Frugal All-Clad Alternative?

Since I re-discovered my All-Clad pan (and set it next to its friend, the All-Clad saute pan), I have had All-Clad on the brain. But of course, "being as I am" (said by my precursor Eve in Paradise Lost when she tries to excuse her weaknesses), I had to check around for alternatives.

It doesn't take long to discover that (oh no!!!) Walmart makes a knockoff that is endorsed by none other than the overly-serious folks at Cook's Illustrated. Since I don't have a subscription to the magazine, I can't link to their discussion, but you can check out the discussion on Chowhound, wonderful and addictive site.

It seems that the Walmart model is undergoing some changes. Whatever. The old model (of which there are few left on site) is available in a set or two and in the very pan I crave: a 4-quart saucepan.

Here is the Amazon model.



The Walmart version is about 1/3 the price! A newer version, branded Better Homes and Garden, is also available.

So, dear readers, what would you do?

Are All-Clad Pans Worth the Price?

Well, I can't answer that one. They are expensive. Many years ago--before it was easy to find things on the internet--I read glowing reviews of All-Clad pans and decided I wanted to get a 12-inch saute pan. Being a frugal girl, I could not pay the $200plus price. So I started to search. Eventually--many many hours later--I happened upon a book in the library that had a reference to "Cookware and More," a store that sold All-Clad seconds.

I called up (this was before email) and eventually bought the pan of my dreams for about $100.00.

Now, you can find anything on the internet. At minimum wage, my search for the All-Clad probably made the pan cost well over the retail price I was so intent on beating!

What if you want an All-Clad now? The gorgeous All-Clad 6 quart saute pan.

However, if you are willing to give up the straight sides of the saute pan and get a frying pan instead, you can save a bunch.


That last one probably has somewhat less capacity than the saute pan. But the saute pan is so huge that I seldom use it, especially now that my household is down to two.

What about Cookware and More, now--like everything else--on the internet. My big saute pan is under $200; it's irregular.

Williams-Sonoma has a pretty good deal on an All-Clad 4-quart pan; it's the brushed aluminum, not the stainless steel.


As with everything else, you have to compare and contrast. If you are obsessive about getting good prices (as I am) you can waste a lot of your precious time seeking out the good deals.

I love my All-Clad, even though its purchase occasioned a goodly amount of cognitive dissonance.

The best deal in the entire universe of cookware? Everyone knows it's the Lodge cast iron frying pan!

How much time do you spend seeking out a bargain before giving up? Do you ever feel you spent too much time?

Pasta from the Pantry with Mark Bittman and Arthur Schwartz

Two events converge. First: there is terrible weather in much of the country. Second: Mark Bittman is giving up his Minimalist cooking column in the New York Times.

The first event means that you don't want to go out. It may be DANGEROUS to go out. Therefore, cooking dinner from the pantry is in order. The second event means that there's a Minimalist Nostalgia Fest going on at the New York Times.

Here's one of my favorite Minimalist columns: it features Arthur Schwartz aka The Cooking Maven and pantry cooking.

Here's something I make all the time.

SPAGHETTI WITH FRIED EGGS

Time: 20 minutes

Salt

1/2 pound thin spaghetti

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or lard

2 large cloves garlic, lightly smashed and peeled

4 eggs

Freshly ground black pepper

Freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese, optional.

1. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Start the sauce in the next step, and start cooking the pasta when the water boils.

2. Combine garlic and 4 tablespoons of the oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the garlic, pressing it into the oil occasionally to release its flavor; it should barely color on both sides. Remove the garlic, and add the remaining oil.

3. Fry the eggs gently in the oil, until the whites are just about set and the yolks still quite runny. Drain the pasta, and toss with the eggs and oil, breaking up the whites as you do. (The eggs will finish cooking in the heat of the pasta.) Season to taste, and serve immediately, with cheese if you like.

Yield: 2 or 3 servings.

Here's something I'm going to make. This takes ingredients that are probably in everyone's cupboards.

LINGUINE WITH TOMATO 'FILLETS'

Time: 20 minutes

1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes, or about 2 pounds peeled fresh tomatoes

Salt to taste

1 pound linguine or spaghetti

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

Red pepper flakes to taste

3 tablespoons minced basil or parsley.

