Mierda! What is MSG doing in La Costena Mexican Green Salsa?

The change on the label of La Costena Mexican Green Salsa isn't a good one. Monosodium glutamate or MSG is now being added. The salsa tasted fine without the flavor enhancer, once blamed for "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome," which linked MSG to chest pain, headaches and other problems experienced by people who ate Chinese food.

Editor's note: Today, I discuss the importance of reading ingredients labels, and play lost and found at Costco Wholesale in Hackensack.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

I'm a big reader of ingredients labels, but with products I have been using for years, I usually don't bother to look every time I buy them.

On Tuesday, I felt like preparing fresh fish with a medium-spicy Mexican green salsa or salsa verde, which I also use on omelets and frittatas.

I picked up wild-caught fillets of Icelandic haddock at Costco Wholesale in Hackensack for $8.99 a pound, and, when I got home, cut them into serving pieces.

When I took out a bottle of La Costena Mexican Green Salsa I had in the cupboard, I turned it to read the label to see if a preservative was being used, and was shocked to see monosodium glutumate listed in capital letters.

Other brands

I've used Mexican Green Salsa from Goya and Herdez, and like La Costena they are made in Mexico.

I've also tried Roasted Salsa Verde sold at Trader Joe's, Target and Whole Foods Market.

None contain MSG, and some are even preservative-free. The main ingredients are tomatillos and jalapeno peppers.

Luckily, I had a bottle of Roasted Salsa Verde from Whole Foods in my cupboard on Tuesday, and used the contents of the 16-ounce bottle and juice from two limes to prepare the meal in only 5 minutes from the time the haddock was placed in the simmering sauce. 

If I can find the receipt, I am planning to get a refund for the La Costena green salsa from Hackensack Market, where my wife purchased it.

Truth is, I already inadvertently used a bottle of this La Costena green salsa with MSG (I found it in our recycling bin).

I don't think I suffered any ill effects, and there are Web sites saying that MSG has gotten a bad rap -- that the flavor enhancer isn't to blame for health problems.

But if I can easily find green salsa and other bottled and canned food without MSG, why take a chance?

I added a pinch of Aleppo pepper to the haddock before cooking the pieces in dark green, roasted salsa verde from Whole Foods Market and fresh lime juice. The sauce was a nice accent for baked sweet potatoes, below. A big Earthbound Farm Organic Spring Mix salad ended the meal. 

At ShopRite in Paramus, I saw this good buy on low-sodium Colonna Pasta Sauce, but the ingredients label listed high fructose corn syrup, which is linked to the obesity epidemic, a real turn-off. Many other pasta sauces contain added sugar.

I haven't been able to find Tru Roots Organic Quinoa at Costco Wholesale in Hackensack, where I've purchased it several times before. On Tuesday, I found a new brand from Peru, Andean Gold Organic Quinoa, which is also non-GMO. A 4-pound bag was $17.99.

I continue to enjoy adding Aleppo pepper and za'atar thyme mixture to boost the flavor of a simple open-face cheese omelet, above, served with leftover organic whole-wheat shells and mixed vegetables. The spices are available in-store or by mail order at Fattal's, a Syrian bakery, butcher and grocery in Paterson.

Wild shrimp in green salsa, lunch at Maggiano's

Wild-caught jumbo shrimp from Mexico splashing in green salsa over a bed of organic brown rice cooked with organic diced tomatoes.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
Editor

Once you've tasted wild-caught shrimp, you'll never go back to farmed crustaceans from the other side of the world.

We've been buying frozen Black Tiger shrimp raised in Vietnam at Costco Wholesale for many years for around $10 a pound.

They come with the shell on, but deveined, so they are a snap to prepare, and cook in around 5 minutes.

But on Monday, I prepared a pound of wild jumbo shrimp from Mexico that I bought at H Mart in Englewood for $14.49 a pound.

I had to devein them myself, but I have a special knife and once I crossed that hurdle, I marinated them in fresh lime juice, black pepper, powdered garlic and red-pepper flakes.

For the Mexican shrimp, I opened a 16.7-ounce bottle of La Costena Green Salsa or Salsa Verde from Mexico, poured it into a pan and added fresh juice from one small lime.

