Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

No one could have predicted…

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

“Loving your country does not mean lying about it’s history.”

Shut up, hissy kitty!

Imperialist aggressors must be defeated, or the whole world loses.

Consistently wrong since 2002

Jesus, Mary, & Joseph how is that election even close?

Republicans do not pay their debts.

The republican speaker is a slippery little devil.

We’re not going back!

If you’re pissed about Biden’s speech, he was talking about you.

Russia bombs Ukraine’s maternity hospitals; Republicans in the House can’t sort out supporting Ukraine.

I’m pretty sure there’s only one Jack Smith.

Thanks to your bullshit, we are now under siege.

Ah, the different things are different argument.

There are consequences to being an arrogant, sullen prick.

A thin legal pretext to veneer over their personal religious and political desires.

The media handbook says “controversial” is the most negative description that can be used for a Republican.

Oh FFS you might as well trust a 6-year-old with a flamethrower.

This blog will pay for itself.

Not so fun when the rabbit gets the gun, is it?

When do we start airlifting the women and children out of Texas?

The Supreme Court cannot be allowed to become the ultimate, unaccountable arbiter of everything.

Just because you believe it, that doesn’t make it true.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / I Remembered What I Wanted to Talk About

I Remembered What I Wanted to Talk About

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I found the best grocery store in the area- WinCo! Sprouts/Trader Joe’s/Whole Foods are just too upscale to be sustainable longterm, and that basically leaves you with Fry’s, Wally World, and local places asian/middle eastern markets to buy your staples. And as far as savings go, winco is the clear winner.

And it is employee owned. It’s big, but no flashy bullshit like the fancy stores. No one running around fucking with you asking if you need help. Kind of like an American Aldi’s. Very happy to have “discovered” it. Limes were 25 cents!!! Red bell peppers 75 cents!! And it was clean and there was a wide, wide variety of items. And the prices on their private label stuff were great, too.

I also liked their massive bulk section- all the grains and nuts and legumes and flours and seeds and dried goods, and they had the big bulk wall of coffee which sorta seemed to disappear in the mid 2000’s but I always loved- 7.98 a lb for a light roast tanzanian peaberry. I mean who doesn’t love going to an upscale coffee grinder and buy something ridiculously overpriced and then fool yourself into somehow thinking it tastes better. The reality is it really doesn’t unless you have a very serious provider, and for most Americans who manage to drink their coffee both too weak and overroasted, you could have grown the bean anywhere and they wouldn’t notice.

Chock full O’ Nuts- that’s a brand I recall fondly. That and eight o’clock coffee are very serviceable fucking coffees and premium at the price. I remember drinking that fondly for years.

***

We were supposed to go out tonight to see some music but I was not feeling it and knowing what I am all about, I asked Joelle if she would like a margarita knowing full well she would, so I squozed some limes and made a mix and freshened up the guac before picking her up. Got her home, got some food and booze in her, and she was this close to calling it but not there yet so I sealed the deal by asking “I think I’m in the mood for a cookie you want me to bake some cookies” and I knew then and there I was not going to have to put my shoes and socks back on and go out into the world. The cookies turned out terribly- I didn’t add enough sugar or butter.

Joelle says she thinks I have lost weight but I am only a lb or so lighter than the last time I weighed myself a week ago, so maybe she’s just grown used to being around a fat man all the time and lost perspective. I did mention that I felt like my head was a little smaller and she nodded in agreement while sizing up my melon and said that she thought so to. I guess she thought I might be getting a little too pleased with myself so she quickly added “It’s still gigantic. Your head. It’s still massive. But a little smaller than it was.”

***

This is the greatest website in the world. Bookmark it. Then, every time you try to find a recipe online and it is pages and pages of bullshit, just copy the url, go to that website, paste the url, and it strips out all the bullshit. I love it. I know there are extensions and scripts you can do, but this is easy enough for EVERYONE to use.

