I couldn't resist the concept of this one - good food that was inexpensive to prepare? Sign me up! We'll be paying 2 college tuitions this year and I'm definitely looking for ways to cut expenses.I'm always a little hesitant about cookbooks that focus on budget though because in my experience they can rely on cans of cream of whatever or mixes. There's nothing wrong with that it's just not my preferred food. But the cover look intriguing and when have I been known to resist a cookbook?
To start off with we have the normal chapters that seem to be the standard for cookbooks - what kitchen equipment you need and what the pantry must haves are. What I really liked about this one is that the equipment is relatively inexpensive and multi-purpose. There's no stand mixer or lots of specialized stuff. It's things like a good chef's knife (okay this one can get pricey), cutting boards, measuring cups, and casserole dishes. It'd be a good guide for someone just getting out on their own. There's also a page on smart shopping and while I didn't find anything groundbreaking I think it would be really useful to someone starting out and trying to get the hang of menu planning and budgeting.
Now for the food! This isn't one of those cookbooks that only has a few recipes or focuses on one certain type of food. The chapters here include: Breakfast, Snacks and Small Bites, Dinner, Big Batches, Pantry Staples and Flavors, and Drinks and Desserts. The recipes vary in difficulty and a few don't really count as a recipe - for example the recipe for Broiled Grapefruit goes like this:
Cut a grapefruit in half, sprinkle with brown sugar (either light or dark) and broil 3 to 8 minutes or until the sugar bubbles and reaches desired brownness.
The book has it in actual recipe format but that's the basic idea. Also in breakfast is a chart for different flavored oatmeals that look really fun. There's standard Apple Cinnamon all the way to Coconut and Lime as well as a more dessert themed Baklava. There's also a lot of more international offerings such as a recipe for Dahl in the soup chapter, Bubble and Squeak in the Small Bites, and a delicious sounding Filipino Chicken Adobo in the Dinner chapter. The Pantry chapter has recipes for pizza dough, tortillas, flavored oils and a number of different sauces. Each chapter offers a number of options for Vegetarians that would be great for Meatless Mondays for non-Vegetarians. There's lots of lovely photographs and most recipes have not just the cost per serving but the cost of the entire recipe.
The recipes are definitely on the basic side and if you're used to whipping up tasty exotic meals than this one probably isn't for you. However if you're just starting out or are looking for a little variety without breaking the bank this is a great one to try! Not sure? You can download a PDF of this book at Leanne Brown's Website
I'm linking up with Weekend Cooking hosted by Beth Fish Reads
Any way we can save money works for me! Plus I am sucker for cookbooks, but I could have worse hobbies than collecting them! This sounds like one I would check out of the library first but you did point out some great features in this book. Mmmmm.....grapefruit. I love it 😀
ReplyDeleteI'm with Tina -- I'm always happy to learn new ways to save on the food budget. All the oatmeal variations sound fun.
ReplyDeleteCoconut and lime oatmeal sounds delicious.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to take a look at this one. Like the others, flavored oatmeal sounds lovely. Me, I usually just shake some cinnamon on it and toss in a few chopped pecans or dried fruit. I could use some variety.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good gift for your kids when they do go off to college.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds great! So often, "cooking cheap" cookbooks focus only on basic American cuisine, but it sounds like this one is more creative. And I don't mind basic recipes as long as there's plenty of variety - and as long as at least half of the recipes don't include tomato, to which I'm allergic. But basic usually means a) less prep time and b) down the road, I can experiment with changing the recipe.
ReplyDeleteI can always take advice on clever ways to save money. Usually when shopping for food I'm not careful enough in that department.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like my kind of cookbook, cheap and easy recipes. I'm not a fancy cook so this would work for me. It does sound like a good basic cookbook for someone just starting. Heck, I still have my cookbooks from when I was just starting out. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks j- good and cheap - can't beat it. Cheers from Carole's Chatter!
ReplyDeleteI'd be tempted by that title, too. We've been paying college tuitions since the fall of 2008 (three at once for one year!)... this fall we will pay our LAST tuition bill. Time to celebrate, lol!
ReplyDeleteWe will also be paying two college tuitions this year so I like the idea of saving more on our eats. Since it will also only be my husband and I that I will be preparing food for now, I like the idea of simpler fare. I'm going to check and see if my library has this one. Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteSounds nice even if a little basic. That can be good sometimes :)
ReplyDeleteSounds like the perfect book for me and my daughter. Always looking for ways to try something new, tha is also cheap. Great review!
ReplyDeleteSounds fun and great recipes! Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteI grabbed this one for review because, like you, I liked the sound of it and the concept. I didn't get to it before my PDF expired so I still need to look it up. It sounds like I'd think of it like you do, but it also might be a great cookbook to use with my kids to get them in the kitchen more. Glad you shared! (And thanks for stopping by my blog!)
ReplyDeleteTressa @ Wishful Endings
love the sound of this one. I like budget options for 'real' food ... like you, canned/processed is not my preferred food.
ReplyDeleteHmmmm...Usually my eating on the cheap includes a banana and piece of toast. Haha! Hopefully you can get some good use of this cookbook.
ReplyDeleteHappy reading!
Brittany @ This is the Story of My(Reading) Life