Because I was bored this afternoon, i put that shopping list into the two main Australian supermarket online shopping trolleys, and they both came out at about $123, that's about $110 US dollar, I think. At Aldi, it would be about $80 AUD.
But adjusting it for local (and my!) tastes and products, it could be cheaper still, because all those cornmeal-based foods would be replaced by pasta, which is about $1.50/kg - cornmeal or polenta is about $3.80/kg. Maseca for making tortillas is $5/kg!
So I would subsitute all the southwestern style food for Meditteranean, Indian, or South East Asian food. Chickpea/kidney bean/lentil curry, Thai vegetable and tofu curry, pasta dishes, rice pilau, fried rice, rendang (even the toughest cuts of beef turn out meltingly tender in this), rice-noodle soups, etc. Pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) is a good way to make a tiny amount of meat go a long way.
For people who prefer Anglo food, 1940s ration book recipes are often a good source.
fascinating, thanks for this! Is food that much more expensive in Australia? Don't know. Wonder if cornmeal is cheaper as it is SO heavily subsidized here. WHAT IS RENDANG!!??? I'd love any recipes you might like to share, do you have a good Pho recipe? It's M's favorite! good thinking on the ration books.
What would you like to see more of on the FFD blog?
Katja Rowell MD
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Helping raise children with a healthy relationship to food and their bodies. Katja is a member of the clinical faculty with the Ellyn Satter Institute. She works with families struggling with feeding to bring peace and joy back to the family table.
Because I was bored this afternoon, i put that shopping list into the two main Australian supermarket online shopping trolleys, and they both came out at about $123, that's about $110 US dollar, I think. At Aldi, it would be about $80 AUD.
ReplyDeleteBut adjusting it for local (and my!) tastes and products, it could be cheaper still, because all those cornmeal-based foods would be replaced by pasta, which is about $1.50/kg - cornmeal or polenta is about $3.80/kg. Maseca for making tortillas is $5/kg!
So I would subsitute all the southwestern style food for Meditteranean, Indian, or South East Asian food. Chickpea/kidney bean/lentil curry, Thai vegetable and tofu curry, pasta dishes, rice pilau, fried rice, rendang (even the toughest cuts of beef turn out meltingly tender in this), rice-noodle soups, etc. Pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) is a good way to make a tiny amount of meat go a long way.
For people who prefer Anglo food, 1940s ration book recipes are often a good source.
fascinating, thanks for this! Is food that much more expensive in Australia? Don't know. Wonder if cornmeal is cheaper as it is SO heavily subsidized here. WHAT IS RENDANG!!??? I'd love any recipes you might like to share, do you have a good Pho recipe? It's M's favorite!
ReplyDeletegood thinking on the ration books.