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Slow Cooker Recipes
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How to Scrape a Vanilla Bean
Best Riffs on Hot Chocolate
Dinner Parties on the (Ultra) Cheap(cont.)
Previous: $100 Southern < 1 2 3 4 5
8 Tips for Cooking and Decorating
on the Cheap
1 Look to the East. While a French-inspired dinner might feel odd without a bit of fish or boeuf, countries with long vegetarian or semivegetarian traditions like India, Thailand, and Japan offer tons of budget-friendly nonmeat recipes. Concentrate on one central bean- or noodle-based dish, with multiple simple, colorful veggie sides.
2 If you do choose meat, stick to cheaper cuts like skirt steak, top blade roast, pork shoulder, and chicken thigh. Yeah, they might need a bit of extra attention and longer cooking times. But money can’t buy those deep, rich flavors. These are the types of cuts used in hearty Tuscan stews, Moroccan chicken, and apricot tagine, to name a few.
3 Eat family-style, with guests serving themselves from big platters. It’s more efficient, and makes big, budget-conscious stews and curries look homey, not sloppy.
4 Take advantage of ethnic markets. Some things I found at the Indian grocery store this week: three apples for $1. Two red bell peppers for $1. Papaya for 99 cents a pound. An eight-ounce bag of ground cayenne for $2.19. Latin American tiendas are great for onions, tomatillos, rice, and cornmeal. Chinese or Japanese markets sometimes have steals on fresh-made tofu.
5 Buy in bulk. Things like lentils, chickpeas, grated coconut, and rice are way cheaper out of the bulk bin at your local co-op or ethnic market. Spices too; rather than spend $13.99 on a canister of ground cardamom that will go stale before you can use it all, get a tablespoon or two for less than a dollar.
6 Make one simple cocktail, like vodka Gimlets, Dark ’n’ Stormies, or Mint Juleps, instead of buying multiple bottles of wine and beer. A $12 bottle of vodka will go further than a $12 bottle of wine. Take a look at this CHOW Tip on premaking cocktails before your guests arrive. You can go even cheaper by just making a cocktail base—Mint Syrup, say—and telling your guests to bring mixable libations like vodka and rum. Or buy the hooch yourself and tell your guests to bring the mixer of their choice.
7 Forget the florist. The afternoon before my guests arrive, you’ll find me slinking around the railroad tracks like a serial killer with a pair of scissors, looking for wild butterfly weed or scarlet Virginia creeper. In cold weather, a few shapely rust-colored leaves or knotty winter twigs look fresh and abstract piled in a series of contemporary bowls. Or why not just elevate your favorite small houseplant to centerpiece status: A cactus or a kalanchoe raised up on a pile of vintage books lends an offbeat vibe to the buffet.
8 Decorate the table and sideboard with found objects: antique milk glass, an old ice cream churn, colorful paper parasols. Or mix up vintage and modern dishes for striking effect. Check out this article on reinventing the table setting for inspiration.
Emily Matchar is a freelance writer occasionally found in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
3 years old and still getting play from Flipboard. I was already laughing at the fantasy prices until I saw the note that all shopping was done in North Carolina. Made me laugh even more.
And really, a dinner party for 8 people with only 3lbs of meat and 3 bottles of cheap bad wine? That works out to about 3 medium sized meatballs, a slice of bread and some rabe with a glass of headache in the...+READ
3 years old and still getting play from Flipboard. I was already laughing at the fantasy prices until I saw the note that all shopping was done in North Carolina. Made me laugh even more.
And really, a dinner party for 8 people with only 3lbs of meat and 3 bottles of cheap bad wine? That works out to about 3 medium sized meatballs, a slice of bread and some rabe with a glass of headache in the morning. Not a recipe for a successful dinner party. Sorry. If you feel the need to host, save your pennies until you can throw a real party OR do the potluck thing.-COLLAPSE
For leftovers, try that broccoli rabe between two piadina (like tortillas--you could use tortillas), a little ricotta, and smidge of parm. Heat up a little olive oil in a cast iron skillet and get the whole thing in there; lightly brown on one side and then flip. Serve hot or warm, cut into triangles. For how to KEEP YOUR LEFTOVERS, watch Dinner Confidential on fayedelicious.blip.tv
Regarding the Italian dinner, I would want to add some rosemary-infused olive oil to the white bean spread. I'd also add a grated carrot to the basic tomato sauce. And I can't imagine not serving pasta in such a meal (I'd probably go for small shells.) Even with these additions, I'd keep the total tab close to $50 by making my own ricotta and skipping the loaf of "crusty bread" which guests never...+READ
Regarding the Italian dinner, I would want to add some rosemary-infused olive oil to the white bean spread. I'd also add a grated carrot to the basic tomato sauce. And I can't imagine not serving pasta in such a meal (I'd probably go for small shells.) Even with these additions, I'd keep the total tab close to $50 by making my own ricotta and skipping the loaf of "crusty bread" which guests never eat anyway. I might also substitute something cheaper than honey for the figs and honey, like a dab of a fruit preserve or chopped chocolate, and I must admit I'd be tempted to splurge by adding sliced almonds or chopped walnuts or hazelnuts in the fig for crunch.
