Saturday Throwback: Frugal Food Hacks - 10 Tricks to Simplifying Online Recipe Searches

Earlier this year, Casual Kitchen (my new favorite blog) posted a stupendous essay called How to Tell if a Recipe is Worth Cooking with Five Easy Questions. A phenomenal guide to recipe analysis, CK’s tips are invaluable whether you’re reading a cookbook, browsing the web, or picking through Grandma’s age-old dessert file. The post was so good, in fact, it inspired me to write a sequel of sorts – one focusing on simplifying online recipe searches.

See, combing the web for recipes can be a tricky venture. Between quasi-independent monsters (AllRecipes, Chow), corporate mega-sites (Cooking Light, Food Network) and neato personal blogs (The Wednesday Chef, A Good American Wife), there are literally millions of dishes to pick through. As taste is totally subjective, and reviews range from right-on to catastrophically misleading, there’s no easy way to discern the bad from the good.

Since I tend to take most of my food from the ‘net, I had to learn how to pick through the labyrinth quickly and efficiently. What follows, then, are a few self-spawned tricks to navigating the endless internet recipe abyss – guidelines to help you choose the cheapest, healthiest, er, good-est recipes ever. Hope they help. (And feel free to add more in the comments section!)

1) Be specific. Whether you’re googling a Coq au Vin or trying to pinpoint a butternut squash soup on AllRecipes, specificity is key to finding exactly what you want. Lots of the larger sites have some method of narrowing down the parameters of your hunt – an Ingredient Search, a Collection Search, or some way of marking off categories (Healthy, Course, etc.). If you’re starting big with Google or Yahoo, try to enter particular terms – the ingredient list, the preparation method, “light,” etc. The more specific you are, the more accurate the results will be.

2) Check the number of reviews. A recipe with 1,436 reviews and 1228 comments is infinitely less scary than one with two reviews and no comments. A large pool of reviewers means the dish has been around awhile, and it’s at least vaguely working. Helpful serving suggestions and/or useful substitutions are likely included within the comments. (This isn't to say, "Don't try new things," but rather, "If you're looking for a sure bet...")

3) Choose a recipe with a high rating. I find regular ol’ people (as opposed to high-falutin’ pro critics) are much more lenient on food. They’re just as likely to give five stars to a merely edible dish as they are to a meal that really knocks their socks off. So, when sampling from the AllRecipes, Epicurious, or Food Network sites, try not to use a recipe that has less than four stars / three forks. If you’re entertaining, make sure it has at least 4-1/2 (but it’s never a good idea to try a dish for the first time on guests, anyway).

4) Follow all Casual Kitchen’s advice. Once you find a tantalizing-looking recipe, read through it. Make sure you like and/or are willing to experiment with all the ingredients. Then, check to see if each one is readily available, either on hand or at the local store. After that, ensure you’re comfortable with both the prep time and the techniques employed. Finally, consider price and ease of big-batch cooking. If your potential meal hits all of these qualifications, it’s probably a winner.

5) Take suggestions to heart. If two-thirds of 254 reviewers think the sugar should be halved in a certain dish, go for it. Recipe writers can make mistakes sometimes, and reviewers are just the folks to correct them. But remember – majority rules. If Megdoodle from Monkeybutt, Kentucky likes quadruple the amount of red pepper in her chili, but 200 other commenters say the spice is just right, side with the 200.

6) Read/consider the available nutrition information. No one wants to serve their kids a lard casserole. When you’re scouting recipes, check to see if the calorie, fat, and fiber readings are included on the webpage. AllRecipes and Cooking Light do this consistently now, and you can occasionally find them on Epicurious and Food Network (with Ellie Krieger and Kathleen Daelemans, in particular). If dietary info isn’t available, try scanning the list for key words – “stick of butter,” “1/4 olive oil,” “fried,” etc. It’ll do your health better in the long run.

7) Stick with a chef you trust. If you’re a frequenter of the Food Network site or a big fan of Lidia Bastianich’s online collection, hang out with her cuisine for awhile. Make her classics. Work your way through her oeuvre. The same goes for personal blogs. I love and dream of emulating Orangette’s writing and cooking skill, and her food photos are absolutely to die for. Yet, I’ve tried a few dishes from her site (Butternut Squash Puree, Chickpea Salad, and Green Beans) and I don’t think our palates quite match up. On the flip side, Deb from Words to Eat By totally works for me. Her Amazon Cake, Pumpkin Bread, and alternate glaze for Barefoot Contessa’s Turkey Meatloaf put me squarely in her culinary corner. The moral is: all in all, finding a cook you trust is worth his/her weight in meatballs. That said …

8) Maybe avoid Sandra Lee (and other cooks who use too many prepared ingredients in their recipes).  Um ... Kwanzaa Cake. 'Nuff said.

9) Link baby, link. Cooking bloggers, in particular, are excellent sources for … yep, finding other excellent cooking bloggers. Once you find a chef/site you like, scroll through their link list. Odds are, someone just as awesome lies at the other of that URL.

10) Bank recipes. Find a recipe you like, but don’t have the ingredients on hand right that very minute? Start a Word file. Over time, you’ll amass dozens of dishes that caught your eye at one time or another, and it’ll make for easier rummaging down the line.

Have more ideas or suggestions for simplifying online recipe searches? The (comment) lines are open! We’re waiting for your call advice!

(Photo courtesy of Flickr.)

Saturday Throwback: Frugal Food Hacks - 10 Tricks to Simplifying Online Recipe Searches

Earlier this year, Casual Kitchen (my new favorite blog) posted a stupendous essay called How to Tell if a Recipe is Worth Cooking with Five Easy Questions. A phenomenal guide to recipe analysis, CK’s tips are invaluable whether you’re reading a cookbook, browsing the web, or picking through Grandma’s age-old dessert file. The post was so good, in fact, it inspired me to write a sequel of sorts – one focusing on simplifying online recipe searches.

See, combing the web for recipes can be a tricky venture. Between quasi-independent monsters (AllRecipes, Chow), corporate mega-sites (Cooking Light, Food Network) and neato personal blogs (The Wednesday Chef, A Good American Wife), there are literally millions of dishes to pick through. As taste is totally subjective, and reviews range from right-on to catastrophically misleading, there’s no easy way to discern the bad from the good.

Since I tend to take most of my food from the ‘net, I had to learn how to pick through the labyrinth quickly and efficiently. What follows, then, are a few self-spawned tricks to navigating the endless internet recipe abyss – guidelines to help you choose the cheapest, healthiest, er, good-est recipes ever. Hope they help. (And feel free to add more in the comments section!)

1) Be specific. Whether you’re googling a Coq au Vin or trying to pinpoint a butternut squash soup on AllRecipes, specificity is key to finding exactly what you want. Lots of the larger sites have some method of narrowing down the parameters of your hunt – an Ingredient Search, a Collection Search, or some way of marking off categories (Healthy, Course, etc.). If you’re starting big with Google or Yahoo, try to enter particular terms – the ingredient list, the preparation method, “light,” etc. The more specific you are, the more accurate the results will be.

2) Check the number of reviews. A recipe with 1,436 reviews and 1228 comments is infinitely less scary than one with two reviews and no comments. A large pool of reviewers means the dish has been around awhile, and it’s at least vaguely working. Helpful serving suggestions and/or useful substitutions are likely included within the comments. (This isn't to say, "Don't try new things," but rather, "If you're looking for a sure bet...")

