Members don't always welcome constant change at Costco Wholesale

On Tuesday, when I went searching for the Earthbound Farm Organic Spring Mix I have been buying from Costco Wholesale for years, I found another brand, above and below.

The price, $4.79 for a 1-pound package, was the same, but when I made a salad at home, I didn't find the organic radicchio or arugula I've enjoyed in the Earthbound Farm mixture.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

I try to eat a salad after dinner every night, and probably go through more than 50 pounds of Earthbound Farm Organic Spring Mix a year.

Costco Wholesale always has the best price -- under $5 -- and a 1-pound package lasts me about a week.

On Tuesday, I walked into a cold room at the Teterboro warehouse in search of Earthbound Farm and found another brand, Wholesome Garden.

I enjoyed the salad I made that night, but missed a couple of ingredients I usually find in the Earthbound Farm mixture.

At the fish case, I searched in vain for the long-line caught cod fillets from Iceland that are one of my favorites.

I planned to poach the skinless-and-boneless wild cod in a Mexican-style salsa from Whole Foods Market, but settled for another wild-caught fish from Iceland, flounder, at only $7.99 a pound.

Going, going, gone

I've learned to roll with the punches at Costco Wholesale, which runs out of, moves, stops selling or substitutes another product for a surprisingly large number of items.

I waited years for Costco to sell lactose-free milk, but all of sudden, the product disappeared from the refrigerated case, never to return.

I loved the 16-ounce cartons of Kirkland Signature 100% Egg Whites, but again, they disappeared for many months before returning this year.

The Egg Beaters the warehouse stocked instead were a lot more expensive than Costco's own product.

And where oh where are the Frankly Fresh Vegetarian Stuffed Grape Leaves -- delicious when heated -- that I found at Costco several years ago?

One change for the better was when Costco started selling only cage-free whole and liquid eggs.

At the Teterboro Costco on Tuesday, only three of the fish fillets were wild caught.

The Teterboro Costco has started baking its own baguettes (2 for $4.99) and other specialty loaves every day, above and below. But the retail store at Balthazar Bakery on South Dean Street in Englewood sells a superior baguette for only $2 each.

Last week, my wife got a refund at Costco for a 5-pound bag of Moroccan Clementines, which we didn't like. On Tuesday, I bought a 5-pound bag of small, sweet clementines from Spain for $5.49. Today at the Super H Mart in Ridgefield, a 5-pound box of Bagu Clementines was $6.99.

My son, a dedicated carnivore, couldn't resist a 6-pound package of Seasoned St. Louis Ribs ($2.49 a pound), 5-plus pounds of Coleman Organic Chicken Drumsticks ($1.99 a pound) and a rack of Kirkland Signature Lamb Chops from Australia ($9.99 a pound).

I enjoy sunny side up Kirkland Signature Organic Eggs served over Kirkland Signature Organic Quinoa. Costco now sells 2 dozen cage-free organic brown eggs for a lower price, $5.99, and the house-brand organic quinoa comes in a larger bag (4.5 pounds instead of 4 pounds) for less than the national brand Costco once sold.

Thick Icelandic flounder fillets from Costco poached in under 10 minutes in a covered pan after I brought to a boil a 16-ounce jar of Roasted Chipotle Salsa from Whole Foods Market, a few ounces of chicken broth and fresh lemon juice.

I ate my flounder over leftover organic quinoa, which I prepared in an electric rice cooker with Kirkland Signature Organic Diced Tomatoes, black-eyed peas and olive oil.

Past the $200 shoes and $85 ties, Nordstrom offers a great lunch menu

Crab Macaroni & Cheese is one of the entrees at Bazille, a full-service restaurant serving bistro cuisine in the Nordstrom department store at Westfield Garden State Plaza, the biggest mall in New Jersey.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

My friend Arthur has a favorite lunch spot for nearly every day of the week.

On Mondays, you'll find him tucking into one of the imaginative specials at Seafood Gourmet, the fish market-restaurant in Maywood.

And on Tuesdays, Arthur takes to the streets to avoid having to fight traffic on Route 4, and enjoys one of the bistro dishes at Bazille, a restaurant on the lower level of the Nordstrom department store in Paramus.

