The Art of Eating In
noteatingoutinny.comFour years ago Cathy Erway, 28, was working as an editorial assistant at a publishing house and earning $27,500 a year. And like a lot of other New Yorkers she was also eating out a lot. Erway estimates she was spending around $400 a month on food.

So she decided on a rather bold undertaking: No eating out or ordering in, only eating food that she cooked at home. Of course she chronicled the project on a blog, which quickly attracted a devoted following and plenty of mentions in the press. In the two year process she saved thousands of dollars, lost 10 pounds, broke up with her live-in boyfriend who didn't quite appreciate the culinary experiment and snagged a book deal.

The book is called, The Art of Eating In: How I Learned to Stop Spending and Love the Stove.

How did this start?
CE: I wanted to write about food and I thought it would be really great to try out this whole blogging thing and at the same time I just really wanted to get back into the kitchen and reacquaint myself with home cooking which is a left aside aspect of living in New York City.

I also thought there were so many benefits to eating in besides saving money. I was spending $400 a month on eating out. It was a huge expense. Besides rent food is a necessary expense so I figured if I could make something satisfying at home then it's a huge difference.

Were you scared you would lose friends?
CE: A lot of my friends were starting to get into throwing dinner parties at home and pot lucks and that kind of thing at the same time too. I would do lots of activities with them like see movies or ride bikes, eating out at restaurants wasn't necessarily a must. It was exciting to see more people get into home cooking. I tried to throw as many dinner parties as possible.

Were you a good cook before?
CE: I don't think I was nearly as good as I am now just because of practice and doing it on a daily basis. I always liked to cook and I grew up in a house where my parents cooked so I was decent.

That's a big advantage.
CE: That's true and that's why it's a little intimidating for people when they start out. And it shouldn't be intimidating at all; it gets easier once you get into the groove of it.

What's a favorite recipe that you've discovered or rediscovered?
CE: I really enjoy making simple dishes that are healthy and easy so one of them might be.. now about just eggs in general. They are one of those great staples to have on hand that you can do a million things with.

Ever had a moment when you just desperately wanted to order take-out?
CE: Definitely but after a while my palette and preferences changed. What I began to crave was some really great, fresh ingredient that I could get my hands on at the market. That was more exciting than awesome Chinese food takeout.

Did you use the farmers' markets?
CE: Yes. Not only is the produce great and fresher, it's also much more interesting because they have tons of heirloom varieties all the time from small farms. It's also a great way to understand your food better and it's a great opportunity to see our farmers and talk to them directly.

What is a favorite weekend breakfast dish?
CE: I like poached eggs so I might make something with left over greens and potatoes and cook them up really quickly and slide a poached egg on top.

What would you take for lunch to work?
CE: Either pasta with one or two fresh vegetables or leftovers from the night before. Rice and beans is pretty easy to throw together. Fried rice, stir fries. Dried beans are great. They're a cheap pantry staple and they are so healthy for you.

What are you working on now?
CE: I really want to get into learning more about growing food. Urban farms are so completely feasible. You can grow your own food in the backyard or a roof top.

Buy the book.

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