Blogs : Food Media
Food Media CHOW's roundup of food-related news from blogs, newspapers, magazines, cookbooks, and film.
Save Money by Cooking in Bulk
You gotta give Thom Martin credit for taking cheap eats to a new extreme. This guy hosts, films, and edits the very lo-fi blip.tv show Eat for a Week, in which he cooks inexpensive meals in bulk and eats the leftovers all week long. In recent episodes, he has whipped up a 12-quart pot of Trinidadian corn soup for a mere $11, meatloaf made with three pounds of ground beef for $16.50, and a “Hearty Potato Salad” made with five pounds of potatoes, sausages, and chicken for just over eight bucks.
The recipes seem totally edible, especially if you’re a poor college kid or a broke bachelor in search of large portions on a small budget. But corn soup for a week? For reals? Even in my poorest years right after college, I made the most of my rice-and-beans budget by mixing up the day-to-day flavors: black bean soup one night and chickpea stew the next, with leftovers for lunch in between.
Sure, I’m a big food nerd, and I know there are people all over the world who don’t have the luxury of eating different foods every day. But, seriously, is there any dish—for any budget—that could still taste delicious for the seventh consecutive dinner?
Posted by
| Wednesday, October 17, 2007 at 1:10pm
| 3 comments
Tagged with: thom martin, blip tv, eat for a week, trinidadian corn soup, meatloaf, potato salad, cheap eats, the grinder, media
« Previous Post: Going Hog Wild in Beantown Next Post: Super Soups » |
My goofball answer is fried chicken. But I have an addiction.
My real answer is gumbo. Gumbo just tastes better and better. And you can actually get fairly decent nutritional content (beyond fat, protein and carbohydrates).
I can't think of anything I could make that would give my family of 4 leftovers for a week. 2-3 days max. Leftovers don't last long around here. But I like the idea of saving money!
Holy crap... Thanks for the review! (Was feeling geeky and decided to google myself. Found this.) Yeah, it can get a little old eating the same thing for a whole week, which is partly why I try to also keep some sandwich fixings on hand just in case I want a change.
If you think you'll get tired of the same meal all week, just freeze a bunch of it. (The corn soup freezes particularly well.) Do that with several recipes, and you could have a great frozen dinner selection built up before too long. Or just make a smaller batch. Sure it won't be around as long, but with smaller amounts of ingredients it could be even cheaper, still.
Personally, I do have a tough time eating the pelau all week long. Haven't tried freezing it yet, though. When I make it, I just plan on giving some away to my friends.
But yeah, thanks! (For the record, yes, I am a broke bachelor. But that'll all change once I'm a rock star. Or something.)