At H Mart, fish dinner for four can cost under $10, free seafood samples

On Sunday, my wife baked five fresh wild-caught whole porgy with olive oil, fresh lime juice, onions, tomatoes, sweet peppers and fresh garlic.

Our side dish was cabbage sauteed with sweet peppers.

Editor's note: Today, I discuss food shopping at H Mart in Little Ferry, ShopRite in Paramus and Costco Wholesale in Hackensack, and the meals you can assemble with ingredients from them.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

I never know what I'll find when I shop for fresh fish on the weekends at the H Mart in Little Ferry or how low the price will be.

On Sunday, I found whole porgy nestled in ice for only $1.79 a pound, and five of them rang up at $8.40.

While I waited for the fish to be cleaned and scaled, I chatted with other customers and went over to tables offering free seafood samples.

I also picked up nearly 2 pounds of Gaichoy or Baby Mustard Greens on sale for only 78 cents a pound with a store card.

Today, my wife prepared them for dinner with olive oil, chopped fresh garlic, sea salt and Organic No-Salt Seasoning, all from Costco Wholesale.

At H Mart in Little Ferry, free weekend seafood samples are conveniently placed near the fresh-fish counter to give customers something to do while their catch is being cleaned. Samples include seafood pancakes, foreground; boiled octopus, smoked farmed salmon and broiled eel.

The Korean supermarket at 260 Bergen Turnpike in Little Ferry also sells a wide array of dried seafood, above and below, and I expect many of them are for use in soups or stews.

Customers can only hope H Mart management will decide to renovate what is the shabbiest store in the chain.

ShopRite in Paramus

At ShopRite in Paramus on Tuesday, I bought a large Golden Pineapple for $2.99, and two 15-ounce containers of Smart Balance Light Spread made with Extra Virgin Olive Oil on sale for $2.99 each, a discount of 60 cents.

Smart Balance has gone on sale for as little as $1.89 with a store card, but I haven't seen that repeated in many months.

At ShopRite in Paramus, 26-ounce bottles of Colonna Pasta Sauce are on sale for 69 cents each, but the Garlic & Onion and Meat-Flavored contain high fructose corn syrup. Vodka Sauce lists heavy cream as the second largest ingredient. I'll pass on all three.

The 40-ounce bottle of Victoria Marinara is $8.49 at the Paramus ShopRite, 224 Route 4 east, but you can get two 40-ounce jars of the same sauce for $8.99 at Costco Wholesale on South River Street in Hackensack.

I continue to perfect 10-inch egg-white omelets, cooking fresh spinach in a little oil in a separate pan before transferring it to the omelet and folding it. Other ingredients include smoked wild salmon and reduced-fat sliced Swiss cheese from Costco, which also sells 100% egg whites.

A big breakfast omelet stuffed with smoked salmon and spinach, served with leftover organic brown rice and broccoli, allows me to skip lunch.

This morning, I prepared an organic whole-egg omelet with salted fish, fresh spinach and Mateo's Gourmet Salsa, the last from Costco Wholesale, above and below.

The omelet is ready to be folded.

Early Can Can Sale at ShopRite brings good news and bad news

Golden Pineapples are on sale today for only $1.99 each at the Paramus ShopRite, 224 Route 4 east.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

The good news is ShopRite isn't waiting for January to kick off its winter Can Can Sale, which usually brings deep discounts on hundreds of items.

The bad news is there aren't that many great deals, at least judging from the Can Can Preview Sale at the Paramus ShopRite.

And store employees seemed to suggest bigger price cuts are still to come.

This morning, I picked up two Golden Pineapples for $1.99 each, the lowest price I've seen at the Paramus supermarket.

Friendly's Ice Cream in a 1.5-quart package was $2.59, a discount of $1.49, but Turkey Hill was only 50 cents off.

BPA-free Ziploc plastic containers for storing leftovers also were only 50 cents off. Two 9-cup containers were $3.49.

The ShopRite-brand was less, and the label said BPA, a chemical called Bisphenol A, isn't used to make the plastic in the containers.

Smart Balance spreads are great butter substitutes, and sometimes they are half-price at the Paramus ShopRite.

But not today, when the price for Smart Balance in 15-ounce containers was cut by just 50 cents.

A 4-pound bag of California Navel Oranges was $2.99.

The Can Can circular that came with the newspaper included a Super Coupon for Poland Spring Water in 16.9-ounce bottles.

But at $9 for three 24-bottle packs, the savings per bottle over Costco Wholesale is less than a half-cent a bottle.

