Roughin' It

Tough-Times Recipes Made Modern for Anyone Stretching a Budget Today—So You Can Eat Well Even When Your Bank Account Says No

Kiki Rough isn't a professional chef. If we're being honest with each other, she doesn't even find joy in cooking. What she has is a food-stamp-fueled education in stretching a pantry, and zero patience for recipes that assume you have money to burn.

Roughin' It is built for the way people actually cook when things are tight:

• easy swaps for the pantry you already have
• no fancy ingredients
• adaptable recipes

What you'll get:

• homemade bagels
• soft pretzels
• comforting stews
• potatoes in every direction
• sauces you don't need to buy in a jar

With 55 recipes inspired by Depression-era, recession-era, and wartime cooking traditions, made flexible enough to work with whatever's actually in your kitchen—even including easy 1:1 swaps for gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan cooking. Roughin' It strips away the intimidation of scratch cooking and replaces it with a roadmap to eating well on practically nothing.

Standard and Primary covers are widely available through general retailers. They often have higher print runs and can be cheaper, especially during sales.

In contrast, Direct Market (DM) and variant covers are primarily sold in comic shops. DM editions tend to have more limited availability and may be more valuable to collectors.

The main differences lie in artwork style, availability, price, and collector appeal. Ultimately, the choice between standard and variant covers depends on personal preference, budget, and individual collecting goals.

Comic book enthusiasts have various formats to choose from when collecting their favorite stories.
Here's a brief overview of the main types:

Omnibus

• Large, hardcover collections
• Usually contain complete runs or extensive story arcs
• Typically 800-1000+ pages
• Higher price point, often €100-€150

Oversized Hardcover (OHC)

• Similar dimensions to omnibus, but thinner
• Collect shorter runs or story arcs
• Usually 300-600 pages
• Priced between €30-€50

Hardcover (HC)

• Standard-sized hardcover books
• Collect 6-12 issues typically
• Similar dimensions to single issues, but with a hard cover
• Priced around €25-€35

Trade Paperback (TP)

• Softcover collections
• Standard comic book size
• Usually collect 4-6 issues
• Most affordable option, typically €15-€25

Other Formats

• Absolute Editions: Oversized, deluxe hardcovers (mainly DC Comics)
• Compendiums: Massive paperback collections
• Graphic Novels (OGN/GN): Original stories not previously released as single issues

The choice between these formats often depends on personal preference, budget, and collecting goals. Omnibus and OHC editions offer larger artwork and more content but at a higher price, while TPs provide a more affordable way to collect complete story arcs