How to Save Money on Coffee Drinks June 10, 2008

Ok, so you knew this topic would come up sooner or later.  Any time you hear about “saving money,” you inevitably hear about doing things like skipping the expensive $3-$5/day habit of buying fancy coffee drinks from Dunkin Donuts, that other coffee place, or your very own local hotspot.  “Just think of how much money that adds up to in a month/year/lifetime!” say the experts while, ironically, frothing at the mouth much like the coffee drinks they are against.

The bad news is that I actually end up following the expert’s advice, for the most part… now.  When I was working my typical 60 hours/week, well, that’s a different story – I was a walking poster child for Dunkin Donuts iced coffee.  Now however, I’m trying to stick to the experts’ advice.  The good news is that I usually end up doing so because I’m lazy.  Hooray!

A few years ago, my husband and I bought a Krups steam espresso machine that set us back about $50.  It’s the most basic of all espresso makers, and even though the true coffee elitists out there will disagree, the espresso that comes out of this thing tastes perfectly fine and has more than paid for itself over its short lifetime.  Plus, instead of getting in my car, driving to the nearest coffee place, waiting in line, then fearing the “barista” might have used whole instead of skim milk, I can just walk to my fridge and make it myself.  Maybe someday I will figure out how much money I’m actually saving per serving.*

Recently I’ve been brewing up a whole bunch of espresso all at once, then pouring it into some sort of container (not a Nalgene bottle) to store in the fridge until I’m ready to use it.  Pour it over ice for an iced coffee, add milk to that for an iced latte, or add chocolate syrup to that for an iced mocha.  Easy!

To avoid feeling too deprived, I allow myself the luxury of buying the good coffee.  We recently moved and are no longer anywhere near a Trader Joe’s which has the best selection for the best prices, but I can usually find a decent bag of 100% Kona coffee for less than $20.  If all else fails, the Dunkin Donuts take-home coffee is also delicious (don’t be turned off by their unfortunate choice for a spokesperson).

*Not actually a likely statement

Splurge: Cooking Paraphernalia Worthy of Iron Chef June 6, 2008

Fine, maybe not Iron Chef (there is no ice cream maker in my kitchen), but at least some decent quality stuff that I’ve accumulated over the years.

The beautiful thing about food is that it is a necessity and sometimes a luxury, depending entirely upon what you make of it 3-5 times daily.  I have a serious weakness for going out to eat, and few culinary experiences can compare to tasting Michel Richard’s Lobster “Begula” Pasta, Daniel Boulud’s foie gras, the Panko-crusted Ahi Sashimi Roll at Hawaii’s Sansei Restaurant, the Chilean sea bass at Alma de Cuba in Philadelphia, or anything related to black cod.

Going out to eat, however, is not always a gratifying way to part with my hard-earned cash.  Sure, there are the all-but-guaranteed restaurants that you just know will serve you a wonderful, worthwhile “experience,” but you will pay dearly for them.  There are also the old standby’s that will offer a good meal at a decent price.  Then there are the rest of the restaurants out there that charge you way too much for something that can only be described as mediocre at best.

What’s a hungry part-time culinarian like myself supposed to do?  Learn to cook, of course!  What makes cooking and eating more enjoyable?  Quality little cooking gadgets.  Here are some of my most basic favorites to get you started:

• Santoku Knife:  Anyone who’s seen even half an episode of Good Eats knows that a quality knife set is essential, that goes without saying.  I particularly love my 7″ Santoku knife, and find myself using it to cut most fruits, vegetables, and herbs.  In my humble kitchen, this thing serves as my sous chef.
• Calphalon One Infused-Anodized Pots & Pans:  Ok, so if you know about the knives, you also probably know about how important it is to invest in quality pots and pans.  After all of the reports on nonstick pans and how they could actually be leaching toxins into my unsuspecting body (as opposed to the stuff I’m putting in there on purpose), I was happy to switch to this beautiful, heavy set for most of my cooking.  Not the best money can buy (just guessing), but very good quality that I was happy to pay for.  I still use the nonsticks for omelettes or other delicate items, but cooking meats, soups, stews, and “deglazed” sauces in these babies makes me feel like I could cook a dinner that even Anthony Bourdain wouldn’t be able to snark about.
• Egg Poacher Pan:  This changed the way I eat breakfast, circa 2003.  Gone are the days of fishing eggs out from murky water full of gelatinous globs of cooked albumen – boil the water in the bottom of this little wonder, gently crack your eggs into the perfect-sized compartments, wait a few minutes, then enjoy your easy, healthy breakfast.
• Salad Spinner:  Such a simple concept, but this gadget makes me feel like those awful college Physics courses were actually worthwhile… no, now I’ve gone too far.  I digress.  Anyway, this thing twirls my herbs and various other assortments of plants round & round at warp speed until I’m satisfied with the results.  Wow, centrifugal force has a real-life application!
• Pepper Mill:  Salt & pepper are truly the most versatile spices of the Western hemisphere (and possibly the world… open for discussion), and nothing ups the ante on a simple meal like freshly ground multi-colored pepper flakes from your very own restaurant-quality mill.  (Note:  I have an unholy love of salt, but the salt mill is a little superfluous in my opinion.)

 Wakey, wakey, it’s time for eggs & bake-ey!