Every Junkie, er, Foodie has their Supplier...
As I mentioned in my last post, I am putting together a cookbook of recipes that Ben and I have developed over the years. I am also toying with the idea of including a few little essays about food, cooking, personal oikonoma, etc. While this has a slight practical place (there are several wonderful cookbooks with hints, tips, guides, etc.), it is more a way simply of getting me to write more by giving myself a goal and a common theme. I realized in my last essay how truly rusty my writing had become and how little I had been seeking creative outlets of late.
I'll be posting these bits and pieces over my live journal in the coming weeks. You, the internet audience, are welcome to read/comment/critique as you desire.
I love exploring new towns. Each and every has unique omnivoric delights for the adventurous and dedicated foodie. In Athens, I swooned over the peaches and oranges in the market on Xenokratos street. In Olympia, I delighted in the plethora of spices available at Bucks Culinary Exotica. Columbus, OH had its Turkish market (where I learned the difference between American, French, Greek, Egyptian and Bulgarian Fetas) and its phenomenal community co-op grocery. And here in Seattle, there is Theo Chocolate, PFI and the Market Spice, just to name a few.
The trick is finding these suppliers amid the morass of fast food disasters and prepackaged meals. The first and most important step is to wean yourself off the chain-store grocer. Yes, there is a place for Safeway or Fred Meyer but it is decidedly not in the produce aisle or the spice aisle or the meat section or, for that matter, any other section in the store. Sure, you will occasionally find your gems - the wine steward at the Capital Hill Safeway is stunning - but this sort of talent is rare and generally due to the existence of an over-qualified and dedicated individual, not anything essential to the corporation itself.
The second step, is taking the time to stop and smell the rose water or, in other words, slow the f#&k down. Take the time to walk around your neighborhood and then walk around the neighboring neighborhood - who's selling what and where. Learn when your local farmers market is open and go. Find a local ethnic market, a local baker, a local butcher a bulk foods supplier. Talk to your friends and neighbors about where they get their food. Plant a vegetable garden. Forage for edible plants within your city. Many of these activities take only time, a nominal amount of money, and the willingness to get out of your car and go exploring.
Now there are a few practical considerations to keep in mind; the third step, if you're keeping count. No one wants to walk 10 blocks home with heavy plastic shopping bags digging into their fingers. Learn to take only what you can comfortably carry. One good way to measure this is to leave the shopping cart behind and only carry a shopping basket. If you can carry all your items in the store, you can likely carry them home. Moreover, invest in good, sturdy grocery bags or, better yet, a small grocery trolley. Mine, costing around $35, is essentially a large bag attached to a wheeled metal frame. It is light enough to lift with one hand even when full (which makes managing the buses far easier) and is sturdy enough to force up stairs or curbs with a sharp tug. And, seriously, leave your car at home, it is a convenience crutch that will cause you to miss some of the best stuff worth eating.
And now for my own suppliers/resources (by no means an extensive list):
Pike Place Market
Seattle, WA
- Ok, I honestly feel a bit self-conscious putting this down since the market has become such a Food Channel Mecca. There is hardly a Saturday in the Summer where you can escape being bashed in the heels by some inattentive Mother's overloaded stroller or halted mid-stride by the tourist-who-had-to-stop-right-in-front-of-you-now for that eye-level shiny thing. Regardless of the patina of tourist kitsch, there is a I'm-a-local-buying-my-groceries-for-dinner-tonight market distinct from the I'm-taking-pictures-of-the-guys-throwing-fish market and, once you know how to find the former (avoid the cameras, enter and exit through the small side doors so as to avoid crowds, etc.), the experience is quite rewarding and tasty. In fact, many of the shops listed below are either only located in Pike Place or have a shop in the market.
Market Spice
85A Pike Place
Seattle, WA 98101
206-622-6344
- Bulk spices, teas, coffees and supplies. Buy in bulk and get fresher spices for pennies on what you'd pay in the grocery store.
Remedy Teas
345 15th Avenue East
Seattle, WA 98112
(206) 323-4832
www.remedyteas.com
- Oh, my word, if I was on Capitol Hill, I would spend a fortune in this place! One of the most delightful places to relax with a cup of tea and, with 150 loose leaf organic teas, your most difficult choice is deciding which varieties to take home.
