Lidl on Grand St opened yesterday and I've been there 4 times so far

 In general, I like it, but they need to figure out their basket situation. They only have carts and big baskets you drag around on wheels. Those are too annoying for New York. Stores get crowded. Let me get by people!

Worse, on the trip I just got back from, there were none. They're just stacked up at the cash registers from past shoppers. I hope they figure this out.

So far I've bought tortilla chips ($1.50), 3 jars of salsa for $5, flour for $2.30, a big jar of pickles for $3, a bag of lemons for $2.30, cannelini beans for $1, two cans of tomatoes for $1.70 or so, tortillas for $1.50, tater tots for $3, and hot dog buns for $1.50. Oh, and mushrooms for $1.19

Things I might buy soon: wings for $1.49/lb, hot italian sausage for $3, a big bag of frozen whole sardines for $8, butter for $3, a baguette for $1, Greek yogurt for $3.35, and queso fresco for $3.

I got an air fryer recently so I like things I can air fry, like wings. And hot dogs. And mushrooms. And pickles.

Muir Glen Organic Canned Tomatoes

 Bravo has big cans on sale for $1.69 so I bought 1 can yesterday and went back today and bought 6 more. I got diced, crushed, and whole. They tried to charge me $3.59 for the whole ones but I asked if they weren't on sale too and they checked and gave me the low price.

I haven't seen canned tomatoes for under $2 in ages.

Guide to Shopping at Whole Foods

Last month a dimwitted anti-housing activist popped up in my mentions on Twitter to imply that I'm rich and talked about Whole Foods.

So I decided to write about how to shop at Whole Foods to get the good deals, which it has. On about 4 things.

Olive Oil

You can buy a 3 liter can of the store brand olive oil for $19.99. That's less than $7 a liter, and it's a better quality than Filippo Berio or those other brands (except Colavita). Trader Joe's has a fine store brand too, but this is cheaper. It also lasts a long time, which is ideal since there's not a good reason to go to Whole Foods all that often.

Fresh Herbs

No, not fresh like other stores sell fresh, which are always too expensive. Buy a whole dang plant for $2. That's cheaper than the little plastic containers of fresh herbs. It's cheaper than a jar of dried herbs. Use what you want and try your luck planting the rest.

I bought this parsley last fall. I should use it more often. It is still alive.

The basil is from this week. I hope it starts to thrive. The rosemary is hanging on from last fall. Thyme has 2 green shoots but it otherwise not doing great.

Anyway, fresh herb plants.

Frozen Vegetables

Frozen peas are $1.79/lb and Brussels sprouts were about $1.50. That's cheaper than Krasdale/Urban Meadow frozen vegetables. And look how small they are.

Canned Tomatoes

You can get the store brand canned tomatoes for $1.39 for 28 oz. You can occasionally find canned tomatoes at other places for less than that, but they're quite often over $2 and Whole Foods has them consistently at this price. Also, they are good. Luigi Vitelli isn't good.

Crushed Tomatoes!

 

I did end up going to Western Beef today. I didn't get eggs because I didn't like the price ($1.59 for a dozen medium), but I walked through the rest of the store. And I saw this display.

I texted a few people about how I was on the verge of buying a giant can of tomatoes. Then I walked back toward the ricotta to see if it was labeled as $0.99 (instead of $3.99), and it was, but I didn't trust it, so I didn't buy it. And then considering that I didn't buy eggs or ricotta, I bought a can of tomatoes.

There were whole peeled tomatoes, same size. But I got crushed because I would just crush them anyway. SIX AND A HALF POUNDS!

Then I walked home, but I took a detour.

I went to the park to take a picture with my love.

At home I inspected the can more. It seems to have been packaged in 2018 and is best used by August 2021. It is supposed to be only sold in India. I wonder what its life has been like for the past 2 years, perhaps going all over the world, before ending up in a Western Beef, a park, and my apartment.

Oktoberfest during Covid?

 I haven't updated in so long that Blogger looks different now. Since Oktoberfest would start this weekend, I'm going to look at all the circulars and see if I could find things I would want to make. Even though no people will come. I can eat all the food myself.

Ozzie's: I've been shopping here a lot because American Express has been giving me $5 if I spend $10 at certain small businesses and this one counts. Mostly I buy beer. That ends this weekend and I have 1 trip left. Anyway.. Pork shoulder is $0.99/lb, which is a good start.

Key Food: Two pounds of onions for $1. One pound of baby bella mushrooms for $3. Pepsi proucts are 3/$4. Sour cream is $2. 

