Unusual/limited ingredients...where do you shop?

[BAPyessir6]

Been there, done that - not with bibimbap, but with other stuff. Will that stop me from trying to make new stuff at home? Nope. I may only ever make it once, but it will be fun making it, even if it exhausts me and clean up takes longer than eating the food does.

Having that experience of making something that turns out to be more effort that I want to put in again, does give me a different appreciation for the food. If it is something I have had elsewhere and really liked, I will enjoy it even more when it is served to me, since I know the effort.

Ooooh yum. I got into a deep dive into Korean cooking and even got a Dolsot bowl (a stone bowl you can heat in the stove) to make crunchy rice-bottom bibimbap. So delicious! The bowl's a pain to clean though.

 

[Jade Emperor]

For my Asian ingredients, I have a website that has EVERYTHING. Thousands of products. It’s just one state away, so delivery is cheap. I also have a variety of decent local Asian grocery stores if needed.
If you don’t speak or read the language, it’s often daunting because it’s hard to get good consumer advice from the store worker. Google is your friend.

 

[BAPyessir6]

What website? I've used saywheeeee and asianfoodgrocer like once or twice but that's it.

 

[BAPyessir6]

For my Asian ingredients, I have a website that has EVERYTHING. Thousands of products. It’s just one state away, so delivery is cheap. I also have a variety of decent local Asian grocery stores if needed.
If you don’t speak or read the language, it’s often daunting because it’s hard to get good consumer advice from the store worker. Google is your friend.

Direct reply so I can figure out of I've heard of this website!

 

[Jade Emperor]

I can send you the link, but it is only delivered within Australia.

 

[Steve Kroll]

What website? I've used saywheeeee and asianfoodgrocer like once or twice but that's it.

You're in Prior Lake MN, which is not that far from me. Depending on what you are looking for there are a lot of Asian food stores in the Twin Cities I can recommend.

Google is your friend...

Asian

www.google.com

 

[BAPyessir6]

You're in Prior Lake MN, which is not that far from me. Depending on what you are looking for there are a lot of Asian food stores in the Twin Cities I can recommend.

Google is your friend...

Asian

www.google.com

Thank you! I've been to Asian direct and the Oriental market, which are like 1 miles from each other and both off highway 13. Love em!

 

[Jade Emperor]

The problem I am having, and there are a lot of posts like this:
The site is called “Discuss Cooking” - it’s what we do here.
The idea of posting your discussion is that you want to be involved in the process of answering.
If you have a few throwaway posts, and then exit the discussion, we are left with discussion between ourselves and I can’t see how that helps you??

 

[grumpyoldman]

maybe there needs to be something like a "beginners corner" for those that aren't familiar with all the seemly strange terminology, to the new ( and some of us older ) cooks, much can be confusing , and at times down right daunting just reading what some professional cooks post
sometimes it blows my mind the lengths that some cooks go to get fresh ingredients or to prepare a spice before use for example , roasting some spice for x number of minutes at x temp and then hand grinding it
when most new cooks would just find it in the market and use it straight out of the bottle/jar , the new cooks are left wondering if thats necessary or not
most new cooks simply aren't ready to tackle foods from around the world , not that i'm implying that there is anything wrong with that for well experienced cooks
i think what i am trying to say is don't drown them with more information than they can handle

 

[blissful]

In the 'good old days', we made jokes about the other cultures and their way of cooking, which is now not socially acceptable. (and I'm glad for it)
The attitude was US or THEM, now we want to know everyone and all different cultures.
We also didn't have such excellent communication about where to buy their foods or learn their recipes, now we do. The internet.
So time has shifted how we learn about others easily and we can be as adventurous as we want in finding new foods and combinations. It's been a generation of change.

We wanted to know for instance, how to cook Chinese back in the '80's, and I'd buy big pictured books on Chinese Cooking. All that has changed with the internet.
It's a change I'm thrilled with.

 

[caseydog]

maybe there needs to be something like a "beginners corner" for those that aren't familiar with all the seemly strange terminology, to the new ( and some of us older ) cooks, much can be confusing , and at times down right daunting just reading what some professional cooks post
sometimes it blows my mind the lengths that some cooks go to get fresh ingredients or to prepare a spice before use for example , roasting some spice for x number of minutes at x temp and then hand grinding it
when most new cooks would just find it in the market and use it straight out of the bottle/jar , the new cooks are left wondering if thats necessary or not
most new cooks simply aren't ready to tackle foods from around the world , not that i'm implying that there is anything wrong with that for well experienced cooks
i think what i am trying to say is don't drown them with more information than they can handle

The way we learn new things is to ask questions. If anyone here doesn't know what something is, just ask, "What is that?" I do it all the time, and so do most members, regardless of cooking experience.

