Week 6: February 4th-10th, 2007
New Habit: Adventures in Third World Cuisine, Italian Edition
Frugal Habit? Absolutely
I can hear your thoughts. Third world? Italy? Most of us don't think
of Italy as a developing nation, but there was a time in the very
recent past when poverty was rampant in bella Italia. The result?
Long before pizza became an American staple, Sicilian mothers
had a handle on preparing healthy and cheap food for large families.
Italians have a phrase for the food eaten by the huddled masses:
cucina povera, or peasant food. Doctors are just beginning to
realize what Nona knew all along, that this grain and vegetable
based diet is also great for your waistline and your overall health.
Many Americans balk at Italy's saucy, carb-loaded cuisine, but
consider: Italy is one of about a thousand countries with thinner
citizens than the USA.
Just how cheap are we talkin’ here? I decided to spend a week
feeding my family the most basic dishes of cucina povera, slightly
modified for American taste buds and my limited cooking abilities.
**NB: Prices include the entire meal for my family of eight. Click
here for recipes and cost breakdown.
So what did we eat? Pasta, sauces, sandwiches, and a big Sunday
dinner. Not only did I hear no complaints, they didn't even appear to
realize that we were eating out of the ordinary. Maybe we've been
eating our own version of cucina povera all along.
Dinner 1: Braciole, rice, salad ($9.70)
Dinner 2: Spaghetti with tomato and meat sauce, salad, french
bread ($6.50)
Dinner 3: Homemade focaccia sandwiches, leftover buttered
noodles ($4.80)
Dinner 4: Fettuccini Alfredo with chicken, steamed mixed
vegetables, french bread ($4.75)
Dinner 5: Homemade-from-scratch macaroni and cheese, peas
($4.60)
Dinner 6: Homemade cheese and veggie pizza ($4.35)
Dinner 7: Minestrone, homemade rolls, salad ($3.65)
Italian food is frugal not just for the low cost of its major ingredients,
but for its versatility. If you read the recipes, you see a lot of phrases
like "leftover" and "whatever you have on hand". Minestrone,
gourmet sandwiches, and pizza are all healthy with whatever
ingredients happen to be on hand, in season, and on sale. If you
plan one of these meals every 3 or 4 nights, there will be little waste
in your kitchen. In addition, most of the meals incorporate
vegetables into the main dish, making it easier to coax a few
phytonutrients into your picky toddler. If you are a gardener, you may
find yourself buying only pasta, bulk baking ingredients and the
occasional piece of clearance meat for much of the growing
season.
Amount Spent: $38.35 for seven meals, or an average of $5.48
per meal serving eight people each. That's right, a measly 68.5
cents per serving. The frugalites out there will know that most of
even this can be made much cheaper by using homemade sauces,
less cheese, and incorporating free ingredients into the meals.
Amount Saved: Depends on how much you normally spend.
Difficulty on Scale of 1-5: 2. I purposely chose the easiest
possible dishes. If your cooking skill is above average, you could
save more by cooking entirely from scratch or from experimenting
with cheaper, more complicated menus. Homemade pesto sauce,
ricotta, ravioli, and polenta are all fun and healthy additions to your
repertoire.
Time: Varies. No more than an average dinner.
Check out the Frugal Habit of the Week Archives
New Habit: Adventures in Third World Cuisine, Italian Edition
Frugal Habit? Absolutely
I can hear your thoughts. Third world? Italy? Most of us don't think
of Italy as a developing nation, but there was a time in the very
recent past when poverty was rampant in bella Italia. The result?
Long before pizza became an American staple, Sicilian mothers
had a handle on preparing healthy and cheap food for large families.
Italians have a phrase for the food eaten by the huddled masses:
cucina povera, or peasant food. Doctors are just beginning to
realize what Nona knew all along, that this grain and vegetable
based diet is also great for your waistline and your overall health.
Many Americans balk at Italy's saucy, carb-loaded cuisine, but
consider: Italy is one of about a thousand countries with thinner
citizens than the USA.
Just how cheap are we talkin’ here? I decided to spend a week
feeding my family the most basic dishes of cucina povera, slightly
modified for American taste buds and my limited cooking abilities.
**NB: Prices include the entire meal for my family of eight. Click
here for recipes and cost breakdown.
So what did we eat? Pasta, sauces, sandwiches, and a big Sunday
dinner. Not only did I hear no complaints, they didn't even appear to
realize that we were eating out of the ordinary. Maybe we've been
eating our own version of cucina povera all along.
Dinner 1: Braciole, rice, salad ($9.70)
Dinner 2: Spaghetti with tomato and meat sauce, salad, french
bread ($6.50)
Dinner 3: Homemade focaccia sandwiches, leftover buttered
noodles ($4.80)
Dinner 4: Fettuccini Alfredo with chicken, steamed mixed
vegetables, french bread ($4.75)
Dinner 5: Homemade-from-scratch macaroni and cheese, peas
($4.60)
Dinner 6: Homemade cheese and veggie pizza ($4.35)
Dinner 7: Minestrone, homemade rolls, salad ($3.65)
Italian food is frugal not just for the low cost of its major ingredients,
but for its versatility. If you read the recipes, you see a lot of phrases
like "leftover" and "whatever you have on hand". Minestrone,
gourmet sandwiches, and pizza are all healthy with whatever
ingredients happen to be on hand, in season, and on sale. If you
plan one of these meals every 3 or 4 nights, there will be little waste
in your kitchen. In addition, most of the meals incorporate
vegetables into the main dish, making it easier to coax a few
phytonutrients into your picky toddler. If you are a gardener, you may
find yourself buying only pasta, bulk baking ingredients and the
occasional piece of clearance meat for much of the growing
season.
Amount Spent: $38.35 for seven meals, or an average of $5.48
per meal serving eight people each. That's right, a measly 68.5
cents per serving. The frugalites out there will know that most of
even this can be made much cheaper by using homemade sauces,
less cheese, and incorporating free ingredients into the meals.
Amount Saved: Depends on how much you normally spend.
Difficulty on Scale of 1-5: 2. I purposely chose the easiest
possible dishes. If your cooking skill is above average, you could
save more by cooking entirely from scratch or from experimenting
with cheaper, more complicated menus. Homemade pesto sauce,
ricotta, ravioli, and polenta are all fun and healthy additions to your
repertoire.
Time: Varies. No more than an average dinner.
Check out the Frugal Habit of the Week Archives
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