If there is one thing I am a big fan of, it’s eats on the cheap. And while I can usually take any dish and make it a little bit more budget friendly, Alanna Kaufman and Alex Small have taken the guesswork of it for me. Their book, The Frugal Foodie Cookbook (Adams Media, 2010), takes classy food and puts it on a budget.
This cookbook is successful because the recipes are user-friendly to everyone, even a beginning cook, but it isn’t dumbed-down by any means. It takes everyday food an gives it a gourmet twist without draining your wallet to do so. And with 200 recipes to choose from, it appeals to a wide range of cooks.
And unlike many cookbooks with gourmet recipes, it’s not intimidating. Even recipes such as Soy-Braised Salmon Steaks or Mediterranean-Style Beef-Stuffed Eggplant, are kept simple.
The ‘frugal’ part of the book is aimed to keep the price per serving relatively low, usually under $5. Which means meals in total can cost up to $20, but by cutting ingredients in half to make a meal just for two, or if you want to keep the remainder for leftovers, it can save money in the long run.
Kaufman and Small don’t just advise cooks simply by cheaper ingredients, but they aim to teach them how to always be a ‘frugal foodie’ by giving them the Ten Frugal Foodie Tips on how to save money in the kitchen, as well as the top ingredients for the Frugal Foodie’s pantry.
The book is available on Amazon for ‘frugal’ price of $14.95, that if you follow the books advice closely, will be made up for how much you save in the kitchen.
Happy Eating.