THOUGHT FOR FOOD - Grocery Shopping Doesn't Have To Be Gross

Site of the "dreaded deed."

Some people really hate grocery shopping.  They'd sooner get stuck with some other, far more grodie task than push a basket around looking for food bargains.  In fact, I know some people who can honestly claim that the only time they step foot in a supermarket is to pick up beer or for some other dire emergency. 

Disabled cart - my chariot.

Personally I like doing the deed.  I like comparing prices, seeing what's available and to be honest, I like driving those motorized carts around the store.
I walk with a cane or crutches; those ride-around thingies make the process so much easier.  Like the Beach Boys say....Fun ! Fun! Fun! I only wish the baskets were a little bigger.

Don't get me wrong - grocery shopping it is a chore, especially these days when prices are going up almost daily. In fact it's downright maddening to watch as coffee prices, for example, rise from $7.89 to a whopping $15.49 in one seven day span.  I know, I've seen it.  And we shop the "cheap" stores!

An intimidating sea of shelves

It can be downright intimidating....this sea of shelves. So what is one to do?  How does one get in there, get it done and get out of there without going into sticker shock?  Let's be honest....you can't.  But you can take charge of your choices, modify your eating habits when possible to incorporate less expensive items, check the ads for specials and, if need be, shop different stores for the best bargains.  Just remember to include the cost of fuel in your hunting expedition, that's the only way to get an understanding of your savings....if any.

Shop carefully.  Don't be in a hurry when gathering your foodstuff.  This isn't about just schlepping a basket around and grabbing things off shelves. You're in control of the health and well being of yourself, your household...and your wallet!

Realize that lots of stores have set up the shelves to their benefit, not yours. Look around, above and below your normal field of  vision.  Sometimes there's a deal right below or above the more costly item. These stores are literally banking on the fact that you're not paying attention.  As they say, "It's business."  So make it your business not to let them do their business on you!
Go into a store sometime when you're not shopping for the week.  Walk around and you'll see how things are placed. Call it marketing, call it manipulation. It's a real eye-opener!
Some have suggested shopping the perimeter of the store first. That's usually veggies, dairy, meat and breads first. The other items are in the aisles. It's worth considering this "map," as it gets most of the essentials out of the way first. 

Make a list before going to the store.  Categorize the list into sections that make it easier for you to find things.  If you normally start your foraging in the vegetable aisle, start your list with veggies.  Also, distinguish between "essentials," and "wanna gets, " taking care of the former before moving on to the latter. 

It would be good to have menu plans in mind before embarking on your expedition. This can be a little tricky, with prices changing every week.  Look for ads in the paper and online. Plan menus accordingly. Clip...click, print and use...coupons when they really are a bargain.  If you don't normally like or eat snails, why would you want to buy them just because they're on sale?  Impulse buying is bad for a budget!

Have an open mind. Don't be afraid to try store brands.  Sometimes they're pretty good substitutes.  For example Jack likes canned spinach....especially Popeye brand.  I understand. There's nothing like that crusty old sailor's face and name emblazoned on the label to bring back memories of childhood and Saturday morning cartoons.  But at close to $1.79 a can, we're talking a fairly expensive trip down memory lane!

So I bought one can of Popeye brand and one store brand and did a blind taste test.  Truth is, Jack couldn't tell the difference.  I might have noticed that the Popeye version was slightly more salty, but other than that it was fine.  Price comparison - Popeye brand $1.79  Store brand $1.19.  The math speaks for itself.

Chinatown, S.F.

Don't go food shopping on an empty stomach.  If you want to cause a negative impact on your food shopping dollar, going to the store with a mean case of the munchies will do the trick. It's amazing the things you'll bring home under the influence of a growling belly!  On the one hand it can open new vistas, like discovering lychee nuts.....but on the other? I don't even wanna go there!

Local green grocer

Some things are available cheaper at dollar stores.  I buy a lot of my cleaning supplies that way.  Same thing with local farmers' markets or, in my case, the local green grocer. I live near San Francisco's Chinatown, and not too far from the Mission District either, so have bargains practically at my front door! There are also plenty of Farmers' Markets throughout the city.  Talk about location!

Dollar store delights

 If you're fortunate enough to have these valuable resources nearby, take advantage of them!  The difference is astounding!  Just one example: Ginger at the local supermarket is about $2.00 for a tiny scrap.  At the local Chinese green grocer it's $0.75 for a whole hand! (that's what they call a whole ginger....and it kinda looks like a hand, too)

Food display theater

Use your senses. Learn to recognize when food looks old, feels old and smells old.  Don't trust the lighting right at the meat or vegetable counters. Go to the middle of the aisle and look at the thing under "real" lights.  If the bottom of the broccoli looks brownish or woody....if its tops have yellowish or brown patches...consider it too old for rock 'n roll.  Most certainly too old for your table!

