Cooking, American StyleClass 3

SupermarketsInternational Center

at Catholic Charities Community Services

October 15, 2013Instructor: Virginia Guilford

Cooking, American Style

• Class 1 – American Cuisine

• Class 2 – Fall Foliage

• Class 3 – Supermarkets

• Class 4 – Halloween Party

• Class 5 – Thanksgiving

Cooking American StyleClass 3 – Supermarket

• Where to Shop

• Smart Shopping

• Navigating the Supermarket

• Recipes

• Take Out Meals

Deciding Where To Shop

• Traditional Supermarket

• Warehouse Stores

• Natural/Organic Stores

• Farmer’s Markets

• Ethnic Specialty Stores

Traditional Chain Stores

• Stop & Shop, Safeway, Pathmark• Advantages

– Accept coupons– Sales– Wide variety of items

• Disadvantages– Produce brought in from far away, not fresh– Big selection can tempt you to buy things you

don’t need

Warehouse Stores

• Costco, Sams Club, BJs

• Advantages– discounts on groceries, gas, and a wide range

of products from suitcases to televisions

• Disadvantages– Membership fee– Large quantities & sizes

Natural, Organic Stores

• Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s

• Advantages– High quality– Unique items

• Disadvantages– May carry only their own brands– May be more expensive

Farmer’s Markets

• Farmer’s Markets are held in many places throughout NYC and New Jersey.– Fresh, local products– Best visited in July, August, and September– Prices can be expensive

• Tips– Know what is in season– Bring a shopping bag– Ask the seller for cooking suggestions

Ethnic, Specialty Stores

• Jackson Heights, Queens – Indian stores

• Chinatown – Chinese specialties

• Others – ???

On-Line Groceries

• On-line Only Stores– Fresh Direct– Peapod

• On-line Ordering from Regular Grocery Stores– D’Agostino– Safeway

• Automated Delivery– Amazon Subscribe & Save – good for unperishable

items that you use regularly (coffee, laundry detergent, pet food, etc.)

Choosing Where to Shop

• Choose the Cheapest– Check out local newspapers or flyers for

weekly sales and specials – go to a different store each week, choose the store that has the best prices for what you want.

• Choose the Most Efficient– Choose a convenient store – go there every

week and get to know it well. Stock up on staples when they are on sale.

Other Considerations

• Will the savings from low prices be eliminated by the cost of getting to distant stores?

• Does the store meet your needs for special options – like organic foods, prime cuts of meat, or unusual fruits and vegetables?

• Is a store’s reputation for how they treat their employees important to you?

• If you shop at a big discount store, will you be tempted to buy more than you need?

Supermarket Rewards Cards

• Requires you to show your membership card at check out

• Gives you special discounted prices or cash back rewards

• Allows the supermarket to track your purchases

Store Gift Cards

• Some supermarkets offer gift cards.– You prepay for the card– The card can then be used for purchases at

that store.

Supermarket Brands

Navigating the Supermarket

• Supermarkets can be very large

• Each supermarket is different, but there are some similarities

Supermarket Layout• These departments are usually

located around the perimeter of the store– Produce – fresh fruits &

vegetables– Meat – fresh meat, butcher – Dairy – milk, butter, eggs,

processed cheeses– Bakery – bread products

baked in-store– Deli – sliced meats, prepared

foods, cheeses– Frozen foods - prepared

meals, fruits & vegetables, ice cream

– Wine & Liquor– Flowers– Pharmacy

• These departments are usually in aisles in the center of the store– Soft drinks – Coke, Pepsi,

bottled water, – Pet Foods – dog food, cat food,

kitty litter, bird seed, pet supplies– Detergents and Household

Cleaning Supplies– Baking Ingredients – flour, sugar,

spices, cake & biscuit mixes – Canned Fruits & Vegetables– Canned Soups– Pasta and Sauces– Ethnic Items – Chinese,

Mexican,

• Checkout Area – impulse buys such as candy, gum, magazines

Supermarket Aisles

• Aisles are often numbered. Sometimes letters will also be used to indicate the left and right sides of the aisle.

Supermarket Aisles

• Sale items and items that the store wants to push are often located at the ends of the aisles or in special displays in the middle of aisles

Supermarket Shelves

• Products with the greatest profit potential for the store are placed at eye level, in the ‘Bulls-Eye zone’. Better buys may be found on higher or lower shelves

Shopping Smart

• Make a Grocery List– Make sure you don’t forget items you need– Make sure you are not tempted to buy items

you don’t need

• Use the information in the product labels and on the product shelves to choose the best items.

Making a Grocery List

• For a weekly shopping trip, think about what meals you want to cook in the coming week.

• Review what you have already, and add items that you need to the list.

