For those in throes of college or recently relieved of their job and/or home, the 99 Cent Chef has all the straight talk on how to do more with less — much less — than you could imagine. Though not directly affiliated with the 99-cent only stores, master miser Billy Vasquez’s timely tips and well-turned phrases guide novice penny pinchers in the art of culinary can-do — deliciously inventive recipes for (canned) oyster mushroom risotto share the stage with Oscar-inspired appetizers and treats so yummy you’d swear you had more money than you recently lost. A far cry from the mirthless matronage of Miss Stewart, Vasquez’s meals and deals come at you in a slapstick series of photos and videos, adding charm and panache to what would otherwise seem desperate measures. So abandon truffles till the next bubble— the 99 Cent Chef is more than happy to float your taste buds through the long and bottomless bust.
