Save 95% on Groceries, a.k.a. Why You Should Shop at Ethnic Markets

Hey folks! We're trying something new for weekends: posting an older piece from the CHG archives. This one originally appeared in October 2007. Hope you dig it.

This past weekend, I paid $0.50 for a baggie of cardamom that was selling for $10.49 the next block over. The big difference between the two stores? The $0.50 folks ran an ethnic market. The $10.49 folks ran an upscale grocery store.

Six years ago, I lived in a neighborhood with two major supermarkets, both of which sold produce for above-average prices. Located 15 blocks south was a Korean-owned fruit and vegetable stand. The tomatoes, oranges, and garlic there went for half the cost of the local Key Food.

Earlier this year, a few friends needed 70 goodie bags for a promotional party. They cost about $0.34 a piece at the big-box supply store on 14th St. in Manhattan. Chinese food containers, which looked better and held more candy, went for $0.25 at Pearl River Mart in Chinatown.

It’s taken me a few years, but after Saturday’s cardamom adventure, I think I finally learned the moral of these stories: when in food-purchasing doubt, go ethnic. Whether you’re shopping for spices, produce, or supplies, those independent, family-run marts are fantastic alternatives to mega-stores. The prices are usually competitive (if not significantly lower), and the diversity of options, unbeatable. But it doesn’t end there. (Oh no – it doesn’t.) There are a bazillion other reasons why Kim’s Seafood beats out Food Lion any day of the week.

Shopping at ethic markets…

Encourages experimentation. Diversifying your diet is hard, especially when you’re locked into losing weight. If you’re looking to lift yourself from the meat-and-two-veg rut, ethnic markets are the place to be. Imagine aisle upon aisle stacked with soba noodles, yuca, and saag paneer. Even if you don’t know what any of those things are – trust me, they rule. And the store they came from can introduce your palate to all kinds of crazy flavors you didn’t even know existed.

Promotes diversity. Hey man, our families were all immigrants somewhere along the line. And according the Census Bureau, 40% of the U.S. population will be of ethnic origin by 2010. So, think of the ethnic market as a fabulous opportunity to introduce yourself to a new culture, but also, to meld that culture harmoniously into your own. While you’re perusing the shelves, take the time to speak to the proprietor or other customers. Odds are, everybody will learn something.

Reconnects you to your own culture. Are you a lapsed Swede? A part-German who’s completely ignorant of her background? A quarter-Brit with no discernible knowledge of her family’s cuisine? I am. Checking out ethnic markets gives me a good idea of what my grandparents and great-grandparents ate when they were still strolling the streets of Dublin. (Hint: potatoes.)

Helps small businesses. According to the Washington Post, family-owned ethnic grocers are losing ground as big-box supermarkets hone in on Asian, Hispanic, and African foods. Quite a few shops are even shutting their doors, and the operators’ expertise is being lost along with their leases. By buying from the ethnic market, you’re ensuring the preservation of your area, supporting a local family, and keeping that culinary knowledge alive in your community.

Ensures prepared foods are more authentic. Have you ever had sushi from CostCo? It’s excruciatingly bad. So is eggplant parmesan from Pathmark, and a burrito from Waldbaums. Oftentimes, ethnic markets will have a glass display case full of prepared foods. Try ‘em. See if you like ‘em. If you do, take some home, or try to prepare light versions on your own.

Is oh-so-hip. Eating well and frugally hasn’t always been synonymous with coolness, but it’s getting there, with lots of help from ethnic markets. According to almost every single craze-tracking source out there (magazines, websites, journals, etc.) ethnic food is consistently one of the fastest-growing trends in home cooking. (Cooking Light in particular is a big fan of meal diversification.) Buy a Ming Tsai cookbook, pick up a wok, and get with the times, man.

Makes for creative and creative gifts. Oftentimes, ethnic markets are chock-frigging-full of gorgeous tableware and cooking equipment, not to mention shelf after shelf of exotic mixes, spices, and specialty foods. And? It’s mostly pretty inexpensive. Next time you’re searching for a truly unique, out-there gift, grab a cart and go.