• Compose your list in the order that things are arranged at the store where you will shop.

• Online shopping will often provide a list-making options.

Pricing

• Make use of unit pricing labels– In the example below from Walmart, a 40 oz jar of Jif Crunchy

Peanut Butter offered for $6.44, is shown to have a 16.1 cents per ounce unit price.

Coupons

• Coupons are a marketing strategy to encourage you to buy a product– New product– Product that has not been selling well

• Coupons are good if they give you a lower price for something you really want

• The basic price may be increased before the coupon is made available, so that even with the coupon, you are paying the same.

Best By, Sell By, Use By Dates

• Best By – used for canned foods, soft drinks, and other non-perishable foods. Up to this date, the quality and flavor should still be good. After this date, the food may still be safe to eat, but it won’t taste as good.

• Sell By – used for meat, milk and other dairy products, and bakery goods. This label is not a safety label - it tells the store how long to display an item on their shelves. You may want to get the most advanced ‘Sell By’ date to make sure that you buy the freshest products.

• Use By – The product is not safe to eat after that date.

Labels

Choosing ProduceFresh Fruits & Vegetables

• Picking Ripe Fruit– See it. For some fruits like apples, bananas, and tomatoes, you

can tell it’s ripe simply by looking at its color. – Squeeze it. A soft squeeze is a good test for ripeness. – Smell it. Sniff the blossom end of the fruit (the end opposite of

the stem). It should have a light, sweet smell.– Heft it. The heavier the fruit, the juicier it’s likely to be.

•  Picking Ripe Vegetables – See it. Vegetables should be evenly colored – no brown spots or

crushed leaves. Leafy greens should be dark in color. If a vegetable looks wilted or dried up, don’t buy it.

– Squeeze it. Unlike fruit, vegetables should be as firm as possible. Broccoli, potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, onions, peppers, and cauliflower should be firm to the touch. Leafy greens like lettuce, kale, and cabbage should snap with a nice crisp sound.

Shopping for 1 Person

• Problems– Spoilage– Not enough variety– Buying take-out food instead of cooking at home

• Solutions– Find a store that carries the smaller sizes that you

want. Many small Manhattan grocery stores do this.– Avoid buying more than you need – even if the sign

says ’10 for $5’, you can usually buy just 2 and pay only $1.

– If you don’t see a package of meat that is the right size for you - ask the butcher for 1 steak or 1 lamb chop or ½ pound of hamburger.

Getting Out of the Supermarket Fast

• Shop at slow times– Early morning on weekends (9 AM or 10 AM)– Later in the evening on week nights (7 PM or 8 PM)

• Get through the checkout line fast– If you have only a few items, use the Express Lane– Choose the line with the fewest people, even if they

have carts that are very full of food.– Put items on conveyor belt grouped together by type

– dairy, meat, etc.

Recipes

• Macaroni & Cheese

• Steaks with Mushroom Red Wine Sauce

Good & Plenty Macaroni & Cheese

• Macaroni and cheese is a classic, home-style dish. Children love it, and so do adults. Many people say that it is the ultimate comfort food. Cheese-y and rich, with a brown crust, it can be served as a main dish (maybe with sautéed spinach and a sliced-tomato salad on the side) or as a side dish in a larger dinner. It is a popular side-dish to serve with baked ham or barbecued spareribs.

• Any leftovers can be frozen in single-serving ziplock bags or freezer containers, and reheated in the oven or microwave.

• This recipe is from a famous little take-out place called Good and Plenty To Go, which is now closed. So if you want the famous Good & Plenty Macaroni & Cheese, you will have to make it yourself!

Good & Plenty Macaroni and CheeseIngredients• 1 lb elbow macaroni,

cooked• 2 cups heavy cream• 2 cups milk• 8 Tablespoons butter

(1 stick)• 6 Tablespoons flour• 2 cups yellow cheddar

cheese, shredded (about 8 oz of cheese)

• 2 cups Muenster cheese, shredded (about 8 oz of cheese)

Directions• Preheat oven 350°F• To cook the macaroni: Bring a large pot of water to a full,

rolling boil. Add the macaroni, stir once or twice. Cook 9 minutes until the macaroni is tender. Place a colander in the sink, and pour the macaroni and water into it. Allow the water to drain away.

• To make the white sauce: Heat milk and cream in a saucepan until it is warm; set aside. Melt butter in another sauce pan; whisk in flour. Let the butter and flour cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly with the whisk. Remove from heat and add the warm milk & cream. Stir together.

• To make the cheese sauce: Shred the cheese using the large holes on a shredder. Add most of the shredded cheeses to the warm white sauce. Stir to melt the cheese. Set aside a handful of the shredded cheese (about ½ cup) to put on top.