We've had threads on how to properly hard boil an egg, and nobody looked down there nose at the member who asked.

My family heritage is Italian, and I grew up eating, and later cooking "immigrant Italian" foods. Thanks to members like Meryl, who lives in Italy, I'm constantly learning more about old-country Italian foods. Learning things like that is fun, for me.

As for making things instead of buying jars of it, I make my own chili powder, because it is way better in flavor. Plus, I can make a batch in less than 30 minutes, using a pan, a food processor, a cheap coffee grinder and a sieve. Cleanup takes five minutes. Just rinse and wipe everything.

CD

 

[dragnlaw]

If you read a recipe and it seems too complicated for you then maybe, just maybe, you are not ready for it, or it is a food stuff you are just not interested in. So don't do it. Nobody says you have to. Stick to the ones you are interested in.
I am, like someone else here mentioned once, that after 5 or 6 ingredients are listed - I lose interest and move on.
Some times, I think over a recipe many days and then get up and do it. Today's recipe I did, for example, has many ingredients, but was certainly not a difficult recipe, nor an exotic recipe. It was simply a Ham and Potato Casserole. Under normal circumstance I'm too tired to do something like that - but I did! Slow but steady the turtle in me did it.

I may not have an interest in trying to make a certain food, nor buy a bunch of foreign herbs and spices I will never use again. But it doesn't mean I'm not interested in reading about it.

 

[dragnlaw]

As for making things instead of buying jars of it,

I buy the jars!

 

[Jade Emperor]

I’m eternally grateful for the advice and support I have received here. And it’s not about the vigorous debate about pasta.
It’s about feeling like I’m a person who can communicate with others who share my interests.
I live with people who have no further passion for food than simply enjoying what they eat, which I make.
I became a chef because it was my calling - I was never going to be a football star or a rock star or a business mogul.
I just wanted to make good food for myself and others to enjoy.
I have never seen myself as Gordon Ramsay or anyone else like him. I just see myself as someone who is a continuous learner and this place is awesome for that.
Rather than being discouraged by the things that you see us discussing, please join in and ask your questions about anything.
The motto of this site is “friendliest place” and I have never seen it being anything else.
If you want to know anything about peas and potatoes, just ask-we are here for you.

 

[caseydog]

In the 'good old days', we made jokes about the other cultures and their way of cooking, which is now not socially acceptable. (and I'm glad for it)The attitude was US or THEM, now we want to know everyone and all different cultures.

I like trying new foods from around the world, but I'm not embarrassed to confess that I like some, and don't like others. Indian food is all the rage it seems, but my taste buds didn't get the memo. I like other Asian foods, specifically Chinese and Korean, but hate most Japanese foods. I've only dabbled with Thai flavors, so don't know enough to make a decision about that.

I do get annoyed when friends tell me, you just haven't had good Indian food, and they drag me to an Indian restaurant. I feel like Charlie Brown, and they are Lucy with a football. Same with sushi. C'mon Casey, I promise you'll like this...

CD

I wrote this post yesterday, and forgot to click "Reply."

 

[Andy M.]

If you don't like Indian food, no one should have an issue with that.

I was introduced to Indian food by two Indian neighbors. Love the stuff and learned a few dishes.

On the other hand, Mexican dishes are my least favorite. There are some I like and make but all in all, it's my least favorite of the major ethnic foods popular these days.

 

[caseydog]

If you don't like Indian food, no one should have an issue with that.

I was introduced to Indian food by two Indian neighbors. Love the stuff and learned a few dishes.

On the other hand, Mexican dishes are my least favorite. There are some I like and make but all in all, it's my least favorite of the major ethnic foods popular these days.

But Andy, you just haven't had good Mexican food.

CD

 

[Andy M.]

But Andy, you just haven't had good Mexican food.

CD

LOL

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

the folks on here use ingredients that most normal folks have never heard of let alone seen , i realize many here are in different countries and that accounts for some, but not all the odd ingredients you use.
amazon maybe ?

No, Amazon DEFINITELY!!! But do a google search first, so you know you and Amazon are on the same page.

 

[Steve Kroll]

On the other hand, Mexican dishes are my least favorite. There are some I like and make but all in all, it's my least favorite of the major ethnic foods popular these days.

This is the way I feel about most Italian food. More specifically, I am not a big lover of pasta dishes. I think it's the texture. Pasta is kind of... squishy?

I can't say I hate it. I will eat it if it's put in front of me. But I'm not as crazy about it as a lot of people seem to be.