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I don't live in the Cupertino area anymore, but that Sunnyvale Sprouts was up and running back in October for sure. Seemed pretty overpriced to me. I mean, poo poo, there's a Ranch 99 over on Wolfe/Homestead, and a slightly mindblowing little grocer on Homestead/Blaney that has the best produce around for super cheap. Los Angeles is all about Super King markets. It's the kind of place where you can walk out with a full cart for thirty bucks.
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Jun 14, 2012 01:41
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Valdara posted:THAT Mi Pueblo? I thought that was just a taqueria. I've walked past it on my way to Hobee's. Will def check it out. I get my bike back from the shop next week, so basically everything is within biking distance around here. I'll keep you updated if I find anything particularly amazing/egregious. Yep, that Mi Pueblo. If you want a taqueria nearby, go to La Babma. It's right next to Fresh & Easy and it's hella good. Sometimes I have lunch there before shopping so I don't feel compelled to buy a million things. They also have a location downtown so you can fill up before hitting all the bars, but that's for a different thread, I think. I've never been to that particular Hobee's either, but I used to hit up the one in Cupertino for hangover food fairly regularly. The guava mimosas were pretty good, and you got your own personal bottle of champagne.
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Jun 14, 2012 07:22
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Mizufusion posted:Yep, that Mi Pueblo. If you want a taqueria nearby, go to La Babma. It's right next to Fresh & Easy and it's hella good. Sometimes I have lunch there before shopping so I don't feel compelled to buy a million things. They also have a location downtown so you can fill up before hitting all the bars, but that's for a different thread, I think. I'm plumb full up on food right now, but I will do some exploring in the next week or so. Also, I hope you had the coffee cake at Hobee's. Going there and not having coffee cake is like going to Disneyland but not riding any rides.
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Jun 14, 2012 07:34
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Greater Los Angeles Area folks, if there is a Jon's supermarket near you, GO THERE. I was afraid of it for years but it turns out to be awesome despite looking like a lovely Vons knockoff. Their produce is loving beautiful and jawdroppingly inexpensive.
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Jun 14, 2012 08:36
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What are some good recipes that incorporate chicken breasts? I bought one of the frozen 3 lb bags and the suggested baking on tinfoil is too boring even for me. Also, is it cheaper to buy frozen hamburger patties, or buy the meat and shape/season the patty yourself?
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Jun 14, 2012 22:45
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big rig nig posted:What are some good recipes that incorporate chicken breasts? I bought one of the frozen 3 lb bags and the suggested baking on tinfoil is too boring even for me. 1) Return them and get something else. 2) If you want to keep them, my favorite method for plain breasts is to thaw in the fridge, then rinse off and pat dry, stick in a ziplock baggie or in a pan or something, thinly coat with olive oil and whatever spices you want, let it hang out while you preheat the oven to 350. Bake until internal temperature is 165. I actually get pretty moist, flavorful, tasty chicken breast this way, but I stopped buying them in favor of more interesting (cheaper/tastier) meat. 3) Slice it up, pan cook it, cover in delicious sauce. Buy the meat and season/shape it yourself. Way tastier, way cheaper, and only has the additives that YOU put in it. Also usable for many other delicious dishes.
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Jun 14, 2012 22:50
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big rig nig posted:What are some good recipes that incorporate chicken breasts? I bought one of the frozen 3 lb bags and the suggested baking on tinfoil is too boring even for me. Dip in flour, dip in egg, coat with Panko bread crumbs, then fry.