That's where I met him for lunch this week, bringing along another friend, who, like Arthur, is a Korean War veteran.

Bazille's Prime Rib French Dip is made with sharp white cheddar cheese and a roasted parmesan baguette, and served with a light beef gravy.

Cage-free eggs, organic greens 

Bazille is among only a handful of restaurants in northern New Jersey that is "committed to bringing you local, sustainable, natural and organic foods and environmentally friendly products whenever and wherever we can," including cage-free eggs, organic greens and naturally fed and humanely raised poultry.

Arthur ordered the Crab Mac & Cheese entree ($15.50); I tried one of the salads, Nicoise with Wild Salmon, which was cooked to order ($16.95); and my friend Gene had one of the sandwiches, Prime Rib French Dip ($16.95).

Unsweetened iced tea was $2.50 with refills. Gene asked for a glass of water with no ice, and the waiter also set down an old-fashioned glass milk bottle filled with more. 

We really enjoyed our food. Arthur and Gene took home leftovers, but managed to find room for a shared dessert of chocolate mocha gelato.

Finding Bazille

I walked through the men's clothing department on the first floor of Nordstrom -- past $200 shoes and $85 ties -- and took an escalator to the lower level, where I found the entrance to Bazille on the other side of a display of baby strollers.

The restaurant has a full bar, but is too brightly lit. When the dining room is full, expect a lot of noise and slow service. 

Still, I'm looking forward to returning and trying other non-meat dishes, including Brick Oven Brussels Sprouts and Grilled Asparagus with Lemon Zest & Fleur de Sel ($6.95 each).

An entree of Shrimp Linguine with Spicy Tomato Sauce comes with organic spinach, petite tomatoes and fresh herbs ($2o.50).

My Nicoise Salad with Wild Salmon included organic greens, French green beans and Kalamata olives, with a Dijon mustard-and-herb coating on the roasted fish fillet.

Bazille is on the lower level of Nordstrom, 501 Garden State Plaza, Paramus; 1-201-712-5930. Closed Sundays. For holiday store hours, call 1-201-843-1122. 

Cage-free eggs, organic strawberry spread and other big hits at Costco

Costco Wholesale in Teterboro now sells only cage-free whole eggs. On Thursday, Grade AA Cage-Free Large Eggs were $3.79 for two dozen, above, or $8.99 for five dozen, below.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

If you live in New Jersey's Bergen County, two Costco Wholesale warehouses are better than one.

About a year ago, Costco opened a new, larger warehouse in Teterboro, and closed the old warehouse in Hackensack after 21 years.

But Costco breathed new life into the old Hackensack store, which reopened as a Business Center catering to restaurants, caterers and other small businesses last March. 

Now, my membership card gets me into both, and if I run out of spring water, juice, organic spring mix, eggs or milk, I don't have to go to the far busier warehouse in Teterboro.

Hackensack carries about 30 percent of the items found in the bigger warehouse, in the Teterboro Landing Shopping Center off of Route 46.

Still, prices differ slightly and the Business Center on South River Street has its own instant coupons that are good at different dates than in Teterboro.

For example, a 1-pound package of Earthbound Farm Organic Spring Mix was $4.79 in Hackensack on Sept. 21, but only $4.59 in Teterboro on Thursday.

Another big difference is Hackensack's parking lot usually is only about one-third full, because small businesses can order online and have their purchases delivered by Costco.

The Teterboro warehouse also sells cage-free brown eggs, including Organic Large Grade AA Eggs (24 for $6.99).

Fresh Wild Atlantic Cod from Costco Wholesale with organic spinach, cherry tomatoes and grilled eggplant. I breaded the serving pieces in a mildly spicy mix from Pakistan called Lahori Fish, which includes red chili, onion, garlic, ginger, black cumin, green mango, clove, black pepper, cinnamon, carom seeds and tumeric.

Costco's skinless-and-boneless cod fillets are from Iceland ($7.99 a pound). See: 5 easy steps for preparing a Fish and Vegetable Medley

Fresh wild sockeye and coho salmon fillets apparently are no longer available at Costco, but I can still buy a 1-pound package of Kirkland Signature Wild Alaskan Smoked Sockeye Salmon, which is sliced and divided between two pouches ($14.89). 

