Author Archives: grubgirl

If you’re working on controlling your personal finances, one key area to review is how much money you’re spending on feeding yourself each month. In an extreme case, if you buy every meal (because you think you can’t cook, or don’t have the time), and live in a major metropolitan area, this could easily reach $1000 a month! That’s ok if you have a cushy white collar job full-time and they are paying you enough to outsource other parts of your life since you’ll be working so much. But for others, this can be an area of improvement.

Who:

CoupRecoup

What: It’s like Craiglist meets Groupon (or LivingSocial, or SocialBuy, or homerun, or TownHog, or FreshGuide, or…), a secondary market where people who bought coupons from those aforementioned sites can re-sell them.

Why:

• I like it because I can look for food bargains without the 24-hour (or less!) stress of those coupon sites. (I also can’t keep up with the daily emails that subscribing to all these coupon sites generates, and it can be a coordination nightmare to see who is up for partaking in a dinner deal.)

Who: Steven Raichlen, the guy on PBS that hosts those barbecue shows, and who knows more than a thing or two about grilling.

What: He’s got a comprehensive new cookbook out, Planet Barbecue! An Electrifying Journey Around the World’s Barbecue Trail

Why:

• Everything you wanted to know about fire, and cooking things with it.
• I was skeptical at first but I really like how he’s taken the time to include a huge and very international set of recipes that celebrate how different cultures each have their own delicious versions of grilling and barbecuing food. (That’s right, he covers not just meat recipes, but vegetables, breads, and even desserts!)

Who: Tyler Florence, Food Network chef. (He was on How to Boil Water, a show meant for me, and is now on Tyler’s Ultimate.)

What: He’s doing a cookbook-signing and free cooking demonstration.

When: Thursday, June 17, 6pm.

Where:
Macy’s Stoneridge Mall, Men’s Store
Home Department, 3rd Floor
Pleasanton, CA

RSVP: Make sure you register for this free event so you get a seat! More details are on the Macy’s Culinary Council page.

Why: Free samples! A celebrity chef sighting! Cool kitchen gadgets! What else do you want?