I’ve been watching a lot of cooking videos lately, and I have to say that of all of the people I watch regularly, Jacques Pepin and Matty Matheson are two of my favorites for how simple and accessible and easy to remember everything they do is. They are wildly different, but have a lot more in common than you would realize at first glance.

I like how casual and effortless and completely fearless they are- “ehh, a little bit of this, some of that.” Pepin is notorious for it- you just watch him open a fridge for one thing and he’s like “oh look here a half a leek we can throw this in.” And Pepin does everything with what looks like a 4.99 paring knife from evilcorp.

At any rate, it is 8 pm so I am getting ready for bed. Maybe a little tv. Busy day tomorrow.

Reader Interactions

106Comments

  2. 2.

    Ken

    Then, every time you try to find a recipe online and it is pages and pages of bullshit

    Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal’s verdict on such sites.

  3. 3.

    Scout211

    Every recipe I find online has a “jump to recipe” button you can click and then all you see the recipe. I do that every time. It seems simpler than pasting the url into another website. But that’s just me,I guess.

    I’ve shopped at Winco before.  I didn’t know it was employee-owned. I guess I thought it was just another discount grocery store chain.  That’s good to know.

  4. 4.

    karen marie

    I almost went to Winco one day when I was out and about but after my third stop, I’d had enough and went home.  It’s still in my GPS, I think.  Now that John Cole has endorsed it, I’ll have to go.

    If you want good fruit and veg for cheap, I recommend the Superstition Ranch Market.  I go to the one in Mesa.  I don’t know where Apache Junction is but that may be closer for you?  The selection varies depending on what’s available.  I love it because it’s cheaper than the chain groceries and is what I would consider an actual “small business.”

    PS:  No dissing Trader Joe’s where you can buy a package of goat cheese that’s an ounce bigger than the regular grocery and a dollar cheaper.

  5. 5.

    eldorado

    their house brand is really good for a lot of basic cleaning and supplies, at least in the stores a few states over from you

  6. 6.

    TBone

    Those two chefs (who I also revere) couldn’t be more juxtaposed as people.  They are both shining stars, both wonderful teachers, each in his own way.  Such style!  I’m watching New Scandinavian Cooking at the moment.

  7. 7.

    Alison Rose

    My mom watched a lot of cooking shows when I was growing up, and Pepin was a regular. We also loved Martin Yan, who just seemed the nicest dude ever. Hopefully he’s not secretly a jackass.

  9. 9.

    The Kropenhagen Interpretation

    @OP: No one running around fucking with you asking if you need help.

    To clarify, if you’re confidently browsing the store, I mind my business.  If you look lost, I have a responsibility…

  10. 10.

    Steve in the ATL

    Got her home, got some … booze in her, and she was this close to calling it but not there yet so I sealed the deal

    And Balloon Juice After Dark starts 20 minutes early!

  11. 11.

    Sister Golden Bear

    I knew then and there I was not going to have to put my shoes and socks back on and go out into the world.

    The thing about nefarious plans is you’re not supposed to share them where Joelle can read them.

    Oh, and you’ll have to pry my fancy coffee beans (from a local speciality roaster) from my cold dead hands. I drink it black and strong, so beans make a difference for me. The coffee house is Venezuelan, so in theory that’s where their beans are from. But they’re much more flavorful than your usual South Americans coffee, and is full and rich, but smooth. Most like an aged Sumatran.

  12. 12.

    dmsilev

    I use an app on my phone/tablet (AnyList) that does basically the same thing and builds a nice collection of recipes so you have everything in one place. I’ve heard good things about a similar app, Paprika, as well, but haven’t tried it myself.

  13. 13.

    Joelle

    @Sister Golden Bear: I was 3 steps ahead the whole time.  Ply me with fresh squeezed margaritas why don’t you?  Shrimp fajitas?  Guac?  More margaritas?  The faint promise of nookie?  Do your worst Mr.Cole.

  14. 14.

    Steve in the ATL

    @Sister Golden Bear: I went to college a lacrosse ball throw from West Virginia and this is giving me flashbacks
     

    I knew then and there I was not going to have to put my shoes and socks back on

  15. 15.