Peeled cloves of Christopher Ranch Monviso Garlic from California are once again available at the Teterboro warehouse (3 pounds for $8.99). On previous trips, my wife bought a different brand of peeled garlic from Argentina or Spain. 

Kirkland Signature Roasted Seaweed Snack from South Korea is now available in an organic version for $8.79.

After a long absence, the 42-ounce jar of Kirkland Signature Organic Strawberry Spread is back on the shelf in Teterboro for $6.99, only $1 more than the same size of non-organic Strawberry Spread that was next to it.

Costco usually has the best price on 59-ounce containers of Tropicana Pure Premium Orange Juice, but starting on Sunday, ShopRite in Paramus has them on sale for $1.99 each. 

A 6-pack of Season Skinless and Boneless Sardines in Olive Oil are on sale in Teterboro through Oct. 23. These heart-healthy little fish from Morocco and marinara are two of the main components in one of my favorite dishes, organic whole wheat pasta with sardines.

Two 40-ounce jars of Victoria White Linen Marinara, which is free of added sugar, also is on sale through Oct. 23.

A good excuse to go food shopping

Image via Wikipedia






High gasoline prices make combining trips a good idea, so after my annual physical in Englewood today, I set off for three food stores in a city well-known to foodies.


I felt great when I left the doctor's office: My weight is 196 pounds, compared to 227 pounds a year or so ago; my blood pressure is low and a blood test likely will result in another low cholesterol reading since I stopped eating meat about 18 months ago.


The physical also included a chest X-ray, an electrocardiogram, a breath test and a rectal exam, all paid for by Medicare, not Medicaid, as I wrote earlier. Not even a co-pay. God bless America.


My first stop was Jerry's Gourmet & More on South Dean Street, where I had my first food of the day -- a bunch of free cheese samples, such as ricotta salata,  pecorino romano and brie.


I picked up Ponti balsamic and chianti vinegars for $1.99 and 99 cents, respectively. Ponti, not Primo, as I wrote earlier, is the brand I was served in restaurants in Italy last September.


Espresso beans


I also bought 2.2 pounds of Lavazza espresso beans labeled "Crema e Aroma" for $19.99, a couple of dollars less than the Lavazza's "Super Crema" beans I've been getting from Amazon.com.


My next stop was H Mart, the Korean supermarket on Lafayette Avenue, where 20 pounds of Kokuho Yellow Label short-grain white rice grown in California was on sale for $11.99.



I also picked up 2.21 pounds of live blue crabs at $2.99 a pound. (They're cooking now in a spicy boil for dinner tonight.) Two dozen large brown, cage-free eggs were $4 with a coupon.

Image via Wikipedia

I also took advantage of ShopRite's Can Can Sale to stock up on 12-ounce cans of Adirondack Seltzer (Mandarin Orange, Lemon-Lime and Original). A pack of 12 is $1.99, a savings of $1.60, with a store card.


At the Hackensack ShopRite, I bought more Adirondack Seltzer, as well as Sparkling 100% Apple Cider from Spain; two 25.4-ounce glass bottles were $4.


Coleman organic chicken legs were $1.99 a pound and antibiotic-free Readington Farms chicken thighs were $1.89 a pound.


Tonight's dinner


Korean bibimbap is one of our favorite dishes -- a stone bowl filled with steamed rice and vegetables, and topped with a fried egg (hold the ground beef). A hot red-pepper sauce livens up the party.


The idea is to mix everything up, add the spicy sauce and go to town.
Image via Wikipedia
Tonight, I'm trying bibimbap at home, using organic brown rice and seasoned vegetables I bought at H Mart in Fort Lee on Monday ($5.99 for 14 ounces of spinach, bellflower, fernrake and bean sprouts).


After the rice is ready, I'm going to dump the vegetables in the rice cooker and mix the whole thing up. I'll plate it and top it with two fried eggs, sunny side up, and hot-pepper sauce.


My wife and son are having the blue crabs.


I'll serve two side dishes I found at H Mart -- a Korean omelet with seaweed ($4.99) and stewed Alaska pollock in a spicy sauce ($5.99) -- both from Jinga in Maspeth, N.Y.