cost calculations

I love grocery shopping.  I don't mean the kind of shopping from a list; no, this is different from those frustrating experiences when you're looking for that one final item, and gee--it doesn't seem to fall under any of the aisle descriptions.  What I'm talking about is the sort of leisurely grocery shopping where you walk in without the faintest idea of what you're going to leave with.  It's that excitement of "ZOMG ribeye steak is $4/lb?!?!?!" or "ahhh, giant mangos for only 40 cents each?!?" The beautiful thing about produce is that they're the cheapest when they're at their best--when they're in season.  You know it's summer when longan is selling in Chinatown for $7 per 10lbs, and oh look, two blocks down its $3 per 5lbs--and before you know it, you're lugging around 20lbs of the same fruit from every stall on the street.  Grocery shopping is basically like retail therapy for me, the same thrill of the sale, rush of the hunt (for good deals), minus the guilt.  You have to eat, after all.

To help you achieve your own personal grocery shopping nirvana, I'll be continually adding to my list of ingredient costs (below), which are used to compile the "Total Recipe Cost" for each blog post.  It might be useful for the thrifty-minded, if you need help figuring out what reasonable prices for items are.  At the very least, this will allow me the satisfaction of recording good deals...  :)  Prices are of course subject to exaggeration seasonal and geographical variation.  I'm not nearly the bargain queen my mom is, but I'll try my best--and San Diego people, help me look out for good deals!

Produce	Typical Cost	Notes
Apples, gala	$0.99/lb	Down to $0.59/lb in the fall!
Broccoli	$0.88/lb	Best during cool seasons
Cabbage, green	$0.49/lb	Down to <$0.20 near St. Patrick’s day!
Cabbage, red	$1.29/lb
Carrots	$0.33/lb	Cheapest at the asian grocery; typically $0.99/lb at regular grocery
Celery	$0.89/bundle
Cucumber	$0.49 each
Cranberries, dried	$0.33/oz
Daikon	$0.59/lb
Garlic	$0.24/head
Ginger	$0.89/lb
Lemons	$0.30 each
Lettuce, Romaine	$0.79/head
Mushrooms, shiitake (dried)	~$12/lb	Anywhere from $2-18/lb
Mushrooms, shiitake (fresh)	$2.99/lb	Occasionally down to $1.99
Onions, red	$1.49/lb
Onions, yellow	$0.67/lb
Pluots	$0.59/lb	Summer
Scallions	$0.33/bundle (~6 stalks per bundle)	Buy at asian grocery stores, otherwise its $1.29 at regular stores.  Or, grow it free!
Spinach, flat-leaf	$0.66/lb
Meat
Pork butt (it’s the shoulder)	$1.99/lb
Seafood
Shrimp	$9.99/lb	Anywhere from $2-20/lb.  I like the more expensive ones, because if I have to shell it myself, I want it to be giant!
Dairy
Cheese, shredded cheddar + jack blend	$2.71/lb	From Costco
Butter	$0.11/T
Buttermilk	$2.19/quart
Sour cream	$0.09/oz
Baking Supplies (generally cheapest at Costco, if you can buy in 25 lb increments)
Flour, all-purpose	$0.60/lb
Sugar, brown	$0.99/lb
Sugar, granulated	$0.58/lb
Spices
5-spice powder	$0.17/oz	Star anise, fennel seed, cinnamon, ginger, pepper.  Also sometimes cloves instead of ginger.
Dry Goods
Bread, french	$1.49/loaf
Tortillas, flour	$0.24 each
Walnuts	$4.50/lb	From Costco
Yi mein	$0.33/oz	Also labeled e-fu, yee-fu, yifu, or yi noodles
Condiments
Hoisin sauce	$0.10/oz	I like the Lee Kum Kee brand best
Honey	$0.31/oz
Mayonnaise	$0.08/oz
Mustard, Dijon whole-grain	$0.20/oz
Soy sauce	$0.08/oz	I generally use Kikkoman brand
Oil, olive	$0.32/oz
Oil, sesame	$0.36/oz	I generally use the Kadoya brand
Oyster sauce	$0.28/oz	The best brand is Lee Kum Kee Premium; it has a picture of an oyster boat.  Not to be confused with the cheaper LKK version with a panda on it.
Peanut Butter	$0.30/oz
Rice wine (cooking)	$0.07/oz
Vinegar, cider	$0.11/oz
Vinegar, rice	$0.10/oz