3) Choose a recipe with a high rating. I find regular ol’ people (as opposed to high-falutin’ pro critics) are much more lenient on food. They’re just as likely to give five stars to a merely edible dish as they are to a meal that really knocks their socks off. So, when sampling from the AllRecipes, Epicurious, or Food Network sites, try not to use a recipe that has less than four stars / three forks. If you’re entertaining, make sure it has at least 4-1/2 (but it’s never a good idea to try a dish for the first time on guests, anyway).

4) Follow all Casual Kitchen’s advice. Once you find a tantalizing-looking recipe, read through it. Make sure you like and/or are willing to experiment with all the ingredients. Then, check to see if each one is readily available, either on hand or at the local store. After that, ensure you’re comfortable with both the prep time and the techniques employed. Finally, consider price and ease of big-batch cooking. If your potential meal hits all of these qualifications, it’s probably a winner.

5) Take suggestions to heart. If two-thirds of 254 reviewers think the sugar should be halved in a certain dish, go for it. Recipe writers can make mistakes sometimes, and reviewers are just the folks to correct them. But remember – majority rules. If Megdoodle from Monkeybutt, Kentucky likes quadruple the amount of red pepper in her chili, but 200 other commenters say the spice is just right, side with the 200.

6) Read/consider the available nutrition information. No one wants to serve their kids a lard casserole. When you’re scouting recipes, check to see if the calorie, fat, and fiber readings are included on the webpage. AllRecipes and Cooking Light do this consistently now, and you can occasionally find them on Epicurious and Food Network (with Ellie Krieger and Kathleen Daelemans, in particular). If dietary info isn’t available, try scanning the list for key words – “stick of butter,” “1/4 olive oil,” “fried,” etc. It’ll do your health better in the long run.

7) Stick with a chef you trust. If you’re a frequenter of the Food Network site or a big fan of Lidia Bastianich’s online collection, hang out with her cuisine for awhile. Make her classics. Work your way through her oeuvre. The same goes for personal blogs. I love and dream of emulating Orangette’s writing and cooking skill, and her food photos are absolutely to die for. Yet, I’ve tried a few dishes from her site (Butternut Squash Puree, Chickpea Salad, and Green Beans) and I don’t think our palates quite match up. On the flip side, Deb from Words to Eat By totally works for me. Her Amazon Cake, Pumpkin Bread, and alternate glaze for Barefoot Contessa’s Turkey Meatloaf put me squarely in her culinary corner. The moral is: all in all, finding a cook you trust is worth his/her weight in meatballs. That said …

8) Maybe avoid Sandra Lee (and other cooks who use too many prepared ingredients in their recipes).  Um ... Kwanzaa Cake. 'Nuff said.

9) Link baby, link. Cooking bloggers, in particular, are excellent sources for … yep, finding other excellent cooking bloggers. Once you find a chef/site you like, scroll through their link list. Odds are, someone just as awesome lies at the other of that URL.

10) Bank recipes. Find a recipe you like, but don’t have the ingredients on hand right that very minute? Start a Word file. Over time, you’ll amass dozens of dishes that caught your eye at one time or another, and it’ll make for easier rummaging down the line.

Have more ideas or suggestions for simplifying online recipe searches? The (comment) lines are open! We’re waiting for your call advice!

(Photo courtesy of Flickr.)

Veggie Might: How to Care for Cast Iron Cookware

Penned by the effervescent Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about the wide world of Vegetarianism.

Yesterday, Kris floored us with her Top 10 Kitchen Items list. So much good stuff—I use 6 of the 10 (pepper grinder, kitchen scale, food processor, bulk storage containers, tongs, and slow cooker) weekly, if not daily.

My choice of skillet, however, is cast iron all the way, and if I keep treating them properly, the two I have will be my nonstick pan of choice forever and ever, amen.

Growing up Southern, every kitchen I knew had a cast iron skillet for frying chicken and baking cornbread. It’s a versatile piece of cookware, which makes it great for tiny New York apartment. Once I started cooking again, after a long hiatus of take-out and junk food, the cast iron skillet was my first purchase.

Seasoning a Cast Iron Pan
If you’re starting out with a new cast iron pan, you’ll need to “season” it. Seasoning is essentially baking on a layer of oil to fill in any nicks or divots in the surface of the pan and create a protective layer that prevents rust. Season your new pan, even if it is “pre-seasoned.” If you’re salvaging an antique, seasoning will restore the beauty to its former glory.

The InterWeb is rich with tips for seasoning your cast iron pan. My tried and true method is a combo of Grandma/Dad/Mom’s and a trick I picked up on What’sCookingAmerica.com.

1) Clean the pan with a mild soap and hot water. Use a fine-grade steel wool, salt, baking soda, or this handy potato method from TheKitchn to remove rust. (See below.) Rinse and dry completely.

2) Pre-heat the oven to 350°. Line the bottom of the oven with a baking sheet or foil.

3) Coat the entire pan, inside and out (Thanks, WCA!), with vegetable shortening (or any neutral cooking oil). Wipe off the excess.

4) Turn the pan upside-down and place it in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes.

5) Remove the pan from the oven and wipe off the excess oil. Give the cooking surface (and sides) another coat of shortening, wiping off any excess. Return to oven for another 30–60 minutes.

6) Turn off the oven, open the door, and allow to cool a bit before removing the pan.

7) Again, wipe off the excess oil. Your cast iron pan is ready to use.

Seasoning can be repeated anytime your pan is getting a little sticky or funky. Acidic foods, like tomatoes, break down the coating. Also, water is the enemy. Case in point:

Last week, I left my 5” cast iron skillet on the counter next to the sink for a couple of days. In that time, I washed a couple of sink-loads of dishes and made several pots of tea, which I spilled repeatedly. (I’m a klutz.)

When I went to use my little pan for a quick egg breakfast, the entire underside was covered in rust. I cut a potato in half, sprinkled a little baking soda on the rusty area, and gave it a scrub. Seriously, I don’t know what it is about the potato, but combined with baking soda, it only took about three passes (slicing off the used bits of potato each time) and 10 minutes for all the rust to disappear—even from those little grooves. (Tip: If you’re in the market for a cast iron pan, don’t get one with little grooves on the bottom.)

Even though the cooking surface looked okay, I re-seasoned the pan anyway (coating the inside AND outside). Now it’s back in action, and the outside is way more rust-resistant.

Cleaning and Maintaining a Cast Iron Pan
There is much debate over whether or not to use soap on a cast iron pan. It all depends on your comfort. I am squarely in the no-soap camp, but do what feels right for you. You just may need to re-season more frequently.

1) Clean your cast iron pan immediately after cooking. Letting food sit, particularly acidic foods, will break down the coating you’ve worked so hard to build.

2) Rinse with hot water and remove any debris with a natural fiber or plastic scrub brush. Do not use metal on cast iron—scrubbers or utensils. You can prevent metal on metal crime.

3) Dry immediately and thoroughly. Lingering water = rust. I usually put the pan back on the stove for a minute to cook off any renegade droplets.

4) Since it’s back on the stove, apply a thin, thin, thin layer of oil to the cooking surface. Heat for a few minutes; wipe off the excess; and store in a cool, dry place.

Cooking with Cast Iron
The more often you cook with your cast iron skillet, the more nonstick it will become. Eventually, you’ll only need a little bit of oil for even eggs to just slide right off the pan.

