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Budget Cooking With Real Food
By Chef Todd Mohr
We sure do hear a lot about saving money these days. In fact, budget cooking is one of the top food trends for 2009. Whether due to necessity, lifestyle changes, a desire for simpler living - whatever the reason - cheap living is really catching on! The good news is that learning how to cook is actually a key ingredient in this new, more budget-wise lifestyle. When you understand basic cooking method, you are well-prepared to create wonderful meals at home, saving money at the same time.

Bulk Up


Budget cooking requires a bit of pre-planning, but actually saves time (in addition to money) in the long run. When you know how to quickly portion meats, you can buy these meats in large quantities when they're on sale and freeze the portions for later use. This saves money because you are paying less per pound for a larger qantity of meat - a win/win. And because you've prepared the portions ahead of time, for as many meals as you have portions - you will be saving time on each and every meal preparation - now that's a REAL win/win.

Celebrate at Home

Going out to a restaurant to celebrate a special occasion is always a treat, but it does have its drawbacks. For starters - if you want to enjoy a bottle of wine, expect to pay somewhere around 2 1/2 times as much as you would buying the same bottle at a store (and that's before tip!) But... when you know how to apply basic cooking methods to great ingredients - you can create very high caliber meals right at home. And you can do this quickly, easily... and cheaply! This can also justify using the highest quality ingredients you can find and afford. You'll still be saving

money by toasting your occasion... at home.

Take the Whole Tenderloin - not just the filet

One of the nicest steaks you can prepare - especially on the outdoor BBQ grill - is the filet mignon. But even at the grocery store, this premium cut of beef comes at a premium price. So - I've got some great news for you! One of my favorite "chef secrets" is that breaking down an entire filet is actually much easier than most people think. I made a cooking video that discusses purchasing an entire tenderloin (at a much better price than just the filet) and learning how to prepare it yourself. This is still one of my best money saving tips!

The not so Obvious

It might seem obvious, but the best way to save money on your food bill is to eat less, right? Well, the actual truth of the matter is that most of what is cooked is not eaten and goes to waste. A great way to save money is actually to make less - not necessarily eat less. Portioning is a secret of basic cooking method and a great way to save money. This is because most home cooks over-produce food rather than run the risk of running out of food, which everyone hates to do. However, if you portion correctly on the preparation side, you will save money and have another added bonus: proper portioning also ensures you will not have to even worry about leftovers. So you've solved another common budget cooking dilemma - what to do with leftovers? There won't be any!

Once you've mastered a few basic cooking methods and simple techniques for preparing great food, you'll find it to be a very simple and rewarding way to incorporate budget cooking into your frugal lifestyle.
Chef Todd Mohr is a classically trained chef, entrepreneur, educator, and the creator and host of the “Cooking Coarse” video series. Chef Todd's simple philosophy - burn your recipes and learn how to really cook - has helped many home cooks finally achieve success in the kitchen. Visit www.i-hate-cooking-recipes.com/cooking-magazine.html to get the FREE monthly ezine Burn Your Recipes - with cooking ideas, instruction tips and the latest trends in food and cooking.

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