Letting Go of Hunger
I remember being hungry in my bones.
It was Peshawar, Pakistan in 1994, after the Soviets had withdrawn from Afghanistan and just before the Taliban came into power. The civil war was raging across the border, and the Afghan militias used Peshawar as a base to re-load and re-group. Every man had an AK-47 slung over his shoulder and the streets were full of Mujahideen fighters armed to the teeth. I was 13 years old, and I was very, very hungry.
Two potatoes between four kids every day. That's all we had. Food shortage coupled with dysentery dropped my weight by 20 pounds in 4 weeks. Though normally a skinny kid, I was now utterly gaunt. I remember eating things that were considered garbage. I remember collapsing, as my body failed. As a girl, I had no freedom of mobility to scrounge for myself, so I found myself a pack of hungry kids to run with. We did crazy, stupid, dangerous things for food... and occasionally for freedom. But mostly, we just wanted something to eat.
The only difference between me and the rest of those kids was that I could leave. I had a golden ticket, a Canadian passport. I was privileged beyond the pack. So after a brief period of starvation, I was free to grow up in the safety and peace of the True North Strong and Free. I came home, I kissed the floor, and I ate.
I also remember being hungry in my soul.
As a student in Canada, I experienced a different, but equally valid, form of First World poverty. I remember eating frozen dinners in my university dorm, full of chemical preservatives and unrecognizable synthetic ingredients. I remember counting my pocket change in the hope that I might be able to buy a cheap slice of pizza. I remember eating fast food, cereals, hot dogs, and sandwiches. My body adjusted to this, and I accepted these things as food. I ate things that were ruinous to the body, because I didn't think I could afford any better. I remember feeling helpless in my inability to cook, and resigned in my poor dietary choices. This affected my athletic performance, my self esteem, and my ability to perform well at school.
I am not hungry anymore.
Learning to cook - and cook well - on a shoestring budget has been such a gift. I learned to be creative and inspired about cooking, with limited resources but a whole lot of love. I learned how to make healthy, soul-filling, athlete-friendly food on a student budget. I now know in my heart that were I ever to fall on hard times again, by the Grace of God, I wouldn't have to be hungry in my bones or in my soul.
I write this blog so that you don't have to either.
This blog is about empowering you and I to eat delicious, healthy food, even when times are tough. Every week, I'll post a recipe for a meal that I made with $10 or less. I'll post the prices of all ingredients I used and how many servings (and left-overs) I got out of my meal. Some ingredients will not be easy to calculate, such as cooking oil, spices, and things that are bought in bulk, but I'll do my very best to calculate in those costs realistically for each recipe.
The Essentials: What you'll need:
Eating well on a shoestring budget often means having to spend a little bit more up front. For example, if you buy a 5kg sack of rice for $12, it will last you a good long while, but you need that $12 up front. Same goes for things like oil and spices. But once you have these things on hand, you will absolutely save money in the long run, which will grant you more purchasing power at the grocery store in the future.
When I was in a really tough spot and just learning to cook, I saved up penny-by-penny so that I could buy some basic items that I knew would let me cook complete meals. I was careful about where I shopped, and was quick to choose the local specialty store over the big grocer when the price was better. Things that I put on my "essential rations list" were a 5kg sack of basmati rice, a pack of dried red lentils, cooking oil, olive oil, a roll of aluminum foil, a sack of onions, fresh garlic, salt and pepper (I sometimes stole those little packets from Tim Hortons), and spices (particularly, basil, oregano, coriander powder, chili pepper, and paprika). Once I had these basics on hand in the kitchen, I knew I wouldn't starve. My heart still smiles at lentils and rice... the poor man's meal, full of nutrients and protein.
For this blog, I will try to make sure that I only use normal pots and pans, so that none of the recipes I post require you to have any fancy or expensive kitchen equipment. I will try to limit myself to 2 pots (one small, one medium), an oven/roasting pot with a lid, a baking tray, a sharp knife, and wooden spoons.
If you lack an oven pot, put it on your essentials list and save up for it. There is a really nice 2L ceramic casserole pot with a heavy ceramic lid at Canadian Tire for $10.99, and a few others like it for $8 or less. It doesn't have to be perfect. Any ceramic oven pot with a lid will do the trick.
Food is Wonderful!
Let us eat happily, seasonally, and with gratitude! If this blog helps anyone in the world to learn to feed themselves or their kids with more love, better nutrition, and less financial burden, then it has done its job.
Welcome to The Pauper's Gourmet and stay tuned for recipes!
It was Peshawar, Pakistan in 1994, after the Soviets had withdrawn from Afghanistan and just before the Taliban came into power. The civil war was raging across the border, and the Afghan militias used Peshawar as a base to re-load and re-group. Every man had an AK-47 slung over his shoulder and the streets were full of Mujahideen fighters armed to the teeth. I was 13 years old, and I was very, very hungry.