C-Town: Pork shoulder is $0.99/lb here too. Scalfani crushed tomatoes are $1.50, so I should get some. I only ever see Luigi Vitelli on sale and I did a test once and learned I like Scalfani a lot more. Colavita pasta is $1. I have so much pasta though. Maybe I should eat pasta more often since it's the only thing that makes me happy. Sour cream is also $2 here and cream cheese is $1.50. I've never seen Fage sour cream before, but it's also $2.

Bravo: Onions are $1 for 2 lbs here.

Green Corner didn't update its circular yet.

Western Beef: Pork shoulders are $0.79/lb but you have to buy 2. They also have chicken leg quarters for $0.29/lb but you have to buy 40 lbs. Life is far too lonely these days to buy 40 lbs of chicken. A six pack of English muffins is $1. That seems good, but I never buy English muffins so I don't know.

Food Bazaar: Here, English muffins are $2.50 for 6, so now I know.

My trip to Key Food yesterday

Sales are starting to come back. I got 4 bottles of pop for $5. I got 4 cans of crushed tomatoes for $5. I got a lot of twine for $4 (so I can hang up clothes after I wash them in a bucket). A bag of limes was on sale for $2.50, but I was packing up my own groceries and didn't notice that they rang up as a bag of lemons for $5. Oh well. I got an avocado for $1 and a bunch of cilantro for $0.75.

They didn't have the olive oil though.

What might be on sale at Key Food this week? Corona uncertainty

Key Food is the only store that still publishes a circular. Once I'm in the store, some of the sales show up on price tags. Usually produce is good. But I still read the circular and think about all the things I can buy. I'm going to go there shortly after I write this.

Red onions are $1.67 for a bag of 2 lbs. (So are yellow onions, but I have those.) An avocado is $1. That's the cinco de mayo sale. Tuna is $0.89/can. Canned salmon is $3 and I might get that. I made a good salmon dip not long ago. Cranberry juice is $2. Pepsi 2 liters are 4/$5 (must buy 4). I never do that because it's heavy, but I might make an exception today. A carton of orange juice is $2. Probably the diluted kind. Frozen raviolis are 50% off. (I am pretty good at speaking Italian, but I am still going to pluralize ravioli like that when I speak English.) A 3 liter can of Colavita pure olive oil is $16 and more than anything else, I hope this is actually a sale! Scalfani canned tomatoes are 4/$5. Various Old El Paso things are on sale for Cinco de Mayo.

That's a lot of food! I guess if some isn't on sale, I won't be too disappointed. If nothing is, or if the oil isn't, I will be very disappointed. I haven't been outside since Saturday.

By the way, I turned my bacon into carbonara last night and it was good.

Update: Nothing was on sale except the avocados. The onions said they were on sale but weren't on the shelf. I walked out with nothing. I would have gone to Ozzie's afterward but I didn't have my gloves with me.

My trip to Bravo

They have people wait in a line outside. You have to wear gloves (though not a mask). Inside, a lot of things didn't have prices, so I couldn't buy them. The cashier rang up both of my bags of beans as the more expensive chick peas. And rang up my can of crushed tomatoes twice. I didn't realize that until after I paid, so I offered to just grab another can of them.

I ended up with 2 cans of crushed tomatoes, 1 can of tomato puree, 1 liter of tonic, 1 lb of chick peas, and 1 lb of roman beans. Oh, and a jar of pickled peperoncini that I need to make bloody marys for Easter.

Key Food is the only store that still publishes a circular

So I'm going to read it! I haven't been in a grocery store since March 21 :-(  But I think I will go sometime this week.

I wish I could go to Whole Foods and buy potted herbs to plant in my window too. Basil, parsley, rosemary, and thyme.

Anyway, Key Food: Ham is $1.29/lb because Easter is soon. I want one. 16 oz white mushrooms are $3.49, which isn't bad. 30 oz Hellman's mayo is $3.49. A pound of PollyO mozzarella is $2 and 2 lbs of ricotta are $3. I want both! Cracker barrel cheese is $2. Canned tomatoes are 4/$5 and you must buy 4. Usually that is too many for me, but in these Covid times, I can take 4. This says flour is on sale, but I doubt it's in stock. Pepsi and Schweppes 2 liters are also 4/$5 MB4 but I don't think I can carry 8 liters of pop in addition to everything else and I'd rather not make multiple trips. Tonic water is $0.60 per liter. Jarred fried peppers are $2.50. A pack of hot dogs is $1 and I'm tempted.

What's on sale this week - Coronavirus Week 3

I saw "Week 3" because this is the 3rd week when it's been relevant to my grocery circular perusings and musings.

First, Food Bazaar:

I think the rest have circulars though. Whether I'll be able to find things when I go, who can say?

