kbjesq
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Posts posted by kbjesq
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48 minutes ago, rotuts said:
Thank you, very interesting and the photos are a nice addition. I've not purchased the Aldi's mayonnaise, but on your recommendation, I'll try it. If I need mayo, I usually make it fresh but the other household residents here are Hellmans users. Made a mistake a brought home some "Duke's" brand once. I thought that I'd never hear the end of it
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3 hours ago, KikiAnn said:
I rarely post here but avidly read and learn. I take my Mom shopping at Aldi's weekly. For elderly, the experience can be quite frantic. She needs someone to help unload the cart (speed is of the essence - those checkers fly through the process) and afterward, I help pack. Checkers toss items back in the cart and you have to do the bagging at a long counter.
Very valid point. I've noticed that many cashiers are passive aggressive when checking your purchased items and throwing them into the cart (for you to bag later at the long counter).
I solved this problem by nicely telling each cashier, before I place one item on the conveyor belt, that I've carefully selected all of these items and if they are damaged or manhandled during the checkout process, I will stop right there and request a refund and a consultation with the manager.
Surprisingly, not only does my preemptive strike work, but I've actually been offered help with packing up my purchases.
I believe that the majority of Florida residents are very old people. This could explain the special treatment at the checkout? I don't know, it's just a theory
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@rotuts Aldi's butter is $1.99/lb, salted or unsalted, here in Florida. We use it all the time and I've got no complaints although in occasion, I'll pick up Kerry Gold for use with toasted homemade bread
You never disclosed the results of your recent foray into the apparently controversial World of Aldi's. What happened?
ETA: Oops - just saw your comment. Would love to know the juicy details. Were you robbed? Was the store ransacked? Was the food old and growing mold? Are you scarred for life? LOL
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@GlorifiedRice thanks for the tip. I've seen the muffaletta mix but haven't tried it. Will pick some up on Saturday.
Haven't tried Aldi's frozen veg - will also try them.
The frozen fruit has always been reasonably priced and great for my morning smoothies
I also really like the chili-lime cashews and the smoked almonds and the various trail mixes and died fruits.
Agreed that the Moser Roth chocolates are excellent.
I bought some frozen vegetable pot stickers on my last trip and they were as tasty as those sold at my local Asian market
The boxes of organic broth are also nice to have on hand for those times when I run out of homemade
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@thock may be on to something. My aunt lives about 20 miles north of me. She moved to Florida about 30 yrs ago, and she refuses to set foot in Aldi's based on her one and only experience, many years ago
I always chalked it up to the fact that she's just my crazy aunt, but maybe things were different then?
Upon further reflection, I still think that zip code had something to do with it. The stores near me are all less than 10 years old, and 2 of them are less than 3 years old.
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Oh my my my
You truly are making your adopted homeland irresistible!
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2 hours ago, rotuts said:
I'm aghast at what people are writing here about Aldi's. There are 3 within driving distance and another to open soon, even closer. My zip code is. . . Well, let's just say that there are a lot of hoity toity, self-appointed upper crust elitist types around these parts and there's no way that Aldi's would be booming like it is (around here) if the stores and products were as bad as described above.
So my guess is that they have different products available based on zip code. Just for example, I recently bought an excellent Kerry Gold aged cheddar for only $2.99/lb. The same cheese is sold at the "Full Price" market for $19.99/lb
Last week, I purchased a 6 lb pork butt for $2.19/lb IIRC and my food snob husband said it was the best that he'd ever tasted (which is a vast data set upon which to base such a proclamation)
And maybe the stores are different, too? Because in these parts, the stores are clean and bright and well-stocked with helpful customer assistants. Even the bathrooms are spotless.
I've never purchased anything there that was deficient, defective or disappointing. But if I did, Aldi's has a100% customer satisfaction guarantee
I love the Aldi's brand goat cheese, kefir, agave nectar, Chia seeds, flax seeds, pitted Kalamata olives, and organic foods as well as weekly specials on non-food items. A few weeks ago, they were selling the same foot massager for $24.99 that I recently paid over $100 for at Brookstone.
In sum, it sounds like the Aldi's shopping experience varies wildly based on where you are located.
Which is a shame, because when it's done right, it's a fabulous place
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Many years ago, @Fat Guy started a topic about making crispy chicken fingers in the oven, for his son, PJ. Many good ideas in this thread: Fatguy's Chicken Fingers Thread
A walk down memory lane, too. So many names of folks who no longer post here for one reason or another.
