Cheap Eats's topics - tribe.net

Humble Pantry

2008-06-11T03:35:41Z

When you're totally broke, what do you budget for? We have a LOT of rice, beans, and garlic. They seem to be the only real staple that we keep regularly. We're still trying to get used to budgeting stuff out and although we're not left wanting, we want to try and buckle down even further to try and horde together some sort of windfall.

So, what are your suggestions for some truly Cheap Eats?

posted in Cheap Eats - 8 replies

Polenta (emphasis on the "po'")

2008-05-21T20:23:55Z

Is fantastic, in general.
I mean, it's just corn meal, but warm and mixed with some salt and butter, or honey, it makes a great quick comfort food.
You can make a tasty pseudolasagna by layering polenta, spaghetti sauce, and cheese and then baking it for a bit.

posted in Cheap Eats - 5 replies

wooo! Soy milk for a dollah!

2008-02-21T02:57:00Z

I stopped by the creepy/awesome 99cents only store(the creepy/awesome chain) while waiting for our thai order last night.

Lo! WestSoy Plain Soymilk for a dollah...minus a penny!
also at the 99 cent store: 4 packs of pudding. how much? a dollah!
and V8 for 59 cents a can!

Yes, i know that these are happy fun convenience foods, but wowsers, I was excited by all of the awesomeness.

posted in Cheap Eats - 1 reply

Nutella is kinda expensive...

2008-02-20T02:46:01Z

But if you spread some on a tortilla and add a sliced banana, fold it in half and heat it up, it's a delicious bargain crepe. Peanut butter and a few shards of chocolate instead of nutella is pretty good too.

posted in Cheap Eats - 9 replies

snack in Beijing

2007-08-25T18:47:40Z

have you got a plan to China in 2008? there's a lot of cheap delicious snacks in and around Beijing. clink here you may get some information and make more friends during the 2008 Olympics http://www.foreignercn.com/index.php/action_category_catid_74.html

posted in Cheap Eats - 0 replies

LA Times picks for delicious deals

2007-08-25T18:46:30Z

http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-deliciousdeals8aug08,1,7691096.story?coll=la-headlines-food

Striking it rich
Our third annual hunt for delicious deals nets rare delicacies, unusual treats and more.
By Susan LaTempa, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
August 8, 2007

UNLESS you're hanging out with conspicuously consuming celebutantes, you may have noticed a new mood in the air these days. It seems as if more and more Angelenos are talking about enjoying life without ruining it for the next generation, and when it comes to food and wine, they're focusing on real quality instead of being distracted by glitzy hype.

Many chefs and restaurateurs are in a deliver-the-goods mode lately too, and it's a point of pride in many quarters to offer good value. So our annual hunt for delicious dining deals has been particularly rewarding this year. It was easy to go deep. Food section writers researched tips, checked out old favorites and followed their own well-used noses from North Hollywood to Artesia, from Harbor City to Costa Mesa, looking for the best dishes, meals and specials at the best prices.

We came up with 25 incredible bargains -- and not only cheap eats, though we found plenty of those, such as a mouth-watering $1.29 cabeza taco and a delectable $7.95 Indian lunch buffet. But there are also wonderful luxuries worth every penny you pay for them, including a cold, creamy hand-made ice cream bar studded with toasted almonds for the same three bucks you might pay for a cone at a chain ice cream store. Or a pair of happy-hour Kobe sliders with house-made chips for only $8.

Some of the best deals show up at lunchtime or are available only on certain days of the week. Check out the three-course Sunday supper under the olive trees at a popular West Hollywood restaurant for -- brace yourself -- $15. Or the Fridays-only New Orleans blue crabs and crawfish just off the plane and boiled with Creole spices for $4.99 a pound.

Whether you're looking for pan-fried dumplings or jerk chicken, a seven-course chef's tasting menu or a great happy hour, we have a deal for you.

1. Jamón serrano sandwich at La Española Meats, $4.95. Food lovers have long flocked to Harbor City's La Española Meats for imported Spanish foodstuffs and house-made chorizos and hams. Now there's one more reason to shop there -- at lunch they've started serving a sandwich. But what a sandwich. They take a small baguette, drizzle it with Spanish olive oil and then layer it with La Española's domestic jamón serrano, some dried chorizo, roasted piquillo red peppers and a couple of slices of Manchego cheese, and then bake it until the cheese melts and the crust crisps. With a cup full of olives cured in a tomato sauce, that's $4.95. Eat it out back on a picnic table under an arbor shaded with bougainvillea. La Española Meats, 25020 Doble Ave., Harbor City; (310) 539-0455.

