I'll admit that I have a romantic notion of what is often thought of as the European/urban way of shopping, eating and keeping food. This involves owning a very small refrigerator and shopping almost daily for fresh ingredients, often on foot. It's contrasted by the American/suburban style of shopping, eating and keeping food which involves pushing a cart the size of a bathtub through acres of grocery aisles, then driving home to cram them into a refrigerator roughly the size of my first apartment. (PS I know that there are large, acres-of-aisles-style grocery stores in Europe and I know that there are people in America who shop every day on foot. In general, though, I think the categories still apply. Please, illuminate me in the comments if you disagree.)
While I like the aesthetics of the romantic way of food shopping (pretty totes, fresher ingredients, built-in exercise) the truth is that I don't often practice it, at least in its pure form. My usual style is a hybrid of the two, based on location and refrigeration. I live up a hill, nearly a mile from the nearest decent grocery store, so food shopping everyday just isn't practical. And while I don't own a car, I do have a rather large refrigerator in my apartment so I often find myself enjoying the convenience of borrowing a car once a week to load up on groceries. Meanwhile, my romantic side has had to make do with trips to the farmers market where I can load my pretty totes full of fresh produce and walk my vegetables up the hill, feeling virtuous and vaguely European. And sweaty.
When my refrigerator broke down recently, I got a glimpse of what a more full immersion of my romantic version of shopping, eating and keeping food would be like. A hastily purchased plastic cooler and a several blocks of ice became my refrigerator for the better part of a week. It basically had just enough room for a small container of milk for my morning tea, a jar of Best Food's Mayo and a few slices of cheese. And some eggs. It was a challenge, true, but not an impossible one.
In fact, I rather enjoyed my temporary European/urban lifestyle. While in some ways it was inconvenient, in many ways it did me good. Walking to the crappy bodega a few blocks from my home got me some much needed exercise, for instance, and helped morph my opinion of it from crappy to semi-crappy. I ate deep into my pantry's back shelves, got creative with jars of artichokes and cans of roasted tomatoes, rediscovered the joys of a vegan stir fry.
I often wonder about the seduction of convenience, how we are drawn to its charms and promises but end up handing over more in the exchange than we realize. We often give convenience the highest priority without examining what we really want and need our lives to be. We assume that inconvenience is a negative aspect but in fact it's just a state of mind, based on our priorities. If fresh produce and good exercise are a priority, then a walk to the grocery store several times a week is not inconvenient, it's a pleasure.
My now enormous seeming refrigerator is back in service. I surprised myself a little by not rushing out to my favorite grocery store* to stock it to its usual levels. And while I'm not going to shop everyday (I seriously just can't), I kind of wish I could. I don't want to give up this glimpse into what for me is a more sane and balanced way to live my life. I'll be moving soon and top priority, over many other conveniences, will be finding a place within walking distance of a good grocery store. I may not be in Paris, but I can sure act like I am!
*Berkeley Bowl, if you must know.
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Part of it is how the cities are set up. Assuming most people have cars, grocery stores are situated near many "shopping" areas. Living in a city can be easier than suburbs. But in Paris, you can't go far without finding the smaller stores, fromagerie, boulangerie, patisserie, etc, whereas in many American cities, you have to trek several blocks to your nearest grocery store.
I'm fortunate enough to be situated near two grocery stores (within 2 blocks) and a farmers market literally outside my apartment so I can shop semi-European. But in the winters, it's more convenient to stock up instead of shopping several times a week in single-digit wind-chilled weather. I too prefer to make a few shopping trips throughout the week. It keeps things fresh (think bread without preservatives, fruits and veggies) and far from boring. When I visit my parents in Texas, it's kind of stressful having to plan grocery trips-or plan your day around grocery shopping-and forgetting something means having to get back into the car and driving several minutes in crappy traffic for that one or two things you didn't pick up.
I use my fridge less to store food I'm going to cook and more to store leftovers! So I don't HAVE to cook everyday.
I do love getting home from work an hour or a half hour early from work and heading to the local market on the way home. It helps fuel my creative juices to use seasonal produce.
...having lived in Europe and Asia, then Denver when I finally moved back to the States, I loved small-but-plentiful markets within walking distance (just blocks or a few miles) from my home, which, looking back, makes me feel like I was living a spoiled life. I now live in an area where there are no small markets, the nearest farmers' market is more than a half-hour drive away, on the highway (the couple of months in the summer they're open), there are no butcher or specialty shops and our 'best grocery store' option is a W-Mart... *le sigh* I hope this move is only temporary...but we're doing what we can to appreciate what we do have (despite the tone of my comment).
I have had both to varying degrees throughout my adult life. I think it's really about making the most of the resources we have, and that doesn't just include money, gas, etc. There is also time, personal energy, and attitude.
I live in suburban Pennsylvania, outside of Philadelphia. Unfortunately, unless I head to Reading Terminal after work, I cannot walk to a local market. The supermarkets on the Main Line are outrageously expensive and seriously lacking in selection (and quality), so we head to Wegman's about 25 minutes away. We are looking forward to the Wegmans opening closer, especially right as gas prices are skyrocketing!
We get our groceries delivered, to avoid having to battle through the supermarket at the busy hours when everyone else is off work, too.
It saves us money as we can stick to our budget easily - the temptations of impulse purchases are easier to resist, and we can remove non-essential items at the end of the process if the total is too high. It also makes list-making and shopping almost one job. It's convenient being able to open a browser window for seasonal ingredients, another for recipe inspiration, and the cupboards just next to me to check stock, and then add what I need to the cart online.