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Jun 14, 2012 22:54
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Valdara posted:1) Return them and get something else. Uh, do you have any alternatives to recommend for the frozen breasts then? They seemed like a really good deal, and I like white meat/not being pressured to cook it right away. Edit: Also, can ground beef or whatever hamburgers are made out of be frozen? big rig nig fucked around with this message at 23:03 on Jun 14, 2012 |
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Jun 14, 2012 23:01
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Chop 'em up, marinate them and stir fry them with veg? Chop 'em up and add them to whatever pasta sauce you have going? Marinate them and make chicken burgers? Coat them in yoghurt and spices and grill them? There's very little you can't do with chicken breasts, though ice cream may be a bad idea. Also, chop 'em up and add them to soup. Edit: ground beef sure can be frozen. slinkimalinki fucked around with this message at 23:08 on Jun 14, 2012 |
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Jun 14, 2012 23:05
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big rig nig posted:Uh, do you have any alternatives to recommend for the frozen breasts then? They seemed like a really good deal, and I like white meat/not being pressured to cook it right away. I just gave you two different ways to cook them: bake on foil but with olive oil and spices to give it a tasty flavor and slice up, cook in pan, cover with sauce. Curries, mole, tomato sauce and have over pasta, a cream sauce and have over pasta, roasted with a bunch of vegetables. Harminoff's frying suggestion is also good. There are a million things you can do with them. Yup, you can freeze ground meat. You can even shape it into burgers and freeze those so you have your own fresh, tasty, seasoned to your liking frozen burger patties. Do you want specific recipes and directions, or are these general suggestions enough to get you started?
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Jun 14, 2012 23:07
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Harminoff posted:Dip in flour, dip in egg, coat with Panko bread crumbs, then fry.
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Jun 14, 2012 23:08
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big rig nig posted:What are some good recipes that incorporate chicken breasts? I bought one of the frozen 3 lb bags and the suggested baking on tinfoil is too boring even for me. My favorite, easy, go-to (I'm so asian) method is to slice thing into match sticks, coat with cornstarch, salt, pepper, spices (typically smoked paprika). Stir fry with veggies in a sauce of soy sauce and shaoxing wine. Valdara posted:I just gave you two different ways to cook them: bake on foil but with olive oil and spices to give it a tasty flavor and slice up, cook in pan, cover with sauce. Curries, mole, tomato sauce and have over pasta, a cream sauce and have over pasta, roasted with a bunch of vegetables. Harminoff's frying suggestion is also good. There are a million things you can do with them. You said you preferred other tastier/cheaper meat, so I think he's asking alternative meats to chicken breast.
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Jun 14, 2012 23:13
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Thanks for the ideas everybody. Also, what's the best way to store frozen meat to keep it fresh? Ziplock bags?Valdara posted:I just gave you two different ways to cook them: bake on foil but with olive oil and spices to give it a tasty flavor and slice up, cook in pan, cover with sauce. Curries, mole, tomato sauce and have over pasta, a cream sauce and have over pasta, roasted with a bunch of vegetables. Harminoff's frying suggestion is also good. There are a million things you can do with them. But I was asking wh- Rurutia posted:You said you preferred other tastier/cheaper meat, so I think he's asking alternative meats to chicken breast. Yeah.
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Jun 14, 2012 23:20
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big rig nig posted:Thanks for the ideas everybody. Also, what's the best way to store frozen meat to keep it fresh? Ziplock bags? Chicken thighs are cheaper and significantly tastier.
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Jun 14, 2012 23:22
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GrAviTy84 posted:Chicken thighs are cheaper and significantly tastier. Can you get them boneless and skinless though? I'm sort of lazy and I don't like touching bones.
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Jun 14, 2012 23:27
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big rig nig posted:Can you get them boneless and skinless though? I'm sort of lazy and I don't like touching bones. if you must, but the bones and the skin are where a lot of the flavor is.
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Jun 14, 2012 23:31
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big rig nig posted:Thanks for the ideas everybody. Also, what's the best way to store frozen meat to keep it fresh? Ziplock bags? Mea culpa. I thought "alternatives for" meant recipes rather than "alternatives to". Anyway, boneless/skinless thighs are an option for frozen. Alternately buy fresh chicken of any sort (quarters, thighs either bone in or Bonless/Skinless, legs, safeway has packages of b/s breasts AND thighs sometimes), portion it out, and stick it in your freezer. Again, it's much cheaper and tastier, doesn't have as many additives as the packaged frozen chicken breasts, and you have more control over how it's seasoned and prepared. Check the circulars of the store to see what's on sale and go for whatever's cheap or the best deal (like tritip for $4 a pound instead of $7, which is still cheaper than b/s chicken breast). Get cheap meat and then google it for ideas. If you can't find ideas, go to the general questions thread and ask. Folks there are super helpful for people who want to learn how to make more kinds of awesome food. I store frozen meat in ziplock bags, but I fret over how wasteful it is. Still trying to find a better method that is less wasteful but also sanitary.
