Un-Kraft Your Life with this Giant Block of Turkish Feta

a photo by pintobean on Flickr.

Most of my shopping is not done at large supermarkets such as Safeway or Albertson's or Kroger's etc (GASP!), instead I usually hit up the local delis and markets in my neighborhood, mostly out of laziness since they are only a few blocks away. My last post demonstrated what a great deal I can get on extremely high-quality smoked salmon. Keeping an open mind on what to eat, and trying substitutions in my diet, has allowed me to come across some very delicious edibles that often end up being healthier choices.

Speaking of diet, the amount of dairy I eat only proves my Western-ness, but at least I can add a little culture (hehehe, get it?) with an alternative to those giant bricks of unnaturally orange extra sharp cheddar. This 17.65 oz tub of feta cheese costs 5.99 USD before tax. Surprisingly soft, I have been spreading it on toast, crumbling on salads, and using it as an alternative to cream cheese and ricotta. This giant tub comes all the way to the US from Turkey, and is actually a cow's milk feta. That means it is extremely unsustainable if you are a localvore, but totally awesome if you are worn out on spreadable cheeses from (achem) Kraft Foods. Thus successfully convincing myself that imported Turkish cheese is harmless, I will continue to relish in this crumbly brick of white deliciousness.... sometimes for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

According to the packaging, this block contains ~ 16 servings of cheese, thus, here is my breakdown:

ULKER White Feta:
5.99 USD a tub
.33 USD / oz
.37 USD a serving
~70 calories an oz ;)

The Pieces of a Better (and Cheaper) Fishy Breakfast

a photo by pintobean on Flickr.

My car was due for some new tires and the tire shop is right by a branch of the famous San Franciscan Boudin bakery. I decided to grab a baguette this morning and on the walk home I picked up some protein to go with the bread: smoked salmon sold by the pound at our local Russian deli, yum!

Baguette: 2.35 USD after tax
Smoked Salmon: 5.07 USD for .39 lbs (yup that is 13 dollars a pound, but who eats a pound of smoked salmon?)

My boyfriend and I made a fancy breakfast of lox and delicious bread that would have cost at least twice as much, for about half as much salmon, if we had gone out to a local brunch place. Plus, we still have half the baguette left. Who wants a Nutella and baguette snack this afternoon?

The Local Cucumber

English Cucumbers: .79 USD
Purchased At: El Grande Market, 2214 Clement Street, San Francisco, CA
Compared to: ~ 1.50 at Safeway Supermarket

My boyfriend and I eat a lot of cucumbers! We eat them by themselves, on a sandwich instead of lettuce, with hummus, in salad, or stirred in rice vinegar, fresh dill and sugar for a quick homemade pickle. We usually buy the kind that is wrapped in a plastic sheath (I would like to think of it as a cucumber condom). These are known as English cucumbers, and are usually the most expensive. We can get them at our local market for very inexpensive. Needless to say I was so appalled the other day when we were shopping at a Safeway in Daly City and I saw the same cucumber for sale for about $1.50.

When we do have to shop at Safeway or any major supermarket, to get various cereal and grain products especially the Oroweat Double Fiber products I do so crave, we make a conscious effort to refrain from buying produce, even though it would save time. The luxury of local produce markets is not prevalent all over the US, and thus Adam and I will continue to frequent El Grande, our local market, and appreciate the low priced produce.

El Grande Market, located in the Richmond District of San Francisco, family owned and run