ShopRite Spring Water, bibimbap with squid, a free Costco shopping trip

ShopRite now sells its own Spring Water in the same 24 half-liter bottles as Poland Spring. The label list the source as natural springs in Pennsylvania.

Last week at the Paramus store, a 24-pack of ShopRite Spring Water was on sale for $2.99 each, compared to $3.33 for a 24-pack of Poland Spring Spring Water when you bought three.

Editor's note: Today, I discuss a week of food shopping, eating out and takeout -- from bottled spring water to a meatless Korean bibimbap to a restaurant-quality Italian-style fish dinner.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

ShopRite almost always seems to have a sale on three 24-bottle packs of Poland Spring Spring Water.

But now, you can beat even that deal when ShopRite puts its own brand of Spring Water on sale, as it did last week at the Paramus store (224 Route 4 east). 

An 18-ounce package of blueberries from Chile were $7.99 at the Paramus ShopRite last week, compared to $5.49 at Costco Wholesale in Teterboro. An 11-ounce package of blueberries was $6.99 at ShopRite.

Bibimbap -- a Korean dish of sizzling rice, vegetables and ground beef served in a hot stone bowl -- is available in two meatless versions at So Gong Dong, a soft-tofu and barbecue restaurant. I ordered the Bibimbap with Squid ($12.99) and added gochujang, a spicy red-pepper paste, from a squeeze bottle on the table. It was served without the traditional raw or cooked egg on top.

A pork soft tofu stew, served in a stone bowl, is boiling when it is brought to the table -- hot enough to poach a fresh egg that is provided along with another stone bowl of steamed rice and five complimentary side dishes ($9.99). The stew can be ordered from little spicy to more spicy.

The entrance to So Gong Dong, 118 Broad Ave., Second Floor, Palisades Park. Valet parking is available.

 Free Costco shopping

My wife went to Costco Wholesale in Teterboro on Wednesday -- her first trip in more than two weeks -- armed with rebate coupons from American Express, which issues the True Earnings-Costco credit card.

She bought $261.93 worth of fresh produce, fish, cheese, juices and packaged items, and came home with $10.25 in change.

Fresh wild-caught Atlantic Cod from Iceland was only $7.99 a pound, a wedge of imported Parmigiano Reggiano was $8.49 a pound and a 10.7-ounce bottle of Ground Saigon Cinnamon was $2.49.

Organic bananas were $1.99 for 3 pounds, and a 10-pound bag of non-organic carrots was $5.99.

A 3-pound bag of raw, sodium-free California Almonds was $17.99. They are ideal for roasting at home and dusting with the Vietnamese cinnamon sold at Costco.

She also bought toilet paper, bleach, flowers, body wash and chewing gum, among other items.

Jerry's Gourmet & More in Englewood calls its restaurant-quality takeout dinners Meals To Go, but they could just as well be called A Little of This, A Little of That: The dinner I bought included Sea Trout Fillets, Grilled Zucchini, Eggplant Parmigiana, Vegetable Frittata, Roasted Potatoes, Shrimp and Broccoli Dumplings, and Mushroom Stuffed with Crab Meat -- all ready to be plated and reheated in the microwave.

The dinners are marked down to $5.99 after 4 p.m., if there are any left. On Friday afternoon, I got the last three Sea Trout Marechiaro dinners. Jerry's is at 410 S. Dean St., Englewood.

On Friday, one of the many delicious cheeses you could sample for free was Scamorza, a dried mozzarella.

Among the premium pastas available at Jerry's was Organic Fusilli (1.1 pounds for $6.79), above, as well as 8.8-ounce boxes of Spinosi Pasta for $5.99 each, below. At ShopRite and Whole Foods Market, you can find 1-pound packages of Organic Whole Wheat Pasta from Italy for $1.25 to $1.49 each.

Costco again slices price of fresh Copper River salmon

Fresh wild Copper River sockeye salmon from Costco Wholesale in Hackensack with a reduction of organic diced tomatoes, red wine, garlic, lime juice and fresh herbs, served with Tru Roots Organic Quinoa, also from Costco, prepared in an electric rice cooker with more Kirkland Signature Organic Diced Tomatoes and extra-virgin olive oil.

Editor's note: We continue to enjoy fresh Copper River salmon from Costco Wholesale, which has trimmed the price for the second time in a month. Today, I also discuss organic quinoa as a substitute for brown rice and whole-wheat pasta, and shopping at Whole Foods Market, Trader Joe's and ShopRite.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

Wonderful fresh wild salmon from Alaska's Copper River has become a weekly treat thanks to Costco Wholesale in Hackensack.

The price of skin-on sockeye fillets dropped to $11.99 a pound on Sunday, the second downward adjustment in about a month.

When the Copper River salmon run ends, Costco will begin selling fresh wild sockeye or coho salmon from other rivers at an even lower price.

The Copper River fillets cook through in 12 minutes in a 375-degree oven, but remain moist.

