Cooking Under Economic Hardship Part 4

Cooking Under Economic Hardship Part 4

Here we are - part 4 of this never ending tips and tricks as to how your ass will not starve even though the jobs reports, last we heard, showed slight growth - it's still abysmal.

Anyhow, perhaps you could go to the dollar store, and buy lots of beans, rice and things to season them with. If you can find cheap broth/stock/bouillon, make large pots of soup with cheap vegetables and pasta/potatoes. If you have internet access, look up lots of recipes that look good to you, and see what you can find from them for cheap at dollar stores and ethnic markets. If there's a Grocery Outlet in your area, check it out if you haven't already - sometimes they have very nice things there for very cheap (but watch for expiration dates). Learn where each item you want is the cheapest, and plan your shopping trips accordingly.

It's all relative, you think about it for a second - poor food is an interesting cultural thing, Americans are all about rice and beans, Brits go for beans and toast, French just make awesome things out of roadkill and the crap we throw away after preparing a "nice" dish out of "proper" meat, but them french. Oh they have it going on.

When eating poorly you have to understand one thing - Casseroles are your friend. If you have a roommate, perhaps you should go in on meals together. Some sort of "roommate meal" in that you make a big batch. Spaghetti, a roast, some corned beef.. learn how to cook these basic things you find in the most basic cook books and you'll be set for a few meals.

You should also not be shy about utilizing any local food banks either. If you have some stupid hangup over it, then donate your time to a soup kitchen when you can as your way of paying it forward. Don't let pride fill your belly instead of food. Besides, chicken with two lemons or chicken with a slew of garlic slowly roasted is a lot cheaper and a lot healthier.

In fact, you should buy whole chicken, take two lemons, perforate the fuck out of them with a fork, stick them in the cavity, stitch the cavity closed with some butchers' twine and roast the shit out of it. The lemons will explode while it roasts and baste the entire thing with lemon juice continually. Plus the skin will crisp up. Rub it down with canola oil for a greater crispiness.

So there you go - now enjoy some poor man's food.