Recently a comment was posted questioning how I can afford to cook Martha. How does one afford Martha on a budget? Everyone can afford this. I think there is a perception that Martha’s recipes are extravagant and pricey. For the most part, that isn’t true. Yes, she sometimes makes over the top things, but I find most recipes to be doable for the average person. I cook dinner 7 days a week. I want food to be healthy and tasty and I love to try new things. If I’m going to be cooking anyway, why not try something new and fun? Martha’s recipes are not unapproachable in any way. In fact Everyday Food recipes are pretty easy and accessible. Here are some tips for how to afford good food on a budget:

-Make recipes that appeal to you. If it doesn’t sound good, you probably won’t eat it. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t stretch yourself. I’ve been surprised many times when I’ve tried something new. But if I know that I just hate duck, I don’t make duck recipes. Look for recipes that allow you to punch up your dinner routine without going crazy with totally unfamiliar or unpalatable  food.

– Look for recipes that can replace some of your boring same old, same old recipes without a change in cost. Instead of baked potatoes, try potato au gratin, for example. Instead of spaghetti and meatballs, try a recipe for a bolognese pasta. Virtually the same ingredients and cost, but hugely different in taste. Try new veggies. Instead of peas and carrots, try Swiss chard and parsnips. Swapping one veggie for another usually ends up to be similar in price on average.

– Cook at home instead of eating out. You can buy an awful lot of food (or treat yourself to some expensive options ) for what it costs to buy a meal at a restaurant. And you can control how it tastes. I’m really off restaurant food lately. It’s never as good as I want it to be and I would rather just make my own food the way I want it.

– Choose recipes that will give you bang for your buck. I’m unlikely to try something that is filled with expensive ingredients because I can find a different recipe for something more affordable that is equally delicious. New chicken recipes are invaluable to me because I’m ALWAYS cooking chicken. If I can discover a new chicken recipe that delights me, it gets added to my repertoire.

– Buy ingredients on sale and use your freezer. Stock up on things you know you use often when there’s a sale or you have a coupon. I use a lot of chicken, so if organic chicken breasts are on sale, I buy a boat load. I buy flour in bulk because I use so much. I fill the cupboard with chicken broth when it’s on sale.

– Eat leftovers. I often eat leftovers for lunch. We don’t waste any food and I have no problem figuring out what to have at noon the next day! Plus this way, the pleasure lasts for two meals.

– Plan menus. I try to take some time each weekend to pick out what I want to cook in the next week. There are lots of things I always have on hand, but if there is something particular I need for a recipe I want to buy it and have things planned out so I will use and not waste it. In the past I have been guilty of having big plans to make things and then letting life get in the way so that the particular produce or dairy item goes bad before I get to it. I try to set manageable menu goals for myself based on my schedule, so I’m not trying to make 2 hour dishes on a crazy Thursday night.

– Doctor the bad recipes. If you read my blog, you know that from time to time I encounter a Martha recipe so bad (or so badly executed by me) that I dump it. This doesn’t happen often because in the words of the lovely Tim Gunn, I try to “make it work.” I’m always tasting as I’m cooking and making adjustments. When you try something new, you can never be sure if it is going to turn out, so you’ve got to stay on top of it. I sample and I adjust flavorings or seasonings.  There have been times when I’ve completely altered the recipe to the point of it being unidentifiable, just to make the food edible. Once in a while though, something ends up in the trash. It happens and I think it happens no matter what kind of food or recipes you’re cooking.

– Substitute ingredients that fit your budget. Martha demands the best. And sometimes I cheat. I’ve been known to use store brand chocolate chips instead of fine chocolate, bacon instead of pancetta, vanilla extract instead of a vanilla bean, generic frozen spinach instead of fresh, and milk instead of cream. And I often used dried spices instead of fresh (though I can tell you there really is a big difference, so I really want to try to grow my own). I often use bottled lemon juice instead of a fresh lemon. Yes, there is a slight taste difference, but sometimes it just doesn’t make that much of a difference in the dish.

– Cut the recipe in half. If it’s something you’re not sure you’ll like (or if it is just too big), cut it in half and sample it. If it’s bad, you aren’t wasting much and you still got to sample something new.

– Accept that good food takes time. You have to be willing to spend the time to get the result. Everyday Food recipes are often quick and easy and I love them for weeknights, but I also love to make things that take more time on other nights. I enjoy making bread, even though I have to dedicate a day to watching it rise. For me, that’s fun and is better than a lot of other activities I can think of. It’s easy to buy packaged food that can be microwaved or reheated but you definitely get better food if you make it yourself.

