eG Foodblog: purplewiz - Eating Well In The Great Flyover

[purplewiz]

This week's marathon shopping trip, blogged in a marathon post:

The first food stop was SuperTarget. SuperTarget is apparently Target's answer to WalMart: it's a regular Target store with a grocery department. I guess they don't have them everywhere because I'd mentioned our SuperTarget to friends of mine in CA some time ago, and they were just amazed that Target had groceries. Not all of our Targets are SuperTargets. Their prices are quite competitive on what they carry, but the grocery department is not as complete as WalMart or a grocery store.

They have a reasonable produce department and routinely have the best prices on fresh cauliflower.

They also have a well-stocked large tea selection.

I picked up some yogurt and a couple of non-food items which were my reason for stopping in Target today.

Next stop: Cost Plus World Market, which will always be just "Cost Plus" to me because that's what they called themselves when I first discovered them in California. I love their food section but this section is near and dear to my heart:

The chocolate selection is extensive. I didn't even get pictures of some of it. Needless to say, I was there to buy chocolate: I bought two Lindt bars (one dark chocolate, one orange) and two Valor bars (one mint, one orange). That should hold us for awhile.

They also have free coffee samples:

Today's selection was chocolate truffle. A little on the acidic side, but quite drinkable.

The final food stop was the store where I do the bulk of my grocery shopping:

(The car was smudged in Photoshop because I thought it might be recognizable.)

Ever since this Safeway was built I've been traveling out of my way to shop here. Before getting started on groceries I stopped at the outlet of the evil empire within the store:

I'm addicted to their green iced tea. Walking around the store with something cool to drink makes the shopping experience just that much more pleasant. And Starbucks in the store has a deal going where if you buy 7 drinks, the 8th is free. I don't want to mention how many free drinks I've gotten .

The store was remodeled a year or so ago. The inner aisles still look like and are lit like a traditional grocery store, but the departments in the perimeter of the store were redecorated and the lighting changed from overhead fluorescents to a softer overall light with focused spot lighting on the produce. The look is reminiscent of Whole Foods or Draeger's or other upscale chains. I'm sure it's a calculated move to make everything look more inviting so you'll buy more, but I like it anyway.

Unfortunately, they do follow the rest of the stores in their selection of peppers. You can find almost any Mexican/southwestern pepper you want, but in the second picture you can see the entire Asian produce selection: ginger and some wildly overpriced dried out lemongrass. (Which isn't even carried in some of the Asian markets.) Forget trying to find the long purple eggplants or Thai eggplant - Whole Foods carried them for about six months, and I haven't seen them in any store since. (I even tried growing them. The deer ate them.)

I like Safeway's meats:

Beef....

...and pork. The only package of chuck eye steaks is not in the first picture because it was in my cart. Safeway was also running a wonderful special on 7 bone pot roast - $0.99/lb - but I had to pass it up because I already have one in the deep freeze.

The domination of the food scene by the chains has apparently given them some leeway to stock some interesting products:

At SuperTarget I found Mexican Coke, with real sugar.

Safeway stocks my favorite soy sauce, Pearl River Bridge. Last time I was at the Asian markets they didn't even have it (although they had some other good soy sauces).

Safeway also stocks frozen New Mexico green chiles. The selection isn't as extensive as that of New Mexican grocery stores, but I am happy to have them available year 'round, not just fresh when they're in season.

Since I was trying to hit a number of stores in a short amount of time, lunch was:

As protein bars go, they're not too bad. They don't have the consistency and mouthfeel of spackle, the chocolatey coating might have met an actual cocoa bean at some point in its life, and most importantly, they sit like a lump in my stomach so I feel full.

When I got home, I ate a hard boiled egg and split a package of onion-flavored macadamia nuts with my husband:

I liked them way too much. Fortunately, the price will prevent me from buying them often.

Marcia.

edited for spelling errors that spontaneously appear AFTER you proofread it

Edited June 24, 2006 by purplewiz (log)

[snowangel]

The only package of chuck eye steaks is not in the first picture because it was in my cart.

Ah, a woman after my own heart. I am rather fond of the chuck eye. There aren't many of these in a cow, or so my meat man (who I plie with smoked butt and brisket) says.

FYI, check out the web site of the Tea Source. I stopped by the other day, and it was daunting! However, the staff is very helpful. In fact, I'm sipping on Georgia Sunshine iced tea right now!

