My philosophy

I am a gourmand, not a gourmet.

Big taste does not always require big effort or a big price tag. Most of the dishes I will share here will cost $5 per serving or less, utilize readily accessible ingredients and not take more than an hour to prepare. To be sure, that last one will probably be the rule I break most. Often times, dishes are going to take much longer than an hour, but I promise most of that will be spent waiting for the food to heat up in the oven or on the stove. I’m also not going to pretend something can be made in 30 minutes if doing so requires an other-worldly knowledge of the recipe.

I plan on showing you how you can avoid wasting food items that are on the verge of going bad, clever ways to clean out your refrigerator and/or pantry and hopefully make going to the store an adventure, rather than a chore.

Many of the concepts I will share will not be novel — and I will never take credit for something I don’t deserve — but I do think they are often overlooked aspects of feeding yourself on a budget.

I will make liberal use of canned goods, dried pastas and frozen meats (not too often, though).

I do not have a professional kitchen in my one-bedroom apartment. I rarely use my dishwasher. My knives are not always razor sharp. All of these recipes and tips will reflect those realities.

I do love good food. I reject the concept that eating a home-cooked meal must require slaving in the kitchen or clogging your arteries. The end product won’t always be fit for Gourmet magazine, but I promise that you can do it and it will taste good.