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And then there's articles like this that spread on Facebook like wildfire: http://thefederalist.com/2014/09/04/complaining-about-home-cooked-meals-is-oppressive/
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Sep 16, 2014 02:49
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darthbob88 posted:Taste isn't a luxury, it's a basic part of the dignity of man, and if you're relying on SNAP, you need all the dignity you can afford. This seriously. I'm poor, I'm ok with that. What I'm not ok with is cooking lovely food with lovely ingredients. Food is like the one high point of my day. My life even. I forgo a lot of simple pleasures and luxuries just so I can eat decent food. I've bought food from places like Save-A-Lot, Aldis, or the dollar store. Eating that food just makes me depressed. Hell, there's a youtube channel I used to subscribe to called "Depression Cooking" where this old lady who lived during the depression taught you how to cook on like 75 cents a day. When eating said food I understood the meaning, cause I just felt depressed the whole time. I say buy quality ingredients and learn how to make them last, not lovely ingredients and eat them all at once. I'm much happier for it. feelz good man posted:And then there's articles like this that spread on Facebook like wildfire: What is this poo poo?
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Sep 16, 2014 06:35
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feelz good man posted:And then there's articles like this that spread on Facebook like wildfire: You need way better friends. I always want to get the giant body pillow bags of rice, but I hate the idea of storing them. Any tips? Also a few months ago I accidentally bought 5 lbs of chili beans instead of pinto beans and it was a delicious mistake. They're smaller and firmer than pinto beans and made really good tacos/enchiladas/etc.
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Sep 16, 2014 06:43
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detectivemonkey posted:You need way better friends. I get food-safe containers from anywhere that sells them and also the Gamma lids, which are reusable. They essentially turn your giant food-safe storage bin into a Mason/Bell jar, and they're amazing.
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Sep 16, 2014 08:30
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Leper Residue posted:I've bought food from places like Save-A-Lot, Aldis, or the dollar store. Eating that food just makes me depressed. Honestly? I'm not poor, so I shop at 'regular' grocery stores like Kroger or Meijer. But I'll still buy crap at Sav-a-lot once in a while, because A) the city I live in doesn't have any 'regular' grocery stores and I don't feel like driving to one, and B) for a lot of the stuff it's really the same stuff. Ketchup, mustard, buns, canned vegetables, some produce. It's perfectly fine stuff. Now, as far as meat goes that's another story. If you take a Sav-a-lot ribeye and put it next to a ribeye from Meijer... Now my dad, he's not exactly poor but he's older and on a limited income. He buys stuff from there. The big tubes of hamburger to make burgers and tacos and spaghetti. Whatever their off-brand pasta is. But the flour/rice/tomatoes/etc is about the same as you're going to buy anywhere else.
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Sep 16, 2014 14:24
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Bob Morales posted:Honestly? This. We have a Fiesta down the street from our house where I buy staples, condiments, bread, etc. Produce and meat come from Central Market, though. Early on I'd try to buy meat now and again from Fiesta, but waking up the next morning to find it a slimy grey mess in my fridge convinced me to stay away.
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Sep 16, 2014 15:28
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Mr. Wiggles posted:Boxes of parboiled rice are rather going in the wrong direction by every conceivable metric. There's no other way to prepare rice at work though? Monopolizing the microwave for a full half hour is not realistic. I know per cup its pretty bad but compared to Eating Out its a huge improvement, no? Re: Aldi I was actually pretty impressed last time I went into one, but their limited produce selection SUCKS. Not just due to the amount and selection, its actually Not Good produce. Their tomatoes came squishy and were oddly difficult to cut up and had straight up sprouted mold after a single day. Adult Sword Owner fucked around with this message at 15:56 on Sep 16, 2014 |
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Sep 16, 2014 15:53
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Adult Sword Owner posted:There's no other way to prepare rice at work though? Monopolizing the microwave for a full half hour is not realistic. I know per cup its pretty bad but compared to Eating Out its a huge improvement, no? Do you not have a fridge at work? Just cook rice beforehand and bring in a dish of it?
