 S.M. King warns that in these harsh economic times we need to shop... *gulp* ...more cheaply.
So. It’s been Parma Ham and artisanal cheese for the last decade. The market wasn’t so much bullish as positively wagyu. Unprecedented wealth turned all of us on to specialty goods. And, let’s face it, that got boring.
Thanks to consumer confidence and the lifestyle mongering of Nigella, we’re all gastronomes now, aren’t we? This was the by-product of the boom: luxury was democratised and balsamic vinegar was poured on bloody everything. Frankly, I’m glad to see balsamic eff off along with our prosperity. Sure, it’s a reasonable condiment that pairs well with pimento. But it wasn’t the only condiment. I became so annoyed by its prevalence, I used to fantasise about stealing into the CBD’s smart-little-cafes and replacing it with bottles of White Crow. Across the last fifteen years, we swallowed anything with a difficult Italian name and a hefty price tag. We became accustomed to what we thought of as ‘quality’. Since the recession, far fewer of us can afford the privilege of being patronised by a rude little cow at a posh deli. What to do? When you’ve had your pronunciation of “taleggio” corrected every week for the last five years, an afternoon at Aldi can make you feel a little empty inside. I’m certainly not immune to the hardships of the crash. Once, I used to buy jus-in-a-jar. Once, I had a tantrum when Partner popped home-brand extra virgin in the pantry. “It’s in a clear glass bottle, you infidel,” I said. In the current economic climate, myself and countless others are forced to reconsider our snobbery. While there are some items on which I absolutely refuse to skimp, such as oils of good quality, there are certain other ‘cheap’ ingredients and cooking methods I’m embracing. First, and most confronting, I shop with a list once a week and I’ve actually been to Aldi. Now, I long thought this chain was the fascistic province of A Current Affair watchers and bogan breeders who wanted to shut their fat children up via the medium of cheap sweet biscuits. While cheap sweet biscuits and appalling breakfast cereals abound at this chain, I’ve been forced to admit:there are some bargains. The organic pasta sauce, for example, is made from Australian ingredients, seems free from nasties and costs less than its conventional counterpart at other stores. Further, their grana padano is hard with a good, sapid tang. Fresh green produce is always better sourced at a market or the pseudo-markets of Asian shopping centres like Springvale or Footscray. I’d love to tell you to buy your meat from such places. I know! Sacrilege. We’re supposed to ponce about with wicker baskets, giving our money to dear-little-businesses. Until you form a close bond with a butcher, however, you’re better with the safety of date-stamped supermarket cuts if only shopping once a week. In fact, I can work a good bone for days. On Sunday, we have lamb roast. On Monday, we enjoy lamb curry. On Tuesday: souvlaki. On Wednesday: lamb soup. On Thursday, I remind partner that each meat portion is down to $1.75 a serve. And then she threatens to buy home brand extra virgin again.
 |
Lifestyle 
Subscribe to this comment's feed