Cooking Conservatively in Tough Financial Times

Vanity | Feb, 18, 2008 | JRandomFreeper

[JRandomFreeper]

It’s tough out there and may get tougher. Job cuts, pay cuts, and expenses are going up. What’s a conservative to do? Conserve, of course.

That doesn’t mean you have to eat less healthy food, or eat foods that aren’t so good, or eat less. With a few of the right ingredients, some practice, some planning, and some time, you can produce excellent quality nutritious meals for surprisingly little money.

The catch, of course, is the time it takes. But if you are unemployed, or under-employed (like me), you have more time than money.

Fine cooking is about treating good quality ingredients right. Inexpensive cooking is about picking the right ingredients, some planning, and some labor.

My favorite ingredients are good quality, good price, and ingredients with many uses. That means shopping fairly frequently, watching for specials in the flyers that fill up my mailbox, and talking to family and friends about the REALLY GOOD DEALS that we all run across sometimes.

Ingredients

I rarely buy canned or frozen, with a few exceptions, (canned tomatoes and frozen corn, namely) I use what is fresh and in season, and cheap. I also have a garden, and eat what is seasonal from the garden.

Basil is expensive in the grocery store, but is easy to grow. And it shows up about the same time as the tomatoes. Can you say Italian?

Meats are more problematic. I’ve pretty much given up on beef, except once a month. I’m fortunate that I can get game locally, like venison and boar, and we raise a few goats for the freezer.

Pork can be found on sale in large roasts that can be cut up and prepared in many ways.

Chicken also can be found on sale in bulk and frozen in appropriate sized portions.

Bulk products, like flour, cornmeal, rice, beans, masa, and sugar can be purchased in bulk and transferred to appropriate sealed containers to keep the bugs out.

Planning

Since I’m single, I know how much of what I’m going to use in a month and plan accordingly. Breakfast is whatever you eat for breakfast times 30. For me that means 60 eggs, 30 sausage patties, 30 frozen biscuits, and 60 oz of homemade salsa for the month. Sausage patties weigh 2 oz each, so that’s 60 oz of that pork shoulder for breakfast for the month.

A word about individually frozen biscuits. I use them, they are good. I can, and have mixed up a batch of biscuit dough to cook just one biscuit. I won my bet, and would never do it again.

Lunch and dinner I plan for 8 oz of meat, 6 oz of cooked starches, and 4 to 6 ounces of vegetables. So for planning that’s 2 meals times 30 days = 60 meals. So I need about 30 lbs of meat, 22 lbs of starches, and 20 lbs of vegetables for the month.

A word about starches. 2oz of dried beans, rice, or pasta roughly equals 6 oz of cooked starches. For things like potatoes, rutabagas, and turnips, use the full 6 oz measure when buying.

Fruit is as in season, and inexpensive. Sometimes, that means that I just get preserves.

Salads for me come from the garden if they are in season. Down here in Texas, I’ve usually got something most of the year.

I make my own breads, desserts, and lots of my own sauces.

This article is meant to stimulate discussion on cost savings and maybe provide some advice during these difficult times. There are quite a few freeper Chefs, food service professionals, and darn good non-professional cooks on this site.

[ffusco]

My Mom’s Recipe for Monicotte:

Shells:
1 Cup Flour
1 Cup Milk
3 Eggs

Blend until smooth.

use non stick 9 inch pan and cook 1/4 cup batter over medium heat, turning once.

Filling:
16 Oz part skim ricotta
1/4 Brick Part Skim Mozzarella shredded
1/4 cup Grated Parmasean
1 Egg
S+P
Parsley

Optional:
cooked, drained, Chopped Spinach
Cubed cooked Ham

Mix well.

In the center of each shell add 2 spoon fuls of filling. roll into tube ( makes about 12)
Add Marinara sauce about 1 inch deep to Pyrex Baking Dish
Add Rolled Monicotte and top with
more sauce if desired

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

[Petronski]

We could use standard stuff like flour, salt, sugar, shallots, wine, etc... in the kitchen, and any leftovers in the walk-in, and (after I pressed the issue) any edible vegetation around the school grounds.