C-Town: Colavita pasta is $1. That's my preferred brand now. Coke products are 4/$5. Asparagus is $1.99/lb. Krasdale flour is $2 for 5 lbs. I have been on a focaccia kick. I can't spell it though. Maybe that's right.

Western Beef: 

Their sales always suck anyway. I do like their pickled things.

Green Corner: They also canceled their circular, but they put it on their website on a weird way so no picture.

Bravo: Cans of Luigi Vitelli tomatoes are only $1, but when I did a taste test with Scalfani, Luigi Vitelli lost by a lot so I don't know if I will bother.

Key Food: Asparagus is only $1.49/lb here. Gala apples are $0.99/lb. Flour is $2/lb. Powerade is $1. A pound of butter is $3. A half pound of luxury butter is also $3. Goy dry beans are mostly 3/$5. I want to get more cannellini. I might as well find out what fava are like too.

What's on Sale This Week - St. Patrick's Day and Coronavirus

Last year Key Food has very cheap corned beef, so I ate it for the first time in my life. It was good, but it's not the same sale this year. Also, I wouldn't invite a lot of people over because of social distancing. My kitchen is pretty full with stuff, but I'm going to see what is on sale this week anyway.

Western Beef: nothing

Food Bazaar: A 44-pack of fish sticks is $6. I can't remember if that's a good price. Considering how many fish tacos I could make with 44 fish sticks (22), it's a pretty good price. That's the only good sale, so I won't go there.

Green Corner: Nothing really.

Key Food: (I hope I find good sales, even though I looked yesterday and know there aren't any as good as last week's.) Cabbage is $0.27/lb. (It also lasts a long time, perfect for a quarantine or even social distancing.)  Flour is $2 for 2 lbs. I have been making a lot of focaccia. The corned beef is $1.99/lb with a $25 purchase. Scalfani canned tomatoes are 3/$4 (must buy 3). Usually that would deter me, but in these times of hoarding I might do it.

C-Town: Nothing

Bravo: Luigi Vitelli pasta is $0.79. I am up to my gills in pasta though. Krasdale cheese hunks are $1.67 for 8 oz.

Weekly Sales

I'm only going to look at 3 stores. I glanced over Food Bazaar's yesterday and nothing caught my eye. Green Corner doesn't have anything in winter anyway, and I'm not going all the way to Western Beef.

Bravo: Iceberg lettuce is $1. That's it. I'm unlikely to go to Bravo just for $1 of lettuce.

C-Town: Luigi Vitelli canned tomatoes are $1. I am running low on those. It's not my favorite brand, but I can survive it. Ocean spray cranberry juice is $2.50. Luigi Vitelli pasta is $0.88, and it's a perfectly good brand of pasta. I think I already own every major shape though.

Key Food: Iceberg lettuce is $1 here too. Baby bella mushrooms are $3/lb. Last week, I bought white button mushrooms for $2.50 for a pound, which I haven't eaten yet. Maybe I will eat those today so I can buy more mushrooms.

Well, that's all. I guess I'll eat from my cupboards this week. Which I need to do anyway.

Reminder: Quit Buying Pasta Sauce

You're getting ripped off and it's worst for you and it tastes worse.  Buy crushed tomatoes (with 2 ingredients) instead. I like Colavita and Dei Fratelli, depending where I'm shopping.

1. Jarred sauce is a rip-off. Crushed tomatoes cost $1.67 or $1 for a 28 oz can. Pasta sauce costs $2 or $3. And for what? For the extra ingredients.

2. It's worse for you. My Colavita crushed tomatoes have about 6% of my daily sodium allowance per serving. A jar of pasta sauce has a lot more. Newman's Own Sockarooni has 19% of your sodium.  Cabernet Marinara has 25%. Roasted Tomato & Garlic has 21%. You can always add salt and salty grated cheese, but there's no way you're going to add this much!

3. Crushed tomatoes taste better. And you can doctor them up however you want. I know some people who doctor up jarred sauce. WHY?! You can doctor crushed tomatoes and not start from expensive sodium juice! Colavita crushed tomatoes are so good you can eat them plain. You can spread them on toast. I once made pizza and my pizza sauce was undoctored crushed tomatoes and everyone asked how I made the sauce taste so fresh.

Colavita crushed tomatoes got more expensive

They've been 2/$3 at Key Food for as long as I have been buying them (and were 2/$3 at C-Town for a while when they started carrying them for me) but now they are 3/$5. I guess I'll adjust.