Plus, as I said before, cast iron cookware is versatile. It can go from the stovetop to the oven and handle both like a champ: sauté up a mess o’ greens and then bake a batch corn bread. You can pretty much do anything with a cast iron pan.

Cast iron cookware may seem like a lot of work, but the investment in time and care is worth the return you’ll get in durability, functionality, and longevity. This is cookware you can pass down through generations.

Can I get an Amen?

~~~

If you liked this ditty, you may like

• 10 Essential Kitchen Items for the Healthy Cook
• Desert Island Gadgets
• HOW Old Is That Oatmeal? When to Clean Out the Pantry

Veggie Might: How to Care for Cast Iron Cookware

Penned by the effervescent Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about the wide world of Vegetarianism.

Yesterday, Kris floored us with her Top 10 Kitchen Items list. So much good stuff—I use 6 of the 10 (pepper grinder, kitchen scale, food processor, bulk storage containers, tongs, and slow cooker) weekly, if not daily.

My choice of skillet, however, is cast iron all the way, and if I keep treating them properly, the two I have will be my nonstick pan of choice forever and ever, amen.

Growing up Southern, every kitchen I knew had a cast iron skillet for frying chicken and baking cornbread. It’s a versatile piece of cookware, which makes it great for tiny New York apartment. Once I started cooking again, after a long hiatus of take-out and junk food, the cast iron skillet was my first purchase.

Seasoning a Cast Iron Pan
If you’re starting out with a new cast iron pan, you’ll need to “season” it. Seasoning is essentially baking on a layer of oil to fill in any nicks or divots in the surface of the pan and create a protective layer that prevents rust. Season your new pan, even if it is “pre-seasoned.” If you’re salvaging an antique, seasoning will restore the beauty to its former glory.

The InterWeb is rich with tips for seasoning your cast iron pan. My tried and true method is a combo of Grandma/Dad/Mom’s and a trick I picked up on What’sCookingAmerica.com.

1) Clean the pan with a mild soap and hot water. Use a fine-grade steel wool, salt, baking soda, or this handy potato method from TheKitchn to remove rust. (See below.) Rinse and dry completely.

2) Pre-heat the oven to 350°. Line the bottom of the oven with a baking sheet or foil.

3) Coat the entire pan, inside and out (Thanks, WCA!), with vegetable shortening (or any neutral cooking oil). Wipe off the excess.

4) Turn the pan upside-down and place it in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes.

5) Remove the pan from the oven and wipe off the excess oil. Give the cooking surface (and sides) another coat of shortening, wiping off any excess. Return to oven for another 30–60 minutes.

6) Turn off the oven, open the door, and allow to cool a bit before removing the pan.

7) Again, wipe off the excess oil. Your cast iron pan is ready to use.

Seasoning can be repeated anytime your pan is getting a little sticky or funky. Acidic foods, like tomatoes, break down the coating. Also, water is the enemy. Case in point:

Last week, I left my 5” cast iron skillet on the counter next to the sink for a couple of days. In that time, I washed a couple of sink-loads of dishes and made several pots of tea, which I spilled repeatedly. (I’m a klutz.)

When I went to use my little pan for a quick egg breakfast, the entire underside was covered in rust. I cut a potato in half, sprinkled a little baking soda on the rusty area, and gave it a scrub. Seriously, I don’t know what it is about the potato, but combined with baking soda, it only took about three passes (slicing off the used bits of potato each time) and 10 minutes for all the rust to disappear—even from those little grooves. (Tip: If you’re in the market for a cast iron pan, don’t get one with little grooves on the bottom.)

Even though the cooking surface looked okay, I re-seasoned the pan anyway (coating the inside AND outside). Now it’s back in action, and the outside is way more rust-resistant.

Cleaning and Maintaining a Cast Iron Pan
There is much debate over whether or not to use soap on a cast iron pan. It all depends on your comfort. I am squarely in the no-soap camp, but do what feels right for you. You just may need to re-season more frequently.

1) Clean your cast iron pan immediately after cooking. Letting food sit, particularly acidic foods, will break down the coating you’ve worked so hard to build.

2) Rinse with hot water and remove any debris with a natural fiber or plastic scrub brush. Do not use metal on cast iron—scrubbers or utensils. You can prevent metal on metal crime.

3) Dry immediately and thoroughly. Lingering water = rust. I usually put the pan back on the stove for a minute to cook off any renegade droplets.

4) Since it’s back on the stove, apply a thin, thin, thin layer of oil to the cooking surface. Heat for a few minutes; wipe off the excess; and store in a cool, dry place.

Cooking with Cast Iron
The more often you cook with your cast iron skillet, the more nonstick it will become. Eventually, you’ll only need a little bit of oil for even eggs to just slide right off the pan.

Plus, as I said before, cast iron cookware is versatile. It can go from the stovetop to the oven and handle both like a champ: sauté up a mess o’ greens and then bake a batch corn bread. You can pretty much do anything with a cast iron pan.

Cast iron cookware may seem like a lot of work, but the investment in time and care is worth the return you’ll get in durability, functionality, and longevity. This is cookware you can pass down through generations.

Can I get an Amen?

~~~

If you liked this ditty, you may like

• 10 Essential Kitchen Items for the Healthy Cook
• Desert Island Gadgets
• HOW Old Is That Oatmeal? When to Clean Out the Pantry

10 Essential Kitchen Items for the Healthy Cook

Our May Top 10 series continues! Check out other installments, 10 Cheap Ways to Simplify Food Shopping, 10 Ways to Eat Less Meat, and 10 Cheap Shortcuts to Making Cooking Oh-So-Much Easier.

A healthy cook’s kitchen is much like any other. There are probably some pots, a few pans, a spatula, and, mysteriously, 48,000 whisks. There might be a chef’s knife among the cutlery, and a splotch of tomato sauce on the floor. Somewhere, maybe behind the spice rack or in a rarely used thermos, lies a king-sized bag of guilty pleasure M&Ms.

However, upon deeper inspection, there are differences between the two galleys. Foremost among the cookware lies a large nonstick skillet. Claiming places of prominence in the utensil drawer are a zester and pack of wooden skewers. Bizarrely, there’s a food scale in the liquor cabinet. (Because seriously, where else do you put that thing?)

Lighter cooking doesn’t have to involve a lot of pricey additional gear, but there are a few pieces of inexpensive, multi-purpose equipment that can undoubtedly make the venture a bit easier. These are my ten picks, garnered from eons and epochs and ages (Note: a coupla years) of healthy-type meal prep. Some would appear in any well-stocked kitchen. Others are specific to us nutritionally-minded folks.

Readers, what would you add? What would you leave off? Aren’t microplane graters the best? Seriously, I could run away to Tahiti with one.

1) Large nonstick skillet with lid
I love Calphalon pans, but they require a good amount of oil and butter to prevent food from sticking. On the other hand, my 13-year-old, 12-inch nonstick barely needs any at all. A little dab of olive oil is enough for most veggies and meats. Not to mention, its sheer size is perfect for a plethora of healthy one-dish meals.

2) Pepper grinder
An important part of healthy cooking is creating maximum flavor without adding too much extra fat or too many calories. For this, salt and pepper are absolutely vital. And while there isn’t a huge difference between mass-produced salts, the same isn’t true for their black-n-gray partners. Freshly ground peppercorns are far superior to dusty, pre-ground supermarket pepper, in both taste and intensity. Find a durable, inexpensive, hand-operated grinder online (Amazon is a good place to start) and get cranking.