We choose the delivery time that means the supplier is already in the area, so it must be more efficient environmentally for dozens of people to have their groceries concentrated into one journey rather than each driving to the supermarket and back, right?
I've evolved a system that works for me: delivery from a local dairy once a week; delivery from Boston Organics of the "Dogma Box" (produce sourced as locally as possible, which means eating a lot of roots in the winter); and 3-4 mos. a year delivery of excellent beef & lamb from a Vermont farm CSA. I pick up the rest at the local grocery store and during the warm months, a couple of nearby farmers markets. I don't own a car and I don't like to shop. I am an experienced cook and I like to make what I have instead of go out finding things. I think that's key--I've learned a lot this winter also from my first encounter with eating local in a New England winter.
Just want to say I appreciate everyone's comments. I'm trying to make the switch myself, but I don't live in an area even remotely close to a farmer's market. I am hoping soon to move to the Pacific Northwest, where I'm told those abound. I was thinking pretty totes are nice, but has anyone used a bicycle basket to transport their stuff home? I MUCH prefer to live in large cities, so any farmers markets within a no-driving-necessary distance would more likely than not be open only once a week.
FauxFaux- Another option for living in a city atmosphere that is very bike-friendly, with an abundance of markets (including the largest producer-only market in the US) is Madison, Wisconsin. I'd definitely recommend checking it out if you're considering a move!
Well...I love shopping! Food shopping of course! Walking in lil shops for this and that, maybe for some dried fruits, maybe ecological bread maybe stopping in my fav gourmet shop for cheeses and mostardas to go with them. I am lucky that I don't have to shop for a week or a month since there is no problem to reach them where I live, in Europe, in a small village. And since we grow some vegetables, rabbits for ourselves, getting dairy products and eggs from neighbours who own a lil farm... I guess this lovely routine would be one of the hardest things to leave behind if I had to change my living place. Though discovering different products, spices is always so interesting for me.
I luv shopping for grocery it's my weekly ritual and most of the time I luv to do it on Friday just before the weekend starts,..:) so that weekend I need nitmrushmto buynthis andthat,...:)
I am so TIRED of the Paris-this-Paris-that thing! Don't you, Americans, know that there are other cities and other countries in Europe where you can do exactly the same?
Melly C and Faux Faux, here's another recommendation for Madison, WI! Multiple co-ops, the most amazing farmer's market, and CSAs galore (including those with meat and eggs) make for a wonderful car-free shopping experience.
@EVAREEVES, then please tell us about food shopping in one that you like.
I love to shop daily, especially for produce and meats!!! My refrigerator is used mostly for left-overs!!!
I live about 6 miles from the grocery store so shopping every day is not something I could do on foot. I'm pretty lucky though. I grow a really big vegetable garden and can and freeze a bunch of home grown produce, live down the road from 2 farm stands and I work close to a year round farmers market so I can pick up fresh bread, cheese, meats and produce on my lunch time. I pretty much limit my trip to the supermarket to once every 2 weeks for what I can't get anywhere else.
Where do people have this time to shop and linger everyday? I'm a grad student and my once-a-week grocery run makes my life so much easier (as well as my big fridge to store it all in). I make a list of recipes that I plan on making that week, stock up on basics and its one less thing to think about when I'm running around like a chicken with its head cut off during the rest of the week...Additionally, since I stick closely to my menu for the week, I almost never have wasted food.
We live in NYC, and, since most people here don't have cars, grocery shopping is generally a "buy only what you can carry" affair. We often shop daily--sometimes every other or third day if we're polishing off leftovers--and we love it. A while back we considered moving to the suburbs and one of the biggest cons for us was not being able to pop over to the grocery store (without having to start up a car) for a head of lettuce or a last-minute avocado if we needed. This kind of shopping definitely exists in the US (the Pacific NW was mentioned as well), but it seems you usually have to head outside of suburbia to find it.
Sadly, most of our urban areas were developed with the car in mind. In Southern California we have little public transit, and frankly I would not want to ride most of it. Planned developments might have a small strip center, but those stores do not meets the needs of the community. As much as I love my state, and I am a native, I dont see myself retiring here, and I am trying to develop a portable business so I can move and work from anywhere. The state is falling apart, and it also doesnt allow for a connected way of living. My goal is to live in an environment similar to the one presented in the article. I want to be able to walk a shirt distance for just about everything, and feel connected within a community and experience its vibrancy. And that is also something I could do, should I ever not be able to drive.
I had a bad health issue a few years ago, and not only couldnt drive, but I also could barely walk. It was a life-changing experience. I could not get anywhere to get groceries, and cab service was not only almost non-existent, but even if I pre-paid the cab driver to wait a set period of time for me to go in the store, and would let him drive off if I failed to meet the timeline, the cab company would not allow it. They required that I call the company again, and given that the area had few cabs, I would have waited 1-2+ hrs for one again, so all of my perishable food would be ruined. I dont live in the hicks. This is just North San Diego county in a very busy suburban area.
More people need to really assess how they live for quality, but also in case of set-backs. And there is a pleasure in being able to walk places when one has time.
