Good and Cheap

This past April, Leanne Brown posted a recipe collection online—the capstone project of her master’s thesis in food studies at NYU—called Good and Cheap: Eat Well on $4/Day. The idea was simple: Armed with a little knowledge and some inventive recipes, Americans receiving food stamps could use the allotted $4 per day to live a healthy and delicious diet.

The recipe collection was so popular that, in June, Leanne founded a Kickstarter campaign to self-publish copies of the book. Hundreds of thousands of people responded to her mission, and donations topped out at nearly $145,000. What Leanne had offered up was this: Buy a cookbook for yourself for $25, and she would donate another copy to someone who needs it.

Good and Cheap will expand upon the Kickstarter version of the book while maintaining the “Buy One, Give One” model. This edition includes 120 recipes, including Whole-Wheat Jalapeño Cheddar Scones, Creamy Zucchini Fettucine, Black-Eyed Peas and many more old and new recipes. Brown also shares information on how to plan and shop, how to stock your kitchen with basic tools, and spends a chapter on family cooking and big-batch meals. Each recipe gives approximate pricing per serving (in US$) and estimated total cost. Substitutions based on availability, taste, and price are encouraged throughout.

Although the book is aimed as a guide to empower the 47 million Americans who try to get by on a budget of food stamps—plus the millions more who are being forced to get by on less—Good and Cheap is essential for Australians who desire a healthy lifestyle on a low budget. The book will not only change the life of those who buy it, but also those who will receive it thanks to the "Buy One, Give One" promise.