Bright Lights Big City

The preparations for the cook-athon are starting.. Yesterday, after work, I walked to a 'fancy, posh, Manhattan grocery store' to get some goodies. I'll have to apologize first-hand and say that I categorize most Manhattan shops as fancy, posh grocery stores. This isn't because I find their selection so much better than Brooklyn stores -- it's just because the price is hiked up so high. I think most urbanites experience this.
I'm not sure where I get this trait but I have to find a bargain, all the time. If I know I could get cheaper spices two blocks down, I will go two blocks down. I try not to be too strict about certain things, though, when I know that I could get better quality for more money. But the items I buy need to hold a special place in my heart, or in my hubby's heart.
Case in point, last night I bought two chorizo sausages and some fabulous arborio rice.
Rafa loves chorizo; I love risotto. It's that simple!
The funny thing about the risotto rice is I happened to just stumble upon it in this 'fancy, posh grocery store' and realized it would actually be cheaper buying it there. I've had great success using this particular rice (I believe it's superfino arborio rice from Italia!) so why fix what ain't broken?
I usually get these items every month or couple of months depending on when we run out. And I'm ecstatic that I will get to use them in some CL recipes!!
I'm going to make this project as enjoyable as possible. I am really looking forward to the Pasta and Indian chapters because that means I can visit haunts I don't go to often, or at all, to get the freshest and most authentic ingredients.
New York is a great city, don't get me wrong, but I'm not sure how keen I am on New Yorkers... I think sometimes they don't think outside of the box. If they want a range of not-so-easy-to-find ingredients they go to a one-stop superstore like Whole Foods that charges erroneous prices when they could just get on the subway and experience the real thing sold by real people that actually use those ingredients in their daily life! (Just in case you think I'm being preachy, Tom says the same thing, LOLOL!) Ok so enough of me then. I obviously am generalizing... No, not all New Yorkers are lazy ignormasuses (ignoramusi??).
So watch this space for fabulous adventures all over NYC. I think the first stops on the NYC culinary tour are Bensonhurst, Brooklyn and Little Italy for fabulous peeled tomatoes, and Jackson Heights for the best naan this side of New Delhi.

Happy eating!