This book was the MOST informative cookbook that I've ever read-I'm not kidding. I was wandering through a bookstore the other day, wondering if it was possible to find a cookbook that would allow me to keep from spending a lot of money while still eating delicious meals-because, let's be honest, who REALLY wants to eat ramen noodles for four years of college-and at the end of a 20-minute search, I came away with this in my hands. In just my first week of using the book, it has more than paid for its $20 price tag-and you can get it online for even less here? That's crazy!

As a college student who loves cooking but doesn't have a lot to spend on money, this book was GREAT at giving me recipes that I could make for small amounts of money that were delicious at the same time. I made my own fresh pasta, tried my hand at breadmaking for the first time and saved a whole lot of money while learning great cooking techniques. Even to a picky eater, this book made things sound delicious and I was able to try recipes that I would probably have never thought to make before. This book is an invaluable resource to me.

This book could be for anybody who likes to cook, or even just wants to learn a little bit more about cooking, while on a budget. Rebecca Lando has compiled a gem here that allows for people to do just that-embrace their creative side while still creating filling meals that will keep your mouth, your stomach and your wallet all happy. She even tells you how to stock a pantry, something that I've been trying to learn over the years by compiling my own list, but have never quite gotten down; the book was SO helpful with that!!

I also LOVED how she listed the prices of each meal, as calculated per the total of their ingredients, as a total cost and on a per-serving level, something that I don't usually see in other cookbooks. It was great for me to have the numbers right in front of my face so that I could know when I could afford to splurge on a meal that was around $7 for a serving (shrimp and grits) and balance it with a side dish that was $1.06 per serving (roasted broccoli, I'm looking at you!)

Let me reiterate that I would absolutely recommend this book to anybody who wants to cook but is struggling with food prices as the new centerpiece of your cookbook shelf. ( )