Can be a great bonding experience. Ethnic markets aren’t just grocery stores – they’re opportunities to spend quality time with loved ones. Teaching your kid about daikon? Learning from Grandma about what she ate in the olden days? Group-shopping for a Sunday dinner? Head for your local Indian grocer, which is a museum, a school, a library, and a food store wrapped all in one.

And last but not least (since it’s worth mentioning again), shopping at ethnic markets …

SAVES CASH. Ay-chi-wa-wa, yes. Though this might not extend to all markets/foods, you can conserve massive amounts of cash buying produce, spices, and certain ethnic specialties at the Korean place down the block, rather than the Megamart uptown. Cardamom! $0.50! Not kidding! Go!

If you’re interested in reading more about the glory of ethnic markets, these two faboo resources can help get you started:

• Wise Bread’s Tannaz Sassooni tells you what market sells which food. (Hint: Israeli = hummus!)
• After Hours’ Kathy Biehl lists a few great online ethnic markets.
  

Top Ten Links of the Week: 4/9/10 – 4/15/10

So much to love this week, so let's skip the pleasantries and get down to business. Like business people do. Harrumph harrumph.

1) The Atlantic: Confessions of a Picky Eater
This whole piece on selective foodies and their coping mechanisms is excellent, but I laughed most at the author bio: “Amy Sullivan is a contributing writer at TIME Magazine and a Michigan native. She has never tried scallops (or artichokes or green olives), but she does not like them.”

2) Almost Frugal: 9 Simple Tricks to Save $1000 Per Year on Coffee
Wonderfully creative ideas to cutting down on your $4 latte habit. The first bulletpoint (Starbucks vs. everybody else) is most informative, Captain.

3) San Antonio Life: Planning Key to Creating Healthy Meals
In which writer Claudia Zapata praises her mom’s weekly menu plans, and then shares tips for creating your own. I especially liked: “Plate everything in the kitchen, except the vegetables. Serve those family style to encourage healthy seconds.” Good call. (P.S. When you read the name “Claudia,” do you always think Babysitter’s Club? No? Uhhhh … me neither.)

4) The Epi-Log: The Science of Cilantro Hatred
Though I enjoy a good mouthful of herbage, many friends claim eating the happy little leaves is roughly equivalent to swallowing a tablespoon of Palmolive. As it turns out, there’s a scientific reason for that. The soapy-mouthed might be on to something.

5) Village Voice: Hot Dogs Are the New Foie Gras
Burgers and pizza are all the rage in gourmand circles these days, and Voice critic Robert Sietsema does not appreciate the trend. “The escalation of prices for what were once working-class food, is the true blowback of the economic downturn.” I don’t agree – if people can afford a $6 hot dog, let ‘em have it. Still, read on and let me know whatcha think.

6) CNN/Health.com: Fat Camps for Grown-ups – Do They Work?
You can probably guess what they discovered here, but if not, here’s the quoted expert: "Weight-loss camps are not an easy or quick fix. The short-term investment of time and money does not automatically equate to healthy weight management in the long term." This seems to go for all quick fixes, doesn’t it?

7) AP: How to eat well on a food stamp budget - $68.88
Three chefs attempt to prepare varied, healthy weekly family menus based off the current food stamp allotment (which 1 in every 8 Americans are now receiving). The first flat-out fails. The other two, one of whom is Iron Chef Jose Garces, do very well, even though both of them pay more for meat. Veddy interesting.

8) The Kitchn
How to Make a Breakfast Burrito
Skip the Microwave - Lunches That Don’t Need Reheating
What is the Best Way to Clean a Box Grater
The first two posts: invaluable for office workers. The last one: invaluable for me. I lost many a knuckle before realizing scraping downward was a bad idea. And yes, I went to college.

9) The Simple Dollar: Family Dinner Night
Show up, maybe bring a dish, select your meal from a homey assembly line, sit down, talk to loved ones. Great idea for inexpensive, casual, fun get-togethers.

