We're loving Costco Wholesale more, but visiting the warehouse less

Triple-washed Earthbound Farm Organic Spring Mix is ready to go from the package to your plate, and Costco Wholesale's price is the best in northern New Jersey.

By VICTOR E. SASSON

EDITOR

The price of Earthbound Farm Organic Spring Mix, the world's best store-bought salad, hit a low of $4.29 a pound last week at Costco Wholesale.

And the Teterboro warehouse has added more organic products under the Kirkland Signature house label, including marinara sauce and pignoli nuts.

Still, we're cutting our visits to once every two weeks from once weekly, because the Teterboro Costco, like the smaller Hackensack warehouse it replaced, is just too popular.

The Teterboro Costco opened in mid-October in a Route 46 shopping center that is a work in progress, and parking is always tight.

And the store itself is far larger than the Hackensack warehouse, so we're still familiarizing ourselves with where everything is.

But even with all that extra room, the warehouse always seems to be crowded, and that may be because Costco signed up more than 1,000 new members in the days after the Teterboro warehouse opened. 

The one salvation is that check-out seems faster and more efficient than it was in Hackensack, and the receipt checkers at the door don't hold you up when the warehouse is busy.

Costco Wholesale sells smoked wild Alaskan sockeye salmon two ways, including this fully cooked fillet made with brown sugar that doesn't require refrigeration before it is opened. 

The slow-smoked salmon fillet from Trident Seafoods lists only 1 gram of sugar for a 2-ounce serving. The 1.5-pound fillet I bought in December was $15.97, and carried a use-by date of 2021.

Smoked salmon 2X

One must be kept refrigerated, and tastes like salted slices of raw fish -- good in omelets, salads and eaten out of hand.

The other, with a shelf-life of more than 5 years, is both sweet and salty, and tastes great on its own or in salads.

The Wild Alaskan Smoked Sockeye Salmon from Kirkland Signature and Trident Seafoods both use the same heart-healthy fish, but the resulting product couldn't be more different.

The thicker, skin-on sockeye salmon fillet from Trident Seafoods tastes closer to canned fish. Add it to a salad for a light dinner with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil.

Pitted olives, shaved Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese, Campari Tomatoes and cucumbers over Earthbound Farm Organic Spring Mix, all dressed in extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

An organic spring-mix salad with organic pignoli or pine nuts.

Pine nuts are one of the ingredients in Costco's wonderful prepared Basil Pesto, so they make a terrific garnish for Organic Whole Wheat Shells with Pesto and Black Truffles. The small $10 bottle of truffles from the Teterboro warehouse didn't have much flavor, but that may because I didn't have enough for the pound of pasta I prepared. On a travel show I saw recently, a waiter in a restaurant in Italy shaved a couple of ounces of large black truffles over a single dish of pasta.

Snowy fillets of fresh wild-caught flounder after they were poached in pre-heated Roasted Poblano Salsa made creamy with no-fat Greek yogurt. The fish was $7.99 a pound at Costco Wholesale, and the salsa came from Whole Foods Market, where the 365 Everyday Value brand contains no added sugar.

Price checks

My wife made our last visit to the Teterboro Costco on Wednesday, about two weeks after her previous trip. 

She brought home: 2 pounds of Campari Tomatoes, the only way to get through a winter without Jersey tomatoes ($4.99); 10 pounds of California carrots ($6.49); 5.5 pounds of Gala Apples from Washington State ($9.99), and that 1-pound tub of Earthbound Farm Organic Spring Mix ($4.29).

The price of the organic salad mix fluctuates throughout the year, but the highest I've seen at Costco is $4.99, compared to $6.99 at ShopRite supermarkets.

Three large, long hothouse cucumbers were $3.49. They carried a label with a weight of 2 pounds, but were fatter than usual and on my kitchen scale hit 3.3 pounds.

A 2-pound bag of Organic Green Beans -- washed, snipped and ready to use -- was $5.99.

Raw, sodium-free California Almonds were $17.99 for a 3-pound bag. We roast them and dust them with cinnamon for snacking. 

A 5-pound bag of large limes from Mexico was $5.79. Six Hass Avocados from Chile were $3.99.

Two 3-liter bottles of Pure Olive Oil, a cooking blend that includes extra-virgin olive oil, was $27.99 or about $4.67 a liter.

Olive oil doesn't contain genetically modified ingredients (GMOs), unlike many others for cooking, including soy, canola and corn oils.

Organic Whole Wheat Fusilli from Whole Foods Market dressed with no-added-sugar Botticelli Marinara Sauce from ShopRite, and sardines and anchovies from Costco Wholesale. I also added a few ounces of red wine, extra-virgin olive oil, red-pepper flakes, granulated garlic and other seasonings to the sauce before I heated it up.

