Famous Frug: Jeff Smith

Long before “Frugal Gourmet” made it to our small screens as a segment in Primetime Morning, the moniker belonged to Jeff Smith.

The original Frugal Gourmet was a TV cooking programme that ran for 14 years, from 1983 to 1997, predating Martha Stewart. Smith, the “Frug”, was called "the most visible gourmet" of the 1980s by Time magazine. He was part of a movement to get Americans shop for, prepare and appreciate food. More specifically, low budget cookery.

He also wrote 12 books, which is how I got introduced to him - at the bargain bin of Borders. The 12 books he wrote sold more than 7 million copies, and his first two books occupied the No. 1 and No. 2 spots on the New York Times best-seller list simultaneously, and by 1992 he had sold more cookbooks than any other author.

While the Frug hit great heights, his career skidded to a halt over claims that he had sexually assaulted young men. Three civil suits were filed in 1997 by eight men. One was dismissed, while Smith settled the other cases before they went to trial. He always protested his innocence, but his career was over, hence the bargain bin.

Whether or not the allegations were true is still debatable, with one man’s word against another, and nothing said before Smith attained fame and fortune. One thing is sure though – he wrote good books, and the persona behind the writing was generous, and frugal. This is not a contradiction.

Smith’s generosity came across in his readiness to acknowledge the sources of his recipes. In the acknowledgements section of one book, he says he notes that “the list is long, but each name is important.”

He gave little introductions to each recipe, in which he mentioned restaurants, magazines, and individuals, from which he picked up the dish, sometimes giving the method verbatim from the grandmother, say, who passed him the recipe.

In these introductions, he passed on little nuggets of information about the culture that gave rise to the food. In introducing Scottish eggs, for example, he declares: “I do not like the remark about the Scots being cheap. They are not cheap, they are frugal. They waste nothing, a trait that Americans should certainly admire.”

It was only in Smith’s books that recipes would include the admonition to “save the poaching liquids for another use.” Compare that with the usual “drain after poaching” from other, less frugal, books.

Smith passed away in 2004, but he still has his fans – one website, http://www.recipezaar.com/cookbook.php?bookid=34702&ls=o&pg=3 posts his recipes, and has drawn responses. Some of his programmes are even available for loan from our National Library.

Check them out some time.

Famous Frug: JS Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach is what I call a famous frug – a famous person who happened to be frugal. Like Benjamin Franklin. Not a person famous for being a skinflint, like J Paul Getty, for example, at one time the richest man in the world, who installed a pay phone in his house, and refused to help pay a ransom for his grandson until one of the boy’s ears was delivered to a newspaper. Getty was also famous for a disastrous personal life - he was 0 for 5 marriages. In my books, a rich guy who refused to pay a ransom for his grandson (he got the boy’s father to pay him back the ransom, plus 4 percent interest), and who made visitors pay for their own calls is an “infamous frug” – a person who gives frugality a bad name by confusing it with stinginess.
By contrast, Bach was "temperate, industrious, devout, a home lover, and a family man; genuine, hospitable, and jovial. Frugality and discipline ruled in the Bach home, also unity, laughter, loyalty, and love."
The ravings of an enthusiastic biographer? Perhaps. While all the biographies I’ve come across claim a happy domestic life, I’ll stick to the financial facts. Bach was obviously not motivated by money, and knew how to live within his means, whatever they were. The composer had been Kapellmeister ("chapel master", whose responsibilities were to compose and conduct the music at a church, cathedral, or royal chapel) to Prince Leopold of Cöthen. A happy situation, as the pay was good, and his second wife Anna Magdalena Wilcken, was a singer at the court, drawing a salary that was half of his.
However, his aim in life was to write "well-conceived and well-regulated church music to the glory of God." In pursuit of this, he moved to Leipzig, to become cantor at the St. Thomas School. He accepted a 75 percent drop in salary.
Bach stuck to it for the last 27 years of his life, managing to make do for his family (he had 20 children, though half of them died before adulthood), while entertaining friends, students and relatives (and not just with music). And of course, writing some of the most amazing church music ever. He also wrote lots of secular music, like the Goldberg Variations and the Musical Offering, so he wasn’t exactly a frog in the well. A little aside - Beethoven played his Well-Tempered Klavier as a music student.
Bach was a frug, perhaps because of the meagre salary, but it was probably also a personal preference. Early in his career, he wanted to hear organist Dietrich Buxtehude play. So he walked 250 miles to hear him, and the same distance back again.
On another occasion, a relative, Johann Elias Bach, sent him a barrel of new wine. On November 2, 1748, Bach wrote, thanking JE Bach for the gift, but saying that "the excellent little cask" "was almost two third empty, and . . . contained no more than six quarts; and it is a pity that even the least drop of this noble gift of God should have been spilled." He knows that his cousin would send another, but tells him not to, having calculated the cost of freight, delivery and town excise. Thanks, but too expensive.
I like to think that the frugal lifestyle contributed a little to the musical genius. Bach didn’t waste time any more than he did money, and was constantly reviewing his work. He had a good attitude to his gift, stressing hard work and learning from others, either making copies or adapting works by other composers. "I have worked hard" he said, "anyone who works just as hard will go just as far."
Well, I don’t know about that. Maybe revising his pieces, which he did continuously, helped make them really well-thought-out, with no clumsiness. But is that enough for greatness?
Maybe another factor was divine. Bach was very devout, and many of the manuscripts of his works start with the initials JJ, which stand for Jesu,juva, (Jesus, help). Many pieces end with SDG, an abbreviation for the Latin Soli Deo Glori, (Only to God the Glory).
One of his famous quotes on music is: “The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.” Another: “Where there is devotional music, God is always at hand with His gracious presence.”
Perhaps the Almighty was gracious enough to touch his industrious, frugal and pious servant with that special something that made his music immortal.
One thing I’m sure of – hardly anyone will remember JP Getty in 100 years, or even 50 years. But JS Bach will still be a household name.

