I've always enjoyed throwing dinner parties: poring over cookbooks, then strutting the aisles of a grocery store so that later I can stir brown sugar into pecan bars and sprinkle blue cheese over salads before sitting down to dinner with a group of friends. But last year at this time, when the city's newest restaurants [2] (Fruition [3], Osteria Marco [4]) were playing with ingredients like duck prosciutto and housemade burrata, getting friends to gather for a dinner party--instead of fancy cured meats--was like suggesting to a date that you watch a made-for-television movie instead of heading to the multiplex. But since October, I've noticed a recent surge in the acceptance of my dinner party invitations. I had a packed house for holiday cocktails and another for New Year's Eve. Even last weekend a small group of us gathered for warm chili and crumbly chocolate cookies. The economy may be out, but dinner parties are in--which means my Saturdays are looking better all the time. And I'm not alone. Although the downward-spiraling economy has forced many foodies to cut back on their indulgences [5] (imported cheeses and expensive cuts of meat), for many others, the recession is allowing them to live it up.

Connoisseurs of cheap wine can now safely admit that they love a robust Merlot, like Black Box [6], poured straight from a cardboard carton. Lovers of fried eggs, egg salad sandwiches, and poached egg salads don't have to scramble for a cheap protein substitute. And since desserts never go out of style--not even during a recession--those with an insatiable sweet tooth always have a date. These foods, though, are only the beginning of a long list of low-cost foodie pleasures. The Nielsen Company, via Chow [7], reports that beer, dry pasta, seafood, and pasta sauces are also favorites in tough economic times. What foodie pleasures are you indulging during these crazy economic times?