I don't want to destroy the romantic, but for me a small fridge and limited storing in my kitchen is pretty hard on me. I'm a single SAHM and have to live on very small money right now. I can either shop once a week and try to put everyhting in my little fridge (what also means half of the time I need something I have to take out half of the stuff, because - of course - it's in the back) or I shop more often. But then you spent a lot more money. You know how it is, one day you have a craving for chocolate, one day for cookies, the next for that special cheese...... and it all goes in your shoppingbag ;-)
To ass since we cant edit. I also tire of hearing about Paris. I have been there and have no desire to go back. In many cities of Europe it is a way of life to be able to shop daily. I cook ahead a lot, bulk cook, freeze produce from the garden, etc and so a large refrig and freezer is important to me., And time is limited. But being able to have both options, to walk somewhere and get most things i need and also be able to drive if I have a large shopping to do, or the weather is bad, etc would be a huge blessing and add to my quality of life.
And some people use CSA's that deliver, so for some of you, check them out. One site is www.localharvest.org
I DO almost daily shopping but not because it's romantic. I have an erratic schedule so I don't like to buy things ahead of time with the opportunity of it spoiling before I can prepare it. My freezer is small and mostly filled with off season veggies or my roommates junk food.
I walk mostly because the Italian Market in Philadelphia is 2 blocks east and whole foods is 3 blocks north, so it would be ridiculous to drive.
Some times I enjoy it but not when I'm trying to be fast or it's hot, cold, rainy, humid, pollen heavy, icy, you get the idea.
I know that this is silly, but I always feel guilty when I go to the store more than once a week. Like I somehow am remiss or negligent for not being organized enough to know that the half an onion sitting in my crisper will not cover all the recipes I am planning on using it in this week. If I only go once a week for a very planned menu, we end up spending less, which is something to keep in mind on a graduate student's very tight budget.
@ ..ZEE -MIS MP! - Moving to a new city is tough, one of the toughest parts is finding all the good markets. If you are in Denver proper, check out Marzyck's Fine Foods (17th and Clarkson), Oliver's Meats (6th and Humbolt (?) ), and Tony's Market (on 9th and Broadway) for meats and cheeses. I know Marzyck's does their best to sell locally raised meats and cheeses. If you are in one of the surrounding suburbs to the west of the city, try Edwards Meats and Gold's in Wheatridge. There are good shops, you just have to ask those around you whose eating tastes are similar to yours.
My husband and I are struggling to be healthy. I got pretty fed up with being sick all the time, so I quit smoking and I watched all those food documentaries like Food Inc. and Forks over Knives. I was outraged to find out what was in conventional food so we decided to go organic and local as much as possible. In order to make up for the large hike in price we shop every couple of days because then we only get what we need and there is no waste. It has been very nice because the Co-op is only a little out of my way home from work. Also it feels like we eat alot more elegantly and wholesome. Dinner is a special time now instead of something we do in front of the tv. We now cook together slowly and talk, then eat at the table. I don't know how french that is, but I am enjoying life alot more than I did. I am alot healthier. I have alot more energy, and walking around the grocery store 2-3 times a week is nice. I have started a blog about trying to be healthy when I am kind of a health dummy. You might find it interesting http://ishappinessspoonfed.wordpress.com/
I live in a small town in Switzerland. Twice a week I walk to the market on the main square of the town, with our 3 children. There we can buy organic vegetables, bread, fresh pasta and many other delicious foods. It is also a very sociable way to shop, we meet many of our friends and aquaintences there. We're conscious that this is a luxury. Luckily markets like this still exist all over Europe.
@ Zee-Mis SP- I really have to beg to differ. I too have spent an extensive period of time in Europe and had learned to love grocery shopping for the very reason that is being highlighted in this article. However, I also currently live in Denver and I don't think that you are giving credit where credit is due. There is a winter market right here in the city where the farmers come every Saturday to sell their product, meat included. Additionally, I buy from a local-family owned butcher shop that sells almost exclusively local, humane product. And lastly, I can think of several sweet little markets and specialty shops that are way more appealing than wally-world. If anything, I think that more progressive cities and towns like Denver, are moving back to that kind of smaller more specialized retail model.
@ EVAREEVES: I see you joined AT just to make that comment. Sooo....where to you live and how do you shop? Please do share :)
that's funny, i was totally picturing berkeley as i was reading this post.
In Germany, we had a Turkish fruit market right below our apartment, and a shoebox-sized fridge. It was fine, but not what I'd want for a lifetime. It seems cute to walk home each day with a loaf of bread and pint of milk, but in reality it's exhausting and time consuming to spend that much of your day just trying to cobble a meal together, waiting in lines to pay etc.
Planning ahead isn't a bad thing, and it frees your time for other things. I'd *love* to live in a walkable/bikeable place. I'd pay real money for the privilege.But they don't design suburban spaces that way. I think the big difference isn't American vs. Europe, but city vs. suburban/country living.
@strundblade - I used to live in Denver and walked to Marzyck's from my apartment quite often; I loved to take friends there when they would visit, just for the sandwiches! I miss all of the places you mentioned...
@dLewsey - I don't live in Denver now...'used to, but we now live in a different area of the country. I loved to shop at the farmers' market within a ten-minute bike ride from my apartment...enjoy the city for me!
If I lived near Berkeley Bowl, there's no way you could keep me from shopping there...I have beautiful dreams of that place and its seventeen varieties of plums, all local...
