i’ll probably throw some together with quinoa or wheatberries next week for a few days’ worth of lunches.

deb, it would be awesome with brown rice. with wheatberries too, which is probably what i’ll do next time.

see you wednesday for top chef! hopefully the comment section will be as raucous as last week.

also, are you saying duck breasts aren’t a pantry staple? wait just a second here…

glad you and patrick like it here, and thanks for piping up!

My husband, Patrick, and I love your blog, and because I am also a lapsed attorney speaking to another lapsed lawyer (and sometimes have nothing better to do than dink with other individuals use of the language), and because I like to think you can give ribbing as well as take it, allow me to continue with my issue with free ingredients from the pantry.

If you define “pantry” as inexpensive basic items that you already have, but are stored unrefrigerated, I guess I can buy the definition. However, a devious creative mind like my own could get a little more loosey, goosey with the language–

“…exempt pantry staples and home-grown items; the idea is to make meals supplemented by stuff you’d have around anyway, even if you weren’t making this particular meal – that money’s already been spent….”

“Stuff you already have around” may be all kinds of wonderful and hopelessly expensive items, tucked in your freezer for instance, duck breasts, lobster tails etc. that were previously bought. Just as bad, if you define “pantry” as counter or cupboard storage that is not refrigerated, it could be that little jar of foie gras that friends brought from France. The possibilities are endless……

But in the spirit of your category here (not to mention common sense approach), my fish was sole bought very inexpensively from Costco, and the asparagus was leftover from the 4th and needed to be steamed or it would spoil.

emily, the repetition of the word hork is making me want to hork.

jaden, i do like to do it up right. it’s how i roll.

erika, that’s my ideal picnic too, it’s just hard to get it under $5. i could live on cured pork, cheese and bread.

michelle, yay, i’m glad you liked it! and that the recipe actually worked, i feel like i’m always half-assing the instructions. the fish-spice-asparagus combo sounds great.

it is true that pasta and mint do not magically appear in my pantry, sadly. the rules, which were arbitrarily created by me, exempt pantry staples and home-grown items; the idea is to make meals supplemented by stuff you’d have around anyway, even if you weren’t making this particular meal – that money’s already been spent. if people want to be hard-core and include every ingredient, then more power to them! maybe that’ll be the theme for an upcoming event…

there are other great blogs doing even cheaper food and counting every ingredient, doing really low weekly budgets, etc. good stuff. of course, all the names are escaping me right now.

Hi! Soooooooo, I made this last night as a side dish. Very very good. Instructions true to the letter (which is more than I can say about many professional cookbooks……..). The only change was a splash of lime juice rather than one more blast of salt (although salt and I will always be close buddies).

I teamed it with sole lightly dredged in flour that was flavored with madras curry, cumin and cayenne. Also steamed some asparagus. It was in the spirit of tightass since I had the fish and asparagus and needed to use it.

One comment about your rules. It does not seem fair that if it is in your pantry, it is free–ie pasta and mint. They did not magically appear there….