For what it's worth, I dislike flowers on the table where I'm eating. I'd rather have warm lighting.-COLLAPSE
Emily - I think mostly right on. But if you scrap flowers, look east and serve family style, then I'm worried that you're inviting the look and feel of a hippie potluck.
Herein lies my bias. When I throw a party and I don't have money, I put in more TIME to make it beautiful, or else I won't throw the party. That means I plate all meals that hit the table, and snag flowers from the gardens in...+READ
Emily - I think mostly right on. But if you scrap flowers, look east and serve family style, then I'm worried that you're inviting the look and feel of a hippie potluck.
Herein lies my bias. When I throw a party and I don't have money, I put in more TIME to make it beautiful, or else I won't throw the party. That means I plate all meals that hit the table, and snag flowers from the gardens in the neighborhood (with permission) if that's what it takes.
These inspirations more or less come from my grandma, BTW, a Great Depression survivor who never threw a dinner party that wasn't on the cheap.-COLLAPSE
Ugh, I hate it when HTML shows. Haha oh well. Just disregard the coding.
If you are just having a party with the guys I think some papa john's pizza coupons or whatnot would be a good choice too. Pizza is always a good choice for parties.
I just had a dinner party with my friends and I used recipes from a budget-friendly cookbook (I'm a cheap college student). It's also perfect for newer cooks because the recipes are basic and easy to follow. The authors will actually be on the TODAY show on April 17th to do a salmon demo! Check out the book for more inexpensive recipes: "Freshman in the Kitchen" (Huron River Press)
(My favorite...+READ
I just had a dinner party with my friends and I used recipes from a budget-friendly cookbook (I'm a cheap college student). It's also perfect for newer cooks because the recipes are basic and easy to follow. The authors will actually be on the TODAY show on April 17th to do a salmon demo! Check out the book for more inexpensive recipes: "Freshman in the Kitchen" (Huron River Press)
(My favorite is the Sesame Peanut Noodles-- major crowd pleaser)-COLLAPSE
I think this is one of the best pieces I've seen on Chow.com, period. All the nouveau-frugality articles cluttering up the internets these days are somehow lacking: too vague, too banal, too obvious, too general, too narrow. In contrast, *this piece* is in tune with what's on people's minds; it's broadly accessible w/different menus; it's appealing; it's concrete. It's making me kick myself that...+READ
I think this is one of the best pieces I've seen on Chow.com, period. All the nouveau-frugality articles cluttering up the internets these days are somehow lacking: too vague, too banal, too obvious, too general, too narrow. In contrast, *this piece* is in tune with what's on people's minds; it's broadly accessible w/different menus; it's appealing; it's concrete. It's making me kick myself that I haven't done it at my house already!-COLLAPSE
There is, of course, variation within all named spice blends but "curry powder" is fairly standardized and completely different than garam masala. I'm not sure if anyone in India uses anything that resembles curry powder.
Curry leaves are an herb from a shrub or small tree (Murraya koenigii). They're used in Indian cooking much like bay leaves are used in Western cooking. "Curry powder" is a Western name for various spice blends that Indian cooks call garam masala ('hot spice").
After eating a vegetarian meal, I may be full but I don't feel "fed." Something about meat is what I need, so the $30 Indian menu would work great for carnivores, I think, just by adding some thin-sliced, brined pork to the cabbage and some seared chicken (from thighs) to the curry. The extra meat would push the cost to about $35-40 but for me, it would be worth it.
BTW, what are curry...+READ
After eating a vegetarian meal, I may be full but I don't feel "fed." Something about meat is what I need, so the $30 Indian menu would work great for carnivores, I think, just by adding some thin-sliced, brined pork to the cabbage and some seared chicken (from thighs) to the curry. The extra meat would push the cost to about $35-40 but for me, it would be worth it.
BTW, what are curry "leaves"? I thought curry was a powdered amalgam of spices?-COLLAPSE
I love the tips on the last page, though I'd suggest organic types be careful of such cheap produce as in #4.
wow! what a fantastic and helpful column. thanks for doing this!