Great Depression cooking with Clara

This is one of my favorite feeds on Youtube. From the description:

"91 year old cook and great grandmother, Clara, recounts her childhood during the Great Depression as she prepares meals from the era. Learn how to make simple yet delicious dishes while listening to stories from the Depression."

I've never tried her recipes, but I love hearing her talk about memories from the Depression while she cooks.

Food log: Monday August 31th

Cereals: from groceries

I'm really digging those organic cereals. Crunchy!


Banana and chaï tea from the bistro - free



Broad bean soup, English muffin, cheese and lemon bar - from groceries
Diet Coke from the vending machine: $1.25



Fig and tea from the bistro - free


Another snack, brought from home



Fizzy drink - from groceries



Otsu, made from scratch - from groceries



Now, this is one FANTASTIC dish. I found it on 101 Cookbooks  and could not wait to make it. I ommited the cucumber (didn't have one) and switched the honey for maple syrup. The soba is cold and the tofu is hot, golden and creamy on the inside, making for interesting textures. Everything is doused with a delicous sauce that fuses many flavors: lemon, hot pepper, ginger, sesame... As they say on the blog it's from, it's very soul-satisfying. There's also a ton of coriander and scallions in the mix, for that added touch of green. You garnish it with sesame seeds and hope for seconds.


The last lemon square, I swear

I also had a yummy peach. Or two.


Money spent on food today: $1.25

Waste less: tomato paste in a tube

Here's the scenario: you make a dish that requires 2 tablespoons of tomato paste. So you open one of those tiny cans and measure out what you need. Thinking ahead, you save the rest. "I may use it in a sauce or something" you promise yourself. The smartest amongst us will freeze the leftover paste, but most of us will just smack a piece of cling wrap on top on the opened can and call it a day.

Fast-forward to a few weeks later.

You are cleaning out the fridge. Behind the jar of dill pickes, hiding next to the box of baking soda, sits the wrapped can of tomato paste. You take it with a disgusted "eww!" and dare not look under its plastic shield to see what's going on. Out to the trash it goes. What a waste!

The solution is to let go of the cans and to buy tomato paste in a tube. 

You just squeeze out what you need, put the cap back on and voilà! No more waste. And no more breeding ground for bacteria in your fridge. It may look like it's more expensive than the cans, but you'll use it all. And in my experience, it's tastier, too.

Food log: Sunday, August 30th

OJ and cereals - from groceries




Groceries from Marché Maisonneuve - $47.27 

(Click on the picture to see details of items.)


The heat is on at the market and it's high season for canning and freezing. People are buying tomatoes by the bushell! I've vowed to get a stand-alone freezer ASAP but meanwhile, I'm gonna cram veggies in my fridge's freezer as much as I can.










Raw beet and feta salad - from groceries


The beets are sliced thin and the feta is crumbled and topped with scallions. The dressing is made with olive oil, rice vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper and hot pepper paste.

Dessert, same lemon sablé as yesterday





Diet Coke in the afternoon - from groceries





Broad bean soup made from scratch and cheesy toasts - from groceries


I made the soup this afternoon and I have a boatload. Guess I'm set for lunches this week.

More dessert - That's it, I'm taking the rest to work tomorrow.



Late night snack of toast and milk: from groceries



Money spent on food today: $47.27

Yummy Link

Have you ever looked into community supported agriculture?

Make it for cheap: chicken stock

Next time you roast a chicken, don't throw away the bones. Use them and leftover meat bits to prepare stock! It's easy enough and makes the house smell all homey-like. Just plop the bird's carcass in a big pot, add any veggies you have on hand - a few carrots, stalk of celery, leek, split onion - to flavour it and cover with water. I also throw any fresh herbs that is about to go bad in there - thyme is nice. Salt and pepper can wait. I let it all simmer for a few hours, skimming what foams up to the top if need be.



When it's done, I put the pot in the fridge overnight so that the fat solidifies and can be removed easily. I then pour the cold stock in small plastic containers and freeze it all. It's healthier and tastier than the salty canned stuff and since you are using stuff you would have thrown away (bones) it's pretty much free, save the few veggies used to flavour it.



You can defrost the stock in the microwave before using it. It's great for soups (obviously) for sauces, rissoto, to use in mashed potato instead of milk and butter... So stock up!

Attention beet lovers

This is just ridiculously funny.

Food log: Saturday, August 29th

I'm low on fruit and veggies, I need to hit the market tomorrow! Today was a good day to hang around the house, bake and watch movies, so that is exactly what I did.

OJ, scrambled eggs, toast and potatoes sautéed in onions and duck fat - from groceries


Perrier - from groceries


Veggie cocktail and Kiri cheese - from groceries


A snack of blue corn chips - from groceries


Steak and tomatoes - from groceries


Lemon sablés made from scratch - from groceries


Late night popcorn snack - from groceries

Money spent on food today: $0

Throwing away stuff sucks

One of the pitfalls of living alone is that you often get stuck with leftovers you just can't find use for in time. This week, I threw away 4 egg whites that were turning on me, tomato sauce gone loco and a bit of old creamed spinach I was to scared to eat. Thats's why I need a stand-alone freezer so bad. All of the stuff I put in the garbage today could have been frozen! It's not just about money here; I feel like crap for wasting food.

The people at Get Rich Slowly have a good article on the subject of the money they are saving using a stand-alone freezer, it's worth a read. I have enough room in one of my walk-in closet to put a freezer in, but there's no electric outlet in there, so I guess a visit from my electrician is in order first...

Food log: Friday, August 28th

OJ - from groceries

I woke up dehydrated, after dreaming about drinking buckets of water. This was MUCH needed.


Toast and cheese from Pasta Café - $2.30

Or as we call it in the copywriter's office "Pasta Crappé".


"Make your own sandwich" lunch at the bistro - $6

Perfect on a day where most of the people are roaming the halls like zombies. This came with delicious cauliflower soup.


Granola bar from the bistro - included with lunch



In the end, I ate half of my sandwich, a few bites of the granola bar (I felt like I should have been eating it while sitting in a tree) and ate free grapes from the bistro. I finished the meal later in the afternoon. Nothing was wasted!



Diet Coke from the vending machine - $1.25



Cupcake Lindsay brought to work - free



Chinese food - $5 (Lindsay paid, I gave only the tip)



Wine at Ellen's housewarming party - free



Money spent on food today: $14.55

Yummy link

What Canadian consumers spend on food and beverages

Food log: Thursday, August 27th

Cereal and milk, from groceries


Diet Pepsi from vending machine - $1.25

The machine was out of Diet Coke.

For lunch, I had the same thing as yesterday, minus the tomato: tuna casserole and yogurt.

Free apple pie from bistro leftovers


Perrier at the studio - free


Lots of chips - free at the Sid Lee summer party


Lots of beers - free at the Sid Lee summer party


Burger and chips - free at the summer party


Big-ass poutine and soda from Ramona's - $15, including a large tip


Money spent on food today: $16.25

Yummy Link

How much money do you spend on food? Do you even know?

Food log: Wednesday, August 26th

Cheesy toast with orange juice – from groceries I had



Tuna casserole, tomato, yogurt – from groceries I had
Diet Coke from the vending machine – $1.25

This is leftover food from last night, plus guests.

Apple from the bistro - free



Handful of blueberries - given by Ellen


Ellen always shares her snacks with us, and we love her for it.

Craker from groceries and cheese from work

Sometimes, the chef at work leaves leftovers from lunch out on the counter and we can have it as a snack. Today, there was a plate of cheeses and charcuterie for us to pilfer, so around 4:30 pm, I grabbed some in a take-away dish before they threw it away in the garbage. We can also buy full dishes for a few bucks when there are leftovers.

Yellow beans "poutine" made from scratch - from groceries I had

I make this with goat cheese and a sage, lemon and onion cream sauce. It's deeeelish.

Big glass of lemon Perrier - from groceries


Toast and milk - from groceries


Money spent on food today: $1.25