Blog Posts by The Daily Meal

Maryse ChevriereInspired by Slow Food's $5 Challenge, the Editorial team decided to create a dinner for two that would fall under 10 dollars. While it ended up being a lot easier than we thought, we did face a few obstacles when determining the guidelines for this challenge.

First, do we ignore pantry staples like butter, olive oil, salt, and pepper in the overall price? We settled on yes. Do chili flakes, nutmeg, cinnamon, and other common spices fall under pantry staples as well? Yes, again.

Another tricky question that came up: Since we are only making these recipes for two, how do we determine the pricing when buying packages of pasta, for instance, when only half is used? The way we dealt with this issue is that the price of the meal should be $5 per serving, leaving us with a grand total of $10 for two people. This way, you could cost out the ingredients based on how much you used, not on how much the packaging was. If you were making one of these dishes for four people, then the total cost

Breakfast is all too often forgotten or skipped during the workweek, but on the weekend, it suddenly takes on a charged, almost obsessive appeal for people when it gets pushed to a few hours later in the day and gets renamed brunch. And that's because nobody wants to wake up for breakfast.

So we thought: Why not push back breakfast even farther? Why not make it for dinner? Perhaps then, people will start having breakfast every day of the week.

We're talking about a quick and easy meal here. Cooking dinner generally requires a bit more commitment than cooking breakfast, we think, so breakfast is a logical choice for anyone who may be reluctant to cook in the evening. Eggs, for example, in any shape or form, are one of the quickest things you can whip up in the kitchen. Fancy a basic cheese omelette? Ten minutes. (Five if you're practiced or a seasoned French chef.)

All of the recipes featured here can be made at home for about $20 or less, excluding the cost of small amounts of basic

Thinkstock/iStockphotoLet's face it, we as human beings are pretty much always looking for an easy way out, especially when it comes to cooking, and buying frozen foods is one route we often take.

There's no arguing it - frozen fruits and vegetables are convenient. They're pre-washed and often available pre-chopped, and they come in compact little boxes or bags that will sit in your freezer and wait patiently for you to remember that you even bought them, whenever that may be. On top of that, most frozen foods are cheaper than their fresh counterparts, and the savings only increase if you're the type that regularly throws out the two-day-old "fresh" broccoli you brought that began to brown before you could use it.

9 Surprising Ways to Add More Fiber to Your Diet

But even with convenience and cost covered, there's still a bit of guilt associated with buying frozen. Everyone's crazy about farmers' markets and CSA's these days, so we should always buy fresh, right?

Not necessarily.

6 Heart-Healthy Recipes

Popcorn - it's addictive, satisfying, and a must-have for any movie-watching night. Whether eaten delicately kernel by kernel or devoured by the handful, popcorn is something that never gets old. But sometimes, one can't help but wonder if there is something more out there. Sure, there's nothing wrong with hot popcorn coated with real melted butter, but there are many other ways to dress up popcorn.

8 Great Snack Recipes

Take, for instance, this Popcorn with Sriracha Butter and Parmesan. Sriracha, if you've never had it, is a popular condiment often served with Chinese and Southeast Asian dishes that's all at once spicy, tart, and ever so slightly sweet. Together with freshly grated Parmesan, it's absolutely dynamite.

Or, if sweet and salty is more to your liking, don't miss out on this fantastic Posh Caramel Corn Recipe, which attempts to replicate Harry and David's popular Moose Munch snack. It makes for a perfect gift, but we won't judge you if you keep it all to yourself.

And

Find out why eating breakfast can lead to a healthier and happier youDo you find yourself dipping in and out of consciousness by midmorning? Suddenly, your boss starts to sound like one of the adults from Charles Schulz's Peanuts and, for the love of God, you can't seem to keep your eyes open. The funny thing is, you got plenty of sleep last night, so why are you so tired? Well, if you skipped breakfast, you might have set yourself up for a day of failure.


Learn How to Cook a Perfect Egg 10 Different Ways

"Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper," is an old saying that rings true to this day. Often, we ditch the breakfast routine in order to catch an early train or to cut back on the calories. Some even find it hard to will themselves to eat that early in the day. But hear you me, friend: Breakfast is not the enemy.

America's Healthiest Fast Food Breakfasts

Skipping breakfast not only completely ignores your body's needs, but it also deprives it of so many positive benefits. Eating later in the day can ruin your body's

Flickr/cookbookmanFirst an 101-year-old lady proved to us that four drinks a day is totally OK, and now an 105-year-old is saying bacon is her secret to long life. Say what?

According to HLN, 105-year-old Pearl Cantrell credits her lengthy life to her love for bacon, as she eats the cured pork meat every day, which got her through "decades of hard work."

Naturally, this goes against every other study out there that says that processed meats actually decrease life span. The most recent study found that 4 pounds of uncooked bacon a day would actually kill a human, which is, admittedly, a lot of bacon.

Other studies have pointed out that eating an additional 1.7 ounces of processed meats leads to a 19 percent increase in pancreatic cancer risk.

Cantrell has, however, outlived three of her seven children, endured years of physical labor working in a field, and is still up and running (and eating bacon every day). We'll just add it to our list of supposedly life-lengthening foods (including Roquefort

Every meat lover dreams of cutting into a perfectly grilled steak and sharing the experience with friends and family, but they probably don't dream of paying restaurant prices. Instead, save some dough and make your own perfectly grilled steaks at home. With a few tips from the pros, you'll be able to achieve restaurant-quality results without breaking the bank.

Good-for-You Grilling Recipes

We consulted a couple of experts for their advice on how to achieve consistent, flavorful results every time you hit the grill with some steaks. John Schenk is the corporate executive chef at Strip House Steakhouse, with locations in Houston, New York City, and Las Vegas. Prior to his role at Strip House, he served as executive chef at Monkey Bar and Mad.61 at Barney's New York. His simple, memorable advice will ensure juicy, tender, flavorful steaks each time.

7 Unusual Foods to Grill

Jan Birnbaum is the executive chef and co-owner of the critically acclaimed EPIC Roasthouse located in San

Thinkstock/iStockphotoMany mornings are met with an egg; sometimes afternoons and evenings are, too. An egg is a "power-packed capsule of great nutrition," says Jim Chakeres, vice president of the Ohio Poultry Association, and just one egg gives you a large dose of all of the protein, vitamins, and minerals that you need on a daily basis. An egg outranks other forms of protein in nutrition by a landslide, and not only is it a superior form of protein, but it just so happens to be one of the cheapest. If that's not enough reason for you to work one into your daily diet, then maybe hearing that an egg can help you with weight loss, because starting your morning with an egg will cause you to eat fewer calories throughout the day, will.

How to Make the Perfect Eggs Benedict

An egg's nutritional qualities are not new news, but what is really important to the Cook editors when it comes to an egg is that it's cooked right. Egg-eating veterans know, and if you're new to eating eggs then you'll soon learn, that