2. Roasted chicken with beans and rice or fries, tortillas and garlic sauce at Pollo a la Brasa, $5. For anyone who's gotten blasé about rotisserie chicken, the wood-fire roasted chickens from this Peruvian outpost will change your tune. The burnished skin and juicy meat are intensely flavorful, though this shouldn't stop you from splashing the awesome garlic sauce onto the bird, as well as onto the beans and rice and tortilla that come with the special. You can spot the place from the pile of lumber buttressing the back wall of the building -- and from the lines outside. Pollo a la Brasa, 764 S. Western Ave., Los Angeles; (213) 382-4090; 16527 S. Vermont Ave., Gardena; (310) 715-2494; and 2100 W. Whittier Blvd., Montebello; (323) 727-1965.

3. Nostalgia breakfast at Chips, $4.50. With its gorgeous aqua towers holding the letters of its name like giant playing cards way above the roof line, this Googie landmark coffee shop is worth visiting just for the late-'50s, early-'60s architectural glamour -- but dining's a delightful throwback too. Fluffy scrambled eggs (or two eggs, any style), creamy grits (or fruit) and toast (or a muffin) are served by super-pro waitresses who adroitly manage many customers, sliding in and out of English and Spanish with ease. They're happy to bring some fresh salsa and refill your coffee cup. Chips, 11908 Hawthorne Blvd., Hawthorne; (310) 679-2947.

4. Frites deals at Fraîche, $13 and $22. At Fraîche, the new Culver City Mediterranean, Jason Travi turns out a steak frites that would do a top Paris bistro proud at a very affordable $22. The steak is the flavorful -- and very fashionable -- flatiron cut, and it comes with a heap of golden, hand-cut fries. You can also get moules frites, the classic mussels steamed in white wine and garlic served with a raft of bread for dipping into the juices, for $13. Add a glass of wine, and it's dinner in a swell restaurant for a price hovering around $20. Fraîche, 9411 Culver Blvd., Culver City; (310) 839-6800; www.fraicherestaurantla.com.

5. Platter of nem nuong at Nem Nuong Ninh Hoa, $13.99. First you dip a rice paper wrapper into a bowl of water, just to soften it a little, and then you pile on the lettuce, mint, cilantro, Thai basil, pickled carrots, bean sprouts, cucumbers and chives. Then you add your choice of charbroiled pork meatballs, delicate shrimp spring rolls or pork sausage grilled in banana leaves. Roll it all up and dip into nuoc nam cham, fish sauce with garlic, vinegar and shredded carrots. The menu says the platter of nem nuong at Nem Nuong Ninh Hoa serves two, but it could easily serve four, even six, as an appetizer. Nem Nuong Ninh Hoa, 9016 Mission Drive, Rosemead; (626) 286-3370.

6. Sunday supper at Dominick's, $15. Wowie-kazowie, can a three-course dinner at a hip restaurant with great food really be $15? Dominick's Sunday Supper can. Although if you try it, you're likely to have to keep pinching yourself. One recent week, the menu was an heirloom tomato bruschetta, tortiglioni pasta with sliced sausages and peppers, and, for dessert, house-made fennel-pollen gelato. Add to that a really decent bottle of red table wine for $10 (or a Moretti beer for $2), and you've got quite the deal there on that lovely patio under the olive trees. Nor do you need to feel like a cheapskate: A server told us that 70% of Sunday diners order it. Dominick's, 8715 Beverly Blvd., West Hollywood; (310) 652-2335; wwwdominicksrestaurant.com.

7. Daily special ice cream bar at Milk, $3. It's hot, it's trafficky, you've been shopping all day along Beverly Boulevard, and the daily ice cream bar from Milk is calling. Give in. Banana butterscotch crunch has banana ice cream dipped into a thick butterscotch coating and studded with toasted almonds, or cookies 'n' cream ice cream dipped in chocolate and covered with chocolate cookie crumbs. The house-made ice cream and hand-dipped coatings are dreamy. At $3, that's little more than the cost of a Häagen-Dazs bar. Milk, 7290 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 939-6455.

