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Also, as someone who uses Woodys practically every day, i am surprised to hear someone say it is always empty - its not when i go in there! Granted, there are times when i've been slightly disgruntled with some of the service but to be honest, i was appalled at the way some of the staff in Tesco spoke to customers today (myself inlcluded). I also think i'd prefer to visit every single one of Dante's circles of hell than go to Tesco after work... Please, don't let this be true... if i want to go to Sainsburys i can go to the Hades that is Sainsburys Green Lanes or even the one at Angel. No thanks.
Co-ops with their dividend points are the best but thin on the ground in these parts - if I was PM I'd nationalise the supermarkets and make Co-op the stakeholder/managing partner [ actually ditto for the banks!]
I'd prefer Woody's to stay an independent store - I live nearby and use it for fruit and veg. and non-staple stuff. Goes without saying another chain outlet would be horrendous - esp. Sainsburys, original home of the mimsy and smug before M&S started to sell food.
Two or three points about indy stores;
Who created the expectation that they should sell everything from a sink-plug, to Buffalo Mozzarella, or a newspaper? Was it us I wonder?
Why do we have to get everything from one store in a smash and grab raid? [ much better to buy fresh food every 2 or 3 days instead of once a fortnight and buy ingredients not ready meals]
The quality of produce is down to the supplier as much - sometimes the produce available to the retaileer just isn't so good, lettuce is feeble or tomatoes small etc. As for the way it's kept? This problem applies equally to Tesco, Sainsburys etc. even with their acres of polythene bags as camouflage, as much as to Woodys and indy stores. Take time to choose rather than grab and rush home to find it's no good - you might even have to change your selection if you can't find the veg. or cheese in good condition but you'll probably get over it.
Possibly, but who except TV chefs and the unemployed has the time? And the unemployed don't have the money (I speak from current experience).
It took an hour and a half from prep to plate, much of which was spent listening to it simmering while watching Inglorious Basterds, which I can also recommend.
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When budget is tight and we've all been there then buying fresh every couple of days is the way to go,[ you can buy 1 potato, 2 carrots, 1 onion or even 2 sausages, 2 rashers, 2 eggs etc.]
It's worth making the time - it's not that long and you can always multi-task if you must - although
@ Arklady I was with you until you slipped the Tarantino thing - what an overindulged spoilt brat of a director he is!! a modicum of talent stretched way too far - it would have been much cheaper for Harvey Weinstein to adopt as son or two rather than cow-tow to QT's tantrums.
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It's all been said before, but Woody's is best for bread n olives n beans-in-tins n herbs. I buy at least one bunch of something from them every other day, their herbs are always the freshest on SGR.
The Fruit Basket (is that what it's called?) next to the post office and the flower shop used to be good for all this produce until they sold it on 4 years ago or so.
Also, thie girls on the tills in Woody's are usually quite nice to me Well, they sometimes pass a compliment on rings/gloves/hat/bag.
They did short change me for a fiver on a tenner once 'though. And they would always charge full price for 6 cans of whatever was on 6 for a fiver deal, until I'd point it out at the checkout. It was always a bit of a battle to only pay the fiver.
We should start a save Woddy's petition, the way that above mentionned Fruit Basket started one when there was talk of Tesco opening 24hrs!!
I liked the co-op when I was in Oxford, it had way better fresh food than the sainsburys nearby. But there again that was a few years ago now, I guess the smaller ones can be a bit ropey. The food at tescos always seems to go off far more quickly than at sainsburys or anywhere else.
I'll go the co-op in CE this weekend to buy a pint of milk, loaf of bread and a carrot and report back on its freshness. Unless I get distracted by the pub. Again.
Your stew sounds lovely... can I have the recipe plzzzzz? Or should we just start a new Recipe thread??? :)
No specific recipe I'm afraid! The trick is to heat up a big pan on the hob, then fry a load of chopped (and peeled if you prefer) chorizo until it starts to release it's oil - then add garlic and onions. Once they're starting to brown, add a dangerous slugof red wine. Reduce, then add stock and a couple of bay leaves, canned peeled tomatoes, butter beans, chopped potatoes, sweet potato, butternut squash, leek, the beef (which I browned separately and added with the veges this time, but sometimes chuck in with the chorizo early on). Then cover and simmer until everything's tender. Uncover to reduce it for a while if necessary, then season & scoff.
All bought from Woody's ;-)
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Secretly I dream of having an M&S but a good independent & open late place would be great.
And because I'm in shared accomodation, any savings reliant on making huge amounts and freezing loads are out - I have one small freezer shelf, normally occupied with bread I got cheap by timing my visit to Tesco right.
Then factor in that my cooking skills are such that I can only get porridge right about a third of the time...and I think I'm still better off buying a cheap can of soup from Tesco.
B
Suprisingly cheap and immensley tasty, I can strongly recommend my signature dish, stolen from Hugh-Fearnley-Whittingstall: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/jan/26/foodanddrink.recipes
[Tosscat will have to fix the link, though if someone tells me how I can do it I will...]
Get it while it's pheasant season. And yes, I'm addicted to chorizo.
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