When Gabe from Oy Sauce approached my table at Paper Plains Zine Fest, he saw my Coco Zine and asked me if I’d be up for making a trade; his “Easy Meals for Hard Times” also features a cat, a tortie named Chef Crouton. A recipe zine with a cat for a mascot? That sounds great… count me in!

The zine finds Chef Crouton accompanied by lovingly-painted watercolor illustrations of easy-to-make meals that won’t break the bank, plus some ways to “dress it up, if you have the ingredients and energy.” For instance, their egg drop soup only takes 5 ingredients (stock, ginger, soy sauce, cornstarch, eggs), but if you’re feeling fancy, they suggest adding mushrooms, spinach, tofu, scallions, tomato, shrimp, or chicken. This flexibility makes “Easy Meals for Hard Times” a terrific zine for apprehensive or newbie chefs: the recipes are approachable and adaptable. As they state in the zine’s introduction, sometimes cooking feels like an insurmountable task, but these recipes will “help you get those little victories — simple meals that will be enough to get you going.” This is a well thought-out collection, featuring the sort of staple recipes you’re sure to visit again and again.

And oh yea, did I mention how dang cute Chef Crouton is? They are ADORABLE! Chef Crouton can teach me how to cook anytime.