Rebates on way

In the next few weeks, I'm anticipating the arrival of rebate checks from American Express and Costco that more than cover my annual executive membership fee of $110.

A regular membership is $55 a year.

The American Express rebate is 2% for purchases at Costco, and we also earn cash back at restaurants, gas stations and other stores.

On top of that, we get a 1% rebate from Costco on everything we buy in the Teterboro warehouse.

Good food -- and a little red wine -- saw us through North Jersey storm

On Saturday night, I opened my front door to experience the calm after the first major snowstorm to hit northern New Jersey this winter. On Friday night and as the snow fell on Saturday, I enjoyed a series of small, comforting meals.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

I got our snow blower to roar to life on Saturday, but the white stuff kept on falling and blowing into my face, and I gave up after clearing the sidewalk and half of the driveway.

At least we didn't lose power.

On Saturday morning, I prepared a 10-inch frittata from seven or eight whole organic eggs, Campari Tomato halves, prepared pesto and Mexican-style salsa.

All of the ingredients came from Costco Wholesale in Teterboro, as did a fully cooked Trident Seafoods slow-smoked Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon Fillet we had in the cupboard.

We also had leftovers -- organic whole-wheat pasta shells with pesto, black truffles and pignoli nuts, and boiled Kabocha squash and garlic mashed with extra-virgin olive oil and seasonings.

I was in Englewood on Wednesday and Friday, when I bought a restaurant-quality takeout dinner from Jerry's Gourmet & More, and fresh spring mix and baby spinach from the cafe at the hospital where I volunteer.

Damn the storm. We ate well, and enjoyed a few glasses of red wine.

And the sun is shining brightly this morning.

A wedge of frittata, and organic whole-wheat shells with pesto, black truffles and pine nuts. Costco Wholesale's pignoli or pine nuts are imported from China, but now are organic.

Slow-smoked wild sockeye salmon with mashed Kabocha squash and a wedge of frittata.

Slow-smoked sockeye salmon in a salad of fresh spring mix dressed with extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

From Jerry's, 410 S. Dean St. in Englewood, tender Calamari Fra Diavolo with string beans, and roasted potatoes with peppers and onions. I washed down the meal with a couple of glasses of red wine from Italy.

Jerry's Meal To Go included Eggplant Caponata, above, and was marked down to $5.99 after 4 p.m. on Wednesday, when I picked it up.

Why do Chinese takeout veggies stay green?

Takeout Chinese-style Jumbo Shrimp with Mixed Vegetables.

Stir-fried vegetables from our favorite Chinese takeout shop arrive a bright green and stay green even after a night or two in the refrigerator.

The vegetables we prepare at home turn bright green when we blanch them in hot water, but they often turn gray if left to steam in a covered pot or after refrigeration.

For many years, I've been blanching collard greens, spinach, broccoli and other vegetables; draining the pot, adding olive oil and seasonings, and allowing them to cook for a few more minutes over a low flame.

But the secret to bright green vegetables appears to be blanching combined with stir-frying.

On Sunday, I bought fresh mustard greens at H Mart in Englewood for 48 cents a pound, brought them home, cut them up and washed them.

I dug out a wok, which I haven't used in many years,  and stir-fried the leafy greens with garlic and a little rice wine and soy sauce.

Mustard greens brighten after being stir-fried in a wok.

However, after a night in the fridge, some of the greens turned an unappetizing gray.

Should I have blanched them briefly in hot water before stir-frying them?

I called New Zen Kitchen in Teaneck, where we have gotten our Chinese takeout for more than five years, and asked how they cook Mixed Vegetables with Fresh Garlic.

I was told the vegetables are blanched in hot water before they are stir-fried with fresh garlic, which is my preferred preparation.

Most of the cooking or softening of the vegetables is done in the hot water. 

Steamed frozen cod with sake, soy sauce and lime juice.

A Sunday dinner of cod and mustard greens.

The Trident-brand frozen cod fillets came from Costco Wholesale in Hackensack. 

Even when frozen, cod is one of the meatiest fish around after it is steamed, breaking into large, tender pieces.


New Zen Kitchen, 1443 Queen Anne Road, 
Teaneck; 201-837-7322. Open 7 days.

Bad food? It pays to complain

Costco Wholesale has one of the best return policies around.

Editor's note: Today, I discuss complaints about spoiled store-bought food, and three new menu items at a Korean tofu restaurant.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

Earthbound Farm's Organic Spring Mix is one of the most delicious ready-to-use salads you can find, but occasionally, some of the delicate leaves rot before the expiration date.

