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!
Broccoli Apple Salad
This salad may not seem like much at first, but thinly sliced apples and broccoli are not only delicious together, they have a crunchy, satisfying texture that makes this salad a lot of fun to eat. I had an apple salad at a neighborhood restaurant recently, and it had a little honey in the dressing, which I think would be a great addition here! People are always surprised by how much they like this, so shake off your skepticism and give this a try! (from Good and Cheap page 54) 1 large crown and stem of broccoli
Kale Caesar Salad
Dinosaur Kale tossed with a classic Caesar dressing and homemade croutons.
Spicy Green Beans
A simple recipe for spicy green beans stir fried until just cooked and coated in a spicy, salty and garlicky sauce. Serve it with rice and an egg and you've got a full meal.
Mexican Street Corn
Elotes (or Mexican Street Corn) is crazy delicious. Turns out that you actually CAN make fresh corn even better. Sweet, spicy, salty, cheesy even tart. All your taste bases are covered. This beautiful recipe, from the streets and homes of Mexico has been one of the most popular recipes in Good and Cheap. So far, not one, but three people have told me they were overcome with tears of joy when they tasted this. It's that good. What are you waiting for? (from Good and Cheap page 60)
Taco Salad
In the summertime even avowed salad haters are willing to join the salad munching set. Ugh, seriously, it's too hot to cook with heat! My apartment is already sauna-like. My fanning arm is growing weak. So this salad is for those who might feel hesitant about salad being a "real" meal. Taco salad is basically a deconstructed bunch of tacos in a bowl with some extra lettuce for kicks. You could call it "lazy tacos" or "summer taco bowl" or "crunch lunch" if it makes you feel better. Taco Salad (from Good and Cheap page 52)
Cauliflower Cheese
A classic side dish in Great Britain: creamy, cheesy sauce over cauliflower, baked in the oven until the edges get crunchy and bubbly.
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)
Potato Leek Pizza
This potato leek pizza is a fun variation that confounds expectations—proof that, indeed, anything is good on pizza!
Cornmeal Crusted Vegetables
I've been making these a lot lately at different events around the city. They're a great party food so they're perfect when there's a crowd. They also surprise people. They're like vegetable chicken fingers! I suggest in Good and Cheap that you serve them with peanut sauce, but people have enjoyed them with sour cream and scallions, spiced yogurt and even salsa. And now that it's solidly asparagus season well, it's time to try crusting them! (from Good and Cheap p.62) Pictured are bell peppers and green beans.
Chana Masala
Of all the recipes I've ever shared, Chana Masala is the one I hear about from my friends the most. I think it's the magic of how shockingly easy it is to make, combined with the fact that it costs next to nothing, topped off with how it tastes absolutely incredible. You will crave it all the time. You might even drool a little when you think about it. Just try it. You're welcome. (from Good and Cheap p. 93) ½ tbsp ghee or ½ tbsp butter plus a splash of olive oil
Sweet, Crispy and Juicy Broiled Grapefruit
Grapefruit cut in half and broiled with a little brown sugar until it is juicy and caramelized, but still fresh and fruity in the middle.
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.