The medium-spicy, preservative-free salsa serves as both a cooking medium and sauce for your side dish of rice, pasta or mashed potatoes.

When the salsa started to bubble, I add the dozen shrimp, turned up the heat and cooked them for about 5 minutes in a covered pan, flipping them once.

They came out plump, tender and crunchy -- everything a shrimp should be. 

They were more tender than any farmed shrimp I've had, and I don't have to worry about preservatives, antibiotics or other additives.

I have to wonder why Costco, with its worldwide reach and resources, doesn't offer wild-caught shrimp and even live lobsters to its customers.

Vintage photos, red checked tablecloths and other traditional decor at Maggiano's Little Italy in Hackensack.

Now that's Italian

It's true that New Jersey probably has more Italian-American restaurants than any other kind, especially if you include pizzerias.

It's also true that Maggiano's Little Italy is one of those chain restaurants you find in malls all over the country.

You wouldn't think the food at Maggiano's could compete with a family run Italian-American restaurant, but the chain restaurant bends over backwards to please and its special deals represent excellent value.

And you have the option of ordering from a family style menu of large portions meant for sharing.

No problem, the waitress said, Maggiano's wonderful Spinach Salad can be made without bacon.

No problem, the waitress said, when my friend asked for more sweet peppers for his Sausage and Peppers, returning with a small bowl filled with them.

Another friend ordered one of the Classic Pastas, Fettuccine Alfredo, and that entitled him to take home another pasta, Spaghetti & Meatball, at no extra charge.

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup includes fresh basil.

Lots of food

I invited two friends to join me for lunch on Monday at Maggiano's Little Italy, the chain restaurant in Hackensack's upscale mall, The Shops at Riverside.

I wanted to take advantage of an American Express promotion that offered a $15 statement credit, if I spent $50 at Maggiano's and charged it on my card.

I ordered a wonderful Spinach Salad with luscious Gorgonzola cheese, pine nuts and fruit ($12.95), but didn't care for the sweet apple-cider vinaigrette dressing.

I started with a bowl of Creamy Tomato Basil Soup for $5.50, and qualified for a soup-salad combo special (I paid a total of $12.95).

I also ordered Grilled Salmon Lemon & Herb to go ($16.95 with orzo and spinach).

One of my friends had Sausage and Peppers ($7.95) and the other had Fettucine Alfredo ($12.95), with a free order of Spaghetti & Meatball to go (also $12.95).

Both friends took home leftovers.

Our waitress went above and beyond, bringing one friend a small bowl of extra sweet peppers for his sausage platter, as well as a separate paper bag for a basket full of rolls we didn't touch. 

I wanted to have a glass of wine, but refused to pay $9.50 for 6 ounces, when I could buy a terrific bottle for less at a retailer.

Maggiano's offer whole-wheat penne as a substitute in its pasta dishes, but why stop there when several other shapes -- linguine, spaghetti, shells, bowties and so forth -- are available? 

Icelandic fish and Mexican sauce -- dinner is served

Snowy, wild-caught haddock is a meaty fish from Iceland that I buy at Costco Wholesale in Hackensack. A bottle of Green Mexican Salsa serves as both the cooking medium and as a sauce for brown rice, above, or whole-wheat pasta. I served the fish with kale.

Editor's note: Fall means the end of the wild-salmon season at Costco Wholesale, and the return of fresh haddock from Iceland. Ripe pears, savory cheese and smoked wild salmon add substance to salads.

By Victor E. Sasson
Editor

Fresh fish fillets and a bottle of Green Mexican Salsa translate into a quick, delicious dinner that is ready in minutes.

Last night, we cooked portions of a 1.9-pound fillet of  fresh, wild-caught Icelandic haddock from Costco Wholesale in green salsa for under 10 minutes or until the fish turned snowy white and was firm to the touch.

I served it with leftover organic brown rice, covered with sauce from the fish, and kale, which I had blanched in hot water, drained and dressed with extra-virgin olive oil, powdered garlic and a little salt.

The haddock was $8.99 a pound and it served three with leftovers.

