catrambo: Food Prices

Cat Rambo (

catrambo) wrote,
@ 2008-06-10 13:20:00

Current mood:	satisfied
Current music:	Blind Melon - No Rain
Entry tags:	food

Food Prices
This post has nothing whatsoever to do with fiction.

There's a (small) part of me that is enjoying the food price rise. It's the part that came out during grad school and learned how to feed a household cheaply and nutritiously. There's something very satisfying about a process like this:

1. Look at the tin of steel-cut oats on the shelf in the breakfast aisle. Unit price: $5.54 a pound.
2. Look at the cellophane wrapped package of steel-cut oats an aisle over in the baking section. $2.89 a pound.
3. Find the bulk steel-cut oats in yet another section. $1.29 a pound. Bingo!

Yep, that's right. The exact same food for three separate prices in the same store, depending on the packaging/marketing. Similarly, sesame seeds are more expensive if you buy them in the "ethnic" section than in the spices. Cheaper yet if I can find a store that also sells them in bulk. The store labels that tell you the unit price are more often than not your friend.

Lentils + an onion + some cumin/red pepper, over brown rice, and maybe a dollop of plain yogurt on top? Dinner for both of us, under five bucks. A big bag of frozen peas plus more of the omnipresent onion, a little cardamom, and some splurgy but organic chicken broth = at least two dinner's worth of gooood pea soup. Bean burritoes are inexpensive- even more so if I get some of the produce this weekend at the farmer's market, to the point where I can get some cheap monterey jack at Trader Joe's to fill it out, with salsa and more of that yogurt sour-cream-substitute on top. Ahhhh, angel-hair pasta on sale for a dollar a box, time to stock up. That with some of the produce will make a lurvely pasta primavera. Bread? I've got ozarque's fabulous no-knead bread recipe, and that's a lot cheaper (and fresher) than a loaf of artisan bread. Factor in some TJ cheddar and a stray bottle of beer and I've got welsh rarebit makings.

Yes, meat's lacking there, but a few cheap meals helps fund the occasional Copper River salmon splurge. Do we -need- to be eating on the cheap? Not at the moment, but will eating lower down the food chain hurt us, after all? I don't think so. And I like fine-tuning my food budgeting skills.

What are your favorite on-the-cheap recipes?

(30 comments) - (Post a new comment)

cabell
2008-06-11 12:54 am UTC (link)

I love pea soup--just made a big batch of it, with curry, which I feel brings out the flavor, and a LOT of carrots; I blend it all in the blender when it's cooked anyway. Since I don't pay my utilities, it's definitely cheapest for me to buy dry split peas and cook them myself in my crockpot.

I have to admit, though, that despite being a current grad student, I don't work very hard to keep food costs low. A major reason for that is that I have zero transit costs--no car, I mostly bike, and if I have to take the bus I have a "free" pass (covered by seg fees at uni). I also don't cook meat very much, although I did have some for dinner tonight... ostrich. Not cheap. :p

(Reply to this)

hradzka
2008-06-11 01:00 am UTC (link)

Chickpea and Sweet Potato Curry: in medium saucepan, saute 1/2 cup chopped onion (about 5 min). Add 1 Tbsp curry powder, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon allspice. When fragrant, add 15 oz can of chickpeas (drained) and 15 oz can of sweet potato (I recommend the pie-filling variety), 1 cup vegetable broth, and 1 Tbsp lemon juice. You can add about a third of a cup of shredded coconut (if desired) or some milk (ditto), but you don't have to. Stir, get it to a nice simmer, then cover and let it cook on low for ten minutes or so.

That's good for a couple of meals, and it's even better the second day.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	catrambo 2008-06-11 01:40 am UTC (link)
	That sounds scrumptious, I'm going to try that sometime next week. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	silenceleigh 2008-06-11 01:05 am UTC (link)
	I have no comments, but I want to know where you shop that you find bulk steel-cut oats! (Reply to this) (Thread)

	catrambo 2008-06-11 01:38 am UTC (link)
	QFC, baby, QFC. It surprised me too. (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

lisamantchev
2008-06-11 02:01 am UTC (link)

Holy moly... I will have to check that out. We like to make the steel-cut oatmeal and then add a little yogurt and organic sugar. Tastes WAY better than the packaged instant stuff, and the wee one loves it.

