The Recession Kitchen

"salt, I consider to be the greatest spice ever"

Was the closing line of an email I received from a friend who is in no rush to make my chicken and rice dish. Immediately, it got me thinking. First, of Mark Kurlansky's riveting examination of the history of salt, and how that history has shaped humanity's story.

Then, of the image salt has on the psyche of much of the English speaking world. You know, the idea that at the bottom of salt shaker is a free trip to a cardiovascular surgeon and that factors like activity level and genetic predisposition, are somehow less relevant than what we put in our bellies.

I'm not saying it's time to ditch the asparagus and grab the pork rinds. It's just...well... Sandy Szwarc of the blog Junkfood Science -- bookmark it now -- offers this:

...the best science for nearly  half  a century — including the government’s own findings on examinations  reflecting 99  million Americans; more than 17,000 studies published since 1966;  and even a  recent Cochrane systematic review of the clinical trial evidence — fails to support the hypotheses that salt reductions offer health benefits for the  general public.  Cochrane’s reviewers specifically concluded that such  interventions are inappropriate for population prevention programs.

    --Who decides what you can eat? Sating on salt

< $15 : Chicken and Rice

Our little guy has developed an obsession with Dumbo. We watch it in the morning. He asks for it after lunch. It's his last word before he drifts off to sleep and the first he utters as awakens to a new day. He has two plush toys he's named Dumbo. One is a Dumbo. The other is a Horton toy with an identity crisis. I've so-far mostly suppressed the notion his Grandpa is trying to indoctrinate him. Mostly.
Last night I made dinner during the second third viewing of the day. On the menu was one of my favorite one pot dishes. It's something my mom made while I was growing up and that I built upon while living with a Dominican family in South Bronx the summer after I finished grad school (love you Berroa family!). It's a dish that is meant to be personalized and that makes enough food to feed a family at least three times. It's also a recipe that calls more for freewheeling than exact measurements, violates most of the rules of cooking rice, and absolutely requires a big heavy casserole. If you don't have one yet, pick a TJ Maxx Homegoods or Marshall's and stalk it until you do, you'll save about 70% off what you'll pay for it anywhere else.
My recipe results in a thick, almost mushy rice. So be warned. But it's also got a savory goodness that works well in the dead of winter, when you are stuck inside with a toddler, watching Dumbo, again.

Chicken and Rice                    Cost
8 Chicken Thighs                    ($4.28)
5 cloves of garlic chopped       ($0.34)
2 medium onions chopped       ($0.32)
2 jalapenos seeded/chopped   ($0.15)
1 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes    ($0.75)
2 cups white rice                    ($1.27)
2 cups chicken broth               ($2.50)
1 can of kidney beans              ($1.34)
1 cup frozen peas                    ($0.75)
4 T Olive oil                            ($0.80
2 T Goya Adobo                       ($0.12)
shake ground dried Thyme        ($0.25)
shake cayenne pepper              ($0.21)
1 cup water                              (tap)
                                            __________
                                            total: $13.08

The preparation

1. Wash and dry chicken and sprinkle with adobo, meanwhile heat olive oil in heavy casserole on medium heat.
2. Brown chicken in oil, I mean really brown it.
3. Remove chicken and set aside.
4. Add onion and garlic and saute 2 minutes, add jalapenos, cook til soft.
5. Add rice to pan and stir to coat everything in deliciousness
6. Add about half of your stock and deglaze the pan.
7. Add the rest of the stock, the tomatoes, the rest of your spices, and stir. Return your chicken to the pot with any juices that have collected.
8. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to maintain simmer, cover.
9. Come back in 20 minutes and stir again, add a little water if needed.
10. Come back in 10 minutes, stir, add a little water if needed.
11. Come back in 10 minutes add beans and peas, add a little water if needed
12. Cook for 10-15 minutes more, remove from heat, let sit for 10 minutes, serve.

Enjoy.

Opening up the kitchen

Things are slowly, but surely getting underway.
Over the next couple of weeks I hope to welcome my first two visitors to the The Recession Kitchen, and both will represent the diversity of arts that continue to thrive in these challenging times.
I'm also hoping to get my first $15 Family Meal up. That will be a recurring element of this space.
The good news is that I was able to get this week's shopping done for under $80! That includes lunches and dinners -- think carnivores -- for the week (I'll discuss breakfasts at a later date). This was a result to my first trip to Tony's Finer Foods. To be sure it's no foodies paradise. It's a huge grocer, the type of place that lets you get your walk on. But it knocks the other area big box grocers out of the park. The most clear example of this is the produce, which maintained vitality, snap, and vigor. Anyone who has seen the average mid-winter grocery veggies knows what I'm talking about.
Some examples of the deals I found at Tony's:

10 limes............$1.00 (.10)
1/2 lb. jalapenos..$0.30 (.08)
3 Hass avocados...$2.97 (1.98)
Bunch of cilantro..$0.33 (0.33)
soft corn tortillas..$0.34 (0.34)
Queso fresco ......$3.99 (0.99)
Boneless chix breasts....$7.60 (3.80)

The parenthesis are for the cost when broken down by quantity I used in making chicken tacos for the family. For example, you only use a couple jalapenos and about 1/4 of the queso fresco. This brings the total cost of the dinner to $9.73. That's two grown ups and one kid fed for under $10*!

* OK, so there was the added expense of chips for guac, a couple shakes of adobo
and a couple tablespoons of olive oil. But I'll be addressing that in a later post, too.

Eating well in lean times

There's been a lot of talk lately about how the economic downturn has impacted the way the we eat. In the Chicago burbs, the Tribune tells us, it's back to basics. The Boston Globe went with this AP story on the pasta market taking off . And in London the Naked Chef is urging Brits to keep their swine local for the good of the pound.
The fact is that as wallets thin, choices narrow. Eating out, for many, has been bagged. Eating in is chic. But knowing what to make, where to find it, and how to cut some corners without cutting flavor will make all the difference. After all nothing is more depressing than the prospects of taste going the way of your 401K.
The Recession Kitchen is dedicated to bringing you tips to keep your belly happy while keeping some change in your pocket. As the site develops we hope to have recipes, tips from chefs, artists, musicians and others who know how to eat on a budget, and I'll also be developing some cool features to help keep you eating well.
Thanks for stopping by, be sure to come back often, and share your tips in our comments section. After all, what's good food without some conversation?