1. Cut tomatoes into strips, discarding seeds and juice; place in a strainer to drain while you bring a pot of salted water to the boil for the pasta. Start the sauce in the next step, and start cooking pasta when water boils.

2. Combine tomatoes, oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a 10-inch skillet, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook briskly for about 5 minutes (8 minutes for fresh tomatoes), stirring occasionally. The tomatoes should remain in pieces, and there should be no liquid remaining in the pan other than the oil.

3. Toss the pasta with the sauce and the basil or parsley, and serve immediately.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.


And here are my favorite cookbooks by Bittman and Schwartz.

Thanks guys.

Leftover Texas Caviar Creation: Soup!

As I mentioned yesterday, I made a TON of Texas caviar. Then--through a series of blunders--we got to the festivities late. Everyone must have been starving because, as we walked in, we felt the vibe of nearly 40 people pigging out. It was hard to get to the food.

We missed Mark's famous beef dish. And a couple of other things. There were many, many choices. Someone made moussaka, which was great. There was some spinach salad left. And we got a bit of Brigitte's genuine French King Cake (as opposed to New Orleans Mardi Gras King Cake). Since Brigitte is a genuine French person, this is as it should be.

Even though some of the food trays were decimated by the time we showed up, our offering made quite a respectable showing and received several compliments. We only had a few cups left.

I am quite sure that the key to frugal eating is based on honoring one's leftovers. I like to turn leftovers into new dishes. I searched Texas Caviar Soup to no avail. Then I tried Cowboy Caviar Soup.

Bingo! I came upon the blog of a Hollywood private chef, who made this soup.


Cowboy Caviar Soup-
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups fresh black eyed peas
6 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon ground cumin
salt to taste

“Croutons”-
3 spicy chicken sausages, preferably jalapeno chicken (Trader Joe’s makes a great one), diced
1 green jalapeno, diced (optional, omit if you prefer less heat)

Cowboy Caviar Relish-
1 cup fresh black eyed peas
½ red bell pepper, finely diced
½ yellow bell pepper, finely diced
1 green jalapeno, finely diced
½ red onion, finely diced
¼ cup cilantro, finely diced
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste


This is basically a pureed black-eyed pea soup topped with Texas caviar relish. She adds some sausage, but I think that might be overkill. I'll be trying this tonight. Thanks, Chef Sasha.

This is my one opportunity to eat as the genuine movie stars do.

Scary News, Little Pleasures

More scary news in the big world, even scarier than the last batch.

I am so lucky that I am able--on a lazy evening--to sit back and watch Trevor Nunn's Twelfth Night.

Not only was it fun in itself, but I was actually WORKING. I am teaching Shakespeare's play next week, and the plot--for a reader--is head spinning. Not so for a viewer.

I am lucky in another way. I can wander down my back steps and pick some scallions and cilantro. Then, since I have to attend a pot luck dinner/musical performance tonight, I get to make a dish that uses some of my bounty: Texas caviar. I've eaten this, but never made it: WHY? It's easy and good. In fact, Mr. FS urged me to make a ton, so he can eat the leftovers tomorrow.

Texas caviar is a frugal recipe: black-eyed peas are the caviar. Recipe from Pam Anderson.

Ingredients

* 2 (15.8 ounce) cans black-eyed peas, drained
* 1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, drained
* 2 fresh medium jalapenos, stemmed, seeded and minced
* 1 small onion, cut into small dice
* 1/2 yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut into small dice
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
* 6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
* 6 tablespoons olive oil (not extra virgin)
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl; cover and refrigerate 2 hours or up to 2 days. Before serving, adjust seasonings to taste, adding extra vinegar, salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl.



EASY! I have a number of Pam Anderson's cookbooks. My favorite is Perfect Recipes for Having People Over.

I also love her book on losing weight. She lost 50 pounds, eating real food and without starving herself. I would use these recipes even if I weren't on a diet. Actually, I am not on a diet.

How lucky I am in my cilantro and scallions. And how wonderful Shakespeare is!

