I'm feeling green today in honor of my friend's birthday and its her favorite color.... Hello Elaine.
I was in New Jersey the other day, not unusual for me even though I live almost a hundred miles NORTH of Manhattan. And while I was there, I used the navagation application on my phone. (no, I don't have an iPhone, big mistake, anything else is really secondary and I will get an iPhone as soon as my current contract expires...sorry, I digress).
I looked up how far away was the closest Whole Foods Market. Now some of you have Whole Foods near you... lucky people. I see them all the time on Top Chef. That's where they shop. So I found out that where I was it was 9.7 miles away. Navigate I go.
It was worth the trip.
Now I will not say I bought a lot of things, I was not in a position at that time to purchase much groceries, but I found some lovely additions to my larder.
Meyer lemon olive oil....they actually use the lemons, probably the skins or rinds, and squeeze them at the same time they do the olives. I am so looking forward to my next purchase of Arctic char to use this.
Yuzu rice vinegar. I have heard of Yuzu all over the Food Network. I don't know about you, but there aren't any Yuzu trees growing in upstate New York, nor are there Yuzu's in the local grocery stores, nor are Yuzu juices offered anywhere. Not even in our fancy pants local place (you know the kind, they have all the "fancy" ingredients and charge double for them then you'd pay even with the additional mailing cost if you purchased directly from Dean and Deluca). But, in my quest to support local business, I do go there rather than mail order, anything that I can. If I didn't, they wouldn't be there, and wouldn't that be worse? But, no Yuzu anything. I'm not really sure how I want to use the vinegar, but giving it a try will be interesting.
Ras el Hanout....yes, a real package of the stuff. Quite a bit actually and for not more than most other things cost in the spice aisle. The ingredients are on the label and I am going to make the blend that I am considering, and will compare it to this commercial one. I love tests like this.
Berbere...from the same company as the Ras el Hanout. The label on the ras el hanout called it a Moroccan spice, this one was called an African spice. HELLO??? Isn't MOROCCO IN AFRICA??? I already covered that before. I am going to spend some time with this spice as well.
I have send an email and several messages to Whole Foods about why the closest one to my home is over 40 miles away.
I live within 10 miles of the Culinary Institute of America. The bastion of foodiedom. Where foodies go to become foodies. The mecca of chefs!! Wouldn't you think some place like Whole Foods would want to be near the CIA????
I'll get off my band wagon.
I have a busy next couple of days, a death of a friends father, wake and funeral to attend to. Once that has finished and the schedule settles down, my stab at ras el hanout and the comparison to do.
Berbere next....
DP
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