The Hard Times Cookbook

Light and easy: fish in foil with veggies

noreply@blogger.com (Woody and Anne-Marie Gooding) — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 06:25:00 +0000

Hey students! Looking for something light and easy to make that won't break the budget?
Try this recipe for fish in foil!
In the video tilapia is used. But this will work beautifully with cod too, if you have the scratch.

Delicious and inexpensive spaghetti with garlic recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Woody and Anne-Marie Gooding) — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 06:22:00 +0000

Budget conscious university students pratically LIVE on pasta. This is a dish that can attain high art - and offer serious health benefits (thank you garlic!)

Here is a clear and easy video on how to prepare spaghetti with garlic :

Pasta with Garlic and Olive Oil

Cooling a perfect steak - Jamie Oliver shares cooking tips

noreply@blogger.com (Woody and Anne-Marie Gooding) — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 06:15:00 +0000

THE PERFECT STEAK Specially selected recipes for university students who have little time but still would like to enjoy a nice meal once in a while. Thank you Jamie Oliver for these detailed explanations!

How to Make the Perfect Omelette - Jamie Oliver shows his tricks

noreply@blogger.com (Woody and Anne-Marie Gooding) — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 06:11:00 +0000

How to prepare lovely aubergine (eggplant)

noreply@blogger.com (Woody and Anne-Marie Gooding) — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 15:15:00 +0000

Hard to imagine anything worse than undercooked, tough, bitter, inedible eggplant.
So please, if this has been your experience in the past, forget it now.
The eggplant recipe below is both easy and delicious.

The secret: two steps.
A prep bake in the oven. Then a short fry in a pan.
You can do the oven part whenever you have a little time and the oven is hot.
Then, when it is convenient, finish it off.

WHAT YOU NEED

an aubergine
a little olive oil
salt, pepper and maybe some cajun spices

ALL YOU DO IS:
1. cut off end of aubergine, slice in half lengthwise, throw in hot oven skin up for 18 minutes, let sit.
2. when cool, slice aubergine into two inch (about) pieces
3. spice a large, non-stick frying pan (that's right! salt, pepper and put cajun spices in the pan), then drizzle in a little olive oil on a medium-high heat, throw in aubergine pieces
4. let fry quietly until brown, then turn over (about 3-4 minutes)
5. turn off heat, let sit. put in serving dish and cover under dinner.

TO SERVE
Uncover! Makes lovely side dish with meltingly creamy interior!

A book we recommend for people who love to cook : HEAT by Bill Buford

noreply@blogger.com (Woody and Anne-Marie Gooding) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 10:03:00 +0000

When does passion veer into obsession?

Why would a middle-aged writer test his physical and emotional limits in the kitchen?

What does it mean to prepare and eat food--for oneself, for others....

How does a modern urban American learn to create authentic Italian food?

We don't usually recommend books, but we liked this one so much that we simply must mention it:

HEAT An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany : by Bill Buford

The Wonder of Beans

noreply@blogger.com (Woody and Anne-Marie Gooding) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 11:26:00 +0000

Is there anything more miraculous than beans?
A little water and they multiply like loaves.
Take the lowly kidney bean, for example. Price? Pratically nothing. Buy them dry and forget about them for ages. They're still good.
And then, in the winter, when it's cold and miserable and you want comfort, dig for those beans in the back of your cupboard like burried treasure. One pound transforms, with a little help from its friends (carrots, celery...) into three lovely dishes, each different, tasty and a pleasure in its own way.

HOW TO MAKE THREE LOVELY DISHES FROM A POUND OF CHEAP KIDNEY BEANS

First, soak the suckers! Overnight. In a big bowl of water.
Next, add a can of peeled tomatoes, some water and a chicken bouillon cube and bake (or simmer, as you prefer) for an hour or two.
That's all prep. Now put away in the fridge somewhere until needed.

BEAN SALAD, BEAN SOUP, and (of course) BEAN CHILE!