8. Red velvet cupcake at Jongewaard's Bake 'n' Broil, $1.95. It has been scientifically proven that the cupcake is the perfect format in which to enjoy a red velvet cake -- it provides exactly the right ratio of moist chocolate cake to tangy cream cheese frosting. So perfect is the combination that there are places on the Westside where you can pay as much as $5 for the pleasure. Or you can head to Long Beach's Jongewaard's Bake 'n' Broil and enjoy a superlative example for $1.95. And sometimes -- when the bakers are feeling pretty -- they even put sprinkles on them. Jongewaard's Bake 'n' Broil, 3697 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach; (562) 595-0396.

9. Happy hour martini at Wilshire Restaurant, $7; bar snacks, $5.50 to $9. The price of martinis in this town has gotten crazy, so it's great news that Wilshire, the Santa Monica restaurant where chef Christopher Blobaum showcases his savvy market-produce-driven cooking, has started a happy hour. Monday through Friday, 5 to 6:30 p.m., you can sit either in the lounge or -- even better -- at the lovely outside bar and have the bartender mix you up a dry one for half price ($7). Pomegranate or apple martinis are $7.50; two decent wines by the glass are only $5. The bar snacks menu during the hour is a happy thing too. A couple of Kobe sliders -- toasted buns filled with braised Wagyu beef and pickled onions -- come with a fine mess of very thin, very crisp house-made potato chips, judiciously seasoned with truffle oil for only $8. Half a dozen iced Pacific oysters on the half-shell go for $9 (good with that martini). "Figs in a blanket," halved black Missions wrapped in La Quercia Prosciutto Americano and drizzled with balsamic vinegar are a sweet deal at $5.50. Wilshire Restaurant, 2454 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica; (310) 586-1707; www.wilshirerestaurant.com.

10. Indian lunch buffet at Woodlands, $7.95. The all-you-can-eat lunch buffet at Woodlands Indian vegetarian restaurant is nothing short of unbelievable. One of the best South Indian places in Southern California, Woodlands lays out a buffet spread full of wonderful food for only $7.95. Among the highlights one recent afternoon: dahi vada (fried lentil dumplings baked in a yogurt and black sesame seed sauce), poriyal (a "dry" vegetable curry fragrant with curry leaves), a complex vegetable curry and a rich, smooth payasam pudding scented with cardamom. And even with all of that, the waitress will ask whether you'd like one of their famous masala dosas. Don't refuse: This is a potato-based curry rolled up in a thin, crisp crepe so big the ends overhang the dinner plate. Woodlands Indian Cuisine, 11833 Artesia Blvd, Artesia; (562) 860-6500.

11. Wednesday bagels, 18 for the price of 12, at Schwartz Bakery, $5.50. If you're looking for bagels, you've come to the right place, the new Fairfax location of Schwartz Bakery. Just make sure you come on the right day -- that's Wednesday -- to get a big bag full of 18 bagels for the price of a dozen. Fat, chewy, delicious bagels (the deal applies to all kinds -- plain, onion, whole wheat, garlic, sesame, poppy seed, everything). Come early because they go pretty fast (by 10:30 or 11 a.m., the pickings may be slim). And if it's not Wednesday, they're a pretty good deal anyway at $5.50 a dozen. Schwartz Bakery, 443 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles; (323)653-1683.

12. Fresh boiled Gulf Coast crustaceans at New Orleans Fish Market, $4.99 per pound. Summer means seafood, and the best deal on Gulf Coast blue crabs and crawfish in L.A. is found at New Orleans Fish Market. The family-owned market at Arlington and Vernon avenues in the Crenshaw District flies in fresh crabs and crawfish every Friday during the season. By 1 p.m. the crustaceans are available: Still kicking, they cost $4.49 per pound; boiled with Creole spices, they're $4.99 per pound. The crabs are mostly females, which means they are smaller than jimmies (the crabs we bought last week weighed slightly less than half a pound each), but the meat is sweet and tender. New Orleans Fish Market, 2212 W. Vernon Ave., Los Angeles; (323) 296-3817.

13. Fourteen-inch "calzone from the Caucasus" at Dream Bakery, $2.50. Kachapuri is a sort of cheese calzone without tomato sauce from the Republic of Georgia. Picture a flatbread 14 inches long and 3 or 4 inches wide, filled with cheese and baked. It's just $2.50 (a 4-inch-square version in flaky pastry is $1). A kachapuri has a pizza-like fresh bread taste and is often still warm and melty. It's a snack for two people, but practically lunch for one. Dream Bakery, 12908 Sherman Way, North Hollywood; (818) 765-3844.

