August 27, 2008

  • Filipino Grocery Stores

    We've been really watching how we eat and the exercise, especially because my husband
    came back from his cardiology checkup.  He visited his
    cardiologist, and the doc's feedback didn't sound very good.  He's trying to downplay it, but I'm not down with that.  It scares me.  So we're making even more changes to our eating habits.  Veggies, veggies, veggies!

    Fresh produce makes such a huge difference in your cooking.  You don't have to add too much salt to bring out the flavor if the veggies and meat if everything you use is fresh.  It's even more ideal if you can train your tastebuds to eat foods by it.  This is a such challenge, but I'm slowly weening myself off the stuff that makes the food absolutely delicious.  Cutting down salt and grease makes me feel like a chain smoker trying to quit a lifelong habit of smoking.  The only way to enjoy veggies is to eat them at their peak stage of freshness.

    Off I went food shopping after visiting the chiropractor, who also reminded me about staying healthy.

    I judge the Asian markets, not by how cheap the cans of Ligo Sardines
    and Libby's Corned Beef are sold, but by how fresh and cheap their
    produce is.  The veggies in our household cooking are a bigger highlight than the meats, especially now that the cardiologist is on Erwil's case.

    So for the first time, I went to a Filipino grocery store in the neighborhood which I shall
    keep nameless.  It was one of the "closer" Filipino food stores in this
    town of BP mentioned by a couple folks.  So I went there for a just for quick stop to grab some veggies.  I
    never had such a scary experience.  The place reeked of fish.  But
    that's totally a given, whenever you walk into an Asian market that
    sells fresh seafood.  Then again, I should have known better to walk out
    of it upon a smelly entrance.

    The worst thing about this Filipino food store was the produce section. 
    Hey, I have high expectations!  Unfortunately, I can't always afford the produce
    at Trader Joe's, Henry's or Whole Foods.  I only had $10 in my wallet.  That would only get me very little at one of those organic markets.

    The plan was foolproof: find onions and other few veggies.  I was looking for onions.  Alas, not a single onion was fresh.  The layers were soft and and the paper thin layer of the onions were gone.  Naked onions, I tell you! Obviously, you can tell they've been slowly rotting there for days, since the fruit flies were swarming on them. 

    The bananas were trying their best to look tropical, but all I saw was large black spots.  It looked more like a cheetah than Chiquitah bananas! 

    The cabbages and string beans were dry, not water crisp. 

    It was such a severe disaster!  That store needs help.  I lost my appetite.  I am almost discouraged to shop around this Cerritos area. 

    I think I'm sticking with Carson Filipino stores, since it's most familiar to me.  Heck yah, I'll pay for the extra gas if it means that I can avoid a night of severe flatulence and heartburn.