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!
My Dad’s Baked Beans
My Dad is a man of simple tastes. Not that he likes things boring! He always chided my sisters and I for getting "just pepperoni" on our pizza when we were kids. What sort of lunatics don't get olives and peppers and mushrooms? Well, my sisters and I obviously. BUT the truth is that the easiest way to please him was to simply make him a grilled cheese sandwich. And man, if you thought to put some spicy mustard, pickled jalapeños or olives in it. WELL, clearly there was a culinary GOD in the house. This recipe is what my...
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...
Dumplings 2 Ways
Homemade dumplings made with either vegetables and tofu or pork and greens. You decide; steamed, boiled or pan-fried!
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
Caramelized Onion and Cheddar Toast
An easy snack or simple dinner of pan-fried toast topped with caramelized onion and cheddar.
Finally, Spanish! Bueno y Barato is here!
At long, last it’s happening: the Spanish version of Good and Cheap is out today — and as always, the PDF is free. Welcome to the world, Bueno y Barato! We’ve been waiting for you so long. [...]
Lightly Curried Butternut Squash Soup
Pureed butternut squash soup with added flavor from curry and coconut milk.
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...
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.
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)
Ultra-Simple Tomato Sauce
Super simple tomato sauce with bold tomato flavor that comes together in 5 minutes.
