Category Archives: Markets

Costco’s chocolate-covered caramel apple

Costco's new chocolate-covered caramel apple

Costco’s new chocolate-covered caramel apple

I like plain sweets and have a fondness for soft caramel, so when I saw this choco-covered Granny Smith caramel apple at Costco last week I almost swooned.

There is no way I was not going to buy this thing at least once, in the hope it would be everything Mrs. Prindable’s could be if they made their apple products with higher-quality coatings:  pleasantly sweet and bitter from the chocolate, soft and creamy from the caramel, and crunchy and tart from the green apple.  When this combination is done right it’s the perfect grown-up caramel apple.

The bottom of Costco's chocolate-covered caramel apple

The bottom of Costco’s chocolate-covered caramel apple

This is a large enrobed apple presented in a domed container; mine weighed in at 14 ounces.  The chocolate and caramel pooled during production, providing a thick ring of goodness – as the photo above shows.   Upon further inspection I found that the caramel was, indeed, quite soft, putting any fears about fillings and crowns to rest.  It sliced easily while retaining integrity.

Costco's chocolate-covered caramel apple cut in half

Costco’s chocolate-covered caramel apple cut in half

In terms of flavor, texture and overall impact, this is a winner.  The apple was fresh, crisp and tart.  The chocolate of a decent quality and not overly sweet.  The caramel creamy.

While there was some caramel around the entire apple, I wished that layer was a bit thicker, but I have no real complaints.  This is a very, very good product and I will purchase it again when the craving strikes.

Well worth it at $5.99.

Crispy fried red drum

red drum 2010

Red drum, also known as redfish and spottail bass, was on sale at 99 Ranch Market in Richmond today, so I ordered one in the #6 style, which means cleaned and then fried crispy.  They do all of that extra stuff for free at 99 Ranch, which is helpful.  You can eat your fish as-is when you get home, or cut it into steaks for recipes that require frying before braising.

I usually peruse all the fish and then buy what’s on sale or looks interesting.  Today, at $2.99 a pound, the red drum seemed like the way to go.  They all had clear eyes and smelled good.

These bottom feeders were overfished during the 70’s and 80’s, the latter period no doubt the result of Paul Prudhomme’s blackened redfish, which was all the rage for a few years.  Found mainly off the coast in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico – which explains their popularity down South – they’re mild and flaky if caught small (under 15 pounds).

Apparently they can live to 60 years and reach 90 pounds.

Gathering food for the Jewish holiday season in the East Bay

Whole smoked whitefish from the acme smoked fish corporation

Each year I try to purchase a few things that Steve, my husband, would have been eating during certain holidays as a kid.  Since I’m from the same place and have been eating most of that stuff my whole life, I’m happy to do it.

Note that the idea here is to have some traditional Jewish foods available.  I’m not doing anything “official” or Kosher.

Like a broken record, let me again mention Costco.

I know Purim and Passover are around the corner when those #10 cans of Rokeach* gefilte fish show up there.  The canned version may not the best, but it’s OK, and $7.99 for 14 pieces is nothing to kick out of bed.  While “gefilte fish” literally means “filled fish,” nowadays they are large, poached fish balls made from whitefish or pike, matzoh meal and onions.  Years ago, the fish mixture was stuffed into a fish skin before poaching whole.  This allowed people of limited means to enjoy a whole fish on the Sabbath, even if it was stretched with filler.  Gefilte fish is good chilled with a little horseradish, and I always buy an extra can to have on hand to serve during the summer.

Costco had Rokeach hamentashen, too, but they contained high fructose corn syrup, so I passed.  Hamentashen are pastries made with short dough that’s partially folded over fruit filling, and they can be great if made at home or by a neighborhood bakery.

The Richmond, CA, Costco is good for smoked salmon, both farmed and mild, and, wonder of wonders!, whole smoked whitefish from the Acme Smoked Fish Corporation in Brooklyn, NY.  These fish are sold tail, head and all, in shrink wrap, for $6.99 a pound.  This is an incredible bargain, and I’d buy a Costco membership just to keep us flush with reasonably-priced smoked whitefish.  They used to carry Acme’s whitefish salad at $7.99 for a two-pound tub, but, alas, I have not seen it for over a year.  Maybe the nice Costco blog spies will pass along my request to bring the whitefish salad back to Richmond.

Smoked whitefish is salty and rich, and you can mix the flesh with a little good mayo and serve it on bagels.  Alternatively,  cut the whole fish into sections and eat it just like that with rye bread.  Serve the smoked salmon (lox) with some sliced cucumbers, red onion and sour cream on the side if you want to go the non-bagel route.

