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Major grocery-shopping FAIL

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Major grocery-shopping FAIL

by Jenise » Sun Oct 12, 2014 4:27 pm

So on the way home from Vancouver this morning, we stopped for groceries. I had shepherds pie on the brain, but after viewing the array of luxury meats at the West Van Whole Foods, I decided on a two-bone organic prime rib, halibut and some porterhouse cut pork chops to get us through the week. The halibut was the first decision we made: that will be tonight with a ground tortilla crust, cilantro-cumin buerre blanc on a mixture of black beans and slivered hericot verts. I had been impressed with the good price of the fresh halibut and it's likely the last we'll have this season--5.69 per 100 grams after Bob corrected me, that a pound was 250 grams not the 450 I thought.

Don't say anything yet.

So then we got into the meat department and saw fabu organic prime rib at 5.69 per 100 grams, so reasonable!!!, can't get that quality for even close in Bellingham!!!, and those little piggy porterhouses were just $1.79/100 grams. In addition, I picked up three pounds of a pasta I can't buy here, lettuce, cilantro, some micro greens, edible flowers, the aforementioned hericot verts, brussels sprouts and a pound each ground round and ground pork for the shepherds pie I'll get around to at the end of the week.

Then we decided to divide and conquer, so Bob went to the checkout stand while I went to the coffee place and got us a pair of cappucinos for the trip home.

Bob was waiting in the car for me and I asked for the receipt because it's sometimes handy to engender trust when declaring our purchases at the border.

$237, of which the prime rib alone was $123.

Bob stared at the floor while I stared at the receipt, dumbfounded.

"Maybe we should open our '88 Latour," I finally said.

"DEFINITELY," he agreed.
My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov
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Re: Major grocery-shopping FAIL

by Dale Williams » Sun Oct 12, 2014 4:52 pm

Ouch!
I thought he was an engineer or something? :)
Enjoy the Latour and the prime rib!
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Re: Major grocery-shopping FAIL

by Peter May » Mon Oct 13, 2014 6:35 am

Ouch...
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Re: Major grocery-shopping FAIL

by Jenise » Mon Oct 13, 2014 10:13 am

Dale Williams wrote:Ouch!
I thought he was an engineer or something? :)


Yeah...with lapses. I'm to blame too--I lived in Europe and had to deal with metric daily, eh didn't--shouldn't have acquiesced so easily.
My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov
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Re: Major grocery-shopping FAIL

by Peter May » Mon Oct 13, 2014 10:25 am

I know 8oz is roughly equal to 225 grams because 8oz was the default steak size here and I learned that conversion decades ago for use in metric countries.

But I am totally bemused by use of ounces for liquids as used in USA and partly Canada. Anything in cl or ml I can relate to a 75cl wine bottle, and wine by the glass in UK is served in 125ml (small) 175ml (medium) & 125ml (large) measures.

I was banjaxed last month in Ontario, Canada where places served wine using both systems systems. You could buy a bottle (750ml) or in a half a litre carafe (500ml) or by the glass (6oz).
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Re: Major grocery-shopping FAIL

by Jeff Grossman » Tue Oct 14, 2014 2:22 am

Peter May wrote:...wine by the glass in UK is served in 125ml (small) 175ml (medium) & 125ml (large) measures.

Peter, how do they manage both a small and a large at the same capacity? :)
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Re: Major grocery-shopping FAIL

by Peter May » Tue Oct 14, 2014 3:24 pm

Yeah...

its a typo

Large is, of course 250ml which is 1/3 bottle.

two glasses is a decent amount, but then you're thinking - what's the point? - let's just order a bottle. :)
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Re: Major grocery-shopping FAIL

by Jeff Grossman » Tue Oct 14, 2014 10:41 pm

Peter May wrote:two glasses is a decent amount, but then you're thinking - what's the point? - let's just order a bottle. :)

Yeah, I think that, too, whenever a fancy Italian place offers a "quartino" of wine. Though it depends a bit on the markup but most places still really rake you for wine.
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Re: Major grocery-shopping FAIL

by Mike Filigenzi » Tue Oct 14, 2014 11:24 pm

Wow - I really hope that prime rib is excellent stuff. I'll be waiting for the review!
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Re: Major grocery-shopping FAIL

by Jenise » Wed Oct 15, 2014 11:53 am

Mike Filigenzi wrote:Wow - I really hope that prime rib is excellent stuff. I'll be waiting for the review!


I overcooked it. :(
My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov
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Re: Major grocery-shopping FAIL

by Mike Filigenzi » Wed Oct 15, 2014 12:52 pm

Dang! That's too bad.
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Re: Major grocery-shopping FAIL

by Jenise » Thu Oct 16, 2014 11:18 am

Yeah, really stupid, Mike. I even had a thermometer in it--the kind that connects a buzzer to the probe and everything. And I roasted it slow at 200 F. But I got really involved in some other crisis at the moment it went off at 115 F so I turned the oven off--but left the roast inside. It was at 129 when I realized what I'd done. F word!
My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov
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Re: Major grocery-shopping FAIL

by Dale Williams » Thu Oct 16, 2014 11:33 am

Jeff Grossman/NYC wrote:Yeah, I think that, too, whenever a fancy Italian place offers a "quartino" of wine. Though it depends a bit on the markup but most places still really rake you for wine.


Obviously it depends on pricing, but I've been happy with quartinos at some places, it lets both Betsy and I try a couple wines (I tend to drink a bit more than her, let's us pour appropriately). That said, I went to one place where "quartinos" were 187 ml (so a quarter of a bottle, not of a liter)
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Re: Major grocery-shopping FAIL

by Bill Spohn » Fri Oct 17, 2014 5:26 pm

That's why I only shop at Whole Paycheque when I have no alternative (I picked up the scallops and chanterelles there for our dinner). Hope the other stuff works out - but the medium beef will make nice sandwiches.....
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Re: Major grocery-shopping FAIL

by Jenise » Fri Oct 17, 2014 7:14 pm

Bill Spohn wrote:That's why I only shop at Whole Paycheque when I have no alternative (I picked up the scallops and chanterelles there for our dinner). Hope the other stuff works out - but the medium beef will make nice sandwiches.....


There's a new market closer to your house on the same side of Marine Drive, Fresh Street? May not be right but Fresh-something. Any good?
My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov
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Re: Major grocery-shopping FAIL

by Bill Spohn » Fri Oct 17, 2014 7:21 pm

Sue says they aren't bad and a lot cheaper - drop in next time you are up.

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