#eating while poor

Ingredients:

Peanuts - 1 pound of nuts will produce roughly 1 cup peanut butter

Salt - 1/4 teaspoon per pound of nuts (optional)

Equipment: baking tray/cookie sheet, foil or parchment paper, heatproof spoon, metal colander, blender or food processor, rubber spatula, storage container with lid

Peanut butter is a very polarized food right now. Allergies to it can be fatal with even a miniscule exposure. However, if you can eat it, peanut butter is a good staple to keep on hand. It is a good source of protein and fat, helping you stay full longer, and can be used in many applications besides the classic peanut butter and jam sandwich. It works well as both sweet and savory, a dip, as well as in sauces and other condiments.

Store bought vs. homemade peanut butter often come out the same cost when you factor in all resources. Even if you're on an elimination diet or need to avoid certain oils, you can find natural-style peanut butter with only a slight mark-up from the other kinds. The time commitment for making your own is heavily dependent on what type of nuts you can find and the power of your blender or food processor.

The hardest part of making your own peanut butter is getting the nuts. You want dry-roasted, unsalted peanuts. The ingredient list should be nothing but peanuts. In the US, you can sometimes find these at discount stores like WalMart or Target under their house brand.

If you can't find dry-roasted, unsalted peanuts, look for unsalted blanched peanuts. These are essentially raw peanuts that have had the red skins removed. I am usually able to find these in stores with bulk bins as well as many "ethnic" food stores.

If you can't find blanched peanuts, you're down to shelling your own. Unless you're feeling particularly driven, this is the point where I'd give up and buy whatever version of peanut butter has the least ingredients at my local market. That said, roasting your own in the shell makes a great, if messy, snack.

Note: The process for making peanut butter can be applied to other nuts and seeds. As long as you have a blender or food processor, you can turn any oily nut or seed that you would normally snack on into a nut butter spread.

This is my preferred way to serve floury potatoes. Russets are less waxy than reds or yukon golds and don't hold together as well, making them unsuitable for most applications. They really shine as baked, and twice baked, potatoes. Cooking them this way produces a rich, creamy interior with a tender skin. Suggested toppings include sour cream, cheese, or, my personal favorite, a touch of butter and a sprinkling of black pepper. Bulkier toppings, like chili or tuna salad, can make a very fulfilling meal and provide a change of pace while using up leftovers.

Ingredients:

baking potatoes - works best with floury types, such as russets

salt

cooking oil

toppings of choice

Start with enough potatoes to feed whomever you're cooking for. One per person is generally good for lunch or as a side dish for dinner. Try to pick ones that are similar in size and shape so they'll cook at roughly the same speed.

Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). While the oven heats, scrub the potatoes well and then dry them. Remove any eyes that have sprouted and cut off any questionable looking parts, trying to keep the skin as intact as possible. Questionable parts can be things like gouges from farming equipment, black spots that don't wash off, and areas that are a different texture than the rest of the potato.

Now that the potatoes are clean, pierce the ends to allow for steam to escape. This can be done with a small knife or a skewer. It doesn't need to be dramatic, but potatoes that aren't properly vented can explode while cooking. Rub a few drops of cooking oil on the potatoes, just enough to lightly oil the entire skin, then sprinkle liberally with salt.

Make sure one of your oven racks is roughly in the center of the oven and then put the potatoes directly on the rack. It is not necessary to wrap the potatoes in foil or use a baking tray.

Cook until the potatoes feel tender when gently squeezed. Use a clean hot pad to check, the potatoes will be hot. Medium potatoes take about 30-45 minutes. Once the potatoes feel tender when squeezed and the skins look puffed, turn off the oven. Leave the potatoes in the oven with the door closed for another 10 minutes or so, until the skins begin to wrinkle.

Now that you've bought a supply of kitchen staples, you need a way to turn them into food.

First of all, cooking implements can make spices look cheap. While perfectly matched set of pots and pans looks nice, you're probably going to equip your kitchen piecemeal to start. And even if you have a full set of pots and pans, you'll need something to eat with.

Let's start with bare bones. If you have access to a hot plate or stove and not much else; you will want a pot and a heatproof stirring implement, as well as a microwave safe bowl, a microwave safe cup or mug, a spoon and a paring knife or steak knife for each person. This selection allows you to cook a variety of foods, eat a variety of foods, and have something to drink out of. If you have access, most of these items can be found at thrift stores. Additionally, many pharmacies carry low-priced stoneware bowls, coffee mugs, and single-person sets of silverware. You may also be able to find coffee mugs and silverware at dollar stores.

Side note: When possible, try to avoid non-stick items, especially if you have pets. The fumes from heating the non-stick coating can be harmful to pets, and fatal to smaller animals and birds.

Once you have the bare bones, you can start expanding. I'd recommend a large skillet, 10-12 inch diameter minimum, a metal spatula, a large mixing bowl, a colander, plates, glasses, and forks. Again, thrift stores and pharmacies can help you afford these. Additionally, there is no shame in asking for practical gifts. Make an Amazon wish list and point people in that direction when they ask what you want for your birthday/winter holiday of choice/etc.

Now that you have the basics for making meals, you can collect the implements for baking. Sets of measuring spoons and measuring cups for dry ingredients can generally be found fairly cheaply. You don't need anything fancy here, just a set of teaspoons, tablespoons, and a set of measuring cups with 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, and 1 cup sizes (measuring sizes will be different if you are outside the US, but the concept will be similar). You will also want a liquid measuring cup (minimum of 1 cup or 250ml) a rubber spatula, a balloon whisk, a square pan (usually listed as 8x8 or 9x9 in the US), a cookie sheet with raised edges, a loaf pan, and an oblong pan (13x9 in the US). These will allow you to make casseroles, roasted things, and sweets.

