I’ll begin by recounting my latest masterchef recipe adventure. Char Sui Salmon. I began my Sunday morning prepping the Char Sui sauce, with the assistance of master whisker Mini-me Fabette. The salmon needs to marinate for a minimum of 2 hours and a maximum of 12 hours. I didn’t have the red bean sauce or garlic powder. And I wasn’t keen on food colouring. I had relied on memory for the ingredients, although I did intend on crushing fresh garlic. But intentions and Sunday mornings don’t mix well in my house. Salmon in marinade, plastic wrap on container & into the fridge. Which was looking bare. So Mr Fab & I discussed where we would venture out to on our grocery shopping adventure. We pondered over Miranda Fair or Southgate Shopping Centre at Sylvania, but decided we didn’t feel like venturing afield, so Edgecliff was the go. Haven’t been Aldi shopping in ages. Mr Fab couldn’t find our BYO bags, I wasn’t going to show him (long story), so he promised he’d find boxes in Aldi.
When we Aldi shop, we get what we can & then get what we can’t elsewhere. I try to shop at smaller places like butchers, delis, fruit shops…but the reality is, if it’s quicker in one shop, I’ll do it. I don’t like grocery shopping on a weekend day, as the children shouldn’t have that inflicted on them (nor I have them inflicted on me). However it’s been so cold in Sydney recently that the last thing I have wanted to do is go out grocery shopping.
We went shopping, came home, and by dinner time, the last thing I wanted to do was cook. I figured a few more hours in the marinade wouldn’t kill the salmon. Fast forward to Monday night. Mstr Fab was at a friend’s place (school holidays do that) but I knew that fish had to be cooked or ditched, so Char Sui Salmon was on the menu.
I’ve mentioned Mini-me Fabette is the fussiest eater of my 3 co-family members. However she was keen on “stir fry fish”. No mushrooms (Mr Fab), no winter melon (couldn’t find it), no garlic chives (forgot), no peanuts ( Mini-me Fabette goes to a peanut free school, so peanuts are but a thing of the past). And I chose to grill/bake the fish as the fun of cooking an elaborate meal + Monday evening headache = care factor nil.
It was a nice meal. Mini-me decided it was too sour-see (she makes up words). Mr Fab ate it and pronounced it delish. Mstr Fab came home & announced he had heard the salmon I had cooked was delish, so he had to have some, and he ate (the smallest) a piece of the remaining fish, and pronounced it yummy. I should have changed before I de-seeded the cucumber, cooking is so messy.
Note: the previous night during the Margaret Fulton masterchef challenge, I emphasised to my family how Ms Fulton was emphatic about cooking from the heart blah blah, home cooking is cooked with love. And that’s why I cook for them. I’m sure they recalled the GREAT HISSY FIT I had earlier this year, where I bought 14 frozen dinners for me & left MR Fab in charge of the cooking for himself and the children. Thinking back on it now, it still makes me laugh to think how I would whack my meal in the microwave, wait 7 minutes then eat, while Mr Fab shot me death stares. I don’t normally engage in histrionics, but main meal times were getting insane & stressful.
In a nutshell, their fussiness equalled me making 3 or 4 different meals every night. Or throwing out meals which weren’t touched. I offered to throw cash directly in the bin. One night I cooked a meal, put it on the plates then ditched each plateful into the bin, to save them doing it. But the GREAT HISSY FIT resolved all of that. I don’t like wasting food. I live in Sydney, I see homeless people everyday. I am very much aware people in my city, indeed my country are going hungry and I had to get the message through to the not very Fabs. And I don’t really enjoy cooking, although interestingly now, it’s not so much of a chore. I was so over being a short order cook.
How dreary!
Speaking of dreary, Edgecliff centre is not flash. Although the Eastpoint section (where Coles is) is nicer. So I will share my receipts.