14. Large cheese pizza at Folliero's, $10. The pizza's delightful at this long-loved local pizzeria: a fragrant, thin and tender crust topped with good cheeses, fresh herbs and, depending, of course, on which kind you order, a quick slick of tomato sauce and various toppings. The place has been around since 1968, but it's not so much old-school as it is faithful to its own confident style. In terms of decor, with its exposed brick walls it even looks a bit spruced up. The food's honest and fresh Italian American, great for an easy family meal. Pasta dinners are only $5.25. Folliero's, 5566 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles (Highland Park); (323) 254-0505.

15. Seven-course chef's tasting menu at Tagine, $42. With chef's tasting menus going for close to $100 at many places around town, the seven-course Moroccan extravaganza at Tagine is quite the deal. Chef Abdessamad "Ben" Benameur changes it all the time, shuffling dishes and adding new ones. One thing it always includes is his sumptuous bestila (chicken and almond pie in filo dough) and a bevy of Moroccan salads, a couple of tagines (Moroccan stews), couscous, dessert, and, of course, extravagantly perfumed mint tea. Owned by Benameur and actor Ryan Gosling, Tagine is an oasis for young Hollywood and anybody hankering for Moroccan food in an intimate setting. Tagine, 132 Robertson Blvd., Beverly Hills; (310) 360-7535; www.taginecuisine.com.

16. Sansai soba at Yashima, $8.99. Nothing beats heat and hunger like a good bowl of cold soba. At Yashima in West L.A., the sansai soba, topped with oodles of Japanese mountain vegetables -- all manner of tender shoots and roots and delicate greens -- is uncommonly refreshing and satisfying. Served with a bowl of dipping sauce garnished with oroshi (grated daikon), scallions and wasabi, it's a terrific lunch for $8.99. Especially when you consider that iced mugi cha (barley tea) is on the house. Yashima, 11301 Olympic Blvd., Suite 210, West Los Angeles; (310) 473-5297.

17. Taylor's prime cheeseburger at lunchtime in La Cañada Flintridge, $7.95. An L.A. classic for decades, the prime cheeseburger at Taylor's Steakhouse is made from prime beef steak trimmings. It's so tender and steaky it seems a shame to burden it with lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles, but that cheddar sets it off nicely. At one time it was available only at lunch ($9.95), but now it's on the dinner menu too and at a reasonable $11.95. But at the La Cañada Flintridge branch at lunch, the steakburger's a steal at $7.95. Taylor's Steakhouse, 3361 W. 8th St., L.A.; (213) 382-8449; and 901 Foothill Blvd., La Cañada Flintridge; (818) 790-7668; www.taylorssteakhouse.com.

18. Pozole at Taquería El Granjenal, $4.39. A breakfast favorite at Taquería El Granjenal is the $4.39 bowl of vibrant red pozole. Tender hunks of pork, long-cooked onions and lots of hominy are stewed with ground red chiles and served with limes, a pile of shredded cabbage flecked with Mexican oregano, chopped onions and a stack of crisp tortillas to break up and sprinkle over the soup. Who needs pancakes? Taquería El Granjenal, 899 W. 19th St., Costa Mesa; (949) 645-4964.

19. 1 Barrel Rum. $11.95. One of the best rums in town is one of the cheapest. We'll tell you the name if you can guess what country it's from. Forget it, you'll never guess. It's 1 Barrel (One Barrel) Rum from the nation of Belize, and (for now, anyway) it's going for only $11.95 for a 750 ml bottle. The main attraction is its startlingly plush nose -- it's like the molasses sweetness of rum crossed with the plush smoky-buttery perfume of an aged Madeira. Beverage Warehouse in Los Angeles, (310) 306-2822, beveragewarehouse.com; and Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa, (949) 650-8463.

20. Whole crab lunch special at Seafood Village, $17. The house special crab at Chiu Chow restaurant Seafood Village is mind-blowing, and only $17 at lunchtime (at dinner, it's $30). A really big whole crab is pulled from one of the live seafood tanks, chopped up into chunks, deep fried and then covered with fried minced garlic, scallions and chiles. The crisp-fried pieces of tender, luscious crab meat are brought to the table piled high on a platter -- dig in! Seafood Village, 684 W. Garvey Ave., Monterey Park; (626) 289-0088; 9669 Las Tunas Drive, Temple City; (626) 286-2299.

