Cheap Date

Here's the deal: You know the economy is tanking; it's getting more and more expensive to be a foodie, and the kicker?!! Thanksgiving is on it's way. Yep. I'm looking for food on the cheap, so that I don't have to sacrifice anything when the Big Challenge (Thanksgiving Day) arrives. With that said, I had to return to one of my childhood favorites: salmon croquette. Inexpensive and tasty. What more could you ask for?

Let's get to it. Start with canned salmon, pepper, salt and Spike.

Move to the veg. Finely dice some celery and onion.

Now for the binders. There are three. First? Crackers.

Next? Flour and egg.

Mix it well and shape into patties. I go an extra step and lightly dredge the patties in flour spiked with Spike. Head for a preheated nonstick skillet. Add just a touch of olive oil.

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Fry until golden brown on each side, turning once. Add soup and frozen corn and you've got a filling and inexpensive meal. You know my corn and soup aren't just any old corn and soup, I had to go back to the sautéed corn with sage and roasted butternut squash soup.

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Tools of the trade:

• Glass Mixing Bowl
• Glass Prep Bowls
• WMF Nonstick Fish Spatula
• All-Clad 12" Nonstick Skillet

Salt & Pepper

So, I wanted to see if I could cook an entire meal using only salt and pepper. Please don't try this with any type of salt and some pepper from a jar. You'll need kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Since it was the weekend and I was cooking for the week. I made chicken and and salmon. Brine the chicken. To stick with my theme, I just used kosher salt. No cheating.

Move on to the salmon. Pat dry and season with salt and pepper. I'm serious. This is a theme.

Get thee to a hot skillet. High heat to caramelize both sides. Remove from pan and cover with foil. Let the carryover cooking do its thing.

Isn't that lovely?

Back to the chicken for a second. Isn't that gorgeous? High heat to caramelize both sides. Remove from pan and cover with foil. Let the carryover cooking do its thing. Sound familiar?

Yes it was very juicy. I forgot to mention that because you brined it, you don't need to add any more salt. Just use the pepper.

Now for the sides, I kept it simple: roasted broccoli (without the lemon) and sliced tomatoes. Hey, I got to use my favorite tomato knife.

Simple is good. My salt and pepper meal was wonderful.

Tools of the trade:

• Silicone Pinch Bowls
• Unicorn Magnum Plus Pepper Mill
• All-Clad 10" Fry Pan
• All-Clad 12" Fry Pan
• Shun U2 Knife
• Totally Bamboo Butcher Block