10) Atlantic Food: Make Produce Safe – Share Your Ideas
The FDA is accepting electronically-submitted suggestions to improve the safety of U.S. food. This piece gives a nice overview of the whys and hows, and then provides an e-mail at the bottom. Go! Now! Tell the feds exactly what you think! (Er ... without too many four-letter-words.)


HONORABLE MENTIONS

Broke and Healthy
Inexpensive, nutritious meals from someone with actual professional cooking experience! (Meaning: not me.) Clean design, good pictures, step-by-step instructions. What more could you ask for? (Besides a rainbow made of bacon.)

Huffington Post Food: Becoming Better Cooks, or Why Sandra Lee Is Not Evil Incarnate
HuffPo’s new food section debuted this week, and among the first articles is this opinion piece by Ratio author Michael Ruhlman. He ruhlminates (haw haw) on Aunt Sandy’s place in the culinary world, finally deciding she’s defendable, because she gets people in the kitchen. I have nothing to add here, except: TABLESCAPES.


AND ALSO

Hyperbole and a Half
Hilarious and smart, profane and unendingly awesome, I can’t stop reading this comic strip/narrative blog. If you go, you gotta check “How a Fish Almost Destroyed My Childhood” among other things.

Thank you so much for visiting Cheap Healthy Good! (We appreciate it muchly). If you’d like to further support CHG, subscribe to our RSS feed! Or become a Facebook friend! Or check out our Twitter! Or buy something inexpensive, yet fulfilling via that Amazon store (on the left)! Bookmarking sites and links are nice, too. Viva la France!

Veggie Might: Salad Confounds, Dressing Rules (Also, Lemon-Ginger Dressing)

Penned by the effervescent Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about the wide world of Vegetarianism.

You know the cliché about bachelors and cooking? Well, my boyfriend doesn’t have an operational stove in his apartment. Let me clarify: the stove works, but the gas isn’t turned on.

So. Here’s what we’ve been doing: eat food I cook at my apartment (Charming Dinner Guest ring a bell?); eat food I cook and schlep to his apartment; or eat take out at his place.

Of course, the latter is not so frugal and has been wearing on both our wallets. The middle (is there a word for the middle?) is okay once in a while, but it would be so much easier to just cook the food there.

The thing is he wants to cook at home—to save money, to eat healthier, and to save money. It’s what we all want, right? So the gas people are coming in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, we have to eat, and sometimes at his place. Thank sweet Angela Lansbury and her angel above, Bea Arthur, for salad.

Or so I thought… For anyone out there who has struggled with salad, this is for you.

HOW SALAD CONFOUNDS
A short play in one act

Cast of Characters
Leigh, your lovable Veggie Might blogger
Charming Boyfriend, her gentleman caller

CB: So, I’ll go to the grocery after work. What can be cooked in the microwave for supper?

Leigh: (aside) Um…NOTHING! (to CB) Why don’t you grab some stuff for a salad?

CB: You know how much I love salad dressing. I could drink the stuff. But you may be overestimating my abilities to “grab some stuff for a salad.”

Leigh: Ha. I’ll bring my homemade dressing and chickpeas. I’ve also baked some tofu we could have on sandwiches.

CB: I’d don’t know if you’ve been to the produce aisle, but everything’s green and looks like it can go into a salad.

Leigh: Don’t panic. I’ll coach you on salad-stuff buying. Here's what I would get. Just pick a couple from each list. Simpler is always better.

The Basics
Greens (mixed field greens [aka mesclun], spinach, romaine, green or red leaf lettuce, or any combo thereof)
Onion
Carrot
Celery
Tomatoes (if the tomatoes are ripe)
Red pepper
Green pepper
Cucumber

The Extras
Avocado
Jicama
Broccoli or cauliflower
Turnip or radishes
Feta or goat cheese (optional)

CB: THANK YOU. You don't know how long I've been howling at the Internet, wondering they mean by "salad greens.” Seriously, this has been an issue for years.

Leigh: That’s why I’m here.

Blackout

Once you have your salad fixin’s you’ll need dressing that people (CB) want to drink independently of the salad. No need to spend $5.00/bottle for something you can whip up in a few minutes for pennies.