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Sep 16, 2014 16:03
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Adult Sword Owner posted:There's no other way to prepare rice at work though? Monopolizing the microwave for a full half hour is not realistic. I know per cup its pretty bad but compared to Eating Out its a huge improvement, no? Rice is one of those things that heat rather well and very fast in a microwave....dont buy parboiled rice Lidl is GREAT, except for their produce, I agree, but other than that, I prefer most of their stuff to my expensive supermarket
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Sep 16, 2014 16:05
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I have never had rice reheat properly in my life. It always comes out dry and lovely. Also being able to prep it here means I can do things on a whim since I'm a half mile from a grocery store. Throw in frozen vegetables, etc. Yesterday I threw in a ginger sea salt and frozen spinach and topped with left over chicken. I know overall its not the absolute top of monetary efficiency but its way better than I've been doing.
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Sep 16, 2014 16:29
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I've only had a microwave for 9 months or so but so far I've found the secret to reheating stuff like rice, veggies, meat, etc is to add a tablespoon of water into the container.
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Sep 16, 2014 16:45
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Adult Sword Owner posted:I have never had rice reheat properly in my life. It always comes out dry and lovely. I reheat rice at work all the time because work is 35 miles from the nearest gas station, let alone the nearest eatery or grocery store. If you cook your rice properly, heating it up is no big deal. You cover your rice in the microwave, right? This helps a lot, too.
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Sep 16, 2014 17:02
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To reheat rice without drying it out, get a paper towel wet and put it over the container.
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Sep 16, 2014 17:10
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Mr. Wiggles posted:I reheat rice at work all the time because work is 35 miles from the nearest gas station, let alone the nearest eatery or grocery store. If you cook your rice properly, heating it up is no big deal. You cover your rice in the microwave, right? This helps a lot, too. Yep, covering is the secret!
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Sep 16, 2014 17:12
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I never have a problem reheating rice because I cook it just slightly al dente, using the base process from the Creole Boiled Rice recipe that was posted a while back. The basic concept is to treat the rice like a noodle instead of a grain. Boil a pot of salted water like you were gonna make pasta, add in your rice, stir just once, then reduce to a simmer and partially cover. Simmer for 10-11 minutes, take the lid off, and try not to disturb the majority of the rice as you taste a bit. It shouldn't be crunchy, but it should have just a bit of bite to it. Strain the rice, dump on a baking sheet and bake at 400 for 5-10 minutes to dry it out(if you're putting it in a container for lunch the next day, skip this step), and then serve. You'll have perfectly done rice that's not mushy at all. Easy as hell, quick, and good for making large batches of rice for things.
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Sep 16, 2014 17:15
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Or just use a rice cooker and it comes out pretty good, and reheats fine with a sprinkle of water and covered.
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Sep 16, 2014 18:13
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Guys, the blogger from Budget Bites only bought stuff from the bulk bins at whole foods. She's doing all her other shopping at a regular grocery store called Rouses. She's posting all her receipts, for crying out loud. She literally spent $8 at Whole Foods (and got almonds, oat bran, rice, and garbanzo beans) and she just posted her Week 2 summary where she didn't visit whole foods at all. Also, bulk bins are fantastic and cheap and incredibly useful, particularly for stuff like nuts and spices, or when you don't want / don't need / can't afford a giant huge bag of whateverthefuck. Scale back the judgement and hate a little bit, maybe?
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Sep 16, 2014 19:25
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Nicol Bolas posted:Scale back the judgement and hate a little bit, maybe? Why?