I'm a member of a large food coop, and one reason we usually do a "big shop" once a week is that the hassle entailed in getting through the crowded aisles and waiting on the ridiculously long lines is too much to bear more than once a week. During the school year, when my husband and I both work, we gird our strength for an hour-and-a-half ordeal once a week and make every effort not to look back for another seven days. During the summer, when we're off, we shop in the Parisian mode, popping in on a slow Tuesday morning to pick up a bunch of cilantro or some apricots, then coming back Wednesday at mid-day for a small hunk of goat Gouda and a leek. If I had the time and schedule, I'd love to do the daily shopping trip year-round!
QUOTE: Planning ahead isn't a bad thing, and it frees your time for other things. I'd *love* to live in a walkable/bikeable place. I'd pay real money for the privilege.But they don't design suburban spaces that way. I think the big difference isn't American vs. Europe, but city vs. suburban/country living.
@ tacit_graffiti: You are correct. (For some reason Americans tend to get carried away with the Parisian/romantic viewpoint. Silly). My dream is to build a suburban place such as you describe. I've had the design on paper for years. 'Course it draws chuckles from the few with whom I've shared it. At present we live in a lil country town (village?) where EVERYthing is less than a 10 min bike ride away. Unfortunately, there's only one grocery which only stocks the basics & a small (minute) organic produce section. They like to brag they support local farmers yet the organic produce is twice the price. Kinda defeats the purpose. And now, living 3 hrs from the city, a CSA is not even an option. We're forced to shop 2X a month & use the local grocery for (less then desireable) perisables.
What about market style shopping in Asia? From friends currently living in France they complain that all of their essentials are so expensive!
When I first moved to Hong Kong I spent a lot of time scouting out for chains of grocery stores, trying to buy items in bulk, grocery shopping 1-2x a week... But after living here for 7 years I have really done away with that style of shopping. I take so much pleasure in building a relationship with the old men and women who have been running their fruit/vegetable/dried food/meat/fish stalls. It's so much more satisfying to buy it from someone, being able to ask which item is best, why, is it in season, how should I cook with this unfamiliar food item?
I visit my markets daily, usually right in the morning before I go to work and cook everything when I get home at night.
When I (rarely) take trips back to the US I am really just so shocked at grocery stores, let alone Costco or Walmart. I get so excited by the variety (10 different TYPES of tortilla chips?!), driving a car to get groceries, and how much of something I can buy... But the novelty wears off quickly, it takes about a week of being home before I'm ready to go back.
I think it all comes down to habit... As someone from the US, it seemed like such a romantic notion buying my fresh items at a market every day. But the reality of it is that I ended up going for what I thought was the more "convenient" choice for about a year. In that year I definitely was pining away for a superstore!
Hi Dana, while I liked your weekend meditations of the oh-look-the-morning-sun-is-shining-on-my-oatmeal variety, this post is really, really great!
I'm heading out to Paris in a month and a couple of friends of mine mentioned Bershka as a good brand to shop from there even though it's a Spanish label. I'm heading out to Paris in a month and a couple of friends of mine mentioned Bershka as a good brand to shop from there even though it's a Spanish label.
I shop every day because I'm not organised enough to plan ahead and freeze/defreeze produce, and because I don't like to spend hours at the supermarket. I don't enjoy trawling the aisles, and I'm usually in and out in 15 minutes. I think you have a romanticised notion of how Europeans shop - I live in the UK, and spend a lot of time in France, where most families we know tend to use the car to do a big shop at the supermarket. My French MIL had 5 fridges (for 2 people!). However, most French people do visit the boulangerie every day for bread and pastries - that's because there is one on practically every street corner. There is perhaps more of a tradition of specialist shops selling pastries, cheese, chocolates, coffee, cured meats, but I don't know many people who shop at these every day - it would be very expensive for a large family! However, many people do still hunt, fish and forage (probably not Parisians, though).
It's not just in Paris or Europe that people shop like that and sadly it's not just in America that folks shop in bulk, but then what's even worse is they throw out billions of dollars worth of food a year because it goes off before they can use it. I lived in Morocco for a year and for that whole time we rarely had a fully stocked fridge, food was bought on a daily basis or as required.
The best thing this taught me was to only buy what we actually need and will use within the week, with 2 small kids and recently going back to work going to the market every day is way too much like hard work, I do however shop at the local market & Aldi and think roughly about what we're going eat for the week and aim to only buy what we'll actually use in the way of fresh fruit & vegies, Fish is purchased on the day we'll eat it and I do keep meat in the freeze and buy it once a month or so.
Fresh bread every week from the baker at the market and the more I do it this way the more I realise we can feed a family of four on a budget (Tight one at that) and still have all the quality things like real coffee, extra virgin olive oil, good cheese etc.
No doubt it's food for thought!
I recently moved to Glasgow, Scotland from suburban California and I was a little concerned about not having farmer's markets all the time and Trader Joe's and a big American fridge... but I love it! There are several grocery stores within 5 minutes walk of my flat and office, plus a butcher, fishmonger, fruit stall, bakeries, and cheese shop. My shopping style has changed dramatically, as I only buy what I can carry and it keeps me from loading up on things that won't get eaten. I was also shocked to realize that I have placed a total of 6 items in the freezer since moving here 4 months ago (and two of those were ice cream). Before the freezer was twice as big and filled to the brim with things that never got eaten.
@afperry22 - have you checked out the Farmer's Market in Wayne? It's an indoor one, and year-round on wednesdays, fridays and saturdays. Not only do they have fantastic produce, but lots of meat selections as well.