Above all else, find ways to enjoy the task.  Don't go shopping when you're too tired.  Of course this can't be helped some times...schedules being what they are.  But when possible, go in a relaxed and unhurried frame of mind.  When possible.  I know.

If you can't do the shopping for yourself, write a detailed list and hope for the best.  If your helper is someone who knows your tastes and budget, you'll probably do fine.  But still, don't assume!  Make sure they know what's important - and if need be what options might be acceptable.  

There are times when I need help; arthritis being what it is there are days when even riding on one of those drive-around grocery carts is not an option. My grocery list for this situation is far more explanatory.  I'll include not only the item but if appropriate the brand (or off brand) name, quantity and even alternate suggestions in case the original item isn't available.

While this sounds like a lot of extra work, it's also one way to avoid the heartbreak of inferior or wrongly purchased products. There's nothing worse than friends at odds over a grocery run.  

In some stores you can save money packing your own groceries,  re-cycling grocery bags or using those cloth sacks.  Check your merchant's policy on this.

We've come a long way from hunting and gathering our food on the open planes, but it all still boils down to the same thing.  Trying to provide for ourselves and our families.   So perhaps we're not that different after all.

If you have any suggestions, comments or what ever please feel free to submit them!
Enjoy!

THOUGHT FOR FOOD - Hints - Handy Substitutions

SOME SUBSTITUTIONS

Rather than being driven mad about not having an ingredient needed for a recipe, try these substitutes....courtesy of the Crisco Kitchen website.
Here's the link:  http://www.crisco.com/Cooking_Central/Cooking_Basics/Substitution_Table

Allspice 1 teaspoon =     1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon + 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
+ pinch of ground nutmeg (optional)

Apple pie spice1 teaspoon =     1/2 teaspoon cinnamon + 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
+ 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice + 1/8 teaspoon cardamom

Baking powder 1 teaspoon =     1/4 teaspoon baking soda + 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
+ ¼ teaspoon cornstarch

Broth, beef or chicken 1 cup     = 1 teaspoon beef or chicken base, instant bouillon granules
or 1 bouillon cube dissolved in 1 cup boiling water

Butter   1/4 cup  = 1/4 cup Crisco Regular or Butter Flavor Shortening + 1-1/2 teaspoons water
            1/3 cup  = 1/3 cup Crisco Regular or Butter Flavor Shortening + 2 teaspoons water
            1/2 cup  = 1/2 cup Crisco Regular or Butter Flavor Shortening + 1 tablespoon water
            2/3 cup  = 2/3 cup Crisco Regular or Butter Flavor Shortening + 4 teaspoons water
            3/4 cup  = 3/4 cup Crisco Regular or Butter Flavor Shortening + 1-1/2 tablespoons water
            1 cup     = 1 cup Crisco Regular or Butter Flavor Shortening + 2 tablespoons water

Buttermilk 1 cup = 1 cup plain yogurt OR 1 cup minus 1 tablespoon milk +
1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar

Catsup 1 cup     = 1 cup tomato sauce + 1/4 cup sugar + 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
+ 1/2 teaspoon salt + pinch of ground cloves

Cornstarch 1 tablespoon  =  2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Cream OR half-and-half 1 cup  = 1/2 cup light or coffee cream (20% butterfat) + ½ cup whole milk

Cake Flour 1 cup sifted  = 1 cup minus 3 tablespoons sifted all-purpose flour + 3 tablespoons cornstarch

Garlic 1 clove = 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder OR 1/2 teaspoon jarred minced garlic

Ginger Root, fresh ginger 1 tablespoon (minced or grated)  =     1/8 teaspoon powdered ginger

Herbs, fresh 1 tablespoon  =     1 teaspoon dried herbs or ¼ to ½ teaspoon ground or powdered

Lemon juice, fresh 1 teaspoon =  1 teaspoon bottled or frozen lemon juice

Mushrooms, fresh 8 ounces  =  1 4-ounce can sliced mushrooms, drained

Mustard, powdered 1 teaspoon  =  1 tablespoon prepared mustard

Onion, fresh 1 small    =  1/3 cup instant minced onion

Onion powder   1 tablespoon     =  1/2 cup chopped fresh onion or ¾ to 1 teaspoon onion salt
(reduce salt in recipe by ½ to 1 teaspoon)

Orange, sweet 1 medium = 1/3-1/2 cup orange juice

Pimento 2 tablespoons chopped =  2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh red bell pepper

Pumpkin pie spice 1 teaspoon =  1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon + 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
+ 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger + pinch ground cloves

Sour cream 1 cup =  1 cup plain yogurt OR 1 cup evaporated milk or whole milk
+ 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice

Sugar, dark brown 1 cup packed = 1 cup packed light brown sugar + 1 tablespoon molasses

Sugar, granulated 1 cup  = 1 3/4 cup unsifted powdered sugar (baked goods may be less crisp)
OR 1 cup packed brown sugar (baked goods will be more moist and chewy)

Tomatoes, fresh 1 pound = 1 ½ cups or 16-ounce can whole tomatoes

Yogurt, plain   1 cup     = 1 cup sour cream OR 1 cup buttermilk


If you find any other substitutes, please feel free to pass them on! 
Enjoy!