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I use both my BSO and my regular ovens that have convection to "dry fry" all the time. We prefer this technique to deep frying.
For example to make eggplant Parmesan, rather than dipping the eggplant slices in beaten egg, breadcrumbs and then frying in oil, we brush the slices with egg wash or mayonnaise, dip in bread crumbs (both sides), and spritz with pure olive oil spray.
Then onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet, into a 475F oven, (convection on), using the uppermost rack for 5-10 min (depending on the size of the eggplant slices, we like ours rather thick & use Sicilian eggplant for this purpose). At that point, flip the slices over, spritz with a little more olive oil and another 5-10 min until that side is also golden brown and crispy.
Using this technique you actually taste the flavor of the eggplant and not just the oil which is how most typical American red sauce joints make their eggplant - the eggplant absorbs so much of the frying oil, that's all you can taste. No thanks.
For potatoes, either regular baking potatoes or sweet potatoes, (or even parsnip or carrot chips or zucchini logs or what-have-you), I typically just toss them with a bit of cornstarch or rice flour mixed with salt and pepper after rinsing and shaking most of the water off & then place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet that has been spritzed with olive oil. Spritz the vegetables themselves as well and cook in the manner described above.
As far as chicken is concerned, in my opinion you will obtain the best results by rubbing the chicken pieces with well seasoned mayonnaise and patting with a mixture of cracker crumbs and crushed Corn Flakes. The crackers and the Corn Flakes combo make a nice crunch on the exterior, which you can season as desired. Simply place on a cooling rack that has been placed on a cookie sheet and spritz the exterior of the chicken pieces with olive oil or your preferred oil for cooking. Using convection, cook at 475F just until the exterior is golden brown, then turn the heat down to 275F and continue to cook until the poultry registers 155F internally. Allow the chicken to rest a few minutes to redistribute the interior juices. If there are any leftovers, store in a paper box lined with wax paper to maintain that hard-earned crunch!
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9 minutes ago, Lisa Shock said:
Yeah, incorrect cutting technique can cause 30-50% less rise. I agree with using a sharp cutter, floured, and the straight up & down motion is essential. Twisting compacts the edges.
Exactly - what you said!
That's what I meant, but you and @Nancy in Pátzcuaro
said it much better
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Bakewell cream baking powder and soft white flour, as has been suggested. Or better yet, White Lily Self Rising Flour
Keeping all ingredients including the mixing bowl chilled also helps keep biscuits fluffy
Also cut with a sharp object to allow the sides of the biscuits to rise and fully expand in the oven
I know some cooks who make great biscuits cut only with upside down juice glasses, but I get good results only from a sharp biscuit cutter
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The funny thing is that when I moved from New England to Florida many years ago, only the hand crank of my Atlas pasta maker seemed to make the trip. So since then, I've used my grandmother's rolling pin and haven't missed the machine at all. I still wonder what happened to it between here and New Hampshire, though.
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@Panaderia Canadiense I really think that you should work in the PR department of your new homeland. The more you write about it, the more that I want to move there. Bravo! Great blog! Thanks ever so much, although I confess that reading your blog made me late to an appointment today. And will likely do so for the remainder of the week!
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4 hours ago, Tere said:
I think I am demonstrating that to the UK consumer a banana is a banana is a banana really. Probably a tasteless one grown for easy transport.
Apparently a banana is a banana is a banana here in the US, as well. Even here in FL where we can literally grow them in our own yards without any trouble! Oh, the folly of it.
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@chappie being from New England myself, I would like to know the basics of your version of quahog chowder. Myself, I use both onion and finely diced celery (which I know is somewhat controversial - the celery part), along with a quality bay leaf or three, which is sauteed in butter just until the onions are transparent. Steam the clams just until they open, add clam juice to pot with the onion, celery and bay leaf. Add small dice potatoes (red bliss preferred) that have been well and truly rinsed in cold water. Simmer until potatoes are soft. Meanwhile, chop the quahogs - I like large pieces, being absolutely sure to remove and discard the darn adductor muscle. When potatoes are soft, smash them just a bit in the pot, then add milk (not cream!), fold the quahogs back in, add salt and pepper to taste and bring back to just below the simmer, remove the bay leaf and serve in warm bowls.