– Make things yourself. Martha is a big believer in making your own stock, breadcrumbs, pie crust, jelly, etc. If you do this, you save lots of money. Of course it takes time. These things are almost always better tasting when you make them yourself. I admit I don’t do as much of this as I could and it’s something I’m working on.

– Cook with seasonal ingredients. Usually you get a magazine one month before the issue date, so the September Living issue arrives in August. This means there may be recipes for produce that are not yet in season when you get it. It’s tempting to want to make these delicious recipes when you get the magazine, but they will be more affordable when they’re actually in season. I also buy large quantities of seasonal ingredients (for example, I get a half bushel of apples in the fall) and cook with them a lot while they are available.

– Be critical. Yes, Martha is a doyenne of taste, however she doesn’t live in the middle class world. She often recommends kitchen tools that I think are too expensive or makes outrageous statements such as saying everyone should have 30 kinds of pasta in their pantry. Scale down what Martha does to make it possible in your world. She has fantastic ideas, but they have to be filtered and downsized. Actually I find that her magazines do a good job of doing just that – they provide recipes anyone can make for the most part.  When you watch her on her show she will say outrageous things sometimes, but that’s the fun of Martha.

– Think about how you can save money in other aspects of your life. For me, organic food is non-negotiable. But it costs more. So we make sacrifices in other areas. That means being frugal in our daily lives and evaluating how to save money.

– Make choices. We don’t drink alcohol and that’s a major expense for many people,but one I don’t have. As far as I’m concerned, this increases the money I have available for food.  I know I would rather cook good food than go to the movies every weekend, so that’s a choice I make. As far as I’m concerned, it’s about recognizing what’s important to you and making it work in your life. We can’t all live Martha’s life where she can have anything she wants, any time. Instead, it’s about prioritizing and for me, good food is at the top of the list.

– Change how you think about food. I would rather have a delicious healthy dinner than all the potato chips in the world. So our house is mostly devoid of packaged food. If we want dessert, we make it. If we want a snack, we make popcorn or have cheese or fruit. Food is something you *make,* not something you take out of a package, in my opinion. Yes, sometimes it is expensive to buy goat cheese and organic eggs, but I don’t spend any money on packaged food so I think I come out ahead in terms of cost.

– Splurge when it’s worth it. Last year I ordered my Thanksgiving turkey from Martha. It was organic, free range, and pasture raised. It cost an arm and a leg. But it was the best turkey I have ever had in my entire life. It was worth every dime. Choose special things like this to spend your money on and the joy will carry over as you’re being creative with inexpensive meals at other times.

– Don’t just throw dinner together if you can avoid it. Enjoy what you’re making and eating. It makes me a happier person to eat something that I’ve anticipated for a few hours and which has new, interesting, or delicious flavors. Eat consciously and allow the money you spend on food to translate to real satisfaction.

Do you have any tips to share about how you afford to cook Martha? I would love to hear them.

Recently a comment was posted questioning how I can afford to cook Martha. How does one afford Martha on a budget? Everyone can afford this. I think there is a perception that Martha’s recipes are extravagant and pricey. For the most part, that isn’t true. Yes, she sometimes makes over the top things, but I … Read more →

Today’s project was chosen by Pru at Perfecting Pru. This (click here for recipe) is a great fall dish. And I have to say it was pretty easy to make. You roast all of the vegetables (red potatoes, red onions, garlic, butternut squash, and carrots) at 450. Then you puree them with water (I used chicken broth and I used a handheld blender to puree instead of the blender method). You push it through a fine mesh strainer (this took a while), then add more liquid, a little lemon juice and salt and pepper. I added some cream and a pinch of dried mustard, as well as a pinch of salt. I served it with a dollop of sour cream in each bowl.

I loved, loved, loved this. It’s fantastic. It has a really deep, rich flavor that is very complex. And it is really something you can have made in about an hour and a half (an hour of which is just roasting time). I will definitely make this again and will probably play with the ingredients. Parsnip or rutabaga might be fun to try. I often make butternut squash soup in the fall, but this has a deeper, more complex flavor that I really loved. Mr. MarthaAndMe liked it, even though he generally is not a fan of butternut. Dude Martha did not care for it. Sigh.

This made a lot and I froze some for future dinners, so that’s a big plus!

