What food will you not compromise on? Even if it means mucho $$$
Okay, I'll admit that I'm spoiled, but there are certain things I'm not willing to cut corners on. If I want prosciutto, I want Proscuitto de Parma, or its equivalent. The knockoff supermarket version isn't worth it to me. If it's not in the budget that week, I don't have it. I have a wonderful bottle of 30 year old balsamic vinegar that I happily shelled out the big bucks for. It lasts for a long time and it does things to good that the supermarket stuff never will. And for me it's not just a money issue, I'm just as "line in the sand" with cheap stuff sometimes. If I want a Big Mac, I want a Big Mac. A Whopper, while quite tasty, is not a Big Mac and it just won't do when the spirit moves me.
What are the foods that you will not compromise on? Where it's the best (or your very favorite) and with feet dug in, it's your way or the highway.
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43 Comments:
I agree on proscuitto. I will also never compromise on cheese - if I don't have money for good cheese, I'd rather go without. Other foods I will not compromise on, in no particular order:
*olive oil
*olives
*organic milk (no mucho $$$ involved here though:-))
*mushrooms
*chocolate
*vanilla (beans and extract)
*coffee beans
*shellfish
*beer - there is only one brand that tastes good to me (Grolsch), and it happens to be pricier than many other ones. I usually take wine over beer anyway, but if I fancy a beer, it has to be the good stuff.
brooke29 at 8:08PM on 02/05/09
Olive oil
Whippingcream
Butter
Parmesan cheese
bareneed at 8:18PM on 02/05/09
cheese
olive oil
beef
salami/cold meats
wine
flour
all my baking ingredients
chocolate
I never knew Grolsch was more expensive.
Fresh fruits and veggies
coffee
pecans only the best from the south and in bulk
pistachios
We don't compromise on much around here.
JerzeeTomato at 8:25PM on 02/05/09
Coffee Beans and Scotch
Ribster at 8:52PM on 02/05/09
I have been racking my brains and...I just don't think I compromise on food at all. I haven't been clothes shopping in about a year, I keep getting my aging winter boots repaired rather than replace them like I need to, and I cut my own hair (not particularly well), but I always buy the highest-possible quality food. I don't buy exotic ingredients very often, nor meat, but I do buy quality.
producestories at 8:53PM on 02/05/09
Oh, so many of the same above...
Pruscuitto de parm
parmesan
olive oil
just good cold cuts...genoa salami, black forest ham, real turkey breast, off the bone...not any "combined" stuff
true (not proccessed) cheese
good bread
fresh pasta, if I can get it (live in the boonies)
fresh herbs
balsamic, although I have cheated on this one,
just can't get the good stuff all the time
olives
San Marzano canned tomatoes
How much time do I have???
But will eat anything someone has prepared for me at their home, no matter what.
Karencooks at 8:57PM on 02/05/09
I refuse to compromise on any food or wine.
izatryt at 8:58PM on 02/05/09
I skimp on a lot of food. I tend to buy a lot of sports equipment, and food is one of the places I cut back in order to afford it. However, I will pay the extra money for grass-fed beef...I think it tastes better. Additionally, if I see a really nice looking fresh loaf of bread, I'll pony up the cash for that (but I won't NOT buy cheap bread if that's all that's around). And the only peanut butter I'll buy is Naturally More. Luckily, that's only marginally more expensive than other PB's. But like Karencooks, if someone else is cooking for me, I'm a lot less picky and a lot more grateful.
cycorider at 9:06PM on 02/05/09
Okay, I feel way better about myself. I only named a couple of things because, well, I didn't want to look like princess and the pea, but here is the real list:
Proscuitto
Aged Balsamic Vinegar
Any cheese I like
bread
olive oil
pasta
olives
coffee
chocolate
vanilla
Muir Glen Tomatoes (of any kind)
tea
pasta
butter
oatmeal
Spaghetti-O's (shut up!)
rice
canned beans (only Goya will do)
cereal (Weetabix, Cheerio's, and steel cut oats)
maple syrup (must be real, no pancake syrup
I'm sure the list is longer,
chisai at 9:16PM on 02/05/09
About other people cooking for me - I will eat it, no matter what it is, and be grateful that someone actually likes me enough to do so.
chisai at 9:17PM on 02/05/09
Steaks and coffee.
dmcavanagh at 9:26PM on 02/05/09
Bourbon; everything else has its price.
