Cinco De Mayo Feast, On A Shoestring

Chef Edwin Mateo Tries To Prepare It On Recession-Busting Budget Of Just $35

(CBS) 

Fried Ice Cream with Tequila Honey Sauce

INGREDIENTS:
4 cups vanilla ice cream
4 cups corn flakes
8 eggs
1/4 granulated sugar
4 tortilla bowls
1/4 cup cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup graham cracker
1/2 gallon vegetable oil
4 sprigs mint

METHOD:

Start by molding a small scoop of ice cream into a round shape and place it in the freezer until it gets firm.

In a mixing bowl crush the corn flakes and add the rest of the dry ingredients, mix well and set aside.

In another mixing bowl beat the eggs well, then dip the frozen ice cream and cover with the corn flake mix. Repeat this process twice to ensure you have a thick layer of corn flakes. Place the ball back in the freezer and let it get firm.

Heat a pot of oil to 350°F and drop in each scoop of ice cream. Fry until the scoops are fried evenly.

Rest each scoop on paper towels to drain.

Combine cinnamon and sugar.

Set each scoop inside a tortilla bowl, sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar mixture. Garnish with a sprig of mint.


So, how did Mateo do with our $35 budget?

Avocado Corn Salad
avocados $2.58
black beans$.67
red onion $.52
corn $1.00
cilantro $.69
red pepper $.75
habanero pepper $.18
total $6.39

Beer Battered Mahi Mahi Tacos
Mahi Mahi $10.49
cabbage $.49
cilantro $.69
lime $.20
cayenne pepper $.79
paprika $.79
Corona $1.59
red onion $.52
vegetable oil $2.99
tomatoes $1.25
white onion $.56
jalapeno $.16
tortillas $1.19
total $21.71

Fried Ice Cream
ice cream $1.99
cornflakes $1.29
eggs $.99
graham crackers $1.39
mint $.69
total $6.35

Grand total: $34.45

How does that stack up in our "How Low Can You Go" competition?

Not in our top three for the year so far:

1. Paul Liebrandt $32.35
Corton

2. Scott Peacock $32.60
Watershed Restaurant

3. Joey Campanaro $33.27
The Little Owl

[number1GI]

I love cooking shows....... But there is one part that sends the hairs on my head straight up....... I't when the "chef" puts his/her hands into the ingredients without benefit of gloves or utensils while saying " And then add............ eeeeeeeeech

[thecrazysuburbanmom]

The CBS Saturday Morning News is annoying me. They do a Chef on a Shoestring segment with a (real) chef cooking a meal for 4 for under $35.

This is how they promote it.

"Shoestring" Budget Of $35
Meager Budget Of $35
Recession-Busting Budget Of Just $35
Mere $35 Budget
Veggie-Packed Meal On Only $35

And sometimes the budget is even higher than $35

Our $40 "Shoestring" Challenge
On Budget Of Only $40
Tries To Make Fancy Meal For 4 For $40
Special Holiday "Shoestring" Budget Of $80

When I first started watching the segment is was interesting; the way The Food Network is interesting. Fun. Fantasy. An escape.

But when CBS started calling feeding 4 people one meal costing $35, recession-busting?
And than calling the fact that someone (a trained chef) could do it, amazing? It annoyed me. It shows a total lack of understanding of how much economy-related pain people are in. Haven't they been listening to their own news?

If you extrapolate their...What did they call it? Meager budget. That's over $1000 a month for dinner alone. That doesn't take in consideration breakfast, lunch or toilet paper.

According to Feeding America

Food banks across America are reporting a 30 percent increase in requests for emergency food assistance, according to a new survey conducted by Feeding America, the nation?s largest hunger relief organization.

And that was in December, 2008. What is it now?

CBS clearly has no idea how hard it is to find $35 in your food budget. Period. Or how many of their viewers are stretching $35 over many meals. Stretching that food budget until it screams. My food budget (I call her Janice) was screaming last night.

Feed 4 people on $35? Show me a woman who feeds her family for a week on $35 and I will be impressed. But one meal? A chimp with a shopping cart and a debit card could do that.

Granted, if you send a chimp in you will probably end up with a meal of kumquats, Marshmallow Peeps, Trident gum, Meatball Hot Pockets, Kibbles & Bits and a Sponge-Bob-Square-Pants balloon on a stick... but in the end it feels the same to me as The Chef on a Shoestring Segment.

It would be a meal that doesn't fit in my life.

At all.

[erenglish]

I agree with Terri O'Hearn. You hosts are actually rude to the chef. They ask questions and then rush them off with "we have 1 minute left", then assend to eat what was prepared. Very rude! Please allow more time for this segment.

[mswolfestock]

Great recipes, and I'm thinking that the "Pickled Onions" would be a great addition to other dishes, and in sandwiches. Or maybe on a shrimp Po Boy - YUM!

Too bad they left out the Tequila Honey Sauce recipe.

Here's my recipe for the Perfect Mojito -

You'll need a lime for every drink. Squeeze some limes and keep the hulls.
Place cut-up lime hulls, one ounce of simple syrup, and some mint leaves in the bottom of the glass. Muddle (mash) the mixture with the end of a wooden spoon until it smells like spearmint gum. Add two ounces of White Rum (Bacardi) and one ounce of lime juice; stir to blend. Add ice cubes and top the glass off with club soda and stir. Enjoy.

And here's my Perfect Margarita -

Three parts good tequila (NOT that rot-gut Cuervo or Montezuma stuff)
Two parts orange liqueur - Cointreau or Grand Marnier - NOT cheap triple sec
One part fresh lime juice - do not EVER use Rose's Lime Juice - it is just gross.

[RyanGoldschlager]

This recipe makes an easy and super tasty Cinco de Mayo recipe. It tastes great with Margaritas!

http://miocibo.com/2009/05/03/cinco-de-mayo-meat-pie

;D

[sam-kiley]

coucou
la recette superbe..originalité& imagination...chef on shoestring..j'adore...dorénavant je veillerai pour regarder le direct..je serai fatiguée mais bon ..merci chef "mahi-mahi"

au revoir..a la semaine prochane inchaalah..

[nkayew]

I think these recipe's look great and I will prepare them for this Cinco De Mayo for sure.
I live in Kentucky but have been visiting in Garrison, NY for a couple of month's now. In watching your show this morning it made me really want to try these dishes.
Thanks and have a great day

[tohearn]

Hi,
We love chef on a shoestring. We love sleeping late on Sat. and relaxing while watching your show. We love to find new recipes and cook a fun dinner for our three teens and friends. I would it if you would give these chefs a lest five more minuets of show time, they are so rushed it makes me tense.

Thank you
Have a relaxed day
Terri O'Hearn

[rbolzman]

PLEASE HAVE A LINK TO PRINT JUST THE RECIPE NOT ALL THE OTHER PARTS OF THE STORY. WHEN WE HIT PRINT WE WANT JUST THE RECIPE.

[debi1kennedy]

I would agree. Please allow more time for the chef to address each recipe. I would like the margarita recipe.I guess it is not printed since it was not actually demostrated. Thanks.