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Food Budget Inflation Rampant: Time to Wave the White Flag or Double Down and Try Harder?

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In the Me vs. Food Spending competition, the statistics are currently thus: Food Spending 10, Me -3

Fighting a never-ending battle with food costs

In November 2010, I spent $336 on Food & Dining ($185 groceries / $151 restaurants). In December 2010, I spent $297 ($78 groceries / $219 restaurants). In January 2011, I spent $279 ($20 groceries / $259 on restaurants). Granted, some of these splits might be biased because CB tends to pick up groceries on his way from work, and I will often pick up the check at restaurants to make up for the difference.

food 300x145 Food Budget Inflation Rampant: Time to Wave the White Flag or Double Down and Try Harder?

via flickr/clspeace

Still. For someone who had a ~$200 food budget just a few years ago and who had expected cohabitation to decrease food costs (because we can split groceries! and magically bond over cooking like characters in romantic comedies! – I was obviously not in my right mind), these numbers are a little hard to accept.

The truth is, I don’t like to cook after I come home from work. I find cooking time-consuming and thankless. *CB thanks me when I cook, as I do when he cooks, but on the whole I think this whole daily-grind-cooking (as opposed to special-occasion-cooking, such as a dinner party or a lovely brunch), is one of the most thankless jobs out there. Mom, I don’t know how you did it.

I’d rather pick up extra freelance assignments, or work longer hours and try to get a bigger bonus – in other words, I’d rather make more money to afford buying good food than try to scrimp and budget in that regard. But making more money takes time, while resisting the 6th restaurant visit in one week can be implemented immediately.

Resign to the higher food budget? Or make an extra effort to cook more?

On the one hand, is $300/month food budget for one person really that unreasonable? On the other hand, I can easily cut $50 or $100 out of the budget if I just cooked 3-4 more nights a month. Is cooking 3-4 more nights a month really that difficult? I know CB is also finding that our profligate dining out habits to be a drain on his finances. Given that neither of us lack things to save for, isn’t it worth more effort to cook?

I don’t know the answer to this. But I do know that I am hungry.

Sushi: An Expensive Culinary Habit

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sushi roll 2 Sushi: An Expensive Culinary HabitI am far from the suavest of sushi aficionados (try as I might, the most adventurous I get in terms of raw fish is with tuna sashimi, and I love rolls). Even at a more pedantic level of enjoyment, however, sushi is an expensive culinary habit.

Case in point: Last Saturday night CB and I went to a new sushi restaurant that had gotten rave reviews from my friends. The place did not disappoint and was entirely reasonable for a nice Saturday evening meal. Still, for two people, with no drinks, the total tax & tip came out to $50 for three specialty rolls (with all of my favorite ingredients – spicy tuna, unagi, crab, roe, avocado, cucumber, tuna, and salmon), and a bowl of green tea ice cream. The food was beautifully presented and delicious, the service was friendly, and the atmosphere cozy.

It was a wonderful dinner, and I view our $50 bill as money well spent. After all, sushi are truly works of art – it costs money to prepare the labor-intensive dishes and to purchase high-quality fish and other seafood. At some other restaurants, the cost of sushi can go as high as your wallet will expand (or is it contract?). I doubt that I will develop the sense of adventure or sophistication necessary to truly enjoy sea urchin, squid, or octopus sashimi. I do know, however, that I’ve graduated from $5 spicy tuna rolls at the mall sushi shops, and I don’t think I can go back. We’ve all heard of lifestyle inflation. This might be the very first step on my road to sushi inflation.

How often do you eat sushi? Are you willing to spend more on sushi than on other meals? What is your favorite dish?

Tasty Thursday: Ode to Crab Cakes

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Because crab cakes are so good, prose just ain’t gonna cut it.

008 1024x768 Tasty Thursday: Ode to Crab Cakes

Succulent and tender, the crab cake is king
Each precious morsel makes my taste buds sing

Crab cake oh crab cake, you are a true delight
But it’s so difficult at a restaurant to eat right

Chain establishments use white bread as filler
At swanky bistros, the price tag is killer

What to do? What to do? is this crab cake lover’s lament
Taste I do not compromise, money I need for rent

So I asked the great O sage Internet
For a recipe my palate will not regret

Voila, an offering whose taste can’t be beat
Fit for a king, a queen, or a princess to eat

The golden-brown sizzles, the aroma permeates the air
Two crab cakes sitting side by side, what a perfect pair

Ah! Let me taste a morsel – perfectly delicious!
I assure you, readers, the results are not fictitious

Indeed the crab cake wins the crown
At the table, all other appetizers bow down

O fearless eater, read on if you need
To see the way this dish is done
But my warning you must heed
Make multiples – you can’t stop at just one

Such is the crab cake’s power
It has inspired me to rhyme
In the hungry hour
The crab cake is sublime

Crab Cakes

Ingredients (makes ~9-12 patties depending on size of patty):
2 pounds crab meat
1 egg
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup saltine crackers, crushed
1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions:

  • In a large mixing bowl, combine crab meat, egg, lemon zest, pepper, chopped basil, crushed crackers and mayonnaise. Mix thoroughly.
  • Form patties out of the crab mixture, 3 quarter of an inch to 1-inch thick, and chill until cold before cooking.
  • In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Saute the crab cakes for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden brown.

