New cage-free eggs at Costco, Paramus ShopRite, road food and more

The Hackensack Costco warehouse closed on Tuesday night, but clueless members continued to show up on Friday afternoon, only to drive away in search of the new Costco Wholesale in the Teterboro Landing Shopping Center off of Route 46.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

Costco Wholesale apparently is responding to the controversy over selling eggs from caged chickens by making more cage-free eggs available.

On Friday, I made my first shopping trip to the Costco Wholesale in Teterboro, which opened on Wednesday morning.

I planned to order two new pairs of glasses and pick up food items I couldn't find on the last day the Hackensack warehouse was open for business.

I bought my usual Kirkland Signature Organic Large Grade AA Eggs, which are brown and marked cage free, vegetarian fed and certified humane ($6.99 for two dozen).

But as I was checking out, I noticed the couple behind me had a different brand of brown eggs that were marked cage free, but not organic.

Their package also contained 24 eggs, but they should be cheaper than organic.

When I called the Teterboro Costco today, an employee couldn't find the non-organic cage-free eggs in the computer.

So, Costco offers consumers more choice in cage-free eggs, but continues to sell whole eggs and liquid egg whites from caged chickens -- years after the company promised to withdraw them from warehouses.

A 2-pound bag of Chopped Kale, above left, and Butter Lettuce, below, are two of the many items I saw on Friday in the bigger Teterboro Costco that I don't recall from the Hackensack warehouse, which closed on Tuesday night after 21 years.

Frozen seafood

The Teterboro warehouse may be bigger and sell more items than the old warehouse in Hackensack.

Yet, Costco continues to offer an unusually large amount of previously frozen seafood -- from cooked Dungeness Crabs to raw Sea Scallops to raw Lobster Tails, some of them treated with preservatives.

I've been disappointed by the previously frozen cooked crab and scallops, and never tried them again.

On the other hand, another frozen item -- Phillips Seafood Restaurants Maryland Style Crab Cakes -- are as good as any I've had in a restaurant.

The first ingredient is jumbo lump crab meat, and they have to be cooked, not just reheated. 

You get six crab cakes with a total weight of 1 pound 2 ounces for $18.99 -- more than $3 each -- but they are worth the premium.

On Friday, I saw another frozen seafood item that I might try next time -- ahi tuna slices prepared rare with olive oil, garlic and other seasoning.

I did buy a 3-pound bag of frozen wild-caught Mahi-
Mahi loins ($19.99), a 1-pound pouch of Kirkland Signature Smoked Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon ($15.99) and a 3-pound bag of peeled California garlic ($7.39).

Also, a pound of Earthbound Farm Organic Spring Mix ($4.59), and Chobani Greek Yogurt, 0% fat with fruit on the bottom ($14.99 for 20 5.3-ounce cups).

On Tuesday at the Hackensack Costco, a 2-pound bag of Mayorga Cafe Cubano Dark Roast, organic, shade-grown coffee beans, were $10.99 with an instant coupon, and I was able to grind them Turkish in the store.

Shuttered warehouse 

As I was looking over eyeglass frames on Friday, I overheard one of the Costco opticians on the phone, giving directions to the Teterboro Landing Shopping Center from the old Hackensack warehouse.

Huge banners announcing the Hackensack closing and Teterboro opening were hung for many weeks and fliers were given out to members in the days before the former closed on Tuesday night.

Some Costco members didn't get the memo.

Another change I noticed in Teterboro are wider parking spaces and more corrals for Costco's oversized shopping carts.

Still, the wider spots won't protect you from lazy members who think nothing of loading their cars and SUVs, then leaving their empty carts against the fender or door of someone else's vehicle. 

These bruised and battered honeycrisp apples were put on sale for $1.69 a pound at the ShopRite in Paramus on Friday morning. They looked awful.

At ShopRite, Zeigler's Apple Cider is a blend of honeycrisp and other apples.

Potassium sorbate is among the ingredients.

The Paramus ShopRite has the nerve to charge more for the Gia Russa brand of 100% Whole Wheat Pasta from Italy, top, than for the superior Luigi Vitelli brand, on shelf below, which is organic and also imported from Italy.