Today’s project was chosen by Pru at Perfecting Pru. This (click here for recipe) is a great fall dish. And I have to say it was pretty easy to make. You roast all of the vegetables (red potatoes, red onions, garlic, butternut squash, and carrots) at 450. Then you puree them with water (I used … Read more →

John Barricelli has been on Martha’s show many times and he’s also appeared in the magazines and is a host of Everyday Food. He’s one of her cast of characters. He kind of fascinates me because there’s something weird about him. Is he nervous around Martha? Uncomfortable? Annoyed? I don’t know what it is but I keep watching. He always seems so very confident about his baking and Martha always raves about his bakery cafe. He’s got a new cookbook out called The Sono Baking Company Cookbook, which I just got. So far I’m in love.

My first try from it was the chocolate cream pie. Now this is something I love, but never, never have. No one serves that anymore, but they should.

This pie was to die for. Major OMG moment. The crust is incredible. I know it sounds simple (graham cracker with chocolate) but it ends up having this fabulous nutty flavor and crunchy texture. And the filling. Well. It was stupendous. I put whipped cream on top of mine as instructed, but next time I wouldn’t bother. It doesn’t need it.

Crust:

1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

3 tbsp sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1  2/3 oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely grated on large holes of a grater (about 1/2 cup)

Filling:

6 large egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup cornstarch

3 cups milk

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

4 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp vanilla

4 tbsp unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9 inch pie pan.

To make the crust, mix the crumbs, melted butter, sugar and salt. Add the chocolate. Press into the pan. Chill for 30 min, then bake for 18-20 min.

To make the filling: whisk egg yolks, half the sugar, cornstarch, and 1/2 cup of milk.

In a saucepan, mix the rest of the sugar, the rest of the milk and the cocoa, chocolate and salt. Bring to a simmer, whisking. Gradually pour the milk mix into the egg mix, tempering it.

Pour the mixture through a strainer back into the saucepan then boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Boil for 10 seconds, whisking, making sure it boils in the center of the pan, not just on the sides. It will thicken to a pudding like consistency.

Pour into a bowl and use a mixer for 2-3 minutes to cool it. Add vanilla. With the mixer running, add butter in small pieces, a little at a time. Pour it into the pie crust and chill for 2-3 hours.

If you want whipped cream on top, whisk 3/4 cup heavy cream with 2 tbsp powdered sugar until soft peaks form then spread on top of chilled pie.

Now for my notes! I goofed and dumped the cocoa into the eggs instead of the saucepan. I was not about to dump it out so I left it and everything turned out just fine.

I used a deep dish pie pan and I can’t imagine how you could use anything else since it was filled to the rim. Make sure you get that crust all the way up the sides. Next time, I think I am going to double the crust because I had trouble getting it to completely cover my pan.

I think it needs to chill longer than 2-3 hours. It wasn’t cold enough at that point in my opinion. Give it a good 5-6 hours.

This was fabulous. I’m going to try it with dark chocolate next time I think.

John Barricelli has been on Martha’s show many times and he’s also appeared in the magazines and is a host of Everyday Food. He’s one of her cast of characters. He kind of fascinates me because there’s something weird about him. Is he nervous around Martha? Uncomfortable? Annoyed? I don’t know what it is but … Read more →

I’ve never made panna cotta before, so thanks Megan at Megan’s Cookin’ for picking this week’s choice!

This was surprisingly easy to make. Essentially you’re just heating up milk and cream and softening the gelatin, then mixing together. It really was amazingly easy. The sauce was simple too. The only tricky part was getting them to come out of the molds, which took a lot of dunking in hot water. But they all did eventually come out and they looked cute.

It tastes kind of like a pudding. I wasn’t a big fan, but I’m not big on plain vanilla things. Mr. MarthaAndMe and Teen Martha really liked this a lot. Dude Martha did not care for it – he doesn’t like gelatin-y things. I would call this a success. Simple, tasty and pretty. Very nice! I can’t wait to hear how others made out with this one.

I’ve never made panna cotta before, so thanks Megan at Megan’s Cookin’ for picking this week’s choice! This was surprisingly easy to make. Essentially you’re just heating up milk and cream and softening the gelatin, then mixing together. It really was amazingly easy. The sauce was simple too. The only tricky part was getting them … Read more →

Oh, Martha. I should know better. The word “simple” is rarely used appropriately in your magazines. I was sucked in at the idea of “simple” gnocchi. I made gnocchi once a few years ago, for a family party. It took forever, and I wasn’t happy with it. Why did I think this would be different?