• Put the cooked macaroni in a large 2-quart buttered dish or pan. (It is good if the pan is not too deep – you want to have plenty of golden brown crust. You can use 2 pans if you don’t have a pan that is the right size.) Stir cheese sauce into macaroni. Top with the reserved shredded cheese.

• Bake at 350°F until brown and bubbly on top – about 25-30 minutes

Making a Roux or White Sauce

• Roux = Butter and flour cooked together is called a roux. The roux is added to a sauce to thicken it and give it a rich flavor.

• A roux can be light in color, if it is only cooked for a few minutes, or it can be darker, if it is cooked longer. – A light roux is the basis for a

white sauce. – A darker roux is the basis for

the sauce for many French dishes, including Cajun French Jambalaya.

• White Sauce = White sauce is a sauce made by cooking together flour and butter into a roux and adding warm milk. The sauce can then be flavored with cheese or other flavorings.

Ingredients – Milk & Cream

• Heavy Cream = 36% butterfat

• Whipping Cream = 30% – 36% butterfat

• Half and Half = 10.5% – 18% butterfat

• Whole Milk = 3.25% butterfat

• 2% Milk or Reduced Fat Milk = approximately 2% butterfat

• Skim Milk = 0% - 0.5% butterfat

Milk and Cream = There are many different kinds of milk and cream products. They are sold in gallon, 2-quart, 1-quart, pint, and half-pint containers. Basically they differ in the amount of butter fat they contain.

Ingredients – Types of Milk

• Organic Milk & Cream

• Ultra-pasteurized Milk & Cream

• Cow/Goat/Sheep Milk

• Soy/Rice/Almond Milk

Ingredients – Small Pasta

• Elbows

• Ditalini

• Radiatori

• Farfalle or Bowties

Macaroni is a kind of small pasta used in casseroles

Steaks with Mushroom Red Wine Sauce

True American-style steaks are grilled on a barbecue grill. But you can also make a good steak with a nice red-wine sauce on the stove top.

Steaks with Mushroom Red Wine SauceIngredients• 4 filet mignon steaks• Olive oil• Balsamic vinegar• Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Blackened

Steak Magic or other seasoning blend• 4 Tablespoons of butter• 8 mushrooms, sliced. Use the brown

Baby Bella mushrooms, if possible• 1 cup red wine (a Cabernet, such as J

Lohr Cabernet Sauvignon is good.)

Directions• Pat meat dry with paper towels. Put in a

shallow dish or plate and sprinkle olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and seasoning on the meat.

• Heat the frying pan over high heat. Add a splash of olive oil and swirl around so that the bottom of the frying pan is lightly covered with oil. Add the steaks.

• Cook on the first side for about 5 minutes, or until the steak has a dark brown crust. Then turn the steak over, and cook for about 5 minutes on the other side. Test for doneness with a meat thermometer (meat should be at 120 for medium rare), Remove the steaks from the pan, and place on a platter.

• Add the butter to the pan (do not clean the pan), and swirl until it is melted. Add the mushrooms, and cook, stirring all the time, until the mushrooms are dark and cooked through – about 2 minutes. Then add the red wine, and cook over high heat until the wine and mushrooms and the pan drippings are reduced to a thick, syrup-y sauce. Pour the sauce over the steaks and serve.

Types of Steak• Filet Mignon - leanest, most tender. From the tenderloin • Boneless Strip Steak or New York Strip Steak - marbled

and tender with abundant flavor• T-Bone & Porterhouse – combines the filet mignon &

strip steak together, with the t-shaped bone that separates them.

• Ribeye – juicy and flavorful; cut from the rib• Sirloin – less tender, but with a bold flavor. • Flank steak – cooked medium rare, and sliced in thin

crosswise slices for London Broil

Testing Steak for DonenessDoneness –

• Rare

• Medium Rare

• Medium

• Medium Well

• Well

There are several ways to test for steak doneness– Cut into the meat with a knife (the meat should be pink for medium

rare), – Test with a meat thermometer (120 for medium rare), or – Touch the meat with your finger – the meat should feel like your ear

lobe for rare, like your cheek for Medium-rare, and like the tip of your nose for Well-done 

Take Out Meals• Supermarket Prepared / Semi-Prepared Foods

– Frozen or Refrigerated Entrees– Pre-seasoned Meats– Precut, Microwavable Vegetables

• Pizza Shop• Deli• Fast Food (MacDonalds, Taco Bell, Popeyes, Kentucky

Fried Chicken, etc.)

• Your Take Out Order– What do you order at the Pizza Shop?– What do you order at the Deli?– Which fast food restaurant is your favorite and what

do you order?