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Jun 15, 2012 00:21
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Valdara posted:I store frozen meat in ziplock bags, but I fret over how wasteful it is. Still trying to find a better method that is less wasteful but also sanitary. Wrap in waxed paper (like the kind that comes in the boxes at restaurant supply stores, the kinds you use at a donut cabinet), and freeze in a cambro. The wax paper will keep the individuals from sticking to each other, and the cambro will keep them separate and organized from all the other food.
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Jun 15, 2012 00:26
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GrAviTy84 posted:Wrap in waxed paper (like the kind that comes in the boxes at restaurant supply stores, the kinds you use at a donut cabinet), and freeze in a cambro. The wax paper will keep the individuals from sticking to each other, and the cambro will keep them separate and organized from all the other food. I'm assuming that will work with other freezer-safe containers. I have tupperware coming out my ears and have zero space to store any more. Now to start searching for donut papers.
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Jun 15, 2012 00:29
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Valdara posted:I'm assuming that will work with other freezer-safe containers. I have tupperware coming out my ears and have zero space to store any more. Now to start searching for donut papers. Smart and final should have them
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Jun 15, 2012 01:30
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Valdara posted:I'm assuming that will work with other freezer-safe containers. I have tupperware coming out my ears and have zero space to store any more. Now to start searching for donut papers. A foodsaver costs less than a hundred dollars and will pay for itself in a year. Buying mass quantities of meats and cheeses in bulk and separating it yourself is probably the best way to save money. Plus buying a chunk of cheese, using half of it, and being able to use the other half 2 months later is awesome.
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Jun 15, 2012 02:25
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indoflaven posted:A foodsaver costs less than a hundred dollars and will pay for itself in a year. Buying mass quantities of meats and cheeses in bulk and separating it yourself is probably the best way to save money. Plus buying a chunk of cheese, using half of it, and being able to use the other half 2 months later is awesome. or this, but it's just as wasteful as ziplocs, a smidge more expensive, and a slight bit more effort. It protects from freezer burn a lot better than all other options, though. Depends on how long you tend to sit on frozen meat without eating it.
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Jun 15, 2012 03:25
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Valdara posted:Also, I hope you had the coffee cake at Hobee's. Going there and not having coffee cake is like going to Disneyland but not riding any rides. What kind of monster do you think I am? <  >Valdara posted:I'm assuming that will work with other freezer-safe containers. I have tupperware coming out my ears and have zero space to store any more. Now to start searching for donut papers. GrAviTy84 posted:Smart and final should have them There's a Smart & Final on El Camino, off of Grant. My roommate bought a million half-pint jars there to make jam for Christmas presents last year. Unfortunately he never actually got around to making anything, so I use them for canning fruits and veggies that we have excess of. Still have a metric buttload of frozen berries taking up space in my freezer, though. Should probably do something about that. 
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Jun 15, 2012 03:49
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GrAviTy84 posted:Chicken thighs are cheaper and significantly tastier. Chicken thighs are certainly better, but they're starting to not be so much cheaper than bone-in breasts as people see the light. The cheapest way is to just buy a whole chicken and break it down (or just roast it), but for someone who thinks bones are icky, that might be hard. It is however, extremely easy and you can cut it down on a weekend and have it ready for a weekday. Plus you can get the hippy free range, humane stuff for less than the water filled supermarket boneless breasts. Tastes better too! nm fucked around with this message at 05:40 on Jun 15, 2012 |
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Jun 15, 2012 05:36
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+1 on buying whole and butchering. It's nothing to be afraid of. You will be slow at first but eventually... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkj-ZB6JPhE Valdara posted:I'm assuming that will work with other freezer-safe containers. I have tupperware coming out my ears and have zero space to store any more. Now to start searching for donut papers. Just saw a commercial for these, sounds like you might be interested: http://www.ziploc.com/WhatsNew/Pages/whatsnew_perfectportions.aspx GrAviTy84 fucked around with this message at 05:58 on Jun 15, 2012 |
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Jun 15, 2012 05:55
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GrAviTy84 posted:Just saw a commercial for these, sounds like you might be interested: Mizufusion posted:There's a Smart & Final on El Camino, off of Grant... Still have a metric buttload of frozen berries taking up space in my freezer, though. Should probably do something about that. I'll keep an eye out and go check S&F. My mr needs to take his car in to have the brakes checked tomorrow, so I may drag him around on a journey of shopping for random things while that is happening.
