Found a vegetable/fruit paradise

SlightlyConfused

SlightlyConfused

Senior Member
Joined
10 Jun 2018
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2:11 AM
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79
Location
Toronto, Canada
I think this is the right forum for this, if I should move it to another just let me know.

My biggest issue in the part of the city where I live we have a lot of big name grocery stores and they have an okay fruit/veggie section for the basics but I have a hard time finding some things. I can usually find Scotch Bonnet Peppers and Jalapeño peppers and that is about it and on occasion a third type if I am lucky. Well a short while ago we got a new grocery store that seems to be dedicated to worlds foods. I had been meaning to go over but when I could not find shallots my usual store I thought I bet you they have them. Sure enough they even had 3 kinds. I mean I cannot find a single kind usually and they had three. I went through the peppers/chilli section I counted 10 varieties and I did not count them all/

If I was not in a rush I would had a longer look but it will start being my go to store now. They even have aisles for Japanese, Chinese, Jamaican and many other aisles dedicated to foods and spices by region, it is sort like finding the holy grail of fruit and veggies. I used to have to go to several farmers markets (when in season) or to the areas of the city that still have fruit and veg markets to find what this place carries and it is a hop skip and jump away. So anyway I get my shallots and plan on cooking Spicy Gochujang Pork and Rice but go figure I was feeling off all morning by the time it was to start cooking who realizes they have the flu, in June nonetheless and I have been sick in years. So sick I cannot be cooking (please no sympathy, not why I mentioned it, just explaining why I have not posted the food I plan on making) and I just hope I am better so I don't lose my pork. At least in my delirium I will be able to dream about the varieties of veg I now have access to. So I am roaring to use my new found treasure trove just as soon as I can. It means I can probably find things I do not know I am even missing them. Like a kid in a candy store.
 
SlightlyConfused said:
I think this is the right forum for this, if I should move it to another just let me know.

My biggest issue in the part of the city where I live we have a lot of big name grocery stores and they have an okay fruit/veggie section for the basics but I have a hard time finding some things. I can usually find Scotch Bonnet Peppers and Jalapeño peppers and that is about it and on occasion a third type if I am lucky. Well a short while ago we got a new grocery store that seems to be dedicated to worlds foods. I had been meaning to go over but when I could not find shallots my usual store I thought I bet you they have them. Sure enough they even had 3 kinds. I mean I cannot find a single kind usually and they had three. I went through the peppers/chilli section I counted 10 varieties and I did not count them all/

If I was not in a rush I would had a longer look but it will start being my go to store now. They even have aisles for Japanese, Chinese, Jamaican and many other aisles dedicated to foods and spices by region, it is sort like finding the holy grail of fruit and veggies. I used to have to go to several farmers markets (when in season) or to the areas of the city that still have fruit and veg markets to find what this place carries and it is a hop skip and jump away. So anyway I get my shallots and plan on cooking Spicy Gochujang Pork and Rice but go figure I was feeling off all morning by the time it was to start cooking who realizes they have the flu, in June nonetheless and I have been sick in years. So sick I cannot be cooking (please no sympathy, not why I mentioned it, just explaining why I have not posted the food I plan on making) and I just hope I am better so I don't lose my pork. At least in my delirium I will be able to dream about the varieties of veg I now have access to. So I am roaring to use my new found treasure trove just as soon as I can. It means I can probably find things I do not know I am even missing them. Like a kid in a candy store.
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Recipe please! Have you made bibimbap? We love Korean food. I have a couple bottles of soju in the fridge.
 
SlightlyConfused said:
They even have aisles for Japanese, Chinese, Jamaican and many other aisles dedicated to foods and spices by region, it is sort like finding the holy grail of fruit and veggies.
Click to expand...

What a fantastic resource - as far as I know there is nothing like that in the UK - although there might just be, in London. Here, I shop a lot on-line through the major supermarkets who deliver next day. There is a reasonable selection of fruit/veg but exotic food is limited. I can probably get 4 or 5 types of chilli.