What is love? 'tis not hereafter;
Present mirth hath present laughter;
What's to come is still unsure:
In delay there lies no plenty;
Then come kiss me, sweet and twenty,
Youth's a stuff will not endure.

Drugstores for Groceries? YES!

I just posted this over on College Cooking. I thought this might also be news for my FRUGAL followers.

This comes under the category: I thought everyone knew this. However, since most of my peers don't know this, I can only assume most College Cooks are likewise unaware of the riches (or staples) lurking in the drugstore.

This may be news you can use. For many, grocery stores are at a distance from campus, a problem for the time-challenged College Cook. There seem to be drugstores on every corner. In my town of 8500, there are often two drugstores on every corner, as CVS and Walgreens are facing off.

Now you may suppose that drugstores only carry overpriced convenience foods or snack items. Not so, College Cooks. They carry more staples than you might think, AND (for after all, I am FRUGAL) they have good WEEKLY SALES.

Just for a glimpse at my Walgreens this week*:

tuna 69 cents
peanuts 1.99/lb
cereal (cheerios, fiber1) 2.50
Kraft mayo 2.99
butter 2.50/lb
bacon 2.50**
coffee of various kinds, instant and regular

Not to be mentioned in polite company, box mac and cheese (69 cents) and those bowl things that you can microwave (99 cents).

They always have pasta, milk, and eggs also, the latter two at decent prices.

Now, for the **:
* You may need a coupon. The coupons are in the ads at the front of the store. Ask a cashier for help if you can't handle this task.

** The ad says "ready-to-serve bacon." Could this be the pre-cooked slices? I've never used the product, but I would think this would be great for the College Cook. It does not require refrigeration, and can be sprinkled on some of your soups and pastas. Must check on this, faithful readers.

CVS and Rite-Aid have similar sales.

What to do with Gizzards: Dirty Rice, Of Course

I never heard of this dish till I moved to Louisiana. In my 20 years here, I've made it once. That's because they had some already-ground-up gizzards at the grocery, so I overcame my own squeamishness and made some. It was great! My version was much simpler than the one below: just gizzards/livers, onions, bell pepper, rice, and green onions. Plus whatever Cajun blend was at hand, probably Tony Cachere's.

Recipe is courtesy of this site.

A Cajun-style dirty rice recipe.
Ingredients:

* 3/4 pound chicken gizzards
* 3 1/2 cups hot chicken broth or beef broth
* 1 to 2 tablespoons bacon drippings
* 4 tablespoons butter, divided
* 1/2 pound ground lean pork
* 1/2 cup chopped onions
* 1/2 cup chopped celery
* 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
* 1/2 cup chopped green onions with tops
* 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 1 teaspoon black pepper
* 1 teaspoon paprika
* 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or a few dashes Tabasco sauce
* 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
* 1/2 pound chicken livers, finely diced

Preparation:
Simmer gizzards in the chicken or beef broth for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove gizzards with a slotted spoon; grind or mince. Reserve broth. Heat bacon drippings and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a heavy casserole. Sauté the pork and gizzards over high heat until pork is no longer pink. Lower heat; add vegetables and seasonings and cook until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add rice and reserved broth; bring rapidly to a boil, stir once, cover, and lower heat. Simmer for 15 minutes, until rice is tender.
Sauté minced chicken livers in remaining butter for 3 minutes. Toss with the rice, taste for seasoning, and add salt and pepper if necessary. Cover and let rice fluff in a 225° oven for 10 minutes .
Serves 4 to 6.


Does this sound good to you?

Frugal Cooking with Julia Child

Although the great JC is usually associated with traditional French cooking--time-consuming and exacting--she does have a frugal side that emerges in the books after the chef d'oeuvre for which she is known.

In From Julia Child's Kitchen (1975), she has this gem. (And PLEASE: Don't buy the book--apparently out of print--for such a ridiculous sum. Get it from the library or via interlibrary loan!).

Julia recounts a conversation she had with a fan during the "1972 Meat Boycott." I have no recollection of this event, since I was in college and too poor to buy meat anyway. I suppose meat went up dramatically during the inflationary 70s (?). A man told her that he and his wife had moved to cheaper meat cuts and that, instead of just broiling steak, they were having stews or stuffed cabbage and even . . . more fresh vegetables. Maybe, he said, they were getting to be gourmets.