This handy ratio will allow you to make just about any salad dressing your heart desires: 2 parts oil : 1 part acid. Mark Bittman recommends a shallot accompany the oil/acid base, and I faithfully adhere to that advice. After that you’re free to toss in any seasonings, herbs, or sweeteners you like.

Salad dressing is infinitely customizable. My favorite salad dressing oils are olive and sesame, but use whatever you like. You can use any acid: vinegar, citrus fruits, wine; plus any ingredients that tip your canoe: ginger, honey, garlic, mustard, dill.

Be creative. Taste as you go. If you over-season, just add more oil and acid. Don’t be afraid to throw stuff in and see what happens.

CB’s salad was a success. He bought spinach, romaine, carrots, onion, red pepper, and two avocadoes, which are still ripening on his counter. Combined with the chickpeas and lemon-ginger salad dressing I brought, we had the perfect midweek meal—no cooking required.

~~~

If you like this post, you very well may enjoy:

• Summer Squash Salad
• Relaxed Kale and Root Veg Salad
• Rainy Day Potato Salad

~~~

Lemon-Ginger Dressing
Makes about 3/4 cup, or 12 tablespoon-sized servings

1/4 cup lemon juice (2 lemons)
scant 1/2 cup olive oil
1 shallot
2-inch piece ginger, grated
1 tsp agave nectar
salt to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste

If you’re using a blender:
1) Juice the lemons, coarsely chop your shallot, and grate the ginger.

2) Pour the lemon juice and olive oil into the blender and zap it for a few second or until it’s thoroughly emulsified.

3) Add the shallots and ginger. Zap it again until the shallots are decimated (minced will do).

4) Add agave, salt, and pepper. Zap it once again. Give it a taste. Do you like it? Does it need more of some thing? It’s your dressing! Zap, taste, tweak, and repeat until you like it.

If you’re not using a blender:
1) Juice the lemons, finely mince your shallot, and grate the ginger.

2) Pour the lemon juice and olive oil into a large bowl and whisk it like mad for a couple of minutes or until it’s thoroughly emulsified.

3) Add the shallots and ginger. Whisk it like mad again.

4) Add agave, salt, and pepper. Whisk it once again. Give it a taste. Do you like it? Does it need more of some thing? It’s your dressing! Whisk, taste, tweak, and repeat until you like it.

Everybody
5) Drizzle over your favorite salad. It keeps up to a week in the fridge. Just let it come to room temp and give it a shake or stir when you’re ready to drink it. I mean, use it.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, and Price per Serving
87 calories, 9g fat, .08g fiber, $.11

Calculations
1/4 cup lemon juice (2 lemons): 24 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, $.40
scant 1/2 cup olive oil: 955 calories, 108g fat, 0g fiber, $.64
1 shallot: 20 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, $.10
2-inch piece ginger: 22 calories, 0g fat, 1g fiber, $.06
1 tsp agave nectar: 20 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, $.06
salt to taste: negligible calories, fat, fiber, $.02
freshly ground pepper: negligible calories, fat, fiber, $.02
Totals: 1041 calories, 112g fat, 1g fiber, $1.30
Per serving (totals/12): 87 calories, 9g fat, .08g fiber, $.11

Couponing for People Who Hate Couponing: A Zero-Stress Guide to Clipping Big Bargains

WARNING: If you know what a Catalina deal is and/or have actually employed one, this may not be the post for you. If you occasionally slice your pinky open while using adult scissors, this is definitely the post for you.

When you think of couponing, what’s the first thing that pops into your head? Is it GoGurt? Is it a planet-sized binder and never-ending stack of circulars? Is it a crazy cat lady, forever in search of the single slip of paper that will net her 14 free packets of McCormick fajita seasoning?

It’s understandable. Long stereotyped as the favorite pastime of bargain-happy grandmas and moms of 47, clipping coupons gets a pretty bad rap. Many believe it gets you minimal deals on junky food. I didn’t touch coupons for years, figuring the time it took to collect them was disproportionate to the amount of money they saved.

