OCT 06 11 – 6 M — Among the easiest kitchen tasks when it comes to Thanksgiving turkey dinner (or Christmas, for that matter) is home-made cranberry sauce — simply open the one-pound plastic bag, add about 1 1/4 cups of water, and sugar, and cook with water about 15 minutes on the stovetop according to instructions on the package. So simple, in fact, I cannot for the life of me understand why anyone would reach for a can of shimmering, factory-made gloppy goop.
At home I like to add my own orange zest, grated fresh gingerroot, cinnamon and a splash of Grand Marnier to cranberry sauce (just because I’ve been doing it this way for years, and to me cranberries always benefit from a glug of liqueur. So does the cook, come to think of it).
This week I’m delighted to recommend a new line of ready-made Signature Foods Local Cranberry Sauce that is so astonishingly good, it rivals my own (except theirs doesn’t include Grand Marnier). I tried it the other night and found full cranberry flavour, not the least bit cloying, with wonderful saucy texture that includes some full berries for added interest. Even better, it’s a made-in-Ottawa product using fruit from my friend, Lyle Slater at Upper Canada Cranberries, located within the city limits.
(Check the website here using Explorer browser; for some reason it did not work well for me using Firefox.)
Suggested retail price is $6.49 to $6.99 for 480 grams. Granted, it’s not cheap — but it is excellent. Find it in the refrigerated section of supermarkets, in the chilled salsa area, in Ottawa at Your Independent stores at 2241 Riverside Dr., 200 Grant Carman, 1619 Orléans Ave., 685 River Road. Also: Market Organics 125 York St; Metro Glebe 754 Bank St; Produce Depot 1855 Carling Ave; Rainbow Natural Foods 1487 Richmond Rd; Natural Food Pantry 205 Richmond Rd., 5537 Hazeldean Rd., and 2277 Riverside Dr., Herb & Spice 375 Bank St. In Perth at Barnabe’s 80 Dufferin St., Foodsmiths 106 Wilson St. W. In Stittsville at Browns 1251 Main St. And in Gatineau at La Boite a Grains 581 St. Joseph Blvd, 325 Greber Blvd.
As you have doubtless guessed, it’s all about Thanksgiving this week at major Ottawa supermarkets for Oct. 7 to 13 specials (Farm Boy prices good today to Oct. 12; Superstore Loblaw from today to Oct. 13). I’m always a sucker for prime rib roast, and am again this week.
One note about kitchen sanitation. Always make certain your turkey is properly cooked. There are many, many websites available with good cooking information, and here is just one. You may also want to revisit my blog last week where I recount tricks I use at the celebrated Citizen test kitchen in my house in Britannia to get perfect turkey every time.
As for kitchen hygiene, always clean countertops, platters and utensils that have come in contact with raw poultry to avoid cross-contamination, and never use the same plate to carry turkey that hasn’t been well-washed after each use. In my house I make an easy sanitizing solution with one or two capfuls of laundry bleach per litre of water to wipe things down and clean dish rags.
Don’t leave a cooked turkey sitting hours on the countertop during and/or after your Thanksgiving meal. Refrigerate within two hours. Immediately after dinner, I like to remove the meat to refrigerate separately from the bones and leftover bits, which I use the next day to make rich turkey stock. You’ll get even richer stock if the turkey has been smoked on a Big Green Egg, which I’ll likely do this year too.
My top gold pick for the week goes to Superstore Loblaw selling Lactantia butter 454 g brick, selected varieties, at $2.97 on Thursday to Sunday only. I think it’s unconscionable to charge more than $3.50 for butter — never mind upwards of $5 some retailers extort on a regular basis. Shame, shame. I blame a lot of it on the government-sanctioned milk marketing cartels.
Silver goes to both Superstore Loblaw and Metro with cap-off prime rib beef roast at $3.88/lb ($8.55/kg). Superstore sale price good Thursday to Sunday only; Metro good Friday to Sunday only.
