How civilized are you, food-wise? By which I don't mean you yourself, but your surroundings. For anyone who loves to cook, where you live can be a challenge in itself.
Here's a little test I devised to determine just how civilised your food world is.
The challenge: to find within ten minutes' walking distance of the place you live the following ten items, in no particular order:
1. A salad spinner
2. Mirin
3. Chipotles in Adobo sauce
4. Arugula
5. 12-year-old Scotch
6. Serrano chiles
7. Sushi-grade tuna (not from a sushi shop)
8. Galangal
9. Freshly-sliced salami
10. An espresso pot
All I know is, for living in the downtown area of a major metropolitan city in North America, my score was dismal: 3 out of 10 (I'll tell you which ones later.)
How about you?
I moved to Longueuil two years ago, so I'm no longer in walking distance of the shops I used to frequent on the Plateau. On the other hand, the chain grocery stores have vastly improved in the last few years. I'm quite impressed with the range of goods one can find on the shelves at Provigo, Loblaw's, Metro, and IGA.
ReplyDeleteStill, it's no replacement for a real market. But I do get up to Little Italy every week or so, and there are a few decent markets on the south shore.
Now to your challenge. Most of these items can be found within ten steps of me, as I have them already in the house.
1. A salad spinner GOT IT
2. Mirin GOT IT
3. Chipotles in Adobo sauce GOT CHIPOTLES BUT NOT IN ADOBO SAUCE
4. Arugula GOT IT
5. 12-year-old Scotch HAD IT (DRANK IT)
6. Serrano chiles DON'T GOT IT
7. Sushi-grade tuna (not from a sushi shop) DON'T GOT IT
8. Galangal DON'T GOT IT
9. Freshly-sliced salami DON'T GOT IT, BUT I DO HAVE SPANISH CHORIZO AND SOME KIND OF DRY SAUSAGE WITH HAZEL NUTS IN IT
10. An espresso pot GOT IT
Hmm. I suppose my arbitrary criteria were more aimed at what was available in your area. With a car or public transport, all these things are available to me, but I don't have a car, and dragging grocery bags back from J-T-Market on the metro isn't much fun.
ReplyDeleteBut what really got me started is that I needed a salad spinner all of a sudden the other day. How simple is it to find a salad spinner? Just try it without a mode of transport other than your feet. I went to Metro (the grocery store) Pharmaprix (the chain wannabe-all drugstore), two dollar stores and an upscale kitchen/deco place (Zone) and finally ended up having to walk outside the 10-minute area to where else: a hardware store, where they had precisely two models: one for $30 and one for $69 (a $69 salad spinner?)
So that got me to thinking how many times I had to abandon a recipe all because it needed some ingredient like serrano chiles, corn tortillas, sesame oil (couldn't believe I couldn't find that at Metro) or soba noodles. I just couldn't be bothered to hop on public transport just to get that one ingredient!
I got my mirin in Japan, hoarded the chipotles, also drank the scotch long ago, and yes, I too have the espresso pot--but where the hell did you get the arugula?
Nick, I usually find good arugula at Milano on St. Laurent in Little Italy. Sometimes they even have "baby arugula" which is excellent! I also find it in some of the better fruiterie stores over here in the 'burbs. Almost never in the big grocery stores.
ReplyDeleteYes, I went to Atwater Market this morning and found some—if roquette is arugula—but it wasn't in great condition so I passed in favor of mesclun, but you can get that anywhere.
ReplyDeleteAh, Milano . . . were that I lived above it.
How unlucky! Where are you in our fine city!
ReplyDeleteI scored an approximate 6 in Lachine!
Spinner - Rossy!
Mirin - Lachine Market fish shop
Arugula - IGA
Scotch - Home and local SAQ
Serrano - Found, but bottled
Tuna - Lachine Market
Salami - Lachine Market or IGA (ick!)
I'm in Cote des Neiges, near Queen Mary. Have to admit, that's pretty central. There is no fish shop within walking distance. I'm highly suspicious of Metro's seafood. There is no arugula at Metro or the vegetable place (Exo Fruits).
ReplyDeleteNo chilies in any shop around here except for tired, wrinkled old jalapenos or bland Anaheims.
No sesame oil. No Mirin. No galangal. No fresh pasta except for that Contadina shit. No really decent cheese selection. Gorgonzola? Never heard of it (at Metro).
But things are getting better. Ten years ago there was no cilantro. Anywhere. Metro was closed after 6 on weekends. Exo fruits just brought in corn tortillas. I had to hold myself back from buying ten packs to freeze them, since the only other place you could find them was Maya on St. Laurent. In fact, I'm so afraid they'll be gone tomorrow that I think I will go buy ten packs.