Thank you for the analysis. Now I don’t have too. It was so obvious looking at the ingredients used that it would be significantly over $10. Plus, what will you do with the other .90 of tomato paste to illustrate the fact that some items cannot be split without waste, so you almost need to include the full cost.

Also interesting that the quantity of carrots was different from what was presented on the screen to what was on the recipe.

This really turns me off to this rehashed show concept.

You are SO RIGHT. This show is damned joke… nobody can make French cuisine for cheap. As soon as she started making pastry (for a side dish, no less) it was over. Cream, butter and fresh herbs for every meal. How realistic. Cheap substitutes aren’t even mentioned. I call total bullshit that this woman is even a typical stay-at-home mom. She’s obviously some rich whore that just slides the credit card at the checkout stand without even glancing at the price. She’s going to get axed just like last year’s winner… wtf was her name…

She is cute as a button but she is just too frentic, she makes me uneasy. I watched that Sunny Anderson same thing. I think the real reason I watch the Barefoot Countess is that she isn’t afraid to have a little silence. All these others just never shut up!

This show is a JOKE! I knew once she made orange chicken breasts (3 required) that there was no way in hell the meal would cost $10. Just the chicken breasts were $7.99 and that did not include any ingredients or sides.

If they really stuck to a $10 budget the only things Melissa would be cooking is Mac & cheese.

Have you all even made the dishes? The Chicken l’Orange, the Moroccan meatballs, and the potato tortes are all DELICIOUS!! I like her and she gives good tips.

Wow — such vitriol, especially from some of the comments. For the person who claims she is some rich @#$% who just slides the credit card at the checkout without even thinking about it, that might have been true in her former career. It might not be so true now. She lives in a fairly small community in Northern Texas, for heaven’s sake, not exactly a rockbed of high paying jobs, high income earners. If you saw the finale, when she had her friends over, she was telling her friend how to stretch tacos or burritos or something like that by adding beans and how much that would cost per serving. If she never thought about it, she wouldn’t have needed to do that, and probably wouldn’t have had friends who needed to know that either. Just food for thought.

I never assumed that the $10 would cover absolutely everything, she’s assuming you have a decently stocked pantry, true, and prices will vary, New York’s are probably amongst the highest. (Note: she’s not shopping in New York, I’d bet.) Every member of my family has most of those items routinely around the house, with the exception of cream, and I think I may be lacking the balsamic vinegar. And if you have a family, you are probably going to already have some bacon and maple syrup in the fridge.

As for the prices, clearly, either you folks have much higher prices than I do, or some of you aren’t very good at the bargain shopping or buying things on sale. I can easily buy butter (store brand) for $2.50 a pound, as long as I scope out the sales adverts, that’s $1.25 for two sticks, less than half what you all did. I just did a couple of weeks ago, and that’s during the summer, when butter prices are higher (demand from ice cream makers for cream). Its cheaper in the winter, and can be stored in the freezer.

As for the chicken breasts, she did advise you to buy them when on sale (I’m assuming she’s buying them bone in, skin on, which is much less expensive) and freeze them for later. I couldn’t find any on sale this week, but they are routinely on sale, and if not, I could buy two whole chickens on sale for 77 cents a pound, four pounds each, pay $7.50 and get four breasts from that plus lots of extra pieces to use for something else. But I can still buy whole chicken breasts on sale for about what I would pay for a whole cut up fryer at regular prices.

I can buy real maple syrup and olive oil and some of those other items (onions, lemons, chicken stock, canned tomatoes, potatoes, etc.) at Costco for less than the amounts above. A 20 lb bag of Russet potatoes is around $6.70, if we assume three potatoes is a ound, that’s about 35 cents per pound, and if you change types of potatoes, you can buy a 10 pound bag of Yukons or fingerlings instead.

Admittedly, that’s more than a single person or a couple might need, but if you have a family, if you have four people to feed (or more), you’ll necessarily be buying more.

I buy chicken broth during Thanksgiving and Christmas for about 50 cents a can, and use it throughout the year. But if I’m smart where I buy it, I can still get it for around 70 cents a can, or less, for Swanson brand, even less for generic brands.

I have tried to watch three episodes of this show, and I can’t sit through them. She is really annoying. That face-cramp fake smile makes me twitch. And the $10 premise is so bogus.

When will this joke (show) be cancelled?

You all have way too much time on your hands. Get over it. The meals, and I have made all of them, are good and quick. The chicken and potatoes is my fav.
If you don’t like her show, change the channel. But it is nice to have a fresh face and not those over exposed hags that Food Network seems to put on 50 times a day. You are just jealous of her. Get on with you lives. You bunch of pathetic losers.

If you people are REALLY this upset over one show on a vast cable network, you seriously need to get hobbies. Maybe take a walk, see some sunshine.

Get over yourselves.

