Marilyn Dowdy - Cooking in Tough Times: Ozark Style

Cooking in Tough Times Ozark Style Marilyn Dowdy ISBN: 9781617925627 Contents Eat like a Prince on a Paupers Budget Food From the Wild Recipes: Breads Sweet Stuff Vegetable Dishes Meat Dishes Using Leftovers Sauces and Gravies For the Dieter Seasoning Mixes Substitutions and Measurements Herbs and Spices Authors Note: Tough times have always been around the mountains, but the old timers knew how to survive and passed this knowledge along to the next generation by example. My generation has seen dirt roads to town become blacktopped highways and general stores give way to super markets. My grandparents generation was not so blessed. My paternal Grandpa was a farmer in the Ozark backwoods. He never owned a gasoline powered machine, using a team of horses for plowing and transportation to town. Grandma raised 10 children on this small farm.

My maternal Granddad was an itinerant preacher/sharecrop farmer who moved his family from the Delta to the Ozarks in search of a better life. Grandmother saw only two of her eight children reach adulthood. Both of these women taught their families the art of making do with what you have. I am a beneficiary of their legacies. Eat Like a Prince on a Paupers Budget Tough times call for drastic measures in the kitchen, making changes that may not be popular with your family. As the younguns say, You want more bang for your buck.

So you want to be sure that everything going into the mouth gives the most nutrition for the calories. The first step is to stop buying the junk foods. Cut out sodas, chips, cookies, and snack stuff that is high priced, high fat, high calorie, etc. Save these for special family nights at home or for cookouts, parties, or picnics. Make them a special treat rather than normal fare. When you do purchase these items, try the store brands.

You will find many of them are just as good as the pricey ones. Many snacks can be home made. Keep your kitchen stocked with staple items so you can cook from scratch. Items such as flour, baking powder, baking soda, shortening, canned and powdered milk, cornstarch, cocoa, olive oil, dry rice, dry pasta, and spices will not spoil. Avoid the boxed dinners or prepackaged dishes. Besides salt and black pepper, keep a good supply of spices on hand.

Many are cheaper at the discount stores, even less than half the price of those at the grocery store. You can change the taste of plain vegetables by adding a bit of spice. Sprinkle a bit of Basil on stewed potatoes with a touch of olive oil. Add Italian spice mix to stewed tomatoes. Become a savvy shopper and cook If cooking on a budget is new for you, the first rule to remember is Never shop for groceries when you are tired or hungry. That means dont run by the store on the way home from work to pick up something for dinner.

Most times you will spend more than you should or buy something easy to fix that is not as nutritious. You can avoid that long, frustrating wait in the check out lines, too. Instead, sit down with the weekly grocery ads and plan your menus for the week, taking advantage of the sales. Take stock of what you have on hand and make a list of the items you will need to purchase. Plan to shop only once a week or twice a month, depending on paydays. Group items on your list in the same order you find them in the store.

This keeps you from backtracking to find the items you need. Less time in the store means less opportunity to be tempted by impulse buying. Remember that items on the shelves at eye level will be the more expensive brands. Look high and low for the cheaper prices. Shop the outside edges of the store first. Most stores carry the convenience foods in the middle isles and the fresh foods on the edges.

Stick to your list. Dont purchase other items, unless you find an unadvertised special on something you can substitute in your menu plan or can use the next week. Note the items you purchase on a regular basis and compare the prices at various local stores. You might find discount stores cheaper on canned vegetables and other items, so dont forget to check there. Personal hygiene items are usually cheaper at the discount store. In purchasing sale items, especially meat, buy as large a package as you can afford and freeze part of it for another week.

Check out the markdown bins on fresh vegetables, fruits or meats. Even though they may not look as attractive, they will taste the same upon cooking. If meat has darkened a bit, soak it in vinegar water or salt water. Fruits or vegetables can be freshened by soaking in ice water for about 30 minutes. If they are not to be used immediately, dry and store in the refrigerator in a plastic bag. Since meat is the most expensive part of a meal, plan several meals with no meat.

Substitute fish, cheese or egg dish, or a combination of legume and grain. Cut the portion sizes of meat served and add more vegetables. One only needs 2 ounce portions. Meat is not the only source of complete protein. A meal with legumes and a grain dish such as rice or corn provides all of the essential amino acids that the body needs for protein. (Now you know why Popeye was strong.) Cook more fish and poultry dishes rather than red meats, which tend to be more expensive and higher in fats. (Now you know why Popeye was strong.) Cook more fish and poultry dishes rather than red meats, which tend to be more expensive and higher in fats.

Buy cheaper cuts of meats. When T-bone steak is what you crave, try sirloin tip steaks at half the price. You can purchase boneless roasts on sale and slice them into steaks or fajita strips. Remember to cut cross-grain of the meat for a tender strip. Try cutting up whole chicken or de-boning the meats yourself. A good, sharp knife and a little determination is all you need.

After a while, you will become quite adept at this skill. Since some of the cheaper cuts of meat may tend to be tougher, try slow cooking them in the crock pot or in the oven. The purchase of a roast pan with a tight covering lid would be a wise investment. Otherwise, use a pan covered tightly with foil. Season the meat and add a small bit of water before sealing. Set your oven on 275 and cook all day or overnight.

Your main course will be ready for that evening meal. In summer, you might want to cook overnight to keep the heat from building up in the kitchen. Tough times are also the time to forget brand loyalty. Check out the store brands on canned vegetables, catsup, bread, etc. The truth is that many store brands are processed in the same plants as your name brand products. Forget about using coupons to purchase name brand items unless it makes the item cost less than the store brand.

Most of the time it will not give you as good a price, especially when you are required to buy more than one package to get the discount. If you do use coupons, try to redeem them when the stores will double the value. Most stores now provide a markdown bin of damaged items. This may be dented cans, torn and taped paper packages or items hitting the expiration date. Take advantage of these only if the cost matches or beats the store brand item. If you really cant give up your name brand bread, try buying the marked down day-old bread, which will still be soft.

If there is a baked goods thrift store in your area, compare the prices to see if you can save by stocking up and freezing the extra. If you have bread on hand that is too dry to suit the tastes of your family, dont throw it away! Try buttering one side and placing on a cookie sheet under the broiler for toast. (Use left over biscuits or cornbread the same way.) For variety, use garlic powder, cinnamon sugar or peanut butter. Dry bread is ideal for French toast or home made croutons. Dry bread can be used to stretch your ground meats. Crumble and mix with ground meat for meatballs or hamburger steaks.