Although I live in suburbia and have really good supermarkets close by, my favorite food sources are the little local shops and markets. By the time I wait in line and listen to all the other orders, I know the freshest, best catch at my local fish market - and how to prepare it. Fish market also has fresh baguettes and focaccia from a local baker. Vegetable stand one block away has local honey, fresh grown produce from our area and a friendly, optimistic entrepreneur that is a joy to do business with.
I think what makes shopping every day (or very often) in European cities possible (and not a pain in the a$$) is that everything you need is always a step away. You can literally pick up all the ingredients for dinner in 5 minutes on your walk home from work because the city is planned that way-- grocery stores, open markets, butchers, cheesemongers, etc sprinkled on just about every block. Even the corner convenience stores all sell fruits and vegetables. If my only option was Wal-Mart I would be planning as few trips there as possible too!
That said, there were times when I just really really wanted to drive to whole foods and have everything I needed in one place!!! Hauling a granny cart around Paris and then up 3 flights of stairs for a week straight just to stock up for a party was not that fun ;-)
I have lived in the Philippines, the USA, Germany, and now England. The US is really the only place that was oriented toward shopping once a week-- everywhere else, getting food is just part of the daily routine. I loved getting up before sunrise as a child to go with our helper to the open market to haggle over meats and produce for the day's meals.
Now, I don't have to wake up early to get food, but I do have to make it part of my day. We only have one car, so I walk into town with a market trolley twice week for the open markets. I also go to my butcher twice a week. And, once a week, I visit an upscale grocery store to buy things like chocolate, wine, olive oil, and other items I wasn't able to find. If I wanted to, I could save all of my grocery shopping for the weekend, with the car, but I would have to buy mostly frozen, and way more boxed and canned items-- and it would be much, much more expensive. I like this way of life, but it would be hard if I worked full-time. Also, when it is pouring rain and cold, it really, really sucks to have to wrestle a trolley all the way to town and back.
I shop like this although once a month my neighbors and I have our bulk & basic foods delivered by a local grocery store. In between I stop at a gourmet grocery, Trader Joe's or produce market on my way home for milk, bread, produce. I really like how much time it's freed up for me (about two hours a week running my grocery/drugstore errands and the neighbors report the same). Because I've switched to taking public transit, the delivery works especially well, but even on public transit or walking to the nearest produce market I'm just not willing to haul home junk food so I'm eating far healthier too.
As a life-long New Yorker who has lived in Paris, I find this post pretty amusing. Yes, this shopping style exists in Paris, but it's certainly not the only way people shop. Supermarkets are smaller there, but they still have everything, and when I lived in (central) Paris it was easier and closer to shop at a larger market than run to the butcher, the fishmonger and the bakery (although I would have loved to do that!).
In New York, I probably do more of the "European" shopping you speak of. I think it isn't a question of Europe versus the US; it's a question of living in places where you have to drive everywhere. In other cities across the US (and the world, really), if the urban space is designed for walking, so are businesses like small fruit and vegetable markets. I'm not meaning to beat down the suburbs, but I think it is a reality of a lot of places that are designed for automobiles.
Ehhhh, it's not all ducks and bunnies on the other side of the sea. Sure, it's very very nice to walk around the corner every morning to get a fresh baguette and some pastries for breakfast. I do really miss that. But It's not so nice to have to go to five different places to find shampoo, a bottle of Tylenol, and some diapers. And that 4 out of those 5 places are closed because it's a holiday, or it's after 8:00 pm.
I'm sure I would've gotten accustomed to it if I had to live there, but when I got back from our work trip/vacation, all I wanted to do was run into a Target and hug an employee. I'm sure that's going to sound sacrilegious to some of you, but it's the truth.
I don't really understand how people have time to shop every day, even if they live in the city. I live in a close-in suburb with supermarkets and a weekend farmers' market within walking distance, and I commute to work by subway. Nevertheless, with a full-time job and two small children, I have to get my grocery shopping done at one or two stores on a weekend morning. In the summer, we add usually add a trip to the farmers market and that is a nice way to spend the morning, but it is very time consuming. And, yes, I usually drive to the supermarket. It's tough to lug home groceries for a family of 4 (the gallon of milk alone would do me in.)
We chose our current house in part thinking about ease of shopping by foot, especially as we age. We live in a close-in, kind of urban suburb of Milwaukee (Wauwatosa) and are less than a mile from several grocery stores, a coop, three specialty bakeries, a farmers' market during the warmer months, several pharmacies, two hardware stores, etc. While we still tend to shop weekly (due as much to busy work schedules as anything else) it is nice to have the option to pop out easily without having to get in the car.
I combine almost daily shopping with a large refrigerator and huge, standalone freezer. The best of both worlds.
In a perfect world, I wouldn't have to drive to the good grocery store, the good fishmonger, the good butcher, and the better farmer's market.
Living in brooklyn, sans car, puts us in the "european/urban" way of shopping. There are three grocery stores, two fruit/veggie places within walking distance of my apartment (and I live in a not-so-nice area), and on my lunch break at work I regularly stop at the health food grocery store or other specialty shops near my job. Since I don't always have time to shop daily, carrying even a few days worth of groceries is NOT glamorous. However, I do count myself lucky in the variety of stores and foods that are so easy to get to.