Banana index:
Aldi $1.19 / kg
Coles $2.28 / kg
Harris Farm $2.99 / kg
I ended up buying the eco (red wax tip) bananas at Harris Farm, none of the regular bananas looked appetising. Mr & Mstr Fab pronounced them A+, although the brown box they come in now is a concern.
Pat & Stick Ice cream sandwiches >> $22.00 at Who’s Cooking (opposite Harris Farm)
Deli Cucina (Eastpoint Edgecliff)
Now there was a sign regarding their choice of supplier of pork, local produce. I can’t recall as Mini-me Fabette noticed the ladies’ bathroom sign, & had to chant about going to the bathroom. I will go back this week and note it so I can record it here. I have written about Australian Pork on this blog before, and it’s in the news again this week. Plus the roast beef I bought was the best roast beef I have ever bought in a deli.
Ham $39.95 / kg
Roast beef $39.90 / kg
Peters Meats (Eastpoint Edgecliff)
The cooking man was out, which momentarily distracted Mini-me Fabette from her bathroom chant. Cooking sausages. She pronounced them delicious. I’m not keen on sausages, but unusually tried a bit, and they were delicious. By the way, neither I or my extended family are affiliated with any of the stores mentioned in my blog. Tip: try to get Mike to serve you… 😉
Tasty sausages $9.99 / kg
Beef Strogonoff strips $16.99 / kg
Scotch Fillet Steak $39.99 / kg
Coles
Served by the loveliest checkout babe, I won’t mention her name but she was hysterical and so sweet.
Coles brand white dinner rolls 6 pack *** special 2 for $1.98** regular $1.98 each
Arnotts milk arrowroot biscuits 250g ** special 2 for $3.00 ** regular $1.90 each
Cussons pure kitchen hands handwash 750ml $5.79
Greens Spongebob cupcake mix 240g $3.64
Arnotts sesame wheat crackers 250g $2.96
coles brand sugar icing 500g $1.40
Arnotts sao crackers 250g $2.49
Tobias baked bagels 510g $4.29
Hedys Quiche Lorraine 1.1kg $12.49
Sunshine Instant milk 400g $5.46 (Mstr Fab wanted to try it?!)
Philips crab claw meat 140g $7.30
Harris Farm Markets
Navel oranges 3 kilos for $4.99
Eco bananas pre-pack of 8 $3.69
Stawberries punnet 250g $2.99
Blueberries punnet 200g $4.99
Santa rosa tomatoes punnet 250g $3.99
Belgian dark chocolate mousse 100g $4.65
Baby spinach pre-pack 200g $2.99
unsalted corn chips 500g $4.85
red capsicum $2.99 / kg
mint bunch $1.49
bean sprouts $1.99 / kg
limes $7.99 / kg
pink lady apples $4.99 / kg
ruby red grapefruit $3.99 / kg
flat mushrooms (the really big ones) $8.99 / kg (I like mushrooms & so does Mstr Fab – now – and I really like tinned champignons, but cannot find any made/grown/product of Australia, so the fresh ones it has to be).
cherries $12.99 / kg (USA) $14.99 / kg in Coles
ALDI – no need to record brands here
toilet paper 16 pack $4.99
Fresh Lasagna sheets 500g $3.99
Fresh Egg fettucine 625g $4.99
Frozen Peas 1kg $1.99
Fruit muffin 6 pack $2.29
Penne pasta 1kg $1.15
Instant noodles 5 pack $1.09
Tin Lentils 400g 0.99 cents
tin beetroot 450g 0.75 cents
calamari rings 400g $4.99
cherry tomatoes punnet 250g $1.99
boccocini 210g $4.29
Tomatoes whole peeled 400g 0.75 cents
asparagus spears 425g $1.99
Glad drawstring bags 2 pack $4.99
light fruit cake 800g $3.19
Snow Bakes biscuits 250g $2.49 (Aldi’s Iced Vovos)
Cranberry drink 1.5L $3.99
No boxes. No bags. Had to be put in the boot loose.
Guerilla Grocery Choice Australia 