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
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)...
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.
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!
Half Veggie Burgers
Half veggie burgers are half lentils or beans and half ground meat with the addition of veggies. They are flavorful and filling, but leaner and cheaper than the usual burger patty.
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.
French Onion Soup
There's an undeniable romance to french onion soup. It's silky and dark and rich. It's also next to impossible not to cry during it's creation. If you don't already have a serious plan in place consider making this for your loved one this Valentines Day. The smell alone is enough to make anyone fall in love. (from Good and Cheap p. 38) Now it’s time to make cheese toast! If you want classic French onion soup— with the toast directly in the soup, which makes it a bit soggy—place a piece of bread on top of each bowl of soup,...
Salty Broccoli Toast
Whenever Dan is away this is what I eat. Not because he doesn't like it, he does! But it's just the perfect meal for one. It also hits all the flavors that I like most—salty, garlicky, spicy, a little bitter and then crunchy and fatty from the toast. I'm drooling now. Broccoli toasts, a glass of wine and my favorite new silly show, Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries on netflix? I'm in for my favorite kind of evening. (from Good and Cheap p. 72)
Fast, Simple Roti
Roti are a simple homemade flatbread common to many parts of South Asia. They are quick and easy since they don't require yeast. Enjoy them with curries, soups, stews or alongside any meat or vegetable dish.
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)
Cheddar and Potato Perogies
Perogies! Delicious, pillowy pockets of dough filled with potato, cheese and anything else you feel like adding, fried in butter and served with sour cream. Great to make in quantity and freeze.
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.
