Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with food and grocery

An unwanted gallon of 2% milk

k. — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 11:28:05 -0800

What can I do with an unwanted gallon of 2% milk? I meant to get skim milk, but I bought 2% by accident. I can't stand 2% milk; it tastes like cream to me. I couldn't find anyone else who likes 2% either, so I don't think I can give it away. I put a little bit in my coffee, which was OK, but I'm not going to use it up that way. Should I just throw it away, or is there something else I can do with it?

I could try cooking something (if it doesn't taste too much like 2% milk), but I'm even open to non-food uses, if any exist.

Is there a single govt website to get ingredients used in food products?

raghuram — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 18:38:03 -0800

Every food item we buy has the ingredients listed in its cover. Is it required by law? If yes, which govt agency checks for the validity of the claims in the ingredients? I am asking this because, recently, two high school kids found that a well known company was lying about the presence of vitamin C in its products. 1. Is it required by law, that every food item sold should list the ingredients used?

2. Who (which govt agency, in US) checks for the validity of the ingredients list, their amount and other claims made by the manufacturers?

3. Is there any govt website (in US) that can give me the ingredients used in any food product?

Your best ethnic stores, please!

backseatpilot — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 06:05:03 -0800

I'm looking for the best ethnic food stores in the Boston/Metro West area. I have been going to the Super 88 in Allston, but ever since they remodeled it's been somewhat lacking. I'd like to find an alternative for Asian ingredients, and I'd also like to find stores catering to other ethnicities. Where do you go for your specialty ingredients?

Some stuff I'm specifically looking for:
-"Asian" ingredients (rice vinegar, oyster sauce, canned water chestnuts and bamboo, etc.) I realize Shaw's carries a lot of this but selection is not good and it's significantly more expensive.
-Bonito flakes
-New Mexico chiles and chile powder (not exactly ethnic, but maybe a hispanic store will carry them?)
-Spices - cumin and garam masala among others (bigger and cheaper sizes than I can find at the supermarket)
-noodles and dumpling wrappers
-frozen dim sum

I don't mind driving a little ways, since my plan would be to stock up once in a while as needed.

Where can I find these tortillas?

nitsuj — Sat, 09 May 2009 07:15:05 -0800

At a Walmart in Missouri, of all places, I found some pre-packaged, refrigerated tortillas that were very, very thin pieces of uncooked dough stacked together. You just peeled one off, put it in a pan to quickly cook it, and ended up with a delicious, home-made-tasting flour tortilla. Where can I find these in Chicago? I've tried making my own, and even when I use a tortilla press, I can't seem to get them thin enough.

These pre-packaged, uncooked torts are perfect, but I can't find them in Chicago. So far I've checked Jewel, Trader Joe's, and even Walmart out in Skokie with no luck. I'd rather not (unless it's my only choice) go on a wild goose chase, checking every single Mexican market in town, in hopes of finding them.

So, have you seen these anywhere, or do I need to go back to MO?

Grocery in Philly

Aanidaani — Fri, 08 May 2009 19:02:49 -0800

I'm going to be moving to Philadelphia soon and I'll be living near 2400 Chestnut St. Can anyone recommend good grocery stores to shop at? I've been reading some of the reviews of the grocers in the area and they all seem to be overpriced, dirty, or some combination of both. Are there any clean, reputable places within walking distance or reachable by public transit?

Interesting foods in ethnic groceries?

twoleftfeet — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:42:13 -0800

What interesting foods can only be found in ethnic grocery stores? The city I live in has a large number of ethnic grocery stores; mexican, japanese, polish, swedish, italian, chinese, ... the list goes on. I like to explore these stores - it's a poor man's adventure travel! But often I don't know what to try. What are some interesting foods that I can find there that I can't find in the supermarket?

I realize that your definition of "ethnic" depends on where you live, but I'll take any and all attempts at a reasonable answer!

One beet, two beet, canned beet

parmanparman — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 20:42:53 -0800

After months of diligently shopping healthier, I have come to the realization that I just cannot get through the fresh vegetables I buy in a timely manner. Having decided to go back to cans (except for cabbage and onions), tell me what I should be on the lookout for, in terms of great-tasting things to try.

