Have you ever started from scratch in a new kitchen? Perhaps you were leaving for college, or disentangling one household from another. Maybe you were outfitting a second home, or helping a young friend or family member set up with their own kitchen for the very first time.

Is it possible to equip a kitchen for robust daily cooking on a relatively small budget? We say yes. If you are starting from scratch, without a spatula to your name, here’s your checklist of essential equipment — and all for under $300.

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Today we welcome a new contributor to our Kitchen Diaries series: Mercedes Leon, a pescatarian (but mostly vegan) cook who lives in Amsterdam with her husband and four children. We’re so excited to welcome Mercedes and her point of view to The Kitchn. Meet Mercedes! — Faith

My journey begins fifty-one years ago on the island of Cuba. By that time the revolution had already succeeded and Castro had become the leader of the country. The new government instituted food ratios in order to try to equalize food distribution in the country.

As a result, besides often not getting enough to eat, much of the food that was available to the general population was simple and basic.

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Q: I’ve always seen those “bean and vegetable” soup mixes in the bulk bins, and I have no idea what to do with them! They seem to be a mixture of dry beans and dehydrated vegetables.

Do you soak them like you’d soak other dry beans?

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This week, we got the low-down on freekeh and all its awesomeness. Then we tempted you with a fantastic recipe for Fall Harvest Freekeh Salad. Today, we’re finally giving you a chance to win your very own copy of Kelli’s new cookbook Everday Freekeh Meals. That’s right — just enter our giveaway below!

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This late-summer soup has all the components of your usual corn chowder but adds a tantalizing twist with some my favorite Thai flavors, like lemongrass, chili peppers, and coconut milk. While it keeps the comfort food nature of the original, the extra additions keep things interesting.

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One year, when I was in college, my dorm roommate and I decided to save money by not signing up for a dining plan. Instead we each pitched in about $20 a week, and my remarkably frugal roommate found a way to stretch that to a week of meals for two. But there wasn’t a lot of cooking going on. I look back at that time and laugh a bit ruefully about all the Hot Pockets and Pop-Tarts I ate, and wish that I would have known a little more about making smart, cheap meals right there in my dorm room.

I was curious what else our editors and readers wish they would have known in college about cooking. Here are our thoughts — we’d love to hear yours too!

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Coffee Bean Favors

My fiancé Sam and I are getting married in less than a month, and one of the (many) tasks has been finding sweet packaging for our wedding favors. Of all the weddings I’ve been to that have done favors, the ones we’ve most enjoyed (and actually used) were the edible gifts.

The day after the wedding, there’s nothing like a nice breakfast treat, and guests who have traveled quite a distance will surely appreciate a snack on their way home. We quickly landed on one solid idea for our wedding, but in the process we came across a few other inspired options for edible wedding favors — here are five favorites.

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Pre-Order & Peek Inside The Kitchn Cookbook

We’re so pleased and excited to announce that The Kitchn Cookbook is now available for pre-order! The Kitchn Cookbook (out October 7) is more than just a cookbook — it’s a handbook to a happy, healthy, nourished kitchen, with recipes, tips, cleaning advice, cooking lessons, gathering inspiration, and tastes of all the things that make up The Kitchn. Today we’re launching pre-orders with a bonus download goodie for all of you who pre-order (or who already have!).

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Who: Greg Laketek of West Loop Salumi
What: Salumi
Where: Chicago, IL

Greg Laketek grew up spending his summers in northern Italy surrounded by family, beautiful scenery and all the other things that make you wonder why you haven’t packed your bags and played out your own version of Under the Tuscan Sun. “My grandfather would take me around to his friends’ farms where they would make salumi, cheese, bread, wine — that’s what I remember growing up.”

Greg’s appreciation for food began early during those family summers, but during the rest of the year he was back in the Midwest. After graduating from Kansas University with a business degree and starting a consulting company the restlessness set in. He enrolled in culinary school, graduated, but still wasn’t sure what his his next step was. One night while out with a friend, inspiration came to him at the bar (as it often does) while discussing Chicago’s lack of good salumi.

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We are getting into the days when hearty casseroles and warm cheesy things are starting to sound like a good idea again. My absolute favorite time of year. Put this casserole on your list — it’s a veggie-filled riff on baked mac ‘n’ cheese that doesn’t require a roux or even much prep at all, beyond cooking the pasta. It hits that sweet spot of comfort food that has enough redeeming nutritional qualities to justify having it both for dinner and lunch the next day.

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