2 Plastic Condiment Bottles

Item Purchased: 2 Plastic Condiment Bottles
Location Purchased: Woks 'N' Things / 2234 S. Wentworth / Chicago, IL
Price: $0.95 + tax / ea.

Review: No, I am not opening a hot dog stand. I am not even going to hold a barbecue in my backyard. These bottles are not for ketchup, catsup or mustard. These bottles are for olive oil, vinegar, cooking wine, and whatever else I might need on hand for cooking or garnishing. Though I would have preferred a clear squeeze bottle for my needs, Woks 'N' Things had only these symbols of American cuisine.

They're sturdy and conveniently color coded for my needs. That works.

Rating: 3.75 / 5

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Dominick's Corn Starch (16 oz. box)

Item Purchased: Dominick's Corn Starch (16 oz. box)
Location Purchased: Dominick's / 3145 S. Ashland / Chicago, IL
Price: $1.46 + tax
Purchased on: 02/22/07

Review: I bought this box of corn starch in order to make a slurry for a black bean dressing and a batter for a tofu dish I cooked for my girlfriend and I. I also learned that Pioneer is making biodegradable Blu-Ray discs out of the stuff. With the speed at which new digital storage media is released these days, I have to say this is a good idea. Maybe some day I will be making slurries and sauces from CD-Rs.

Until then, I will simply keep a box of this inexpensive base in my cabinet for all of my cooking needs. If anyone knows of a more organic, eco-friendly cornstarch, please let me know. Those of you who have read the site for a while already know how I prefer to buy sustainable and fair trade items, but it is the inconsequential things like corn starch that are so easy to forget about.

Safeway's corn starch works just fine, however, and I'm really not sure how to judge the better/worse merits of differing corn starches. There were no clumps or off-color particles in this box, and beyond that, I can't really comment at this time.

Rating: 3 / 5

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