THOUGHT FOR FOOD - HINTS - Weights & Measure Conversions

You know how it is....you're all ready to cook-psyched even.  But darn it all, it seems you gotta be part mathematician and part logistical engineer in order to figure your way through some of these recipe books!
Sure there are charts, but gee whiz! Isn't there an easier way than leafing through these bible-sized editions and struggling through the small print?

The Internet is a great resource.  Lots of people have a laptop near or even in the kitchen these days....some even have a monitor on the refrigerator door!  Ain't that something!?!!

But either by choice or circumstance, not all of us are so technically connected.   So today's blog entry will be concentrating on Weights and Measurement conversions. Feel free to copy and print this list....maybe even tape it on to your fridge.  That'll show those folks with Windows on their Frigidaire doors!

POUNDS (lbs) TO GRAMS (grms)                 

1/4  lb  =   144 grms                                             
1/2  lb  =   227 grms
3/4  lb  =   341 grms
1 lbs     =   454 grms
2 lbs     =   907 grms
3 lbs     =   1361 grms                                  
4 lbs     =   1814 grms
5 lbs     =   2268 grms
6 lbs     =   2722 grms
7 lbs     =   3175 grms
8 lbs     =   3629 grms
9 lbs     =   4082 grms
10 lbs   =   4526 grms
11 lbs   =   4990 grms



OUNCES (oz) TO GRAMS (grms)

1 oz   =    23 grms
2 oz   =    57 grms
3 oz   =    86 grms
4 oz   =   113 grms
5 oz   =   142 grms
6 oz   =   170 grms
7 oz   =   198 grms
8 oz   =   227 grms
9 oz   =   255 grms
10 oz =   284 grms
11 oz =   312 grms
12 oz =   340 grms
13 oz =   369 grms
14 oz =   397 grms
15 oz =   425 grms
16 oz =   454 grms








 FLUID MEASUREMENTS
   
1 cup     =    8 fluid ozs       =        240 ml
1 pint     =    16 fluid ozs     =        480 ml
1 quart   =    32 fluid ozs     =        960 ml
1 gallon  =    120 fluid ozs   =      3840 ml

Here's hoping this helps!  If you'd like to add more info, feel free!
Enjoy!

THOUGHT FOR FOOD....Recipes as legacy

Iron Chef Chairmn

"If memory serves...." that's how the Chairman on the original Iron Chef show usually began his musings of the coming challenge.  He'd scratch his chin, take a bite out of a pepper and regale us with a thought or two before sending his combatants into Kitchen Stadium for a head-to-head cook off.  

I love that show....and many of the other culinary broadcasts that have come our way since Madame Julia graced us with her presence (and persistence and patience) as The French Chef.

Julia Child in her West Bank apartment

To her and the countless others who brought real food to the American table should go several generations of gratitude from home cooks, wanna be chefs and Micheline Award winners the world over.  For it was those pioneers who really gave us a kitchen consciousness.  Before that, the place was just somewhere for wifey-poo to sling hash or, in more opulent society, where the servants were sent to do it....so to speak.

From a young age I was interested in food; in how to coax flavors, mix different colors and textures...and as luck would have it, mine was a large family with lots of food holidays, gatherings and Sunday dinners.  So there was ample opportunity to work with the stuff...to learn its traditions....to build a passion.


Mom had most of her standard recipes in her head, but there were some that were so special they were written down....or their cookbook pages saved with index cards or paper clips for future reference.  You could tell when something special was going on.  Mom would bring out "the big guns," like Fannie Farmer or Joy of Cooking and scan through the recipe box until she found just the right thing.  

More often than not she'd add an interesting variation or two; partially because some members of our large family were picky eaters. But I think there was more to it than that. I think it was her creativity shining through.
My mother was the first Foodie I ever knew.  

And I soon discovered I had been born into a whole family of 'em!
Aunts, Grams, Cousins....when we got together for a get-together, be it picnic or wedding reception, everybody brought something.  Their  "speci-ality."   Mom's famous meatballs, Aunt Virg's eggplant parmesan, Aunt Anne's green bean casserole, Dad's expert hand at the grill....on and on.  