Like others in the UK I often use Asian shops which stock a fantastic range of spices.
 
CraigC said:
Recipe please! Have you made bibimbap? We love Korean food. I have a couple bottles of soju in the fridge.
Click to expand...

The recipe was moved to the link below and now I know not to just toss them into posts. You can find it here for the Gochujang Pork and Rice recipe. https://www.cookingbites.com/threads/spicy-gochujang-pork.12989/

I have not tried a bibimbap yet but is high on my list of things to try. I also did a Korean Bulgogi which turned out great, follow this link to the recipe https://www.cookingbites.com/threads/korean-pork-bulgogi.12991/ I did a spicy Korean Beef sandwich but I really doubt the authenticity of it but it was really good.
 
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SlightlyConfused said:
I just hope I am better so I don't lose my pork.
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First of all, throw the pork in the freezer. Do it now, unless you're sure you'll be fully healed and ready to go tomorrow. As you start to get better, put it in the refrigerator to thaw. I usually end up doing this when I buy a massive amount of something that I think I'll have time to prepare: usually, half of it goes into the freezer if it's more than 2 pounds.

Secondly, I'm happy you have a market where you can go to get things you can't get elsewhere. Are the prices comparable for the basics? There's a fruit and vegetable market with prices that are significantly cheaper than the supermarket, and I love going there. But, that also means I need to make a second trip for things I can't get at the market. Then, there are the upscale markets that have amazing variety and quality, but you pay for it.
 
The Late Night Gourmet said:
First of all, throw the pork in the freezer. Do it now, unless you're sure you'll be fully healed and ready to go tomorrow. As you start to get better, put it in the refrigerator to thaw. I usually end up doing this when I buy a massive amount of something that I think I'll have time to prepare: usually, half of it goes into the freezer if it's more than 2 pounds.

Secondly, I'm happy you have a market where you can go to get things you can't get elsewhere. Are the prices comparable for the basics? There's a fruit and vegetable market with prices that are significantly cheaper than the supermarket, and I love going there. But, that also means I need to make a second trip for things I can't get at the market. Then, there are the upscale markets that have amazing variety and quality, but you pay for it.
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They are Asian owned and the prices for most things are comparable and/or cheaper prices from what I have seen so far. The fruit and veg and slightly cheaper on some things and a lot on others. I will be going for a large shopping tomorrow so I will be able to see what the prices across all items are more thoroughly but as I said earlier everything so far seems better priced.

Thanks for the pork ideas but I had already thawed it out as it was frozen so I just tossed together a quick pork stir-fry and my family loved it, I didn't eat any was not in the mood for any food and this flu has put taken me out worse than I was expecting but felling a ton better today. So I can get back to cooking, woohoo.
 
morning glory said:
Glad you are recovering! You are very dedicated to cook food when you don't feel hungry and can't eat it.
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I don't cook for me because if I did it would be quick and boring most of the time. I like to see others eat my food and enjoy it. It has nothing to do with whether I like it or not. I mean make no mistake I love good food but if it is for me only I am lazy enough to have a box of kraft dinner most nights lol, but if it is for others I will go out of my way to make sure they love it. I cannot believe how happy I get when people like my food, it brings me joy few other things do.
 
SlightlyConfused said:
I don't cook for me because if I did it would be quick and boring most of the time. I like to see others eat my food and enjoy it. It has nothing to do with whether I like it or not. I mean make no mistake I love good food but if it is for me only I am lazy enough to have a box of kraft dinner most nights lol, but if it is for others I will go out of my way to make sure they love it. I cannot believe how happy I get when people like my food, it brings me joy few other things do.
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I think we have things in common here! I often don't eat the food I make - its made for others around me and yes, its great when its appreciated. And I love the creative 'hands on' process. I do taste, taste and taste though... which is pretty well essential when you are cooking unless its a recipe you have repeated so many times you know its going to taste OK.
 
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