Chinatown

While most flock to Chinatown for fake Rolexes and knockoff designer handbags many still head to this over crowded mile radius for many delectible culinary delights and great produce deals. I had wanted to go to my favorite Vietnamese restaurant, Pho Pasteur. Unfortunately, it was too crowded for me to attempt it with a stroller. Still I decided to hit the produce street vendors and head over to the Hong Kong Supermarket to find some goodies for dinner.

We might not have the village markets in NYC like they do in Europe but as soon as spring hits the produce street vendors pop up like firefies in the city, and thank the heavens for them. You can find amazing deals with these guys. On average their goods cost 1/3 the price of the same produce you would find in a grocery store. Just make sure you take the time to select them yourself. For example, I bought a bag of three romaine hearts for only $2 dollars. The same bag was $5 at the local Gristedes or $6 at the nearby Gourmet Garage. It’s a no brainer, I try to get all my produce two seasons of the year from these Produce Outdoorsmen.

I buy some seasonal fruits and vegetables and head on over to my favorite Chinatown grocery, the venerable Hong Kong Supermarket!

 You can find everything from live frogs to Tropicana Pure Premium orange juice at the HKS. I started coming here for condiments and bags of frozen dim sum. Now, everytime I come, I try to buy something new and stray a little further from my comfort zone. It doesn’t matter if you live in a big city or on a farm, chances are there is an ethnic market within your reach. Seek them out and  experiment a little. Whether its the Eastern European market selling sausages and giant beers or the Korean deli down the block with their homemade Kim Chi, there is a culinary world to explore at your fingertips.

I find some chinese eggplannt, chive buds, bok choy, and a nice piece of salmon all for a very good prices. Oh and of course bags of frozen dumplings and a new sauce to try out. Their condiment aisle is sick, ten different types of soy sauce, twenty different types of chili sauce, goes on and on and on. I stuff my goods under my stroller and head on home with my baby girl happy as a clam.

By the time we got home, it was a little too late to start my Chinese feast but luckily I remembered that I had defrosted pizza dough in the fridge. When ever I make dough Ialways make more than I need because it freezes well, just remember to put it in your fridge a day or two before use because there is no quick way to defrost dough.  That’s not true, actually, you can put it in a ziplock back and run it under cold water, this works for meat as well.  Don’t ever say I told you a lie!  Anyway, it’s another quick pizza and salad night for the family.

-Maintenant Manger!