The current foodie fad would have you believe that 'good food' is all about exotic ingredients and clever-dick techniques. And the supermarkets would tell you that it's about fancy labels on over-packaged, processed foods.

In fact, throughout history, the best food is to be found among the peasant cuisines where people use simple ingredients, cooked by simple methods, but with imagination. And because this food is eaten by, well, peasants, it's very inexpensive.

That's the kind of thinking that has gone into Trish's new book, Make Do & Cook (available now in print and Kindle e-book editions from WebVivant Press).

The book is all about cutting the amount you spend on food while still enjoying delicious and nutritious meals.

The secret lies in understanding the food you eat. Instead of ready-prepared foods - which may contain who-knows-what preservatives and colouring, and always involve expensive processing and packaging - the book focuses on basic ingredients and how you can make the most of them.

There's nothing difficult here. The majority of the 100 recipes are quick and easy to make. And you don't need fancy equipment - just some basic items that the book lists for you.

The important thing is to start with good ingredients, and Trish takes you through how to buy and prepare them. So while the starting point for each meal may be basic, the end results are tasty and impressive.

What's more, the techniques, tips and recipes in the book are as useful, and as money-saving, whether you're cooking for a whole family or just yourself.

»  For more information, visit the Make Do & Cook page at WebVivant Press »

Savvy Shopping

As well as cooking the food, Make Do & Cook also gives you invaluable tips on shopping, budgeting and menu planning. Indeed, you'll probably make back the cost of the book the first time you do the weekly shop.

Many of these tips have been adapted into a free e-book, Make Do & Cook: Savvy Shopping, available for download in PDF and ePub formats from the WebVivant Press site.