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!
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.
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...
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.
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)
Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Moist chocolate zucchini muffins with oats and yogurt, perfect for breakfast or dessert!
Caramelized Bananas
These bananas—cooked in just a bit of caramel—are crispy and gooey on the outside and almost like a soft pudding inside. Sweet, messy, and irresistible.
Avocado Milkshake
A delicious and unusual blend of super creamy avocado and milk or milk alternative, lightly sweetened with sugar and lime juice make up this avocado milkshake.
Pasta with Eggplant and Tomato
Pasta tossed in a gooey eggplant and tomato sauce that comes together in the time it takes to boil the water and pasta.
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
Broccoli and Cheddar Empanadas
Lightly cooked broccoli and gooey cheddar baked into crunchy, cornmeal pockets.
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. [...]
Charred Summer Salad
I am so glad that this salad has popcorn on it. Aren't you? Gina, who sponsored this recipe in Good and Cheap through last summer's Kickstarter, suggested that I add something crunchy to this salad of grilled zucs and corn. I was like "hello!! Have I forgotten my own rules? Salad must always have so
