Grocery hunting in downtown Guelph

[vaneramos]

What downtown Guelph lacks (a supermarket), it makes up for in diversity. One only needs to slow down, root around. I consider it a scavenger hunt. I left home at 10:30 with an obscure grocery list and returned two hours later with everything on it, plus a few guilty pleasures.

West End Bakery: a dozen brandy snap cookies.

The small grocer where Sylvie works: beef liver, seedless red grapes, nappa, shiitake mushrooms, Swiss water decaffeinated coffee, ginger root, green onions, angel food cake. Sylvie emerged and greeted me with bread dough on her hands and white flour in her black hair, on her glasses.

The Stone Store (health food): mango nectar, blueberry almond muesli.

The Flour Barrel (bulk food): mixed dried fruit, macadamia nuts, sesame sticks, rice nuts (a slightly sweet, puffy, crunchy snack).

LCBO: spiced rum.

Asian grocer: dried shrimp, a jar each of coconut gel and pineapple gel, rice vinegar, coconut milk, longan in syrup.

I can pick up milk and cream across the street later.

Tonight is the Rainbow Chorus's last monthly dance of the season. balunbustingbea and detailbear will be here for dinner. The menu:

• chicken curry


• braised nappa with shiitake mushrooms


• jasmine rice


• tropical tiramisu

Comments

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

This shopping trip was a little unusual for me; I suppose that's why I blogged about it. I have a tendency to be lazy when cooking for myself. But one good thing about not having a car is I must shop smart. Produce tends to take priority over cans and convenience foods. And if I have to scour downtown looking for odd things like mango nectar and coconut milk (even peanut butter is hard to find), I might as well get creative and make it worth the trip.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

It's part of living in the present, which I'm good at—sometimes! I hope we can shop together one day, bring home various oddments, and cook up a storm.

[detailbear.livejournal.com]

Dinner was lovely. The company was great. Thank you.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I had a fun evening. I hope you enjoyed yourself. You seemed a little out of sorts. Let me know if you need to touch base.

[detailbear.livejournal.com]

E-mailing you.