Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Kitchen View

I was looking at my counter last night… probably zoning out a little as I was kinda tired… and noticed that I had an odd assortment of goods sitting there.

Olive oil, coconut milk, tropical fruit Tang mix, Corn meal, spices, syrup and Biryani Rice mix.  Quite a random and cosmopolitan little gathering.

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I’ve been enjoying the local grocery stores because I can pretty much get whatever food I want. And I can buy feta and halloum cheese by the half kilo chunk!

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I get to experiment with new (to me) canned convenience foods…

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And find recipes on the packages of snacks that I am used to, that are geared for the local tastes (and the above-mentioned canned convenience food!)  Mmmm!

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After a summer of living in a kitchen that had to be stocked for a few days at a time, as we were never certain of our schedule, I am back to buying rice in big bags.

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And I am building up my spice supply. I need to get a good set of bottles, but in the meantime these disposable ziploc containers work fine. Honor labeled them for me.

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8 comments:

MsTypo said...

You can get REAL feta? Not that soft yucky stuff we get here? *dies of jealousy*

Connie said...

Don't die! Actually, we have both. One is the harder feta like you mean, and there's a 'double cream' that is softer. If all they have is the soft stuff, I drain all the liquid and let it sit in the fridge a couple of days. The taste is the same, and the texture improves. There is also a very stringy, mozzarella looking cheese available that I am going to have to try. Cheddar and other yellow cheeses are fairly expensive in comparison. Glad that we like the cheaper white cheeses just as much.

Veronica said...

Ah! I see the rice in the re-usable cloth bag. We have those here too!
My mother used to speak of sugar and flour coming in re-usable cloth bags too, but I can't remember them as I'm not that old!

rachaelgking said...

At least your spices are labeled! Ours are all in random little baggies with the labels faded off...

Lydia said...

Ooh, sounds delightful. Thank you my guinea pig! ;) Hey, I'll email you this website that sells jars, spice containers, etc. plastic or glass. Well, in fact, here you go.

http://www.specialtybottle.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=31

'Cause someone else might want it. Let me know if this doesn't work.

Connie said...

Veronica - My mom was around back then too. She told me about the flour sacks, and that some of them would come in sacks made out of cloth with pretty floral prints because people did use the material. I always just find a use for the bags! I kept running out of rice this summer because, well, I NEVER run out of rice! (usually) So I'd forget to check before heading to the store. I'm glad to have a big bag again, esp. as I am still figuring out this gas stove and burning my basmati :D !!

Lilu - if we were closer, we could get together and Honor would be glad to help you out... in exchange for some play time with the kittens!

Lydia - Awesome website, and great prices! Better than what I've seen locally. I am having fun being a guinea pig ;) I'll have it all (well, some) figured out by the time you get here. I'm going on a CLO tour of good places to shop later this month. Went to a book/gift/arts/office supplies shop today that puts Volume 1 to shame.

Expat Mom said...

I MISS feta! They used to make it here, but no longer. sob. We just have the plain queso duro or Mexican cheese and the softer crumbly kind. Both of which are good, but nothing like feta. :)

Those rice bags are wonderful! Have you ever made anything out of one? I'd be so tempted to sew them into stuffed animals or market bags.

Connie said...

Does anyone NOT love feta - that stuff is good!

I haven't made anything from the bags, they're just really handy as bags! I have a bunch of skeins of yarn stored in some, and other similar uses. Cloth bags with a zipper and handles - what's not to love? I have been tempted to tie-dye them though haven't yet done that.