Finally, bronze is bestowed upon Farm Boy with golden, cortland, empire, spartan apples at 69¢/lb ($1.52/kg). I’m also delighted to cite Farm Boy again for supporting Ottawa-grown Upper Canada fresh cranberries in a one-pound bag at $2.99.
And now for the rest:
BEEF:
Loblaws, Your Independent, cap-off prime rib roast $3.99/lb ($8.80/kg) Friday to Sunday only;
Loblaws, Club Pack lean ground $1.99/lb ($4.39/kg);
Your Independent, Club Pack extra-lean ground $2.99/lb ($6.59/kg);
Sobeys (March Road only), T-bone steak $4.99 lb ($11/kg);
Farm Boy, prime rib roast cap-off $5.99/lb ($13.21/kg).
PORK:
Farm Boy, Lafleur toupie ham, whole or half $1.99/lb ($4.39/kg); smoked leg ham, butt or shank $2.99/lb ($6.59/kg);
Your Independent, bone-in shoulder picnic roast $1.79/lb ($3.95/kg); boneless loin roast, centre or rib portion $2.49/lb ($5.49/kg); Club Pack bone-in loin chops $2.49/lb ($5.49/kg); toupie boneless smoked ham halves $2.49/lb ($ 5.49/kg);
Sobeys, Compliments hickory-smoked ham, shank or butt portion $1.99/lb ($4.39/kg); cured loin in cornmeal $2.49/lb ($5.49/kg); Compliments ham steak $3.49/lb ($7.69/kg);
Food Basics, Johnsonville breakfast sausages 375 g at $2.99;
FreshCo., Smithfield bacon 375 g at $1.97;
Loblaws, Your Independent, Johnsonville sausage or gound sausage meat 375-500 g, selected varieties $2.99; tenderloin $5.99/lb ($13.21/kg); Pres. Choice spiral-sliced smoked ham honey or brown sugar glazed bone-in $2.49/lb ($5.49/kg); cured loin in cornmeal $2.99/lb ($6.59/kg).
POULTRY:
Sobeys, fresh Grade A turkey $1.77/lb ($3.09/kg) Friday to Sunday only;
Loblaws, Your Independent, Superstore Loblaw, fresh Grade A turkey $1.99/lb ($4.39/kg);
Metro, fresh Grade A turkey $1.99/lb ($4.39/kg); fresh boneless, skinless chicken breast $3.99/lb ($8.80/kg);
Farm Boy, fresh Grade A turkey $1.99/lb ($4.39/kg);
Food Basics, Butterball frozen turkey $1.99/lb ($4.39/kg); fresh whole chicken 1.2-kg at $4.88 (= $1.84/lb);
Superstore Loblaw, halal chicken legs back attached $1.49/lb ($3.28/kg).
SEAFOOD:
Food Basics, Gold Seal sockeye salmon 213-g can or albacore solid tuna 170-g can $1.77;
Walmart Supercentre, Clover Leaf solid albacore tuna 170-g can $1.77;
Farm Boy, fresh PEI mussels $1.99/lb ($4.39/kg);
Loblaws, Your Independent, Pres. Choice Pacific white shrimp 31-40 count, raw Zipperback frozen 454 g bag $3.99; fresh Atlantic salmon fillets $5.99/lb ($13.21/kg); fresh cod fillets $6.99/lb ($15.41/kg);
Superstore Loblaw, Atlantic lobster tails previously frozen 2-30 oz size $2.98 each Thursday to Sunday only;
DAIRY:
Walmart Supercentre, Natrel Fine-Filtered milk or Sealtest chocolate milk beverage 4-L in bags $3.97;
FreshCo., Compliments large eggs $1.97/doz; Gay Lea Sour Cream 500-mL tub $1.49;
Loblaws, Your Independent, Cracker Barrel cheese bars 400-500 g, selected varieties $4.77 Friday to Sunday only;
Superstore Loblaw, Black Diamond Cheestrings 336 g, selected varieties $4.99.