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Jun 15, 2012 06:29
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GrAviTy84 posted:+1 on buying whole and butchering. It's nothing to be afraid of. You will be slow at first but eventually...
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Jun 15, 2012 06:31
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GrAviTy84 posted:Chicken thighs are cheaper and significantly tastier. I hear this over and over, but the one time I bought thighs they were really gross - loads of sinew and blood vessels and they just... didn't cook nicely. They were boneless and I put cheese in them, folded them and put bacon on top - nothing out of the ordinary. Did I just get bad thighs? It put me off entirely because they were bordering on inedible, but I don't like this feeling that I'm missing out on cheap, delicious meat!
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Jun 15, 2012 21:08
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Bollock Monkey posted:I hear this over and over, but the one time I bought thighs they were really gross - loads of sinew and blood vessels and they just... didn't cook nicely. They were boneless and I put cheese in them, folded them and put bacon on top - nothing out of the ordinary. Did I just get bad thighs? It put me off entirely because they were bordering on inedible, but I don't like this feeling that I'm missing out on cheap, delicious meat! Sounds like you just got lovely meat. Stuffing chicken is generally awful though. In order to get the internal stuff to the right (safe) temperature, you need to cook the flesh to poo poo. And really, stuffing does nothing to the flavors of properly prepared meat. A layperson may think, oh hey the flavors will infuse into the meat, but that's not true. You get far more flavor mileage out of brining, marinating, or a well prepared finishing sauce than you do with stuffing. If you do the former as opposed to the latter, you can then execute what you would have stuffed into the meat in a significantly better manner. Same is true with wrapping things with bacon. Two scenarios: wrapping a skin on chicken with bacon and wrapping a skinless chicken with bacon. For the former, because the skin is covered completely with bacon, you are trapping the moisture and will just end up with gummy fatty skin. The latter case, the same moisture problem keeps the bacon from becoming crispy. If you manage to get the bacon crispy it means that you've removed all of the moisture in direct contact with it. This means the chicken meat will be very dry and over cooked. This is all a moot effort because chickens come with the most perfectly designed crispy fat layer already laminated to their surface: chicken skin. Learn how to properly render chicken skin and you will never have the urge to wrap it in bacon ever again.
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Jun 15, 2012 21:40
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Thanks for the tips. This was ages ago and I was just looking for a zero-effort meal, but I'll keep what you said in mind. I'm going to be living in an area with a bunch of butchers' shops soon, so I'll be able to go and have a gander at the meat, and hopefully find some nicer thighs. Hooray!
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Jun 16, 2012 11:01
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I started buying thighs instead of breasts on the recommendations of this forum, and I think my favorite part is that I don't even need to waste any additional fat in order to cook them; cooking them skin down on medium high heat for 4-5 minutes gives me a super crispy, delicious crust every time. My typical preparation is to take some thyme and/or rosemary and garlic and put them underneath the skin, and then cook it. Is this the best way to impart those flavors on the whole thigh?
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Jun 16, 2012 16:23
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Duece Ex Machina posted:I started buying thighs instead of breasts on the recommendations of this forum, and I think my favorite part is that I don't even need to waste any additional fat in order to cook them; cooking them skin down on medium high heat for 4-5 minutes gives me a super crispy, delicious crust every time. That is certainly an effective and simple way to do it, so that's what I would recommend. Marinades can impart a little flavor as well, but typically lack penetration so you don't get flavor deep into the meat. Short version: Cooking the meat with the herbs and spices tucked under the skin imparts good strong flavor and can help prevent the herbs from burning.
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Jun 16, 2012 21:50
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Bollock Monkey posted:Thanks for the tips. This was ages ago and I was just looking for a zero-effort meal, but I'll keep what you said in mind. I'm going to be living in an area with a bunch of butchers' shops soon, so I'll be able to go and have a gander at the meat, and hopefully find some nicer thighs. Hooray! Also, get them with bones. You will be amazed at how much better they cook up with bones.
