Chef who makes meals for under $5 shares tips about budget cooking

With the cost of food continuously rising, knowing how to cook on a budget is more important than ever.

That’s where Maurice Levene comes in.

The 43-year-old, from Brooklyn, New York, has become a viral sensation for sharing an array of videos to TikTok revealing how you can make meals for an entire family for under $5.

In his clips, Levene, known to his 2.3 million followers as Chef Moe, doesn’t just share recipes; he focuses on ‘teaching techniques’ and showing people how to ‘stretch ingredients, reduce food waste and cook from scratch without sacrificing flavor.’

While chatting with the Daily Mail, he explained that he developed a pᴀssion for cooking as a child, when he would help his mom prepare meals.

His first job was as a dishwasher at a local restaurant, and every chance he got, he would ‘watch the chefs work.’

‘I studied everything they did – from the way they held their knives to the way they moved around the kitchen,’ he recalled. ‘I was determined to learn.’

Levene spent years ‘working his way up’ until he was eventually running his own restaurant.

Maurice Levene, 43, from Brooklyn, New York, has become a viral sensation for sharing an array of videos to TikTok revealing how you can make meals for an entire family for under $5

He runs his own restaurant, and in his free time, he teaches people how to cook affordably on TikTok

But over time, he realized that his ‘favorite part of being a chef’ wasn’t the cooking, it was the teaching.

That pᴀssion is what eventually led him to TikTok. It began by him simply teaching people his favorite recipes and techniques without a focus on price.

But when he received a message from one of his followers explaining that she loved his videos but couldn’t afford to make any of his meals, he felt inspired to focus more on affordability.

‘I received [a DM] from a woman who told me she couldn’t wait to try one of my recipes. She thanked me for making it look so easy, but said she’d have to wait until the following month to make it,’ he explained. 

‘I asked her why she had to wait, and she shared her story with me. After the pᴀssing of her husband, who had been the family’s breadwinner, she went from being a stay-at-home mom living comfortably to raising her three young daughters in a two-bedroom apartment. 

‘She told me she only had $5 left and had no idea how she was going to feed her family dinner that night. I told her: “Come back to my TikTok page in one hour.”‘

He then rushed to the grocery store, determined to find a meal that he could make for $5 or less.

‘I’m gonna show you how to feed a family of four for $5,’ he said in the initial video, which was viewed over 3.4 million times.

‘I’m gonna show you how to film a family of four for $5,’ he said in the initial video, which was viewed over 3.4 million times

He filmed himself at the supermarket buying one onion, a box of store-brand pasta, some canned garlic and herb pasta sauce and a zucchini

He filmed himself at the supermarket buying one onion, a box of store-brand pasta, some canned garlic and herb pasta sauce and a zucchini, which totaled $4.19.

He then showed himself dicing and frying the onion in water, cutting up the zucchini and covering it in salt before adding it to the pan with the onion.

He added the tomato sauce, salt and pepper and mixed it with the cooked pasta.

‘The response was overwhelming. That’s when I realized so many families were facing the same struggle,’ he reflected of his video.

Levene, who now has a whopping 2.3 million followers, said his intention was never to go viral.

‘I think people connected with the authenticity of it. The series wasn’t created to go viral – it was created to help one family, and I believe viewers could feel that,’ he said.

‘My goal has always been to show people that anyone can cook delicious, affordable meals with a little guidance and confidence.

‘With a little knowledge and creativity, you can still put a delicious, satisfying meal on the table without spending a fortune.

‘Eating on a budget doesn’t mean sacrificing flavor or serving the same meal every night.’

He’s now posted over 50 videos in the series.

It totaled $4.19

He then showed himself dicing and frying the onion in water, cutting up the zucchini and covering it in salt before adding it to the pan with the onion. He added the tomato sauce, salt and pepper and mixed it with the cooked pasta

Other meals for under $5 that he’s made include pasta with sausage, broccoli and cheese sauce, gnocchi and lentils with a cream sauce and instant ramen with canned tuna and frozen mixed vegetables.

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His biggest advice to those looking to cook on a budget? 

‘Learn techniques instead of just recipes,’ he urged. ‘Once you understand the basics of cooking, you can turn simple, affordable ingredients into dozens of different meals.’

He also stressed the importance of planning meals before you shop and buying ingredients that you can use in multiple dishes.

‘And don’t overlook frozen vegetables,’ he added. ‘They’re nutritious, affordable and last much longer [than fresh ones].’ 

‘Most importantly, don’t be afraid to cook from scratch. It may seem intimidating at first, but it’s almost always more affordable, healthier and tastes better [than making pre-made things],’ he said. 

‘You don’t need a big budget to make a great meal. With a little creativity and the right knowledge, you can feed your family delicious food without breaking the bank.’

His biggest advice to those looking to cook on a budget? ‘Learn techniques instead of just recipes,’ he urged. ‘Once you understand the basics of cooking, you can turn simple, affordable ingredients into dozens of different meals’

Levene told the Daily Mail that his videos are about more than just saving money at this point.

‘Seeing [my TikTok] grow into a community of millions of people has been incredibly humbling,’ he reflected.

‘The views are amazing, but what means the most to me are the messages from people telling me they were able to put food on the table, learned to cook for the first time or simply felt less alone. That’s the success I’m most proud of.’

‘I want people to know they’re not alone. Food insecurity is a real struggle for millions of families, and it can happen to anyone,’ he concluded.

‘If my videos can help someone put dinner on the table, ease a little stress, or give them hope during a difficult time, then I’ve accomplished what I set out to do.

‘I also hope my platform reminds people that kindness goes a long way. By sharing knowledge, supporting one another and looking out for our neighbors, we can help each other through difficult times. Sometimes a simple meal can mean so much more than just food.’