21. Bacon, lettuce, tomato and avocado sandwich at Rustic Canyon, $10. The Santa Monica spot that features chef Samir Mohajer's farmers market-inspired cooking is now open for lunch Mondays through Fridays. Even dinners are well-priced here, but the noontime BLTA is a slam-dunk at 10 bucks: Niman Ranch bacon, wild arugula, ripe heirloom tomatoes and rich avocado on good, dense, multigrain toast. It comes with a generous, perfectly dressed salad of pristine baby greens. Rustic Canyon Wine Bar and Seasonal Kitchen, 1119 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica; (310) 393-7050; www.rusticcanyonrestaurant.com.

22. Pan-fried dumplings at Mandarin Noodle Deli, $5.75. The menu at Mandarin Noodle Deli lists more than 30 noodle dishes, but the dumplings are among the showstoppers. You get eight big, fat, half-moon pillows for $5.75. Thick top-pleated dough filled with juicy ground pork, garlic and leeks, nicely browned on the bottom with crisp edges. The only problem is, you might order them to share, but then want them all to yourself. Mandarin Noodle Deli, 9537 Las Tunas Drive, Temple City; (626) 309-4318.

23. Jerk chicken Sunday special at Ackee Bamboo, $6.95. Fall-off-the-bone Jamaican jerk chicken with a jazzy black pepper kick -- served with a mound of rice and peas, fried plantains, hush puppies and sauteed cabbage -- should cost a lot more than $6.95. But that's the deal at Ackee Bamboo in Leimert Park on Sunday afternoons, when spicy jerk chicken is the restaurant's daily special. If you don't have room left for Ackee Bamboo's flaky beef, chicken or vegetable patties ($1.85 each), pick up a sackful of these generous lunch-box-sized treats to take home. Ackee Bamboo, 4305 Degnan Blvd., Los Angeles; (323) 295-7275.

24. Khua kling from Jitlada, $8.95. Thai old-timer Jitlada has new owners, and they've turned it around. Everybody's talking about its rare southern Thai dishes, and you can't get any more rare than khua kling -- or more southern; it comes from near the Malaysian border. It's a powerful, earthy curry, positively grainy with spices, particularly turmeric, galangal (a cousin of ginger) and ground chiles. It's hot enough to induce meditation, but they'll add more coconut milk if you can't take the full blast. Jitlada, 5233 1/2 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles; (323) 667-9809.

25. Cabeza taco at Taquería Chihuahua, $1.29. All the tacos are delicious at Taquería Chihuahua, a new spot on Venice Boulevard in Mar Vista, but those filled with cabeza -- beef cheeks -- are good enough to make you cry. And they're only $1.29 each. Taquería Chihuahua, 12034 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles; (310) 313-2350; taqueriachihuahua.com.

Leslie Brenner, Corie Brown, Betty Hallock, Russ Parsons, Charles Perry, Amy Scattergood and S. Irene Virbila contributed to this report.

posted in Cheap Eats - 2 replies

Free Slurpee (or Squishee) Day! 7-11-07

2007-08-25T18:39:50Z

July 11th is Free Slurpee day - a wonderful day to celebrate the creation of the Slurpee. This year, as in the years before, 7-Eleven stores will be handing out 1000 free 7.11oz Slurpees from 7am until 11pm (or until supplies last). Yay! Free Slurpee!!!

(What's cheaper than Free right?)

posted in Cheap Eats - 1 reply

Mmmm... Döner Kebap

2007-07-19T18:00:46Z

So here in Berlin I have discovered the wonderful thing the turks call a Döner Kebap. It's so yummy... a giant pita bread dealy filled with cheap lamb meat, vegetables, and sauces. They cost between 2 and 3 euro, and are huuuuuge. I've been almost living off them for the past 2 weeks. Has anyone seen this masterpiece in cities other than Berlin? I highly recommend them.

posted in Cheap Eats - 0 replies

Any tips for a broke college student?

2007-07-14T11:27:12Z

I have my dinners covered, but lunch is another issue alltogether. I prefer to eat relativly healthy as well, and I can really eat so many sandwitches.

posted in Cheap Eats - 5 replies

Stretch your soup!