I live in the burbs of NYC and commute everyday, I would love to shop more often but I have the option of shopping in Manhattan and hauling it all on my horrible commute back to suburbia, or driving to the store once home. Neither is a good idea since my day is long and time is short. I would like to move to a city that has a walkable lifestyle (Philly is on the short list right now, since Manhattan is soooo much more expensive), especially since we are at a retirement/new career point in our lives. An article on the best cities/places to lead these lives would be terrific.
I have a car and a big fridge but I do European-style shopping. I'm lucky, though, in the fact that I have a historic market selling high-quality meats, seafood, dairy, and produce just one block away. On Saturday and Sunday there's a farmer's line right outside the market. There's also a nice organic grocery and an olive oil/vinegar shop two blocks away from my house. And two big grocery stores and a couple of good bakeries that I can get to on easily my walk home from work. I always carry a few reusable bags with me in case I think of something that I need to pick up-- although that's gotten me in trouble when I accidentally bought more than I could comfortably carry!
I live a nice quick walk from Union Square's Green Market, yet I still lug home bags and bags from TJs & Whole Foods bi-weekly. I pick up odds & ends from the green market or a natural food store across the street. I am very much a meal planner when I am cooking at home, so its important I already have all the ingredients before I lose motivation!
I am glad that works for you but that wouldn't work where I live. :( I wish we could rework our zoning laws to make cities more friendly to those not using cars since not everyone lives in an area where we can walk to our grocery store.
Of course, I don't want to give up my fridge that holds my own garden harvests since the local "farmers markets" are more expensive than buying organic at the local supermarket.
@madrid22 I'd do a little more research if I were you concerning living in Philly; it might be a 'walkable' city but in many sections there's no guarantee that you'll get there in one piece.
i live in the northeast us. i have lived urban, suburban and rural. right now, in a small n.e. town just outside of boston, i shop daily. i have spent quite a bit of time in paris and lots of other parts of france for that matter, but that is not why i shop everyday.
i shop everyday because i just can't seem to plan for more meals than that. i prefer to think of myself as european rather than a poor planner.
@ariana m - your comment made me laugh (fondly)! Where did you live in England? My English grandmother - she grew up in wartime London and is a lady who knows what she wants! - needs help doing her shopping these days. Two different aunts live nearby-ish and are absolute saints dealing with her persnickety shopping habits, but the one that frustrates them the most is her absolute refusal to do any shopping on a day other than a Friday! If they are both busy of a Friday she will refuse their offer to take her to do her shopping earlier in the week, preferring to take an (expensive) taxi or two different buses to the nearest supermarket on her usual day. The one-big-shop-a-week rule definitely applies to her.
@zee mis mpi. Really? You are living in Denver and shopping for groceries in WMart? What about HMart for the freshest fish and sea food in town, Arash and Greek groceries for the best quality fruits and veggies (and the best prices), German stores for bread and cold cuts, Russian stores for French cheese, Belgium chocolates and also cold cuts (real caviar too) ? Is it going to take time to drive? Yes, it will, but I doubt it will be less if you have to walk few block to the underground station from work, change the train couple of times, and walk another block (even if the three stores you are going to visit are just next to your apartment building). I lived the life when you shop every day in small amounts - have no desire to go back.
mmmm, berkeley bowl (west), I love it so much. When it first opened, I went there almost every day. However, my lack of meal planning meant a lot of wasted food because the produce looks amazing and I bought things that looked good but didn't fit with my meal-making skills. I still go there for amazing produce, but I plan my meals for the week and limit my trips to once on the weekend for a big purchase and once mid-week for replenishing bread and fragile produce.
It's also difficult to graze/shop every day if you work a lot. I am usually stuck at work from 8:30 am until 6 pm, so it's much less stressful to go directly home and know what I'm going to cook than being forced to make a stop because there's nothing in the house to make for dinner. Some people can show up at the store or market and visualize delicious meals in their heads, but at the end of a long day, I end up coming home with some random veg, an overpriced kombucha and ice cream.
I don't like shopping. I don't think anything about it is romantic or appealing. I don't want to do it every day, or even every other day. I have a lot going on in my life, and if I get to be home in my sanctuary, that's where I'm going. I want everything there, waiting for me - so shopping is once (maybe twice) a week. More than that would make me mental.
@Cesh_005-- I am now living in Bury St. Edmunds, a small town between Cambridge and Norwich. That is really funny about your grandmother! We have one like that back in the US... I imagine that, for older generations, the idea of going to just ONE place, once a week must feel like a real luxury. Maybe it seems crazy to go shopping every day like they used to, when you can get away with one-stop-shopping. Interesting!
I'm living in a small town in the north of the Netherlands. I don't go shopping every day. Yes, it's possible, but it's way more expensive. You are likely to spend more if you go often. Besides that I don't have the time. I know many people around here who are shopping once a week and not every day. If I had more time and money I would visit more markets, but for now it's just not possible..
