How to be a Frugal Gourmet

Step 1: Survey the contents of your pantry, noting that you only have almonds, green tea, and Spanish olive oil
Step 2: Peruse an incredible food blog in search of an esoteric, yet easily affordable recipe to use.

Step 3: Conduct an ingredients survey: salt...check, mason jar (or if you're extremely frugal, a tupperware container with an airtight lid)...check, various spices hiding in the cabinet...check, and lemons...?

Step 4: Conduct a search for free meyer's lemons
And take a few with you.

Step 5: Wash and scrub the lemons, cut off the end where the stem is and make a one-inch deep X-shaped incision at each end (but be careful not to quarter the lemon by accident). Stuff the incisions with salt (David Lebovitz says about 1 tbs. per lemon) and crush together inside the jar or container.

Step 6: Drop a few extra spices in the jar (a cinnamon stick, bay leaf, some cloves) and seal. Put in a corner.

Step 7: The next day, crush the lemons with the back of a spoon again, making sure that they're submerged in liquid. Seal the lid again and store away, repeating the occasional crush for the next couple of days.

Step 8: Set aside for a month. They'll be ready when they're soft. Discard the pulp and slice the rind into small pieces and add to a salad or pizza. When people ask what the heck you're doing, say: "I'm making preserved lemons. It's very gourmet."

Step 9: Write a note to a dear friend and, maybe, just maybe, call yourself a friminal :)