I've been playing the grocery game since Angel and I were both still in college. My last grocery receipt told me that every single thing I bought (except bulk potatoes) was on sale, and that I spent $112 for an entire cart of groceries (mostly organic except the meat) and saved $69. Usually I do better, but usually I also have coupons. *G*

(Reply to this) (Parent)

	seventorches 2008-06-11 01:19 am UTC (link)
	I use dried split peas for pea soup--how do you you frozen (I assume you mean fresh/frozen)? (Reply to this) (Thread)

	catrambo 2008-06-11 01:39 am UTC (link)
	Pretty much the same way, but it's considerably faster. Dump them in with the onion and stock, bring to a boil, and at some point go to town with the hand blender. I got the recipe from here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/26/dining/26ninety.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin&oref=slogin (Reply to this) (Parent)

lordofallfools
2008-06-11 01:21 am UTC (link)

For our family of 6, there's not much cheaper than chicken chili. For some bizarre reason, corn in our area was 6 ears for $1 the other day; so:

A couple ears of corn
Leftover rotisserie chicken
Kidney beans
Black beans
2 Cans of diced tomatoes
Cumin
Chili powder

Easy and quick, and the troupe will eat it. Throw in some homemade cheese and garlic biscuits, and it's a real crowd pleaser. What's more, it makes for delicious leftovers.

Another on the cheap meal-- French dip sandwiches. Take a cheap roast, slow cook it with a can of french onion soup until it falls to pieces. Buy some bread rolls (you can get them marked down toward the end of the day) and toast them. Shred the beef, spoon the au jus into some little bowls, and voila! French dip sandwiches.

This can be varied with lots of different cuts of meat throughout the year-- pork roasts will occasionally go on sale. Buy them, slow cook them, shred them, mix with your favorite BBQ sauce, and you've got BBQ sandwiches. Alternatively, you can freeze the shreaded meat to use in stews, soups, or (my favorite) any number of tortilla wrapped dishes.

Like Cat said, the trick with getting meat cheaply is to get it in bulk. Which means having a second freezer in order to make that endeavor worthwhile. We've found that shopping by season for fruits and vegetables and so forth is essential for when you're on a budget-- thus, I don't generally make guacamole or salsa during the winter months.

Alas.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	catrambo 2008-06-11 02:14 pm UTC (link)
	I love French dip, I'm going to try that. And yeah, out of season produce is -ridiculously- expensive, as is the grocery's display of "exotic" fruit with its 4 mangosteens for 10 bucks and baby pineapples made out of gold. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	jeanhuets 2008-06-11 01:51 am UTC (link)
	For cheap spices go to Indian or Middle Eastern markets. If you can get a few friends to go in with you, that's better, or you can give away some. They usually come in big packages. (Reply to this)

ellen_denham
2008-06-11 02:15 am UTC (link)

Oh, I love cheap recipes! Expensive ones too on occasion. But my favorite cheap ones are:

Black bean stew: Black beans with bits of whatever veggies I have on hand - onion, bell pepper, maybe a bit of hot pepper, tomatoes, maybe carrots, veggie broth, and lots of cumin, cayenne pepper, and coriander. Cilantro if I've got it. Serve plain or with a bit of grated cheese or nonfat sour cream. If I make it thicker, without the veggie broth, I can eat it in burritos.

Noodle soup: I take a packet of Japanese noodles (I prefer Udon but anything will work) and cook them with whatever veggies are on hand and maybe throw in a few frozen shrimp if I have them, though that's the not-cheap part. Lately I've used mustard greens, radishes, green onions, zucchini, and green bell peppers, because that's what I got from the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture program) this week. I can either season it with soy sauce, ginger, and whatever other spices I have on hand, or if I buy the kind with the little packet of dried soup stock I use that. In Japan they use a shrimp broth a lot and you can make that by boiling discarded shells and legs of shrimp and then straining it. Of course, shrimp are expensive, but once you've bought them, might as well boil the bits you won't eat so you can use the broth in another meal.

