My first cheap recipe needs $42 of ingredients I don't own. Should I buy them or choose something simpler?
Food"Those bottles last ages," my friend said when I sent her a photo of my basket. Her noodle recipe was supposed to be my first cheap dinner in the new flat. I already had the noodles, but the recipe also wanted two sauces, an oil, a paste and a spice mixture I'd never used.
The basket was $42 before the fresh ingredients. Some items would only need a spoonful tonight. I could pay, but my food money for the week is $60 and I still need breakfasts and lunches. My friend thinks comparing a whole bottle's price with a single meal is misleading. I think buying a cupboard for future meals only helps if I know what those meals are.
I asked which ingredients I could leave out. She said it wouldn't taste like her recipe anymore, which is fair: she'd sent something she actually enjoys, and I was effectively asking her to redesign it. I have one saucepan, a frying pan and very little confidence about improvising.
Would you choose a simpler first meal, buy a few of these ingredients with a plan to use them again, or ask to borrow small amounts for one attempt? I want to start cooking without treating every recipe as a shopping commitment, but I also want a dinner I look forward to eating.