Odd foods -- I look for ethnic grocery stores. Around here, in Galena we have a Mexican grocer (very small) and in Dubuque a Vietnamese couple run a grocery that is pan-Asian AND Mexican. But I live for trips to Madison, where there is everything. Next time we go, I'll look up and find out if there's a middle eastern grocer. My mom loves to come shopping with me, even on her own turf, because I can sniff out these places. It amazes me sometimes that I know a lot of women who are afraid to go into these places. They don't speak the language (like I do ... haha) or are afraid of buying something they don't like. There are just two of us, so I don't go a lot, but enough that owners know us. In this case the Vietnamese man will sometimes ask what I'm making with what I'm buying. I usually just have a general idea. I'm buying just to see what it tastes like. But if I have an idea of what I'm doing, he'll guide me to a better product for that purpose, or an additional one (no dummy him) that'll make it better. Anyway these will be chili pastes, sauces, different kinds of noodles (rice and bean paste noodles are cheaper than in the grocery store, and soba and other noodles simply aren't available at our local grocery), spices, especially curry blends, canned or frozen veggies that are unavailable elswhere (yes, I can buy canned lychees there). Meanwhile his wife is cooking up Thai and Vietnamese foods in the little restaurant attached, and we can't miss that. Most Asian grocers I've found are Korean or Vietnamese, sometimes Thai, and my husband was stationed all three places BC, and can say hello and goodbye, which does really help, but no one should be afraid to try, it's really fun.
2 different kinds of bananas.
