Budget Shopping Budget Eating

Grocery shopping is hard these days. The prices are still soaring.People are going without. Sometimes a ,guide is needed and luckily there is one. Can it help? Possibly ,

New contributor and NBC food reporter Kevin Pang wrote about saving money in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday section.He is a Chicago reporter living in the suburbs there with his wife and  their twn year old son. He and his wife Anne looked to the US Department of Agriculture for help.Their thrifty option, is the least expensive and is what SNAP benefits are based on.They also cut out their usually eating out twice a week, It was time for home cooking.There was also no impulse buying and cheaper options were taken.Their son Liam likes peanut butter and  jelly sandwiches. They had to switch out his favorite strawberry jam for the cheaper grape jelly.The $4.35 baba ghanoush for the $3.77 hummus. They did stick with their organic staples such as eggs cream milk and certain vegetables that are hard to wash.The Pangs chose wisely with the high price paid for meat was pork shoulder at $14.98.Dairy was a variety of different products but all were relatively inexpensive The same for bread and baked goods with a sourdough baguette for only $2.99.They sort of splurged on cheddar Sun Chips at $4.99 a bag..

Mr Pang and his wife also contributed recipes which are perfect for any kind of dinner. There are the tasty bacon cheeseburger meatballs It's a fun way to use chopped meat along with adding favorites like crispy bacon and shredded cheddar.The sauce is a blend of condiments and sounds like McDonald;s special sauce with its' mix of ketchup ,mayo mustard  Worcester sauce and relish. There is also chorizo amatriciana that has the zing of spicy sausage. The sauce also has onion crushed tomatoes olive oil and red pepper. Garlic also gives it flavor.Everything is finely diced and sauteed until the onion turns translucent. The sauce is added  a long with a pinch of sugar. Bucatini, that thick chunky pasta is used but try anything that was on sale.There were also dinners of fava beans with ricotta on a toasted baguette,There were also carnitas and  sesame soy chicken. One dinner was Japanese curry with a fried pork cutlet. Lunches were mostly leftovers from the night before while breakfasts were granola and yogurt or scrambled eggs.There was a breakfast tortillas which is always fun. There was enough variety that no one became bored with the menu.

Follow this guide for some ideas for low budget shopping and cooking. It won;t be limited.There is variety and fun recipes. It's a good way to save money and be creative.

A Tasty Formaggio For Fall

 Italian rustic cooking or cucina rutica shines in the fall. There are delicious pork dishes and clouds of gnocchi in harvested tomato sauce. Joining them is foccaccio ,a bread that's good on it's own or topped with salame.Imagine it with cheese and it's the perfect bread for right now.

New contributor Kevin Pang  who's alsoeditorial director  for  digital at America's Test Kitchen wrote an interesting piece on this flatbread in yesterday's New York Times Food section. The breathakingly beautiful   town of Recco in Liguria invented this bread .The seaside town which was bombed heavily during the Second World War reinvented itself as a food  destination.Pesto with walnuts, and her bed infused ravioli called pansoti are the stars yet its focaccia col formaggio is what three dozen restaurants in the area feature.r Pang describes as a sort of Italian quesadilla - with a stretch bread instead of a crispy tortilla. The cheese is solid made from Crescenzo cheese which melts into a tangy cream cheese It's the breakfast of choice amongst locals, often served with bracingly strong espresso.Focaccio col formaggio is so popular that there are strict regulations on how it's; made  Regulators even bring back a sample of cheese and olive oil back to labs to test their autheneticity.It's even received protection back in 2005 from the European Union.

Yet home bakers can bake it here in the States thanks to Mr Pang's recipe.The only problem is finding the right cheese Home bakers can find fresh Cresscebzo in Us groceries however the top quality is only found in Italy.However bakers here recommend using Stracchino or Taleggio cheeses with the addition of a little buttermilk.Strive for the dough to be a millimeter thick which is ultra thin. It should b that sunshine can be seen through a thinly rolled piece of dough. what kind of flour should be used? Mr. Pang recommends KIng Arthur's bread flour. The cheese should be Crescenzo but the other two are fine as well. Just add two tablespoons to the mix.If using Taleggio, get rid of the rind. The dough is made with a mix if the flour, a pinch of sea salt and two tablespoons of olive oil. The oil is also used to grease the bread pan as well. Once it's been rolled out. dollops of the cheese are placed on it. These dollops should be no bigger than a cherry tomato. after this roll out a top sheet and place on the cheese and bottom sheet,Bake in a 500 degree Farenheit oven for ten to fifteen minutes. Turn the baking pan around mid way through.

This is the time for cucina rustica. enjoy foccaccio con formaggio  with a good glass of wine or a bring cup of espresso.It's a great autumn dish.