All About Good and Cheap
Good and Cheap is a cookbook for people with very tight budgets, particularly those on SNAP/Food Stamps benefits. The PDF is free (ahora en Español!) when you sign up for my newsletter and has been downloaded more than 15,000,000 times. It is also available in print, and for every copy sold we donate one to someone who can’t afford it.
Good and Cheap had an unusual journey into publishing. It started out as the thesis for my Masters degree in Food Studies at NYU. I made a digital version of the book, but didn’t have any kind of distribution or marketing plan. After some fruitless attempts at working with non-profits, I decided to simply offer it as free download on a simple website in early 2014.
A few weeks later someone posted it on Reddit and I was astonished by the interest! The book was downloaded so many times that first day that it broke my website. Suddenly my inbox was full of kind advice, stories, gratitude, and encouragement from strangers who wanted to get the book out there as much as I did!
With that encouragement and proof that there was an interested audience, I started a Kickstarter project to fund a print run to get Good and Cheap into the hands of those who couldn’t get it online. For the summer of 2014, I worked night and day, along with my now-husband Dan and many generous friends, to make the project a reality. The experience changed my life. We were trying to raise $10,000 but ended up with a whopping $144,681. This allowed us to print 40,000 copies of the book, giving away one for every copy sold to someone who couldn’t otherwise afford it. We made 25,000 available for just $4/copy to organizations who work with target populations. It was amazing! Also completely wild and exhausting and unsustainable. But luckily we got help.
Next I found a wonderful publishing home in Workman Publishing. I never thought the book could be a commercial success; that was why I did it as a master’s thesis. I was so happy to be wrong. Workman was supportive of the buy-one-give-one model from the beginning and have been even more insatiable than I was about getting it into the hands of non-profits at deep deep discounts. In 2015, I got to go on a massive book tour, meeting so many incredible people, sharing stories and generally basking in the glow of all the incredible work people are doing. In addition, Good and Cheap won the 2015 IACP Judge’s Choice Award, I made the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Food and Drink, and Food & Wine and Fortune named me one of the Most Innovative Women in Food and Drink. Good grief!
Check Out Some of the Recipes!
Poutine
This poutine is great for making at home as a treat. The fries are oven baked and the vegetable gravy is simple to make. I use fresh mozzarella here because I live in the northeast where that's easier to get than cheese curds, but please try cheese curds if you can find them!
Deviled Eggs
If this Sunday sees you hosting a gathering of football lovers, may I recommend these deviled eggs? They are a little more fuss than dumping out a bag of chips and dip, but they won't leave you feeling gross and everyone will be impressed. Plus you need something to do while you wait for the game to start, right? You can even flavor them to honor your favorite team! For the patriots, the classic, mustard with a little pickle, for the Seahawks, maybe a little smoked salmon and dill? Eat well, even on game day. (from Good and Cheap, p.130)...
The Great Dumpling Tour!
During the Good and Cheap Kickstarter, Jim Leff, founder of Chowhound, offered out of the blue to do one of his famous food tours to help spur donations. Arlyn Davich, founder of Payperks, quickly scooped up the prize with a generous donation. This past Saturday, Jim hosted Arlyn and I on meticulously curated tasting tour of NYC's rarest and most delicious dumplings. I think we can all agree that one of the best parts of traveling is eating new and delicious food, and it was incredible to have that experience all in one city. One of the unexpected delights of...
Broccoli and Cheddar Empanadas
Lightly cooked broccoli and gooey cheddar baked into crunchy, cornmeal pockets.
Banana Pancakes
Don't let this weekend pass without these banana pancakes in your life. They are ridiculously good. The banana melts into the pancake almost like custard. I like to add some fresh nutmeg or a little cinnamon, but I bet some coconut would be delicious as well. (from Good and Cheap p. 18)
Coconut Lime Oatmeal
Coconut lime oatmeal is just a simple oatmeal recipe with added coconut and lime juice. An easy way to add a little bit of tropical to your morning.
Updated Version of Good and Cheap now Available
It took a couple more days than we wanted, but the book is done! Now it has been sent to the printer and the printed books are still on schedule to ship in late September! However, the online version requires no tedious waiting for printing and shipping. It's already here so please download a shiny new copy: https://www.leannebrown.com/good-and-cheap.pdf The new version has:
Filipino Chicken Adobo
Chicken Adobo is a classic Filipino dish of chicken and vegetables cooked in vinegar and soy sauce. Tangy, salty and rich, and it keeps for days in the fridge.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Granola Bars
Simple-to-make granola bars made from combining just oats, peanut butter and jam or jelly. You can make infinite variations and additions to this flexible recipe.
Egg Sandwich with Mushroom Hash
A classic deli-style egg sandwich with potato and mushroom hash. Ideally enjoyed on a lazy weekend morning after a late night out.
How Good and Cheap Enhances a Student Program in St. Paul, MN
Hi guys! Today we have a wonderful guest author, Aimee Gonzalez here to tell a story about how she has used Good and Cheap in her work with Latino high school students in St. Paul, MN. If you or anyone you know would like to share their story about how they're using Good and Cheap please write to me at leanne@leannebrown.ca with subject line Good and Cheap Stories. --- Leanne The question every single one of us has asked ourselves at one point or another in our lives is more or less: “What am I supposed to contribute to this...
Spicy Tilapia with Lime
If you can find a good deal on Tilapia, or any white fish fillets, please, please try this. Unfortunately fish tends to be expensive in NYC so this one comes out a little pricier than most recipes. But it can still fit into most budgets occasionally. It's so delicious and crazy fast. If you're not a big fish lover this is a great place to start! White fish has a very mild flavor and the treatment here is inspired by a Louisiana blackened catfish, if not quite so powerfully spiced! The spice and quick broiling creates fish with a slightly...
