tales from the fairbanks run
perusing produce, rising costs, steady snowfall and maskin' up
We went for our monthly-ish supply run to Fairbanks this past Thursday. Jules drove; I packed the rations and watched out for moose (three on the way up).
Once a New Yorker, always a….stubborn New Yorker. : ]
As usual, after the near-six hours roundtrip of driving, what Jules asserts was eight hours of “shopping” (it all becomes a blur at some point), and unpacking our haul, we both needed the following day to recover. And yoga.
Therefore, it took us the ensuing weekend to fully sort through the dry goods (bulk beans! pasta! nooch! tortillas! flour!!!!! and other stuff!!) and get the now-stuffed fridge back into some semblance of perusal-friendly order. Oh, and I “discovered” four open bags of Bob’s Red Mill semolina, which clearly means it’s time to consolidate, make pasta, and lament not buying it in bulk these days.
Our top priorities for that snowy day of mask-wearing and list-checking were as follows: whatever produce looks GOOD - our mantra, seltzer, a big box of library books, and hopefully, some rice noodles. Anything else just rounds that all out.
And don’t forget: keeping sane, hydrated, caffeinated, remembering to eat, and trying to block out bumper stickers that mention guns and/or the last ‘president’ and/or that stupid “Let’s Go” chant.
Sigh. Again - we focus on keeping sane, and giving a peaceful nod to the rainbow flags and other literal and figurative signs of progress in the north.
FAIRBANKS DAY, the usual story:
(in the colder months*)
You never know what to expect. What may or may not be in stock, from tofu to parsley (we’re talking jess stuff here, for now). In short, selection will totally vary. Indeed, global pandemic-related supply shortages (aka “THE SUPPLY CHAIN IS….PEOPLE!!!”) exacerbated what was already a remote and intriguing city to shop in.
We go early! I have a theory that come 10am on-wards, there are more people shopping in the big stores than seemingly, actually living in the Fairbanks area. There shouldn’t be this many people! Everywhere!! This is the interior of Alaska!!! Well, it’s the last “real city” up here, there’s A LOT of military families, and I equate this to covid + casual-panic buying meets habitual-consumerist compulsion. People shop and shop….because….they can.
The Co-Op is a GEM. First off, they’ve required masks and worn them since this all began! As do the vast majority of other shoppers! It’s hands-down our favorite place in town for seasonal & quality produce in the colder months. We pick up the best and brightest fruit & veg offerings of the day, check out promotions, peruse the specialty “dairy” coolers, and hit the bulk bins for grains, beans, spices and beloved NOOCH.
Conversely, we hit Costco for potential deals on ginormo staples – many even fair trade-certified & organic – and to stretch our legs by walking every long aisle. Blah, blah, blah it’s Costco, and not too intense, all things considered (which includes every other memory of visiting a Costco outside of Fairbanks). We usually get four-packs of tofu, surprisingly good roasted-in-AK coffee beans, maybe some organic olive oil, a bag of citrus or two, wine, dried fruit, and something that ‘surprises’ at least one of us.
BTW, there are Asian Markets in Fairbanks! Be still my stir-frying heart, I can find rice noodles & sauces & even sorta-relatively ‘fresh’ offerings such as stalks of lemongrass, chiles, and Thai basil at both the Oriental Market on S Cushman (my go-to, with its quick vicinity to the co-op) and the Asian Food Market on Aurora (who get their basil on Tuesdays, ahem). Quality and selection varies. Of course.
Get inspired at the Noel Wien Library ….
image source: reddit via GBBO [which will always be the Noel Fielding Library in our hearts]
…..with cookbooks that look as if no one has ever opened them before (besides me?!!?), peruse the new fiction section, CDs, probably charge a phone or two, check out a TON of books, and relax a smidge before our last stop (which is really, likely, the second of the day) at the Airport Fred Meyer to round out the produce haul so far and other odds & ends….
Thank the driver!!!!
(And hand them a burrito. And a napkin.)
Not pictured / Thursday’s fuel for the humans: NM-style breakfast burritos, banana bread, coffee, water, and peanut butter on whole wheat toast.