Julia opines (and what a wonderful writer she is): Certainly the road to gourmetude is not paved with steaks and chops, nor with mountains of foie gras and truffles, nor even with great wads of cash, though there is nothing wrong with any of these, particularly the cash. Wonders can be done with the simplest of ingredients, and indeed the genius shows forth his true qualities when faced with humble means.

She follows with a recipe, based on one by Richard Olney, for a ragout made of whatever veggies are at hand (she uses onions, garlic, artichoke, rutabaga, parsnip, carrot, potato, Plus others--all optional except the first two), plus--if you have them--chicken hearts and gizzards.

She says "proportions are of little importance," which is good, since I don't feel like typing out the whole recipe! Did you all get a squeam attack when you got to the chicken hearts and gizzards?

I admit to a bit of squeam myself. Last time I looked, chicken gizzards and hearts were around a dollar for 20 oz. Humble, indeed. Tomorrow, another recipe using this ingredient.

Olney, by the way, is a rather over-the-top writer, whose style and persona do not appeal to me. I do own some of his cookbooks nonetheless.

Waste Not: Cheese, Parmesan Rinds

By popular demand (two comments), I will soon post occasionally on ways to use dried bread. Right now, though, I feel the urge to inform (or remind, if you already knew this) that dried CHEESE is also a treasure.

I'm not talking about soft cheese covered with pink mold. I hope you never let your cheese get like that. I'm talking about dried out hard cheese. A little truc that I first learned about from one of Martha Shulman's old cookbooks is to throw parmesan rinds into your soup. Most recommend this for minestrone, where it provides an obviously compatible enrichment.

This is, of course, great with parmesano reggiano (almost as expensive in Italy as here), but it's also good with any block parmesan or its relatives asiago and pecorino. I saw a tub of reggiano ends at Whole Foods a while back: I think it was priced at $8.99/lb, so the secret is out.

You can also use dried up cheddar and the like in any soup where it suits your fancy.

The Wall Street Journal recently ran a story on winter greens, which had a recipe that used parmesan ends.


Parmesan broth with Swiss chard and white beans


A deeply satisfying soup that can compete with chicken noodle as a winter cure-all.Serves 4 to 6.

Over low heat, steep 8 cups chicken stock with 8 ounces Parmesan rinds for about 45 minutes, until the rinds are soft. Strain the liquid and reserve. // In a heavy-bottomed soup pot, sauté 1 smashed garlic clove in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat until garlic just begins to color. Add 1 dried red chili, crumbled; 4 cups loosely packed Swiss chard, stems removed and leaves cut into ribbons; and stir to coat. //Add the warm, strained stock and 2 cups canned cannellini beans and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper and add a teaspoon lemon zest. To serve, ladle soup over a slice of toasted country bread and drizzle with olive oil. —Sara Jenkins of Porsena and Porchetta, New York

Hmmmm. Strange to think of finding recipes in the WSJ. I'd rather read a recipe than the self-aggrandizing essay on the Tiger Mother (how to raise superior children the Chinese mother way) that is THE MOST READ ARTICLE in the history of the on-line WSJ.

Which would you rather read?

Long-Cooked Broccoli: It's Divine and Versatile

I've always been a broccoli lover, but I find most cooking methods fussy. Woe to the LAZY COOK. Then I discovered this broccoli, which is perfect for the lazy cook.

The first version I made came from a book by Evan Kleiman and Viana LaPlace. I can't remember which book; all are good and worthy of your perusal.

Then I found an even easier method from, to my surprise, Alice Waters. Will I go to h-e-l-l if I admit that I find Waters' public persona rather annoying? Who cares (she certainly doesn't)?

AW's broccoli couldn't be simpler: Chop a bunch of broccoli, trimming woody stems. Heat 1/2 cup olive oil in a pot; add 6 garlic cloves and some red pepper flakes. Stir and add the broccoli and some salt. Add a cup of water and cover. Keep it at a simmer and stir now and then. After an hour or so, it will be a mush. Add a squirt of lemon if you have any around.

This method is so opposed to the health-food broccoli method drummed into us. I love it for that alone.

