25 January 2007

What's in your basket?

When The Food Maven posed that question, I thought "How interesting" quickly followed by "How personal!" Divulging into the contents of a shopping cart is probably its own field of psychoanalysis.

I mean, who amongst us hasn't peered into another's trolley and come up with a story to match the findings? A jumbo sac of cheeziepoofs, a couple of packages of weiners and a stack of frozen dinners: probably a single guy. Designer water, zero calorie yoghurt, low-carb bread, celery sticks and premium ice cream: dieter in denial. A cart with three brands of tomato sauce, two labels of tuna, fresh and dried sage: someone who's taking over shopping duty...and terrified of buying the "wrong kind" of whatever...

So, what's in my basket?

Last Saturday I shopped at three places because I can't find what I want in one store.

The health food shop has great service and knowledgable staff. They have organic milk in bottles that won't go off in less than a week. Depending upon what I'm looking for, their organic produce can be cheaper and is fresher than at the big scary megamart.

The gourmet food store has the best deli meats and a cheese case that is a wonder to behold. They also have good selections of olives, crackers, and swanky-labelled goodies.

The big scary megamart is exactly that. Big and scary.

Total amount spent: C$65.05 (approx. US$55)

From the health food shop:
Organic two per cent milk (1 L)
Green & Black's 70% semisweet chocolate (35g)
Organic slivered almonds (500g)

From the gourmet food store:
Hot porketta, sliced (100g)
Proscuitto di Parma (50g)
Goat cheese
Anchovie fillets in oil
Bagels (6)

From the big scary megamart:
Rigatoni (900g)
Extra-large, organic eggs
Skinless chicken thighs (500g)
Stewing lamb (680g)
Irish breakfast teabags
Fresh sage (20g)
Fresh chives (20g)
Sweet red pepper (1)
Baby asparagus (one bundle of 36 spears)
Crushed tomatoes (796ml)
Meyer lemons (500g)
Plum tomatoes (4)
Low-sodium chicken broth (500ml)

cheers!
jasmine

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6 comments:

K and S said...

nice goods you got there!

Anonymous said...

Stewing Lamb. Now there's something I'd never be able to find in anything short of a gourmet butcher shop in this part of the world.

Lamb isn't big in the U.S. Southwest. As a matter of fact, the cattle ranchers were known to kill off the sheep herders.

Anonymous said...

You are my kind of food shopper!

Elizabeth said...

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who makes judgments about other people's grocery choices...

-Elizabeth

Elizabeth said...

Silly me... I forgot to add that if I had seen your shopping cart, I would probably have stopped you and asked you what time I should be there for dinner. :-)

-Elizabeth

jasmine said...

Hello all

Kat - Thanks -- I never know exactly what I'll come home with :)

Jerry - That is one thing about the big scary mega mart, I can generally get a variety of meats: beef, pork, veal, lamb, duck, turkey, chicken. I can also order in what I want from my favourite butcher.

Ivonne - One day we should shop, cook and eat together!

Elizabeth - It's a horrid thing to do, but when the person ahead of you needs to have all 37 items rung in individually, my mind wanders :)

j