everybody eats when they come to my house

Over the last week I had the good fortune to finally pickup a Santoku knife. I meant to get one sooner, but could never find a decent one at a price I was willing to pay. This week Macy's had a sale on a mid line J.A. Henckels one, so I scooped it up for half the normal cost. I also own one of their chefs knives and it's been a staple in my kitchen. My first time using one was at my sisters house last year. I immediately fell in love with how much easier it was to use compared to my chefs knife.

So about four years ago my sister had sent me a gift card for Cost Plus World Market. I moved shortly after receiving it and was in a moving box where it remained until I did that major cleaning in 2010. I didn't think there were any in San Antonio and never bothered to look. It was packed away again and didn't see the light of day again until last month. I found it and gave it to mom to buy something for herself. We both went and she found herself a real nice casserole dish with lid. I also wound up finding something for myself and the trailer. I picked up a stainless steel Karahi, which is essentially the Indian version of a wok. The difference between this and a Chinese wok is the pan is a bit narrower at the top making it deeper overall. It also doubles as a serving dish. A happy accident resulted in that the lid to a stainless steel fry pan I once owned (it died falling out of a moving box and was bent beyond repair) fits perfectly.

A lot more varied ethnic/international markets had opened up while I was living away. I'm taking advantage by restocking (at hugely discounted prices) the rarer spices and assorted dried goods that are almost impossible to come by at regular supermarkets and/or small town markets. There are some things I can find at a supermarket, but usually at much higher costs. For example Garam Masala spice sells at $6-8 for a standard sized spice bottle of it. I paid $2 for a bottle twice the size. Basmati rice normally runs around $5 for a 1 pound bag, I paid half that for a three pound bag. I love Indian food and know it's gonna be impossible to come by where I'm going so this will lessen the blow. Hawaiian food is another favorite where I can generally find most of what I need anywhere, but there are a few things. Sushi rice can sometimes be found at supermarkets, however Furikake is a bit harder to come by. I use them to make Spam Musubi. It's super easy to make and keeps well. I sometimes stash one or two in my map bag while hiking.

I've just about got a nice little international kitchen ready to roll.