Here in Europe, especially the part I live in (UK) distances are far smaller than in the US. I live in very south eastern UK (Canterbury, Kent) so I can travel to northern France via the Channel Tunnel quicker than it is for us to drive to London. There are about 12 local towns in a 30 minute car trip range. The local produce thing is a growing trend for us here and getting easier to source and buy local produce. Though some of it is at premium prices. We are also lucky that supermarkets/ grocery stores here tend to be of good quality and there is a lot of choice (atleast 6 here in C/bury). We have national and local box schemes companies for organic and/or local veg. I have shopped in france quite a bit, and where the traditional shops remain they are fantastic BUT a village boulangerie (bread shop) near where we stay in Normandy has been lost in the past couple of years and this is becoming a growing trend in some areas of France, as it did here in the UK over the past few decades. Please don't think you miss out on the open market experiences, not all are great and not all the items are at the peak of freshness as we have discovered. I think the true 'Parisian' ethos is to shop wisely with in the resources, time and and your personal tastes. Make the best of what you have. :)
I, too, love the idea of shopping daily or every other day for just what I'm going to eat. This saves money because I don't end up throwing food out. While I don't love the grocery store, I don't mind running in for a couple things while I'm already out walking around town. I live only 5 blocks from the grocery store, and there are several markets I frequent weekly. I love love love shopping like this! My husband hates it. He hates the grocery store, but there's only the two of us so it's so silly to load up a whole cart of junk that we shouldn't be eating anyway full of preservatives, etc.
It's nice to shop for what I want, when I want it and just eat it fresh. I hate leftovers, I won't eat them and neither will my husband so I just prepare meals as we are hungry. However, I also do not make meals every day that are super involved. I save that for a lazy weekend day with friends. There are so many delicious "meals" that don't involve hours of cooking. Every meal isn't intended to be some amazing culinary experience. Food is fuel, yet still should be delicious! Something as simple as avocado mashed on toast and an apple makes a wonderfully simple quick lunch.
One of my dream purchases is a small Smeg fridge... Ah.... one day....
It's an interest idea, even a cute one (the lady in the chic trench coat, the nicely accessoricized shopping bag on wheels) .... but:
It would not appeal to me at -20 C or at near or over + 40 C (when humidity is factored in).
Second, I work till 5 pm and even though my trip home is some measly 13 km, it takes me roughly 25-30 minutes.
Third, walking while shopping is not considered exercise. I forgot how this was explained but I read it more than once.
Fourth, this would take at least 30 minutes a day. I don't have the additional 30 minutes - I prefer to take my dogs for a walk for 30 minutes (which would count as excercise).
Fifth, I prefer to cook in big batches so that I have leftovers & lunches for work etc.
If I add the time that would be consumed by daily cooking - this would be doable only if I gave up my full time job.
I shop this way and I live in Texas (shocker!) Granted, I did make the purposeful decision to live within walking distance of a small grocery store, but I live equally close to three other supermarkets I could drive to. I actually prefer the "walk 5 minutes and buy cheese for dinner" method because it allows me to indulge my lazy side! This way I don't really have to plan out my meals. When I get home from work I think about what I'd like for dinner... If I don't have the ingredients on hand, I walk over and buy them, then quickly whip it up. That way I don't have to decide on Sunday afternoon what I'll be eating on Friday night, and instead I can wing it!
We could have this more accessible in America if people just started demanding it. There's a reason why all natural and "green" products are being offered by more companies now!
We do a combo of both, I strive not to stock the fridge. There's a couple weekend farmers markets in walking distance and a really awesome farmers market that we have to drive to, which we do occasionally. We also have a grocery store about a block away, so we walk there about every other day. Confession though, we're costco members. The deals on cheese there are ridiculous!
@engineergirl, I'm pretty sure you live in my 'hood!
WEGMANS (If you live in the northeast mid-atlantic). Large grocery with specialty shops like pastery, butcher, local produce, organic. *love. There's a reason it' tops the Consumer Reports list.
The farmers markets near here (central NJ) open next month and I can't wait - spring is finally here! These markets seem to be more plentiful and really organized compared to a decade ago and am so thankful for the folks/merchants that set up shop every week.
All of you that have to shop for food on a daily basis will never survive a zombie apocalypse. I'll bet you don't have guns and ammo either.
I lived in a very small (and extremely old) village in England on and off for 10yrs and the only way to shop was to go to the butcher, or bread and cheese shop, or the veg and fruit shop DAILY. The reason was twofold, there was no other major store to go to (only very small general grocery store), and food was expensive and we could not afford to lay out, at one time, enough cash for a weeks worth of food. It was great getting something fresh every day for the evening meal, but at the same time it was a very time consuming affair as well.
If you have a car-oriented lifestly, you can still shop almost every day as long as you're willing to drive, especially if a grocery store is on your work commute route. The Parisian feel is not about frequency of trips but about the built, pedestrian-scale environment. If more people chose to live in urban areas AND grocery stores adjusted their business model slightly so that they're not only located near a highway interchange, you'd get more of a Euorpean shopping experience. Buy local
there's a limit to how much pleasure piecemeal shopping can give you. when i first got to nyc i discovered the shopping mall's greatest virtue is consolidation of so many outlets in one place. it's exhausting to chase retailers all over town, even in a city with so many outlets of the same stores. and then all the time spent in lines... i live within a block brooklyn fare market and also four corner markets. that puts me halfway between a key foods and pathmark. the best deals are usually at key foods and pathmark. but the lines at pathmark are usually pretty robust. any weeknight it's packed. sometimes the idea of going there, shopping and then walking the 10 minutes home is just too much.
i used to pull out a cart every sunday, go to target and pathmark, haul my groceries home, then go the opposite direction to the produce markets on court street and get fruit and veggies. nowadays, i just don't find that energy very often.