    Steve in the ATL

    @Joelle: you two could not be more perfect for each, says a guy who has been married for 30 years, all of which he has been madly in love with his wife

  18. 18.

    HumboldtBlue

    I admit, I reacted the same damn way when I discovered Winco. I was there yesterday.

    I don’t drink coffee anymore. I stopped when the social distancing went into effect, haven’t had any coffee since. Coffee was a staple, at least two to three cups before noon. Now, nuffin.

  20. 20.

    Doc Sardonic

    @Joelle: Well my sinuses won’t work for a while now, required a Herculean effort not to spray paint the cat and the iPad with 100 proof. That burns, but better that, than trying to clean a freaked out cat

  21. 21.

    JaneE

    WinCo is employee owned.  The employees collectively own the stock of WinCo or something like that.  Part of their pay goes to buy company stock, and that vests after 6 years.  Pride of ownership and all that.

  22. 22.

    Brachiator

    and I have to say that of all of the people I watch regularly, Jacques Pepin and Matty Matheson are two of my favorites for how simple and accessible and easy to remember everything they do is.

    I had to check, and Pepin is 88 years old. Years ago I bought a couple of his cookbooks for my sister and some friends. I always liked how clearly he explained and demonstrated what he was doing, and also liked his selection of meals.

  26. 26.

    Jackie

    John Cole, been a Winco shopper for years! AFTER they finally allowed Debit Cards. I LOVE their deli (they actually have medium rare roast beef that bleeds in the deli bag!) and their prices overall. I also shop Walmart, and am savvy to which store carries the best prices overall.

    Screw Fred Meyer, Safeway, Aldi, et al!

  27. 27.

    sxjames

    @Sister Golden Bear:  Glad to know that I’m not the only varietal coffee bean connoisseur.  I prefer Sumatran  (dark roast) but my favorite was Starbucks Ethiopian Sidamo – unfortunately I can’t seem to get it anymore (supplier no longer exists?).

    FWIW, Winco is local to the Portland Oregon area.  Been shopping there ever since I arrived in Beaverton…30 years or so.

  28. 28.

    frosty

    @JaneE: The company I retired from was employee owned. We got stock shares based on our salaries every year snd there was a valuation based on financials and the market price of similar companies. I didn’t pay much attention when I took the job but the ESOP shares blew away my 401K when I left

    It’s the best form of ownership and it gives the employees a real incentive to make everything work well and make money. Not like putting money in the pockets of family owners, partners, or shareholders.

  29. 29.

    CaseyL

    @Joelle:

    The faint promise of nookie

    Wow, I thought it was just the faint promise of cookies.

    Which, per John, didn’t turn out so well, so I’m glad there was a hint of more on the agenda.

    And, honestly, after margaritas and fajitas, I’d be more interested in sitting around in a happy glaze than going out, too.  Nookie or not.

    You and John are a perfect couple.

  30. 30.

    Super Dave

    Winco is the grocery equivalent of Costco. They pay their employees well, treat them like human beings, and still manage to keep their prices low, while carrying quality goods.

  32. 32.

    HumboldtBlue

    Come guess me this riddle
    what beats pipe and fiddle
    What’s hotter than mustard
    And milder than cream
    What best wets your whistle
    What’s clearer than crystal
    Sweeter than honey and stronger than steam

    What can make the dumb talk
    What can make the lame walk
    What’s the elixir of life and philosophers stone
    And what helped Mr. Brunnell to dig the Thames Tunnel
    Sure wasn’t it whiskey from ould Inisowen

    So stick to the cratur’ the best thing in nature
    For sinking your sorrows and raising your joys
    And boys I’d half wonder if lightning and thunder
    Was made from the plunder of whiskey me boys

  33. 33.

    Jackie

    O/T but worth the read. Be sure to click on the imbedded CBS video to get the full scope. Well worth it – definitely must watch!

