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!
2nd edition of Good and Cheap is out today!
Today is a big day: The bigger, better, cheaper 2nd edition of Good and Cheap is now in bookstores throughout the US, Canada, and the UK! It’s 32 pages longer than the 1st edition, with more than 20 new recipes. Best of all, for every book you buy, we donate another copy to someone in need. (And yes, the 1st edition is still available as a free PDF.) Visit your local bookstore to snag a copy, or order it from any of these shops online: If you're thinking about buying a copy, sooner is better — first week sales are...
Flour Tortillas
I don't know about you guys, but lately I have just been ALL about the tacos. One of my favorite things growing up was taco night. Yes, the tacos were delicious, but I also loved that my Mum would put out all the different toppings and fillings and we'd just make our own. Even as a kid I guess I was kind of a control freak and I just loved making up my own taco. I think my Dad's favorite part was trying all the different hot sauces. Maybe also the sour cream. Anyway, I digress! My point is that...
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:
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
On Tour with Good and Cheap!
Hi, friends! It’s almost here! The bigger, better 2nd edition of Good and Cheap is officially out on July 14 — just one week away. Unofficially, it's already on the shelves in some local stores :) Take a look for it, and send me a note on Facebook or Twitter if you spot it! I've just put up my Events page, because I'll be on tour across the US and Canada for the rest of the year. Already, I'm scheduled to visit 21 cities (hurray, but eek!). Undoubtedly, I'll be somewhere near you, so check out the map and please...
Fast Melon Sorbet
It's SO HOT. Let's eat watermelon together. Let's just eat watermelon and sit and sweat. Okay, some of you are overachievers. This is for you. Take some of your sweet, sweet watermelon and chop it into cubes (take the rind off first, silly). Put it in a bag or receptacle in your freezer. Once it's frozen make it into sorbet using just a little yogurt and sugar and a food processor or blender. Add some vanilla or lime juice (or anything else you think would work with watermelon) if you're super serious about it. Fast Melon Sorbet FOR FOUR
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.
Kale Caesar Salad
Dinosaur Kale tossed with a classic Caesar dressing and homemade croutons.
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.
Cool Announcements Alert!
The new year is bringing a new phase for Good and Cheap. Last year was utterly, staggeringly incredible, but would you believe that this year might be even better? I am officially sold out of the 1st edition of Good and Cheap. We gave away over 9,000 donated copies, sold 24,000 at cost to non profits and sold another 7,000 to you! Oh, and the free PDF has been downloaded over 500,000 times so far. But being sold out doesn’t mean this is over. It means it’s just beginning. I'm excited to announce that this summer, Good and Cheap will...
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!
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...
