Pulling your family dinners out of the sameold-sameold rut can become majorly simplified if you're willing to incorporate even a few ingredients from any one of our ethnic markets.
Here's a big bonus: if you're a good grocery shopper* you will find unexpected bargains than can really add pizazz to your menus.
I was thinking about this just the other day. I stopped at Giado's World Market, a kind of pan-Middle Eastern market in the plaza at the southeast corner of Elliott and Dobson in Chandler.
I bought only four items: Two, two-pound containers of Byblos plain yogurt, 1/2 pound of Bulgarian feta cheese, and one package of frozen phyllo dough.
My total tab? Just barely over $9. That's right. I got change back from a 10 dollar bill.
Lest you are skeptical, let me assure you these are not discount-style food. The yogurt is thick, almost sweet. It's fabulous by itself, with a little honey drizzled over, or with fresh fruit. And it is terrific in cooked sauces as a sub for sour cream.
The feta is wonderful, alone, on crackers, or in sauces, maybe with a few hard sauteed tomatoes and shrimp.
As for the phyllo - it's going to turn into all sorts of things, literally appetizers to dessert!
This is a typical find.
At almost every ethnic market, you are likely to find high quality ingredients that you can use for breakfast, lunch or dinner at excellent prices.
At the Asian markets, you're also going to find extraordinary buys on produce, too - and not just on Asian-style fruits and vegetables. We'll talk more about this, too, in an upcoming post!
Meanwhile, think about a few of the foods you use most often in your day-to-day cooking. And consider taking a trip to one or more of our ethnic markets - you might be surprised at how and where you can trim your grocery bills.
If this sounds a like a little too much comparison shopping, just stay tuned.
We'll be back to tell you more.
*coming next: your basic guide to savvy grocery shopping: save dollars, time and even some sanity