I don't like my quahogs cooked - just warmed through barely. And they should comprise a minimum of 25% of the chowder. Nothing worse than a miserly chowder.
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42 minutes ago, Panaderia Canadiense said:
You don't like Mamey? Too creamy? Or have you only eaten over-ripe ones? Because to me they're kind of like pumpkin pie filling texture when they're perfectly ripe. They're utterly nasty otherwise.
I guess that I've only had overripe mamey, because they were definitely disgusting! LOL I'm available to try again, however.
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1 minute ago, Anna N said:
Thank you very much for discussing the variety of bananas available to you. One of the things I find lacking, even at the Farmers' Markets, is any indication of the variety of the produce we have available. Apples, oranges and pears usually indicate variety but almost nothing else. Bananas are bananas, pineapples are pineapples, potatoes are largely described by their colour.
I completely agree with @Anna N - and thank you for the detailed tutorial on bananas & plantains! Interestingly, what you call "alligator pear" avocados are called "Florida avocados" here in Florida. And people here only eat them if Haas avocados are unavailable, as "Florida avocados" are declared to be tasteless and otherwise inferior by those who claim expertise in this subject. Personally, avocados are the only fruit that I won't eat, the texture makes me gag. Well, also mamay and ripe papaya, but that may be because I've not had good ones. I'm still open-minded! LOL
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This is one of the best blogs ever, although I'd love to see a blog where @Shelby takes her canning equipment on the road and puts up hoards of that gorgeous produce!
I dreamt of The World of Bacalao and the Gigantesco Mercado all night long
Regarding the bananas, exactly what qualities were you seeking and in what way did the variety that you purchased differ from your intended purchase? Around here, we generally only have a choice between *standard* Dole-style bananas, tiny baby bananas and generic plantains (yes, I know that plantains are not bananas) at least in markets.
This seems strange since bananas grow easily here, albeit the most common variety in people's yards is the *decorative* variety - they grow beautiful leaves but never produce fruit! We also have loads of coconut trees but no one can eat the fruit, since they are all sprayed heavily with pesticides in an attempt to eradicate something called "white flies" smh
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13 minutes ago, IowaDee said:
I'm loving this blog. I even spent some time on line looking at real estate there. Pretty sure I would need something at a lower altitude but that amazing market calls out to me. Looking at beautiful fruit makes me almost understand vegans
Haha @IowaDee you are not the only one looking at property in Ecuador and a resident visa. I'm visiting Bogota in July so might just swing over to Ecuador for a look about
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Well that does it, @Panaderia Canadiense! I'm putting Ecuador on my short list. Your photos of the market leave me speechless. I thought that the giant Mercado in Mexico City was a sight to behold, but your market far surpasses it in the produce department. That one large squash (looks like what I would call "Blue Hubbard") is big enough to use as a row boat! Thank you again for taking the time to share your life and time with us
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The staggeringly beautiful baked goods that come out of your kitchen, wow. I always assumed that you had multiple professional ovens, proofing boxes, many employees, etc (my American-centric background is betraying me here). I'm even more impressed after seeing your photos!
Also, I hope that I'm not asking too many questions or too personal, but do you have a lot of ex-pats as customers? Was it hard to start and operate a viable business as "an outsider" (for lack of better term)? Did you speak Spanish fluently before you moved to Ecuador? And last question, what made you choose Ecuador as your new home base? (I realize that I sound nosy, but I'm honestly considering moving to another country for at least a few years, and you've definitely piqued my interest in Ecuador)
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Honestly, this all sounds so good, I'm about ready to pack up and move to Ecuador! Thank you for sharing your experiences with us. I'm tremendously excited to see what happens this week in your part of the world
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@rotuts yes the weekly sales start on Wednesdays. Once in awhile, I've been disappointed to miss out when shopping for a sale item at the end of the sale week, usually around holidays
On the other hand you will find the previous week's sales items, (any that are left over), on additional discount the week after sale
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@rotuts next week (around here anyway) Aldi's is having a sale on pet beds and catnip next week
Oh BTW Aldi's has an app for the phone so you can easily see what's on sale and decide whether to make the trip that week (also allows you to make a shopping list, which is handy for ppl like me who usually make the list but forget and leave it at home)
Aldi
in Kitchen Consumer
Posted
@rotuts maybe you have solved the mystery. If some stores are owned by franchisees that could account for the wildly differing experiences of shoppers around the country