This is my tenth installment in our weekly food budgeting series. I’m sorry I missed last week. I was taking care of family stuff. And what a week to miss! The federal government bailed out Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac, Bank of America bought Merrill Lynch, Lehman Brothers went tits up, and the government bailed out AIG. It’s all a little nutty and makes me feel like I need some deep dish mac and cheese or a triple layer chocolate cake to cope!

Unfortunately, neither of those dishes is very economical, so I try to save them for special occasions. However, many comfort foods are both cheap and easy. Take French Onion Soup for example. This dish is a lot easier to make than you think. And it’s a great way to use up onions and dry bread.

French Onion Soup
1 1/2 Tbsp butter
2 lbs onions, trimmed and thinly sliced
1/4 tsp sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cups chicken, beef, or vegetable stock (try to get the low sodium kind)
1/3 cup red wine
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 springs fresh Parsley, minced
Sherry, salt, and pepper to taste

1. Melt the butter, add the onions and sugar. Turn down the heat and cover the pot. Sweat the onions 8-10 minutes.
2. Uncover and stir the onions occasionally until they are a chocolate brown. If you notice that the onions are sticking to the bottom of the pot, deglaze the pan with a little bit of stock. Not too much, or the onions won’t caramelize. (This process can take up to 30 minutes. It’s not something to make if you’re in a rush.)
3. Stir in the garlic. Cook just 1-2 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant.
4. Add the wine, then add the parsley and thyme. Bring to a hard boil, then add the stock. Reduce to a simmer and cook 20-30 minutes.
5. Season with salt, pepper, and a splash of sherry (or brandy, whatever you have on hand).
6. The best way to garnish this dish is to put a piece of toast in the bottom of the bowl, ladle the soup on top, and garnish with grated cheese and minced parsley.

Troubled times call for good eats. If you’re a meat and potatoes household, think about cheaper cuts of meat, like brisket or shank. These are the kinds of meats you want to cook low and slow to help tenderize the meat. Think Sunday pot roasts with roasted vegetables.

To give you a little preview for next week, I’ll be talking about the pros and cons of canned and frozen vegetables. In the mean time, try out the soup and let me know if it’s as good as you thought it would be.