How To Eat on Ten Dollars a Month (Circa 1971)

April 12, 2016

Here’s something to add to the annals of Chinese food in America: this Mother Earth News guide to subsisting on Chinese food (or “CF” as our writer puts it) for less than $10 a month. Yes, we’re talking 1971 dollars – but keep in mind that’s still only some sixty dollars today. How does he do it: see for yourself. (Disclaimer: mother earth is in the details here. It’s THOROUGH.)

This was way ahead of its time.  I wrote my first cookbook in 1971, and ended up having a huge argument with my editor over the recipe for Hoisin Chicken.  Where, she wanted to know, were readers going to be able to get such an exotic sauce?  Did I have any substitutes?

This goes on and on, so I skipped to the recipes. Aside from the pretty funky cooking times – and some dialed back flavors – these seem reasonable.

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