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"My Mama told me, 'You better shop around!'" Well, maybe she didn't, but I have definitely adopted that philosophy as my own. Geographic location has certainly affected that decision. Here is this week's dilemma: How often do you choose a menu for a catered affair--for you or for someone else--and find that you inevitably end up running to the second, third, and sometimes even fourth favorite store kept in your speed dial (and preferably within ten blocks of your place of business)?
Okay, let me set the scene. I decided to throw a dinner party for ten of my closest friends and just for kicks--y'know, the kind of kicks that make things more time-consuming and more expensive--I decided to prepare a seven course tasting menu.
Maybe this isn't something people do on a regular basis. As I may have said before, I am a sucker for variety! It's the Gemini in me! I often opt for all things tickling my fancy at the moment, ignoring the fact that I really don't favor the decision-making process. So I made my grocery list with a happy-go-lucky demeanor, whistling while I worked. And yet after trekking out into the big bad New York forest, with seven character "traits" to choose from, I land on Grumpy!
Not Happy, or even Sleepy--but Grumpy. This because I end up running my 5'2" midget little tail off trying to hunt down my list of enchanted ingredients. If I had my way, I'd tear the whole building down--said the Grateful Dead--and build a superstore. Well, of course GD didn’t say "superstore." And, obviously this is said in jest as no one likes superstores in Manhattan, especially on the upper west side. But my fantasy superstore would fill a space big enough for all my favorite obscure ingredients so as to eliminate the four-stop shopping hike and would earn the meritorious "New York Dish Seal of Approval" for one-stop shopping.
Alas, I'm stuck in the real world too. So I hit Fairway, Gourmet Garage, Citarella, Whole Foods, and . . . oh yeah, a bodega. For those of you unfamiliar with the urban bodega, it's usually an Asian deli with canned goods, an extensive beverage selection, what seems to be a 24-hour hot and cold food bar which carries the necessary food groups for masses of New Yorkers on the go, random Asian staples, and a mysterious, unlabeled, possibly homemade, date Newton-type edible always sitting next to the cash register.
I'm not sure why the Newton-things are so closely guarded. Is this a hot-ticket item for shoplifters? Do we see robbers in movies, with stocking-covered face, screaming, "Give me all your money! And I'm taking the Newtons too?" Whatever their value, I imagine these to be made by the same person, working day and night wrapping them in Saran Wrap, looking like that poor Dunkin' Doughnuts guy, muttering "Time to make the Newtons." Someone shoud send that fig Newton figment of my imagination a nice Hallmark card. Eh, anyway, I love a good tangent. But let's get back to the fast, the food, and the fury.
So I made an extensive menu, ran around all day like a Disney dwarf with my head cut off, and finally settled back in at home to fill my fridge with the next day's creations. Once all that is complete, I have to admit in retrospect that I kinda like the chaos. It's all part of the game: "Survivor: New York." The chaos, of course, is what creates the fun, the stress, and the satisfaction. I can get some satisfaction! I'm sure Mick gets his too. He's just being humble.
Anywho, here is just one of the courses I did for my tasting. Hope you enjoy it. And don't forget: sometimes you really gotta shop around!
2 comments
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You Better Shop Around
"My Mama told me, 'You better shop around!'" Well, maybe she didn't, but I have definitely adopted that philosophy as my own. Geographic location has certainly affected that decision. Here is this week's dilemma: How often do you choose a menu for a catered affair--for you or for someone else--and find that you inevitably end up running to the second, third, and sometimes even fourth favorite store kept in your speed dial (and preferably within ten blocks of your place of business)?
Okay, let me set the scene. I decided to throw a dinner party for ten of my closest friends and just for kicks--y'know, the kind of kicks that make things more time-consuming and more expensive--I decided to prepare a seven course tasting menu.
Maybe this isn't something people do on a regular basis. As I may have said before, I am a sucker for variety! It's the Gemini in me! I often opt for all things tickling my fancy at the moment, ignoring the fact that I really don't favor the decision-making process. So I made my grocery list with a happy-go-lucky demeanor, whistling while I worked. And yet after trekking out into the big bad New York forest, with seven character "traits" to choose from, I land on Grumpy!