It's not clear whether the sale prices on pineapples and oranges are part of the Can Can Preview Sale, and you need a store card to get any of the discounts.

Costco tomato squeezer, Han Dynasty and ShopRite

Soup with Pickled Vegetable and Flounder at Han Dynasty in Manhattan, a branch of a Philadelphia restaurant known for its spicy, Sichuan-style Chinese food. The soup is rated 4 on a spice-level scale of 1 to 10. Servers wear black T-shirts with "(10)" printed on the back.

Editor's note: Today, I discuss an exchange with a Costco Wholesale shopper who was opening packages of Campari Tomatoes and squeezing them; a Sunday lunch at Han Dynasty, a Chinese restaurant in Manhattan popular with Asians; and a few sale items at the ShopRite in Paramus.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
Editor 

Before I spoke, I watched a man opening two or three plastic clam-shell packages of Campari Tomatoes at the Costco Wholesale in Hackensack, squeezing the fruit and closing them.

"Do you mind my asking why you are touching all of those tomatoes," I said.

"I want to make sure they aren't soft," he replied.

Thinking the only "soft" thing was his head, I asked him if he would want other people touching the food he buys.

"Don't you think people touch the tomatoes when they put them into the packages?"

I said it is probably done by machine, but as he left, I noticed the big letters "EMT" on his jacket and hoped he shows better judgment in a medical emergency.

You don't have to touch Campari Tomatoes to see if they are soft. The redder they are, the riper and softer they are.

If you want a harder tomato, choose those that are a paler red. And they ripen when left out on your kitchen counter; refrigerating them destroys the rich, tomatoey flavor.

Then, because the beefsteak tomatoes didn't look that good, I took his place in front of the Campari Tomatoes and tried to find a 2-pound package with fruit he hadn't touched.

Organic chicken

My Hackensack warehouse store has added antibiotic-free Coleman Organic chicken drumsticks ($1.99 a pound) and thighs to the whole Coleman Organic chickens ($2.49 a pound) it has sold for the last few years.

They are in free-standing refrigerated cases near the produce section. As with all organic products, they contain no genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

Costco Wholesale usually carries sweet potatoes only around the holidays, but I found these in a 6.5 pound bag at my Hackensack warehouse store on Friday for $5.99. A 10-pound bag of Earthbound Farm Organic Carrots was $7.99.

At Costco in Hackensack on Friday afternoon, my haul included 3 pounds of bananas ($1.39), 2 pounds of salted cod-fish fillets from Canada ($11.99),  and two loaves of Kirkland Signature All Natural Multigrain 100% Whole Grain Bread ($4.49). Earthbound Farm Organic Spring Mix was $4.79 (1 pound).

On Sunday afternoon, we had lunch at Han Dynasty, 90 3rd Ave. in Manhattan's East Village (212-390-8685), and many of the other customers were young Asian couples with big bowls of noodles in front of them.

Han Dynasty

Our lunch at Han Dynasty in Manhattan on Sunday started with the tasty fish soup that was part of my takeout order from the original in Philadelphia last year.

The mildly spicy Soup with Pickled Vegetable and Flounder (4) includes lots of fresh garlic and ginger ($9.95).

Our entree was a non-spicy Scallion Style Shrimp ($19.95), and we also ordered Peas Leaves with Garlic ($12.95).

Brown rice was $1 extra. The serving is generous, much larger than in other Chinese restaurants.

The food was terrific, but the restaurant was full and service was a bit slow. 

We were brought a pot of tea and glasses of ice water when we sat down. I had to ask twice for extra napkins and we never got the fork my wife wanted.

Luckily, the utensil with one end buried under the pea leaves turned out to be a fork.

Scallion Style Shrimp at Han Dynasty.

Pea Leaves with Garlic: A simple, delicious and healthy dish.

Paramus ShopRite

On Monday, I ran out of 1% lactose-free milk and stopped at the Shop Rite in Paramus, where half-gallons of the store brand were $3.29 each, a discount of 20 cents.

Two Golden Pineapples were on sale for $5, and a 5-pound bag of Golden Delicious Apples was $3.99.

The biggest surprise was a 15-ounce container of Smart Balance Original for $1.75 or about half-price.
The sale price was $3.20 with $1.45 off.

At the Englewood ShopRite on Sunday, my wife bought 15 ounces of Smart Balance Original with Flaxseed Oil "on sale" for $3.59.