What to do with it? Stir it into pasta as a sauce. Serve it on bread as a bruschetta topping. The famous restaurateur Nancy Silverton proposes a sandwich: bread, broc, feta, scrambled egg. This is divine too.

So, to give credit to AW.

Not sure where the sandwich is from. Maybe this one?

Let me know if you try this. Take the leap!

Supper of the Lamb: Day 3

Day 1 was the lamb with couscous and greens. In retrospect, this was the least interesting so far.

Day 2 was lamb with Diana Kennedy's Syrian yogurt sauce, far more sublime than the chicken version we've had (still good, of course). One of Frugal Son's high school friends (a picky eater from way back) showed up at dinner time. He deigned to eat some and pronounced it good.

Day 3 was lamb in Thai curry sauce. Even more sublime.

This is a totally flexible recipe as long as you have Thai curry paste and a can of coconut milk. The nice thing about Thai curries is that you can make it a sort of stew. You don't need to worry about overcooking as you do with stir-frying. You can use any combo of veggies you want (or even no veggies). In a pinch, even frozen vegetables would be pretty good.

We are STILL trying to use things up, so we sauteed scallions, cauliflower, pepper, and greens--all from our garden. (Cauliflower was an experiment and it got those little mold spots, which we had to cut off, shrinking the vegetable considerably.) When all was done, we stirred in about 3 TBS red curry paste (though yellow or green would be good too) and a can of coconut milk. Then we stirred in chunks of lamb and some of the broth that remained in the roasting pan.

Of course, we cooked our rice in a rice cooker.

It's this kind of meal that makes me reluctant to spend big bucks at restaurants. It was so easy and so good and so cheap. The conversation was excellent.

I should have taken a picture. We ate it all up. Luckily, Frugal Son eats a lot and fast and is still growing. Coconut milk is verrrrry high in fat.

Poetry and Manly Meatballs

Last night, Mr FS and I went to a reading of Auden at the home of a former colleague. We were so excited! Our "going out" life is picking up.

The hostess's house was beautiful, full of old rugs and other neat things. Her father was a famous Proust scholar, originally from Germany, so she had many things that evoked that older European culture.

But the food! Amid all the cheeses was a plate of meatballs on bread. I said, "Are those MANLY MEATBALLS?" The hostess was shocked that I knew. We both had the same cookbook, which described the recipe. I'd always meant to make them. The meatballs are manly as opposed to froufrou appetizers. According to the lore surrounding them, manly meatballs are guaranteed to disappear. Indeed, they did.

So, if you're doing some entertaining, try these MANLY MEATBALLS. It's fun just to say the name. The recipe below is copied from this site. Both my hostess and I found the recipe in Best American Recipes 1999. You can get that book for a mere penny (plus shipping) on Amazon.


Alan Richman is the esteemed and always witty food writer for Gentleman's Quarterly magazine, but I take the blame for calling these his "manly" meatballs. He made them for a birthday party of our mutual friend Alexis Bespaloff, the well-known wine writer. As he was passing them on a platter, taking full responsibility for their simplicity and strong flavor, he explained that he made them because when he heard the menu planned by Alex's wife he felt there might be too much "sissy food" -- you know, pasta and salads.

They are not, of course, anything like any recipe you've ever seen for Swedish meatballs, but to my mind they make an even better stand-in. Baking them on bread slices -- which, by the way, do not burn or get too hard, even though it seems as if they would -- makes them perfect finger food.
1 pound ground chuck (not leaner beef)

3 scallions, finely minced (use most of the green)

4 tablespoons dark soy sauce (or regular soy sauce, if that's all you have)

1 firmly packed teaspoon brown sugar (a rounded teaspoon, if using regular soy sauce)

1 baguette or ficelle (a small diameter French bread), about 20 inches long, sliced about 1/2-inch thick (if the bread has a large diameter, cut the slices in half, just a bit bigger than the meatballs)

In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients, except bread. With your hands, mix and knead thoroughly until the meat is a fine paste.

Make balls the size of smallish walnuts.

Place baguette slices on a baking sheet and place one meatball on each.

