Our Web Shopping Suggestions
We have found that the Web offers
some superb buys for busy home cooks, but you have to know where to
look.
Sometimes you get better quality, sometimes a
lower price, sometimes (eureka!) both. Some items are virtually
unattainable anywhere else.
Below are some shopping suggestions.
We have tried these, or have them on our list to try.
(For a note on metric conversions, go to end of this page.) Prices, of
course, are subject to change.
Olive Oil
Everyday . . .
Tienda: Romulo $28, 1
gallon, or Unio $25, 3 liters. www.tienda.com
Special . . .
Tienda: various from $10.50, 750 ml.
Italian Pasta
A.G. Ferrari offers a spectrum of all shapes
and sizes.
Everyday (small commercial producer) . . .
Vietri, $1.45, 500 grams (17.6 ounces)
Special (artisanal producers) . . .
A.G.Ferrari $2.95, 500 grams.
Latini $3.95, 500 grams.
www.agferrari.com
Coffee
Everyday and special . . .
Peet’s Coffee. www.peets.com
Toaster Oven/Broiler
Vermont Country Store:
Welbilt unit is uncomplicated, durable, has top
brown feature, 1200 watts. $59.95.
www.vermontcountrystore.com
Jams and Jellies
Nervous Nellie’s Jams and
Jellies: These fill a need you didn’t know you had until
you bring them into the house.
Core holdings . . .
Wild Maine Blueberry Preserves, Hot Green
Pepper Jelly, Hot Tomato Chutney, each $4.95, 11 ounces.
Additional . . .
Blueberry Chutney, Peach and Cranberry
Preserves, probably the rest of the catalog.
www.nervousnellies.com
Herbs and Spices
Everyday and special . . .
Penzeys: Highest quality, extensive selection,
not expensive.
Thyme, for example, is $1.19 for a 1/4 cup
plastic jar, 0.45 ounces.
www.penzeys.com
Extra-Special . . .
Tienda: saffron stems, not
powder, $7.50, 1 gram.
Spanish paprika
(hot, sweet, or bittersweet) $3.75 each, 2.5 ounces.
www.tienda.com
Arrowroot Starch
Should be the standard for general
thickening of stews.
Penzeys: $3.79, 8 ounce
bag. www.penzeys.com
Tinned Caribou Meat, Birch Syrup
If your supermarket is like mine, they've
never even heard of these wild items.
Arctic Wild Harvest Company: tinned caribou
meat $8.49, 6.5 ounces.
Alaskan
birch syrup $17.79, 8 ounce jug.
www.arcticharvest.com
Conversion
Notes . . .
1 liter (1000 milliliters) is close to 1 quart (exactly, 1.057 quarts).
Thus 500 ml equals about 1 pint.
1000 grams is 2.2 pounds (exactly 2.20462).
500 grams equals 17.6 ounces (exactly 17.637).
For easy metric conversions of any kind, we
use www.sciencemadesimple.com.
This is itself an interesting site. Conversions are free, and you can
also learn why the sky is blue for nothing. To learn how your
refrigerator works, you will have to subscribe (10 issues $9.95 online,
$15.95 printed mail).