When I've sent e-mails to the company, the response has always been quick and I've also received coupons or a Costco Wholesale gift card for more than the cost of the spring mix. 

Of course, Costco's return policy is one of the best around and you don't even need a receipt.

 

Refunds

On Saturday, I received three full refunds: 

$13.99 for unopened cans of Kirkland Signature Solid Albacore Tuna, $4.29 for Galil-brand Roasted Chestnuts and $9.99 for two jars of Kirkland Signature Natural Peanut Butter.

Solid albacore tuna has much more mercury than the light tuna I asked my wife to buy. The organic chestnuts turned slimy and moldy in the refrigerator, and I dumped them in the garbage. My wife and son didn't like the peanut butter, because the oil separates out of it.

I e-mailed Cargill Meat Solutions about oxtails I purchased at Costco, complaining there was so much fat and bone, a package of more than 4 pounds barely served three people.

The meat processor said it would send me a full refund of $18.68.

I also e-mailed Trident Seafoods of Seattle, Wash., about finding mold in a can of Bear & Wolf-brand wild Alaskan pink salmon. I will be getting a coupon good for one of Trident's frozen seafood items at Costco. 

Vouchers

I have had mixed success with complaints to Groupon and Travelzoo, online publishers of restaurant and other deals.

When we used an $18 Groupon to buy a $36 meal at Gammeeok, a Korean restaurant in Palisades Park, we were charged $3.74 extra for two small bowls of rice, a staple that is usually served free with every Korean meal.

Groupon responded to my e-mail by giving me a full $18 credit toward the purchase of my next voucher.

Travelzoo

Our $65 voucher from Travelzoo was supposed to buy a three-course dinner for two valued at up to $130 at Maritime Parc in Jersey City, plus wine, coffee or tea.

But when we were seated in the expensive seafood restaurant, we were given a menu without prices that listed many extra-cost supplements, and poured glasses of wine that were only a third full. Each glass was supposedly valued at up to $12

My wife urged me not to take it out on the waitress by leaving a smaller tip than the recommended 20% or $26 on the full cost of $130.

Travelzoo responded to my e-mail by telling me to take the matter up with the restaurant, which issued the voucher, and offering me a $10 credit toward the purchase of another voucher.

I'm not sure I want to buy another Travelzoo voucher, especially one that seems to exaggerate the value of the deal.

I bought a $159 Travelzoo voucher for a room and another "$130 dinner" for two at the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa in Atlantic City, then asked for a refund when the hotel said I would have to pay $5 for parking.

In addition, the menu for the dinner at one of the Borgata's restaurants was valued at less than $35 per person, and no alcohol was included.

Expanded menu

A popular Korean tofu house in Palisades Park has expanded its menu to include a few other classic dishes.

The place-mat menu at So Gong Dong has added stone-bowl bibimbap, but serves the rice-based dish in three varieties (usually topped by a fried or raw egg): beef, vegetable or squid.

Two other new menu items are pan-friend pork slices in a spicy sauce or jaeyook bokeum, and squid barbecue with spicy sauce.

All are $12.99 each, including tax.

We had a great soft-tofu dinner there on Saturday night. My son explained he likes So Gong Dong, because when he asks for the spiciest tofu, he gets it. 

A complete meal of soft-tofu stew, rice and side dishes is $9.99, including tax.

So Gong Dong, 118 Broad Ave., Second Floor, Palisades Park; 201-313-5550. Open seven days. Valet parking available.

Mold in Bear & Wolf canned wild salmon from Trident?

Some of the ingredients for canned-fish salad.

Editor's note: Today, I report on how I turned green when I opened a can of wild salmon. I also describe a shopping trip to Trader Joe's and Fairway Market, both in Paramus. At the latter, I saw another shopper put roasted coffee beans to his nose.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

I took out two cans of wild Alaskan salmon, a can of yellow-fin tuna and another of Moroccan sardines to make fish salad with chopped red onion, mayo, Dijon mustard and cumin.

Of the canned fish, the salmon went in last, but when I upended the second can and dumped it into a bowl, I noticed what looked like mold covering the bottom of the salmon.

I thought at first it might be skin, but the salmon was skinless and boneless. I tried to remove the part covered by mold and continue making the salad, but eventually dumped everything in the garbage.

The Bear & Wolf Pink Salmon was from Costco Wholesale, but I have been buying it for more than a year and have never encountered such a problem before. I could not see any damage on the can.

Today, I looked at the Web site of Trident Seafoods Corp. of Seattle. Wash., maker of the canned salmon and other seafood products sold at Costco. The FAQs for canned salmon don't address mold.