3) Microplane zester/grater
Along the same lines, a handheld microplane zester is fantastic for upping your flavor factor. Mulched garlic, grated nutmeg, finely shredded parmesan, and rasped citrus all have a place on its resumé, and it’s really fun to hold. Having one makes me feel like Mario Batali. (Note: Minus the hair.)

4) Food scale
Owning a food scale may not seem useful outside a regimented diet, but hear me now and believe me later: they’re spectacular for gauging portion sizes, no matter how you eat. Four ounces of meat can be difficult to eyeball, but stick that baby on a food scale and *poof*, you’re good to go. Plus, scales are great for measuring exact weights for more accurate recipe reproduction. Grab a cheap-o mechanical version, and you’ll never puzzle over half a pound of penne again.

5) Stick blender
Let’s talk about blender explosions. You know the drill: you ladle a few cups of hot soup in for a puree, you hit the “chop” button, and BLAMMO, there’s butternut squash all over your counter, your walls, and *ouch* your now-blistering hand. Don’t worry, sweet reader. A stick blender will make all that badness go away. Spectacular for healthy soups and purees, it does all the work of a regular blender, without the hospital bills. Cleanup is way easier, as well, and bargain buys tend to perform as well as pricier pieces in reviews.

6) Steamer basket
Soggy vegetables are the bane of humanity. Boiling or over-nuking them can have this unfortunate effect. BUT. Imagine chowing down on crisp, tender, colorful vegetables less than five minutes after turning on your stove’s burner. A $10 metal steamer basket will perform this miracle, and cure your cat of lockjaw. (Note: Only one of those last two statements are true.)

7) Food processor
When you think “food processor,” what’s the first image that comes to mind? Is it a 20-cup monster used for commercial baking? Is it an impossible-to-clean leviathan that takes up 70% of your counter space? Is it an airplane propeller? (Er … weirdo.) Never fear, my friends. Essential for light sauces, dips, salsas, pestos, and other flavorful mixtures, these champions of chop can be found small, cheap, and well-made online. A few minutes (seriously, that’s it) of searching will give your knife calluses a much-needed rest.

8) Bulk storage
Whole foods (as opposed to processed ones) are the cornerstone of healthy eating. Frequently, this means cooking and baking with grains, dried beans, lentils, whole-wheat flour, and a multitude of other items that can be purchased cheaper en masse. Subsequently, having convenient, airtight, bug-resistant storage at hand is highly suggested. You don’t have to buy 20-gallon bins or anything, but a few good OXO or Snapware jars can be just the ticket.

9) Skewers
Fast, high-heat methods of cooking like broiling and grilling don’t generally require a boatload of extra cooking oil, which is nice. Usually, you need just enough to keep food from sticking to a grate. Beyond that, skewers are nice to have. Because:

• They make smaller cuts of meat look gigantic.
• They promote even cooking.
• They’re cheap as heck.
• It is proven scientific fact (by me) that everything tastes 200% to 300% better when stuck on a stick. Give a kid a tomato, he’ll throw it at the dog. Put a tomato on a stick, and he’ll ask for seventh helpings.

Note: I use metal skewers, but mah friend Rachel prefers wooden. If you buy the latter, be aware they tend to burn at the ends unless you soak ‘em first.

10) Tongs, kitchen shears, and a slow cooker (TIE).
These three items are common to most kitchens, but I’m listing them anyway. Why? Well, I use the first two almost everyday, for everything. The latter is helpful when I’m in a rush and need big portions of light food with little effort. I suspect families might use it pretty frequently, too.

And with that, sweet readers, I leave it to you. Is there anything about this list you’d change? I dare you to comment on it. (MUHAHAHAHA!)

(Photos from Sur La Table [zester], Skillet Cookware [skillet], Amazon [food scale and canister].)

~~~

If you enjoy this piece, you might also quite like:

• Dessert Island Gadgets
• Finding Quality Kitchen Equipment on the Cheap
• Ultimate Guide to Kitchen Equipment

10 Essential Kitchen Items for the Healthy Cook

Our May Top 10 series continues! Check out other installments, 10 Cheap Ways to Simplify Food Shopping, 10 Ways to Eat Less Meat, and 10 Cheap Shortcuts to Making Cooking Oh-So-Much Easier.

A healthy cook’s kitchen is much like any other. There are probably some pots, a few pans, a spatula, and, mysteriously, 48,000 whisks. There might be a chef’s knife among the cutlery, and a splotch of tomato sauce on the floor. Somewhere, maybe behind the spice rack or in a rarely used thermos, lies a king-sized bag of guilty pleasure M&Ms.

However, upon deeper inspection, there are differences between the two galleys. Foremost among the cookware lies a large nonstick skillet. Claiming places of prominence in the utensil drawer are a zester and pack of wooden skewers. Bizarrely, there’s a food scale in the liquor cabinet. (Because seriously, where else do you put that thing?)

Lighter cooking doesn’t have to involve a lot of pricey additional gear, but there are a few pieces of inexpensive, multi-purpose equipment that can undoubtedly make the venture a bit easier. These are my ten picks, garnered from eons and epochs and ages (Note: a coupla years) of healthy-type meal prep. Some would appear in any well-stocked kitchen. Others are specific to us nutritionally-minded folks.

Readers, what would you add? What would you leave off? Aren’t microplane graters the best? Seriously, I could run away to Tahiti with one.

1) Large nonstick skillet with lid
I love Calphalon pans, but they require a good amount of oil and butter to prevent food from sticking. On the other hand, my 13-year-old, 12-inch nonstick barely needs any at all. A little dab of olive oil is enough for most veggies and meats. Not to mention, its sheer size is perfect for a plethora of healthy one-dish meals.

2) Pepper grinder
An important part of healthy cooking is creating maximum flavor without adding too much extra fat or too many calories. For this, salt and pepper are absolutely vital. And while there isn’t a huge difference between mass-produced salts, the same isn’t true for their black-n-gray partners. Freshly ground peppercorns are far superior to dusty, pre-ground supermarket pepper, in both taste and intensity. Find a durable, inexpensive, hand-operated grinder online (Amazon is a good place to start) and get cranking.

3) Microplane zester/grater
Along the same lines, a handheld microplane zester is fantastic for upping your flavor factor. Mulched garlic, grated nutmeg, finely shredded parmesan, and rasped citrus all have a place on its resumé, and it’s really fun to hold. Having one makes me feel like Mario Batali. (Note: Minus the hair.)

4) Food scale
Owning a food scale may not seem useful outside a regimented diet, but hear me now and believe me later: they’re spectacular for gauging portion sizes, no matter how you eat. Four ounces of meat can be difficult to eyeball, but stick that baby on a food scale and *poof*, you’re good to go. Plus, scales are great for measuring exact weights for more accurate recipe reproduction. Grab a cheap-o mechanical version, and you’ll never puzzle over half a pound of penne again.

5) Stick blender
Let’s talk about blender explosions. You know the drill: you ladle a few cups of hot soup in for a puree, you hit the “chop” button, and BLAMMO, there’s butternut squash all over your counter, your walls, and *ouch* your now-blistering hand. Don’t worry, sweet reader. A stick blender will make all that badness go away. Spectacular for healthy soups and purees, it does all the work of a regular blender, without the hospital bills. Cleanup is way easier, as well, and bargain buys tend to perform as well as pricier pieces in reviews.

6) Steamer basket
Soggy vegetables are the bane of humanity. Boiling or over-nuking them can have this unfortunate effect. BUT. Imagine chowing down on crisp, tender, colorful vegetables less than five minutes after turning on your stove’s burner. A $10 metal steamer basket will perform this miracle, and cure your cat of lockjaw. (Note: Only one of those last two statements are true.)

7) Food processor
When you think “food processor,” what’s the first image that comes to mind? Is it a 20-cup monster used for commercial baking? Is it an impossible-to-clean leviathan that takes up 70% of your counter space? Is it an airplane propeller? (Er … weirdo.) Never fear, my friends. Essential for light sauces, dips, salsas, pestos, and other flavorful mixtures, these champions of chop can be found small, cheap, and well-made online. A few minutes (seriously, that’s it) of searching will give your knife calluses a much-needed rest.

8) Bulk storage
Whole foods (as opposed to processed ones) are the cornerstone of healthy eating. Frequently, this means cooking and baking with grains, dried beans, lentils, whole-wheat flour, and a multitude of other items that can be purchased cheaper en masse. Subsequently, having convenient, airtight, bug-resistant storage at hand is highly suggested. You don’t have to buy 20-gallon bins or anything, but a few good OXO or Snapware jars can be just the ticket.

9) Skewers
Fast, high-heat methods of cooking like broiling and grilling don’t generally require a boatload of extra cooking oil, which is nice. Usually, you need just enough to keep food from sticking to a grate. Beyond that, skewers are nice to have. Because:

• They make smaller cuts of meat look gigantic.
• They promote even cooking.
• They’re cheap as heck.
• It is proven scientific fact (by me) that everything tastes 200% to 300% better when stuck on a stick. Give a kid a tomato, he’ll throw it at the dog. Put a tomato on a stick, and he’ll ask for seventh helpings.

Note: I use metal skewers, but mah friend Rachel prefers wooden. If you buy the latter, be aware they tend to burn at the ends unless you soak ‘em first.

10) Tongs, kitchen shears, and a slow cooker (TIE).
These three items are common to most kitchens, but I’m listing them anyway. Why? Well, I use the first two almost everyday, for everything. The latter is helpful when I’m in a rush and need big portions of light food with little effort. I suspect families might use it pretty frequently, too.

And with that, sweet readers, I leave it to you. Is there anything about this list you’d change? I dare you to comment on it. (MUHAHAHAHA!)

(Photos from Sur La Table [zester], Skillet Cookware [skillet], Amazon [food scale and canister].)

