I had to ask 3 ShopRite employees before being told, Sorry, Charlie

I searched in vain today for a coupon special in the liquor department of ShopRite, 224 Route 4 east, Paramus.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

Once or twice a week, I stop at the ShopRite in Paramus on the way home from my nearby gym.

Today, I had a coupon for a bottle of Italian red wine for $3.99, so stopped in the liquor department first.

I looked and looked, but not finding the wine, I asked a woman at one of the two registers, and headed down the aisle she mentioned.

Nothing. I asked a second employee in the liquor department, but still couldn't find the Di Lupo Pinot Noir wine that was on sale.

Finally, I saw a man stocking the shelves, and when I asked, he told me immediately he was out of the red wine, but had the white.

A waste of time.

At least, I picked up a 5-pound box of Clementines from Morocco for a low $3.99; Organic Celery for $2.99, only 50 cents more than conventional celery; and a bunch of fresh cilantro.

Searching in vain for antibiotic-free Perdue chicken at ShopRite

None of the Perdue poultry I saw this morning at ShopRite in Paramus carried a statement that the chickens were "raised with no antibiotics ever." That claim did appear in a Perdue ad and coupon insert that came with my Sunday newspaper.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

Flipping through the coupons that came with my Sunday newspaper, I really was surprised by an ad for Perdue chicken breasts "raised with no antibiotics ever."

Did the processor that has hidden its use of human antibiotics to speed the growth of its chickens for more than a decade finally reform?

On the Web, I found sites that discussed how Perdue is limiting the use of some antibiotics, but I couldn't find any of that chicken at ShopRite in Paramus.

On the wrapper for Perdue chicken without antibiotics, that fact is listed first, above "all vegetarian diet," "no animal by-products" and "raised cage free," according to the ad I saw.

The Perdue ad and coupon I saw. I know "what could be more perfect" than chicken-breast portions raised without antibiotics. Actually being able to find them in a supermarket.

ShopRite has long carried antibiotic-free Readington Farms chicken, such as this roaster. At $1.41 per pound, this naturally raised chicken is actually cheaper than the whole Perdue chicken with antibiotics I saw today.

Frittata's many accents, H Mart bargains, confusing signs

A 10-inch frittata made with smoked wild salmon and extra-virgin olive oil proves to be a linguist, speaking in Italian, Swiss and Middle Eastern accents, above and below.

This morning, I had a wedge of frittata with a leftover rice-lentil-diced-tomato side dish I prepare in an electric cooker. I added a Mexican accent with roasted green salsa before heating up the rice.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

My latest weekend frittata mixes accents -- grated Pecorino Romano, a sheep's milk cheese, and pesto, both from Italy; Aleppo pepper and za'atar thyme mixture, two spices from the Middle East; and reduced-fat Swiss cheese.

I started with a mixture of egg whites and organic whole brown eggs from Costco Wholesale, and added a little low-fat milk, grated Italian cheese, and chopped green pepper and tomato.

For a 10-inch frittata, you can use up to four cups of egg mixture, which you pour into a pre-heated non-stick pan with a thin layer of extra-virgin olive oil.

Three or four reduced-fat Jarslberg Lite Swiss slices can then be added, along with slices of smoked wild Alaskan salmon, both from Costco.

When the crust sets, move the pan to the oven and cook for about 15 minutes under a low broiler setting or until the frittata puffs up and turns brown (my oven has "low" and "high" broiler settings).

Mildly spicy Aleppo pepper, za'atar and Basil Pesto, also from Costco, are added after the frittata is removed from the oven.

A za'tar mixture includes dried thyme, sour-tasting wild sumac, crunchy sesame seeds and salt. 

Za'atar also is great accent for fresh tomato slices or sprinkled over cooked rice, and the mixture can be used as a coating for fish, chicken or lamb.

Aleppo pepper -- a crushed red pepper -- and za'atar are available from Fattal's, a Syrian bakery, grocer and butcher in Paterson's Middle Eastern bazaar (open 7 days, 975-77 Main St.; 1-973-742-7125).

Fattal's says you can call to order crushed red pepper and za'atar, along with bulgur wheat, bread and some other items, and they will be sent to you by United Parcel Service (UPS).

Large, seedless cucumbers are on sale through today -- the first day of autumn -- at H Mart in Little Ferry, one of the biggest stores in the Korean chain.

When I got them home on Sunday, sliced cucumbers made a nice salad dressed with extra-virgin olive oil, Ponti-brand Chianti and Pinto Grigio Wine Vinegars from Jerry's in Englewood; and Himalayan Pink Salt and Organic No-Salt Seasoning from Costco.

Kabucha or kabocha squash at H Mart in Little Ferry is on sale through Thursday.

H Mart has good fall deals

At H Mart in Little Ferry on Sunday, I picked up a 15-pound bag of California-grown Kokuho Yellow Label white rice on sale for $10.88, a savings of $5.11, according to the Korean supermarket.

Before the drought in California, the same bag would go on sale for $8.99. 

Other bargains were large, seedless cucumbers at 69 cents each and kabocha squash at 49 cents a pound.

Golden pineapples were only $1.99 each, compared to $2.99 at ShopRite in Paramus.

Whole, fresh, wild-caught croaker were $3.99 a pound.

There is no indication on signs you need the H Mart Smart Card to take advantage of fall sales.

The card provides a 1% store credit after you spend $1,000 (that's $10).

I bought three wild-caught whole croaker at the Little Ferry H Mart on Sunday ($3.99 a pound), and asked the fishmonger to cut them into steaks, including the heads. My wife seasoned them with Old Bay (celery salt, red and black pepper and paprika) and prepared them with olive oil; onion, tomato and sweet pepper, and chicken stock.