Not Happy, or even Sleepy--but Grumpy. This because I end up running my 5'2" midget little tail off trying to hunt down my list of enchanted ingredients. If I had my way, I'd tear the whole building down--said the Grateful Dead--and build a superstore. Well, of course GD didn’t say "superstore." And, obviously this is said in jest as no one likes superstores in Manhattan, especially on the upper west side. But my fantasy superstore would fill a space big enough for all my favorite obscure ingredients so as to eliminate the four-stop shopping hike and would earn the meritorious "New York Dish Seal of Approval" for one-stop shopping.
Alas, I'm stuck in the real world too. So I hit Fairway, Gourmet Garage, Citarella, Whole Foods, and . . . oh yeah, a bodega. For those of you unfamiliar with the urban bodega, it's usually an Asian deli with canned goods, an extensive beverage selection, what seems to be a 24-hour hot and cold food bar which carries the necessary food groups for masses of New Yorkers on the go, random Asian staples, and a mysterious, unlabeled, possibly homemade, date Newton-type edible always sitting next to the cash register.
I'm not sure why the Newton-things are so closely guarded. Is this a hot-ticket item for shoplifters? Do we see robbers in movies, with stocking-covered face, screaming, "Give me all your money! And I'm taking the Newtons too?" Whatever their value, I imagine these to be made by the same person, working day and night wrapping them in Saran Wrap, looking like that poor Dunkin' Doughnuts guy, muttering "Time to make the Newtons." Someone shoud send that fig Newton figment of my imagination a nice Hallmark card. Eh, anyway, I love a good tangent. But let's get back to the fast, the food, and the fury.
So I made an extensive menu, ran around all day like a Disney dwarf with my head cut off, and finally settled back in at home to fill my fridge with the next day's creations. Once all that is complete, I have to admit in retrospect that I kinda like the chaos. It's all part of the game: "Survivor: New York." The chaos, of course, is what creates the fun, the stress, and the satisfaction. I can get some satisfaction! I'm sure Mick gets his too. He's just being humble.
Anywho, here is just one of the courses I did for my tasting. Hope you enjoy it. And don't forget: sometimes you really gotta shop around!
Tuna Tartare
Made with lime juice, wasabi powder, sesame seeds, Hass avocado, jalapeno pepper, scallion, black pepper, kosher salt, hot sauce, soy sauce
Made with lime juice, wasabi powder, sesame seeds, Hass avocado, jalapeno pepper, scallion, black pepper, kosher salt, hot sauce, soy sauce
Serves/Makes: 6
- 3/4 pound sushi grade tuna
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lime, grated zest of
- 3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon wasabi powder
- 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup minced scallion, white and green parts
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh jalapeno pepper, seeds removed
- 1 ripe Hass avocado
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds (optional)
Cut the tuna into 1/4 inch dice and place it in a medium bowl.
In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lime zest, lime juice, wasabi, soy sauce, Tabasco, salt, and pepper. Pour over the tuna, add the scallions and jalapeno, and mix well. Cut the avocado in half, remove the seeds, and peel. Cut the avocado into 1/4 inch dice.
Carefully mix the avocado into the tuna mixture. Add the toasted sesame if using and season to taste.
Allow the mixture to sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour for the flavors to blend. Serve on wonton crisps or crackers.
Cook's Notes: This is Ina Garten's recipe from her Barefoot Contessa Family Style Cookbook. The only difference is I prefer to serve it on wonton crisps instead of water crackers, but you could use either. She also makes the toasted sesame seeds optional, but I really think it's much better with them.
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2 comments
Great Recipe!
Comment posted by Julie French (Conneticut)
my daughter wants cookbooks that she heard Sara talk about on her show. I believe it was a set. Can you help me?
Comment posted by Cindy
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©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/sara-rae-gore/130-shopping/