Pasta with sauce: It usually starts with an onion, cooked until browned and then "fizzled" with a dose of red wine (cheap stuff works fine). Then goes a can of tomatoes, various herbs depending on mood, and sometimes bits of leftover veggies like mushrooms or bell peppers. If I'm in the mood for something with a little less sauce I cook the veggies without the can of tomatoes and maybe add a fresh tomato or too, or no tomatoes at all.

Easy "Indian" dish: I don't know how to cook authentic Indian but this tastes pretty good if I throw in the right amount of curry powder and masala. A can of chick peas, a half a can to a can of tomatoes or a couple of fresh ones, and an onion. Cook for a while and then throw in a few big handfuls of raw spinach and cook for a couple more minutes. Serve with rice.

Yum!

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	catrambo 2008-06-11 02:15 pm UTC (link)
	That noodle soup sounds great, and I like the shrimp broth trick. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	keilexandra 2008-06-11 02:25 am UTC (link)
	Any chance of you sharing the no-knead bread recipe? I hope it doesn't need a bread machine, either. Unfortunately, if I never need to seriously go budget on the food front, I'm going to have to learn to like beans. Ignoring all lentils (and carrots, although thankfully I enjoy potatoes) eliminates a huge, cheap protein source. Alas. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	shekkara 2008-06-11 02:48 am UTC (link)
	Here's one that made the rounds a few years back: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/081mrex.html (Reply to this) (Parent)

	catrambo 2008-06-11 03:25 am UTC (link)
	No bread machine necessary! Here's the link to the recipe: http://ozarque.livejournal.com/174694.html It's really pretty freaking amazing how good it is. (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

	keilexandra 2008-06-11 04:15 am UTC (link)
	Thanks, I'm definitely going to try that sometime! (Reply to this) (Parent)

maggiedr
2008-06-11 03:03 pm UTC (link)

Here's a link to the book that I purchased: http://www.amazon.com/Artisan-Bread-Five-Minutes-Revolutionizes/dp/0312362919

I did this a lot last winter, and it really works. There is some investment in equipment, like baking stone and the pizza wheel. But you don't need them if you just make the loaf style (you do need a non-stick breadpan.)

The trickiest part of making good loaves for me was establishing my oven's temp, which turned out to be 30 degrees cooler than the display. Once I figured that out, my loaves came out beautifully.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

grayrose76
2008-06-11 02:44 am UTC (link)

When I was a lowly undergrad in Jerusalem, I dreamed up a book entitled, "one-ingredient recipes" (not including spice). Unfortunately, only one recipe proved worthy of eternal fame, namely lentil soup with cumin. And even that foundation of my undergraduate nutrition tastes much better with some browned onion (which requires olive oil), carrots, and chopped fresh tomatoes.

One thing I found out about cheap living though, is that if you go to the shuk (the open-air market) after sunset, when the darkness had sucked away the heat from the earth and the sane customers have long gone to install themselves in front of the family TVs, the lonely merchants at the shuk would part with their leftover produce for pennies; and then there would be magic, too.

(Reply to this)

rosalux
2008-06-11 04:43 am UTC (link)

Onions are what food is made of. They are good for you, and taste good with everything, and are cheap!

I am a fan of lentil dal and split pea dal, homemade minestrone (we can the soup base in August when everything is in season at once), beans & cornbread, homemade pizza, black bean & corn salsa, tomato soup and grilled cheese, grilled pbj, miso with fresh greens, sauteed greens.

Right now two things are in season here (I know it's better where you are): pea greens, and lambsquarters. So we are eating pea greens with ramen, and lambsquarters just barely cooked by putting hot pasta on them, and lambsquarter risotto.

There is a cheap cookin' group here on LJ.

oh! You knwo what's cheap, if you have time? Chinese dumplings made with napa cabbage, tvp, and dried mushrooms. It's a "have a party and fold dumplings" level of work, though.