~~~

If you enjoy this piece, you might also quite like:

• Dessert Island Gadgets
• Finding Quality Kitchen Equipment on the Cheap
• Ultimate Guide to Kitchen Equipment

Grilled Portobello Mushroom Burgers and Me

Today on Serious Eats: Lemon Yogurt Mousse. You’ll like it better than the finale of Lost. At the very least, it will make you cry less.

Last night, like every other island-obsessed J.J. Abrams acolyte on our big blue marble, the Husband-Elect’s television (and by proxy, mine) was turned to LOST. We had a few friends over, as well – all LOST fans, all of whom were overjoyed by the re-appearance of a certain … er, no spoilers here. But, needless to say, I’ve never seen people react like that to anything besides A) the 1980 U.S.-Russia Olympic hockey final, B) the birth of their children, or C) V-E Day.

I’ve only caught on to LOST in the last year or so, and only because Husband-Elect lets me change it to Biggest Loser during the commercials. So, while my friends and future spouse were alternately jumping for joy and wiping away tears, I was all like, “Who’s that lady?” “How did they all get guns?” and “Why is that guy wearing so much eyeliner?” It’s a tribute to my associates’ great humor and infinite patience that nobody punched me in the neck.

Before the beginning of the end, the five of us had a pre-summer cookout. There were hot dogs, Greek Orzo Salad, White Bean Dip, and perhaps most importantly, Grilled Portobello Mushroom Burgers. I’ve been on a huge Portobello kick lately, for a few different reasons:

1. We’ve been buying less (and better) meat, and need substantial substitutes. Since they’re meaty and adaptable to just about any flavor, Portobello caps make excellent stand-ins.
2. Though pricier than other veggies, Portobellos are still cheaper than most meats. 
3. They cook lightning fast, so dinner is on the table in a few minutes.
4. Oh man, are these things ever healthy.
5. So … I carry my groceries home from the supermarket. And I have a great tendency to overestimate my upper body strength, which is roughly that of a malnourished pygmy marmoset’s. The mushrooms are nice and light, and they compensate for the 40 cans of tomatoes I trick myself into believing I can muscle home.

Last week, it was Blue Cheese Portobello Mushroom Burgers. This week, I wanted to try something where the cheese wasn’t the star of the show. Hailing from All Recipes, this highly rated dish fit the bill. It used a simple marinade of Balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, dried herbs, salt and pepper to create a savory, striking flavor. Reviewers didn’t seem to make many changes, either, so I prepared the ‘shrooms exactly as prescribed.

Happily, all four of the LOST fans loved it. If they were stuck on a weird tropical island with a polar bear, a smoke monster, and a troupe of curiously clean and un-injured airplane crash survivors … well, honestly, they’d probably go with a machete over a mushroom, but the burger would be a close second.

Speaking of which, where did they get all those weapons? And how did they eat? And what did that Ben guy do to deserve all those beatings? And...

~~~

If you like this recipe, you might also enjoy:

• Cremini Mushrooms, Roasted Red Peppers, and Feta on Ciabatta Bread
• Pasta with Asparagus and Mushrooms
• Veggie Burgers

~~~

Grilled Portobello Burgers
Serves 4.
Adapted from All Recipes.

4 Portobello mushroom caps, stemmed and wiped clean
1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 whole wheat hamburger rolls
A few sliced tomatoes (optional)
Lettuce leaves (optional)
Reduced-fat crumbled feta cheese (optional)

1) In a small bowl, whisk vinegar, olive oil, garlic, basil, oregano, together. Salt and pepper to taste.

2) Preheat grill.

3) Spread out caps, gill-side-down, in a 9x13” glass baking dish. Pour marinade over mushrooms. Brush caps with marinade to get any spots you missed. Let sit 15 minutes, flipping twice, brushing both times.

4) Grill mushrooms 10 to 16 minutes over medium-high heat, flipping once halfway through. When cooked, pile on toasted rolls with lettuce, tomato, and feta cheese if desired.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price Per Serving
96 calories, 7 g fat, 1.5 g fiber, 2.3 g protein, $1.28

Calculations
4 Portobello mushroom caps, stemmed: 87 calories, 0.7 g fat, 5 g fiber, 8.4 g protein, $4.40
1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar: 40 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, $0.30
2 tablespoons olive oil: 239 calories, 27 g fat, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, $0.23
1 tablespoon minced garlic: 13 calories, 0 g fat, 0.2 g fiber, 0.5 g protein, $0.12
1 teaspoon dried basil: 2 calories, 0 g fat, 0.3 fiber, 0.1 protein, $0.02
1 teaspoon dried oregano: 3 calories, 0.1 g fat, 0.4 g fiber, 0.1 g protein, $0.02
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $0.02
TOTAL: 384 calories, 27.8 g fat, 5.9 g fiber, 9.1 g protein, $5.11
PER SERVING (TOTAL/4): 96 calories, 7 g fat, 1.5 g fiber, 2.3 g protein, $1.28

Grilled Portobello Mushroom Burgers and Me

Today on Serious Eats: Lemon Yogurt Mousse. You’ll like it better than the finale of Lost. At the very least, it will make you cry less.