Two potatoes between four kids every day. That's all we had. Food shortage coupled with dysentery dropped my weight by 20 pounds in 4 weeks. Though normally a skinny kid, I was now utterly gaunt. I remember eating things that were considered garbage. I remember collapsing, as my body failed. As a girl, I had no freedom of mobility to scrounge for myself, so I found myself a pack of hungry kids to run with. We did crazy, stupid, dangerous things for food... and occasionally for freedom. But mostly, we just wanted something to eat.
The only difference between me and the rest of those kids was that I could leave. I had a golden ticket, a Canadian passport. I was privileged beyond the pack. So after a brief period of starvation, I was free to grow up in the safety and peace of the True North Strong and Free. I came home, I kissed the floor, and I ate.
I also remember being hungry in my soul.
As a student in Canada, I experienced a different, but equally valid, form of First World poverty. I remember eating frozen dinners in my university dorm, full of chemical preservatives and unrecognizable synthetic ingredients. I remember counting my pocket change in the hope that I might be able to buy a cheap slice of pizza. I remember eating fast food, cereals, hot dogs, and sandwiches. My body adjusted to this, and I accepted these things as food. I ate things that were ruinous to the body, because I didn't think I could afford any better. I remember feeling helpless in my inability to cook, and resigned in my poor dietary choices. This affected my athletic performance, my self esteem, and my ability to perform well at school.
I am not hungry anymore.
Learning to cook - and cook well - on a shoestring budget has been such a gift. I learned to be creative and inspired about cooking, with limited resources but a whole lot of love. I learned how to make healthy, soul-filling, athlete-friendly food on a student budget. I now know in my heart that were I ever to fall on hard times again, by the Grace of God, I wouldn't have to be hungry in my bones or in my soul.
I write this blog so that you don't have to either.
This blog is about empowering you and I to eat delicious, healthy food, even when times are tough. Every week, I'll post a recipe for a meal that I made with $10 or less. I'll post the prices of all ingredients I used and how many servings (and left-overs) I got out of my meal. Some ingredients will not be easy to calculate, such as cooking oil, spices, and things that are bought in bulk, but I'll do my very best to calculate in those costs realistically for each recipe.
The Essentials: What you'll need:
Eating well on a shoestring budget often means having to spend a little bit more up front. For example, if you buy a 5kg sack of rice for $12, it will last you a good long while, but you need that $12 up front. Same goes for things like oil and spices. But once you have these things on hand, you will absolutely save money in the long run, which will grant you more purchasing power at the grocery store in the future.
When I was in a really tough spot and just learning to cook, I saved up penny-by-penny so that I could buy some basic items that I knew would let me cook complete meals. I was careful about where I shopped, and was quick to choose the local specialty store over the big grocer when the price was better. Things that I put on my "essential rations list" were a 5kg sack of basmati rice, a pack of dried red lentils, cooking oil, olive oil, a roll of aluminum foil, a sack of onions, fresh garlic, salt and pepper (I sometimes stole those little packets from Tim Hortons), and spices (particularly, basil, oregano, coriander powder, chili pepper, and paprika). Once I had these basics on hand in the kitchen, I knew I wouldn't starve. My heart still smiles at lentils and rice... the poor man's meal, full of nutrients and protein.
For this blog, I will try to make sure that I only use normal pots and pans, so that none of the recipes I post require you to have any fancy or expensive kitchen equipment. I will try to limit myself to 2 pots (one small, one medium), an oven/roasting pot with a lid, a baking tray, a sharp knife, and wooden spoons.
If you lack an oven pot, put it on your essentials list and save up for it. There is a really nice 2L ceramic casserole pot with a heavy ceramic lid at Canadian Tire for $10.99, and a few others like it for $8 or less. It doesn't have to be perfect. Any ceramic oven pot with a lid will do the trick.
Food is Wonderful!
Let us eat happily, seasonally, and with gratitude! If this blog helps anyone in the world to learn to feed themselves or their kids with more love, better nutrition, and less financial burden, then it has done its job.
Welcome to The Pauper's Gourmet and stay tuned for recipes!
I love your blog!
ReplyDeleteI have for a long time been thinking about writing a cookbook called the Gourmet Pauper and today thought I would look it up and I find you! I can see you have not kept it up which is sad and I hope maybe you might start again?
I feel strongly about good food being an essential part of life. The fact that we can cure ourselves of many physical ailments with nutrition alone should be more well known!
Your introduction is beautiful and you sound like an interesting person with great ideas. I have recently been more financially burdened than ever before and I think the positive side of this is having to become more ingenious in planning meals that are still delicious and healthy! It is so sad that particularly western people equate poverty with nasty food when it is possible with planning and preparation to eat relatively well!
Thanks! Please post more!
with love light and yummy food sophie
Hi Aisha! It's Steph! I was so inspired by what you are doing here. Your recipes are great and these tips and ideas can really help alot of people. For sure, we should never take for granted all the blessings we have with all these healthy ingredients at low prices. It's so much fun to cook, for our health and for our spirit. Looking forward to more recipes!
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