The entrance to H Mart in Little Ferry is one of the shabbiest in North Jersey. The store is clean, but worn floors, stained ceiling tiles and other signs of a long-overdue renovation abound. At the same time, the store offers more than a half-dozen free samples on Sundays.

Too good to be true. At ShopRite in Paramus this morning, a tote bag of Bosc Pears weighed 6 pounds, but you can't buy one for 99 cents. The sign, in smaller lettering, lists the price per pound as 99 cents, which is the same price, if you buy the pears loose. 

Confusing signs, rotting tomato

When I'm food shopping, it's bad enough when I can't find a sign that lists the price for an item.

But confusing signs don't help either.

Today, at ShopRite in Paramus, I found at least two of the signs in the produce department confusing, and was turned off by a rotting cocktail tomato when I turned over a package that was on sale.

A sign with 6-pound tote bags of Bosc pears had "99 cents" in big type, but smaller type listing that as the price per pound.

Nearby, a large bin with loose Bosc pears had no price sign.

The $2.99 price sign for Golden Pineapples was partially obscured by the fruit itself, and a $3.99 sign for honeydew melons was mounted just above it.

No sale. Campari-like cocktail tomatoes from Mexico were on sale for $3.49 (2-pounds), a dollar less than the price at Costco Wholesale in Hackensack. But when I turned over one package ....

It's wild-caught and really cheap, but will it taste good?

ShopRite is selling wild-caught Silverbrite Salmon for only $3.99 a pound or $2 off per pound, but the fillet I saw on Tuesday at the Paramus store didn't look very appetizing, above. Silverbrite is another name for chum or keta salmon.

Compare the color of Silverbrite to Copper River Sockeye Salmon from Alaska, bottom. Costco Wholesale is now selling fresh, wild-caught sockeye fillets for $12.99 a pound or $2 less a pound than when they first appeared.

Editor's note: Today, I discuss really cheap wild-caught salmon, a version of Smart Balance with fewer calories, less fat and less salt than Original; leftovers and the repaving of the rough entrance road at H Mart in Little Ferry.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

Wild-caught salmon for $3.99 a pound sounds like a great deal, but the Silverbrite fillets on sale at ShopRite supermarkets don't have much eye appeal.

If your ingredients don't look good, how will the finished dish taste?

I'm not about to find out. 

I'm sticking with wild-caught Copper River Sockeye Salmon fillets from Alaska, even though they are selling for $12.99 a pound at Costco Wholesale in Hackensack.

A 1.58-pound sockeye salmon fillet we bought this week yielded six serving pieces, enough for four with leftovers (about $5 a person). 

  

Copper River Sockeye Salmon with Pesto, Lime and Fresh Mint and Oregano. I used Kirkland Signature Basil Pesto from Costco Wholesale, and herbs from my garden.

Smart Balance Spread with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, above, has fewer calories, less fat and less salt than the Original version of the butter substitute, below. It was on sale for less than half-price at the Paramus ShopRite on Tuesday.

Imported organic whole wheat spaghetti from Whole Food Market prepared with Moroccan sardines, anchovies, organic diced tomatoes, chopped garlic, capers, red wine and bottled Classico pasta sauce. Most of the ingredients come from Costco.

After two small portions of the pasta and a glass or two of Chianti, I finished the meal with a simple Earthbound Farm Organic Spring Mix salad dressed with Italian extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Pasta and eggs. Two organic brown eggs from Costco with smoked wild sockeye salmon, Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese and Aleppo pepper made a great breakfast eaten over leftover spaghetti.

I emptied five small containers of leftovers for breakfast this week. Clockwise from top: Whole wheat pappardelle with Basil Pesto from Costco and pine nuts; ackee, a Jamaican fruit, which has the consistency of scrambled eggs; broccoli with garlic and steamed carrots; and chopped callaloo, a spinach-like green, prepared with sweet pepper.

Fresh Choy Sum was on sale for 98 cents a pound on Tuesday at H Mart in Little Ferry, where I also picked up prepared Korean Stewed Tofu ($3.99), Stewed Alaskan Pollock ($6.99) and Japchae ($5.49), translucent yam-flour noodles with vegetables. The potholed entrance road to the supermarket has been paved, but the parking lot is still prone to flooding.

Shopper stands up for her rights

Image via Wikipedia

I met a River Edge woman who recounted how she made ShopRite executives honor a low price on Progresso soup during the 40th anniversary Can Can Sale that ended recently.

The supermarket chain was selling 10 19-ounce cans of Progresso soup for $10 -- or $1 each -- but shoppers were required to clip and bring in a coupon, as well as present a store card.

The woman purchased lass than 10 cans and they rang up at $1.19 each. She pointed out the coupon didn't say shoppers must buy 10 to get the deal. Store executives were unmoved.

She said it took a good deal of work, including calls to consumer agency officials, to get the Paramus store to honor the coupon, but eventually, she was able to buy five more cans of the soup for $1 each. Good for her.

Free-range beef on sale

The ShopRite sales flier that came with the paper today is offering free-range, grass-fed beef from Australia for $5.99 a pound with a Price Plus Card ($7.99 a pound without the card).

The whole beef tenderloin for filet mignon usually weighs four to seven pounds and requires trimming. But you can cut into small steaks or thin slices for marinating in Korean sauce, grilling on the stove top and eating wrapped in red-lettuce leaves with garlic, rice and other garnishes.

The Australian beef -- sold under the Nature's Reserve label -- is raised without antibiotics or growth hormones. There is a limit of one package during the sale, which runs from Sunday (Jan. 30) until next Saturday.

Also on sale is Barilla pasta at 77 cents each, with a limit of four. That's less than during the Can Can Sale, when $4 bought you three packages and $10 bought you nine packages.

I was looking for a Fairway Market (Paramus) flier in today's paper, but didn't find one.