Last night, like every other island-obsessed J.J. Abrams acolyte on our big blue marble, the Husband-Elect’s television (and by proxy, mine) was turned to LOST. We had a few friends over, as well – all LOST fans, all of whom were overjoyed by the re-appearance of a certain … er, no spoilers here. But, needless to say, I’ve never seen people react like that to anything besides A) the 1980 U.S.-Russia Olympic hockey final, B) the birth of their children, or C) V-E Day.

I’ve only caught on to LOST in the last year or so, and only because Husband-Elect lets me change it to Biggest Loser during the commercials. So, while my friends and future spouse were alternately jumping for joy and wiping away tears, I was all like, “Who’s that lady?” “How did they all get guns?” and “Why is that guy wearing so much eyeliner?” It’s a tribute to my associates’ great humor and infinite patience that nobody punched me in the neck.

Before the beginning of the end, the five of us had a pre-summer cookout. There were hot dogs, Greek Orzo Salad, White Bean Dip, and perhaps most importantly, Grilled Portobello Mushroom Burgers. I’ve been on a huge Portobello kick lately, for a few different reasons:

1. We’ve been buying less (and better) meat, and need substantial substitutes. Since they’re meaty and adaptable to just about any flavor, Portobello caps make excellent stand-ins.
2. Though pricier than other veggies, Portobellos are still cheaper than most meats. 
3. They cook lightning fast, so dinner is on the table in a few minutes.
4. Oh man, are these things ever healthy.
5. So … I carry my groceries home from the supermarket. And I have a great tendency to overestimate my upper body strength, which is roughly that of a malnourished pygmy marmoset’s. The mushrooms are nice and light, and they compensate for the 40 cans of tomatoes I trick myself into believing I can muscle home.

Last week, it was Blue Cheese Portobello Mushroom Burgers. This week, I wanted to try something where the cheese wasn’t the star of the show. Hailing from All Recipes, this highly rated dish fit the bill. It used a simple marinade of Balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, dried herbs, salt and pepper to create a savory, striking flavor. Reviewers didn’t seem to make many changes, either, so I prepared the ‘shrooms exactly as prescribed.

Happily, all four of the LOST fans loved it. If they were stuck on a weird tropical island with a polar bear, a smoke monster, and a troupe of curiously clean and un-injured airplane crash survivors … well, honestly, they’d probably go with a machete over a mushroom, but the burger would be a close second.

Speaking of which, where did they get all those weapons? And how did they eat? And what did that Ben guy do to deserve all those beatings? And...

~~~

If you like this recipe, you might also enjoy:

• Cremini Mushrooms, Roasted Red Peppers, and Feta on Ciabatta Bread
• Pasta with Asparagus and Mushrooms
• Veggie Burgers

~~~

Grilled Portobello Burgers
Serves 4.
Adapted from All Recipes.

4 Portobello mushroom caps, stemmed and wiped clean
1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 whole wheat hamburger rolls
A few sliced tomatoes (optional)
Lettuce leaves (optional)
Reduced-fat crumbled feta cheese (optional)

1) In a small bowl, whisk vinegar, olive oil, garlic, basil, oregano, together. Salt and pepper to taste.

2) Preheat grill.

3) Spread out caps, gill-side-down, in a 9x13” glass baking dish. Pour marinade over mushrooms. Brush caps with marinade to get any spots you missed. Let sit 15 minutes, flipping twice, brushing both times.

4) Grill mushrooms 10 to 16 minutes over medium-high heat, flipping once halfway through. When cooked, pile on toasted rolls with lettuce, tomato, and feta cheese if desired.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price Per Serving
96 calories, 7 g fat, 1.5 g fiber, 2.3 g protein, $1.28

Calculations
4 Portobello mushroom caps, stemmed: 87 calories, 0.7 g fat, 5 g fiber, 8.4 g protein, $4.40
1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar: 40 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, $0.30
2 tablespoons olive oil: 239 calories, 27 g fat, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, $0.23
1 tablespoon minced garlic: 13 calories, 0 g fat, 0.2 g fiber, 0.5 g protein, $0.12
1 teaspoon dried basil: 2 calories, 0 g fat, 0.3 fiber, 0.1 protein, $0.02
1 teaspoon dried oregano: 3 calories, 0.1 g fat, 0.4 g fiber, 0.1 g protein, $0.02
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $0.02
TOTAL: 384 calories, 27.8 g fat, 5.9 g fiber, 9.1 g protein, $5.11
PER SERVING (TOTAL/4): 96 calories, 7 g fat, 1.5 g fiber, 2.3 g protein, $1.28

Saturday Throwback: Picky, Picky - Frugal, Healthy Menu Ideas for a Fussy Crowd

Every Saturday, we post a sweet little piece from the CHG archives. This week, we journey back to September 2007...  

Recently, my old roommate R and I had a few friends over for dinner and Game Night. (Apples to Apples! It’s the funnest.) Problem was, we didn’t know what to serve. Here’s why. (This is not a joke.)

• H is a vegetarian, and was pregnant at the time.
  
  
• F is mostly vegetarian, with some exceptions. He hates ginger, cake, and honey.
  
  
• D loathes vegetables, and eats pasta almost exclusively.
  
  
• S won’t touch an endangered animal. (This actually rules out a lot of fish.)
  
  
• R is allergic to dairy and was on Weight Watchers.
  
  
• K (that’s me!) was also on Weight Watchers, and in descending order of disgustingness, will not eat/drink: mayonnaise, anise, figs, scallops, cauliflower, radishes, ginger ale, sloppy joes, or any casserole with crunchy onions on top.
  
  
• J and M are easygoing, normal people who will generally consume anything, up to and including dolphins.

Planning a thrifty, nutritional meal for this crowd was harder than listening to a Yoko Ono album, but we managed using a few hard-learned, easily-executed strategies. From classy dinner parties to impromptu barbecues, here’s how you can too:

IF YOU’RE D.I.Y.

Start with starches. Inexpensive, versatile, and low in fat, pasta, rice, potatoes, and noodles can be the starting point and main component to hundreds and hundreds of dishes. Relatively flavorless, they’re not too scary, either. Make a big, plain pile and give your guests three different sauces/broths to choose from. And on that note …

Sauce it up. Whether it’s penne, pork, or potatoes, sauces make everything infinitely more delicious. Cook a single base food, like chicken, and present your friends with multiple sauce options. Maybe a tomato concoction? Or a low-fat pesto? How about something a little more lemony? Pair it with a starch and a simple veggie, and voila! Victory.

Needless to say, have a buffet. Make five big plates of food, including at least two main dishes. They can be as simple (mashed potatoes, honey-roasted carrots) or as complicated (Basic Beef Stew with Carrots and Mushrooms) as you like, and friends can pick and choose their favorites. Planned carefully, it’s a please-everybody healthfest for a nominal price.