    A defense attorney in one of the January 6 cases raged against the “double standard” being given to former President Donald Trump as his supporters take the fall for what he incited them to do at the U.S. Capitol, reported CBS News’ Scott MacFarlane on Friday.

    This complaint, he noted, came down just minutes before Judge Tanya Chutkan suspended Trump’s criminal trial date in the D.C. case, due to the ongoing delay in the Court of Appeals ruling on whether Trump has immunity from prosecution.

    “I’m not sure if this is your experience too, but I find it very noticeable how frustrated people can get, all of us can get, when they think they’re the victim of a double standard, and somebody gets better or disparate treatment for the same thing,” said MacFarlane in a video posted to X. “It is human nature to be frustrated by double standards.”

    This raises the question, he continued: “How do you think some of the January 6 defendants feel watching Donald Trump’s election conspiracy trial date get erased off the calendar? Postponed indefinitely, potentially toward, if not beyond, the November 2024 election. Well we got a little sample of the feelings of that double standard today in court in one very low-level January 6 case. The case of Ralph Kahler, who was arrested along with his wife within weeks of Trump being charged in the election subversion case. Misdemeanor case, really low level, unlawful picketing and parading.”

    The Kahlers, who according to MacFarlane spent less than three minutes in the Capitol, didn’t touch anything, didn’t plan on being violent, showed remorse at sentencing, and got a years’ probation and a short, low-level house arrest. This earned an indignant defense from their attorney. “She said her client, Ralph Kahler, was humiliated by the arrest last July, that in her words, 30 agents came to the neighborhood, shackled Kahler in front of his neighborhood, and that it was deeply embarrassing.”

    By contrast, she noted, the “person responsible” got to be escorted in a motorcade invisibly to the courthouse.

    NOT that I feel sorry for them, but it’s a great case of the little people vs the so called billionaire.

  34. 34.

    StringOnAStick

    J. Pepin ‘s sundried tomatoes, black olive tapenade on Cod is a regular in our house and for serving to friends.

  35. 35.

    Bupalos

    A bell pepper for $.75 means something is wrong. It was picked by a slave or grown in nuclear waste or something. People always gravitating to cheap is why food production is a disaster. Especially meat.

  39. 39.

    Villago Delenda Est

    We’ve got three WinCos in the greater Tracktown/Springtucky metropolitan area here in OR.  My go-to place for a lot of grocery shopping.

  43. 43.

    Jackie

    @Steve in the ATL: Well how about this?

    Politico: “A remarkable run of good economic news has tripped up the Trump campaign’s initial plans to paint President Joe Biden as a disaster on the economy. Now, the GOP frontrunner is grasping for new ways to attack the administration’s increasingly robust record.”

  45. 45.

    Doc Sardonic

    @Joelle: Yes…..Bottled in Bond Kentucky Bourbon, that wonderful spirit with notes of vanilla, citrus, with a touch of kerosene.

  50. 50.

    mrmoshpotato

    This is the greatest website in the world. Bookmark it. Then, every time you try to find a recipe online and it is pages and pages of bullshit, just copy the url, go to that website, paste the url, and it strips out all the bullshit. I love it.

    Awesome!  I don’t need all the blah blah blah history about the recipe or how it’s your family’s favorite – I don’t care!  Just gimme the damn recipe so I can slap my innards with it and decide if it TOTALLY SLAPS!

  62. 62.

    SWMBO

    @Leto: ​ Yes! Also, “we gonna add a little butter here friends. Who doesn’t like butter?”​
     
    mrmoshpotato @ 59 Yes! I discovered Glen back during the pandemic. He teaches a method more than a recipe and shows you how to change it up for your own individual tastes.

  63. 63.

    JWR

    My biggest gripe with Trader Joe’s is the number of times something I really like is discontinued, most recently the unsalted peanut butter filled pretzel nuggets, which were great for munching during “Thursday Night Noir” on the Movies! channel. They still have the salted variety, but those things leave a nasty aftertaste.

    BTW, I’m watching Frontline2’s “Democracy On Trial”. Gripping stuff.