WHAT YOU NEED (for all three dishes)
a carrot, peeled and sliced
a little celery, chopped, if possible with leaves
a touch of rutabega, chopped, if you've got somechicken stock (or 1/2 bouillon cube and 2-3 cups of water)
thyme and rosemary
feta, vinegar and oil (for the salad) and, if you have it, some chopped red bell pepper
hamburger and chile spice (for the chile)
and a hand mixer or blender (for the soup)
ALL YOU DO IS:
Heat chicken broth, throw in chopped veggies and some of your cooked beans; boil, turn off and...
for SALAD,
with a slotted spoon, remove some of the beans and veggies and place in a bowl, add chopped onion, feta, vinegar and olive oil
for SOUP, blend and serve (with chopped fresh herbs on top if you have them)
for CHILE, fry hamburger, add spices, add the remaining beans and their liquid, cook 20 minutes and serve!

TO SERVE
Needless to say, you'll want to space out serving these three dishes. They're all good, but don't serve them all at once!!!

Succulent oven-baked beef bourguignon

noreply@blogger.com (Woody and Anne-Marie Gooding) — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 19:59:00 +0000

This one pot dish is tender and rich. Perfect for family or company on a harsh winter night.

WHAT YOU NEED
2 lbs beef from an inexepensive cut, in medium sized pieces
3 slices of bacon, chopped (lardons)
4 onions, halved (or a dozen tiny onions)
4-6 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 celery sticks, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 lb mushrooms, sliced thin, either fresh or frozen
a little oil and butter
some peppercorns
2-3 cups of water
1/2 chicken bouillon cube
1/2 bottle of dry red wine
1 bay leaf
thyme
salt, pepper, pinch of flour
a large thick bottomed stove and oven proof pot with a lid

ALL YOU DO IS:
(in an oven proof pot)
Heat a little oil and butter in the pot, throw in the bacon and beef and brown on all sides
Remove beef and add onion, carrot, celery, garlic and mushroom, fry lightly
Sprinkle flour, salt and pepper on beef and stir.
To pot pour in wine, water, add 1/2 chicken bouillon cube, bay leaf, thyme and stir, making sure nothing sticks to the bottom
Add beef and cover, bring to boil briefly
Heat oven to 360°F
Remove pot from stove and place in oven for 2-3 hours. (The meat will be tender after 2 hours; but the sauce will be thicker and more intense at 3)
Turn off oven and let sit in warmth until you are ready to serve (No rush--you can serve this several hours later. It only gets more tender!)

TO SERVE
Remove the peppercorns, bay leaf and thyme,
Serve with steaming hot rice or your favorite pasta!

It's astonishing how easy and delicious this dish is. All you need is a little time.

Juicy pork roast with tasty gravy

noreply@blogger.com (Woody and Anne-Marie Gooding) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 21:13:00 +0000

This recipe, adapted from one we loved in France, is easy, inexpensive and fine enough for company.

WHAT YOU NEED
1 large pork roast, preferably from the fattier "echine" cut
2 slices of bacon
1 onion diced
mushrooms, sliced, either fresh or frozen
a little oil and butter
some peppercorns
2-3 cups of water
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 bay leaf
thyme
a large thick bottomed pot with a lid (best of all if you have an oven-going dish)
recommended: prepare rice separately at the end of cooking as a sauce absorbing side

ALL YOU DO IS:
heat a little oil and butter in the pot, throw in the pork roast and brown on all sides
remove pork roast and throw in bacon, onion and mushroom, fry lightly
add water, chicken bouillon cube, bay leaf, thyme and stir, making sure nothing sticks to the bottom
place pork roast on top and cover, simmering on a low heat for 90 minutes
If your pot can go in the oven, place it a a warm oven for another 30 minutes. If it can't, turn off the stove and let the roast sit covered for another 30 minutes. (This extra time will make the meat so tender you can cut it with a spoon.)

TO SERVE
remove the peppercorns, bay leaf and thyme,
slice the roast elegantly on a platter and cover with sauce, serving some on the side as well
serve with steaming hot rice

This sauce is ridiculously delicious and simply makes itself!

Recipe for the simplest, most delicious, easy warm soup

noreply@blogger.com (Woody and Anne-Marie Gooding) — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 21:12:00 +0000

This wonderful soup has few ingredients, costs little, is easy to make and feeds a family of four twice.