I emptied a 16.7-ounce bottle of La Costena-brand Green Mexican Salsa or Salsa Verde into a pot, added fresh juice from half of a lime, heated it to a low boil and then added portions of haddock fillet.

Jun's Wild Sesame Tofu with gochjang, a red-pepper sauce, is delicious for breakfast, especially when heated in the microwave for about a minute and a half. The non-GMO tofu is available at H&Y Marketplace, a Korean supermarket at 1 Remsen Place in Ridgefield

Whole sea bass from H Mart in Englewood was prepared in a sauce of organic diced tomatoes, olive oil and powdered ginger and garlic, and served with organic brown rice and steamed organic carrots. A bonus when eating whole fish are the tender "cheeks" right below the eyes.

Diced ripe Bosc pear and Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese turn a red-leaf lettuce salad into a sweet and savory side dish.

A light dinner salad includes smoked Alaskan wild salmon, ripe pear and cheese dressed in extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and calls for a glass of red or white wine.

Fish dinners in under 30 minutes

Fresh Canadian flounder in a tomato-white wine sauce.

Fresh Pacific cod with Mexican green salsa and tomatoes over brown rice.

With Costco Wholesale's fresh, wild-caught fillets and a few bottles and cans in your cupboard, you can turn out fish dinners in under 30 minutes.

No need for a recipe. A can opener and a large pan with a glass cover is all the equipment you need.

My Costco in Hackensack usually offers wild-caught fillets of haddock from Iceland and flounder from Canada, as well as meaty cod from the Pacific, all for $6.99 or $7.99 a pound. 

I try to buy fish that is packed the same day, as indicated on the Costco label, and I usually can buy a package with under 2 pounds of fillets for 4 people.

Flounder fillets with leftover brown rice and prepared tofu.

For any fresh fish fillet, you can open cans of Kirkland Signature Organic Tomato Sauce and Organic Diced Tomatoes, empty them into the pan and add white wine, lime or lemon juice, garlic powder, red-pepper flakes and dried Italian seasonings.

Bring to a boil under a partial cover. Meanwhile, season the fillets with Kirkland Signature Organic No-Salt Seasoning. 

Turn down the heat to medium, add the fish fillets and cover.

Through a glass cover, you can watch the fish turn white and firm up. The skinless fillets should be ready in about 20 minutes.

A second preparation uses a bottle of Goya or La Costena Mexican Green Salsa, a can of organic diced tomatoes and lime or lemon juice.

Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to medium, add the fish fillets and cover. 

I like to make big batches of organic brown rice in an electric cooker -- with or without cooked black beans and organic diced tomatoes -- or mashed sweet potatoes and Kabocha squash with olive oil and seasonings, and keep them in the refrigerator to eat with the fish.

A salad of Earthbound Farm Organic Spring Mix completes the meal. 

Related post

• At Costco, one can yields several meal ideas

Cooking fresh fish couldn't be easier

Fresh wild-salmon took only 8 minutes to cook through in bottled green salsa.

The salsa moistened organic brown rice, which we made in an electric cooker.

The price of fresh wild sockeye salmon has eased by $1 to $9.99 a pound at Costco Wholesale in Hackensack, where we picked up a 1.49-pound skin-on fillet for dinner on Friday.

My wife prepared the organic brown rice in an electric cooker, and I didn't start the fish until it was ready.

First, I sprinkled the salmon portions with a little salt and a lot of Aleppo red pepper. 

Then, I emptied a bottle of La Costena Mexican Salsa Verde from Hackensack Market into a large non-stick pan, covered it and brought the sauce to a boil.

I removed the cover, put in the salmon portions and covered the pan. I uncovered the pan twice more -- to poke the fish and determine whether it had cooked through by how firm it was.

It took only 8 minutes.

I spooned salmon and sauce over brown rice, garnished them with fresh chopped mint and oregano, had a second piece of fish, and followed with a lettuce salad from the garden.

The fish was hot, juicy and delicious, and the sauce had a nice kick to it.

Goya bottles the same sauce, which can be used to cook any fresh or frozen fish fillet or chicken pieces.  Bottles of salsa verde also can be found at ShopRite.

