S001 - Le Gastronomique Frugale
Introduction
Frugal cookery is a way of taking the few things that you have festering in the back of your cupboard/larder/fridge/mate's house and turning it into a decent plate of grub. Of course you might have to venture into Tesco's (or Aldi but NEVER Netto's) every so often to buy the fresh stuff but with a little dedication and a nose for what is cheap then being a Frugal cook will become second nature. There are some rules to follow:
Rule 1 - Create your stock cupboard. Stock up on rice, spuds, pasta, onions and tins of tomatoes as basics and curry powder, chilli powder, stock cubes, mixed herbs, garlic, lemon juice and other stuff to taste depending on what does it for you. It has to taste of something: if you want bland, eat a Filet-o-Fish. Therese are the basics of your frugal cuisine..
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Rule 2 - Although this is a cause designed for saving money it is not supposed to result in dull food. Frugal food means big flavours. Peppers don't taste of very much so why use them. |
Rule 3 - This is not a guide to good health. If you want nutrition then go elsewhere. Tasting good and costing little are the only criteria.
| Rule 4 - Meat: You don't have to buy free-range corn-fed chicken, you can buy turkey. Don't buy cod and salmon but tuna or mackerel. Don't buy the most expensive cuts of beef or lamb, cheaper ones tend to require more cooking but they have more flavour. Don't buy pork, buy sausages and bacon bits. |  |
Rule 5 - Four items which may appear non-Frugal items are necessary - and OK for price in the right shops. Cream, butter, natural low-fat yoghurt and prawns. Buy them, they will make you happy in the long run.
You will notice I don't go a bundle on measurements. It is important for students to get a 'feel' for frugal food without weighing out the exact amounts of ingedients like a coke-dealing pimp in a night club toilet. So the emasurements that are used tend to be 'some', 'handful' and 'approximately'. Practically everything below has been cooked and eaten by me - and I'm still alive.