YOU WILL NEED
1.5 to 2 lbs very inexpensive beef cut for soups (can be any cut, with or without bone, as long as it is fresh and cheap)
1 large can of peeled tomatoes
2 leeks
1 bay leaf
thyme
a few peppercorns
a little salt
several quarts of water
and 3 hours of simmering time
fresh celery if you can get it

ALL YOU DO IS
fill a large pot half to three quarters full with water
throw in the meat, canned tomatoes, bay leaf, thyme and peppercorns (stab the tomatoes a few times so they break up)
simmer for 2 hours
THEN
wash and trim the leeks (make sure there is NO sand) and throw them in
wash and dice three or four stalks of celery, leaving on some leaves and throw them in.
simmer for another hour.
salt to taste and serve.

Enjoy.

How to Eat Well on a Tiny Budget ! The Seven and a Half Commandments

noreply@blogger.com (Woody and Anne-Marie Gooding) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:58:00 +0000

What can you buy with ten dollars?

A couple of Happy Meals ! Seven cigarettes each for a family of four! A two mile drive in a Hummer. Or, my personal favorite, one hundred millionth of the 2007 bonus of an AIG executive who drove his company to bankruptcy.

Ten dollars? But how? If only there were some easy commandments to follow...

The Seven and a Half Commandments

One: Thou shalt ignore food fads, food advertising, new food medical findings, and any hint of food political correctness like the spawn of hell !

Two: Thou shalt invest a few bucks to stock your kitchen with basic spices and one amazing device that will change your life forever: the French soup blender (otherwise known as the propeller on a stick).

Three: Thou shalt drink tap water. (unless it's really unsafe in your area)

Four: Thou shalt not keep up with the Joneses or otherwise compete, show off with, or define who you are with food.

Five: Thou shalt honor thy vegetables; including the ones you always hated until now on account of they were overcooked to disgusting, evil smelling mush in your childhood.

Six: Thou shalt not waste. (Seriously. You'll save a lot of money.)

Seven: Thou shalt learn to plan ahead. (ditto!)

Seven and a... Oh, heck, just buy what's fresh and cheap!

I will never go hungry again!

noreply@blogger.com (Woody and Anne-Marie Gooding) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:58:00 +0000

This blog owes its existence to two delightfully contrary inspirations: the image of Scarlette O'Hara shaking a dirty turnip at a menacing sky vowing "never to go hungry again!" and a US newspaper headline proclaiming. "Veggies too expensive! Americans doomed to eat junk!"

Even in hard times, occasionally you just have to laugh.

Some of the best food ever invented has come, not from the fancy kitchens of the rich (obsessed with figuring out how to stuff humming birds into quails into chickens into peacocks into ostriches like a grotesque feathered nesting doll), but from impoverished peasants forced to get creative to feed their families, with, for example, turnips.
Like hardy Australian plants that bloom only after a devastating fire, we tend show our best selves under pressure of adversity. This is true also, we believe, of our food.

Costco: friend or foe ?

noreply@blogger.com (Woody and Anne-Marie Gooding) — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 11:23:00 +0000

I remember the first time.

"You've never heard of Costco?" Woody exclaimed as it finally dawned on him that I had been living among primitives (in

France

). "Come."

The carts were gigantic! Everything was several times larger than normal! Had I shrunk? I felt like Jack in the house of the giant! "

Oh, my God!" I yelled. "Are those marinated artichoke hearts?"

"Yes," he smiled. "A gallon for $7.95. Would you like some?"

"But," I stuttered, "how is that possible? In Paris an itsdy bitsy microscopic plastic container of these would cost as much."

"Welcome," Woody said, "to Costco."

At home, I discovered that the jar was not only humungous and inexpensive, it was also quite excellent. I also learned that no human being on earth can eat a gallon of artichoke hearts without some annoying health complications. Thus was I introduced to the paradox of Costco.

Like the atom, it can be a force for good or for evil. It's all in what you do with it.

And who you are.

Some people, nice, kind, decent citizens, should not be let within a mile of Costco. Why? Because they cannot control their bargain buying instinct. "Twenty packs of bathroom towels! they'll yell. Ten pound tubs of chicken salad!"

The first key to success: chose your Costco buyer. Who is the most goal oriented, disciplined person in your entourage? Yes, that's the one. He/she goes; the others stay at home.

Second: always work from a written list. Insist on phone confirmation for any change. Cooler heads will prevail. ("That's wonderful, honey. But what are we going to do with fifty chicken wings?")

Third, learn to spot consistent value. For example, certain fruits and vegetables of excellent quality regularly cost less at Costco. It doesn't matter why. For big savings, take advantage of this.

