji for just $5 a month. You’ll unlock all my cooking content ad-free—including bonus recipes, articles, and videos—along with a bunch of Patreon-exclusive extras. That includes The Alt-Weekly, my personal newsletter full of food talk, reflections, and recommendations; livestream cook-alongs; AKAs (“Ask Kenji Anything”); and a private Super Frienji chat where we can hang out and talk shop. Think of it as the cozy corner of our community—where we can nerd out on food together.

Or, if you’re ready to take things to the next level and turn your home kitchen into a test kitchen, you can join the Frienji Cookbook Club for $10 a month. Members get to play a hands-on role in creating my next cookbook. Every month, you’ll test a brand-new recipe in development, share your results, and give feedback directly to me and other Cookbook Club members. You’ll also enjoy all the perks of the Super Frienji tier, along with behind-the-scenes updates, cook-along livestreams, and a dedicated Cookbook Club chat where we can discuss what’s working (and what needs tweaking).

Finally, for those who really want to be part of the story, the annual Cookbook Club offers everything above for a full year—plus a permanent thank-you: Your name will be printed in the acknowledgments of my next book so that everyone who picks it up knows you helped bring it to life. You can join the Cookbook Club using the annual pricing toggle for the best value: 50% off your first year of subscription and your name printed in my next cookbook! That’s just $60/year and the same price as a full year of a basic Super Frienji membership. This limited-time deal is only available until midnight PDT on Wednesday, October 22, for OG Frienjis like you! See all the membership options here.

Tier Summary:

Tier: Frienjis of Kenji

Cost: Free!

What you get:

A weekly recipe complete with an article and ad-free video delivered straight to your inbox.

Early access and discounts on new tools, ingredients, merch, and products I’m developing.

Tier: Super Frienjis!

Cost: $5/month

What you get:

All of my cooking content ad-free, including bonus videos, recipes, articles and then some!

My weekly newsletter, The Alt-Weekly, featuring good food, thoughts, and reflections.

Access to a private community chat with fellow Super Frienjis.

Livestreams and cook-alongs you can join from your own kitchen.

The AKA (Ask Kenji Anything) chat, where I answer your cooking questions directly.

Early access and discounts on new tools, ingredients, merch, and products I’m developing.

P.S. If you're already a $5/month Super Frienji, right now you can upgrade to an annual Cookbook Club membership at the same monthly rate. Use the annual pricing toggle for the best deal: 50% off your first year of membership and your name printed in my next cookbook. This limited-time deal is only available until midnight PDT on Wednesday, October 22.

Tier: Frienji Cookbook Club

Cost: $10/month (50% off annual pricing right now—keep reading!)

What you get: All the benefits of the $5 tier, plus the opportunity to help with my next book!

Monthly recipes you can test in your own kitchen! Follow along, share your results, and provide feedback.

A dedicated Cookbook Club chat to connect with me and other Cookbook Club members.

Exclusive behind-the-scenes updates on recipe testing and writing.

Cook-along livestreams of our recipes that are in development.

50% Off Annual Pricing for The Cookbook Club

Cost: $60/year until midnight PST on Wednesday, October 22!

What you get: All the benefits of a Cookbook Club membership, along with your name printed in the published book. Right now, you can join the annual Cookbook Club for just $60—that’s 50% off the regular annual subscription rate; just use the annual pricing toggle to get the discount. This limited-time deal is only available until midnight PDT on Wednesday, October 22, for OG Frienjis like you. Join the club today!

Thank you all so much for the continued support and inspiration. Now let's get out there and cook!