[maggiethecat]

Chuckeye -- the greatest beef bargain on the planet. I was nudged towards chuckeye in correspondance with our leader, Dave the Cook, but I was dubious. Until I saw that my butcher would provide beefy protien for two for under three dollars a pound, as tender as filet, as tasty as aged porterhouse. If there isn't a thread about chuckeye there should be.

Great blog. Superior kitties.

[purplewiz]

It's good to see other chuck eye lovers.....and good to know you're all shopping at other stores !!! Another wonderful aspect of chuck eye is that if chuck-anything is on sale, chuck eye is also usually on sale and not advertised. They hide the steaks in the back of the case, but I know where to look!

snowangel, I will definitely check out those teas - they look wonderful.

After all that shopping I was too tired to cook - especially since I had to do some food prep for tomorrow's party. So we went out to a local Vietnamese/Chinese place, Lemongrass Bistro:

Like most places around here, it's in a little strip mall.

I'd wanted to try the Chicken Lemongrass soup since our last visit:

Chicken, celery, mushrooms, chiffonade of Thai basil, and a broth reminiscent of Thai tom kha gai, but without the strong sour/lime component or the coconut milk. I wish the soup had been a wee bit spicier, but the chicken was meltingly tender.

Grilled pork and shrimp paste on sugar canes. Not shown is the large bowl of hot water, the packet of dried rice papers, a dish of sauce, and a small dish of exquisitely hot chili paste. An ultimate assemble it yourself dish: dip the rice papers in the hot water, lay them out on your plate, add a baton of the grilled pork, some of the noodles/peanut/fried onions underneath, greenery and vegetables, a smear of chili paste, then roll it all up and make a glorious mess dipping it in the sauce and eating it.

The eyes widened at the table next to us when this dish arrived; they stopped the server to ask what it was so they could order it next time. (They also wondered why we were photographing all our food. I smiled and said "food blog".)

Chicken curry. We'd ordered this last time, and it was so good it was worth ordering again. The flavor was somewhere between an Indian and a Thai curry, and more of the incredibly tender chicken.

All I wanted to do after dinner is go somewhere quiet and sit for awhile. So we headed over to our favorite coffee house:

It has an incredible view of the mountains, but we missed the sunset by about 5 minutes. The coffee was good, though:

A decaf sugar free vanilla latte for me, and a decaf sugar free caramel latte for Jim.

I need to get to bed at a more reasonable hour tonight because I have some brownie baking to do in the morning for the house party that we'll be attending for the rest of the day. In the fine old tradition of the foodblogs before me, I leave you with two pictures of the interior of my refrigerator and freezer, full after the weekly shopping blitz.

Good night, or good whatever time of day it is where you are!

Marcia.

[Pan]

[...]I'd wanted to try the Chicken Lemongrass soup since our last visit:

Chicken, celery, mushrooms, chiffonade of Thai basil, and a broth reminiscent of Thai tom kha gai, but without the strong sour/lime component or the coconut milk. I wish the soup had been a wee bit spicier, but the chicken was meltingly tender.

←

Looks like tom yam gai. Did it taste like tom yam goong except with chicken instead of shrimps?

[Pam R]

I too suffer from the Safeway by 7 get one free Starbucks ice tea addiction (Passion though). *sigh* They make it much too convenient.

Dinner looked great! I'm thinking I should go for Vietnamese tonight...

[Susan in FL]

Your Super Target looks like ours. I like it... They actually carry some things routinely that other supermarkets don't, especially produce. I only wish we had Safeways around here. I used to love them.

I love chuck, too, especially since the quality of other more traditional steak cuts seems to get worse all the time while the prices climb.

[purplewiz]

This morning has been rushed because we're off to a house party for the rest of the day, and I always make brownies by request. The recipe is only a smidgen more difficult than boxed brownies, and infinitely tastier.

Melt chocolate chips in butter in a big pot over low heat, stirring more or less continuously, until all melted together.

Take the pot off heat (it's resting on a cool burner for photographic reasons).

In the same pot, mix in the eggs and sugar.

Mix in the flour, baking powder, salt, and vanilla.

Pour into a greased 9" x 13" pan. Yes, I have better baking pans, but this means I don't have to tote a dirty pan home .

Spread evenly in pan. Bake at 350F for 27 - 30 minutes.

Yes, you could melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler and do the mixing in another bowl, but that's just more to clean up. The flour, eggs, and sugar can all be mixed in in any order, or in no order at all - I've thrown them all in at the same time and while it makes it more difficult to mix, the brownies are fine. I don't know if you can overmix this batter, but I've never managed.

The only thing that's more difficult about this recipe over a boxed mix is that you actually have to melt the chocolate. Once people get over that, the rest is just stirring.