Vital T Leaf LLC
2003 Western Avenue, Ste 109
Seattle, WA 98121-2151
(206) 441-7476
www.vitaltleaf.com
- I discovered Vital T Leaf through their free tea tastings. Although their prices are a bit spendy, the tea is exceptionally high quality and the tea tasting a delightful olfactory and taste experience.
Buck's Culinary Exotica
209 5th Avenue SE
Olympia, WA 98501
360-352-9301
http://culinaryexotica.com/index.html
- This is one of my all time favorite spice shops. The shop itself is small and crowded but has just about any spice that you can imagine. If, somehow, the spice you are looking for is not one of the 400 some they have on stock; the proprietor will do whatever it takes to find it, even if you only need a small amount. In addition to spices, you will find an odd but exciting assortment of cooking tools (this is where my rather garish bright yellow Thai spice grinder came from - to this day one of my favorite tools)
Big John's PFI (Pacific Food Importers)
1001 Sixth Avenue South, Level B
Seattle, WA 98134
ph: 206 682-2022
www.bigjohnspfiseattle.com/
- This is pretty much where I buy all my bulk foods and one of the few places I would recommend bringing the car. From bulk spices to grains to beans and legumes to Mediterranean specialty foods - this place has it all. Most notably, PFI has one of the best bulk cheese and olive counters I have encountered in the city (and one of the few places you have your choice of several varieties of feta).
DeLaurenti Specialty Food & Wine
1435 1st Ave
Seattle, WA 98101
Phone: 206-622-0141
http://www.delaurenti.com
- Now, this Italian market is a bit expensive but the food is really quite exquisite.
Sosio's Fruit & Produce
Pike Place Market
(206) 622-1370
- I sampled quite a few of the produce stands in Pike Place Market when I was living in Belltown but Sosio's was my favorite in terms of consistency of produce, expertise of staff and ease of shopping.
Sotto Voce
211 - 171st St. So
Spanaway, WA 98387
253.539.0730
http://www.sottovoce.com
- Purveyors of flavored olive oils and vinegars.
Uli's Famous Sausage
Pike Place Market
206-838-1712
http://www.ulisfamoussausage.com
- One link of the anduille sausage spices an entire pot of gumbo. Need I say more?
Samish Bay Cheese/Rootabaga Country Farm
Roger & Suzanne Wechsler
15115 Bow Hill Road
P.O. Box 202
Bow, WA 98232
(360) 766-6707
http://www.samishbaycheese.com
- I first found out about Samish Bay Cheese through Pike Place Market. Wow. Their Nettle, Cumin and Carraway Goudas are simply out of this world.
I'll be posting these bits and pieces over my live journal in the coming weeks. You, the internet audience, are welcome to read/comment/critique as you desire.
I love exploring new towns. Each and every has unique omnivoric delights for the adventurous and dedicated foodie. In Athens, I swooned over the peaches and oranges in the market on Xenokratos street. In Olympia, I delighted in the plethora of spices available at Bucks Culinary Exotica. Columbus, OH had its Turkish market (where I learned the difference between American, French, Greek, Egyptian and Bulgarian Fetas) and its phenomenal community co-op grocery. And here in Seattle, there is Theo Chocolate, PFI and the Market Spice, just to name a few.
The trick is finding these suppliers amid the morass of fast food disasters and prepackaged meals. The first and most important step is to wean yourself off the chain-store grocer. Yes, there is a place for Safeway or Fred Meyer but it is decidedly not in the produce aisle or the spice aisle or the meat section or, for that matter, any other section in the store. Sure, you will occasionally find your gems - the wine steward at the Capital Hill Safeway is stunning - but this sort of talent is rare and generally due to the existence of an over-qualified and dedicated individual, not anything essential to the corporation itself.
The second step, is taking the time to stop and smell the rose water or, in other words, slow the f#&k down. Take the time to walk around your neighborhood and then walk around the neighboring neighborhood - who's selling what and where. Learn when your local farmers market is open and go. Find a local ethnic market, a local baker, a local butcher a bulk foods supplier. Talk to your friends and neighbors about where they get their food. Plant a vegetable garden. Forage for edible plants within your city. Many of these activities take only time, a nominal amount of money, and the willingness to get out of your car and go exploring.