Fourth, especially in the refrigerated perishable section, practice asking yourself the question, do we really want to eat all that in the next three days?

Fifth, never, EVER send your designated shopper off to do battle hungry. Or angry. Or overly sad. After all, they're only human.

Advanced Costco shopping techniques

Buying in quantity saves money on three conditions:

1) you don't let it rot;

2) you don't feel obliged to eat too much just to get rid of it; and—of course—

3) the price really is cheaper (check, don't trust the store).

Vegetables famously don't keep, so you'll lose money if you buy them in quantity unless you are really making preserves or feeding a lot of people. Meats, on the other hand, freeze well. Chicken breasts and the fleshy part of pork ribs, especially.

Thou shalt not stress out !

noreply@blogger.com (Woody and Anne-Marie Gooding) — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 15:58:00 +0000

You cook a nice meal, set a lovely table, want everything to be perfect, and what happens? The partner is late, the kids fight, the phone rings, someone's favorite TV show's on, a thoughtless remark about the rice being too sticky—and, suddenly, everything's ruined!! All that hard work for nothing! Nothing! Why do I bother! No-one appreciates it! I'm through! Never again!

The chewing stops.

They all look at you, eyes wide.

Nobody speaks.

It seems you have lost it again.

Is this scene familiar? (It is to me.)

Here are a few tips to de-stress your family meals for the benefit of all.

For chronic late arrivals, favor dishes which are not time sensitive or, even better, which improve while sitting quietly in a turned-off oven.

If you are doing all the work alone and resenting it, farm out certain tasks. Peeling vegetables, can be done together while talking or watching TV. Children can take turns setting and clearing the table. And, if no help is forthcoming, dinners can be simplified to what you are comfortable with. A hotdog, say.

If the tension is coming from your children—fights over schoolwork, sibling rivalry, picky eating, whatever—there's no miracle solution. But you can try to identify the cause and deal with it away from mealtimes. There's no reason to repeat the same fight night after night.

If a family member criticizes your cooking, offer to share the burden. Not in a snarky way, but for real. Let everyone take a turn preparing dinner. Or at least part of dinner. Who knows, they might discover they like to cook and are good at it. Or maybe that a good meals requires effort which should be appreciated.

In any event, relax. Family meals are not for show. The curtain does not go up. There is no applause. Just, hopefully, a little quiet, pleasant time for you and your loved ones. Whenever and however you all prefer. At the table if possible. In front of the TV if there's no other way.

Thou shalt honor thy mother and thy father

noreply@blogger.com (Woody and Anne-Marie Gooding) — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 02:00:00 +0000

In other words, don't let the TV-commercial drunk kids do your shopping for you.

Of course they insist on buying radiated sugar crunchies—it has their favorite action figure on the box!

Your job, as parent, is to be hated and despised for doing the right thing. Just kidding. This said, we're not in the 19th century either so compromise and negotiation are inevitable (ok for radiaactive sugar cruchies for dessert!).

But remember: who's in control? You're in control!!

Going up against the entire TV junk food diabetes-ADD-and-cancer-inducing-crap-for-kids industry is not easy of course, (and even harder for divorced parents who are competing for affections), and we're not saying steamed broccoli should replace birthday cake, but if you weed out the most dangerous "so-called-food" items, you'll be reducing your child's chances of developing type two diabetes and sugar and additive induced hyperactivity as well as reducing costs.

That's worth a few "But Jimmy's mom let him eat sugared shit" isn't it?

(photo of Cheetos covered with melted cheese from a school cafeteria, posted on Slow Food USA.)

Hard Times Cooking: Thou shalt not keep up with the Joneses !

noreply@blogger.com (Woody and Anne-Marie Gooding) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:29:00 +0000

Keeping up with the Joneses

As unbelievable as it may seem, people still do that.

"Oh, I just experienced the most incredible thingamabog at Mrs. Joneses. She served pureed broccoli and feta in a little glass with a special spoon and napkin, then took that away and served a parfait of shrimp, eggplant and yogurt with cilantro in a different little glass with a different little spoon. It was amazing!" And so on.

People get a grip!
If Mrs. Jones is hell-bent on lavishing such attention on her guest (and dishwasher) the thing to do is to get invited to Mrs. Jones, not to imitate her!

