Food

Cooking Without Crepe Pans and Other Expensive Kitchen Tools

I like kitchen gadgets as much as the next girl, but I just can’t justify splurging on a crepe pan (or other tool) that I’ll use maybe once a month, at the most. So which kitchen u

Book review: In Defense of Food

The message of this book is simple: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." Michael Pollan gives it away right at the start, so I don't feel too bad doing the sam

4 Simple Tips to Improve Homemade Bread

One of my fondest memories from my childhood is the time I spent helping my grandmother bake challah . The woman is still an artist in the kitchen and her recipe is the basis th

Eating Cheap While Abroad

I've been on the go a lot this last year: I lived in Dublin for four months, accompanied my family to Israel, and made it to plenty of other points on the globe. But no matter

7 Tips for Streamlining Your Shopping List

I have a long-standing dislike of grocery shopping. Pushing a cart around a store is not one of the ways I amuse myself. I've found that because of my attempts to get in and ou

Waste Not! Revisiting the 5-Second Rule and other Kitchen Classics

Working as a line cook for almost four years exposed me to the dirtier side of the food service business. Generally, I was less-than-impressed

Six Boneless Dishes for the Hot Wing Crowd

The holidays are some of the best times to eat party foods, including those that get served up at your local happy hou

The new face of poverty is fat

Twenty years ago, I parked at a supermarket, near where a poor family had just parked. I knew they were poor, because they looked like poor folks are supposed to look: Their clot

Encounter With a Freegan

Would a good mother feed her children out of the Dumpster? My first encounter with a real live freegan leaves me wondering. Is helping save the earth and some money worth even t

Peanut Butter: The Poor Man’s Protein

Peanut butter is a staple food of many households. The rich and the poor alike find it to be filling and delicious. Eating the ri

5 Foods I Grew Tired of Buying, and How I Quit

Everyone who cares about frugality understands that it often involves becoming more self-reliant. The following is a list of kitchen staples that I quit buying, and how I’ve made i

Put it in a Pie for Fast, Frugal Food

Are you running out of fresh ideas for supper? Are you also running out of meat and fresh veggies? Pie shells are the best trick

The case for caloric labeling

As a conscientious consumer, you have a right to know what you're buying, eating, or wearing. New York City is enforcing a law that requires chain restaurants to provide nutrit

Optical Illusions That Make You Fatter and Your Wallet Lighter

One of my best friends told me that the key to food portion sizes was this: "Eat from small plates, drink from taller glasses." And optical illusions are at the root of it.

Would You Like Free Fries With That?

Like free food? How about french fries? In celebration of a new kind of fry, you and all your friends can score some, with no additional purchase necessary! Read on to find out

A $25 meal for just $3. Updated.

How many of you are familiar with Restaurant.com ? It's a terrfic site that slashes the price of meals by using a coupon system. [more]

Eating Locally on a Budget

Eating locally is trendy right now, and for good reasons. Local food is fresher, healthier, better tasting, better for your community, and better for the planet.

Gourmet Pizza for Less than a Buck

I’m a pizza fanatic. I will never turn it down. Ever. While living in Omaha, I looked forward to lunches with m

Beat the heat with cool summer meals

Some summer evenings are simple too hot to contemplate firing up the stove or using the oven. Some nights, even standing in front of the grill flipping burgers sounds like a bit to

Fine Dining on a Take-Out Budget

Looking for a first-rate meal on a take-out budget? Head over to your local culinary school for a great meal at a low price. Nearly all culinary schools have student-run restaurant