2007-05-27T02:51:09Z

Invest a whole $3-$4 in a nice soup from Trader Joes. Add water, (free!!!!), rice (like Lisa said, pennies!), and maybe a can of corn or other veg. (50 cents). simmer to blend it all together, and it should give you three-five meals, depending on how much you stretch it out with bread.

mmmm.... bread... everybody's favorite way to fill up at restaurants!

posted in Cheap Eats - 6 replies

Salmon steak

2007-05-06T16:34:35Z

I make this on my George Foreman Grill, which I love. You can probably broil or panfry it instead, but either of those techniques will take way longer than the GFG will.
Marinate some salmon (at Ralph's, I bought a chunk of salmon for $16 that I divided into 5 huge steaks) in a dash of soy sauce, garlic, basil, salt, lime juice, lemon juice, and half a cup of beer or white wine, then slap it on the grill for anywhere from 20 seconds to one minute. You can also take that marinade and add maybe a half-cup of honey, then simmer it down to make a glaze.
Price: kinda pricey, around $3.50, but it's salmon!

posted in Cheap Eats - 2 replies

Any interesting suggestions for canned refried beans?

2007-03-04T17:24:52Z

Hello-- just reaching out for any interesting suggestions for using canned refried beans? Can be recipies, just adding "stuff" to the beans before or after heating, etc...
Thanks in advance for your creativity!

posted in Cheap Eats - 6 replies

ORGANIC on $7/day!!!

2007-02-28T05:00:48Z

http://health.msn.com/dietfitness/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100153740

posted in Cheap Eats - 3 replies

Top Ramen with Egg

2007-01-30T09:30:18Z

One of my favorite meals and cheap as hell to boot.
Mixing in an egg with the ramen when you add the seasoning gives it much more flavor and adds a little protein, too.
Total cost? Depending on where you buy your eggs, $0.35 -$0.75

posted in Cheap Eats - 16 replies

Interesting experiment...

2007-01-30T02:58:22Z

That made me think about our little tribe..

http://hungryforamonth.blogspot.com/

Basically, a guy decides to see if he can eat for a month, for a dollar a day.

posted in Cheap Eats - 6 replies

SOUP!

2007-01-22T21:57:10Z

mmmm soup!

so uh, okay this recipe, adjusted: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/236946?mbid=RF

broth. don't buy it canned, boullion is cheaper and keeps well, and can be made with more water to streeeeetch it.
beans. buy them dried. soak overnight. cook them the next day. yay, MUCH cheaper.
greens. spinach, mustard, etc. are cheaper than fancy arugala.
stewed tomatoes, buy the store brand, when they'r eon sale, and stock up. these puppies are useful for allll kinds of recipes.
garlic, pepper to taste
skip the meat. meat is expensive. if you MUST have meat, buy a hunk of fatty bacon from your butcher. don't chop it up too small, and just use it to flavor the soup as you cook it, then scoop it out and give it to your dog.

Pretty much ANY soup can be recreated for much lower cost. You want chicken noodle? use whatever cheap chicken they have on sale(breasts are for people with money!) boil the hell out of it, with an onion, maybe garlic, a carrot, and some celery in a ton of water.
remove the chicken, skin it, and cut it into bite-sized bits.
skim some of the fat from the broth(s'bad for you!), and throw in egg noodles. when the noodles are almost done, return the chicken to the pot to reheat and enjoy.

canned soup is not your cheap friend!

posted in Cheap Eats - 3 replies

Any interesting suggestions for Annie's Mac 'N Cheese?

2007-01-14T08:07:27Z

Hello, another question to see what creative thoughts people may have. Reaching out for any interesting suggestions for using Annie's Mac and cheese? Can be recipies, just adding "stuff" to the mac n cheese, etc... (some things like tuna, or curry powder & the like, have been tried)
Thanks in advance for your creativity!

posted in Cheap Eats - 6 replies

Cheap Food Xmas Presents?

2006-12-22T01:52:50Z

Anyone have any ideas for inexpensive, edible Christmas presents (candy, jarred stuff, whatever)? I'm FFB this holiday season (flat fuckin' broke), so food is pretty much the only thing I can come up with.

The only recipe I can think of right now is a very tasty one I have for "chocolate peanut-butter balls" (yeah I know, chuckle chuckle). I think these would be really cheap to make as they only involve chocolate chips, peanut butter, sugar, salt, and paraffin wax. I'd really like to find some other things to make, though.

posted in Cheap Eats - 6 replies

Cheap Hors D'oevres?

2006-12-10T19:54:26Z

I am wanting to have a Christmas party--maybe from 3:00--7:00 or so. Warm, cheap drinks are no problem. But, I'd like to have a table laden with tasty nibbles. Any great ideas?

posted in Cheap Eats - 11 replies

A Feast in which we give thanks!