The after picture will have to wait because once the brownies are out of the oven, they will be transferred directly to the back seat of my car so they cool while we drive to the party (it's a couple hours away).

I'm also bringing a slaw because potlucks are notorious for having a dearth of vegetables:

Bagged slaw mix (cabbage, red cabbage, carrots) (it was on sale cheaper than I could make it myself) with added green onions and shredded radishes, dressed with a mayonnaise-based dressing that's a riff on a classic vinaigrette: white wine vinegar, dijon mustard, garlic, salt pepper. I was going to make a spicy chile-based dressing, but there are a wide variety of palates attending this party and I wanted to make something interesting but not off-putting.

Coffee this morning:

Because sometimes you can take it with you.

As soon as I post this we're out of here, and I'm afraid I won't be around for the rest of the day. Hope you all have a great Saturday!

Marcia.

[snowangel]

Marcia, I am so with you on the brownie in a saucepan thing. If you keep the heat low and slow, no reason to dirty yet another dish.

And, I'm also a bring a veg to a party person. For another easy slaw, check out JAZ's Spicy Asian Cole Slaw. That one os a real winner, and somewhat different from the typical. I find it best dressed just before eating, but since it doesn't have any dairy, it's also a good keeper. Another good pot luck dish is my Black Bean and Rice Salad.

Hope you had a great time!

[miladyinsanity]

Great blog Marcia!

That's how I make flourless chocolate cupcakes, small batches of pate choux and brownies. Anything to NOT wash something extra.

[purplewiz]

We survived the house party .

The house party actually starts on Friday and ends with a large dinner out on Sunday night; it's not just a party, but a really, really BIG party . We usually attend only the main festivities on Saturday because we just can't party quite as heartily as we did when we were twenty years younger.

The brownies survived the road trip well:

They were still warm but plenty firm enough to be cut. Their chocolate perfume made the drive a great deal more pleasant.

The food appears and disappears on a rotating basis over the course of the day, less a meal than a constantly changing buffet.

Salads, rhubarb pie (with a most excellent crust), mock potato salad with cauliflower. The brownies lasted about 45 minutes . Yes, they were very good - I might have baked them a little bit longer, but everyone else loved how gooey they were. If they're happy, I'm happy - it's chocolate, it's all good.

First off the grill was the jerk seasoned chicken. Moist, tender, and delicious. Not shown are the big juicy burgers, hot dogs, and bratwurst which came later.

One gentleman spends the day before the party smoking ribs. He's made them into an art form, falling off the bone. This year he also smoked a rubbed and injected pork tenderloin that just melted in your mouth.

About 8 pm, when everyone was getting their second wind, another gentleman brought out the excellent lamb vindaloo he drove in from New Mexico. The pot on the back is spicy; the one in front was HOT.

Later in the evening I unwound with half a shot of Pappy Van Winkle's 20 year old bourbon. Small batch and aged bourbons are my drink of choice; I enjoy sipping them as the layers of flavor unfold. The Pappy's 20 will probably always be my favorite, smooth and caramel flavored, and a perfect ending to the meal.

The conversation during the course of the party naturally turned to food - repeatedly. It's one of the many reasons I enjoy this party so much every year; few of the nearby people I know are interested in food past the basics. The discussions on eGullet help fill the void most of the year, but it's always wonderful to exchange recipes and discuss flavors and recommend restaurants with fellow enthusiasts in person. Which is why I forgot about taking pictures after awhile .

We arrived home LATE.

Marcia.

[purplewiz]

When we rolled out of bed this morning, I cooked ricotta pancakes for breakfast:

They're mostly eggs and ricotta cheese with just a little whole wheat or oat flour to give them structure and add a pleasant nuttiness. They cook up with a surprisingly cake-like texture. Served with sugar free syrup, strawberries, whipped cream, and side of bacon and the Sunday comics.

And don't forget the coffee. I needed the caffeine jolt of the Thunderbolt coffee this morning. In quantity.

snowangel, thanks for the pointer to the slaw recipe. I'm going to have to give that one a try sometime soon!

Marcia.

[Cadbury]

I have insulin resistance too, and am enjoying seeing how you fit this into your eating habits and lifestyle.

When we rolled out of bed this morning, I cooked ricotta pancakes for breakfast:

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I wonder if you wouldn't mind sharing a bit more detail on how you make your pancakes. They look delicious.

[purplewiz]

This really has been the day after the night before, so I took advantage of the good sleeping weather provided by the rain all afternoon and napped a lot. It's the cost of overindulging in good food yesterday!