Some Good Deals at Key Food

Orange juice was $1.69 for a carton, so I'm going to drink some screwdrivers when the sun sets. Colavita crushed tomatoes are still $1.50. C-Town charges a premium for them. The Key Food tomato sauces were 3/$1 and I want to make chili soon so those will be good. Eggs were $1.79, which is an ok price. It beats C-Town. Giardinera was $2. Rice is $1.49 for a pound. The 2 pound bags are $2.99, so I think I'll just save myself the penny and let them store the extra pound for more. That's penny-wise AND pound-wise. Milk is $2.69 for a half gallon. I have no idea if that's a good price. I can never run for president because despite buying milk and having a grocery blog, I don't know the price of milks.

They had buttermilk for either $2 or $2.50. Trader Joe's has it for $1.69, same brand. These buttermilks all expired yesterday or in 3 days. With prices like that, no wonder they have no turnover. With no turnover, no wonder they have prices like that. Not my problem--I'll wait til I'm at Trader Joe's.

Bushwick Groceries

I don't know if blog posts get better than this one from BushwickBK. It's a grocery price survey of all the stores in Bushwick. I overpay for eggs.

You'd think this blog would do original reporting like that, but I think my focus is even narrower. But here are my tips.

Buy frozen foods, especially vegetables, at C-Town.
Buy canned foods at Western Beef. Except crushed tomatoes, which come from C-Town or Key Food.
Buy fresh vegetables at the Jesus store. It's called To the World Farm or something. It's next to Associated.
Recycle your shopping bags at Key Food. You can get pasta there or at C-Town.
Get pork butt from Associated. Get bags of beans from Associated.

The Situation at C-Town: Crushed Tomatoes, Cheeses

This won't be as informative as my rant about line management and check-out practices at Food Bazaar just was, but is more informative than most things I write about. After Food Bazaar, I realized I needed more crushed tomatoes to make my sauce for the eggplant parmesan. I usually go to Key Food for crushed tomatoes because they have my favorite brand (Colavita) at my favorite price ($1.50 for 28 oz.) I've written at length before about how to select a can of crushed tomatoes. But C-town is closer and it was very cold and C-Town has been nice to me lately so I gave it a shot.

I went to the crushed tomato section and looked at all the cans. They all had way too many ingredients. I don't need their preservatives. I don't need their salt--I have salt. I don't need their basil and oregano. I have spices. Despite the cold, I almost left and walked to Key Food, which is a much longer walk from C-Town than from my house, so I was going to be quite cross.

Lo and behold, near the registers at the end of an aisle was a section of Cento brand crushed tomatoes on sale! I checked the ingredients and it had only one: "fresh red ripe tomoatoes." And it was on sale for $1.50 I think. I don't know whether to say they hid these because they weren't with the other ones or to say they emphasized these. But I bought them and they were good. Now I have two favorite brands.

Since I was there and happy, I looked around. C-Town told me in a blog comment the other day that the pecorino romano is now to the left of the deli counter. It sure was. At $8.59/lb, I won't be stocking up there, but it beats the non-sale price at Key Food. (It's too cold to bike to Western Beef for a long time.) And I noticed the chunk of gorgonzola. I don't like my cheese pre-crumbled. It can dry out easier.

Some San Giorgio pasta were labeled "buy one get one free - will scan at sale price" which I usually interpret to mean I only have to buy one. It usually says "must buy 2" at stores if you have to buy both. So I got just one box. It didn't give me the sale price. I paid $1.59 for a pound of pasta. That is 59% too much. But I got a good deal on the tomatoes, so I guess it evens out.

How to Select a Can of Crushed Tomatoes

I love crushed tomatoes. I eat them on toast with shaved pecorino romano. I eat them from the can. With a little doctoring they make a good pasta sauce and I never have to buy jarred sauce again.  (And believe you me, I have a long and public history with pasta sauce.)

There are two things to consider when buying a can of crushed tomatoes: price and number of ingredients. You want to pay the fewest cents and you want to eat the fewest different ingredients. Cook's Illustrated tested a lot of crushed tomatoes and decided they liked the can with the most chemicals and basil and every other thing. They also love the flavor of cottage cheese in lasagna, so Cook's Illustrated is no longer a publication I respect. Anyway.

The best crushed tomatoes I've found are Colavita. $1.50 at Key Food. I keep a can of this in the refrigerator so it's always cold and tasty.

For a survey of the junk they try to stick in the other brands, continue reading.

Pecorino Romano

When the heck is Key Food going to put pecorino romano on sale again? I miss it.

I have to live on Colavita crushed tomatoes for now. You get a 28 oz can for $1.50 and you know they're the good kind because there only two ingredients: tomatoes and salt.