 

Problem checkout at ShopRite isn't my fault

On Wednesday morning, shoppers packed the ShopRite in Paramus in anticipation of today's snowstorm, but when the store computer didn't give me the sale price on 5.27 pounds of sweet potatoes, my checkout line came to a standstill.

Editor's note: Today, I discuss a slow checkout at the ShopRite in Paramus that was the store's fault, homemade dishes using ingredients from H Mart and Costco Wholesale, and a tasty version of tabbouleh from Costco.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
Editor

Don't look at me, I told shoppers in my checkout line on Wednesday morning at the ShopRite in Paramus, where the clerk flipped on a flashing light to summon a supervisor.

In the produce department, I saw that the sweet potatoes I bought last week for 99 cents a pound were now 89 cents a pound, with an additional 20 cents off per pound, if I bought more than 5 pounds and used the store's Price Plus Club Card.

Last week, the checkout computer deducted the 20 cents per pound automatically, but on Wednesday morning, it didn't and I mentioned it to the clerk.

She flipped on the flashing light of her lane number to summon a supervisor, and I could see shoppers in line behind me react with rolling eyes.

On weekday mornings around 9 a.m., the Paramus ShopRite is fairly quiet, but on Wednesday, dire forecasts of another big snowstorm touched off panic food shopping.

Not much help

The supervisor came over, spoke with clerk, left and then returned, saying the promotional discount of 20 cents is only good, if I had purchased 5 pounds or more.

But I had.

To resolve the logjam, I suggested the clerk deduct $1 dollar from my order (5 pounds times 20 cents), and get the line moving.

First, she added $1, but I caught the error and the supervisor approved the deduction.

Finally, I was out of there with my sweet potatoes, lactose-free milk, apples, strawberries and Smart Balance spread.

Bibimbap is a rice-based Korean comfort dish that is known for being labor intensive. I made a meatless version with organic brown rice and an organic brown egg, above, with a lot of help from Jinga's Seasoned Vegetables, which I picked up at the H Mart in Little Ferry. The package includes a small cup of mildly spicy gochujang, a red pepper paste, but I added more from a container I had in the refrigerator.

I made four cups of organic brown rice in an electric cooker, but you can reduce the amount of rice, if your prefer a higher concentration of vegetables.

Korean bargains

At H Mart in Little Ferry on Monday, I picked up fresh, wild-caught whole whiting for $3.49 a pound, Kabocha Squash for 59 cents a pound and a 15-pound bag of California-grown Kokuho Yellow Label Rice for $8.99, a discount of $6.

We pan-fried the whiting, and served them with mashed Kabocha squash and sweet potatoes moistened with a few ounces of extra-virgin olive oil and seasoned with a little salt and Costco's Organic No-Salt Seasoning.

Everything but the za'atar thyme mixture and Aleppo pepper I used to season this frittata came from Costco Wholesale: Smoked wild salmon, shredded Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese, Jarlsberg Reduced Fat Swiss Cheese, organic brown eggs and egg whites.

Another labor-intensive dish is tabbouleh, a Middle Eastern salad of cracked wheat mixed with finely chopped tomato, fresh parsley, onions and other ingredients. A version sold at Costco Wholesale is pleasantly tart.

The version sold at Costco is from Hannah International Foods in New Hampshire. The company drops a "b" and the "h," calling its product Taboule.



Vine Valley

Vine Valley was a Lebanese restaurant in Paterson that closed several years ago, but I'll never forget its tabbouleh, a tall, fluffy mound of finely chopped fresh parsley, tomato, onion and cracked wheat.

Hannah Taboule, sold at Costco Wholesale, is a tasty version.

A 21-ounce container of refrigerated tabbouleh was $5.49 at my Hackensack Costco.
 

Costco Wholesale's food and prices are the best revenge

This omelet uses Kirkland Signature Real Egg Product, which is 99% pure egg whites. I served it with leftover whole-wheat pasta for a rib-sticking breakfast.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

The phrase, "Eating well is the best revenge," often echoes in my head when I'm enjoying a good meal or find another surprisingly delicious item at Costco Wholesale in Hackensack.

On Friday, I came across wonderful marinated white anchovies from Italy, and I haven't been able to stop eating them.

On Saturday, my 14-year-old son wanted to have dinner at T.G.I. Friday's, a chain restaurant in Hackensack. 

My wife had coupons I had given her, so I urged her to take our son and his best friend to dinner there, and leave me to my white anchovies.

Grazing for dinner

I started with a plate of the chewy, vinegary little fillets; grainy slices of Grana Padano cheese, also from Italy; and plenty of crunchy Arirang cabbage kimchi from Englewood.