Now I know better. While I still buy groceries primarily based on the circular, I’ve come to realize that a simple, no-frills approach to couponing nets good money for little time investment. I don’t freak out, I don’t buy rainbow-colored faux food, and I save a couple hundred bucks each year. Not too shabby.

If you’re considering coupons, but don’t know where to start, read on. These simple explanations and stress-free strategies could kick off a lifetime of half-price egg noodles. If you do nothing else, make sure to scroll down to the GOLDEN RULE OF COUPONING, wherein I explain the practice’s most important tenet as well as the origin of the universe.

(Also? Readers? What am I missing? I’m sure it’s a lot. The comment section awaits.)


OBTAINING ‘EM

There are a few ways to collect coupons. Some are intuitive, others not so much.

Newspapers. Since the beginning of time, the Sunday paper has come equipped with bazillions of coupon-stuffed circulars. If you can’t swing a subscription, bum them off friends and family after they’re done reading. This is how I amass most of my deals. (Thanks, Dad.)

Store circulars and magazines. Occasionally, coupons will appear in publications within a supermarket or drugstore, probably by the door or the cashier. Though you’ve already made your plan, leaf through these, since they can offer good last-minute deals or bargains for next time.

Store shelves. You know those little ticket dispensers that line supermarket aisles? If they’re located by a food you enjoy, grab one. Hey, you never know.

Mailings. If you really like a particular company, you can frequently sign up online to receive coupon packets through the mail.

Online. Online coupon deals can be tremendous, but also a giant headache if you spend too much time looking for them. So, be judicious in your search. Speaking of which, there are three basic ways to collect and save.

1. Go to aggregate sites like Coupons.com and Mambo Sprouts (organic).
2. Visit individual company pages like Betty Crocker.
3. Cruise popular forums and consumer sites like A Full Cup and Coupon Mom.

Be warned: you might have to sign up for the service and/or install a special printing program, but it can be worth it. Also, not every store accepts print-outs, and many supermarkets often restrict what you can and can’t use. Give your local chain a call before planning any big shopping trip.


ORGANIZING ‘EM

My coupons currently sit in a small stack on my clock radio, vaguely organized by general category. Sometimes, I weed through them and pick out the expired ones (which can then be donated to the military). Your preferred method may vary, but other folks seem to enjoy:

• Accordion folders
• Binders
• File boxes
• Anarchy

They’re all small, cute, unobtrusive, and cheap (except the last one). Store ‘em in your desk or among your cookbooks.


CLIPPING AND USING ‘EM

It’s Sunday afternoon. You’re sitting down at the kitchen table, coffee at your side, clippers in hand. In front of you rests 20 coupon circulars, waiting patiently for you to begin slicing and dicing. How in the good name of Bea Arthur do you approach this? By following these simple rules:

Forget brand loyalty. You’re looking for products (ex: cheese), not brand names (ex: Sargento). If you find a coupon for a brand you like (Tropicana!), that’s fantastic, but the better toothpaste deals come when you let go of your Crest fixation.

Clip only for products you need or use. When you don’t eat yogurt, own a dog, or have dentures, getting bargains on Activia, Alpo, and Polident is senseless. A good rule of thumb: if you have to think about clipping a particular coupon for more than a few seconds, skip it.

Avoid clipping if you can find a comparable generic product. Even with coupons, store brand foods are almost always cheaper. In most cases, people can’t tell the difference in flavor or texture, either.

Don’t clip for junk. It’s undeniable: most coupons are for processed, insanely over-packaged crap, and hoarding them will only lead to blown cash and rampant unhealthiness. (*cough* Hot Pockets *cough*) However, you should always …

Be on the lookout for pantry staples. Yay! These diamonds in the aspartame-blanketed rough are more common than you might believe. Currently (4/14/10), in my alarm clock stack, I have coupons for bread, olive oil, sour cream, butter, soy milk, mustard, dried beans, chocolate chips, cooking spray, corn starch, baking powder, rice, pasta, and egg noodles. Not to mention tin foil, gum, deodorant, and the all-important Zyrtec (a brand we will not forgo).

Be on special lookout for personal products. Coupons are fantastic for cosmetics and body care items (shampoo, toothpaste, etc.). If you like L’Oreal eyeliner, and see a bargain, don’t hesitate. You could consistently save 50% or more without much effort.