What's your secret tip for saving money at the grocery store?

nitsuj — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:22:21 -0800

What's your secret tip for saving money at the grocery store? Even when we plan out meals for the week, the girlfriend and I always end up spending a lot more money than we'd like. We eat moderately healthy, love cooking, and pick easy to medium (in skill level required to make) dishes to prepare.

What's your trick for staying cheap and healthy at the grocery store? Looking for ideas beyond coupon clipping.

(Kind of like this question, only for food only (and not just websites!)

How do Upper West Side grocery stores comare with one another?

HotPatatta — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 09:41:02 -0800

Fairway, D'Ag, Westside Market, Garden of Eden. What's the diff? Tell me all about Upper West Side grocery stores. I'm moving to the UWS soon and during my last visit I was shocked--and thrilled!--with my grocery shopping options. So how do those stores compare with one another? I'm mostly looking for price comparisons and differences in inventory.

I'll be living on 107th and Broadway, so are there any other grocery stores around me that I haven't yet discovered?

Frozen chicken breasts: Treasure or poison?

ignignokt — Thu, 29 May 2008 21:48:54 -0800

Frozen chicken breasts and other frozen meats: Are they worthwhile? I'm considering a membership to one of those "wholesale club"-type stores. While I can see there's great savings to be had on paper products and toiletries, I'm not so sure about the food. (Also, the lines.) I did notice that they have what look like good deals on frozen meats. I saw a ten-pound bag of chicken breasts for $22. I eat a lot of chicken breasts, so that looks like a good deal.

However, the only frozen meats I have experience with is fish. I don't know how frozen chicken breasts (especially ones containing 15% retained water) hold up in terms of taste and nutrition. How have you guys' experiences with frozen chicken breasts been? How different are they from fresh ones?

Are there any other frozen meats that are worthwhile?

How do I grocery shop and cook?

pedmands — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 19:41:48 -0800

I've been living on my own for about five years now, but I still cannot for the life of me understand grocery shopping. I've tried buying the staples, easy-to-cook meals, and even specific recipes. But I always end up ordering take out after a week. I know that one needs to grocery shop about once a week to replenish the perishables, etc. But I never feel like I'm buying the right things, that I have staple supplies at the ready, that I have a decent 'kitchen'.

I want to start eating healthier, as I wholly believe it contributes to a better life all-around. But eating take out 95% of the time leaves little room for this.

I've tried compiling a book of recipes that focus on healthy eating, but these recipes are so damned expensive and call for such specific things that I have all but given up on their conception.

So what I'm really asking is, what advice do the experienced MeFites have when it comes to grocery shopping and putting together a seven-nights-a-week meal plan? What should I expect to spend (I thought it was supposed to save money)? Where do I begin?

I'm overwhelmed with it, hope the hive mind can help. Thanks.

What are some good, quick boxed international lunches?

nitsuj — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 12:58:04 -0800

I really love these easy-to-prepare, not-too-expensive A Taste of Thai/India/China meals for lunch. What else would I like? My local grocery stores don't stock very many things like this, but with Amazon Groceries, I figure I can get pretty much anything shipped to my door.

The Asian stuff is great, so any other brands/styles/flavor recommendations are welcomed. I'd also be interested some other international flavors, like Mexican, Spanish, Canadian, et. al.

Emphasis on easiness to prepare and quality of ingrediants.

What grocery stores in Canada carry healthy(er) foods?

irishkitten — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 09:50:29 -0800

What grocery stores in Canada carry healthy(er) foods? Mr. Irishkitten here:

I recently moved from the USA to Canada (Ottawa specifically) and am having a rough time finding some of the healthier foods that I regularly bought in the states. The most confounding part of this is that what I'm looking for isn't that out of the ordinary.

What I'm looking for are simple things like turkey sausage, turkey bacon, fat free cheese, light (or fat free) salad dressings or marinades, and even things like light macaroni and cheese. I'm not interested in Soy cubes, organic produce, or anything that's typically found in specialty stores. Just stuff that I'm used to finding in local grocery stores.

Are there any Canadian grocery chains that keep these sort of things in stock? I've found some of them here and there but never all in one store and never regularly stocked. There's an A&P and a Loblaws near me but neither one have enough of these sorts of items to fill my list.

