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The Ten Most Recent Comments By frugalcook

From Serious Eats

Are Rising Food Prices Affecting What You Eat?

Here over the other side of the pond in England we have exactly the same issues too. And for my sins I'm writing a book - and a blog - about it - thefrugalcook.blogspot.com so this debate is really interesting.

What I've found over the past couple of months is that I spent - and wasted - a lot more on food than I thought I did by buying too far ahead (things always cropped up to postpone a meal), impulse shopping and buying ingredients 'just in case' I might need them for some future recipe.

I now shop more often but try and ask myself first whether we couldn't feed ourselves from what we already have in the fridge and storecupboard. And more often than not we can.

I agree 100% with Ed's comment about not walking away from small producers at this time, though. But it does need a major adjustment in the way we shop for food. Butchers and meat producers here in the UK have told me that they can barely give their cheaper cuts away

frugalcook at 11:21AM on 03/24/08

From Recipes

Eating for Two: How Do You Love Sardines, Tell Me All the Ways

Hi Robin

This is a devious recipe from a book I wrote called The Healthy Lunchbox designed to lull unsuspecting children into eating sardines. Maybe it would help you too?

Just-like-tuna paté
Enough to fill 2 large wholemeal baps, 4 wholemeal rolls or 3 granary or wholemeal sandwiches
1 can of sardines in sunflower or olive oil
75g/3oz Quark or low fat curd cheese
Grated rind of half a lemon
1 tbsp chopped chives
Freshly ground black pepper
Drain the sardines, split them lengthways and remove the backbone. (Yes, I know it’s healthy but there’s nothing more offputting to kids than coming across crunchy bits of bone) Put the sardines in a blender with the Quark, lemon rind and chives. Whizz, taste and season with pepper.
* you can of course make this by hand but the extra smooth texture you get from blitzing the mix makes it somehow less sardiney.

http://thefrugalcook.blogspot.com


frugalcook at 10:55AM on 03/24/08

Responses to Comments by frugalcook

From Recipes

Eating for Two: How Do You Love Sardines, Tell Me All the Ways

i love sardines right out of the can. i eat one can everyday and i savor it.
delicately picking out the bone and eating bite by slow bite... i practically lick the can.

i've discovered that in order to get good sardines you've got to pay for them. the cheap ones have more of a fishiness that i don't like. i buy norwegian brislings. mediterranean style is my favorite. i've discovered that everyday i actually feel better after i eat them. they really help me stay alert for the rest of the day. i felt an instance high after the first time i ate them, so i've been hooked every since.

i've tried doing recipes and mixing them in salads but honestly, i love em plain and that's how i only eat them from now on.

krissy at 7:17PM on 06/11/08

From Recipes

Eating for Two: How Do You Love Sardines, Tell Me All the Ways

guess what I make a living out of them. I do product development for a certain brand in asia. But eversince I started working on it, I stopped eating them at home. C'mon give me a break, they're everywhere at work. =) I want to eat something else. lol.

I'm not sure if you're familiar with fried sardines but they're great on toasts and on rice as well. One can eat it right off the can or bottle (yes, there are bottled sardines). But for the tomoto sauce based sardines, I'd rather heat them first and add some lemon or a bit of soy sauce.

jobelle at 11:34PM on 05/06/08

From Recipes

Eating for Two: How Do You Love Sardines, Tell Me All the Ways

I, too eat them out of a can. I prefer the ones packed in mustard sauce, as the mustard hides a bit of the fishy taste, but also buy the water-packed and add my own mustard. I just smash a few onto wheat bread or a bagel. Eating them on bread also makes them more palatable for me. Eating them with hard-boiled eggs sounds like a good idea, too...

foodwriter97426 at 4:06PM on 04/14/08

From Serious Eats

Are Rising Food Prices Affecting What You Eat?

yes many chances. We eat less meat. Meals have become simpler eg grilled sandwiches smeared with pesto,cheese and turkey slices. buy a lot of frozen vegetables(store brand) to make a vegetable soup with every evening meal. Leftovers are brown bagged. Use coupons and buy one get one free deals. Buy bread on sale and freeze for later use. Make banana bread and corn bread 1X a week to have with all 3 meals.
Mix orange juice with 1/2 water. Live in city (condo living) so no room for hunting or garden. We eat out 1x a week at a local place and make sure we get there early to take advantage of the early bird special. Otherwise we still eat delicious meals.

kamrawenke at 6:05PM on 04/13/08

From Recipes

Eating for Two: How Do You Love Sardines, Tell Me All the Ways

As suggested above, buy sardines packed in water. Drain well, mash and spritz with balsamic vinegar and malt vinegar to taste, add a scant amount of mayonnaise, if you like a creamy spread or omit. Fold in a tablespoon of chopped, drained and rinsed, capers and season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Spread on hot, buttered rye toast. This sandwich is quite palatable, even delicious. This is a variant of the French Canadian "sardines on toast.

The sardines won't be oily, 'fishy'. Buy the cheap brand of sardines in spring water and visit a dollar or discount store to buy capers. The ones from Spain seem the cheapest. I think this sardine approach is good on all counts. Do try to enjoy....

Raki5 at 10:53PM on 03/29/08

From Recipes

Eating for Two: How Do You Love Sardines, Tell Me All the Ways

Try getting a tin of the smaller sized variety and using them instead of anchovies in a puttanesca sauce. I cut them in half lengthwise rather than chop them.

If you ever have a chance to try Venetian sarde in saor, do it!

zenduck at 5:40PM on 03/26/08

From Recipes

Eating for Two: How Do You Love Sardines, Tell Me All the Ways

I just ate my first can of sardines. These were packed in water. Quite tasty. I ate them plain right out of the can with a little pepper on top. Thanks for the sardine tips. They are an excellent source of protein.

vickith at 3:24PM on 03/26/08

From Serious Eats

Are Rising Food Prices Affecting What You Eat?

Who buys food anymore? Seriously, This is a good year to be a hunter - I have my meat for the year set - and a gardener. The only things I typically buy at markets are flour, olive oil, sugar, honey, salt and dairy products. They are probably more expensive, but with a weekly shopping bill of around $25 I really don't notice much.

Yes, I know few people can or want to go to this length, but it can be done. And I think I eat pretty well...

HunterAnglerGardenerCook at 11:32AM on 03/25/08

From Recipes

Eating for Two: How Do You Love Sardines, Tell Me All the Ways

re: sardines and rice -- yes! must be cos i'm half filipina? salad of choice to accompany is red onion/juice ripe tomatoes/coriander and a sharp vinaigrette.

my parents retired to live in st jean de luz and every time i visit them i stock up on their sardines from this WONDERFUL shop: http://www.labelleiloise.fr/

in fact, my ma sent me a dozen tins for my birthday!

the other way i like tinned sardines is in on toast with plenty of mayo and sliced tomatoes.

if i get fresh i make them in escabeche OR grilled -- too too yum.

astarteny at 9:07AM on 03/25/08

From Serious Eats

Are Rising Food Prices Affecting What You Eat?

I'm curious whether rising food prices (if they continue) will affect which sorts of cookbooks will sell - i.e. will the ones whose appeal comes from having eight different types of exotic-or-expensive ingredients be as popular or will the public's taste turn to those less complicated or less aspirational in nature . . .

Karen Resta at 7:13AM on 03/25/08