Found this while house-sitting for crunchy friends: Ann Rogers’ 1966 cheapo cooking compendium, A Cookbook for Poor Poets and Others. The language can be a little overly lyrical for my trash-talking taste. (Sample: “One can come close to this goal, not with a candy bar…but with a big fresh roll — the French or Italian kind — the crust shattering with the first bite, the inside a network of intricate passages and domed rooms!”) But I appreciate the simplicity of the recipes, which really take limited means into consideration. Ingredients are generally kept to a minimum and many of the recipes are really are about finding ways to dress up canned goods; some can even be prepared without the use of electricity. It’s a nice antidote to foodie preciousness. Plus, that chartreuse cover is pretty badass.

The Artists’ Special, in theory.

The Artist’s Special, in practice. It was no revelation, but it wasn’t bad. In fact, I may have to show up with this the next time I’m invited to some insufferable bougie BBQ. (“I brought the roasted sunchokes with hand-churned butter and Himalayan rock salt. What did you bring?” “The cottage cheese and mayo salad…”)