And I'm in both!

couple of things worth getting at TJ's the couple times I've dropped in there.... not a place I'd shop regularly, though...

Ditto -- I think that we have been there fewer than a half dozen times,
and at least one or two of those was with a picnic outing.

It's a fun enough place, but it does cater to a more California-y
type of crowd (perhaps what I previousoly referred to as "hip").

There are things that can't be beat with a stick at TJs -
the pound bags of nuts and dried fruit, for example, and the

We get our pecans from Davids, a local health food store -- and that is
about the only thing we buy from them.

I used to downrate the nuts at the east coast TJ'ses, because
they often were stale from the long trek, but as palate-dead
customers made the turnover fast enough to sustain a sizable
stock, the situation improved, and it's been another go-to
place, though an occasional one..

chocolate, which in contrast to Aldi, is mostly name brands
that you would recognize, and even the big 5-lb bars with the

Not as big a fan of chocolates as you and Nancy are. I like some of the
ones you have brought to picnics, but am satisfied with what little we
buy from BJs in minatures.

I would prefer higher'percentage chocolate and spend a fair
amount of time eating it. Any port in a storm, though.

TJ imprint are or were made by Callebaut. Cheeses, too, the
price and selection are better than at the supermarket,

True for regular grocery stores like our Safeway. But I don't think you could beat the selection in Wegmans.

I think TJ's selection is more extensive than Wegmans' - the
head-to-head is more on price than anything else.

though not really cheese shop quality. Booze where available
is at competitive prices, though not so good as Costco.

Not available in Maryland.

I'm neither a fan nor a foe of state control over booze. In
a lot of ways it makes sense - a source of revenue that can
be monitored and that doesn't rely as much on organized crime.

Things to avoid are meats and vegetables, which offer no
advantage over grocery store offerings and often are of a
certain antiquity.

And those are our primary reasons for going to a grocery store, along
with canned goods which one can get any where.

Back in the day, shops were specialized, with grocers and
butchers and dry-goods sellers; you encountered this when
you lived in England. Perhaps your way of shopping will
catch on, with people going to specialty stores or at
least using different establishments for different purposes.

From what little I remember about TJs, we much prefer Aldi and Gail
looks forward to the opening of Lidl (in the Columbia Mall where it
replaces half of the old Sears store). The fact that it will be in the
Mall is a disadvantage -- mainly because of parking.

It'll be a spur to compete, that's for sure.

Title: Philadelphia Hoagies
1 1/2 lb Boneless beef chuck steak

I agree with this - though the stands in Philly swear up
and down that they use shaved ribeye. The choice of meat
makes less difference, with chuck being traditionally the
best bang for the buck as well as having some of the best
flavor on the animal. As I've said, most pit beef and
similar use round, which is reliably lowfat (good for
most customers) and comes in big pieces that are easy to
load onto the slicers.

2 tb Butter
2 c Shredded American cheese
6 Hero rolls, split and warmed
3/4 c Chopped red onion
2 c Chopped lettuce
1 1/2 c Thinly sliced tomatoes
1 c Cooked sliced mushrooms
-Ketchup
-Chili sauce
-Hot pepper sauce

The rest of the stuff I'm not so sure about.

Place chuck steak in freezer for 15 minutes, until firm.
Cut into very thin slices.

A good idea. 15 minutes may not be enough.

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.01

Title: New Delhi Chicken Thighs
Categories: Poultry, inauthentic
Yield: 4 servings

------------------------------PHILLY.INQUIRER------------------------------
8 THIGHS BROILER-FRYER SKINNED 1 tb VINEGAR
1 tb CHOPPED CILANTRO 1 ts SALT
1 c PLAIN YOGURT 2 CLOVES GARLIC,HALVED
1 ts CURRY POWDER 1/2 ts CUMIN
1/4 c MANGO CHUTNEY 1 PIECE GINGERROOT,1/2
LONG
1 ts PAPRIKA 1/4 ts GROUND RED PEPPER

IN A SHALLOW BAKING PAN,ARRANGE CHICKEN IN SINGLE LAYER.IN A BLENDER
CONTAINER,PLACE THE
YOGURT,CHUTNEY,VINEGAR,GARLIC,GINGERROOT,CILANTRO,CURRY
POWDER,PAPRIKA,SALT,CUMIN,AND RED PEPPER;PROCESS UNTIL SMOOTH. POUR THE
YOGURT SAUCE OVER THE CHICKEN,TURNING TO COAT ON ALL SIDES.COVER AND
MARINATE IN THE REFRIGERATOR AT LEAST ONE HOUR,TURNING THE CHICKEN
OCCASIONALLY BAKE,BASTING SEVERAL TIMES,IN 400 DEGREE OVEN,ABOUT 45 50
MINUTES,OR UNTIL THE CHICKEN IS BROWN AND FORK TENDER. MAKES FOUR
SERVINGS.

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