Sweat the small stuff. Main course add-ons like bread, olives, cut-up vegetables, and small blocks of cheese can round out a plate and fill guests up without putting a massive dent in your wallet. Since they’re relatively free of seasonings and fancy preparations, finicky diners will be less afraid, too. In fact, if you’re big into finger foods, maybe …

Try a tapas-type meal. Instead of a few large dishes, give a bunch of smaller ones a shot. This way, you can satisfy your cooking jones, appeal to the Choosy Ones, keep several dishes in the Healthy Zone (not unlike the Twilight Zone), and blow as little or as much as you like. Some suggestions: bruschetta (the real stuff), melon wrapped in prosciutto, fruit skewers, finger-sized sandwiches, chicken mini-bites, or slices of turkey or chicken sausages.

Get fruity. Even the pickiest of eaters might go for a banana. Serving melon salad, homemade applesauce, or fruit salsa is a low-risk, high-reward venture, like sleeping or swimming in jello. Buying in season keeps it under budget, and it works wonders for dessert, too.

Set out some soup. One of the easiest, classiest, thriftiest ways of sating a battalion of visitors is ladling soup into their gaping maws. For choosy eaters, keep it simple or provide a selection of two. Butternut squash soup and egg drop soup are just a pair of delectable, low-priced ideas.

Load up on condiments. Ketchup, mustard, barbecue sauce, brown sauce, fat-free mayo, relish, soy sauce, wasabi, teriyaki sauce, fat-free dressings, chutneys, honey, honey mustard, peanut butter, hummus, duck sauce, and dipping sauces give guests an inexpensive range of options without forcing them into a decision. Really, it’s like supporting democracy.

Make breakfast. Maybe it’s not the classiest meal option, but a morning-themed dinner could excite less demanding taste buds. Eggs, omelets, healthy muffins, light casseroles, toast, hash browns, turkey bacon, and fruit salad are healthy building blocks of a growing boy/girl/hermaphrodite’s diet. (Nix on the cereal, though. There are limits.)

Tell them it’s BYO (Build Your Own). Whether it’s Sandwich Night, Pizza Night, Salad Night – really, any Night – people like food better when they have a say about what goes in it. Have a Burrito Night and pretend you’re Chipotle. Put out bowls of chopped tomatoes, diced green peppers, shredded lettuce, refried beans, low-fat shredded cheese, crumbly meats, salsa, rice, mole sauce, and let partakers construct their own repast. Everyone will think you’re a genius.

Cook crappy foods differently. “Many picky eaters choose high-calorie, low-nutrient foods and little else,” say experts. If your guests are fans of cheap, fatty foods like pizza, french fries, and hamburgers (see my friend D), try making healthier versions. Baked fries, lean burgers, and coal-oven style pizza are delicious, easy, and frugal.

Win points with creativity. Whether it’s planning a theme (Oscar Night), giving your foods silly names (Dame Judi Dench’s Supporting Rolls), or making a special drink (Roberto Benigni-tini), simple imagination can jazz up a frugal meal and goad finicky company into trying new things. Sound ridiculous? Maybe it is, but what works for kids often works for adults. Check out In Style Parties or Amy Sedaris’ I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence for ideas.

IF YOU DON’T MIND SOME HELP

Try a potluck. Friends and family will bring their favorite foods, and it doesn’t cost you a dime. Make sure to coordinate the menu items though, or you’ll end up with five plates of brownies and no main dish. For a healthy twist, have a make-your-own salad station to go with everything.

Have guests bring the wine. For me anyway, alcohol is fundamental. When Trader Joe’s is closed and you haven’t thought far enough in advance to use Wine.com, there’s no shame in asking attendees to provide the booze. If there’s a concern about health issues, make a non-alcoholic alternative or read this article: Researchers Say Pigments Make Red Wine Helpful to Hearts.

Do a Progressive. Really, this is more of a group effort and significantly easier for folks who live within walking distance, but if each participant hosts a course (appetizer, soup, main course, dessert, etc.) everyone saves cash and eats something they like. Plus, it’s a neat experience and your dish can be as healthy as you want it.

Remember: ordering out is not a sin. In some cases, it defeats the whole purpose of frugality and cooking. In others, it’s a valuable crutch for when you don’t have the time, inclination, or extra ingredients lying around. Go ahead and grab a quart of wonton soup. Don’t fear (the reaper) the pound of edamame. Embrace the take-out naan. As long as it’s within reason, it’s not cheating.

EXTRA TIPS

When in doubt, don’t mention it’s healthy. While the Weight Watchers fans will love you for it, choosier folks automatically equate nutritious food with having a mouth enema. If you can pass off tofu cheesecake, tomato guacamole, or tomato sauce rife with pureed bell peppers, for the love of god, keep quiet.

Look for sales. Devising a group meal around sales in Supermarket Circulars can save you a bundle of cash, and the produce section is particularly helpful for economically-priced seasonal dishes.

Start planning early. Last-minute smorgasbords for selective people are incredibly difficult to pull off without spending a bundle. It tends to be when health concerns go out the window, as well. The sooner you map out a menu, the better. If your company has religious or allergy-related food restrictions, this is a helpful guide from the Butler’s Guild (!).

But don’t go nuts. Picky and special-needs eaters are used to having low-to-zero dining options, so any effort made in their direction will most likely be welcomed. When push comes to shove, your pregnant vegan friend can make do with a fruit salad, and the onion-hating cousin is just fine with roasted sweet potatoes. Making 46,000 different dishes to satisfy an equal number of tastes is expensive overkill. However, remember …

Be frugal without being a cheap bastard. Frugal is passing on the caviar while looking for a deal on the pork. Cheap is buying coal grey meat packaged during the Carter Administration. While saving money is admirable, cutting too many financial corners will have a negative affect on both your food and your friends’ regard for you.

Sources

• “Children and picky eating (adults, too).” Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders. http://www.anred.com/childpick.html.
  
  
• Delp, Valerie. “Sneaky Mama’s Top 9 Tips for Picky Eaters.” Families.com. food.families.com/blog/sneaky-mamas-top-9-tips-for-picky-eaters. August 2006.
  
  
• “Picky Eater Dinner Guests.” Serious Eats. www.seriouseats.com/talk/2007/07/pickyeater-dinner-guests.html. July 2007.

Saturday Throwback: Picky, Picky - Frugal, Healthy Menu Ideas for a Fussy Crowd

Every Saturday, we post a sweet little piece from the CHG archives. This week, we journey back to September 2007...  

Recently, my old roommate R and I had a few friends over for dinner and Game Night. (Apples to Apples! It’s the funnest.) Problem was, we didn’t know what to serve. Here’s why. (This is not a joke.)

• H is a vegetarian, and was pregnant at the time.
  
  
• F is mostly vegetarian, with some exceptions. He hates ginger, cake, and honey.
  
  
• D loathes vegetables, and eats pasta almost exclusively.
  
  
• S won’t touch an endangered animal. (This actually rules out a lot of fish.)
  
  
• R is allergic to dairy and was on Weight Watchers.
  
  
• K (that’s me!) was also on Weight Watchers, and in descending order of disgustingness, will not eat/drink: mayonnaise, anise, figs, scallops, cauliflower, radishes, ginger ale, sloppy joes, or any casserole with crunchy onions on top.
  
  
• J and M are easygoing, normal people who will generally consume anything, up to and including dolphins.