ShopRite normally charges $2.79 for a can of Season Sardines from Morocco, but even on sale at $1.49 a can, they cost more than the same skinless-and-boneless fish at Costco Wholesale in Teterboro, where six 4.375-ounce cans are $6.99 with an instant coupon through Oct. 25. Costco's Season Sardines are marked non-GMO and the cans are BPA free. The regular Costco price is $1.66 a can.

At the Paramus ShopRite, I was all set to buy wild-caught Jumbo Shrimp from the United States for $14.99 a pound until I saw the small lettering on the sign, "Sulfites Added." 

ShopRite Containers are cheaper than the Ziploc brand sold next to them, and both are BPA free. I use them only for storage of leftovers, even though they are marked microwave safe. I plate leftover food before reheating it and cover it with a paper towel, not plastic wrap, to avoid the transfer of chemicals used to make plastic.

Luigi Vitelli-brand Organic Whole Wheat Capellini in Victoria Marinara with added Season Anchovies (one can) and Season Sardines (three cans), red wine and seasonings. A pound of the thin pasta cooks up al dente in unsalted water in just three minutes. Leftovers go great with eggs or an omelet for breakfast.

At the Suburban Diner in Paramus (172 Route 17 north), the Clam Chowder may have too many potatoes, but there are plenty of fresh-tasting clams just below the surface of the tomatoey broth ($4.75 for a bowl).

At Kitchen Bar in Abington, Pa. (1482 Old York Road), my so-called Greek Salad came without stuffed grape leaves, a big strike against it ($11.99).

We had a late lunch at Kitchen Bar on Oct. 10 with our son, who is attending college on Penn State's Abington campus. This was our second visit to the restaurant.

I would have been happy ordering small plates, such as these Grilled Vegetables ($3.99). My wife complained her Fish and Chips, cod dipped in beer batter and deep fried, were too greasy. The staff happily took it off the bill and brought her a Caesar Salad ($7.99). She didn't like that either, she said later.

My son like his Fish Taco appetizer, though the price was closer to that of an entree ($11.99).

My son ordered the Cajun Penne with Shrimp, but didn't finish the pasta ($12.99).

At the New King Fung Supermarket in River Edge (625 Kinderkamack Road), I shop only for Miya Japanese bowls, not food, because the floor is dirty and the Chinese-owned store has deteriorated since a renovation several years ago.

The label on the bottom of a 6-inch bowl ($6.99). I bought three.

Victoria Marinara, with only seven ingredients, knocks competitors

Two 40-ounce bottles of Victoria White Linen Marinara Sauce are $2.25 off through Oct. 25 at Costco Wholesale. Normally, they are two for $8.99. 

Editor's note: Costco Wholesale is offering instant savings on marinara sauce, sardines and other items. At ShopRite supermarkets, grass-fed beef is on sale.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

"Ingredients come first," boasts Victoria Marinara, which lists them on the front label, unlike competitors.

In a newspaper flier, Victoria Fine Foods compared the seven ingredients in its 24-ounce jar of Marinara sold in supermarkets to what goes into competing sauces from Bertolli, Classico, Emeril, Paul Newman's Own, Prego, Francisco Rinaldi, Ragu and Barilla.

Victoria's front label also says, "No preservatives, no water, no paste."

Most of the other sauces listed by Victoria don't use olive oil, and contain added sugar, tomato puree or paste and citric acid.

'White Linen'

Victoria's ingredients: 100% Italian Tomatoes, Imported Olive Oil, Fresh Garlic, Basil & Onions, Sea Salt & Spices.

But the 40-ounce jar of Victoria White Linen Marinara sold at Costco Wholesale has a slightly different ingredients list.

The tomatoes listed aren't 100% Italian and Calcium Chloride appears as a "natural ingredient to maintain texture."

At Costco Wholesale, two 40-ounce jars of Victoria White Linen Marinara are $2.25 off through Oct. 25.

You'll find other instant savings on a 2-pound package of Jarlsberg Lite Reduced Fat Swiss Cheese ($2.30 off), which has half the fat and one-third fewer calories than regular Swiss.

Also, Skinless & Boneless Season Sardines in Pure Olive Oil ($3 off six cans), and Vita Coco Coconut Water ($3.50 off a dozen 11-ounce containers).

