Restaurant-quality takeout, espresso beans from Italy and more

A Stuffed Tiger Shrimp Dinner with Gnocchi alla Sorrentina, Broccoli and Roasted Potatoes from Jerry's Gourmet & More, 410 S. Dean St., Englewood.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

At Jerry's in Englewood, the price of roasted coffee beans from Italy goes up and down more frequently than the stock market.

On Wednesday afternoon, I stopped at the discount Italian food and wine store, looking for Jerry's wonderful restaurant-quality takeout dinners, which are reduced to $5.99 after 4 p.m.

I found three shrimp dinners, then walked into the back room to look at the prices for roasted espresso beans from Italy.

A 2.2-pound bag of Gimoka Gran Gala beans were labeled $9.99, which I thought was a misprint. 

Other 2.2-pound bags from Italy were priced as high as $24.99.

But at the register, the two bags of Gimoka beans rang up at $9.99 each.

Jerry's Meals To Go are reduced to $5.99 after 4 p.m., though the selection often is limited. On Wednesday afternoon, I got the last three dinners, all with crab-stuffed shrimp.

On Sunday, two heads of red-leaf lettuce were on sale for 98 cents at H Mart in Little Ferry, and part of one head made a nice salad on Wednesday night with tomatoes and cucumbers from Costco Wholesale. The Korean supermarket also had fresh wild-caught whole porgy for $1.49 a pound, allowing us to put a fish dinner for four on the table for under $10.

I've been making egg-white omelets stuffed with fresh spinach, salsa and reduced-fat cheese, but taking short cuts results in a mess, above. It's best to use two pans, one for the omelet and one to precook and season the spinach before transferring it to the omelet and folding it. At Costco Wholesale, six 16-ounce cartons of Kirkland Signature 100% egg whites were $7.49.