Planning a thrifty, nutritional meal for this crowd was harder than listening to a Yoko Ono album, but we managed using a few hard-learned, easily-executed strategies. From classy dinner parties to impromptu barbecues, here’s how you can too:

IF YOU’RE D.I.Y.

Start with starches. Inexpensive, versatile, and low in fat, pasta, rice, potatoes, and noodles can be the starting point and main component to hundreds and hundreds of dishes. Relatively flavorless, they’re not too scary, either. Make a big, plain pile and give your guests three different sauces/broths to choose from. And on that note …

Sauce it up. Whether it’s penne, pork, or potatoes, sauces make everything infinitely more delicious. Cook a single base food, like chicken, and present your friends with multiple sauce options. Maybe a tomato concoction? Or a low-fat pesto? How about something a little more lemony? Pair it with a starch and a simple veggie, and voila! Victory.

Needless to say, have a buffet. Make five big plates of food, including at least two main dishes. They can be as simple (mashed potatoes, honey-roasted carrots) or as complicated (Basic Beef Stew with Carrots and Mushrooms) as you like, and friends can pick and choose their favorites. Planned carefully, it’s a please-everybody healthfest for a nominal price.

Sweat the small stuff. Main course add-ons like bread, olives, cut-up vegetables, and small blocks of cheese can round out a plate and fill guests up without putting a massive dent in your wallet. Since they’re relatively free of seasonings and fancy preparations, finicky diners will be less afraid, too. In fact, if you’re big into finger foods, maybe …

Try a tapas-type meal. Instead of a few large dishes, give a bunch of smaller ones a shot. This way, you can satisfy your cooking jones, appeal to the Choosy Ones, keep several dishes in the Healthy Zone (not unlike the Twilight Zone), and blow as little or as much as you like. Some suggestions: bruschetta (the real stuff), melon wrapped in prosciutto, fruit skewers, finger-sized sandwiches, chicken mini-bites, or slices of turkey or chicken sausages.

Get fruity. Even the pickiest of eaters might go for a banana. Serving melon salad, homemade applesauce, or fruit salsa is a low-risk, high-reward venture, like sleeping or swimming in jello. Buying in season keeps it under budget, and it works wonders for dessert, too.

Set out some soup. One of the easiest, classiest, thriftiest ways of sating a battalion of visitors is ladling soup into their gaping maws. For choosy eaters, keep it simple or provide a selection of two. Butternut squash soup and egg drop soup are just a pair of delectable, low-priced ideas.

Load up on condiments. Ketchup, mustard, barbecue sauce, brown sauce, fat-free mayo, relish, soy sauce, wasabi, teriyaki sauce, fat-free dressings, chutneys, honey, honey mustard, peanut butter, hummus, duck sauce, and dipping sauces give guests an inexpensive range of options without forcing them into a decision. Really, it’s like supporting democracy.

Make breakfast. Maybe it’s not the classiest meal option, but a morning-themed dinner could excite less demanding taste buds. Eggs, omelets, healthy muffins, light casseroles, toast, hash browns, turkey bacon, and fruit salad are healthy building blocks of a growing boy/girl/hermaphrodite’s diet. (Nix on the cereal, though. There are limits.)

Tell them it’s BYO (Build Your Own). Whether it’s Sandwich Night, Pizza Night, Salad Night – really, any Night – people like food better when they have a say about what goes in it. Have a Burrito Night and pretend you’re Chipotle. Put out bowls of chopped tomatoes, diced green peppers, shredded lettuce, refried beans, low-fat shredded cheese, crumbly meats, salsa, rice, mole sauce, and let partakers construct their own repast. Everyone will think you’re a genius.

Cook crappy foods differently. “Many picky eaters choose high-calorie, low-nutrient foods and little else,” say experts. If your guests are fans of cheap, fatty foods like pizza, french fries, and hamburgers (see my friend D), try making healthier versions. Baked fries, lean burgers, and coal-oven style pizza are delicious, easy, and frugal.

Win points with creativity. Whether it’s planning a theme (Oscar Night), giving your foods silly names (Dame Judi Dench’s Supporting Rolls), or making a special drink (Roberto Benigni-tini), simple imagination can jazz up a frugal meal and goad finicky company into trying new things. Sound ridiculous? Maybe it is, but what works for kids often works for adults. Check out In Style Parties or Amy Sedaris’ I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence for ideas.

IF YOU DON’T MIND SOME HELP

Try a potluck. Friends and family will bring their favorite foods, and it doesn’t cost you a dime. Make sure to coordinate the menu items though, or you’ll end up with five plates of brownies and no main dish. For a healthy twist, have a make-your-own salad station to go with everything.

Have guests bring the wine. For me anyway, alcohol is fundamental. When Trader Joe’s is closed and you haven’t thought far enough in advance to use Wine.com, there’s no shame in asking attendees to provide the booze. If there’s a concern about health issues, make a non-alcoholic alternative or read this article: Researchers Say Pigments Make Red Wine Helpful to Hearts.

Do a Progressive. Really, this is more of a group effort and significantly easier for folks who live within walking distance, but if each participant hosts a course (appetizer, soup, main course, dessert, etc.) everyone saves cash and eats something they like. Plus, it’s a neat experience and your dish can be as healthy as you want it.

Remember: ordering out is not a sin. In some cases, it defeats the whole purpose of frugality and cooking. In others, it’s a valuable crutch for when you don’t have the time, inclination, or extra ingredients lying around. Go ahead and grab a quart of wonton soup. Don’t fear (the reaper) the pound of edamame. Embrace the take-out naan. As long as it’s within reason, it’s not cheating.

EXTRA TIPS

When in doubt, don’t mention it’s healthy. While the Weight Watchers fans will love you for it, choosier folks automatically equate nutritious food with having a mouth enema. If you can pass off tofu cheesecake, tomato guacamole, or tomato sauce rife with pureed bell peppers, for the love of god, keep quiet.

Look for sales. Devising a group meal around sales in Supermarket Circulars can save you a bundle of cash, and the produce section is particularly helpful for economically-priced seasonal dishes.

Start planning early. Last-minute smorgasbords for selective people are incredibly difficult to pull off without spending a bundle. It tends to be when health concerns go out the window, as well. The sooner you map out a menu, the better. If your company has religious or allergy-related food restrictions, this is a helpful guide from the Butler’s Guild (!).

But don’t go nuts. Picky and special-needs eaters are used to having low-to-zero dining options, so any effort made in their direction will most likely be welcomed. When push comes to shove, your pregnant vegan friend can make do with a fruit salad, and the onion-hating cousin is just fine with roasted sweet potatoes. Making 46,000 different dishes to satisfy an equal number of tastes is expensive overkill. However, remember …

Be frugal without being a cheap bastard. Frugal is passing on the caviar while looking for a deal on the pork. Cheap is buying coal grey meat packaged during the Carter Administration. While saving money is admirable, cutting too many financial corners will have a negative affect on both your food and your friends’ regard for you.

Sources

• “Children and picky eating (adults, too).” Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders. http://www.anred.com/childpick.html.
  
  
• Delp, Valerie. “Sneaky Mama’s Top 9 Tips for Picky Eaters.” Families.com. food.families.com/blog/sneaky-mamas-top-9-tips-for-picky-eaters. August 2006.
  
  
• “Picky Eater Dinner Guests.” Serious Eats. www.seriouseats.com/talk/2007/07/pickyeater-dinner-guests.html. July 2007.