Do you get a lot of your food via mail order?

sparrows — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 12:37:41 -0800

Do you get a lot of your food via mail order? I mean everyday foods, not stuff from expensive specialty places. What are your favorite sources for this? (I'm in the U.S.) Asking because I'm thinking about moving back into an isolated NYC neighborhood that's a long, multi-leg trip from any good grocery stores (and definitely has no FreshDirect service).

Last time I lived there, I used a combo of an organic delivery service (which is a good value for a weekly mixed box of fruits & veggies, but offers only a very limited & expensive selection of other groceries) plus sites like bulkfoods.com and some natural foods sites that now seem to have gone out of business or stoped local delivery.

So what are your current favorite mail order food sites? Every kind is great to hear about, and I'm especially into ones with lots of natural or Asian or vegetarian foods.

food price comparison

sluglicker — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 10:06:46 -0800

Anyone know of a website that provides comprehensive food price data throughout the U.S.? For instance, lists the current price of top round beef, a gallon of milk, etc. I want to compare prices per region/city.

Biggest grocery store in L.A.

DarwinianDan — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 00:06:23 -0800

I love Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Wild Oats, and Farmers Market. What is the BIGGEST and best grocery store in Los Angeles County? Lots of variety needed.

Food and other shopping available only in CA?

Samantha — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 21:58:35 -0800

So I'm going to San Diego because I'm a big ol' geek and I'm finally going to San Diego Comic Con this year, about which I'm super excited. While in San Diego, what food should I eat/buy? I'm already planning on In-n-out burger and Jack in the Box, buying fresh masa for tamales (impossible to find in NYC), and hitting See's Candies for some yummy chocolates.

Any other suggestions for food to eat, specific San Diego recommendations (food and otherwise), things I might want to pick up in a supermarket, or y'know, anything else that might come to mind :) Again, don't limit yourself to food (although that's obviously on my mind) and I'd love to hear from anyone who's been to SDCC!

Keep in mind I live in New York City, which has a really awesome food scene of its own, so I'm specifically looking for stuff I could only get in CA, or that would be hard to find in NYC or on the East Coast.

Help Me Find Seattle's Mexican Uwajimaya

rossination — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 13:32:45 -0800

Where are all the Mexican groceries in Seattle? I recently got my hands on this fantastic book and love cooking from it, but I'm having a hard time sourcing things like dried chiles (Safeway has guajillos, but not dry chipotles or anchos, for example), cumin seeds, etc. I'd also love to be able to buy fresh masa, or at least locally made corn tortillas.

I know about the Mexican Grocery in Pike Place Market, and while it sounds like it would be perfect - and I intend to check it out - it's hard for me to get down there when they're open.

I realize that Seattle doesn't have a huge Hispanic population (and that it's sort of famous for bad and/or inauthentic Mexican food), but it seems like there should be other places that would have what I'm looking for. Dried chipotles, for instance, are really not that obscure (and yes, I know about the excellent canned alternative).

I'm willing to travel a bit, but suggestions near North Seattle are particularly welcome.

Caribbean Canadian Bacon

pithy comment — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 17:28:40 -0800

Can I get Canadian bacon at a grocery store in St. Thomas (US VI)? Furthermore, what other differences from typical American suburban grocery stores will I find there? What is the quality of produce, meats, etc? We're planning a vacation at the end of the month and will be cooking-in most meals. We want to get an advance idea of the menu. We're happy to be adventurous with the menu: Caribbean recipe suggestions are welcome...goat??

ISO: Boston Wegmans

o0dano0o — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 08:42:24 -0800

I recently moved from NOVA to Somerville, MA and the place of business that I miss most is Wegmans! Is there any store remotely like that near where I am now? I know of 2 stop and shops nearby, but they pale in comparison to my dearest Weggies. I'd appreciate any insight on where to get good groceries around here. I'd also welcome information on a Wegmoholics Anonymous society, because I'm in withdrawal. :)

Thanks!

Where in Manhattan might one purchase ostrich eggs?

Smart Dalek — Sat, 26 Jun 2004 21:34:29 -0800

GourmetFilter: Where in Manhattan might one purchase ostrich eggs?
I need them for ~~Halloween~~ an omlette recipe.