Later, I had melon and a leftover sweet potato, plus tea.

I enjoyed the plate's contrasting textures and flavors, but realized, too late, I could have added Kirkland Signature U.S. No. 1 Supreme Whole almonds to the plate.

For $9.89, I buy a 3-pound bag of the salt-free raw almonds at Costco, then roast them in the oven for 1 hour at 275 degrees until they crack between my teeth.

Anchovy omelet

For a Sunday morning breakfast, I made an open-face omelet with three organic brown eggs from Costco, along with reduced fat Swiss cheese, smoked wild salmon (also from Costco), white anchovies, Aleppo red pepper and Mexican green salsa or salsa verde.

I make omelets in an 8-inch, non-stick pan and never fold them -- allowing me to add more filling. It cooks through from the bottom, which is beautifully browned.

Kirkland Signature Organic Brown Eggs are a relatively new item. Two dozen eggs in a single container are $6.99 or about $3.50 a dozen.

I saw organic eggs at ShopRite for $3.99 to $4.99 a dozen.

White anchovies circle smoked wild salmon.

The Seagarden white anchovy fillets are wild caught, and come in two trays sealed with clear plastic. They are marinated in vegetable oil, wine vinegar, parsley, garlic and salt.

Far less sodium

The fish and marinade weigh 14 ounces and cost $8.99, but the white anchovies are far more delicious and far less salty than the usual canned anchovies.

For example, half of a 2-ounce can of Season-brand Flat Fillets of Anchovies provides 36% of the recommended daily intake of sodium, compared to 34% sodium for 7 ounces of the white anchovies, drained.

Beefsteak tomato with za'atar thyme mixture, and Arirang cabbage kimchi are tasty side dishes for breakfast or any other meal.

Comparing nut bars

Another new item at the Hackensack warehouse store are Kirkland Signature Variety Nut Bars (Kirkland Signature is Costco's house brand).

You get 20 1.4-ounce bars for $10.99, compared to 30  1.2-ounce bars in Kashi Trail Mix Chewy Granola Bars for $11.79. But those are not the only differences.

The Kirkland bars have more calories, more fat, more sugar and less protein than the Kashi bars. Neither has high-fructose corn syrup. 

The Kirkland bars -- Nut & Fruit and  Nut & Seed -- have more calcium, Vitamin C and iron than the Kashi bars.

I tried a Kirkland Nut & Fruit bar, finding it pleasantly chewy and sweet, and I could taste an unusual ingredient, orange peel. It also contains pistachios.

Most of the ingredients for a canned-fish salad come from Costco Wholesale, including limes (not shown). I also add powdered cumin to taste.

Smart Balance spread

I also picked up two 32-ounce tubs of Smart Balance, the faux-butter spread we have been using for years, for $6.69 or about 10 cents an ounce. 

At ShopRite, I saw 15 ounces of Smart Balance on sale for $3 or 20 cents an ounce.

Apples at DiPeiro's in Montvale were $1.89 a pound.

$15+ liter of EVOO

After a meeting in Chestnut Ridge, N.Y., I stopped at DiPiero's Country Farm at 300 W. Grand Ave. in Montvale to pick up apples, but thought the price per pound was too high.

I walked through the store and saw a 5-liter tin of 100% Italian extra-virgin olive oil from Italy for $78. Pasta from Italy was $7.89 for 500 grams or 17.6 ounces.

At the Off The Hook seafood counter, which is independently owned, fresh hake fillets were $11.99 a pound, compared to $7.99 a pound on sale at Whole Foods Market in Paramus.

King salmon fillets were an outrageous $21 a pound.

These prices seem to be aimed at the wealthy executives who work in the headquarters of BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

Free 5-cheese lasagna

I stopped at the Hackensack ShopRite on Saturday after having my car washed across the street, and walked away with a free Stouffer's 5-Cheese Lasagna as part of a holiday promotion (96 ounces, normally $13.99).

A half-gallon of Smart Balance Fat-Free Lactose-Free Milk was on sale for $2.99 ($1 off), but with a doubled 75-cent coupon, I got it for only $1.49.

Unfortunately, I had only one coupon and had to buy a half-gallon of ShopRite 1% Lactose-Free Milk for $3.29 (a discount of 10 cents).

Sources

A reliable source for cumin, ground Aleppo red pepper and za'atar thyme mixture is Fattal's Syrian Bakery at 975-77 Main Street in Paterson.

Arirang Kimchi is available at the source, 191 W. Englewood Ave. in Englewood.