  65. 65.

    wjca

    @SWMBO: Also, “we gonna add a little butter here friends. Who doesn’t like butter?”​

    Especially if it’s garlic butter.  You can never have too much garlic.  It’s why pesto pizza is superior to the usual marinara puzza.

  66. 66.

    Leto

    @SWMBO: ​ his mantra on butter mirrors mine: If your friends don’t like butter, are they really your friends?

    Also the way he measures ingredients? Perfection!

  67. 67.

    BethanyAnne

    @dmsilev: I love Paprika. I bought it on sale during Black Friday. I have it on ipad, iphone, and my Mac. I think that worked out to buying 2 licenses – 1 for MacOS, and 1 for both mobile apps.

    Anyway, it shares my recipes with all 3 devices. It will grab a recipe from a site if you give it the URL. It’ll change the quantities so if you want to double a recipe, it’ll do that. And I think it has a bunch more features I never use. Been using it for 4 years now, and I’ve been very happy with the purchase.

  68. 68.

    Steeplejack

    @JWR:

    😹 “Seasonal.” I have a regular Saturday run to pick up my Trader Joe’s friend and get dinner or takeout somewhere. I have a few standard items that she gets for me, and she suggests or points me to other things. It has become a running joke that I’ll get hooked on something and then it gets discontinued—goes “out of season,” wink, wink, nudge, nudge. No rhyme or reason, even if it’s something that’s not “seasonal.” Drives me crazy sometimes. The latest was an apple-cranberry tart that had great crust and wasn’t too sweet. I got hooked and then it disappeared.

  70. 70.

    mrmoshpotato

    @wjca:

    You can never have too much garlic. 

    I like garlic, but Aldi’s roasted garlic Alfredo sauce is offensively garlicky.

  72. 72.

    JWR

    @Steeplejack:

    I got hooked and then it disappeared.

    Yep, I hear you. It’s a running joke between a friend and I that it’s a guessing game as to whether or not we’ll find what we want at TJ’s. It’s maddening.

  77. 77.

    Steeplejack

    @JWR:

    I’m not a big coffee drinker—one cup a day maybe four or five days a week—and after laborious research I determined that Trader Joe’s instant coffee in the jar (link for illustrative purposes only) is actually pretty good coffee and spares me having some device taking up counter space. Even that got mysteriously discontinued for about six months and then mysteriously reappeared a month or so ago. WTF?

    One good thing that came out of that hiatus is that I determined that Café Altura instant coffee is a good alternative.

  78. 78.

    Cathie from Canada

    So I looked up these chefs, and found out that Matty Matheson is a Canadian chef and restaurant owner who is also in The Bear!  He is in one of the few non-chef roles in the series — he plays Neil Fak the handyman.  Wikipedia said he also advises the series on kitchen and chef issues.

    So thanks, John, for this tip – I will look up some of his recipes.

  79. 79.

    JWR

    @Steeplejack: Good instant coffee? Hmm, maybe I’ll give it a try. As far as counter space, I just use one of those Melita tops, (the carafe broke years ago), and brew it one cup at a time. Thanks for the tip!

  80. 80.

    cain

    @Jackie: you can only pay with cash or debit here at WinCo.

    I shop there all the time. But I love shopping at Trader Joe’s. Cheapest place to get good cheese! And interesting knick knacks. People al generally feel happy to be there.

  81. 81.

    Steeplejack

    @JWR:

    It’s not just counter space, it’s mental space. I used to use a French press, but one day I realized I just wasn’t that invested. I didn’t even start drinking coffee regularly until I was about 30. So now it’s 3-4 minutes to heat the water in the microwave and that’s it. I do insist on real cream in my coffee.

  82. 82.

    Brachiator

    To go along with coffee, how about some grilled cheese? Kraft is introducing three new cheese flavors. Here’s one of them.

    I am almost entirely convinced that every savory dish tastes even better with garlic and herbs, and Garlic & Herb Kraft Singles only further proved me right. It made for a rich and creamy grilled cheese with a punch of garlic — and, honestly, what’s not to love about that?

