Frankie Celenza is a TV Chef Who Cooks on a Tight Budget

It was a lazy Labor Day Monday morning when I was scrolling through Fubo TV trying to find something my girlfriend and I could watch. I stumbled upon a show that's title caught my attention immediately: "Struggle Meals," on a network I never heard of, called Tastemade. I tuned in. I liked what I saw. Then I watched the next four episodes, and there went my morning.

As a fan of cooking shows, it doesn't take a scholar to realize that many of the meals Gordon Ramsay and Emeril make require a certain level of skill and ingenuity the common at-home cook doesn't possess. Enter Struggle Meals. Hosted by Frankie Celenza, the program shows people how to make delicious and waste-free meals without breaking the bank.

Who is Frankie Celenza?:

This approach was so unique to me, I just had to reach out to the man behind it. I got to chat with Frankie Celenza about Struggle Meals, Tastemade, his other show, Worth the Hype, his background as a chef, and some of his food opinions as well.

The first thing Frankie wanted to make clear was the concept of "Struggle Meals" doesn't mean he's cooking hot dogs and making cheese sandwiches on his show. These are full, hearty meals that are also cost-effective:

[The show] never [revolves around making] a hot dog on a piece of bread with some mayo, it really true was a cooking show that taught people how to use ingredients and make stuff, and more than anything, reduce the food waste. That's the biggest place you can save. 30%+ of American groceries go in the garbage. My assumption is because people don't use it up [before] it expires, and they don't know how to use it. - Frankie Celenza, per our interview

Photo Credit: Tastemade

**Why Frankie Celenza and Struggle Meals are Both Different:**

Frankie also announced that he's in the process of publishing his first ever cookbook for release in 2025!

Frankie is unconventional in the scope of TV chefs for a few reasons. For one, he comes across as more approachable and relatable than many. Secondly, he is also part of the new generation that is social media/tech-savvy, and that permeates his work as well. Furthermore, during many-a "Struggle Challenge" (where he attempts to create a recipe for the first time, on the fly), he's not afraid to admit when the taste of the dish doesn't meet his expectations.

And he makes you laugh on the show! You can learn how to cook, maximize the ingredients you purchase at the store, and indulge in a laugh as well!

How to Watch Tastemade:

Tastemade is a cooking and lifestyle streaming channel, and if you have a Roku, a Fire Stick, or a Smart TV, you can pretty much watch it wherever you like. Here's a list of streaming apps that carry the Tastemade channel: