Economy Gastronomy: Eat Better and Spend Less

by Allegra McEvedy, Paul Merrett

From publisher's (Penguin) website:

"The credit crunch is having a massive impact on what we eat, with the average family's annual food bill increasing by £1000 last year. Yet, as a nation we throw away one-third of the food we buy - equivalent to a staggering £10 billion a year.To tie in with their prime time BBC 2 series, top chefs Allegra McEvedy and Paul Merrett show us how we can spend less on food and eat like royalty at the same time. Economy Gastronomy is about using ingredients ingeniously to create flavour-packed food every day.Paul and Allegra explain how to plan meals ahead and share their culinary secrets so that you can eat well and save money, turning low cost into luxurious. The economy gastronomy system combines traditional skills with restaurant flair.100 recipes cover mid-week meals, breakfasts, lunches, snacks and treats, and chapters show you how you can achieve expensive-looking meals without spending a fortune so you can entertain in style. This is far more than a recipe book; economy gastronomy is a way of life."

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Food and Drink, Reference

320 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2009

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was a bit disappointed with this book. I know the title says gastronomy, but it also says economy. Quite a lot of the recipes in here are not particularly cheap to make, and the range of recipes included didn't really suit me. Many of the recipes seemed to me to be quite high in fat.
I'm sure there are so many more dishes that are cheaper and healthier to make than those included here.

What I did like was that it drew my attention to the amount of food we waste, but if they knew what sorts of foods we are commonly throwing away (like potatoes, salads, yoghurts, etc etc etc - why don't more of the recipes give you a clue how to use them creatively, rather than just listing them as the top 10 to go into the bin?

The authors do have their 'rants' in the book, and I like to see an opinion in a cookbook as well as the recipes.

Overall, the book helped me to understand how I could make one key ingredient last for more than one meal, and just how much food (and money) we waste, but as to the recipes - give me Jamie any time!

[7jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who recommended this book to me: Jack Monroe (another money-saver cookbook writer)

3.5 stars, this book works better if you have British tastes and aren’t picky. :) Roasts, pies, pudding. Leg of lamb, shoulder of pork, whole chicken. Fishmonger, butcher. Liver, kidneys, certain cheeses (Cheshire and Cheddar at least). Learned what ’spuds’ mean XD

There’s over 100 recipes, and most have photos (with brownish tint). The book’s theme is about eating frugally, with recipes and shopping tips. At the start is talk about pantry, tools, storing, meal planning; and in between recipe groups talk about working smart in the kitchen, food waste, and seasonal things.

And although felt picky about recipes here and there,m almost every group had at least one recipe that I thought I would like to make or at least eat. Many of the saving tips also had something I could use, and making many meals out of a same ingredient sounded really good. So, not necessarily essential to everyone, but not a waste of money/time, and made for a good morning reading in my case.

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A useful book, my food bill has gone down following these ideas. I have tried several recipes and they've been very successful.

[Julie Eden-Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, informative reading too

Before I cooked anything, I read this book cover to cover. Humorous and interesting, full of useful tips and information. Easy to follow the recipes too.