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Sep 16, 2014 19:28
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CommonShore posted:Why? Probably because its annoying as gently caress to read a string of self smug reactions to a blog post that outlines mistakes she made trying to save money Seriously get over yourselves, I linked it because its interesting watching someone trying to get their head around this, not because I think its super funny to say "lol man what an idiot look at these mistakes that they may have acknowledged but damned if I'm going to read words when I can look at a picture and post about how much better I am at saving money" Mr. Wiggles posted:I reheat rice at work all the time because work is 35 miles from the nearest gas station, let alone the nearest eatery or grocery store. If you cook your rice properly, heating it up is no big deal. You cover your rice in the microwave, right? This helps a lot, too. I have no doubt that would be a big step, but I still prefer to make it here because I can season it to exactly whatever whim I have that second. The big reason I have trouble with leftovers is because I might not be in the mood for whatever it is, and that leads to the temptation to go out. Attempting some cooking allows me to choose exactly what I'm going to eat based on my horribly unpredictable pallet. I'm not so hurt for cash that I can't afford a $2 box of rice that lasts me 2 weeks over a $10 bag that'd last me 2 months. Adult Sword Owner fucked around with this message at 19:47 on Sep 16, 2014 |
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Sep 16, 2014 19:41
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did you see that she bought fancy tomato sauce this week
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Sep 16, 2014 20:12
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Nicol Bolas posted:Guys, the blogger from Budget Bites only bought stuff from the bulk bins at whole foods. She's doing all her other shopping at a regular grocery store called Rouses. She's posting all her receipts, for crying out loud. She literally spent $8 at Whole Foods (and got almonds, oat bran, rice, and garbanzo beans) and she just posted her Week 2 summary where she didn't visit whole foods at all. Also, bulk bins are fantastic and cheap and incredibly useful, particularly for stuff like nuts and spices, or when you don't want / don't need / can't afford a giant huge bag of whateverthefuck. Scale back the judgement and hate a little bit, maybe? Bulk bins are great. The bulk bins at Whole Foods, much less so. Because they cost a lot more than other places. Something I already posted. But whatevs.
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Sep 16, 2014 20:16
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Bob Morales posted:Ketchup, mustard, buns, canned vegetables, some produce. It's perfectly fine stuff.
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Sep 17, 2014 04:15
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Mayo is incredibly simple to make and would kick the crap out of store bought stuff. The overwhelming majority of mayo sold doesn't technically meet the definition of mayonnaise, and real mayo tends to be pretty expensive to buy ready made.
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Sep 17, 2014 04:20
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detectivemonkey posted:I always want to get the giant body pillow bags of rice, but I hate the idea of storing them. Any tips? . 2) Ask nicely if they have a 5-gallon sour cream/mayonnaise/frosting bucket they would be willing to part with 3) Politely say thank you and accept your free 5-gallon foodsafe bucket
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Sep 17, 2014 04:27
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Mayo from the store is pasteurized. Don't buy mayo it sucks.
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Sep 17, 2014 06:46
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Mayo from the store has sugar in it most of the time. Sugar does not belong in mayonaise. Don't buy mayo it sucks.
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Sep 17, 2014 07:38
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The Lord Bude posted:Mayo is incredibly simple to make and would kick the crap out of store bought stuff. You know, I read that a lot, but for the life of me I have never successfully made mayonnaise.
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Sep 17, 2014 10:03
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adorai posted:I buy most of my meat from a real butcher for less than I can find it at the grocery store. Where are these mythical cheap butchers? Anyone I've ever found is always DOUBLE the grocery store price. I'm sure it's higher quality stuff but gently caress.
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Sep 17, 2014 13:22
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Bob Morales posted:Where are these mythical cheap butchers? Anyone I've ever found is always DOUBLE the grocery store price. I'm sure it's higher quality stuff but gently caress.
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Sep 17, 2014 13:54
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Bob Morales posted:Where are these mythical cheap butchers? Anyone I've ever found is always DOUBLE the grocery store price. I'm sure it's higher quality stuff but gently caress. Seconding this. We've got maybe a dozen butchers in town, and literally the only one that's cheaper than any of the grocery stores is the one that offers giant fuckoff bulk packs of meat that vary in price from $80-$300. I don't have the money, hauling capacity, nor morgue needed to handle hauling home a whole cow just to save $0.50/lb on meat. Incidentally, I made halupkis the other day, which are fantastic. It made 10 rolls, which will last the two of us for 5 days. We found a "meatball mix" to use at one of our grocery stores that costs $2.78/lb, which is cheaper than the 80/20 ground beef($2.89/lb), ground pork($2.99/lb) and veal(dunno, but it's gotta be expensive) that make it up. We had enough filling left over to make stuffed roasted squash. Just take a delicata squash($0.99 at Trader Joes), cut it in half, scoop out the insides, then coat in oil and roast, cut side down, at 400 for 20 minutes. Take out of the oven, mix meat filling with mashed potatoes(bought cheap-rear end instant mashed potatoes and dressed them up to compliment the taste of the filling), add to squash cavity, sprinkle on S&P, and shredded cheddar, and then return to oven and bake for 15 minutes more. It tasted amazing, and only cost a couple bucks for everything. In fact, out of both of those meals, the most expensive thing was the meat. 3lbs @ $2.89 comes out to ~$8.70. Everything else was a couple bucks. I don't have receipts on me or anything, but I think total we spent was around maybe $15 or so for 6 nights of meals for 2 people. Definitely a good deal.
