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Entries from Talk tagged with 'shopping'
Buying Produce for One
How I wish I could get six stalks of cilantro, one quarter of a cabbage, three stalks of celery and so on. I read advice to try buying from a salad bar but that stuff is really expensive and pretty wilted. I am hoping some of you from really trendy locations will tell me that some ahead-of-the-curve green grocer is just laying stuff out, unbundled, and charging by the pound. Or is that just my pipe dream?
Indonesian ingredients?
I'm on holiday in New York City at the moment and would really like to make some Indonesian food. Do any of you Serious Eaters know where I can find Indonesian ingredients (kecap manis, sambal oelek, terasi, galanga, etc.)? I wouldn't mind ordering online, as long as it arrived promptly and didn't cost the earth.
Thanks for any ideas.
(Sort of) embarrasing things in your shopping cart
I will admit, in public, that I sometimes buy potato buds. Yes, those nasty fake mashed potato things. But I would never cook and serve them. Ever.
"Why do you buy them?" you may ask. Simple. Potatos added to bread dough makes it soft and pillowy. When I have leftover mashed potatoes, I often add them to my bread dough, particularly when I'm making dinner rolls. When I don't have real mashed spuds and I want fluffy dinner rolls, those potato buds are perfect. But I cringe at the thought that people might think I serve that stuff as intended.
You'll never see ____ on my grocery list
What food, beverage or ingredient would I never find written on your grocery list?
My list never includes any of these:
peas
margarine
Cool Whip
onions
fruit cocktail
cream of wheat
pop (aka soda)
Have you ever found someone's grocery list & thought.."what the heck was she/he thinking...gonna cook with that...or ?" Isn't there a site which posts the actual grocery lists found by others?
Made any stupid kitchen gadget purchases lately?
Well, this comes on the heels of my posting of awesome web kitchen gadget purchases. Where I was admittedly both blessed and lucky with my prepara herb-savor. That, however, was the unexpected, delightful surprise; not the norm.
Which was something driven home to me last night as I used, for the 2nd time, the Wolfgang Puck 5 Cup Rice Cooker bought from HSN a few months ago while laid up with a pulled back and massive boredom. I knew it had to be awful, but all those people were calling in talking about how awesome it was and I was on lots of pain meds. So I dialed. And bought. The first time I used it, it made white sushi rice kind of okay, though slightly burned at the bottom. The second time, last night? Brown basmati rice. It took 1 ½ hours to sort of cook it, the bottom burned black and some of the rice grains still crunchy. This included turning it back to “cook” after it would just go out for no reason every ten minutes. And I should have known better. Because I’m not stupid, and there’s no way I’m buying a good rice cooker for under $35, you know. But there you go, the call towards really, really stupid purchases.
So, how’s about you? What is your most major disappointment? Was it the Ginsu knives? The Ron Popiel Rotisserie. Are you too smart to get suckered in, and are therefore smirking at this post, very pleased with yourself?
99 Cent Store shopping!
I don't know how all of you foodies will take to this post, but I was wondering: Have you ever bought groceries at a 99 Cent store? I went to one today to pick up some cheap wrapping paper and I was amazing by what I'd found. Organic canned tomatoes, Kashi cereal, sun dried tomatoes, organic canned pumpkin, oyster sauce, rice wine vinegar, sushi rice, sea salt grinders, pastry cutters- the list is endless. It's safe to say I went on a mini shopping spree and brought home a huge load of stuff for just 23 bucks! Has anyone else ever checked out their local 99 Cent store? Be honest!
Do you buy foods that you aren't familiar with?
I do. If there's a vegetable I've never seen, it's a sure bet I'll buy it, bring it home, look it up, and then find a way to use it. And I love ethnic markets.
The other day I was at a small local hispanic market that I go to for their homemade tortillas. When they have something that I don't recognize, and I'll ask about it...last time it was some sort of white substance in a ceramic crock that was in the dairy case. The guy who's always there didn't know the English word and the label was in Spanish, so we were at a standstill. I asked him what you do with the stuff, and he said it was something like crema, you put it on things...So of course, I did the logical thing, I bought it. I got home with my mystery crock, and then I noticed some small print on the tag that said, "Billones de bacterias probioticas..."
Yes, it may be yogurt. It may not be. I tasted it, then I looked up some other stuff on the label online, and some sources said it was like sour cream, while others described it as a sort of cheese product. Whatever it is, this stuff is pretty darned tasty. I'm glad I bought it. I'll buy it again.
