When it comes to sexy food, there are established aphrodisiacs and then there are the foods that, for whatever reason, we as individuals are particularly responsive to. For me, this is it. The pears become lusciously spoon-soft after a long bath in chardonnay and honey, and the balsamic wakes up the taste buds as it brings out the tartness of the raspberry preserves. I don’t make this for people I’m not hoping to make out with.

This is an awesome way to stretch an expensive ingredient (salmon), by combining it with tasty but less-expensive ingredients, resulting in you getting the most bang for your buck. The burgers are similar to crabcakes but more toothsome and satisfying. The spinach is a healthful, fresh addition and the warm Cilantro Brown Rice makes the perfect bed for the tasty burgers. The burgers are also delicious served on crusty rolls with a garlicky aioli.

We have a massive crush on Food Network chef Dave Lieberman (OK, I have a crush on him. Adam just likes his food.) But seriously, Lieberman is smart, funny, and HOT. Oh, and also, he is totally BrokeAss-friendly! He specializes in food that is tasty and fancy-looking—but inexpensive and made from ingredients that are easy to procure. The following recipe is adapted from a recipe from his cookbook Dave’s Dinners that is perfect for a romantic dinner for two. Serve it with a light Zonnin Prosecco from Trader Joe’s.

Can a soup be sexy? We think so. This soup combines delicious southern flavors (hot sauce, black-eyed peas) with nutty parmesan cheese and spinach. It’s literally a one-pot meal with vegetables, dairy and meat, which means fewer dishes to wash and more time to reap the rewards of your hard work. This recipe was adapted from the back of a bag of Safeway Black-Eyed Peas, and it was originally written by Bay Area cookbook author Marlene Sorosky Gray, who contributed to the cool (and cheap) Cooking Jewish cookbook. You can also reduce the price of the recipe a touch by using chicken Bouillon cubes (available at TJs in liquid form as well).

So, we’ve been live now for about 80 hours. I’m sitting here, listening to Jackson Browne’s Running On Empty, just thinking about what a crazy week it’s been. Seriously, this launch has been amazing, and Mike Gibson and Gabi Moskowitz are truly troopers for getting things up and running so quickly.

Here’s what’s coming up in BrokeAss Gourmet, in the next three or four weeks.

1. Chef Challenge: This is where we call a supposedly bad-assed chef and give them 60 minutes, $20 and a 2-block radius from their restaurant. They are tasked with a challenge of re-inventing one of their best dishes on a BrokeAss budget.

2. Damn, That’s Kosher: Our monthly kosher column begins next week, and the recipes are awesome, easy and affordable. Why? Because they’re written by the one and only Robin Metz (a culinary program grad). One warning: don’t leave any nasty comments, though, because my mom will kick your ass. Just ask Jonathan Boxerman about the time she chewed me out in 1989 for not paying her back five cents.

3. Vegan Thursday: Every other Thursday, we’ll have a vegan post. Many of these are “hacked” restaurant recipes that we’ve made to be vegan, and some are also our own creations

4. Chefs We Hate: This is a periodic column about chefs that write totally useless, totally bullshit cookbooks. Their culinary ideas may be inspired, but their ingredients are usually unaffordable and their prep times are unmanageable. These are most certainly not individuals who will help you “close the deal.”

Thanks for reading for the last few days, and we’re looking forward to tons more of the feeback and love that you’ve given us.