Sophie

The current global economy is on everyone’s mind. Opinions about how we got here and what we need to do to get out of it may differ, but one thing is resonating universally—it’s time to simplify life, get back to basics, and cut out excess. Ways to cut cost while maintaining quality are hot; budget busters are not.

This trend has not gone unnoticed by enterprising minds ever alert for the next wave to ride, and so we have two new culinary terms to add to our vocabulary: twecipes and recessipes.

When Food Network noticed a trend emerging in the types of recipes people were searching for on their site they were quick to respond with a new category, Recessipes. Recessipes are recession time recipes that are budget-friendly, lighter versions of favorite comfort foods. Current trends show people are interested in saving more than money—they are getting more serious about health, too, and lighter fare is in demand. Food Network was quick to respond with lighter, simpler recipes, tips for budgeting, coupon clipping, ways to use leftovers, and how to cook bargain cuts of meat, etc.

Twitter is redefining internet social networking, and twecipes is one more outgrowth of that. What is a twecipe? It is an entire recipe “tweeted” in 140 characters or less. The benefits? Only simple recipes with few ingredients work, which usually means easy on the wallet and quick to prepare. The downside? The less experienced or intuitive cook may find it difficult to interpret the condensed instructions and severely abbreviated words. The word “twecipe” was coined from a Twitter service that you can tweet your ingredients to and receive a recipe, but is now often used to connote any 140-character micro-recipe.

Want to give it a try? Here’s one:

Best Oatmeal: Cook + stir 1cup oats, 2cups milk, + pinch of salt till thick. Top w butter + maple syrup. 2 servings. (only 116 characters!)

Your turn…