To this day, sister Carolyn and I swap recipes and exchange ideas-regardless of the miles.  It's in our blood.

Recipes are more than a means to an end...more than just a pinch of this and a dash of that.  They are bits of memory; reminders of moments shared with friends and family. They are often passed down, generation to generation as part of a legacy.

There was a time when recipes were treasured and valued as gold.  Only certain people had them.  The rest of society hand to put up with what they could figure out on their own, until the printing press, common languages and measurements and inexpensive reproductions came along.


There's been quite a lot of history between that wooly mammoth steak on the cave man's fire and Chef Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares!

My recipe box

Even with times being tough, there's still an awful lot to be thankful for. We have blenders, sharp knives, modern stoves and so on.  We don't have to use bows and arrows to bring home the bacon.
And even when we do "rough it," we've come a long way from scavenging  on the open planes.  

Our hunting ground is a supermarket - the only things we have to deal with there are other customers getting the best deal first, sticker shock as the prices go up and the occasional botulism scare.


So as I go to my recipe box for inspiration, I am reminded of just how good it is to be alive...in spite of, and maybe even a little because of all the craziness going on in the world today. For you see, I have all the wonderful memories each treasured recipe brings and only have to start cooking to not only bring them to live, but make new ones in the process.

Now THAT'S magic!


As always, please feel free to share your thoughts, ideas, memories and recipes!  Full credit will be yours!

THOUGHT FOR FOOD - HINTS - Substitutes

Somewhere in the midst of most fine cook books sits a place where the cooking stops and the crunching begins.
While this blog isn't a "cook book" per se, it does function in a similar way...sharing more than recipes and offering helpful hints.

When I ventured into this world on my own, I learned adaptability.  It's how I survived.  Actually it's how we all survive; whether on the streets, in a boxcar or a in penthouse up in the clouds. 

The knack of making due is as fine an art as painting.  Depending on circumstances, that painting could be a mess....but it could also be a masterpiece.  When it comes to cooking, making adjustments tends to be more the rule than the exception. There are many things to consider when planning to cook -  you forgot to get eggs and the store is closed, or the store ran out of the ingredient(s) to name just two of many well-known conundrums..

Here are some well tested substitutions that should help.
                                        

1 Tbsp. corn starch - for thickening                               
   Substitution: 2 Tbsp. all purpose flour - for thickening

1 cup sifted cake flour                             
   Substitution: 7/8 cup sifted all-purpose flour (7/8 cups = 1 cup less 2 Tbsp.)

1 tsp. baking powder                             
    Substitution: 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar + 1/4 tsp baking soda  (this will constitute "single acting" baking powder, so your batter should be used very soon after adding this substitute! The powder's single action is that it reacts to the addition of liquid only so you need to get it cooking a.s.a.p.  "Double acting" baking powder has two activation points:  first when liquid is added and second when heat is applied)

1 whole egg                                            
    Substitution: 2 egg yolks plus 1 Tbsp. water

2 whole eggs
    Substitution: 1/4 cup mayonnaise (there will be some minor flavor adjustment needed - taste often!)

1 cup egg whites
    Substitution: 6 or 7 large eggs

1 cup egg yolks
    Substitution: 11 or 12 large eggs
 
 1 cup whole homogenized milk
     Substitution: 1 cup skim milk plus 2 Tbsp butter/margarine   OR 1/2 cup evaporated milk plus 1/2 cup water

1 cup dairy sour cream
     Substitution: 1 Tbsp lemon juice plus evaporated milk to make 1 cup  (measure evaporated milk first then add lemon juice...whisk)

1 cup soured milk or buttermilk
     Substitution: 1 Tbsp white vinegar plus sweet milk equal to 1 cup  (measure milk into cup first, then add vinegar...whisk)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
      Substitution: 7 Tbsp vegetable shortening - will not have same flavor as butter  (unless you have butter flavored shortening....then read packaging for directions of use)

1 clove fresh garlic
      Substitution: 1/8 tsp. garlic powder OR 1 tsp garlic salt

2 tsp minced onion
      Substitution: 1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. dried leaf herbs
      Substitution: 1 Tbsp chopped fresh herbs



2 Tbsp lemon juice
     Substitution: 1 medium lemon  

For the following substitutions remember that adding extra liquid to a recipe will alter the outcome.  So be judicious...adjust the other liquids if need be to allow for this difference.  Trial and error is the only way to get it right.


1 tsp grated lemon rind
     Substitution: 1 medium lemon

4 tsp. grated orange rind
     Substitution: 1 medium orange

I'm sure there are many other alternatives out there!  Feel free to submit your findings!
Enjoy!