How sweet it is

These California peaches give off an intoxicating fragrance.

I added a cut-up peach to Trader Joe's Raisin Bran and milk.

A lunch of Jersey blueberries, Champagne mango, apple and sliced cheese.

Also at Costco, my wife picked up a 6-pound box of ripe, fragrant Magenta Queen Peaches from California for $9.99 or about $1.67 a pound.

I sliced one and ate it beside a Georgia peach I bought for $1.99 a pound at Whole Foods Market in Paramus, and the California fruit was far sweeter and juicier.

Crossing borders 

Wild salmon with tomatoes and capers, and cabbage and saltfish.

A smoked wild-salmon omelet with guacamole and Italian olives.

An open-face omelet with stewed tofu, guacamole and radish kimchi.

What was so special about fatty bacon and eggs, the American breakfast that launched the day for decades and likely was responsible for more disease than any single meal?

For the most important meal of the day, fish, tofu and food drawn from other cultures make for a far healthier start.

One fish is good, but two are better -- as in fresh wild sockeye salmon paired with salted pollock in a Jamaica dish, cabbage and saltfish.

Instead of bread, add boiled Korean yam and green banana.

Stewed tofu from H Mart tastes great hot or cold, and goes well with eggs sunny side up or an open-face, egg-white omelet with smoked wild salmon.

Guacamole from Costco, mixed with bottled salsa; Italian olives from Jerry's Gourmet in Englewood, and radish kimchi make terrific breakfast side dishes.

Whole sea bass in Mexican salsa verde

Image by lorises via Flickr

Two ingredients in Mexican green salsa are tomatillos, bottom, and cilantro.

This wonderful main dish couldn't be simpler. All you need is:

1. Fresh fish.

2. A bottle of green salsa.

3. A  lemon. 

Preparation is minimal, two whole fish will cook in under 30 minutes and if you have leftover pasta or rice, all you need to do is make a salad to complete this nutritious meal.


I found fresh, wild-caught sea bass at H Mart, the Korean supermarket in Little Ferry (with branches in Englewood, Fort Lee and Ridgefield). I bought two fish -- to feed three -- that weighed about 2.5 pounds before cleaning at $5.99 a pound. 

Red snapper or other wild-caught whole fish is great, too, and of course, you could use fillets of wild-caught cod, flounder or other fresh or frozen fish.

All I did with the fish is sprinkle it with a little salt inside and out, stuff it with fresh parsley from garden (you can skip this step) and slit the body in three places. 

I used a 16.7-ounce bottle of La Costena Green Mexican Salsa, marked "Medium" spicy, available for $2.99 at Hackensack Market on Passaic Street and many ShopRites. Goya and other companies make a similar product. La Costena's red salsa is good, too.


I poured some of the salsa -- made from tomatillos and jalapeno peppers -- into the bottom of the pan, placed the fish on top and poured the remaining sauce in, plus the juice of one lemon, and covered it with the clear-glass top.

I cooked it over medium heat for about 20 minutes (in boiling salsa), but 30 minutes will ensure that it is cooked thoroughly. No need to turn over the fish. You'll have plenty of sauce for that leftover rice; we had organic brown rice left over.


I ate my meal in courses, as they do in Italy: leftover bow-tie pasta in tomato sauce, the meaty middle section of one of the sea bass and then a big salad with cucumber, tomato and organic spring mix. Easy, filling and delicious.

Quail eggs

Quail eggs showed up in the produce section recently at H Mart in Little Ferry -- 18 for $2.99. I fry four or five of the small eggs at a time, and their taste is similar to other eggs. I used a sharp knife to crack the black-spotted shells near the ends to avoid breaking the yolks and poured the contents into hot olive oil.

I also found Clifford-brand Fusion tomatoes from Canada that are grown without chemical fertilizers. A one-pound package of small tomatoes --red, green, purple and yellow -- was $1.99, and they have been great in my salads.

Fresh wild salmon run ends

I believe I've seen the last of the fresh wild salmon fillets in the fish case at Costco in Hackensack -- they were available for about four months. This week, I bought Kirkland-brand frozen sockeye salmon and mahi-mahi fillets, both wild caught.