It was a crummy day here in Marthaland to begin with. The rider mower was broken again, so Mr. MarthaAndMe was push mowing the lawn, something that makes him (and thus everyone else) cranky. I was coming down with a cold. Teen Martha was in that icky weekend before school starts place. There wasn’t a good vibe to be found in the house. That didn’t stop me though. Gnocchi, why everyone loves gnocchi, I thought. Someone has got to stop me in the future.

It started out simply enough – cook 2 1/2 lb potatoes then peel the skins off and put through a ricer. I don’t have a ricer, so I googled what to do and it just said to mash with a masher then whisk. The whisking part did not work (it all got stuck in the whisk). Cool, then add salt, 1 and 3/4 cup flour and 1 egg. Knead until smooth but not elastic. This actually worked pretty well. Then you’re supposed to cut into 8 pieces and roll each out to a 24 inch long rope. I did this. Then cut it into 1/2 inch pieces. This was harder since the dough was kind of sticky when cut. Then roll it down the back of a fork. Ha! This didn’t work. It would stick to the fork, become odd-shaped, or get no indent at all. Flouring the fork helped, but did not solve it. Drop in boiling water and cook until they float. I did that too.

Making all of them took quite a while and the next morning I had weird muscle soreness in the backs of my arms from this.

I made a sauce of bacon, drippings, salt, pepper, 6 scallions, some Italian herbs and lots of parmesan cheese.

There was just one problem. The gnocchi were really soft. Mushy really. I tried browning them a bit and that made no difference. I usually buy my gnocchi frozen and boil them and they are slightly chewy, which is a texture I really like. I couldn’t get past the mushiness of these. And they didn’t taste any better or different than the ones I buy frozen. So, I vow never to make my own again. It took all afternoon and just made me cranky.

Oh, Martha. I should know better. The word “simple” is rarely used appropriately in your magazines. I was sucked in at the idea of “simple” gnocchi. I made gnocchi once a few years ago, for a family party. It took forever, and I wasn’t happy with it. Why did I think this would be different? … Read more →

More grilling? Yep, another recipe from Aug Living. I’ve never grilled potatoes. I’ve had potatoes you wrap in foil and stick in a campfire, but never potatoes on the grill. Here’s the deal. Martha says to get 1 1/2 lbs each of red potatoes and sweet potatoes and slice them 1/3 inch thin. Then boil some salted water and drop in the red ones. Cook until almost tender (7 min). Remove those and add the sweet potatoes and do the same thing. Then toss them together with 3/4 cup olive oil and 6 sprigs of rosemary (leaves pulled off and crushed). Let it sit for an hour then grill for about 8 min.

Mr. MarthaAndMe had a few choice words for Martha as the potatoes slipped through the grill. There was nothing special about these. They just tasted like plain potatoes. It definitely needed more flavor to bring it alive.

More grilling? Yep, another recipe from Aug Living. I’ve never grilled potatoes. I’ve had potatoes you wrap in foil and stick in a campfire, but never potatoes on the grill. Here’s the deal. Martha says to get 1 1/2 lbs each of red potatoes and sweet potatoes and slice them 1/3 inch thin. Then boil … Read more →

I love grilling veggies, but tomatoes were a new one for me (recipe from August Living). This was quick and easy. Cut your tomatoes in half, brush with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and grill cut side down for 8 min. That’s it. The magazine showed pebre with it – kind of like a chimichurri. This was easy to make as well. I used my mini-Cuisinart and dumped in 3/4 c olive oil, 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, 1/2 cup parsley, 3 tbsp red wine vinegar, 3 garlic cloves, 2 habanero chiles, and 1 small onion. Ok, actually I cheated and added a tiny amount of jalapeno from a jar. Then I whizzed it up. It was a lovely green, but too spicy for me to eat! I would make it without the peppers next time and less onion. The tiny bit I was able to taste on the tomato was good and it would also be nice on grilled meat or fish. I loved the contrast of the green with the red grilled tomato. I liked the tomato being grilled, so that is something I would try again.

I love grilling veggies, but tomatoes were a new one for me (recipe from August Living). This was quick and easy. Cut your tomatoes in half, brush with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and grill cut side down for 8 min. That’s it. The magazine showed pebre with it – kind of like … Read more →

Did you drool over the strawberry layer cake in August Living like I did? What a gorgeous looking cake. I had the perfect excuse to make it – I needed to send something over to my sweet tooth uncle.

