Food Co-Op Exploring

I'm over/up in Albany for the holiday weekend and, after a few email exchanges compiling lists of potential tastiness for the weekend, Sars and I decided to wait to go to the groceria until I arrived. Our Altos Gatherings tend to revolve around food, cooking, snacking, grazing. The two of us came up with a weekend plan balancing real meals and easy munchies for work time and fun times. We made a final shoppin list while Friedrich acclimated to all the fun new places to explore in our hostess' appartment and then we were off. Sars had heard all sorts of good things about a nearby food co-op, so we decided to check it out first and then swing by the Chopper House (read: Price Chopper) to grab the few processed, not-so-good-for-you and consequently not-sold-at-food-co-op items on the list. We discussed Food, Inc. in the car and tried to walk a balance between responsible consuming and not grossing ourselves out so much that we wouldn't be able to eat our krispie treats. [Side note. Sars: "Sooo...that one bag of marshmallows is enough for ONE batch? Let's get twoooo.]

The co-op - Honest Weight Food Co-Op - was just as amazing as the recommendations suggested. Fantastic selection, cheap enough prices to make it do-able without compromising fair trade for things like organic chocolate and real 100% juice, and very user-friendly. The veggies-and-fruit section could have been bigger, but I suspect it will be once we continue through summer. My favorite part, of course, might have been the lovely, delicious range of cheeeeeses. I miss passing through the fancy cheese shop on the way to the train in Philly to spend my rather generous cheese budget (yes, I had a separate line item in my monthly budgeting to keep me in really good dairy products. Pretty sure I spent more on cheese than was decent, but who cares about decent when there's a good cheese in front of you?). Well, we tried some samples and I knew immediately that we would be getting the locally-produced pesto goat cheese spread that I tried. Mmmmmm. I would go back all the time just to keep an eye on their local selection.

I think Sars' favorite part might have been the bulk grains, nuts, flours, etc. area. Huge - and I mean HUGE - variety. As she said as we started walking through it, "Why would you ever BUY granola in a store when you can make it yourself?" We managed to snag some organic, fair-trade dark chocolate chips for our lazy pain au chocolat (along with the ready-to-bake croissants we got at the Chopper House). I also spotted a great giftie in the chocolate section for Rhianyn, as part of the celebration for her passing her drivers' exam: raw, unprocessed cacao beans. !!! I don't know if I've ever actually seen them before; I'm almost scared what she'll do with them, but it'll be fun and adventurous, I'm sure. I *doooo* have that stone mortar and pestle that Victoire made me buy years ago...

It was a lovely, foodie adventure that culminated in lots of great eats (like curried chicken and some carrot & sweet potato chips). I'm sure Sars will become a loyal customer, and perhaps even a co-op member. Now I just need to find a similar place in the "Quiet Corner" of CT...