Grocery Selections

If you are into food, cooking and recipes, you most likely enjoy grocery shopping. That might be presumptuous on my part, but I’m basing that on my own experiences. Grocery shopping is one of my favorite activities and probably my favorite kind of shopping. I like farmers markets but truly enjoy the stores. And although I don’t condone supporting the big conglomerates that drive the small mom & pop shops out of business, there is something to be said for having a large selection of products to choose from. I love going to the small personal stores just as much, but if they don’t carry the couple of items I need, I have to make one more trip. That again is totally fine, as it at least gets my butt to move (lord knows I need it). I just don’t like being confined to purchasing the one or two brands on the shelf that are not necessarily my faves. So, sometimes I prefer the huge display cases to satisfy my need for variety. This is the same reason I like buffets (if the food is of good quality) rather than ordering one meal I might not like. When I went to Romania, I saw plenty of small stores and a few of the huge kind, a more recent addition to the Romanian shopping scene. It’s all nice and good to get excited about it but most people can’t afford to shop there as the goods are monetarily out of reach.
I am fortunate enough to be able to buy food when I need it or want it, so I took my family shopping there. The variety was insane! As I mentioned in an earlier blog entry, Romanians eat pork, lots of it. The selection of pork products was unbelievable. If it was a healthy option, I would have purchased a new sausage or pork shoulder or smoked ham every day. Alas, we gotta get our fruit and veggies in as well….
The selection however did not end with the meat. There are numerous display cases filled with cheese, olives, pickled vegetables and pastries. And throughout the store, shelves are filled with basically the same types of products you find at your local grocery store, except multiply your store’s selection times ten. To a gourmand, you have reached culinary heaven. I only wished I had my own kitchen and about a month to spare.
Without further ado, here are some pictures of the offerings.

Almost all the meat below is some kind of pork product

Olives

Sour Cream 

Feta Cheese

Chocolate

 

Spice Rack

I was motivated to clean out my pantry and pulled out spices I haven’t used in a while, not because I have grown tired of them, but because I have been traveling so much, it’s difficult to tell sometimes what time zone I’m in. So I pulled out the oldies but goodies and am planning on making Chicken Lo Mein tonight.
I believe in keeping a good stock of various spices to spice things up. Maybe I should be writing this after I’ve had a break from the computer. I can tell my writing skills are about to crash and burn….
There are people who are known for cooking one type of cuisine or for having a signature dish. And then there’s me. I can’t remember how often I have repeated a dish, to the disgruntlement of my husband. He grew up with favorites his mom has always made. I grew up cooking mostly for myself, ergo, I had a lot of learning to do. I still try new dishes most of the time and come to find out, you need different spices for different recipes. Thus I have a very well-stocked spice rack and hardly ever make a panicked dash to the store.
If you read this, open your pantry, and all you see is salt, pepper and the large container of onion powder you haven't used in at least six months (or longer - check the expiration date!), print out the list below and head to the store.

Cardamom - the seeds inside the green pod are removed and smashed to produce a powder - great for exotic desserts

Cinnamon - use the powder in desserts and stews (for a fuller feeling) and use the stick to stir your hot chocolate or coffee

Coriander - powder or seeds - used in lots of Indian and Mexican cooking for stews and meat rubs

Cloves - you can buy these ground as well; a staple ingredient in making mulled wine for Christmas but also good with holiday hams and desserts

Cumin - the seeds are ground; use either one for Mexican or Indian recipes; great for chili

Curry powder - mostly used in Indian cooking but also Asian and Caribbean recipes; careful as there are various degrees of hotness

Fennel seeds - mmm, ground to a powder it's great as a meat rub on pork

Culinary lavender - not the household one from your pillow; I use it to bake cakes for wonderful perfume but it's also used for ice cream

Paprika - there is sweet or hot paprika and it comes from Spain and Hungary - I use only the sweet and put it into pretty much any stew I ever make

Star Anise - excellent with hot rum during the holidays but also good to make soup or stock