Then you MUST be a Top Chef fan, no?

[Cindy]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2136635/posts
“Are you looking for a job?”

Note: This thread is updated on a regular basis.

[geege]

Yep....and it comes in all different varities....If your trying to cut down on salt...this is your saving grace....otherwise it’s just got great flavor.

[spectre]

"If you parboil the beans, rinse them, then soak them overnight in fresh water, you will find they lose a lot, but not all of the gassiness."

I never thought about parboiling them. I do, however, soak my Great Northern Beans overnight, rinse and add fresh water to start the soup.

It's amazing how it takes the "gas" out of the beans..:)

sw

[Albion Wilde]

And, never forget the lowly lentil. It cooks quickly, doesn’t need soaking to become tender, and combined with regular rice, onions, celery, and some spices of your choice, a yummy main dish!

Mmmmm! I remember reading one of those travelogue books decades ago in white a white explorer hires sherpas to travel up the Himalayas or someplace like that; and the sherpas packed lentils because they were so lightweight to carry, yet easy to cook into a nourishing protein-rich stew in the evenings.

I love the Italian lentil soup with garlic, onion, carrot, celery, and olive oil, with parmesan and basil on top. It is outstanding with whole wheat bread and some tomato slices on the side.

I also love to prepare large steamed artichokes (they are cheaper in season) with a thick, garlicky lentil soup. You pull off the leaves and use them like a spoon to scoop up the lentils into your mouth, then pull the artichoke meat off the leaf with your bottom front teeth. You and all the guests throw the tough part of the leaves into a big bowl in the center of the table. Then you wipe up any leftover soup in your bowls with torn pieces of brown bread and pop those in your mouth. Everything tastes sweeter after you eat artichoke, with its natural aspartame. Heaven!

[kassie]

Wow, this is a successful thread!!! Great job.

[Albion Wilde]

Wow. Can we come over to your house for dinner? :-)

Maryland's not too far away...

[TASMANIANRED]

I’ll make pancakes from left overs but usually grate them fresh.

I never met a spud I didn’t like.

[TASMANIANRED]

Youd have to cook it in a 55 gallon drumb.

[Lurker]

Mr. Robinson,

You and yours would be welcome to share a meal with Clan Lurker any time.

L

[Overtaxed]

Artichoke...

I know they’re not the same thing but I’m thinking about planting Jerusalem artichokes this year. My dad used to grow these but the only way we prepared them was pickled.

Anyway, I’m planning on experimenting with Jerusalem artichokes this year (hope I don’t make myself sick) and was wondering if anyone had some recipes to share.

[geege]

I made these one time and ate half during the process....they are a treat.

[Overtaxed]

Heh. Every time I grate them fresh, they come out more like hash browns than pancakes.

[Maigrey]

My mom laughs at me, 'cause for holiday cooking (Thanksgiving and Christmas) when I make green bean casserole, I make the creme of mushroom soup to go into it. She says I'm being wasteful in making it (like wasting money) - I tell her I don't want MSG and other chemicals interfering with my casserole.

She doesn't complain when there are a bunch of leftovers, and she gets a hot bowl of homemade creme of mushroom soup.

[dennisw]

Yes, that’s the best “teasing” — a tantalizing aroma from the kitchen! ........

Yes, the womanly arts

[ffusco]

I had family in from NYC and they finished a tray, 3 pounds of meatballs and 3 bottles of wine!

[TASMANIANRED]

Do you use egg and flour ?

[JRandomFreeper]

I left the TV's with the last ex wife, many years ago. I never looked back. No TVs in this house.

I've seen a few Iron Chef shows at friends houses, in the dining hall/DFAC or wherever, and they are interesting. They use some unusual primary ingredients and score a little different from "Mystery Basket".

I think there was a show on for a while where a chef knocked on someone's door and made a meal with whatever was in the house. I saw that one once or twice. That's more what I'm talking about.

/johnny

[chris_bdba]

Sounds good. Thanks.