Meet October Tastemaker Cathy Erway

Spit and you hit five amazing restaurants in New York City. Not the most appetizing imagery to use, but you get the point. From the Michelin-starred to the food truck to the hole-in-the-wall burger joint and everywhere in between, NYC’s five boroughs are not lacking in unparalleled food choices. You would have to be crazy to give all of that up. But that’s just what our October Tastemaker Cathy Erway did.

For two full years, she renounced all forms of eating out in the city that never sleeps – opting instead to cook in, pack lunch, dumpster dive and join supper clubs. You see we forgot to mention that New York is also one of the most expensive cities in the world  - and that definitely applies to the food industry. The New York Times recently re-awarded Thomas Keller’s Per Se with four stars, noting that a dinner there could easily set you back $1000. Per person.
Erway documented the entire experience on her aptly named blog Not Eating Out New York. While her experiment ended in September 2008, the blog continues to be a wonderful resource for anyone looking to cook more for less.

She posts recipes on a weekly basis – we’ve tried them, they’re great – and even breaks down the value and green footprint of each one. Erway also wrote a book on the experience called The Art of Eating In. We’re amazed she finds time to cook, and incredibly grateful she found time to be our Tastemaker this month.

You can expect more from Cathy and Hungry Nation in October, and we have a playlist worthy of sweater weather to get things started. So grab a mug of mulled cider, and enjoy our Tastemaker’s Fall Foods Playlist.