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Sep 17, 2014 14:35
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tonberrytoby posted:The immigrant areas. Same as most other really cheap food. I buy most of my meat at a Turkisch butcher, he charges the same as the supermarket but has much better quality. He just doesn't sell pork. I sometimes go to a chinese butcher. They just chop chicken parts into pails and leave them there like a bulk bin - but they're cheap as gently caress. I really think that stores like this make a tradeoff of  for demand. Sure, they lose white folk business because it's gross, but they have to have fewer people working and reduced operating expenses, so it balances out on the profit margin.
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Sep 17, 2014 14:39
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CommonShore posted:I sometimes go to a chinese butcher. They just chop chicken parts into pails and leave them there like a bulk bin - but they're cheap as gently caress. Chinese butchers are good for finding excellent pork.
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Sep 17, 2014 14:52
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tonberrytoby posted:The immigrant areas. Same as most other really cheap food. I buy most of my meat at a Turkisch butcher, he charges the same as the supermarket but has much better quality. He just doesn't sell pork. I have a lot of Turkish butchers right around the corner. the lack of pig doesn't bother me, as I seldom eat it anyway. on the plus side, they have an enormous amount of dead sheep and they have goat. on the up/down downside, they have very weird cows...its always too lean, but not enough to not braise it (dunno how to explain it better) Nowadays, I know where to shop for the right meat. question: I always see them carrying in complete creatures, but they hardly sell any offal...is that haram or something?
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Sep 17, 2014 15:02
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ibntumart posted:You know, I read that a lot, but for the life of me I have never successfully made mayonnaise. use this, or any other recipe, and an immersion blender....it's quick and foolproof (do remember to let your eggs reach room temperature before use, or the mayo might refuse to come together) http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/10/two-minute-mayonnaise.html
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Sep 17, 2014 15:09
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paraquat posted:use this, or any other recipe, I think if your eggs are too old, that'll happen too. I've been making mayo like this for years, then one day my fiance asks me for a burger with mayo on it. I went through something like 10 eggs and none of them came together because the eggs were 2 weeks old.
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Sep 17, 2014 15:12
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Rurutia posted:I think if your eggs are too old, that'll happen too. I've been making mayo like this for years, then one day my fiance asks me for a burger with mayo on it. drat, by that time you were probably out of oil as well :-D anyway, good addition!
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Sep 17, 2014 15:16
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paraquat posted:drat, by that time you were probably out of oil as well :-D Yep, went through an entire bottle of expensive olive oil. Towards the end, I was almost in tears and doing it out of sheer stubbornness and frustration. I had started googling for why it wasn't coming together pretty early on, and didn't find anything about the old eggs so I really didn't understand what was going on. Rurutia fucked around with this message at 15:23 on Sep 17, 2014 |
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Sep 17, 2014 15:21
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paraquat posted:question: I always see them carrying in complete creatures, but they hardly sell any offal...is that haram or something?
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Sep 17, 2014 15:41
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adorai posted:I also found that I am willing to spend >$5 for a pound of high quality pasta rather than the $0.75/lb store brand spaghetti. The fresh pasta you make and immediately cook is cheaper than 75 cents a lb and will be better than the $5 a lb pasta Seriously everyone make your own pasta its great
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Sep 17, 2014 16:12
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tonberrytoby posted:Mine sells lots of liver and tripe. And I think he also keeps a lot of stuff in the back that you have to ask for, unless it is on sale. Ah, oke, thanks!! I have about 6 of them in the street, only one of them sells kidneys sometimes, the others never sell offal there's only one smelly place I hardly ever enter that sells brains (they could be human) anyway, I googled it as well, and its indeed not haram, but it takes effort to not make it so, or something...I'll talk to one of the butchers about it (not that I'm in need of offal, but I just want to learn about this) Google tought me that there's a lot more haram then I thought anyway, I knew about pigs and eel, but they can't have carnivores either, and flies, lice, and other things that are generally thought of as being "yuck" (they used a better term)..... I wonder how well the latter goes, as any jar from the shop you open is allowed to contain a certain amount of insects.
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Sep 17, 2014 16:28
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