Food Store Rivalry

I have been energized to think about interesting new foods because of Tommy’s gourmet blog and the arrival of a new food store in the next town, Joseph’s Marketplace. My husband is still sort of a Jewel Food Store employee (31+ years), but really we aren’t welded to that store and can take side trips to visit other markets.

Joseph’s is the kind of store that has a huge produce section full of color and variety. Dave and I like to do a walk through when a new store opens and check it out. This has been a long-standing ritual for us, even when we were dating. We worked together in the meat market until they found out we were in love, and then they transferred me. I was a meat wrapper, don’t laugh, and it was a disgustingly difficult job, freezing cold, and working with butchers, who prided themselves on being disgusting to women, and especially single girls like me. Obviously Dave was not like the other butchers.

On our second date, we did a walk through of the A&P and derided the messy out-of-code displays and felt really superior about our meat counter. Ah. Those were the days.

I needed Dave to see this Joseph’s store and get his opinion, ‘cause I was already determined to start shopping there, if only for the smell of fresh from the factory tortillas, and the famous Reduced for Quick Sale rack in the produce section. When we were kids my mother would head directly to that rack and check out the bruised and dented fruit and veggies and get big bargains. This is a residual deep seated urge that I had stifled for all these years. Our Jewel does not do reduced for quick sale.

The store as a whole caters to the ethnic customer. Ha! This is so funny because the town it is in is so whitebread that ethnics need to be bussed in. The large local Mexican population usually shops at small neighborhood tiendas, but lots of Mexicans are now working at this store, so that may change. I am happy because I can practice my Spanish. There is also a section of Polish and Russian foods, plus Asian foodstuffs, especially Indian. It is all so exotic. I even saw Danish, Greek and Polish butter. And real Italian Gelato. The bakery is very dangerous with freshly made Italian specialties like cannolis and tiramisu. I must stay back 100 feet.

I found a big tray of a dozen overripe tomatoes on the reduced for quick sale rack ($1.00!) and we bought a large chunk of parmeggiano reggiano, and then I grabbed a huge butterflied skirt steak and proceed to the checkout.

At home I cut away the bad spots and took out all the seeds and cores and put the tomatoes in a big pot with three huge slivered garlic cloves and a handful of my homegrown basil. The aroma was ever so seductive. I ground up a tablespoon of fennel seed, and added a handful of oregano and a pinch of red pepper flakes to kick it up a notch.
After a few hours of simmering I transferred it all to the food processor, cause Dave hates tomatoes, but loves tomato sauce, as long as there are no signs of tomato lumps within.The skirt steak was rubbed liberally with olive oil and several screws of black pepper and tossed onto the very hot grill. I had to stand nearby as the steak is so thin that it would overcook in a wink.

When it was done, I ladled on the sauce, and covered it with shredded mozzarella and the parmagianno and slid it under the broiler to brown. Not exactly veal parmigianna, but much more flavorful. A salad with bib and romaine, sliced ripe peaches, and almonds and the meal was complete. O alright, some wine too.When we finished, we hopped into The Car and went to check out Caputo's Fruit Market.

Not so good.