In the city where dining is a sport, a gourmand swears off restaurants (even takeout) for two years, rediscovering the economical, gastronomical joy of home cooking. Includes thirty original recipes.

Introduction: Eating out in New York -- The start of my restaurant fast -- Breaking into bread -- Mise en place -- Chilaquiles and meringues: cooking quirks and characteristics -- Getting dirty: trash diving, freegans, and frugalistas -- From the land: urban foraging 101 -- Not ordering in: less haste, less waste -- Giving thanks: communal feasting with friends and family -- Going solo -- New lows: the search for the perfect date meal -- Underground eateries: supper clubs and the exclusive SOS -- Hanging over in New York: the Mexican menudo incident -- Cooking up a storm: competitive cooking and collaborations -- The end of an era -- The opposite-week experiment -- Epilogue.