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Jun 16, 2012 21:53
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nm posted:Also, get them with bones. You will be amazed at how much better they cook up with bones. On top of being cheaper, nearly everything tastes better with bones (plus stock capabilities, helloooooo). I don't get why people buy meat without bones, unless it's a cut that's boneless (i.e. certain cuts of steak). This is a really good book, imo: Bones: Recipe, History, and Lore. I do sympathize with those who don't enjoy the flavor of chicken thighs proper, however. I doubt poor quality meat is the issue, since I've tried 'em from cheap-rear end freezer bags to local, humanely raised chickens that I break down myself. They're just too greasy with a very weird, odd texture. I usually feel that "all food tastes good, and if you don't like something, it's because it hasn't been prepared well". But I make an exception to that rule for chicken thighs, yeesh. Now, chicken drumsticks are the poo poo, I could eat those everyday.
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Jun 16, 2012 22:21
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I've been cooking tons of indian food lately and it's super cheap and delicious. I went to the Indian market and spent $20 on spices (and even the smallest bags were huge, so you could easily split these with 2 or 3 friends, a quarter of my bag of mustard seeds filled up a normal spice jar, will take me months and months to get through IF I cook Indian regularly). I also picked up some chiles that were like $0.30 for 6, and only didn't buy mangoes ($10 for a CASE) because I was carrying stuff home on the bus. Pick up some rice and lentils (I bought urad dal and chana dal because I knew recipes for them) and you're on your way to delicious food! I've made lemon rice, mattar paneer, and spiced urad dal so far (one recipe from a friend and the others just found on Google) and it was all delicious. Tip: A lot of Indian recipes may avoid onion and garlic, and sub in hing (asafetida) instead. Unless you also refuse to eat onions and garlic, I highly recommend that you avoid hing. It's a substitute for delicious onions and garlic, but it smells like the devil's own rear end in a top hat. You can easily sub in garlic/onion powder (or better yet, fresh) in the recipes that call for hing. I'm a raw beginner at Indian cooking, but I love how flavourful everything is and cheap and easy to cook. Sorry for the crappy phone pictures. Mattar Paneer: Recipe: http://mydhaba.blogspot.com/2005/11/mattar-paneer-masala.html (next time I am going to try making my own paneer as it was a little expensive for the cheese)  Indian Lemon Rice: (recipe from a friend) quote:2 cups of cooked rice Spiced Urad Dal: Recipe: http://www.indianfoodforever.com/daal/urad-daal.html Dal on left, rice on right. 
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Jun 17, 2012 16:05
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Moving to Austin,Tx from LA. I am a little afraid that I have become very dependent on the cheap produce here in LA. Anyone have any luck getting great deals on produce in Austin? Thanks for the help guys.
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Jun 18, 2012 09:58
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Render your own pig fat. It takes a long time but lard is so good. You can also use it to make some rillettes for that homemade bread. Or use it in soups. Or baking. Anything. It costs something absurd where I like, like $0.50/pound.
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Jun 18, 2012 20:01
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Shbobdb posted:Render your own pig fat. It takes a long time but lard is so good. Lard is pretty drat cheap though, nothing wrong with making your own but it's not really a necessity if you get lard from a latin or asian market.
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Jun 18, 2012 23:36
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MuffinShark posted:Moving to Austin,Tx from LA. I am a little afraid that I have become very dependent on the cheap produce here in LA. Anyone have any luck getting great deals on produce in Austin? Thanks for the help guys. If you want to splurge on fancy produce or pick up great, cheap bulk spices, go to Central Market on Lamar, emphatically not the Whole Foods mothership. CMart is cheaper and the downtown Whole Foods is even more infuriating than Whole Foods usually is. Wheatsville Co-Op sometimes has a free box. (And it's "y'all", not "guys". Might as well get used to it now.) spite house fucked around with this message at 07:31 on Jun 19, 2012 |
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Jun 19, 2012 07:27
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EVG posted:Tip: A lot of Indian recipes may avoid onion and garlic, and sub in hing (asafetida) instead. Unless you also refuse to eat onions and garlic, I highly recommend that you avoid hing. It's a substitute for delicious onions and garlic, but it smells like the devil's own rear end in a top hat. You can easily sub in garlic/onion powder (or better yet, fresh) in the recipes that call for hing.
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