The layers were a basic cake but included buttermilk which added moistness. (beat 2 sticks butter with 1 3/4 cup sugar. Add 4 eggs. Alternate 1 1/3 c buttermilk with dry mixture of 3 cups flour, 2 1/4 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp salt. Then add 1 tbsp vanilla. Bake in 2 round cake pans in a 350 degree oven. Martha says to bake for 40 min but when I checked mine at 30 min they were a bit past done, so check them at 25 min).

Once you’ve baked the layers, you cut both in half horizontally. Now you take 2 lbs of strawberries and mix with 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tbsp lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Let that sit for half an hour and drain off the juice and reserve it.

Whip up 2 cups of heavy cream with 3 tbsp powdered sugar. Get 1 1/2 cups of rhubarb or strawberry jam ready (I used strawberry).

To assemble, brush 1/3 of the strawberry juice on, then 1/3 of the jam, then add 1/3 of the berries and 1/3 of the whipped cream. Put on the next layer and repeat. Then do the third layer the same way. Top with the 4th layer. Refrigerate for at least an hour. Dust the top with powdered sugar.

It did turn out to be a pretty cake but I have some issues. First of all, it didn’t knock my socks off with flavor. It was almost bland. The problem with this is you drain all the juice off the berries and you are left with mealy, tasteless berries. Not a good situation. The cake layers were moist and tasty, but just a plain white cake. I wouldn’t make this again. Sigh. At least it looked nice.

Did you drool over the strawberry layer cake in August Living like I did? What a gorgeous looking cake. I had the perfect excuse to make it – I needed to send something over to my sweet tooth uncle. The layers were a basic cake but included buttermilk which added moistness. (beat 2 sticks butter … Read more →

Today’s project was chosen by Lyndsey at Tiny Skillet: Zucchini Lasagna. I haven’t had lasagna in a while, so this was a welcome dish. I scratched my head reading the recipe though. There’s no tomato sauce in it at all. It’s noodle, ricotta/cream cheese mix and zucchini. Well that wasn’t going to fly here at Casa del MarthaAndMe, so I cheated and added some tomato sauce to mine. I also added mozzarella cheese on each layer instead of just on the top. Ok, and I added a few broken up meatballs too.  So maybe I doctored it up quite a bit, but I’m glad I did. It was yummy and it would not have been good without all those extras. I liked the zucchini in it. I often add veggies to my lasagnas – whatever I have hanging around, like spinach, mushrooms, or broccoli.

I cut this recipe in half and made a second lasagna for Teen Martha without any zucchini since she was horrified at the thought. Dude Martha refused to eat either and I boiled some spaghetti and he ate it plain (blech).

Remember there will be no Martha Mondays for the next two weeks, but we’ll be back8/23 with a pick from At Least Twice a Week.

Today’s project was chosen by Lyndsey at Tiny Skillet: Zucchini Lasagna. I haven’t had lasagna in a while, so this was a welcome dish. I scratched my head reading the recipe though. There’s no tomato sauce in it at all. It’s noodle, ricotta/cream cheese mix and zucchini. Well that wasn’t going to fly here at … Read more →

Yeah, I scratched my head too. No-bake brownies? The recipe for this is in Aug Living, part of the “no cooking” food section for those of us tired of melting over our stoves. But brownies? Without baking? This I had to try.

You do have to cook the evaporated milk (1 1 /4 cup) and melt the chocolate (12 oz bittersweet) in it and add 1 tsp vanilla. Once this is done, you mix all the dry ingredients (3 cups finely ground chocolate wafers, 2 cups shredded coconut, 1 cup salted peanuts, and 1/2 cup powdered sugar) together into it and pour into a square baking pan that is lined with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least two hours. You’re supposed to top with additional coconut and peanuts but I didn’t). Mine sat overnight in the fridge. As you can see, it didn’t come out of the pan very well. This was more like wet fudge. Yes, it was chocolately and the peanuts and coconut give it some nice texture, but this is not even close to a brownie. There is nothing cakey, fudgy, or chewy about this. Thumbs down. I would not bother making this again. Teen Martha succinctly summed this up. “It’s gross.” So there you have it.

Yeah, I scratched my head too. No-bake brownies? The recipe for this is in Aug Living, part of the “no cooking” food section for those of us tired of melting over our stoves. But brownies? Without baking? This I had to try. You do have to cook the evaporated milk (1 1 /4 cup) and … Read more →