Cookbooks for Lunch or To-Go Meals

[BillJennings]

Hi there,

I got married this summer, and we paid for the wedding (and honeymoon) ourselves. It took about a year of scrimping and saving, but it was completely worth it.

I'm gearing up to go back to work in a couple of weeks, and one thing that I'd like to do is to keep my budget on track. I've been trying to find places that I spend a lot of money unnecessarily, and one of the biggest expenses for me is lunch. I spend a heck of a lot of money at work on lunch, on snacks, on coffee in the morning.

What I'd like to do is be better about making lunches and bringing food from home. My work is near a lot of cafes and little delis, which can make it tempting to just bop up for a sandwich or a candy bar.

Does anyone have any suggestions for cookbooks that might help me out? I'm not a kid, and I don't really want a "mom's guide to packing her kid's lunchbox". I'd rather have a good solid cookbook that has plenty of practical recipes for to-go or take-away meals.

I love the America's Test Kitchen/Cook's Illustrated series of books -- do they have anything?

Thanks for your help,

Bill J

[GotGarlic]

This one sounds good: Amazon.com: The Brown Bag Lunch Cookbook (Cookbooks): Books: Miriam Jacobs

I'm tempted to buy a copy myself

[jpmcgrew]

Do you have a fridge and microwave at work?

[BillJennings]

I have access to both a fridge and a microwave; I'm not that likely to use the microwave, but I use the fridge fairly often. I have access to a small fridge that is used by only a handful of people, as well as the much larger one in the breakroom.

[Caine]

Read my post on page 2 of THIS TOPIC. It might give you some ideas.

[Loprraine]

I 've had the Brown Bag Lunch book a few years. It has some good suggestions in it.

[AllenOK]

When I've been in that situation, I always tried to make extra portions at dinner the night before, plate it in a plastic plate with a lid, then take that into work and reheat in the microwave.

[wysiwyg]

BillJennings, America Test Kitchen has several volumes that may help you:
1) The quick recipe ($14.95)
2) The best 30-minute recipe ($27.95)
3) The best make0ahead recipe ($27.95)
A friend of mine is in similar situation as you are, she owns No 1 and loves it.