With the invention of labor-saving devices came, not paradise, but the creation of labor intensive fashions. A one-upsmanship contest of epic silliness.

So admire the Joneses. Pity the Joneses. Love the Jones. Envy (if you must) the Joneses.

But for heaven's sake, do yourself a favor and don't compete with the Joneses!

When you invite them to dinner, as you should and must, serve them a hearty family mean. With flowers and candles and pretty napkins. Perhaps a good bottle of wine.
But be yourself. And enjoy!

On Vegetables in Hard Times

noreply@blogger.com (Woody and Anne-Marie Gooding) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 09:49:00 +0000

Small children often fear vegetables, surviving on a diet of pasta, rice and ice cream. But this is just a normal developmental phase, which later gives way to curiosity and experimentation. Legumophobia in adults, however, is a serious condition. A threat to long term health, it also signals deep and unresolved trauma, extending far beyond the "overcooked Brussel sprouts" nightmare we all share.

Common Excuses for not eating vegetables
1. Vegetables are too expensive
2. Vegetables are hard to prepare
3. Vegetables make me fart
4. Hitler was a vegetarian.

1. Vegetables are too expensive.
This is a lie!
Vegetables are not expensive.
Fresh carrots, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, winter squash, cabbages, potatoes, cauliflower and many other delicious and nutritious vegetables cost less per pound than just about any other food except rice or pasta. In season.

I suspect that the "vegetables are too expensive" mantra originated in the creative departments of advertisers of Tasty Hydroginated Chemical Sugar Craps. What better method than to convince people they have no choice! Or to make it a question of identity. Only top hat wearing rich exploiters consort with vegetables! These luxuries not for honest people!
And yet, pound per pound, veggies cost less than most items we all buy: A sixpack of diet coke? Nope? A bag of chips. A duo dingdongs. A bottle of vodka. A gallon of gas. A packet of cigarettes. A snort of cocaine.

The trick with vegetables is that price and quality fluctuate according to availability. Buy when fresh and cheap and eat immediately. It will cost less and taste better. And, what the heck, it's even good for you.
The more wonderful, easy recipes you have at you fingertips, the easier it is to take advantage of vegetables' changing prices. Brocoli too expensive this week? Buy cauliflower or carrots. Tomatoes just doubled? Switch to carrots or zucchini. Artichokes and avocados looking ratty and expensive? How about some sweet potatoes? Prices vary according to where you live, what the weather's like, transportation and distribution systems and, of course, the time of year.
Unless you're pregnant with insatiable cravings for a particular veggie which MUST be satisfied, you'll benefit by being flexible. If you can't find a recipe you like for it in this book, google it. You'll certainly find something on the internet. And you'll add great tastes and colors to your family meals. At very little cost.

2. Vegetables are hard to prepare.
Granted, eating dry cereal from an open box with your fingers is easier. As is popping a prepackaged thing for one person in the microwave. Ding!
But veggies aren't that much more complicated. And you can't beat the variety.
Vegetables can be served raw, steamed, fried, baked, mashed, pureed, in casseroles with cheese and sour cream, as a lasagne, in hot, mouthwatering soups, in cool refreshing drinks, in quiches, tarts and pies, with dips, on the side, as a main course or even, as with pumpkin pie, for dessert. Vegetables can even be dressed up to look like meats, (though I personally view this as a time-consuming perversion).
The point is, they're easy.

3. Vegetables make me fart.
Yes, well. I could tell you a tragic story about some particularly delicious cabbage piroshki that once got me banned from a library, but there are a couple of really fantastic cabbage recipes in this book that you really must try.* So do yourself a favor. Pace yourself. And share.

4. Hitler was a vegetarian.
This is, by the way, the only valid excuse for rejecting vegetables.

Save money and eat better

noreply@blogger.com (Woody and Anne-Marie Gooding) — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 10:14:00 +0000

Waste not, want not.
That's good advice!

Open your fridge. Does it look like the closet where you hide the body?
Too many "economy" megajars and unidentifiables growing green fuzz? Is there anything in there that you meant to eat but never got around to and now looks like it might eat you?

This, my friend, is not only gross but expensive !

Wasted food is literally money down the garbage disposal. A study at the University of Arizona concluded that we throw out 600 dollars worth of food each year. The rotting hamburger, the shriveled vegetables, the forgotten easy-reheat dinner. The left-left-left overs. But mostly, veggies. (We mean well but then "forget" to eat them.)