So, what about you? Do you buy stuff, just to see what it is, or do you stick to the stuff that you already know?
Where to Get Reasonably Priced All-Clad Cookware?
If you're prepared to make a pilgrimage to get some low-priced All-Clad cookware, get ready for a roadtrip to western Pennsylvania.
The All-Clad manufacturing folks in Canonsburg, PA, put on a fantastic "seconds sale" twice a year, usually in December and June, at the Washington County Fairgrounds in nearby Washington, PA.
Here's the address:
2151 North Main Street
Washington PA USA 15301
(724) 225-3151
This sale does NOT get advertised on the All-Clad website, so the exact dates for June & December 2008 are unknown (at least to me). The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has announced the dates in the past. I plan to call the Wash. Co. Fairgrounds closer to June to find out more. You may wish to call them and/or check the Post-Gazette, too.
I'm letting the cat outta' the bag on this one because the information was much appreciated by others in another Talk topic thread . . . and because its just the nice thing to do.
What are your favorite sites to buy hard to find food?
There are certain foods I grew up with, or have grown to love, that are darned near impossible to find, at least without major hassle. So I've turned to internet ordering. It's seriously improved the quality of my life. Tomoe Ame and Umi candy are no longer a distant dream when I order from cybersnacks.net. My favorite mustard in the world (Pommery Mustard w/Green Peppercorns) is just a click away with frenchfeast.com. Do you have any faves? I'm always looking for great shopping websites.
Online Restaurant/Kitchen Supply Source?
I'm sure that this has been covered many times but I just can't find the answer via the search. Apologies if this is an obvious answer.
What is your favorite ONLINE source for residential kitchen equipment? I'm looking for the best (cheapest) source for common items such as half sheet pans, Silpats, Cambros and lids, hotel pans, "six pans", ladles, tongs, etc.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Another KitchenAid Question
I am not sure if this has been asked before but I couldn't find the question. I am buying a stand mixer as a gift (partly for myself) and I am wondering if people have suggestions about the different sizes and wattage. Price is of course an issue, but I would much rather spend the money then get something that does not do the job I want or breaks in a year. we wouldn't use it a ton, mostly for pizza dough and some candy and cookie making. some wattages ive seen are 275, 325, and 350 Is the low end model good enough?
Fresh Fish vs Frozen Fish....isn't it all really frozen?
I prefer to buy my fish from a major supermarket such as A&P, Kings, Whole Foods etc....or from a local fish seller.
My girlfriend just wants to buy the stuff that is frozen in Trader Joes.
I know that almost all fish is immediately frozen on the fishing boats. I live in northern NJ and there aren't any boats nearby selling unfrozen fish.
When it comes to health and flavor...which do you prefer and why? Both issues are equally important.
Foodie Christmas List!
Wanted to get some of the food/kitchen items that are on your christmas list or a "must have" for someone who likes to cook.
Ingredients challenge: What have you made with hard to find ingredients?
Recently, I had to make a nesselrode pie, and the recipe called for lots of glaceed fruit and chestnuts in a syrup.. Surprisingly enough, places like Whole Foods or Trader Joes did not have what I needed. I had to find a Middle-eastern store to get my ingredients. What have you made with hard to find ingredients? What were the items?
Kitchen equipment
I need to fill in some pots, pans, and other kitchen equipment that is old or has disappeared. I have looked in some stores, online and in catalogues. What is your place of choice to buy your kitchen supplies?
Where can I buy vanilla beans in bulk?
I make lots of vanilla ice cream and I want to stop spending so much on vanilla beans at the market. Anyone know a good place/website to buy them in bulk?
thanks.
jason
What was your last impulsive buy?
I'm guilty. Today while ordering my 12 oz brewed coffee, the barista suggests, "The lemon loaf pairs well with the Sidamo..." I glance in the pastry case, looks fresh & has been a couple of hours since breakfast--sure, why not? Those free samples, end of the aisle displays & seductive food aromas can result in impulsive buys. Do you participate?
Penzeys. Any suggestions?
I just got my first catalog from Penzeys. Any must-haves? What are your favorites?
What's the best Japanese Rice source in the US?
I was reading Maki's description of how to make good Japanese rice and she mentions that fresh rice, within three months of harvest, is very difficult to purchase outside of Japan. I'm sure it's difficult, but not impossible - especially in New York. What are the best distributors or sources of rice close to harvest time? (via megnut)