As for cooking appliances, I recommend an electric kettle, a coffee maker if you drink coffee, and a crock pot (also called a slow cooker). An electric mixer is also nice to have, but you can get the same results with a balloon whisk and elbow grease, so I list it as a lower priority than a way to make hot drinks and a slow cooker.

If you can afford it, a metal electric kettles is preferred, but plastic tends to be cheaper. What type of coffee maker you get will mostly be a matter of preference, but you will want to bear in mind that things like k-cups or an espresso maker will cost far more than a basic drip coffee maker. The upfront costs will be higher, as will the cost per use. (note: This advice does not apply to people outside the US. The standard for at home coffee within your culture will generally be the least expensive option.)

After hot drinks, I can't recommend a crock pot high enough. It will allow you to have hot meals waiting for you after a long shift or a hot breakfast when you wake up. It makes things like beans, caramelized onions, soups and stews require much less stirring that stove top. I've also used mine to make incredibly moist cakes. Anything that benefits from low heat and high moisture (pulled pork, chilli, stew, etc) can be made in a slow cooker at lower cost, both monetary and physical, than on the stove or in the oven. A 3 quart/litre crock pot should meet most or all of your needs.

As funds and sales coincide, you can build out your kitchen gadgets. some additional things I would recommend:

a set of mixing bowls

a 1 quart/1 litre liquid measuring cup

a blender or food processor

an immersion blender (wand blender)

a sifter or fine-mesh strainer

multiple sizes of pots and pans

a set of wooden/heatproof spoons

a ladle

a manual can opener

a kitchen scale

more sets of silverware

more dishes

a set of knives

a good/high quality butcher knife

a microwave

a toaster

Last time, I wrote about kitchen staples and some tips on how to start stocking a kitchen from scratch. One thing I forgot to mention is your personal list of kitchen staples will likely change over time as your skill, tastes, and resources change. I have been stocking my own kitchen for close to 20 years, and my current list of staples has little in common with my original.

My kitchen staples:

flour - unbleached white wheat, all purpose or bread

sugar - white, light brown, dark brown

canned tomatoes - home canned or stewed and crushed 14-16oz

canned tuna - chunk light in water

brown rice

garlic

onions

whole milk

unsalted butter

coffee - green or whole bean dark roast

dried beans - pinto, black, white, red

canola oil

extra virgin olive oil

cocoa powder

popping corn

arrowroot or potato starch

oatmeal - rolled and cut

pasta - elbow macaroni, spirals, spaghetti

carrots - full size

eggs

raw almonds

dry roasted peanuts

extra sharp chedder

mild chedder

parmesan - rind-on wedge if available

kosher salt

black peppercorns

whole cloves

ground cinnamon

ground allspice

red pepper flakes

powdered ginger

basil flakes

dried oregano

cumin - seed or ground

dried chilies - ancho, pasilla, New Mexican, guajillo

baking soda

dried cranberries

frozen vegetables - spinach, broccoli

You may have noticed very little in the way of prepared foods in that list. If you have the resources, you can generally save money by getting foods in a minimally processed state (cheese is often the exception to this, grated tends to cost the same per ounce as block). However, the time and energy costs may go way up.

These are the kitchen staples that I make:

bread - sour french

minced garlic

garlic confit

caramelized onions

chili powder

stock

peanut butter

almond butter

almond milk

rice milk

almond meal

rice meal

yogurt

mayonnaise

To give you a rough idea of the time costs; yogurt, rice and almond milks, rice and almond meals, and caramelized onions take around a full day each. Much of that time is hands off, but it's still a large commitment of time resources. And items that don't take that long, like nut butters, are still far less convenient than buying a jar.

So, why do I make so many of my own staples? In part, because it gives me far more control over the ingredients. I'm sensitive to corn and soy, and outright allergic to raisins, all of which are in just about everything these days. Making food from minimally processed items allowed me to eliminate specific ingredients while I pinned down what was making me sick.

Some of the staples I make are what I refer to as shortcut items. These are things with a lot of flavor, but take too much time to make every time I want to use them. Buying minced garlic is too expensive to do regularly, but I can buy whole bulbs of garlic fairly cheaply and mince my own in the blender. Spread very thin in a bag before freezing makes it easy to break off however much I need for what I'm cooking without having to mince individual cloves every time. Making several quarts of caramelized onions at a time doesn't take significantly longer than making a small amount, and then I can use them in anything I want, even when I'm low on energy or ability to stand.

Another reason is flexibility. I can make a low salt or unsalted stock that can be used as a base for a soup, or can be reduced for use in a glaze or flavor in a sauce. Using non-dairy milks to make hot cereal gives a creamy, filling product that doesn't require the constant stirring milk would, and using different milks allows me to vary the flavor day to day. Yogurt can be strained to use as a substitute for sour cream or even cream cheese without multiple containers taking up fridge real estate, and with less worry about waste.

And that brings me to food fatigue. Eating the same thing day after day can get depressing. Spices can help with that, but so can starting from minimally processed parts, especially if you're cooking in bulk. It takes roughly the same amount of time to cook a few servings of beans as it does to make a big pot of them. A big pot of lightly seasoned beans can be portioned out into single meal sizes for additional seasoning. Puree some to make soup, make chili with some, and freeze some as is for the next time you need something relatively easy to make.

Another thing that can help with food fatigue is to allow yourself treats. Cookies are great for this. When butter, brown sugar, and chocolate chips are on sale, I'll make a double or triple batch of cookies, shape them all, and freeze all but one cookie sheet worth. Then I can have fresh cookies whenever I need a cookie. For a gluten free option, you can use creamy peanut butter for the butter and flour.