Now there are a few practical considerations to keep in mind; the third step, if you're keeping count. No one wants to walk 10 blocks home with heavy plastic shopping bags digging into their fingers. Learn to take only what you can comfortably carry. One good way to measure this is to leave the shopping cart behind and only carry a shopping basket. If you can carry all your items in the store, you can likely carry them home. Moreover, invest in good, sturdy grocery bags or, better yet, a small grocery trolley. Mine, costing around $35, is essentially a large bag attached to a wheeled metal frame. It is light enough to lift with one hand even when full (which makes managing the buses far easier) and is sturdy enough to force up stairs or curbs with a sharp tug. And, seriously, leave your car at home, it is a convenience crutch that will cause you to miss some of the best stuff worth eating.
And now for my own suppliers/resources (by no means an extensive list):
Pike Place Market
Seattle, WA
- Ok, I honestly feel a bit self-conscious putting this down since the market has become such a Food Channel Mecca. There is hardly a Saturday in the Summer where you can escape being bashed in the heels by some inattentive Mother's overloaded stroller or halted mid-stride by the tourist-who-had-to-stop-right-in-front-of-you-now for that eye-level shiny thing. Regardless of the patina of tourist kitsch, there is a I'm-a-local-buying-my-groceries-for-dinner-tonight market distinct from the I'm-taking-pictures-of-the-guys-throwing-fish market and, once you know how to find the former (avoid the cameras, enter and exit through the small side doors so as to avoid crowds, etc.), the experience is quite rewarding and tasty. In fact, many of the shops listed below are either only located in Pike Place or have a shop in the market.
Market Spice
85A Pike Place
Seattle, WA 98101
206-622-6344
- Bulk spices, teas, coffees and supplies. Buy in bulk and get fresher spices for pennies on what you'd pay in the grocery store.
Remedy Teas
345 15th Avenue East
Seattle, WA 98112
(206) 323-4832
www.remedyteas.com
- Oh, my word, if I was on Capitol Hill, I would spend a fortune in this place! One of the most delightful places to relax with a cup of tea and, with 150 loose leaf organic teas, your most difficult choice is deciding which varieties to take home.
Vital T Leaf LLC
2003 Western Avenue, Ste 109
Seattle, WA 98121-2151
(206) 441-7476
www.vitaltleaf.com
- I discovered Vital T Leaf through their free tea tastings. Although their prices are a bit spendy, the tea is exceptionally high quality and the tea tasting a delightful olfactory and taste experience.
Buck's Culinary Exotica
209 5th Avenue SE
Olympia, WA 98501
360-352-9301
http://culinaryexotica.com/index.html
- This is one of my all time favorite spice shops. The shop itself is small and crowded but has just about any spice that you can imagine. If, somehow, the spice you are looking for is not one of the 400 some they have on stock; the proprietor will do whatever it takes to find it, even if you only need a small amount. In addition to spices, you will find an odd but exciting assortment of cooking tools (this is where my rather garish bright yellow Thai spice grinder came from - to this day one of my favorite tools)
Big John's PFI (Pacific Food Importers)
1001 Sixth Avenue South, Level B
Seattle, WA 98134
ph: 206 682-2022
www.bigjohnspfiseattle.com/
- This is pretty much where I buy all my bulk foods and one of the few places I would recommend bringing the car. From bulk spices to grains to beans and legumes to Mediterranean specialty foods - this place has it all. Most notably, PFI has one of the best bulk cheese and olive counters I have encountered in the city (and one of the few places you have your choice of several varieties of feta).
DeLaurenti Specialty Food & Wine
1435 1st Ave
Seattle, WA 98101
Phone: 206-622-0141
http://www.delaurenti.com
- Now, this Italian market is a bit expensive but the food is really quite exquisite.
Sosio's Fruit & Produce
Pike Place Market
(206) 622-1370
- I sampled quite a few of the produce stands in Pike Place Market when I was living in Belltown but Sosio's was my favorite in terms of consistency of produce, expertise of staff and ease of shopping.
Sotto Voce
211 - 171st St. So
Spanaway, WA 98387
253.539.0730
http://www.sottovoce.com
- Purveyors of flavored olive oils and vinegars.
Uli's Famous Sausage
Pike Place Market
206-838-1712
http://www.ulisfamoussausage.com
- One link of the anduille sausage spices an entire pot of gumbo. Need I say more?
Samish Bay Cheese/Rootabaga Country Farm
Roger & Suzanne Wechsler
15115 Bow Hill Road
P.O. Box 202
Bow, WA 98232
(360) 766-6707
http://www.samishbaycheese.com
- I first found out about Samish Bay Cheese through Pike Place Market. Wow. Their Nettle, Cumin and Carraway Goudas are simply out of this world.