The sequel —
The entire point, of course, is to eat while poor, but not to eat poorly. The new recipe — append “whatever you can afford” to each ingredient:
1 can tuna packed in water
some cheese
some crackers
Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
Tabasco Smoked Chipotle sauce
sourdough bread
This also qualifies as a “one pot meal”, a bachelor’s friend.
Drain half the liquid from the tuna. Slice some cheese (the more piquant, the better.) Add both to a saucepan, and heat on medium high. Add a good squeeze of Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (or substitute Worchestershire) and a pour of Tabasco Smoked Chipotle to taste. Cook, stirring, until the cheese is melted. Crumble the crackers and add to the saucepan, and cook slightly longer until they are softened. Transfer to bowl. Serve warm on toasted sourdough bread.
A note on the Bragg’s and the Tabasco: if you can at all afford it, and are not homeless, develop a pantry of condiments, spices, and flavorings. They go a long way towards making otherwise boring food palatable. Yeah, it’s $3.50 - $5.00/bottle up front, but they last a long time, and you will quickly learn what to do and when (sweet paprika here, fenugreek here, Marie Sharp’s there). They are good for the long haul — except for the Tobasco Smoked Chipotle, discussed before, of which I could easily go through two bottles per week just by myself, and have to throttle my intake for my budget’s sake (one man’s fine dining is another man’s Hidden Valley Ranch, so feel free to scoff.)
The Bragg’s will take you to Whole Foods, and the Tobasco to a “regular” grocery store, but the rest is 99 Cent Only Store material.
Bob Mike, you told me lifetimes ago about the homeless man you had befriended who taught you about his breakfast feast. It involved Spam. Do you recall? Do you want to be guest chef for Eating Poor #3?
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