PumpkinBear at 9:29PM on 02/05/09
Hmmm..when it is just for me (especially now) I will totally skimp, though I would rather buy and eat basics than cheaper "nice" stuff.
If I am cooking for others (for a nice meal, not basics like a game night or nibbles) I do tend to get the best ingredients I can readily afford.
Of course (barring the meats I don't eat) I will gladly eat anything others cook for me also.
For just me, I will buy the higher price stuff to avoid HFCS every time.
Always certified humane chicken (the only meat I buy)
When I do splurge on seafoods beyond canned tuna and the like, I buy fresh or the higher quality and line caught when I can .
I buy myself organic milk and cream. The longer shelf life makes it more than worth it.
Other than that I skimp on my own food wherever possible right now.
sadiepix at 9:35PM on 02/05/09
Tomatoes, Romano, chicken, and corn are some of my favorite foods I will NOT buy if they're sub-par.
embolini9 at 10:00PM on 02/05/09
@Jerzee - yes, it's more expensive, at least round here.
brooke29 at 10:03PM on 02/05/09
Vanilla
Cheese
Champagne
Wine
Olive oil
Ice cream
The BF with his uber $$$ beers.
Kitchen appliances,
I agree, if I crave something with a certain taste, anyother place with the same item but different taste is not going to curb my craving.
pjracz10 at 10:03PM on 02/05/09
I love you, Karencooks!
ocarol at 10:32PM on 02/05/09
Oh, and how could I forget tea, wine and ice cream!
brooke29 at 10:45PM on 02/05/09
"Real" cold cuts
Greek Yogurt
Almond Butter
Chocolate
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Fresh herbs
Seafood
andrearode at 10:51PM on 02/05/09
@izatryt - Amen to that!
Food is the one thing on which I will never cut corners (and yes, I include wine as food).
Steen at 12:29AM on 02/06/09
If it's something where I think the brand or the quality or the supplier is important, I don't compromise. If it's more money than I want to spend for that particular item on that day, I don't buy it.
Most things, I buy when they're on sale or at least not when they're sky high. I have a well-stocked pantry and freezer. I also don't usually run into the situation where I have to have something right away. So I have time to shop around.
dbcurrie at 1:05AM on 02/06/09
I'm flexible on most things except Reggiano Parmesan, scotch and chocolate.
billions at 3:34AM on 02/06/09
Organic cream
Cheese
Aged balsamic
Iberico Jamon
Olive Oil
Wine
Chocolate
figandcherry at 3:36AM on 02/06/09
Scotch...
Pavlov at 5:31AM on 02/06/09
olive oil
cheese
bourbon(it's jim beam or maker's mark only)
LizSherman at 8:13AM on 02/06/09
I find I compromise quite a bit, and have been pleasently surprised by some of those, I try to keep the food budget in check by using less pricey ingredients, ie meats. and using everything I do buy. I've tried the Fresh Market proscuitto and while its not as good, it is acceptable, some thing for a few other ingredients. I buy very small amounts to try and if acceptable I will buy more.
huneybumper at 8:38AM on 02/06/09
Cold cuts, especially ham (I hate boiled ham)
Any kind of alcohol - I'd rather go without, than drink something cheap
Olive oil
Any kind of vinegar
Fish
Chocolate
Canned tomatoes
Sandwich bread
Tea
Junie at 9:35AM on 02/06/09
Cheese, liquor, and chicken are the only things that I'm really unwilling to compromise on, all yeilding from bad experiences with cheap replacements.
annabanannas at 9:42AM on 02/06/09
olive oil
butter
cheese
bread
coffee
cold cuts
certain fruits and veggies.
lakeloverhh at 9:43AM on 02/06/09
Beer. Other than the occasional glass of wine (even then, I go for the semi-cheap stuff), it's the only alcohol in the house that we actually drink. The other stuff is basically for cooking only (and when drinking it, even the good stuff, all I taste is alcohol).
Fish. I tend to buy cheaper cuts of meat, and the organic chickens I can buy aren't THAT much more than the Perdue/Tyson chickens... but I've noticed a huge difference in fish with texture, flavor, etc... and as much as I love Wegmans, they have way too much 'colored' fish.