I cook the organic-diced-tomato reduction on top of the stove and spoon it over the fish after I remove the roasting pan from the oven.

Garnish with plenty of chopped mint and oregano or any other fresh herb you have. 

The next day, I had a second dinner of Copper River sockeye with mashed yams/sweet potatoes and organic mixed vegetables.

The quinoa is a great substitute for brown rice or whole-wheat pasta, both of which have more carbohydrates. Here, the whole grain stands in for bread at breakfast. A wedge of leftover pesto-and-cheese frittata and choy sum, one of the many greens available at H Mart in Little Ferry, complete the meal.

Sunny side up organic eggs from Costco seasoned with two great spices from the Middle Eastern kitchen, mildly spicy Aleppo pepper and za'atar, top, a pleasantly sour thyme mixture. I also added small pieces of Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese as the eggs were cooking, and ate them with organic quinoa.

Shopping for naturally raised meat

At Trader Joe's in Paramus, I shopped for W-brand antibiotic- and nitrite-free bacon ($5.49), and Trader Joe's Uncured Beef Hot Dogs, also antibiotic and hormone free ($4.99).

I also picked up a kitchen basil plant for $3.99.

At Whole Foods Market, also in Paramus, I picked up fully cooked Niman Ranch St. Louis-style Pork Ribs from animals raised on vegetarian feed without antibiotics and hormones ($7.99 a pound). 

An incredible array of salads at Whole Foods Market in Paramus. At $8.49 a pound, it is easy to spend $12 to $15 on salad for lunch.

These Mini Cucumbers were on sale for $1.99 a pound on Friday at the ShopRite in Paramus, and I refrigerated them as soon as I got home. But they spoiled in less than three days, and I returned them for a refund. 

Out of stock at Costco

I'm still puzzled why I can't find everything I need at Costco when I go back for a product I enjoyed.

On Monday, I couldn't track down two Kirkland Signature items in the Hackensack warehouse store, men's briefs and parchment paper.

Still, I was able to cash a $190 rebate check from Costco, representing 2% of my purchases in the last year with my Executive Membership, which costs $110 a year.

That's in addition to two credit-card rebate checks totaling a few hundred dollars I received a couple of months ago from American Express.

One item that seems to be always in stock is Kirkland Signature Organic Diced Tomatoes, and it's one of the most versatile for preparing meals at home.

I used them again tonight when making a sauce for organic whole wheat capellini with extra-virgin olive oil, white wine, chopped garlic, capers, anchovies and three fresh herbs, mint, oregano and basil (photo below).

Who doesn't love tomatoes? 

We were out of organic chicken stock for the pasta sauce, and I used a half-cup of hot pasta water and more extra-virgin olive oil to add liquid.

American Express trims restaurant rebate

Image by Getty Images via @daylife
Let's talk cash-rebate credit cards.


My Visa card from Capitol One charges no foreign-transaction fees when we vacation outside the United States, and gives me 1% cash back on all purchases. 


And my TrueEarnings Card from Costco and American Express gives me cash rebates on gasoline purchases, restaurants meals, for travel and on all other purchases.


Now, American Express has cut the restaurant rebate to 2% from 3%, but hasn't changed cash back on gasoline (3%), travel (2%) and other purchases, including Costco Wholesale (1%).


The change took place Aug. 1, and was announced in a notice with billing statements, according to American Express. 


I missed the notice, but the change in the restaurant rebate has been reflected recently in full-page ads in The Costco Connection magazine.


At American Express, a representative by the name of Mario said today the rebate change was a "business decision."


Rebates, supermarket sales and other discounts usually are subsidized by the retailer or bank and the manufacturer or restaurant.


It only makes sense to use cash-rebate cards, if you pay off your balance in full every month to avoid interest charges. The two cards I use charge no annual fee.


I once relied heavily on the American Express Blue Cash rebate card, which has one level of rewards on the first $6,500 you spend, then higher rebates over that amount.


The rebates on the first $6,500 are 1% on gasoline and groceries (excluding Costco), and .5% on drugstores. After you spend $6,500, the rebates go up to 5% on gasoline, groceries and drugstores, and 1.25% on everything else.


The Blue Cash Preferred card carries a $75 annual fee in return for 6% back on groceries, 3% back on gasoline and department stores, and 1% everywhere else.


That sounds attractive, but we spend far more money on food at Costco, relying on supermarkets mostly for imported ethnic items and specialty fresh produce, including plantains and green bananas.


Today, I asked American Express to convert my regular no-fee Blue Cash card to a new product, called Blue Cash Everyday.


The Everyday card will gives us 3% back in supermarkets (excluding Costco), 2% back in department stores and gas stations, and 1% back on all other purchases.


I'll have to prepare a wallet guide on where to use our three credit cards.


Capitol One and the TrueEarnings card issue checks, but Blue Cash rebates are applied to reduce your balance once a year.


Costco also issues an annual 2% rebate check for all purchases at the Executive level of membership, which is $100 a year. Our total rebate from Costco and American Express more than cover the membership fee.