Now ask yourself three questions:

1. What in the world is this stuff?
2. Why is there so much of it?
3. How much does the bad stuff cost?

If you're like most Americans you are throwing out a goodly portion of the food you buy. That's money, folk!

The answer is not to say: well, that's the problem with fresh food! From now on only canned or frozen for me! No!

The answer is to buy less! And only what you need.

for more see:

10 Ways to Save Money on Food Shopping

Thoughts on leftovers-- and a terrific recipe for curry

noreply@blogger.com (Woody and Anne-Marie Gooding) — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 09:00:00 +0000

First, there was the word: left-over.

Left-handed, left-footed, left-for-dead, left-at-the-alter, left behind.

Ooooheeeeh! With such associations, how could left-overs not inspire disgust?

Except, and here's a secret: some things—think wine, oak trees, two-year-olds in diapers and certain investments--improve with age. (And benefit from amortization).

Likewise with food. Many soups, stews, ragouts, my special lentils, and Lea's potato salad actually taste better on the second day. Then there's the cold pizza, lasagne or quiche that vast swathes of our population love in the morning. And cooled meats served with pickles, mustard, thick bread and a beer can't be beat. These delicacies fit more in the category of "doggie bags" from fine restaurants and should be thought of that way: easy, delicious and already paid for (cost: zero!)

Here's a favorite -- and highly flexible --recipe for a delicious curry using leftover cooked meat.

In a little oil, fry two onions and two garlic cloves; add meat cut in cubes (cooked chicken, turkey, pork, beef ); mix and sprinkle on 1 TBS curry; 1 TBS turmeric); 1 TBS flour, stir well, add coconut milk OR a little liquid cream; salt pepper; cover on lowest heat for 15 minutes. Serve with steamed rice.

Now, this recipe can be adapted. I made it with pork, but you can use leftover beef from a stew, chicken or turkey if you like. Substitute Patak's curry paste for dry spices and (I love this) add frozen peas -- Anne Marie

ps: The pretty orange pieces are cantalope, which were selling for 50 cents a piece and juicy as can be. It made a simple and healthy desert!

Ten dollars for a great family meal? For four people? With fresh vegetables?

noreply@blogger.com (Woody and Anne-Marie Gooding) — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 04:45:00 +0000

Why, that's less than the cost of 1/2 Happy Meal per person! Or seven cigarettes each! A couple of gallons of gas or about a two mile drive in a Hummer. Or, my personal favorite, one hundred millionth of the 2007 bonus of an AIG executive who drove his company to bankruptcy.
Ten dollars? But how? If only there were some easy commandments to follow...

The Seven and a Half Commandments

One: Thou shalt ignore food fads, food advertising, new food medical findings, and any hint of food political correctness like the spawn of hell !

Three: Thou shalt drink tap water. (unless it's really unsafe in your area)

Four: Thou shalt not keep up with the Joneses or otherwise compete, show off with, or define who you are with food.

Five: Thou shalt honor thy vegetables; including the ones you always hated until now on account of they were overcooked to disgusting, evil smelling mush in your childhood.

Six: Thou shalt not waste. (Seriously. You'll save a lot of money.)

Seven: Thou shalt learn to plan ahead. (ditto!)

Seven and a... Oh, heck, just buy what's fresh and cheap!

Celebrating great cooking in reduced circumstances.

noreply@blogger.com (Woody and Anne-Marie Gooding) — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 10:31:00 +0000

This blog owes its existence to two delightfully contrary inspirations: the image of Scarlette O'Hara shaking a dirty turnip at a menacing sky vowing "never to go hungry again!" and a US newspaper headline proclaiming. "Veggies too expensive! Americans doomed to eat junk!"

Even in hard times, occasionally you just have to laugh.

Some of the best food ever invented has come, not from the fancy kitchens of the rich (obsessed with figuring out how to stuff humming birds into quails into chickens into peacocks into ostriches like a grotesque feathered nesting doll), but from impoverished peasants forced to get creative to feed their families, with, for example, turnips.
Like hardy Australian plants that bloom only after a devastating fire, we Americans tend show our best selves under pressure of adversity. This is true also, we believe, of our food.