The St Michael’s Church jumble Sale - what happened

Went down after lunch , as instructed, and was a bit disappointed. “Not so many things this year,”” said a friend, and indeed, the amount of stuff looked miniscule.
I needn’t have worried. As I helped put out handbags, travel luggage and other bags, they went upstairs and brought more things down. And more, and more. Great for a scrounger like myself, but it does say something about our consumeristic society too.
A couple of bags caught my eye (“is $3 ok?” asked the organiser) and got deposited in the car. So did an old but working fax machine – mine died, and this one, which works on thermal paper, suits my low usage needs perfectly. Nevertheless, I told them to sell it to someone else if possible – after all, it isn’t totally essential for me, but I’ll use it if no one else wants it.
With so many goods, things had to be sorted, hung up and so forth. Just as well, as it saved me from foraging for my own shopping pleasure. But not for long.
Soon, I found a couple of books, a grating machine with a few blades and a pristine cake decorating set, right down to the cloth bags for icing ($1 each).
Then the mass was over, and maids and foreign workers, and parishoners came down. With bags at my stall going for $1 (used), $2 (new) and $5 (branded, not guaranteed genuine), it took just a couple of minutes to reduce the carefully set-up stall to a mess.
Some people, with say, eight bags in their hands, asked for discounts. I was a little reluctant, as the prices were already very good, right? But I agreed in a couple of cases. When I reported what I did, half expecting to be frowned at, I was told, “Good!”
This put me on the right track. I’d been on the Singapore mindset, which, if not trying to squeeze as much out of people and things as possible, was at least trying not to be “had”, and possibly anxious about getting scolded for being soft - a bit “us vs them” and basically nasty – whereas the whole point of the jumble sale was to help people. I must try to remember this more in my day-to-day interactions.
I called it a day at about seven. I got the fax for $5 in the end, as there had been no takers. Spent about $30, got a fax, four new handbags (I’ve given two away do far), one computer bag, a belt, a magazine, two books, a teapot and the cake decorating set and grater.
Satisfied the shopping instinct for a while, and more importantly, for a modest sum. I also felt a bit embarrassed when I saw the stuff others gave, and compared it with the things I had contributed – do I wear things out more (good), or do I just give junk (bad)?
Something to bear in mind as I work on the books for next year’s NLB book exchange.

Charity, in deed!

The St Michael's Church jumble sale is on this weekend, 12 and 13 sept!

This one of my favourite events of the year.

First, it's a chance to get rid of stuff that I have no use for. The chances are they will find a new home, and new usefulness. Then I might actually see something I want, and it's nice to know that it's all been "pre-owned", so I don't have to feel bad about buying something that, though frivolous, has grabbed my fancy. Finally, it's all for charity, and this jumble sale is charitable in more than one way.

Of course, the money raised will go to charity. But the church also gives coupons to less fortunate people so that they can get some things too, and join in the fun. And the prices are charitable as well - nice and low. I think it's rather good that buyers don't have to choke up huge amounts for something because it's in the name of charity. Yes, I know we're supposed to give until it hurts, but it's nice to feel the pain after you get ten items, rather than slink off, broke, after buying just one item.