I like to buy chocolate covered jelly rings and candied fruit slices, too.  I have yet to find these anywhere other than Saul’s Restaurant & Delicatessen (1475 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley), a place I don’t like to go .  I find them significantly overpriced – to the point of being laughable.  Their whitefish salad has celery and costs $15.75 a pound, and the sandwiches are skimpy for the price.  Whole smoked whitefish is $18.00 a pound – which is insane.  This is what happens when there’s no competition.  While I prefer to give my business to a local place, moral indignation prevents me from doing so here.

I always have high hopes for Cost Plus World Market in terms of the jelly rings and fruit slices, but no luck so far.  (That reminds me to get over there to buy what I can of the Cadbury chocolate before Kraft is involved in its production!)

There is no reason to buy cooked brisket, another popular food item this time of year.  Brisket is a primal cut of beef from the forequarter just below the chuck.  Many supermarkets have trimmed, whole briskets shrink-wrapped, and they run about 7 pounds.  Make sure you get one with the fat cap intact.  A good place to purchase brisket in the SF Bay Area is Smart & Final.  A long, boneless, flat, tough cut, it needs to be cooked for some time, after which it’ll be tender and flavorful.  Just rub with Kosher salt and pepper and roast (at a low temperature) or braise with aromatics and then slice against the grain after resting.  If you roast it, add some liquid to the pan and replenish it as it evaporates.  Whatever  your method, place it in your pan fat side up so the fat can run through and tenderize the meat during the cooking process.  Serve with potatoes or slice and pile high on good rye bread while warm.  Provide good mustard and horseradish.

I also make a small batch of chopped chicken liver, which Steve loves, having childhood memories of chopping the livers with a mezzaluna for his mother.  There are a million recipes for this on the Web, but the lowdown is that you’ll need rendered chicken fat for any reputable recipe.  This is why I tell you to freeze the bits of chicken fat you trim from whole chickens and thighs.  See my previous post about the chicken fat.  You’ll need chicken livers, of course, which should be trimmed of connective tissue, which feels like string; use kitchen shears or a paring knife against a cutting board.  Also, some finely chopped onion, hard-boiled egg that has been chopped, and salt and pepper.  This is bare-bones but very good, and I’ll give you the process, if not a full recipe:

Saute the livers in some rendered chicken fat until just done and set aside.  Do not overcook them!  Saute the onions in the same pan.  Chop the livers.  Put chopped livers, egg, onion, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix with enough extra hot rendered chicken fat to wind up with a moist spread.  Your ratio will be something like 1/2 cup of rendered chicken fat to each pound and a quarter of livers.  One egg and a very small yellow onion will be fine if you make the base quantity of livers.  Feel free to process the mass, but no need, really, unless you want it smooth.

I promise to make my own gefilte fish next year, so if you have a good recipe, please email it to me.

*In case you didn’t know this, Manischewitz owns numerous brands, including Rokeach, Mother’s, Goodman’s and Mrs. Adler’s, so these names don’t mean what they used to.

gefilte fish 2010

Garlic bread

Buttery & really garlicky garlic bread

Buttery & really garlicky garlic bread

My son, Matthew, loves garlic bread.  I developed this recipe to make up for the fact that most oven-ready loaves from the supermarket don’t have much zing.  Even many restaurant versions don’t have enough garlic and can be dry.

He likes it with a little life left and plenty garlicky, so I don’t toast the bread before adding the spread and use both fresh and powdered garlic.

Give it a try – making adjustments to your liking.

Buttery & Really Garlicky Garlic Bread
Makes 8 pieces

4 long sourdough rolls (i.e., Acme; La Brea Bakery from Costco; nothing texturally skimpy)
1/2 cup good olive oil
1/4 cup melted butter, unsalted
2 tablespoons dried parsley (you can use fresh, if you like)
2 teaspoons garlic powder (NOT garlic salt!)
3 tablespoons pulverized* garlic
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1).  Slice rolls lengthwise and set aside
2).  Whisk together all ingrediants except pepper
3).  Apply spread to rolls liberally with pastry brush, allowing some to soak into crevasses
4).  Place rolls on sheet pan and set on middle rack of oven
5).  Set oven to broil, checking often to make sure tops do not burn, until rolls are to your liking.  You can use very high heat and convection rather than “broil,” if you prefer
6).  When done, grind a little black pepper on top and serve right away

* use a mortar & pestle -or- chop finely, add a little salt and smash/press down on your board with the side of a chef’s knife and grind into paste

You can use a food processor or blender for the spread, but do stir the parsley into the spread by hand.