2006-11-23T03:55:21Z

Does anybody have any favorite Thanksgiving recipies to share?

posted in Cheap Eats - 3 replies

Just cause I wanna know...

2006-11-10T20:41:59Z

What's the most expensive thing YOU'VE eaten? Not seen someone else, or heard about this place that has this... I want to what did you get from either a restaurant, or a store, that was just so ridiculously pricey?

posted in Cheap Eats - 15 replies

Mesa Chicken Pot Pie

2006-10-28T07:46:31Z

The other night my 12-year-old son made his own meal and recipes based on what he believed the Aztec's might have made.

When I figured out the cost of the entire meal (which also had soup, water melon & dessert it came to) $15 for a family of 7. The main dish also gave us lunch the next day. The main dish is what i'm posting. I'm guessing if you can get the chicken cheep the entire meal at $6 for 7 to 10 servings.

One of the dishes he made was:

Next Dish was: Mesa Chicken Pot Pie

Mesa (4 cups) + ~2 1/2cups water - Mixed to dough
1 whole cooked chicken striped
Can of Green Chili Sauce
Garlic
Green Onion
Whole corn (froozen about 1/2 cup)
Bit of Oil

Oil Casserole Dish
Take about 2/3rd Mesa and create a Crust on bottom and sides of dish.
Add in Cooked chicken pieces
Finely diced Garlic, & Green Onions
Chili Sauce
Whole corn

Take rest of Mesa mix and create a top crust.

Then he cooked it at 400 for about 1 1/2 hours. It turned out pretty good.

posted in Cheap Eats - 0 replies

Throwing a party?

2006-10-27T01:44:45Z

Now y'all will know my secret. ;)

1 bag tortilla chips ($1.99)
1/2 package of the cheap cream cheese
couple scoops of Tostidos medium salsa

Microwave cream cheese for no more than 20 seconds. Mix in salsa to blend. Serve with chips.

That's been a good cheap party addition as well as supplimental dinner many times.

posted in Cheap Eats - 2 replies

If you must eat out...

2006-10-25T23:52:28Z

I've found that Togos will give you the most food for your buck. A regular ($2.29) or large ($2.99) bowl of chili is pretty filling, and if you ask, they will give you onions, cheese, crackers, and big hunk of bread for free. I get the regular bowl and my tummy gets filled. Just thought I'd let you all know :-)

posted in Cheap Eats - 4 replies

going shopping

2006-10-23T00:30:42Z

Where do you like to shop? Where do you find good food deals?

San Francisco:
Clement St. = asian supermarkets: fresh produce (vegetables especially), condiments, canned foods
Bargain Bank = everything non-perishable - mostly discontinued product lines for very very cheap
all over the Mission = corner mexican markets: fruit, eggs

posted in Cheap Eats - 4 replies

The Humble Bean

2006-10-22T23:55:37Z

For my money, (pun intended) keeping a variety of dried beans around is the best way to be sure to have cheap food available. There are at least a million and one things you can do with them. They take a long time to cook, it's true, but they're not labor intensive. They can cook all by themselves!

Most recipes call for soaking the beans overnight. I rarely decide the night before that I'll make beans, so, that usually doesn't happen around here. Rinse your beans, add them to your pot with 2-3 times as much water as beans. Bring to a boil (covered) and let boil for two minutes. Then, without removing the lid, remove the beans from the heat and let stand one hour. This is the same as soaking for 8 hours. If you add a pinch of baking soda to the soaking water, it will help make the beans less "gassy."

After this, cook any way you want. Keep in mind, though, that when cooking beans, you should always wait till the end to add salt, becasue salting beans before they are soft tends to toughen them--don't know why.

Last week, I made a really good pot of navy beans. I like soup, my son doesn't, unless its the blended "cream of" variety, or a hearty chowder. So, when I make beany things, I try to make them so that they can either be scooped with a slotted spoon onto a plate, or ladled into a bowl with the broth. So, this last time I cooked the beans, and sauted together LOTS of onions, garlic, celery, red bell pepper and applewood-smoked turkey bacon.

When the beans were nearly done, I added all of the above, plus some shredded kale and let the kale soften and the flavors blend. It was absolutely delicious. Just cooked in water. (If you do the baking soda thing, it's best to change the water before starting on the "real" cooking phase.) The bacon was particularly salty and flavorful, so I hardly added any seasonings. I would guess that the whole big pot (enough to last two people for 6-7 good meals) cost me about $ 6.00.

