Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Grocery shopping

While I know this topic sounds a bit mundane, I've done quite a bit of grocery shopping lately and it is not the experience that many are accustomed to. One friend of mine here says that if she is having people for dinner, she plans three different menus because there is no way of telling what the stores will have in stock.

Last Wednesday, a friend invited me over for a barbecue. I asked her what I should bring, and she replied, "your homemade hummus!" I went to not one, but three grocery stores, in search of garbanzo beans. At the third grocery store, I was told that there were no more garbanzo beans anywhere on the island and that a new shipment would come in two days. Needless to say, there was no homemade hummus that night...

I have been hearing about a store that sells farm-grown produce for a while now. This Saturday, a friend and I decided to go check it out. The smell of the fresh fruits and vegetables had me quivering at the knees. I left with strawberries and a bag filled with tangerines. Later that day, I found pomelos at a local supermarket. Now my house is a veritable citrus haven!