Otherwise... we've found 'good enough' olive oil, vinegars, canned tomatoes, canned tuna, etc in our local shops that don't break the budget.
stratusgd at 10:21AM on 02/06/09
I'm usually pretty flexible, though I buy higher-quality when we can afford it. We're picky about coffe/espresso beans (will only buy from Karma Coffee) and I'm picky about tea. I'm also a water snob and will only drink filtered or bottled water, never tap. I can taste the difference. I prefer Brita filtered, but like a handful of bottled water--just not Aquafina, which tastes strongly of plastic.
littlestcapy at 10:24AM on 02/06/09
I used to comprimise and scrimp and save on food. There was a time when the wife and I were so broke we were living off my homemade chicken soup and any sort of chicken cassarole I could come up with, because chicken thighs were so cheap.
Now, even with 2 kids, I don't have to do that. And so I refuse too. I buy good foods, and do my best not to comprimise.
thepirateking at 10:56AM on 02/06/09
I know it's only a $1 or $2 swing but if I'm making pasta for guests I go DeCecco or Barilla.
San Marzano for peeled tomatoes
mozzarella
and as i've mentioned on this site before, homemade stock is worth the time and money over those boxed ones.
z911empire at 11:40AM on 02/06/09
Coffee
vanilla
Chocolate
Grape Nuts (if you're a fan, you know generic isn't the same)
Embackus at 12:52PM on 02/06/09
Cold cuts, real parmesan cheese, ice cream, prosciutto, good bread, cookies (I like some store-bought ones, though most I only eat homemade). With the exception of those store-bought cookies, I hate most store-bought baked goods. I've never had a good bakery pie.
emgroff at 12:54PM on 02/06/09
Not really break the bank differences...but I do have my favorites that I will not substitute.
- coffee, pure Kona (99% of the time it's free, but we still buy some for ourselves)
- ramen/udon/soba
- Spam...well, Tulip is better, but it'll cost *me* $10/can to get it since I haven't found a supplier in the US
- Hellman's mayo
- salmon steaks, wild...I don't care for filets unless I'm going to mince them up and bottle it.
- rice, Kokuho Rose
- organic whole milk
- Campbell's chicken noodle and cream of mushroom soups for days I'm too lazy or sick
- sorbet, Ciao Bella
I think the rest is negotiable...
Cassaendra at 1:00PM on 02/06/09
Peanut butter, cold cuts, vanilla extract, canned tomatos, beef, and pork.
GolfGirl at 10:58PM on 02/06/09
chocolate
cold cuts
peanut butter
port
cheese
ice cream
cookies
To me, it's not about the $$, it's about whether what I'm eating is worth the calories. If it's not a clear and resonding yes, I don't want it...
And yes, if I go to your house and you feed me cheese product on Wonder bread I will eat it :-)
cowprintrabbit at 8:25AM on 02/07/09
I forgot coffee, it's Lavazza or Illy or nothing.
LizSherman at 9:24AM on 02/07/09
I'm dedicated to organic and local, but one item that I make exceptions on is that i will only use sweet onions - never yellow onions.
I'm in Seattle, so Walla Walla's are local and I buy them by the caseload in season, but year around I buy whatever sweets are available.
Nursie at 3:08PM on 02/08/09
I've been lower-than-middle-class for all my adult life, so there are very few compromises I can avoid. Frozen fish, big-block cheese (not Velveeta), and factory-farm eggs are staples in our house. But:
I always buy whole milk and real butter. Our only white rice is basmati. Our only cooking oils are olive and peanut. Fortunately, Safeway stocks them all at prices I think I can afford.
And I bake all my own bread (can't afford any store bread but balloon bread any more!), and I haunt the farmer's market in the spring, summer and fall.
gentlyferal at 3:14PM on 02/09/09
@chisai:
Yeah, me too.
gentlyferal at 3:16PM on 02/09/09
Like many of the above, I will go without rather than buy an inferior product in many cases. Good cheese, Hellman's mayo, cooking oils, and believe it or not, paper towels.
I can get by on store brand whole canned tomatoes, pasta, and canned tuna.
Kerosena at 4:27PM on 02/09/09