A recent article in The New York Times called "How to Survive in New York on 99 Cents" details the experience of a tightwad gourmand who discovers the surprise bounty of top-shelf items at dollar stores throughout the city and then attempts to prepare a week's worth of gourmet meals using mostly these finds.
As you read this, perhaps you're recounting an unsavory dollar store experience. But fear not! The author's rationale resonates even with those who are accustomed to shelling out big bucks for high quality food: "I love shopping at my local Gourmet Garage as much as the next guy. But sometimes I plop a can of chicken broth down on the checkout counter and think, '$2.19? For someone to boil chicken bones?'" And you, readers out there -- you're all college students. If you cook, there's no doubt you've contemplated these mysteries, too.
To sum it up, the author impresses his guests meal after meal, ultimately concocting a finale dinner consisting only of items from his local Jack's 99-cent store. Along the way, he purchases not only staples like pasta, grains, beans and frozen vegetables, but also heavy hitters like chicken sausage, pear nectar and some pumpkin ravioli with a "sludgy, earwax-like quality." Although the latter left much to be desired, Mr. Economy Epicure insists it was the exception, not the rule -- and because of his bargain shopping, he calculates that his investment paid off at a rate of 600 percent. My eyes perked up at this figure, and I wondered how to replicate this experiment in Charlottesville -- certainly not a mecca of dollar stores packed with gourmet seconds. But my mama told me I better shop around and turns out that's the name of the game when you want to cook things on the cheap.
Let's start with a grossly overlooked sector of Charlottesville food purveyors: ethnic markets. There are a ton of hole-in-the-wall shops to choose from. For most students, however, the Asian Market on Emmet Street North is the most viable option, due to its advantageous location, easily spotted when driving along Charlottesville's scenic highway. The Asian Market has a rotating variety of cheap roots and shoots as well as staple items representing Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Filipino cuisines.
Another overlooked ethnic destination is the Indian Bazar on Rio Road, a popular stop in my book when I have a hankering to recreate some Milan favorites. The store stocks a selection of inexpensive rice and lentils, spices and even frozen naan. To top it off, they sell these delicious fried honey pinwheels, the real name of which I've failed miserably to remember.
If a super random sampling of global fare tickles your fancy, check out Cost Plus World Market, located right next to Best Buy. As a chain, they're able to keep prices low on world imports. I highly recommend the tins of Greek butter beans in tomato sauce, which pair effortlessly with rice and some cinnamon sticks from the Indian Bazar. Another visit yielded lobster pate and Danish water crackers. Suffice it to say that you can partake in some wild culinary adventures at World Market.
A few other local ethnic grocers have slipped under my radar, but look just as promising:
1.) The Afghan Grand Market, located on West Main Street, always tempts me with its flashing signage and hookahs lining the window.
2.) Another Asian entrant, the Charlottesville Oriental Food Market, is a bit hidden on Carlton Road. Eat at The Korean House first and then pop by.
3.) A couple of Hispanic markets reside in the same vicinity. There is a bakery in The Korean House shopping center and another adjacent to Aqui es Mexico.
4.) It's rumored that the El Paso Grocery Store, across from the gravestones on East Market Street, has an eatery in the back where you're bound to sample some authentic Central American cuisine.
When it is time to cook all these goodies, check out Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything: The Basics." His bang-for-your-buck approach explains how to use inexpensive pantry items to produce quality meals. Remember the dilemma about pricey chicken stock? Bittman reveals how to transform a whole chicken into quick stock in an hour -- and wind up with a cooked chicken to boot. For the price of one chicken, which is unfortunately more expensive than 99 cents, you've got a week's worth of meat and enough stock to make soup and the nearby risotto recipe.
Whatever your tax bracket, the New York Times' 99-cent store article makes a valid point: You're apt to unearth unexpected culinary finds when you shop for and prepare things cheaply.
Nora's article runs biweekly Wednesdays. She can be reached at nwhite@cavalierdaily.com.
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