I sat out the Great Singapore Sale because I realised I didn't need anything, but the combination of pre-owned stuff (less bad for the environment!), low prices and charity is hard to resist.

And I've come across some pretty weird and wonderful things before. Once, someone donated glasses decorated with 24 carat gold - I got sets (5) of martini, wine and brandy glasses at a few bucks (less than 5, I can't remember exactly how much)each.

I'm not Catholic, but I really like what this church does. Among other things, they also give out free food to less fortunate people.

If you want to just give, that's great too. Pop by around lunch time with your stuff.
If you want to buy, the fun starts at around 3 or so.

Church of St Michael
17 St Michael's Road,
Singapore 327976

A Frugal Break

A friend called up and suggested we take a break in Malaysia before a project. It sounded good to me – just after a busy period, and I could draw on my ringgit account for a “free” trip.
It was decided on the morning itself to go up the west coast. So we hit the highway. Going up to Cameron Highlands in one day sounded a bit tiring as the highway drive would be followed by the hairpins of the ascent from Tapah. Why not take the highway all the way up to Ipoh, eat the hor fun and the beansprouts, drink the coffee, and spend the night there before taking the newer route up from Simpang Pulai?
Since there was no actual plan, there were no hotel reservations. We stopped by a couple of places and asked rates. There were a few possibilities, but we opted for the Hotel New Caspian, one of those old Chinese establishments where they are not keen on “upgrading” but they do keep things clean.
We got a room with two single beds, with firm mattresses and pillows, floors clean enough to walk on barefoot without grimacing – they were tiled, with no carpeting, which is just the way I like it. I have a horror of mouldy old carpets. My friend has a host of allergies, but reported no attacks the next day, so it was pretty good. And there was even private parking – the unit next door had no front door or front wall – just drive in and park, and someone was there day and night to keep an eye on things. All that for RM70 a night. Not bad, eh?
A short rest was followed in the evening by a trip to the railway station to admire the building, and to get a foot massage at the Pusat Urut in a corner – quaintly-decorated, with masseurs who use enough strength to relax you after a hard day’s driving. Then on to a late dinner of hor fun, and the famous Ipoh chicken and beansprouts.
After breakfast the next morning, a visit to the bank to withdraw spending money, an obligatory stop by a pharmacy to pick up supplements, creams and such, then to a large limestone cave to admire the rock formations.
On the way up to Camerons, some orang asli had their stalls out with jungle produce. Gave up the thought of buying bamboo shoots and petai as they might not be able to tahan until we got home. We did buy some plants though, and I was glad of it as we drove on and saw how many valleys which used to be forest had been cleared for farming.
Now I’m not in a position to rant against clearing the forest, since I like Malaysian veggies as much as anyone else – who knows if the ingenious China farmers have found a way to stuff melamine or some other noxious chemical into their veggies yet? - but it was a shock to see how much land had been cleared, and I felt bad for the orang asli, who are being squashed.
I campaigned to stop by a few bungalows to ask for accommodation, based on fond memories of bungalow stays as a child. After a couple of misses, we stopped by the Lutheran Mission – yes, the last place that Jim Thompson wandered by before he disappeared.
An anxious face looked out at us. “We’re very busy at this time, and you should call ahead to book.” This unpromising start was followed by a grudging “how many of you?” Two. And “How many nights do you want to stay?” Two.
“Will this room do?” Yippee!
We had the whole place to ourselves for the two days (they had just got rid of a whole house that morning, and were expecting another full house the day we left) at RM35 per head per night, plus service charge, with meals an optional extra. We opted for two breakfasts, and dinner the next night.
The rest of the afternoon was spent wandering about the garden, admiring flowers, loafing indoors, and leafing through books on the shelves. At first sight, “The River Garden of Pure Repose” sounded like a heavy bit of theology, but it turned out to be a rather well-written novel, and I ended up staying up the two nights we were there in order to finish it.
We drove about to see some of the other bungalows and hotels, then went down to Tanah Rata for dinner. Sad to see that the cute little town has ballooned into a patch of urban sprawl. Well, it isn’t as bad as Brinchang, which is all business, but it isn’t picturesque anymore. Pity.
Breakfast of tea/coffee, cornflakes, two eggs (“how would you like them?”) a rasher of bacon and as much toast and jam we could eat was a nice throwback to the days of childhood holidays, and cost us RM8 each. Well worth it, since it was a rainy morning and driving out to find food would have been a chore.
More photography of the flowers in the garden, and we were ready to explore and buy. Well, you have to get tea for those nice people who keep giving you things every time they go off on holiday, right? And strawberries for tea, and “honey” sweet potatoes, and sweet corn. The lunch menu was settled when we stopped at an orang asli stall selling durians. For good measure, we got a couple of bamboo shoots (RM6 for two) and some nuts which sounded like an alternative of candlenut (RM3.50 for half a kilo).
The next it was down to the lowlands, on the highway to Melaka. It was a hot day, and heavy going, especially since I’d stayed up the night before to read. After slogging into town, a good chendol was in order, which we ate by the river, across from some red buildings in town.
Our digs for the night were at the Kancil Guest House on Jalan Parameswara, run by Dawood, a Singaporean. For RM40, we got a room with two single beds, with windows on two sides, and an overhead fan. There were a couple of communal bathrooms and toilets up and downstairs, which were very clean, as was the rest of the house.
I’m a bit finicky about my floors, and had not been keen when asked to take my shoes off upon entering the house, but the place was a joy to walk on. Dawood later explained that he tells his people he just wants his rooms clean, his floors clean, and his bathrooms and toilets clean, but the whole place was spotless. And very quaintly decorated too, with old records pasted onto the walls, a trishaw in a corner, and an old ice grinder in another – that’s what they used to shave the ice for ice balls and ice kachang. And lots of plants in this pre-war two-storey Chinese house – in the air well (where there’s also a well!) and a leafy garden at the back, where you can sit and have a drink or a meal. We preferred to sit in the kitchen, next to the old cooking range (they cook with a gas stove now though), where we could chat with Dawood, who is smart, and open, and willing to share opinions and ideas (properly thought-out ones, I mean) on many topics.
Back home via the old trunk road, as it is prettier than the highway, and with no tolls to pay. Of course, this is only to be attempted on a Saturday (and maybe Sunday), when the minyak lorries etc take a day off. Casual driving, with stops for lunch in Muar, and to meet friends in Batu Pahat. On the way, of course, we kept an eye out for pretty houses. Possible retirement homes in Malaysia – somewhere to put up in our 60s and 70s, perhaps. (May have to move back to expensive Singapore after that, to meet medical needs).
Enjoyed some friends, a few strokes of luck, a couple of foot massages, and cheap, fresh fruits and veggies. Altogether, a good break.

