Earlier this month Alice Waters was interviewed by Leslie Stahl on 60 Minutes. She talked about eating organic food, shopping at farmer’s markets, cooking at home more. Leslie asked her if this way of eating couldn’t be considered elite. Alice defended herself well but if you read the comments online about the show from viewers, Leslie had posed the question on everyone’s mind. Most respondents held fast that the way of eating Waters proposed is definitely elite, way off-base for the budget and lifestyle of most Americans.

This idea of eating well being only for the rich and educated was challenged last year when a chef responded to KFC”s $10 Challenge.  KFC threw down the gauntlet claiming that you couldn’t make cannot create a family meal for less than $10 and Chef Kurt Michael Friese, board member of Slow Food USA, responded. Read his story of how he made a family meal of pan-fried chicken, poultry pan gravy, four buttermilk biscuits and mashed potatoes for $7.94 — and plus he had extra pieces of chicken and a carcass to use for soup.

There are many meals for four on Cookus Interruptus that you can make for under $10 – like Black Bean Stew and  Polenta with Asiago or Chicken Vegetable Teriyaki over Brown Rice.  Granted you have to have some high-quality staples in your cupboard like extra-virgin olive oil, tamari soy sauce, honey. My questions to you guys are – do you think eating well is only for the rich and educated? If not, why not? And what’s your best under $10 family meal? Okay. Discuss.