Diners will see that menus are shorter as restaurants eliminate dishes that take the most work or the most costly ingredients.

Rich households could disguise the possibly putrid taste of meat in the middle of winter by adding costly ingredients like raisins and orange zest.

He also notes that you can add, at your discretion, less costly ingredients such as pigs' ears (shaved), tongue (peeled), or meat cut in little pieces.

The approach makes such sparing use of expensive materials that the single most costly ingredient is the glass itself - and it is simply inexpensive window glass.

Mr. Santillo cut his expenses by not using costly ingredients like caviar and fois gras.

For a few dollars more, there is usually a pasta special incorporating more costly ingredients.

He still plans to serve his signature-style food, with sauces based on herb-infused oils, but with less costly ingredients.

Chasing down costly out-of-season ingredients simply does not make good business sense, she says.

Other chefs do not change the portion size but may skimp on costly ingredients.

But the metal's chemical use has diminished as manufacturers seek ways of doing without this costly ingredient.