Grocery Games

Since I started trying to break my restaurant addiction by cooking some dishes myself, I’ve found that my grocery bills have gone through the roof. On the plus side, my restaurant bills have fallen through the floor. Overall, I spend less, but still eat quite well, and get a big kick out of making my own chocolate mousse, panacotta and Basque ox tongue stew (with pigs’ tongues – I don’t know where to get ox tongues). Not a bad state of things, overall.
However, I’ve learned a thing or two about how not to go overboard with the groceries.
First, if you go to the supermarket choose it with care. According to Tim Harford in his book The Undercover Economist, stores place goods strategically. By placing certain goods at eyecatching spots, they can actually boost the sales of those items by getting us to buy them on impulse. So the supermarket that is located conveniently in posh areas will probably tempt us with fresh fruit juices rather than the cheaper cordials. Both shops stock both goods, but the expensive stuff will be in the impulse spots of the posh location.
Outlets convenient for busy commuters tend to charge more for the same goods. As do different “brands” of supermarkets, even if they are owned by the same group. An interview with The Asian Parent (http://sg.theasianparent.com/articles/supermarket_differential_pricing_explained_diary_farm_group) showed how Marketplace, Shop 'N Save, Giant and Cold Storage, though part of the same group, charge different prices according to different groups, and across outlets within the same groups.
“Pricing is affected by many factors. Location and rental is just one of them. Other factors include the market positioning of the store, the level of service and store ambience. Retailers also take into account the competitive strategy of each store in each neighbourhood.”
To me, this translates into: “We want to make as much off the consumer as possible, and will squeeze whose more willing to part with their cash as much as possible.”
I don’t like to part with my money unnecessarily. To make sure that I get my money’s worth, especially in these days of inflation – they say that inflation has slowed, but I’m still trying to get over that massive jump in prices from late 2007 to early 2008 – I tend to stay away from Cold Storage unless I need something exotic, like kosher salt. And other such highly unlikely purchases.
Some people say the food there is fresher than other places, but most of the time, the meat I buy goes into the freezer for some time, so I’m not crazy about paying two or three times more for meat that will end up frozen anyway. Sometimes I do buy a couple of pieces of grass-fed steak from QB, but make sure I cook them right away, or keep them in the fridge overnight and eat them the next day.
I also make it a habit to shop at Shop ‘N Save or NTUC outlets in heartland areas – it helps to live near Geylang East. To avoid overdoing the buying, either go after eating a meal, because being hungry makes everything look tempting, or make a shopping list and stick to it, or both. I tend to avoid shopping before meals, but I don’t make lists, since I enjoy checking out the sale items. I take part in a survey of consumer patterns, so I have my food buys to scan into a machine. This makes me quite aware of what I buy, and the price compared with that on other shopping trips. For my trouble, they give me points, which translate into $100 worth of Harvey Norman coupons every 10 months.


I find that saving is less onerous if I treat it as a game. To entertain myself, I sometimes buy something on sale that I normally don’t eat, and challenge myself to make something out of it. Some chicken livers on sale led to liver pate, based on a recipe from a book, which I amended because I don’t like raisins in my savouries, and I don’t know where to find armagnac.
Here’s my version of Smooth Chicken Liver Pate:
3 tablespoons port
2 tablespoons Armagnac or sherry (if you don’t have one spirit or another, just use 5 tablespoons of one)
350g chicken livers, trimmed
100 grams unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon salt (actually, I’m use salted butter, and add less salt)
85 ml double cream, warmed (any cream will do)
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon allspice
50 g butter, melted, or 1 sheet gelatine (for sealing). Panko flakes (optional)
Poach the livers in simmering salted water until just bouncy and tight, but not firm. Overcooking will lead to grey pate, which tastes ok, but doesn’t look so good. Put them into a blender with all the other ingredients except the last. Blend it into a smooth paste.
If it is more watery than pasty, stir in some panko flakes – these Japanese breadcrumbs are really fine and taste neutral, so they form a good thickener.
Pour into a shallow dish, cover with cling wrap and put in fridge for 30 mins.
Take out of fridge, remove film, and spoon over melted butter to seal. I find this ok, but I prefer melting a sheet of gelatine in a little of the liquid used to cook the liver, and then pouring the gelatine mixture over the pate to seal it. The butter looks too fatty.
Refrigerate for at least 6 hours. The book says consume within 48 hours, but I have kept it for 72 without any loss of taste or ill effects.

The Great Singapore Sit-out

Our newspapers are full of ads touting bargains to be had all over our island. The great Singapore Sale is on again.

I must say I was sorely tempted when I accompanied someone into Isetan to exchange a blouse. There were tops, bottoms, undies and what-have-you galore, and at such affordable prices too!

But though I saw a nice blouse that would have suited me perfectly at $10, I managed to make it out of there with my wallet unscathed, thanks to something my sis-in-law Sophia once said. We’d been whining about not having enough space for our stuff when she noted: “Just because something fits you, and looks good on you, and is cheap, doesn’t mean you have to buy it.”

That gave me pause. Until then, I think that if all those factors were present, and I was not actually broke, I would automatically buy the item. ... And would later moan about not having enough space to store all my clothes.

Sophia lives in Rwanda, where she gets exposed to more have-nots than we do in Singapore – can you believe that books and colour pencils there are luxury items? No kidding. Also, she moved house in Singapore 20 months back, and had to contend with loads of stuff, so I respect her pronouncements about movable property.

Actually, I should have known even without her prompting, since I do get exposed to some of the less fortunate, since I volunteer for the Touch Community Services’ Meals on Wheels scheme. Every week or fortnight, I drive around delivering lunch or dinner to old or infirm people.

It’s good exposure – the first time I did it, I was traumatised because I’d thought that one-room flats belonged to our ancient past, and had all been torn down. Nope.

Back in those interior corridors, with the neighbours’ televisions blaring, and other neighbours in various states of undress, all visible through open doors, I felt a blast from the past. I was a kid again, following my parents to visit some old friend or relative. I’d be perched on a stool, with a cup of very dilute syrup, wondering when we could go home. I was generally a rambunctious kid when I was in familiar territory, shouting, running around and tearing up the place, but this was alien territory indeed.

Delivering food makes me more content with what I have – instead of reacting to all the stuff marketing people dangle in front of me, I feel very lucky for what I have. That is, until the GSS rolled around again.

While the GSS offers are supposed to be really great, I plan to buy only according to my need, rather than the good deal being offered.

And since I have pretty much what I need, I think I’ll be sitting out most of the GSS this year.