[.ca] Mary Hunt's Cheapskate Gourmet (ISBN 0805424431)

From Amazon.com:
"Cheapskate" and "gourmet" may not seem like a natural combination for a cookbook title, but Mary Hunt dares to pull it off. The Cheapskate Gourmet: Creating Fabulous Meals for a Fraction of the Cost is another title in her well-known series of frugality guides (she has five others that are not on the subject of cooking). Readers who already own Cheapskate in the Kitchen can practice a bit of what Hunt preaches and save some money by skipping Cheapskate Gourmet. It's essentially a reprint of her earlier effort with the same tips and recipes, but for those who missed it the first time around, Cheapskate Gourmet is a wise investment. Hunt covers the fundamentals with recommendations for the necessary and basic cooking equipment and pantry staples, but you'll also find helpful guides like a seasonal food chart (knowing availability can greatly affect relative costs). Hunt includes many recipes that are solid basics for the American palate--Spaghetti Carbonara, Creamy Chicken Enchiladas, Marinated Vegetables, and the classic Lemon Meringue Pie. She offers inexpensive substitutes for popular, prepackaged favorites such as flavored coffee creamers, maple syrup, sweetened condensed milk, and even provides a recipe for a faux Orange Julius. With its combination of fun and frugality, this is the cookbook for the home cook looking to build confidence in the kitchen without breaking their budget. --Teresa Simanton

Not Her Best Book!:
I am a huge fan of Mary Hunt, but I was not overly impressed with this offering. There are better ideas for saving money on food in some of her other books. If you don't have any idea on how to prepare less costly meals, this might be a good investment. Otherwise, stick to your BHG or Betty Crocker all purpose cookbooks. I do enjoy Mary's style of writing, though, and I especially enjoyed the section on the formal tea. But I am a pastor's wife, and often have to entertain--for a family trying to cut their everyday costs, that portion would be less than useful.

Cheap for whom???:
I tried a couple of recipes after getting this book from the library, I cannot find the savings in this book. She wants you to invest in some utensils that normal people just would not have in their kitchen. The type of things used in the recipes are neither cheap, nor do they hardly ever go on sale. I would reccomend sticking to the complete tightwad gazette, or not just beans before I would this!!!!