I have open shelves above my stove where I keep apothecary jars of just about everything. I have on-hand split peas, navy beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, lentils, garbanzos, black beans, adzuki beans and mung beans at the moment. As long as I have a stove, a pot, and some water, we're not going to starve!

posted in Cheap Eats - 6 replies

Jiffy!

2006-10-20T04:41:58Z

Just the other day, as a cheap addition to my meal, I purchased a box of Jiffy corn bread. $0.39.

Thirty Nine Cents! Add in the 1 egg and 1/3 cup of milk, and you have a yummy carby treat (6-8 muffins) for less than $2.00 for the whole she-bang. They were tastey, too!

posted in Cheap Eats - 5 replies

ratatoui and polenta

2006-10-18T22:10:32Z

I made this the other day, cheap, versital and keeps well for left overs.

For the ratatoui get an asortment of veggies like eggplant, zuchini, green peppers, tomatoes, onion, garlic, what ever you have or like. Saute any onions, garlic or peppers in a bit of oil for a few minutes then add your chopped veggies, and a small bit of water, add your favorite spices (you can use itallian, mexican, or indian spices, use lots!). Cook until desired mushiness is reached, add water if needed.

For the polenta use corn meal, add about 1/4 cup corn meal per 2 cups water and heat to boil, stir constantly and watch the corn meal expand, add more water or corn meal until it reaches desired consistancy, add some cheese, any kind.

Put the polenta in the bottom of a bowl, spoon the ratatoui over top and enjoy.

The left over polenta will harden in the pan as it cools. It can be sliced and pan fried later for leftovers, it makes tasty snack sticks!

posted in Cheap Eats - 0 replies

PASTA MADNESS

2006-10-04T01:40:31Z

Pasta is always cheap and there a billion things you can make with it. I buy veggie rotini noodles in bulk at New Season's. Super cheap and they taste better than the regular noodles. What's your favorite pasta recipe?

posted in Cheap Eats - 8 replies

Potayto, Potahto

2006-09-28T07:17:26Z

um, I'd say that this one is fairly obvious: buy a bag of potatoes.
get inventive.

My favorite is the hot sauce potatoes with breakfast:

cube taters, about 1/2" cubes
toss them with Hot Sauce that you stole from Del Taco
add a little cayenne or black pepper
fry the hell out of them.

mmmmm greasy...

posted in Cheap Eats - 18 replies

Eating on the Cheap...Websites!

2006-09-12T17:44:30Z

Share your favorites!

http://cheapfoodie.wordpress.com/
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/40dollarmenu.htm

posted in Cheap Eats - 0 replies

2 for 1 Sodas

2006-09-12T04:18:49Z

For now anyways:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5827001560132807682&q=pop+machine+hack

posted in Cheap Eats - 2 replies

Peanut Butter is your friend

2006-09-07T22:15:35Z

it takes forever to go bad. buy it in economy size jars.
eat on sammiches, with saltines, apples(less than 30 cents each!), and even...

in a sauce...
screw the fancy peanut sauce for your thai-tasty creations! a little peanut butter, a little soy sauce(which can be stolen and hoarded)... a little sesame oil...

hell yes!

posted in Cheap Eats - 6 replies

Welcome!

2006-09-06T17:43:41Z

As a poor college student, I rely on my wits to find bargains and cheap foodstuffs. However, as a lazy college student, I'd like to rely on the wits of others to provide me with bargains and cheap foodstuffs. In return, of course, I will donate my own *ahem* expertise in the area.
Let the cheapness begin!

posted in Cheap Eats - 2 replies

Freeze some burritos!

2006-09-06T17:40:09Z

All you need is 2 big cans of your favorite beans (about $1 each), 12 tortillas (about $3), some salsa, and a cup and a half of rice (pennies!) That makes 12 burritos you can put in the freezer and nuke later. Cost of each burrito is between 50 cents and a dollar! :-D

posted in Cheap Eats - 2 replies

Quiche

2006-09-06T16:31:15Z

Cheap and easy.

Some people say that "real men don't eat quiche". Well, poop on that. Quiche is good, cheap, and easy to make.

pre-made pie tins ($2-3 tops)
eggs (cheap)
cheese ($2)
veggie/meat filling optional

Go to recipe.com to get a good one, and simplify it down for cheapness. Takes about an hour to cook in an oven. If only eating a piece or two at a time, this baby can last a week. Frozen it'll last way longer.

posted in Cheap Eats - 0 replies