CNN reports that “a weak economy has turned cooking into a necessity for many Americans.” BIGResearch, a Worthington, Ohio-based firm that does consumer research, found that about 45% of Americans are dining at home in 2008; (rather than going out) in order to save money. CNN mentions that Borders Group, Inc. and Amazon.com have both experienced double-digit growth in sales of food-related products like cook books, etc.