Lemon-Yogurt Sauce:

1 cup plain yogurt (I like using “Greek style” because it’s thicker)
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 table spoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon honey

Tonight’s Dinner: Salmon Pasta with Veggies

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Prep:

  • Chop 2 zucchinis, 1 package of crimini mushrooms, and 1/3 of a large red onion. Set aside 1/2 cup mushroom pasta sauce and 1/3 can of sun-roasted tomatos.
  • Measure 2 cups pasta shells.
  • Cut 1 filet of Alaskan salmon (Morey’s) into small chunks. Save the oil and seasoning from package into a small bowl.

046 300x225 Tonights Dinner: Salmon Pasta with Veggies

Cook:

  • Boil water. Put pasta in and cook according to direction (usually 8-9 minutes).
  • Saute veggies all with a dash of olive oil. Then put in pasta sauce and tomatoes.
  • Meanwhile, pan-fry salmon chunks until fish is cooked through. 
  • After the salmon is done, mix the salmon with the veggies and the pasta sauce.  Let the mixture simmer for a few minutes.

050 300x225 Tonights Dinner: Salmon Pasta with Veggies

051 300x225 Tonights Dinner: Salmon Pasta with Veggies

052 300x225 Tonights Dinner: Salmon Pasta with Veggies

Serve:

Pour sauce over pasta, and enjoy!

054 300x225 Tonights Dinner: Salmon Pasta with Veggies

Costco Recommendation: Delicious Salmon Dinner for Under $5 Per Person

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Not everyone can be Julia Child. With some dishes (i.e. fish), I’m not even going to try. So I was very happy when Mom introduced me to Morey’s Marinated Wild Alaskan Salmon fillets from Costco.

(if you see this product at Costco, pick it up. It’s worth it, I promise.)

Moreys Marinated Wild Alaskan Salmon 1024x768 Costco Recommendation: Delicious Salmon Dinner for Under $5 Per Person

Six fillets for ~$14. But really, the fillets are big enough that I can cut them into half and serve.

(1/2 salmon fillet pan-fried on brown rice, served with carrots, broccoli, and caramelized onions. Fancy square plates purchased from Marshalls. Silverware from IKEA.)

seasoned salmon with carrots and onions 1024x768 Costco Recommendation: Delicious Salmon Dinner for Under $5 Per Person

Basically, this has become my go-to dish when I make dinner for CB or friends. The advantages are many:

1. It looks pretty plated – I love all the contrasting colors.
2. It’s relatively healthy. Every 1/2 filet serving of salmon has 125 calories (65 calories from fat).
3. Most people can eat the food. I have friends who won’t eat chicken, pork, or beef, but will eat fish. So unless I’m making dinner for vegetarians, this meal is perfect.
4. It takes a short time to prepare. The salmon comes seasoned. All I have to do is make the veggies and rice, and pan-fry the salmon.
5. Most importantly of all, this dish is really, really delicious. Everyone who has tasted this salmon raved about it. I told them it came seasoned from the freezer, but hey, I can take a little credit, can’t I?
6. It’s a good deal. Each 1/2 fillet is around $1.25. Add on the other ingredients, and the total can’t be over $3. Seriously. Even if you go crazy with expensive veggies or use the whole fillet, the meal will still be below $5. Where can you get guaranteed-to-be-delicious dinner deal like that?

Answer: Totally worth the $80 I spent

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Question: How do I feel about the most expensive meal I’ve ever paid for by myself?

  • The setting: Michelin-starred restaurant upon a hill.
  • The food: delicious and well-presented.
  • The company: my girlfriends and I, decked out in cocktail dresses and heels.

But what really stayed with me was the impeccable service – friendly, informative, unfailingly polite and never pretentious. The décor was gorgeous too – it’s as if I wandered into a dining room decorated by a very wealthy individual with very good taste (or an interior designer).

The entire dinner took almost 3 hours, including a pre-appetizer and pre-dessert compliments of the chef. All in all, a wonderful experience.

I ordered a prix fixe menu and the total tab came out to $80 including tax and tip. It was the most I’ve ever spent on a meal, for myself. That’s a special occasion type of dinner.

Funny to think that when I was in middle school, a $3 box of popcorn chicken from KFC was considered a special treat – by my 8th-grade culinary standard, I’ve definitely made it. icon wink Answer: Totally worth the $80 I spent

What’s the most expensive meal you’ve ever spent on yourself (excluding meals dined on the company, date, or parental tab)? Was it worth it?

Treat

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I just came back from dinner with a new friend (she was so much fun!!). The food was delicious, the conversation flowing, the laughter contagious. My share was around $30, including tax, tip, and valet.

At my current $110 budget for eating out, I can only afford 3-4 meals like the one I’ve just had per month (I maybe have 2 nice meals a month – gotta save some $$$ for those late night Chipotle runs!). And that’s if I only pay for myself.

Sometimes I wish my budget was accomodating enough that I can just say, “don’t worry, let me get it.” It’s nice to be able to treat a friend to a good meal. I’ve paid for friends before, but quite sparingly. And only when the bill was below $30.

I know I’m not cheap, but I hope that in the future my financial situation will allow me to be a little more generous.