Food lovers are celebrating Julia Child's birthday today. And in her honor, the 99 Cent Chef's new palate-pleasing video, "Julian & Julia," introduces Julia Child's nephew, Julian Child. He's a real chip off the cutting board and a chef worthy of sauteing with Aunt Julia's copper-bottomed pot! I had the good fortune to run into Julian Child at the Hollywood Farmers Market this last Sunday. We chatted about his "Aunt Julia" and the movie "Julie & Julia." As we walked through fresh and fragrant stalls of produce Julian stopped at a ..read more

I learned what a Hoagie is when visiting my girlfriend's family in Philadelphia. Hoagies come from there and you can get the sandwiches at local bars, delis, and sandwich shops. To see my recipe version you can scroll to the end of this blog post to see how I make mine. Click on any photo to see it larger. They are composed of cold cuts deli meats and cheese (provolone)  with a typical sandwich dressing of tomato, onion, and lettuce on a soft Italian or French-style roll.  What makes a Hoagie unique is an oil and vinegar salad dressing to drizzle inside the ..read more

 On the 5th of May, 1861, Mexico battled and defeated the French invading army. It became a celebrated holiday started in the United States. And here in Los Angeles, the clashing continues in the Cheap$kate Cocina. For my latest recipe roundup, it's Mexican versus the French, redux, and the battlefield is the palate. Can we all get along? Forget about it - bring out the heavy artillery and let's duke it out, plate vs plate. Skirmish One is a Fried Feud: Tacos Baja Fried Fish Tacos vs Ludo Truck French Fries and Fried Chicken. Forever on lists of best ..read more

Simplicity is sometimes best as my latest cheap$kate recipe video will prove when you try it. Seafood Mushrooms Sauteed in Butter - that's all the ingredients you need.  I chose Seafood Mushrooms because they were at my local 99c only Store. They don't show up cheaply very often so I just wanted to enjoy them sauteed in butter. But now that the 99c only Stores are shutting down this may be the last time I can crow about finding small packages of Mushrooms for 99.99 cents! I used salted butter so seasoning was reduced to black pepper - and even that is optional. But do ..read more

Acapulco Gold, Texas Tea, Panama Red, Maui Wowie, Mary Jane, chronic, ganja, pot, weed, grass, kush, herb, joint, blunt, roach, cannabis, reefer, spliff, fatty, jay, doobie, and locoweed, are just some of the euphemisms for marijuana. Click on any photo to see larger. Many pot shops have a green cross or green type somewhere on their building. This comes from when marijuana was first legal in L.A. for medical purposes only - I guess it's a play on the Red Cross? Click on any photo to see larger. This month 420 is celebrated and I missed the Smokeout be ..read more

Today I offer praise to the humble Mudbug, a Crawfish. Also known as Crayfish and Crawdads, there are even more colorful names depending on where you reside. I know Crawfish, and hopefully, you'll learn a few things about this delicious crustacean on National Crawfish Day.      Click on any photo to see larger. A Crawfish is like a miniature lobster. You cook them the same way as a lobster, too. Normally they are boiled in a spicy broth of water and a package of Crab Boil.  And you feed on the Crawfish tail ..read more

I love Spaghetti alla Carbonara. And on National Carbonara Day, I offer up my quick and easy take on this classic Italian pasta dish. And my outre entree will never be taught in culinary colleges -- you can only learn it in The 99 Cent Chef's kitchen of hard knocks! Watch my 99 cents creative take on Spaghetti alla Carbonara in my latest cooking video for the simple step-by-step directions. It doesn't come cheaper than this, and my new pièce de résistance is outrageous enough to fit into my blog of recipes perfectly! Typical Carbonara ..read more

For some, it's all about eggs for Easter this Sunday and I have a basketful of recipes for leftover ovum. So read on for using up eggs that are hard-boiled, because there is no way youngsters can put away that many. In these pandemic days, the Easter Egg Hunt will be kept all in the family or on computer video. Well, you can still have a hardboiled eggy good time. And be sure to set aside a few raw eggs for some of my recipes listed below (click on any recipe name to see the original blog post.) I got my eggs from a local Dollar Tree last year, but this year they are ..read more

Eggs, picnic baskets, and bunnies are the fun parts of Easter. Of course, I always start my Easter day with a cup of joe...won't you join me?  Uh oh, I'm down to my last cup but don't worry I have a way to squeeze every drop of java out of coffee grounds. Just watch my video below to see how the cheapest cup of coffee is brewed! And Happy Easter to all.                           Play it here, the video runs 1 minute, 36 seconds. My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just cli ..read more

Belly up to the bar and raise a glass to National Cocktail Day! This Cheap$kate Mixologist enjoys a Happy Hour at home these days after a long YouTube video-making and blogging day. I haven't made many Cocktails published on the internet but I have a few so read on and click on any intoxicant name to get all the boozy details from my original blog post. While a fifth or pint of booze is expensive, most of my Cocktail Recipes can be made with a cheap single-serving airline bottle of liquor. I used to get them for a buck, but now they are a little more, but still m ..read more