Take advantage of double and triple coupon days. Never in my life have I seen a Double Coupon Day in a New York City supermarket. But I’m assured they exist in many other wonderful parts of the country, as does the rare and hallowed Triple Coupon Day. Check your grocer’s website for dates.

Beware hoarding. Odds are you’ll never end up in a terrifying A&E series, but there is such a thing as going overboard on coupons. If you don’t have sufficient storage OR the product will go bad before you use it, avoid buying multiples.


THE GOLDEN RULE OF COUPONING

If you take nothing else away from this post, remembering this single rule will still help you bank mad cash every year:

Wait for sales to use your coupons.

Sales alone can save you money. Coupons alone can save you money. But they’re at their most powerful when combined. This may mean waiting a few weeks after your initial clippage, but trust me, it’s worth it.

Let me give you an example: I buy Del Monte diced canned tomatoes all the time. They’re usually $1.89 at my local supermarket. (Not a typo. I double checked.) Two weeks ago, they went on sale for $1.00 each. That’s a good deal by itself.

However, I also had a coupon for $1.00 off four cans, meaning each dropped to $0.75. What would have been a $7.56 spending spree became a $3.00 bargain. I saved 60% off the usual price.

Sweet, right?

In order to obtain these most excellent deals, leaf through your supermarket circular (at its own website or Money Saving Mom) before going shopping. Food companies generally offer circular and coupon deals around the same time, so matching them will be easier than you think.

And that’s our ballgame. Readers, what advice would you give a beginning couponer? What do you think of the words offered here? Did I get anything wrong? (Seriously, please tell me.)

~~~

If you like this article, you might also be taken by:

• 26 Common Food Labels, Explained
• Angus Anguish: Is Angus Beef Worth the Money?
• Eating Healthy While Clipping Coupons

[(Photos courtesy of Hearts and Home (coupon book), Encyclomedia (coupon dispenser), and Strom Products (egg noodles).]

Ask the Internet: Grain Recipes for Vegetarians? (No Beans.)

Today’s question comes from longtime reader Liz. She writes:

Q: I've been cooking for many years in an eco- and frugal-conscious way, and I'm trying to shift to vegetarian or vegan cooking once or preferably twice a week. However, I have a problem: my DH can't tolerate much in the way of beans. (Or peppers, cabbage, brussels sprouts, or any kind of cured meat such as bacon, ham, or corned beef.) He'll eat limas, and modest servings of kidney or white beans, but absolutely won't touch lentils or chickpeas, two of my favorites. He also doesn't like eggs very much, though he can tolerate them fine. He's really putting a crimp in my style! Fortunately he has other redeeming qualities.

Do you know of any tasty, vegetarian main dishes that are not bean-based? Grains and potatoes would be good. We love kasha, and we also like quinoa, as well as rice of all kinds, and bulgur.

A: Thanks for writing, Liz! I’m a big pasta fan myself, but will try to stay away from that starchy goodness for the sake of the question. (So … hard …)

Grain salads are always reliable, and this article from the yesterday’s Kitchn has nine great ideas. Sandwiches, veggie-based stews, and soups are excellent options, as well, and any stir fry will go far. (Granted, there are only so many stir fries you can eat in a week.)

Beyond that, these recipes seem to fit the criteria, and I can vouch for all of them:

• Barley Risotto
• Bulgur Salad with Avocado, Raisins, and Almonds
• Quinoa Soup with Avocado and Corn
• Pumpkin Orzo with Sage
• Spaghetti Squash Casserole

Beyond beyond that, I leave it open to you, sweet readers. What are your favorite grain-based veggie entrees? Do you have a fallback grain? How do navigate a vegetarian diet with someone can’t eat beans? When you say “quinoa,” does everyone assume you’re speaking Klingon? Fire away in the comment section.

Want to ask the interweb a question? Post one in the comment section, or write to Cheaphealthygood@gmail.com. Then, tune in next Tuesday for an answer/several answers from the good people of the World Wide Net.