How to Eat Better for Less Money, James Beard

How to Eat Better for Less Money,
James Beard and Sam Aaron
1954, revised and updated in 1970

A few years ago, I almost bought this book. In a moment of cheap, I left it behind. When I got home I read another LTHforum member had been to the same sale and purchased the copy I put aside. I recently picked up a copy at the Lamb's Farm resale shop for $2. It has been my waiting in the car reading lately.

I'm only 25% through this book whose information is 38 and 54 years old. Some ideas ring true today, some elements are a peak to the past and a lot of practical advice a beginning cook would value. Some things that struck me so far:

- Leaf lard from a pig's kidneys has been referenced in recipes several times. The first mention was in the appetizer Rillettes de Tours. One cooks an equal weight of leaf lard with an equal weigh of pork until tender or 4 hours. Shred the meat into the fat, season with salt and pepper, then put it into pots with fat over it to seal it. In this book, the recipes calls for an astonishing 3 pounds each of leaf lard and pork.

Leaf lard appears again as a money saving tip as one of the finest fats with many kitchen uses. He suggests frying in pork fat and use it in baking, as you would margarine or vegetable fats.

Presently Mike G has to carefully explain to his organic pig source to keep the kidney fat aka leaf lard for him. It certainly is not an off-handed request of the butcher any longer.

- Spaghetti alla (sic) Carbonara (yes, I do sometimes skip around in a book) is the closest to purist form of the recipe I have seen in a cookbook, which, yes, Antonius would likely approve. The ingredients are 1/4 pound ham or bacon, cut into short matchstick lenghts, 2 tablespoons butter, 1/2 pound spaghetti, 2 eggs beated and grated Parmesan cheese. For a 54 year old book, only the butter might be an area of less than authentic. How many restaurants today treat this dish like a variation of Alfredo?

- Beard endorses using a butcher over a grocery store for meat. He feels the free bones and trimmings for use in stock make up for any extra price. He also suggested selecting your rib roasts in advance and put aside, though at this moment he gets all British using 'fortnight' instead of American 'two weeks,' to age your meat just a bit longer without extra expense. This assumes one has a good relationship with your butcher, which he strongly suggests cultivating.

"Today, when the neighborhood butcher, like so many small, personal businesses, is disapeering, it is heartening to find the supermarkets, where most Americans shop, are improving the quality and range of the meat they carry." I am guessing this is 1970's advice.

In the very next paragraph, he offers ideas we would likely agree: "If you live in a town or city with ethnic markets, you should also investigate the butcher shops. German areas have excellent pork butchers, Italian markets specialize in veal and pork. Local preferences dictate the type and quality of the product. For instance, in New York City, where more roast lamb is eaten than in other parts of the counter, some markets have begun to carry the excellent, high quality frozen legs and racks of lamb from New Zealand, a treat to anyone who likes the delicate flesh of this animal because the cuts are younger and smaller than the domestic version."

- This reflects a common LTHforum experience, "... Shop wisely - and prudently. The smart shopper is a comparison shopper. Make the most of living in a competitive society. Don't always buy at the nearest market just because it is convenient or the manager is nice to you. You may find, if you don't look around, that the biggest chain supermarket in your neighborhood doesn't always have the best prices on everything - or the best quality. Certain items that you buy frequently may be lower in price at another store, or the produce may be fresher. If you have to walk a couple of extra blocks, it is worth it. The same thing applies to shopping in ethnic food markets or areas, if you are lucky enough to have them in your city or town. All right, so it does mean a bus or subway ride to an unfamiliar part of town, but you will discover the prices are generally much lower, the produce frequently fresher and the choice much more varied; these stores are apt to carry inexpensive foods you have never see in your neighborhood such as stewing fowls, rabbits, pig's feet and hocks, offbeat seafood like squid and eels. And if you like good bread, not the packaged cotton-floss variety, these neighborhoods usually have little bakeries where the bread is freshly baked, honest and good - just like the kind you rave about in Europe. Europeans shop for perishable foods - fresh vegetables, fruits, bread and fish - every day, and if you follow their example, you'll not only have a lot of fun seeking out new places but also some real food bargains."

Clearly, James Beard was one of us.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:the excellent, high quality frozen legs and racks of lamb from New Zealand, a treat to anyone who likes the delicate flesh of this animal because the cuts are younger and smaller than the domestic version."

How very interesting! Does this still hold true - that New Zealand mutton is higher-end than Australian or U.S. raised mutton?

Costco carries rack of lamb for $9.99/lb - Australian I believe. So, what were you to say if I'd found a purveyor of New Zealand rack of lamb for an astonishing $7.99/lb? I'll be glad to divulge... after I've secured a pack though... can't let the cat out of the bag too early.

Jay K wrote:

Cathy2 wrote:the excellent, high quality frozen legs and racks of lamb from New Zealand, a treat to anyone who likes the delicate flesh of this animal because the cuts are younger and smaller than the domestic version."

How very interesting! Does this still hold true - that New Zealand mutton is higher-end than Australian or U.S. raised mutton?

Costco carries rack of lamb for $9.99/lb - Australian I believe. So, what were you to say if I'd found a purveyor of New Zealand rack of lamb for an astonishing $7.99/lb? I'll be glad to divulge... after I've secured a pack though... can't let the cat out of the bag too early.

Not really relevant...but I've found cleaning Australian lamb racks are much easier than any other, if that matters to anyone.

Cathy2 wrote:the excellent, high quality frozen legs and racks of lamb from New Zealand, a treat to anyone who likes the delicate flesh of this animal because the cuts are younger and smaller than the domestic version."

With lamb as with so many other food and drink items, I tend to like it rough. The Wife buys a fair amount of New Zealand lamb, and it’s a mellow piece of meat, but I miss the relative funkiness of old school lamb that had less refinement and, from my perspective, more taste. Same holds true true with goat cheese, especially with higher end versions that follow a French model; there’s a tendency to process out the animaliness that simply is not my cup of meat.

Hi,

I will guess the insertion of New Zealand lamb was a circa 1970's comment. I fully recall in the early 1970's, a new approach began to marketing domestic lamb. In that era, spring lamb was available in the spring or at least when consumers tended to purchase it. The balance of the year was mutton, which may be the rougher, funky taste alluded to. The lamb council started offering lamb year round with a variety of cuts to create more consumer acceptance of lamb as an everyday meat.

I will speculate NYC was crowned lamb consumption capital due to its immigrant populations.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:How to Eat Better for Less Money,
James Beard and Sam Aaron
1954, revised and updated in 1970

A few years ago, I almost bought this book. In a moment of cheap, I left it behind. When I got home I read another LTHforum member had been to the same sale and purchased the copy I put aside.

I think that was me! Brandeis Book Sale, Old Orchard, right?