At the Hackensack Costco, members get $2.30 off a 2-pound package of Jarlsberg Lite Reduced Fat Swiss Cheese, normally $8.99. The sliced cheese is ideal for sandwiches, omelets or for eating out of hand as a snack with smoked wild salmon, also from Costco.

Grass-fed Whole Beef Tenderloin for Filet Mignon from Australia is on sale at ShopRite in Rochelle Park for $5.99 a pound, above and below. The discount is given when you check out.

Grass-fed beef on sale

Australian beef is on sale for $5.99 a pound at ShopRite supermarkets.

We trim and thinly slice this grass-fed beef, then add a little Korean-style marinade.

The whole beef tenderloin also can be cut into individual filet mignons.

The same cut of grain-fed domestic beef, Whole Trimmed Tenderloin for Filet Mignon, is on sale for $8.99 a pound at the Rochelle Park ShopRite, above and below.

Bad weather can mean pleasant shopping at Costco Wholesale

Some Costco Wholesale members expend so much energy pushing carts overflowing with food and other merchandise they don't bother returning unwanted items to where they found them, such as this gallon of milk left opposite the registers in Hackensack. In other words, they're just lazy.

Media warnings of icy roads apparently kept many shoppers away from the Hackensack warehouse store on Tuesday afternoon.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

When you're a member of Costco Wholesale in Hackensack, you hope for bad weather to thin the bargain-hunting crowd inside the cavernous warehouse store.

On Tuesday afternoon, I walked casually through the aisles looking for items on my list, and didn't have to fight others for free food samples.

I liked one of them enough -- prepared Organic Quinoa &Kale with seasonings, rosemary, lime juice and extra-virgin olive oil -- to purchase it.

In the freezer, I found a package containing four 10-ounce pouches -- a total of 2.5 pounds -- for $9.99.

I also purchased a 6.5-pound net bag of large sweet potatoes for $5.79, three half-gallons of low-fat Organic Milk for $10.99 and six 32-ounce cartons of Organic Chicken Broth for $11.59 -- not four liters, as I wrote earlier.

Also, 3 pounds of raw, salt-free U.S. almonds for roasting at home were $15.99 and a wedge of aged Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese from Italy was $10.59 a pound.

Honeycrisp Apples from Washington State were $13.99 for 5.5 pounds, compared to $10.99 in early December and less for the same apples from New York State.

Organic Quinoa & Kale is made with the elusive red quinoa.

I passed on Olive Garden Italian Dressing after I saw that the second ingredient listed is high-fructose corn syrup. Yuck.

In the Hackensack store's Kosher aisle, I found Mon Cuisine Turkey Breasts stuffed with quinoa, pine nuts and carrots in mushroom gravy. The poultry is naturally raised and free of antibiotics. 

Some of the kosher offerings in Hackensack.

Cello-brand Grated Pecorino Romano, a sheep's milk cheese imported from Italy, is wonderful sprinkled over pasta, soup or salads, and it adds a distinctive flavor to egg-white omelets. The cheese also is available in wedges, but the Hackensack store has stopped carrying wedges of Grana Padano, a cow's milk cheese from Italy.

An omelet with grated Pecorino Romano and Aleppo pepper made with Kirkland Signature 100% Egg Whites from Costco. I served it with a homemade combination of organic quinoa and organic brown rice, and Sunbelt Organic Fresh Salsa, which I picked up last week when I shopped at Costco for a Super Bowl Party.

Grated Pecorino Romano over two organic brown eggs from Costco.

Five 3.75-ounce cans of Season-brand Skinless and Boneless Sardines were $5.99 at Costco on Tuesday with an instant $2.50 rebate, available through Feb. 22. At home, I prepared 1 pound of organic 100% whole wheat linguine in Victoria Vodka Sauce, one of the few made without heavy cream. To the 40 ounces of sauce, I added red wine, drained anchovies, three cans of sardines, extra-virgin olive oil, red-pepper flakes and other seasonings.

An oval pan accommodates the full length of the linguine and allows me to use less water. I never add salt to the water; there is plenty of sodium in the sauce, sardines and so forth. The linguine was cooked al dente in 7 minutes.