Recession stirs up at-home cooking in weak economy

[Food Network Fan]

Recession stirs up at-home cooking in weak economy Recession sparks increase in at-home cooking
By Betsy Vereckey
Associated Press Writer
Take Eric Bonetti. The public relations worker from Fairfax, Va., spent the past few years working up to a four-night-a-week dining out habit. Now, like many Americans, he's trying to save money on food. The problem is, he lost touch with his inner chef.
So he recently took some private cooking lessons, and now he's making sumptuous meals of turkey pot pie and chocolate souffle for half the cost.
"With the changing economy, it just seemed smarter to make dinner myself," says Bonetti.
Across the country, the recession is giving extra sizzle to cooking at home. But this isn't Mom's meatloaf or macaroni and cheese. People who grew accustomed to dining out every night still want to eat in style. Besides cooking lessons, they are poring over food magazines, snatching up cookbooks and replacing their dingy pots and pans in hopes of creating gourmet meals on the cheap.

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[Food Network Fan]

I can't believe there are people who eat out 4 nights a week.

[Pluff Mudder]

I can... especially young single people who work white-collar jobs and live in a city.