And, FYI, I have no idea where YOU people shop, but A. MY pantry has every item so far that she has mentioned, they are SO not specialty ingredients. Seriously, you don’t have EGGS and BUTTER?? Maybe you should stick to eating out. And B. The premise assumes, and she says so REPEATEDLY that you are making these meals seasonally and on sale. I live in regular old high priced Sacramento CA. and I assure you, I could make all of those meals for 10 dollars at the store and what I have in my pantry. Provided I do as she says and shop on sale. And seriously, who DOESN’T??

I DO like her recipes and she’s sweet. HEY give her a chance.
Melissa, you just keep going and do not read the neg comments. I do wish the 10 dollar name was gone because it is true, there would be a lot of waste, but I like your recipes so much and I wish you good luck. You showed all those trained contestants-now show those nay-sayers!

Melissa, don’t be too disappointing by the negative comments. No matter how good the shows are, there are always haters and jealous. Your show is just a running start, and I think you are doing GREAT. Keep up the good work. And I think you should change that $10 name. To get the finest quality food, you need 10+ dollars. But overall, you’re doing great! HAI!

I just made the orange crispy chicken and even when chicken ISN’T on sale I was able to buy four breasts, skin on, bone in for under 4 dollars. The dish turned out AMAZING and tasted delicious. Pretty much everything else she mentions in her cooking I have in my pantry and it’s assumed that you have a stocked pantry. Pricy items like olives and the cheese that was mentioned are not meant to be used for the ENTIRE dish FFS. You would obviously have leftovers and use them for another dish. Use your brains people. With that said I can say most of these dishes can be prepared in the 10 dollar range with occasionally going over by a buck or two. WHO CARES!! You’re feeding 4 people and anything 10-12 bucks is a bargain. I can’t say I like her as a host because she does get on my nerves but I don’t have to live with her:)

[...] her money somewhere. No way in hell do her meals total $10 for a family of 4. According to Tom at Just Eyeball It, who tallied some of Melissa’s meals, most of her meals cost around [...]

[...] was a bit harsh on the first season of 10 Dollar Dinners… if by harsh I mean “really annoyed by the $10 concept that isn’t real.” [...]

Melissa D’Arabian is not a veteran TV star for God sake. Her foods are very good and the show is what you would expect from a beginner she is a really nice person and a very good cook.I saw some of Emeralds first shows and geese Melissa she is so much better than Giada it is sinful to say she is like Giada. Geese look at Paula Dean she reminds me of the comment Alan Shore made about the Lawyer from Texas on Boston Legal who calls everybody a hoot it is sorta like early American furniture…. a bit dated.
Give it a break!
Jim

Wow, some of you are very harsh. I have enjoyed all the episodes I’ve watched (probably about 4 so far) and as for the premise, I’m fairly certain that you could re-create the meals she makes for under $10 dollars unless you never cook and have no ingredients in your kitchen. I cook on a semi-regular basis and had all but a few ingredients for each of the shows I’ve watched. Even so, if you’re cooking seasonally and looking for sales, I think you’s be successful. Give her a chance!

If I were a math type I would have done this myself. I just knew you couldn’t keep these meals to under $10. I don’t think you could even with Costco prices in a lower priced area than NY! Maybe you could save $5.00 but not much more. So she’d still be over budget by about $5.00. The premise irks me too but her frenetic pace and nervousness probably irks me just as much.

I have been trying Melissa’s receipes and most of them are quite good and quite easy. (Try the Chicken a l’Orange and the French Cut Steak.) To make these $10 Dollar Dinners, you do have to buy on-sale, a point she stresses, use your freezer, and buy in quantity. Even though I’m just cooking for two, I’ve been able to keep it pretty close to $5 or $6 dollars using her recipes.

I do agree. Yes she is just a beginner but she is not engaging doesn’t engage with the camera therefore her viewers at all. I counted the other day how many times she looked @ the camera during her whole show…..4 to 5 times for couple seconds only. It’s funny. And who wants to reminded how much this whole plate of caramalized banana cost for three times anyhow??? Some of her recipes are good and she has potential but she has to work hard to make her show last. And lady, stop telling us 20times about your price breakdown. Lol.

She makes me feel uneasy just like sunny. I used to like Rachel ray but soon It gets too chatty…she talks non stop the whole show. Sandra lee’s semi homemade cooking– well thats a whole different story. It sucks. Who wants to cooking wearing matching expensive clothes that also matches with het tablescapes. Is she crazy??

I like Tyler’s ultimate recipes. He has a good way engaging with the camera without over doing it.

Giada is really good but I feel like watching an well rehearsed cooking show. It’s good but nothing like INA GARTEN. Boy!! Is she natural?? I love how she engage herself with her viewer even when she is not talking. And yes! Sometimes she gets to fancy and too chic with her friends and flowers but it inspires me in a way. I mean who wouldn’t want to be so poised yet real like INA??

Ina …you rock.!

She sucks big time the reason she won the next food network star was she pulled the story on how her mother commited suicide. She is annoying and looks like a retard!