  83. 83.

    NotMax

    Jackals of a certain age will remember Graham Kerr, the Galloping Gourmet. Who, the intertoobz inform me, just turned 90 on January 22nd.

  85. 85.

    Brachiator

    @NotMax:

    Jackals of a certain age will remember Graham Kerr, the Galloping Gourmet. Who, the intertoobz inform me, just turned 90 on January 22nd.

    At age 90 he might be more a Cantering Caterer.

  89. 89.

    Steeplejack

    @NotMax:

    I say again, the TJ’s instant coffee is pretty good. You can make it as strong as you want, and it’s better than what I get from McDonald’s or Dunkin. (Haven’t set foot in a Starbucks in years.) And I’ve used it occasionally in a recipe.

  90. 90.

    Brachiator

    @Steeplejack:

    I say again, the TJ’s instant coffee is pretty good.

    Never had it before, but I think I might try it. These days I sometimes just want a fast cup of coffee.

  91. 91.

    Princess

    Dead thread but watching Graham Kerr when I was four is what got me into cooking.

    And what I hate most about Trader Joe’s and Aldi is that they’re trying to get the courts to say the NLRB is unconstitutional, something this SCOTUS will probably happily agree with.

  92. 92.

    Elizabelle

    @Steeplejack:

    So now it’s 3-4 minutes to heat the water in the microwave and that’s it.

    Sacre bleu!  You and the British Embassy, making their tea the proper way.  (The story about salt in tea.)

    I just got a Bodum gooseneck electric tea kettle from Target, just $32, and LOVE LOVE LOVE it.  So fast, great for coffee, and I am drinking more tea now, too.  It turns itself off when water is boiling, so no running downstairs for the whistling teakettle.

    Saw it at a friend’s house and decided, yes, I could use that.

  95. 95.

    xjmuellerlurks

    Cole, you genius.  Thanks for that “just the recipe” link.  It’s miraculous!  I hate scrolling through worthless narrative and advertising just to find the ingredient list and basic cooking instructions.  It’s not so bad on my laptop, but fer crynoutloud it really sucks on a phone.

  100. 100.

    kindness

    I buy high end meat at Winco.  You can always get trimmed tri tip for $6/7 a lb, full fillet roasts for $10 or $12 a lb.  Staples like boxed and canned stuff is cheaper too.  Their produce isn’t as fresh as the local supermarket so I get that elsewhere.

  102. 102.

    Big Fly

    @Super Dave:

    I’ve shopped Winco a few times, but wasn’t much impressed. I haven’t seen one where I now live, so I may check one out, if here.

    BUT, to pollute the punchbowl (sorry!), Winco has, over the years, been sued by employees (owners?) for various actions as wage theft, discrimination, etc. Sometimes Winco wins; sometimes Winco loses. It seems odd behavior for an “employee-owned” company.

  103. 103.

    Ruckus

    John

    Sprouts and Whole Foods might not do well in the hinterland but here in population central, ie Los Angeles County, they seem to do quite well. Maybe having almost 10 million residents in 4753 sq miles is a bit much but it is a larger population than 40 states. And with that population in that area grocery stores do well. Sprouts and Whole foods always seem to have a reasonable number of customers every time I’ve been near or in one. Maybe not as much as the local supermarkets but they don’t seem to be hurting for customers. And there are 2 Sprouts near me which always have customers in line waiting to pay.

  105. 105.

    Jinchi

    @Jackie: ​
    Trump campaign’s initial plans to paint President Joe Biden as a disaster on the economy.

    I never get this framing. 40 million people had lost their jobs at the end of the Trump presidency and entire sectors of the economy were shuttered.

    There has been no bigger disaster on the American economy.

  106. 106.

    akita

    For all the dog lovers out there or if you are training your new best friend:  Winco bulk section barrel #2217 jerky strip dog treats (they look slim jims).  The dogs that are trainable learn quickly;  the dogs that will never learn think you are their supplier!

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