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Obtaining Items Not Available To Home Cooks


Anna Blume

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Every now and then I have been frustrated in attempts to purchase food items locally that cannot be found at major supermarkets or specialty stores.

For example, I was on a quest for cardoons during the height of their growing season in California. I don't recall their presence at the farmer's market, though I frequented only FARMFRESH markets until early December. I tried all Whole Food stores, Dean & DeLuca's and Balducci's. Since the vegetable is exotic for many who work in produce sections, conversations have been either amusing or frustrating. One of the cooks from Galileo swore they were sold at WF in Alexandria or Arlington; no one at those stores recalls selling them.

I had a similar experience looking for guanciale, though I was told Frank Ruta produces his own. Mario Batali offers instructions in Molto Italiano, though I would need to find some hog's jowls (Asian grocers in Rockville, perhaps) and be willing to tolerate the odor of hanging meat for several weeks in my refrigerator...and willing to suffer the consequences of trying this myself. I had better luck with Montasio, though I heard interesting explanations for the reasons WF decides to discontinue items and how decisions to order new cheeses are made.

Ordering food by mail is often possible. However, we live in a city that is gaining a reputation for its restaurants. We have a cosmopolitan population. (I hear Italian while riding the Metro several times a week.) We're told by chefs and food writers to ask for things you would like, otherwise we'd all be mincing curly parsley still. How?

What are the most effective ways to convince stores to stock items they don't? Do you have any success stories to report? Advice from food professionals who field such questions or make decisions are welcome.

Finally, is there any way to approach a chef or kitchen staff under such circumstances if you are not a recognized, regular patron of the establishment? Or is that simply really bad manners?

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Scott Weinstein, the manager of BlackSalt Market, often special orders items for customers from the restaurant's suppliers. Once recently, he told me that he'd had to order a minimum of ten pounds of veal cheeks for a customer who only wanted to buy two pounds. The rest were used for a special in the restaurant (and some were sold to me). He's very amenable to doing things like that, but know that there are often minimum purchases like that, and if it is something obscure and you only want a little bit, it may or may not work. It's worth a try, though.

Since it is obviously very difficult (if not impossible) to convince a huge chain like Whole Foods to carry an item that is by definition of appeal to a very limited number of people--what is your objection to ordering from a specialty purveyor on the internet? Obviously it makes impulse purchases (hmm--I know! I'll fix some guanciale for dinner tonight!) out of the question. But hey, that's the price you pay for living somewhere other than NYC, where everything is always available.

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But hey, that's the price you pay for living somewhere other than NYC, where everything is always available.

Almost always available...for some reason, certain common items will mysteriously vanish for a week or two, only to return in spades afterwards. Take February for instance. I hit a half-dozen groceries and supermarkets one day, and despite plenty of other Frito-Lay products on the shelves, nobody had Fritos of any shape or size (thus thwarting my attempt to introduce people to the concept of Frito pie). One week later, they were abundant again. The locals assured me that this sort of thing happens all the time.

Speaking of which, a little birdy tells me that Chef Krinn has (temporarily) cornered the US market on a particularly unusual game meat, and to watch his menu specials in a week or two.

edit: ventworm! <_<

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For example, I was on a quest for cardoons during the height of their growing season in California.  I don't recall their presence at the farmer's market, though I frequented only FARMFRESH markets until early December. 

Doesn't really answer your question, but I guess unless cardoons are raised locally, it's no real surprise they weren't at farmer's markets around here, regardless of their growing season in CA.
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i'd say become a regular at a restaurant, or friends with a chef, then ask him to order you some stuff that you want. otherwise i'd say its bad manners and probably wont happen, if you just call and ask someone.
Good advice, but remember to keep being a regular after you get what you want, or an ugly "You never loved me, you only wanted me for my caul fat vendor" situation could arise.
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