During this frightening and disorienting time, cooking at home has become a daily obligation and at best, also a source of comfort and relaxation. Though we are cloistered, cooking can even become a way to travel, to conjure up far-away places by invoking their flavors. Going to the store, on the other hand, has become a dystopian misadventure, shrouded in a vaguely sinister atmosphere. It’s now something to be carefully timed, rushed through: there is no scouting for ingredients in neighborhood shops; no picking things out at farmer stands; no wandering around a wine store, on the hunt for the right bottle. In the new circumstances, why not consider the web? Since the implosion of the restaurant business, the finest provisions, in the past only obtainable by restaurants, have become available to retail buyers. With a click of the mouse, both shopping adventures and great products are at hand.
Looking for a special cheese, a prime steak or organic bread flour can feel almost pornographic in the context of a pandemic; nevertheless your purchases are a lifeline to small growers and specialty producers. Besides, it’s a whole lot of fun. I share a few of my personal favorite sites. Please send your suggestions to add to the list.
Lisa
SUPER FUN!! Getting my ‘click on’ has been good retail therapy… this opens a smorgasbord of options! Thank you. Cheers and cannot wait to share food adventures again <3
Congratulations on a current Cooks Gazette with timely information for the confinement period of undetermined length. Now I have no excuse to search for the best ingredients and to try new ideas in tastes. Thank you for assembling your favorites!