Bake for 7 to 9 minutes in a preheated 450-degree oven until done to taste (Richman says "until just cooked through." I like them still rare.).

Serve hot.


Do you have any favorite foods for entertaining? Or poetry to read aloud?

Toaster Ovens

As a teacher, I love being asked to explain something. Shelley asked why I love toaster ovens. I will explain. Please feel free to tune out whenever you wish. That's what my students do!

Shelley mentioned a toaster oven as a substitute for a microwave. No. You need both. Microwaves are good for heating coffee, melting chocolate, and a few other things, but are not good for bread products.

A toaster oven is a toaster and an oven. So: you can toast bread in it, make bread with melted cheese on top, and, if you have an appropriately sized pan, bake in it. Some people put a whole chicken in. I haven't done that. But I do use it to make things like corn bread in a small pan. And it's great for baking potatoes. So much better than heating up your giant oven space to bake two potatoes!

I mentioned in my last post that toaster ovens are short-lived appliances at both the low and the high end. We alternate. We just replaced our Cuisinart with a cheapo Black and Decker.

We almost bought the higher end and better looking WaringPro.

Dillards advertised this at $49.99, a great price. We went in. They said, "We only had one. We'll call you Monday when we get more in." That was two weeks ago. So much for the ease and customer service of a department store.

The highest end toaster oven is by Breville.

This toaster oven was the subject of an ecstatic article by food writer Raymond Sokolov, where he detailed the unexpected joys of cooking without his big professional range, which failed right before Thanksgiving a few years ago.

Even if you're not in the market for a toaster oven, you should read this delightful piece.

I mentioned that we used our Amazon gift card for our little toaster oven. To tell you the truth, I don't think I would have spent so much on Sokolov's Breville, even if my gift card had been big enough.

Peanut Corn Chowder: To take Your Mind Off Stressful Things

So much stress! The Thanksgiving break is followed by the end of the semester: Frugal Son and Miss Em return to papers and finals; Mr. FS and I return to stressed-out students and lots of grading.

Then we have stress from the news. Just sticking to the financial front: a U of Chicago economist (very conservative institutional affiliation) attributes the lingering unemployment situation and other bad things to income inequality in the United States.

The most emailed article from the New York Times (now #2, behind something on vitamins) concerns a former Goldman-Sachs employee who made zillions of dollars and is now dying of brain cancer. He wrote a book counseling a common-sense approach to investing, with a mix of stocks and bonds. In index funds. Shades of John Bogle. Both Mr. FS and Frugal Son read this before I did. They marveled at the fact that the G-S employee didn't know much about personal finance: he just worked at a big money-making machine. He's now sharing what he learned since an early retirement. See below for Amazon link to the book.

And--not to mention--all the rumblings about insider trading that have been filling the Wall Street Journal.

I'm sure no one wants my opinion on all this. Instead of railing against the system (which would, no doubt, be very boring), I will share a recipe I made with some Thanksgiving stock. Frugal Son went a little wild chopping celery. Looking at the pile of neatly-cut pieces, I thought of this soup.

PEANUT CORN CHOWDER


2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups canned corn, drained
1 cup light cream or half-and-half
Salt to taste

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped celery and onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the peanut butter until it has melted.

Return the pan to the heat and gradually stir in the stock and corn. Bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce the heat to medium-low and sim­mer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add the cream or half-and-half and heat gently. Add salt to taste.

Ladle into warm bowls, garnish with celery leaves and serve.

From The Best American Recipes 1999 edited by Fran McCullough and Suzanne Hamlin (Houghton Mifflin). Originally copyrighted 1998 by Trisha Meckler and published in More White Trash Cooking (Ten Speed Press).

No-Stress Thanksgiving: The Menu

I don't find Thanksgiving all that stressful. It is a low cost meal and the traditional items are EASY. I used to make the beautiful vegetable purees from The Silver Palate Cookbook, but no more. I hate cleaning the food processer.

We decided to spread the side dishes out over two days; this met with approval from the visiting children.

I did manage to spread some Thanksgiving cheer, by developing (extemporaneously, in a split second) the easiest menu imaginable. I wended my way to CVS this morning to get some of their fantastic freebies. While there, I said hi to Gary, one of my favorite former students. Then I checked out.