(Reply to this)

cristalia
2008-06-11 04:48 am UTC (link)

Market shopping! There are people to whom I can't explain why I'll haul half an hour to Kensington Market to do produce, and they are the sad people who do not have cheap and plentiful yellow mangoes in their lives.

Also, the discrete art of shopping five different places for five different things, depending on where they are cheap and/or good. I do not mind doing this. This means I am almost constantly in a low-grade grocery shopping state, but I do not mind that either.

As for good cheap recipes: adulterated onion soup. If you make your own stock, the per-serving cost on this is wonderfully low. :)

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	catrambo 2008-06-11 02:16 pm UTC (link)
	Now I yearn for cheap and plentiful yellow mangos! (Reply to this) (Parent)

	flustercuck 2008-06-11 05:13 am UTC (link)
	Channa masala. Potatoes, tomatoes, onions, chickpeas, garlic, ginger, plenty of spices. It seems that most spices have been spared from the recent price increases. Maybe I just buy less spice now. Pretty much any masala or curry save stuff with paneer is pretty cheep. (Reply to this)

	krisname 2008-06-11 01:05 pm UTC (link)
	welsh rarebit! welsh rarebit! promise you will make this when you come to NYC! I will break my vow of no carbs for youuuuuuuuu! and your magnificat welsh rarebit. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	catrambo 2008-06-11 02:17 pm UTC (link)
	I will make sure I have dry mustard in my backpack, just for you, my darling. (Reply to this) (Parent)

maggiedr
2008-06-11 03:11 pm UTC (link)

The Welsh Rarebit comment made me think of cheese strata. That way stale bread gets used up--especially if you're making your own from some of the other links.

There are all sorts of recipes for cheese strata, but they basically go like this:

Cube up several cups worth of bread and half-fill a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with shredded cheese, whatever combo you have on hand, at least 2 cups worth. Mix a couple eggs and 2 cups of milk, salt, pepper, a dash of dry mustard, and pour over the bread and cheese. Refrigerate a few hours or overnight. Bake at 375 until golden and a knife comes out clean (about an hour). (It can take a really long time if it is refrigerator cold. I've taken to microwaving for awhile before baking.)

You can add in chili peppers for a tex-mex. For a brunch dish, can add crumbled bacon or sausage. Really, add anything you fancy and it works.

(Reply to this)

	kelly_yoyo 2008-06-11 05:04 pm UTC (link)
	Stir fried zuccini with garlic and crumbled firm tofu, with almond slices and lots of lemon juice. Trust me. (Reply to this)

	lmarley 2008-06-11 06:10 pm UTC (link)
	I'm a big fan of quick and simple. Here's mine: an organic boned chicken breast, sliced thin and quickly grilled in a skillet. Two cups of white beans, cooked and drained. Toss everything together with some olive oil, lots of spices including cumin, and plenty of thinly sliced celery. It's filling, delicious, and even my meat-lover guys like it. (Reply to this)

	Wild Salmon emily_adamson 2008-06-11 07:01 pm UTC (link)
	What great advice and I'm all about buying in bulk, especially spices, etc. Speaking of Copper River Salmon - how about 15 lbs. of wild salmon - for free? We're having a salmon recipe contest and awarding the creator of the best recipe with 15 pounds of wild salmon. Check it out at MarxFoods.com (Reply to this)

ruralwriter
2008-06-11 09:07 pm UTC (link)

I grew up in the impoverished South...oh, yeah; I still live here.

One of my favorite cheap meals is pinto beans over a slice or two of bread. Pinto beans are very cheap when you buy them dry - and are very easily seasoned with a, er, "glob" of peanut butter. Kid you not.

Tomato-biscuit casserole: Break up stale biscuits in a casserole dish, pour over a can of stewed tomatoes (stewed tomatoes with peppers are even better), pour sugar to taste over 'em; cook in oven until it looks done (20-30 minutes?). And it's like manna! It tastes almost tastes cheesy.

(Reply to this)

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