BAKERY:
NoFrills, Golden Mill Vienna white or whole wheat bread 570-g loaf $1.49;
Sobeys, in-store pumpernickel or sourdough bread 425-450 g loaf $1.99; SunMaid raisin bread 450-g loaf $2.49;
Metro, Country Harvest bread 675-g loaf, selected varieties $1.99;
FreshCo., Dempster’s whole grains bread 600-g loaf $1.99;
Food Basics, Villaggio Italian style bread 675 g, crustini buns 8-pack or sausage buns 6-pack at $1.99.
FRUIT:
Food Basics, green seedless or red globe grapes 75¢/lb ($1.65/kg) Friday to Sunday only;
NoFrills, red seedless grapes 87¢/lb ($1.92/kg);
Superstore Loblaw, red seedless grapes 98¢/lb ($2.16/kg) Thursday to Sunday only; McIntosh, royal gala, spartan, cortland, golden delicious apples 4-lb bag $2.99 (= 75¢/lb);
Loblaws, red, green, black seedless grapes 99¢/lb (2.18/kg);
Loblaws, Your Independent, cortland, McIntosh, spartan apples 4-lb bag $3.49 (= 87¢/lb); empire, royal gala, golden delicious apples 99¢/lb ($2.18/kg);
FreshCo., cantaloupe 99¢; cored pineapple 500-g minimum $1.97; black or red plums 99¢/lb ($2.18/kg); 1/2 pint raspberries $1.99;
Metro, strawberries 454 g, raspberries 6-oz (170-g) at 2 for $4;
Walmart Supercentre, cored pineapple $1.97; avocadoes $1 ea; strawberries $1.97/lb;
Your Independent, whole or cored pineapple or extra-large cantaloupe $1.99;
Sobeys, Compliments frozen fruit 600-g bag $1.99.
VEGGIES:
NoFrills, 10-lb bag yellow onions, potatoes or carrots $1.67; greenhouse beefsteak tomatoes 99¢/lb ($2.18/kg);
Superstore Loblaw, 10-lb bag yellow onions, beets or potatoes $1.99; rapini $1.29/bunch; baby boy choy 89¢/lb ($1.96/kg);
Farm Boy, iceberg lettuce 2 for $1; 10-lb bag beets, carrots, yellow onions $1.99; butternut, buttercup, spaghetti or pepper squash 49¢/lb ($1.08/kg);
FreshCo., broccoli 59¢; Green Giant or Europe’s Best frozen vegetables 300-600 g bag $1.99;
Loblaws, Your Independent, Pres. Choice or Green Giant frozen vegetables 300-750 g bags, selected varieties $2;
Food Basics, 5-lb bag russet potatoes, or 907-g bag baby peeled carrots $1.99; hothouse tomatoes 97¢/lb ($2.14/kg); Del Monte vegetables 341-398 mL can, selected varieties 79¢;
Walmart Supercentre, broccoli 77¢; iceberg lettuce 88¢; McCain frozen diced hash browns 1-kg bag $1.50;
Sobeys (March Road only) large cauliflower 99¢;
Sobeys, green or white asparagus $1.99/lb ($4.39/kg); Green Giant frozen vegetables 750-g bag $1.99;
Your Independent, 3-lb bag carrots or yellow onions $1.99.
CEREAL:
Metro, Kellogg’s or Quaker cereals, selected sizes and varieties $2.99.
JUICES/DRINKS:
Walmart Supercentre, Allen’s apple juice 1.05-L can 94¢; Maxwell House instant coffee 150-200 g jar $2.97;
FreshCo., Oasis orange juice 1.75-L carton $1.97; Heinz tomato juice 1.36-L can 99¢;
Farm Boy, Oasis orange juice or Health Break juice 1.75-L carton 2 for $5;
NoFrills, Heinz tomato juice 1.36-L can 99¢; Minute Maid orange juice 1.75-L carton, selected varieties $1.99;
Loblaws, Your Independent, Tropicana pure premium orange juice, selected varieties 1.75-L carton/bottle $2.99;
Superstore Loblaw, Oasis orange juice or Health Break antioxia juice 2.63-L jug, selected varieties $3.99; Tropicana orange juice 3.78-L jug $5.47;
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