When it comes to grocery shopping nowadays, cost is king.
A new Netflix food competition show, “Cook at All Costs,” plays off inflation-era anxieties by pitting three home chefs against each other, asking them to bid on ingredients — both basic and high-end — to create delicious dishes without breaking the bank.
“It really depends on [a contestant’s] creativity and adaptability,” show host and New York City-based chef Jordan Andino told The Post.
Just like any viewer struggling to make ends meet, the show forces cooks — on screen and at home — to rethink what they really need to be spending money on, food-wise. It further explores how people can get by with less, or even better, with what they’ve already got in the pantry — one of Andino’s favorite sources of kitchen inspiration.
“The overall message is trying to be frugal while creating something delicious and on a budget,” said Andino, who shared some of his favorite cost-cutting hacks with The Post.
Take the humble jar of jam or jelly, he said. No need buy or make a pricey sauce or chutney, when the $3 kiddie lunchtime staple can be reimagined as the star of a special holiday dinner.
“All you need to do is add water and heat to get a thick sauce that can be turned into a sauce over a pork tenderloin,” Andino advised. While pork hasn’t been immune to inflation, tenderloin remains a relatively affordable option for a classy roast dinner, available for roughly $4 per pound at many supermarkets in the New York area.
On the show, one pickle that contestants face is the idea of having to spend a relatively extraordinary amount of money on a few measly lemons. Home cooks should be able to relate: The citrus essential is one of many foodstuffs that’s been subject to wild price fluctuations in recent years.
But, as Andino explained, since acid comes in myriad forms, there are ways to be nimble if you’re making something like, say, a Dover sole or filet of salmon and don’t have lemon, lime, vinegar or any acidic ingredients.
“How about pineapple? What are other things that are super tart that could replace it? Raspberries are super tart — most people wouldn’t put raspberries with fish, but why not?”
The creativity extends to meaty treats. Got leftover sausage links from breakfast? Removing the casing, chopping it up finely and sautéing the bits can make for a superb salad garnish and a substitute for pricey bacon bits on a Cobb salad, Andino suggested.
After all, bacon is just one of many former staples that in recent months has become something of a luxury good, with prices reaching record highs of $7.61 per pound in October, according to the St. Louis Federal Reserve.
For both home cooks and contestants on the Netflix show, which premieres Friday, Dec. 16 on Netflix, Andino emphasizes that the recipe for success is achieving bold, balanced flavors for less.
“It’s about really focusing on ingenuity and creativity, and at times, frugality,” he said.