*Come late Spring, which may be late May or early June up here, everything changes with the blossoming return of farmer’s markets, U-Picks, greenhouses, monstrous Alaskan-grown produce, the re-opening of the Pita Place and local goodness, galore. Summers are precious wonders (and winter is the way of life!)
A GLIMPSE INTO OUR DAY…
First up, this is tremendously well-stocked for the Airport Fred Meyer’s typical organic produce row – especially in the heart of winter!! It’s almost as if they knew I was investigating.
However, make sure to take a second look. What has been trimmed? How are the bottoms of the stalks? What spent a few too many days in a truck? What do I swear was here last month?! Mhmm. What actually looks good?!? What can we make work? What…do we want? What do we hope the co-op has instead?!? What looks fresh…enough?!
MOVING ON TO THE CO-OP…
Ahhhh, that reminds me we got escarole!! Get ready, white beans.
Can you believe that Jules snuck a decent looking STRIPED EGGPLANT into the mix?!?
You better believe I’ve since gotten my Pasta alla Norma on.
(NO I WAS NOT BUYING GATORADE THINGS)
Hi. A few notes on this encouragement to panic-by from Kroger & its suppliers:
When I’m buying dried pasta, I want bronze-cut AND a brand who doesn’t instantly make me think of their family chairman’s anti-gay quotes from a few short years ago.
OK, I do patiently await the day the Costco Garofalo multi-packs go on sale again (which has a much better name reference point).
Reminder #2 to make some semolina pasta dough in the impending days…!
Surprise from the federal government (which I really blame/credit/blame the red state channels) at the second FM of the day.
Next stop, library.
Sometimes we find quite the fake meat deals, such as these maybe gross, maybe good - I’m thinking a little from column A and column B here - plastic-encased tubes of Impossible Sausage marked down to $2. TBD, TBA.
We hit the road back home before dark, somewhat. Two hours later, as we hit “downtown” Healy and our final 30 minutes of driving, our collective stomachs dropped.
The lights were out at all three gas stations in town.
Three Bears – the local grocery store that’s very much a story for another time – had the dim and eerie glow of back-up lights (amidst a snow-covered parking lot, no less).
It hit us both: the power was out in our neck of the woods, and who freaking knows for how long.
A fleeting headache returned as we continued on closer to our cats and cabin.
THANKFULLY!!!! The power returned within minutes of my snowily-stomping in clogs to our neighbors’ to check in…..and see about borrowing an extension cord for the generator we’d have to hook up to get the heater going.
Deep breaths, everybody.
In other words, we opened a box of spicy chickin’ nuggz for dinner.
More on that another day.
long day
24 hours later
How’s your shopping routine these days?
Do you get to include a cooperative market and/or local goods purveyor into the mix?
Have you noticed any price changes….yet?!
(Ohhhh we did - at the requisite + awful big box stores, for now.)
References + Relevant Links + Other Fairbanks Spots I Like:
Barilla Pasta’s Turnaround from Homophobia to National Pride, Bloomberg Businessweek May 6, 2019
Bonafide masks (try code “BFM5” for 5% off)
Broccoli Tofu Desperation, scone.substack
Escarole and White Beans, Lidia’s Italy
One Hit Wonder, open 12pm-5am daily
+ The list of library books:
Back Pocket Pasta by Colu Henry
Cast Iron Cookbook by Joanna Pruess - cue plans to make a cast iron cookie
Korean Homestyle Cooking by Hatsue Shigenobu
Pimp My Rice by Nisha Katona - the tea-stewed chickpeas are on my list!
Recipes from Many Kitchens by Valentina Rice
Small Victories by Julia Turshen
The Arabesque Table by Reem Kassis - captivated after hearing Reem on The Splendid Table last spring when this came out
The Artisanal Kitchen: Perfect Pasta by Andrew Feinberg and Francine Stephens - ditto for the cauliflower + breadcrumbs dish
Vegan Soul Kitchen by Bryant Terry - everything plausible based on what I can get up here!
Vegetarian India by Madhur Jaffrey - mung bean omelets just last night & green lentil curry up tonight ! How do I not own this cookbook.
1. Your Fred Meyer looks SO much like the one here.
2. That impossible sausage is very good, I am a fan.
3. Miss you!
Noel's Ween Library.... sorry not sorry!