Lunch was a banana and a salami and muenster handwich. One of the many things I've learned through this lifestyle change is that when my body requires carbs, it usually tells me exactly what kind it wants. When I do give my body what it wants, it rewards me by making it taste better than it has any right to. Today, the carbs it wanted were in the form of banana - nothing else sounded even half as good. So I worked the rest of the meal around that.

(Form of a banana....anyone remember the old SuperFriends cartoon and the Wonder Twins?)

For dinner, I just wanted something simple. I made an Asian-inspired slaw based on Good Eats' Asian Slaw - hand-cut rustic cabbage shreds, cilantro, and green onions with a dressing of peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, sriracha, garlic, and ginger. I don't measure the ingredients anymore, and I often vary them on a whim, making substitutions like chipotle Tabasco sauce or fresh jalapenos for the sriracha.

(Rustic is another good food term to use when things look somewhat ugly. The cheese on the lasagna is a little burned and the pieces aren't square? Lasagna Rustica!)

I rubbed some boneless pork chops with curry powder, drizzled them with olive oil, and grilled until just pinkish in the middle because I still like my pork on the done side. I first had meats prepared with the curry rub/grill method at the now out of business Royal Thai restaurant. I sliced the pork somewhat thin, placed it over the bed of slaw, and poured some reserved slaw dressing over the top.

And just a little chocolate for dessert.

Marcia.

[purplewiz]

Looks like tom yam gai. Did it taste like tom yam goong except with chicken instead of shrimps?

←

It was close - it had the classic hot/sour/salty/sweet balance, but the overall volume of each flavor was turned down to a more subtle level than I've ever had it in a tom yam gai. It was also balanced less in favor of the sour and more in favor of the salty/chicken broth flavors. It's most likely just another delicious variation on the same theme .

Marcia.

[purplewiz]

I feel a lot more human after going to the gym tonight for a swim. There's something to be said for this exercise stuff .

As usual, I had a post-swim snack: a peanut butter foldover on 100% whole wheat and two pieces of limburger cheese (not pictured because they look remarkably like the pieces pictured earlier.)

I picked up the term "foldover" from my parents, who used it for any half sandwich where the bread slice wasn't cut in half, just folded over.

It's one of my favorite snacks and it's a good spot for me to wrap this up. I'll leave you with one last picture:

This is what your sink looks like after a week of foodblogging . Yes, we have a dishwasher and I hope we're able to catch up soon!

Marcia.

Edited June 26, 2006 by purplewiz (log)

[purplewiz]

I wonder if you wouldn't mind sharing a bit more detail on how you make your pancakes.  They look delicious.

←

The recipe is a modification of one I found in my Trader Joe's Favorite Sunset Recipes cookbook:

3 eggs

1 cup ricotta cheese (part skim or whole)

1 tbsp oil

1/4 cup oat or whole wheat flour

dash salt

Beat the eggs until yellow and frothy. Add the ricotta and mix well. Add the oil, flour, and salt, mix well. Pour by scant quarter cupfuls on a lightly greased griddle or frying pan and cook over medium heat until golden brown; flip and cook on the other side until done. Makes about 9 pancakes.

The original called for sieved cottage cheese, white flour, and more oil. I just really like the nuttiness of the oat/whole wheat flours. I've also added blueberries to the pancakes with excellent results.

It's been a lot easier to develop and stick with healthier eating habits when the food is really, truly good. I've discovered recipes that fit in with the plan everywhere - you never know when you're going to stumble on a hidden gem. I'd had this cookbook for years and never did anything with it; I was paging through it one day on a whim and whammo, there was a great recipe to try.

Marcia.

Edited June 26, 2006 by purplewiz (log)

[Cadbury]

Thank you for taking time to add your pancake recipe, and for the excellent blog. I hope the dish fairy puts in an appearance overnight.

[Susan in FL]

Marcia, thank you for a great blog. I love the ending photo!

This topic will remain open until mid-day, eastern time, in case others have some last minute questions as well, or want to exclaim about that picture of reality.

The next eG foodblog has begun. Check it out! Marcia, I hope you enjoy the post-blog rest -- I guess that would be when the dishes are done.

[Genny]

Marcia, thanks so much for your time this week. It has been a very interesting peek into a life well lived.

Best wishes!

[racheld]

Hope it's not too late to say goodbye and thanks, though I haven't caught up on all the pages yet---BUSY Summer. I always enjoy your posts, and look forward to an interesting afternoon of your writing and pictures.

THANKS!!!