The woman at the register told me her meal was being prepared by her mother and daughter. She told me she couldn't cook. In fact, she got that panicked look that one gets encountering something that most people find easy but that brings chills and fear and inevitable failure. (This is different for everyone. For me, it's directions. For Mr. FS, it's matching shirt to pants. Whatever.)

I told her what to do: Heat your oven and when it's 350 degrees, put the turkey in. Basting is unnecessary. After a while, put in some sweet potatoes and white potatoes. They will take a bit over an hour. When the turkey skin is brownish, take it out and check. It won't take as long as you think if you don't baste. Open a can of cranberry sauce. Prepare a salad using one of those mixes at the grocery that come with dressing and all. Buy something for dessert.

In all my years of teaching, I have never seen a light bulb moment like I did with my cashier. She told me that she would try next year.

My menu is more complex, of course, but the above menu follows the 80/20 ratio of the Pareto Principle, whereby you get 80% of the benefit from 20% of the effort.

I guess I should have told her to buy some stuffing mix too. Oops!

Have a good day everybody.

King Arthur Flour Cheap, with a Catch

Those who bake, like Mr. FS, sing the praises of King Arthur flour. It is expensive, though it sometimes goes on sale around the big baking holidays, like Thanksgiving.

What's a frequent baker to do? Get it where the bakers get it: from a wholesale supplier. What's the catch? You need to buy it in 50 lb sacks.

First, go to the King Arthur website. Then, go to the bottom of the page "For Professional Bakers."

Then, find your local distributor. Mine is Koerner and Company in New Orleans. Yes, they will sell to individuals. A 50 lb. sack of King Arthur is around $20.00, depending on what kind you choose.

Some things I cannot buy because of the quantities required: no, I cannot buy a 24-pack of yeast. But, oh, what a wonderful gift for Frugal Son: a tub of duck fat!

Bon appetit! Do you have any wonderful sources for ingredients?

Local Cooking vs Frugal Cooking: Can the Twain Meet?

Miss Em is lucky enough to be in a college program that involves an occasional invitation to a catered meal at a faculty home. These have themes and, being a hungry girl with an interest in food, she recently chose one on eating with locally sourced products. (UGH--I can't believe I just used the word "sourced"--so pretentious.)

The food, as expected, was great: catfish po-boys, marinated cabbage, and other items I can't remember.

While she was there, Miss Em got into a conversation with a proponent of local eating. She mentioned that she came from a frugal family that liked to cook and eat. The expert opined that cheap food was part of the problem: the Dollar Burger masks its true costs, which include health and environmental costs, in the way that the food is raised, produced, processed, transported, and so on.

Meanwhile, in a frugal and environmental move, I took a New York Times Magazine from the free bin at the library. The magazine, from the depths of the financial crisis, had an article about a New York City family that TRIED to eat local and organic foods from the Farmer's Market. In that quest, they purchased a chicken that cost $35.00! The article also mentioned that their toddler-son chugged through a half-gallon of farm milk ($14.00/gallon!) a day. I'm not even going to get into the question of whether anyone should be drinking that much milk (I say no). Anyway, the family had to give up these pure foods in the face of financial woes.

I think the University locavore was conflating CHEAP food and FRUGAL food. CHEAP food is not good in large quantities: hot pockets, pizza bites, and the like, in addition to fast food items.

FRUGAL food can include local food. I can buy local seafood, greens, and citrus. I do, all the time. Perhaps I SHOULD buy local dairy items, but I have a cheap attack on these.

At the same time, I would faint if my dear spouse purchased a $35.00 chicken. Or if my children consumed $7.00 worth of milk per diem, each.

If it's true though that local food really is better for you (aside from being better tasting) and if the prices mentioned in the New York Times article are on the level, then there may be a food and nutrition gap between richest and poorest much like the widening income gap that has been in the news so much of late.

AND NOW FOR the $64,000 question: would you spend $35.00 on a chicken?

The Egg and I: For College Cooks and Others

I am going to start posting my College Cooking posts here too. Not to name any names, but CERTAIN PEOPLE WHO WERE SUPPOSED TO HELP ME HAVE NOT DONE SO.

