Supersized Supermarkets

Imagine a store that feels like it's the size of a football field. It has everything , from all sorts of fresh and frozen foods to books, toys , soaps and detergents. That's what the Keyport, New Jersey Stop &Shop is. Now here's the question - do we need  super sized grocery stores?

As we all know I'm a big Stop & Shop fan.I will always choose my local one, on the Hackensack-Lodi border over my local Acme and Shop-Rite. Don't get me wrong. I like those two other stores. They each have something Stop & Shop doesn't have but for a large variety  especially for baking- Stop & Shop wins hands down. They do have the some of the best  tasting baked goods and a wide range of fresh fruits and veggies, perfect for my cooking needs.I like their in house brands such as Nature's Promise and Taste of Inspiration. Now imagine my delight when I walked through the double the size one down at the New Jersey shore. Mind you I just stopped in for a pit stop and a bottle of water. I walked out with much more. The Keyport Stop & Shop has the dimensions of what seems like a football field. The aisles are twice as long as the Hackensack-Lodi one. It was amazing to get almond milk and see that I had a large variety of choices to choose from. I would have spent an hour just on the natural food aisles alone. Honestly I even spent more than enough time browsing and restraining myself from buying other things like shampoo and paper plates. These last two, like everything else, offered a wide array to choose from.

The thing is with super sized stores is that they may give us way too many choices. I walked in to this Super Stop & Shop with just the idea of one bottle of water. I walked out with much more.I can only imagine what would happen if I lived near it. It's one thing to have a well stocked kitchen ; it's another to have a hoarder's paradise. I know I would buy items and foodstuff I may not need but felt like I would. Does this mean that smaller grocery stores like Foodtown are better to shop at? Yes and no. I've been to some of the Foodtowns, now mostly located at the Jersey shore. They're much smaller than the superstores, reminiscent of the A&P's that once dotted the landscape.They're  easier to move around in. It's not a hike to get from one end of the store to another and then make the trek  out to the parking lot. Then there's the whole concept of choice. A smaller store has less variety , hence less temptation and dithering about what to buy.It's also cheaper. You don't feel the need to try every flavor and every brand. You may not have the wide variety of fruits and vegetables but then again, you don't have to deal with picking over and rotting and moldy unsold produce.

Yes, the larger Stop & Shop store is a home chef's dream. It is dazzlingly huge. Yet it's also a bit too much. However it does pose the question  which is better- a larger store with endless choices and more temptation or a smaller one, with less variety and no temptation?

A Family Classic Updated

It's almost fall and that means zuppa di zucca, Piedmontese pumpkin soup. Nothing beats the mild sweet flavor married to cream, veggie broth and sauteed onions.Unfortunately there was one problem with finding the ingredients - no pumpkin. Luckily there were cubed butternut squash to sub in instead.

I used two packages of Stop & Shop's Nature's Promise butternut squash cubes and half a yellow onion. The last is crucial in forming the flavor . Chop it up and saute it in a mix of butter and olive oil. I used Country Crock's plant based butter with avocado oil. It does the trick in subbing in for butter when cooking.

Let the onion pieces sweat on a low flame while you make the broth. (if you're smart you'll buy the already made veggie broth. One less step to worry about.)

I used two cubes for two cups of water.

This is a quick boil and it will turn a golden brown color.

Add this and the two cartons of squash to the onions.

Squash takes about ten minutes to cook over a high heat. I steamed it , by putting the lid on top.The cubes cooked up pretty quick.

Then it's the time to use the immersion blender.

Except there was another problem to face. It didn't work  - possibly because I gave it a forbidden thorough washing when I was using it to make gazpacho almost on a weekly basis.. Sooooooo_

To give it that satiny, creamy texture I had to call in an old fashioned potato masher . This is what my Mom, Nonna and great-aunt,  used for decades when cooking their versions. I imagine my bisnonna - my great- grandmother -used something  similar too. ( immersion blender update - I ordered one right away from Target)

Then it was adding the milk, in this case almond milk.

Use a cup and a half of it to create the traditional creamy texture.

Was it as good ? I would have liked a creamier more satiny texture but the taste was exactly like my Mom's Nonna's and Great Aunt's. It was a vegan version but it tasted like the original recipe, traditionally made with chicken broth, cream or milk and real butter. I loved it and plan to make it again with my new (!) immersion blender. I may add rice which was another delicious variation of my great aunt's.

This is the perfect fall soup.Try it with either butternut squash or pumpkin puree for a rich flavorful bowl. It's a lovely way to celebrate the new season!

A Good Homemade Sauce

What makes a dish of spaghetti memorable? Or ravioli mouth watering.It's all in the sauce. A simple tomato based one can do the trick, except it's not so simple. Home cooks always say they have a knack for making sauce. It's not a knack, but what goes into it that makes good marinara or pomodoro stand out.

All sauces start out with a base.What is the best one? Fresh tomatoes or those canned ones? That actually depends on the time of year. The best season to use fresh vine ripened ones is the summer naturally. Some of the vine ripes now can be used. after all it's a fresher taste, perfect for a pasta primavera. Tomato paste still has to be used as a binder because the end result will be too watery. You can make it without it though but it won't be a thick sauce that will stick to the vermicelli or linguine. It is a great base for red clam sauce because you want something light that will complement the seafood.Many  home chefs rely on canned. It can be combined with  tomato paste to create a thicker texture. What are the best? Stop & Shop has an organic one  from their all natural Nature's Promise. he flavor is an even one, not too bland  not too intense.The one that home chefs recommend and rave about is Muir Glen Organic Whole Peeled Tomatoes. One of the reasons why it's so popular is the can. It's made without BPA  in the can's lining. Others swear by Hunt, while purists demand San Marzano. This is my second choice for a sauce. Some say its' too acidic but I've never found them to be this.

The next step is what you put in it.Olive oil is a must and again it should be a good one. Always go with the extra virgin . There are other types such as light but this kind is tasteless. Garlic is another must. Go with about three cloves. They can be chopped or minced, depending on one's tastes. (however if you don't want guests or family complaining about  large , hunky pieces then mince).Use an onion too for flavor. Now the controversy  - sweetness or no sweetness. Many home chefs add just a teaspoon of sugar to temper the sauce. A few don't do this however it gives the tomatoes mellowness. A tablespoon of dark honey is the best sweetener.It adds a richness and another layer to it along with it being a all natural additive.Some home chefs use grated carrots too for this.That's up to you.  Every pomodoro or marinara has a dose of oregano in it. Use fresh in the summer and dried in the colder months. I usually use a generous amount, namely two to three tablespoons. Always add salt and pepper. I found that  even though I made the most perfect sauce (in my opinion) there will always be complaints if those seasonings aren't added.

There is no knack in creating the best sauce.It's what you put into it that counts. It's not alchemy, It's chemistry  using the right ingredients to create a memorable pasta dish.