The site says salmon are usually canned in the summer and have a shelf life of six years.

The cans contain wild-caught Pacific salmon from Alaska with no mercury. I sent an e-mail explaining what happened, and I'm awaiting a response.

Update

Click on the following link for Trident's response:

Result of mold complaint 

The Nose

I had lunch with a friend at the Suburban Diner on Route 17 north in Paramus and then continued north to Trader Joe's and Fairway Market to pick up a few things.

Fairway was selling its extra-virgin olive oil -- a blend from Spain, Greece and Italy -- for $4.99 a liter, with a limit of two. I believe the regular price is $8.99.

I also stopped at the butcher's counter for beef oxtails, hoping to improve on the ones we got from Costco that were mostly fat and bone. 

Fairway's oxtails looked better and were $6.29 a pound, compared to $4.49 a pound at Costco.

I picked up a small wedge of Spanish Fig Cake with Almonds ($9.99 a pound), an item I haven't seen elsewhere, and a pound of Brazilian Dark Roast coffee beans, Turkish grind (on sale for $6.99 a pound).

I almost didn't buy the Brazilian coffee after seeing a man grab some of the store-roasted beans and put them to his nose, then throw them back. He did the same with beans from another bag, but used a metal scoop the second time.

I guess this shopper doesn't know the real aroma is when the beans are ground. I don't think you can tell much by sniffing the beans.

"Sir," I said, "you really shouldn't have put your hands in the beans and put them up to your nose."

He agreed, saying he realized that, though too late, and that's why he used the scoop for his second sniff test. Little comfort. 

Jazz apples

At Trader Joe's, I bought two packages each of uncured, preservative-free bacon and uncured beef hot dogs, both from animals raised without antibiotics ($3.99 and $4.29 each, respectively).

A 64-ounce bottle of Organic Lemonade (18% juice) was $2.99 and a 32-ounce container of Organic Plain Low Fat Yogurt also was $2.99.

A 3-pound bag of small, crisp Jazz apples was $3.49 or $1.16 a pound.

 

Salt in Costco Wholesale almonds, Trident Seafood fish sticks

Image via Wikipedia

Blanched almonds, like those sold at Costco Wholesale.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

A half-dozen or so roasted almonds are one of my favorite snacks -- alone or with fruit and cheese -- and I rely on Costco Wholesale in Hackensack for these crunchy treats.

But in looking at labels, I've discovered that the more expensive Kirkland Signature Marcona blanched almonds from Spain have twice as much salt as the Kirkland dry-roasted almonds from California.

A 28-gram or 1-ounce serving of the Spanish almond contains 9% sodium, compared with 4% for the same serving size of the California almond (on the daily value scale). 

The former costs $7.99 for 17.63 ounces, while you'll pay $8.89 for 40 ounces of the latter. They are both delicious.

I believe Costco sells a 3-pound bag of raw, unsalted almonds, but I've never bought them or checked out the label. Next time.

Update (2015)

For the last couple of years, we've been buying the raw almonds at Costco to cut down on our sodium intake, and roasting them in the oven at 275 degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes.

After they cool, we put them in a container on our kitchen counter and dust them with plenty of ground Saigon Cinnamon, also available at Costco.

Cover via Amazon

Fish shtick

Costco is the only retailer I know that publishes a magazine, and the February 2011 issue  of Costco Connection has an upbeat story on Trident Seafoods, the Seattle, Wash., company that supplies fish sticks and other products to the warehouse store.

I read about The Ultimate Fish Stick from Trident and asked my wife to pick up a package this week. Four pounds or 60 breaded fish sticks are $12.99. 

I prepared some last night. I found them tasty, but think the name is overblown. 

They are finger-length and cut from fillets of snow-white Alaska pollock, the largest wild fishery in the United States. 

Pollock tastes like cod, but is cheaper. Salted pollock, for example, retails for about half the price of salted cod.

A sad footnote is a 2008 incident that killed 120,000 wild king salmon when they were caught in pollock nets, according to "Four Fish, The Future of the Last Wild Food," a new book by Paul Greenberg.

The Trident package calls the fish sticks "crunchy" and "more fish, less breading." They are 65% fish, but they weren't crunchy. 

I didn't preheat the oven to 475 degrees, so that may have been a problem, though I baked them for much longer than indicated in the directions. 

Costco also sells Trident's tilapia-fillet fish sticks, but the package doesn't say whether they are made from farmed fish. They appear bigger than the pollock fish sticks. 


I've seen wild-caught tilapia at H Mart, the Korean supermarket chain, but most tilapia is farmed. It also is called St. Peter's Fish.