EGGS just seem to be in the air these days. On the College Cooking front, I have this report. Always on the lookout for stove-free cooking options, I discovered this little item.

Really, this is silly. However, I spotted one at Goodwill for 99 cents, so I bought it. It's definitely worth 99 cents. I put some of the beaten egg for the pasta frittata in each side, cooked for a minute, added some cooked pasta and cheese, and finished it up. Then I folded it closed: tada! a very pretty fake omelet.

I think this would actually be good for microwave-only cooks: there is little clean up, really; it produces an attractive item (so important for solo eaters); it can accommodate all kinds of leftovers, and so on. Next time I use it, I'm going to try beating the eggs IN the contraption, for even less clean up.

Further on the egg front. I unearthed a cookbook I've never used.

Here is a knock-off of one of their recipes. I have probably already revealed my insane love of mashed potatoes, so it should come as no surprise that this one is on my to-do list.

Ingredients

* 3 cups mashed potatoes, heated through
* 4 eggs
* Coarse salt and cracked black pepper
* 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, chives, oregano, or thyme

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Divide the mashed potatoes into four individual baking dishes. Make a deep well in the center of the mashed potatoes. Crack an egg directly into each well. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle 1/4 of the cheese over each egg. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until eggs are done to your likeness.

Remove from oven, garnish with fresh herbs. Serve immediately.

The Egg and I: Pasta Frittata

Last month, I reported my pot luck triumph with egg salad. As a rule, I wouldn't bring egg salad to a pot luck, but it was on the list of items from which to choose. It happened that I was the maker of the BEST egg salad.

Tonight we are going to a music event, organized by some wonderful people we know. Mark and Peggy are music lovers who were habitues of a jazz cafe just minutes from their home. Post-Katrina, the cafe was no more. So instead of griping (my usual response), they created a monthly musical evening, at the home of a volunteer. Everyone chips in for the musicians and brings a dish.

We used to be on the alternate list, but we have ascended to the regular list.

Because we are near New Orleans, we get some wonderful and well-known musicians.

I am making pasta frittata, which you are supposed to do with leftovers, but I had to start from scratch.

Ingredients:
12 eggs
half pound of linguine, cooked
some tomato sauce
some homemade pesto
parmesan

In case you don't know how to make one, here is a frittata recipe.

This made a big sucker, but I have the coordinated Mr. FS to help me. He is very proud of his ability to flip a frittata.

Last time I brought a frittata (this was potato/leek) to one of these events, it was a success. Another benefit is that the frittata is easy to transport and tastes good at room temperature. No one else has ever brought one.

Now, of course, I want to re-read The Egg and I.

Or how about the book my friend Charlotte gave my baby boy?

Pasta with Caramelized Onions, Greens, Breadcrumbs

Since I learned how to make caramelized onions in my slow cooker, I have been on the lookout for recipes using them. Today I saw one in the New York Times.

3 tablespoons butter or olive oil

5 anchovy fillets

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2/3 cup bread crumbs

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus additional for drizzling

1 yellow onion, halved from stem to root and thinly sliced crosswise

Kosher salt and pepper

1 pound Swiss chard, ribs removed, leaves chopped

1/2 pound whole-wheat pasta, such as fusilli.

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add 3 anchovies to the skillet; cook until melted, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in the bread crumbs and toast until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

2. Wipe the skillet clean and return it to a medium-high heat. Add the oil, the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft and caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes. Chop the remaining 2 anchovies and add them to the skillet. Cook until melted. Add the Swiss chard, a handful at a time, and cook until wilted, about 4 minutes. Cover and keep warm.

3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain well. Toss with the chard mixture and bread crumbs, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil.

Yield: 2 to 3 servings.

This is a treasure of the recipe because it has more than one frugal component: in addition to the onions, it uses breadcrumbs. PLUS greens. We always have breadcrumbs because Mr. FS is a long-time baker. And it just so happens we have greens in the garden, though not chard.

Needless to say, I plan to make changes: regular old pasta and no anchovies. I am going to make this in a few days, but the recipe looks so interesting that I wanted to share.

Also, see how much time you save by having caramelized a bunch of onions in your slow cooker? Life is good.