Re: your comment "I live up a hill, nearly a mile from the nearest decent grocery store, so food shopping everyday just isn't practical." My Mom (who lives in Germany) used to do exactly that and she managed to feed a family of six that way (supplemented by occasional trips by car to stock up on heavy items on the weekend). And yes, she also worked. Sadly, the store is closing because all of the other fabulous Europeans in her neighborhood would rather drive to a big box supermarket then walk to this small independently owned one. Sound familiar? She considered the walk her daily dose of exercise. @CANADIANMANGO - walking while shopping is not considered exercise because you aren't doing much walking (think browsing stores at the mall), walking TO the shops is just as much exercise as walking your dogs.
To me, the European shopping experience is about quality - not frequency or even walkability. Why do we have to have so much prepackaged crap in the supermarkets? Why do we need 5000 sugary cereals? And all of those other things with ingredients you can't pronounce? It is so much easier to get good quality breads, meats, cheeses in Europe but I am working on finding good stuff here (anybody ever been to Karl's Sausage Kitchen in Saugus, MA? Best sausages and lunch meat! Plus, lots of German candies). Sigh.
Sausages and lunch meat > sugary cereal
Heartily agree with HHRI. Unless you're lucky enough to live in a rural community (I was for 10 years), you can't escape prepackaged crap here in the States ... Even in so-called health food stores! It is sad.
I don't think any style or frequency of shopping is inherently superior to any others--what matters to me is the quality of food I am buying and how my habits fit into my overall life. To get the food I want--local, organic, pasture-raised dairy, eggs, and meat; as well as local and organic produce--my husband and I visit our favorite farmers market on Saturday mornings for the eggs, meat, bread, and dairy (and sometimes fresh caught fish). Then Sunday mornings we pick up our CSA co-op veggies at a local cafe, where we also enjoy coffee and conversation.
Each is a bit too far to walk, but even if they were the next block over, they would only be available once a week. I live close enough to both a typical American grocery store and a smaller natural foods-style grocery store to walk to either or both daily, but until I stop working full time, daily shopping doesn't sound romantic to me, and they can't provide what my weekly routine provides. I don't wish it was different. We've made grocery shopping into a leisurely, fun weekend tradition. Turning chores into a date is pretty fantastic. This is what works best for us, now. Hooray for food!
@HHRI We do have our fair share of "prepackaged crap" here in Europe, particularly the UK. In countries like France, Spain and Italy, the difference may be that people value and feel more connection with their traditional foods, and are willing to either pay more or spend more time sourcing (even foraging for) great ingredients like wild mushrooms, great olive oil, free-range poultry, or locally line-caught fish. It's not that 'convenient' if you have to spend half a day looking for wild mushrooms, and then a couple of hours cleaning them with a brush. But they are often expensive to buy at the market, so that is what many people do!
I realize that The Kitchn's readership is largely American, but I too get sick of the Paris equals Europe thing. You can shop at small fruit/vegetable markets, local butchers/fishmongers ANYWHERE in Europe and in MOST of the world. I currently live in Barcelona, where I have at least four fruit/vegetable vendors on my block that yes, I do frequent everyday for things like tomatoes, bananas, lemons, etc. But I've also lived in Chile, Colombia and Ecuador and in all of these countries as well you have fruterias (small fruit/vegetable markets), local panaderias (local bakeries to buy fresh bread every day) and small butcher shops and fish shops.
Paris does not equal Europe. And just because they do something in Paris, that doesn't make it Parisian.
I have moved to southern France from Britain and the big difference I found is that shopping is part of what the French consider as social contact. True, there are supermarkets and even hypermarkets, but I know and exchange small talk with any one of the six cashiers in my local supermarket - whereas in Kensington (London) I watched people, often on their mobile phones, conduct the whole check-out operation without a word or even eye contact with the cashier. Here everyone says Hello, Goodby, Have a nice day and to not do so would be considered very discourteous.
Shopping can be more leisurely but still efficient, larger towns have daily markets, and even villages a market once or twice per week. Paris is large but each 'quartier' has its local shops and devoted customers. And the big supermarket chains are now introducing more local branches, including a widening range of organic choices.
Most actual Parisians I know shop at the outdoor market once a week and get the rest of their groceries delivered. By motorbike from Monoprix, the big supermarket. They do go to the bakery at least once a day for bread, though.
The romantic ideal of daily shopping isn't a reality for working professionals in France any more than it is in the US. Professional Parisians tend to work until at least 7 or 8pm...who is at home to do this daily shopping? This also explains the hyper-popularity of Piccard, the high end frozen food chain. there are always lines of mothers picking up prepared frozen soups or other convenience foods.
If you really want to find this romantic ideal of daily shopping you need to look to the smaller cities or villages where the cost of life is less expensive and people don't work as many hours.
@MARID22 I just moved to center city Philly and I think it is awesome. farmer's market at Rittenhouse weekly, TJ's a couple of blocks from me, and random bakeries/delis/produce shops to fill in the gaps. It blows my mind that we can live in such a great neighborhood for so little rent (I came from LA).
one caveat...while rittenhouse is amazing in a yuppie-ish way, if you're looking anywhere else in philly, be careful of your 'hood. much of the rest of the city (though not all of course) is actually really scary, and even the nicer blocks can be too close for (my) comfort to the danger zones. good luck with your plans!
This is a very city way of living. This is how I shopped when I lived in SF. Saturday or Sunday was an all day thing. I would hit the Farmer's Market out on Alemany, hit the butcher in Bernal Heights and the cheese shop in Cole Valey. All worked me back home using public transit. I still do this in Alameda (East Bay), but I am more limited. I have a produce shop and a butcher, but have yet to find good charcuterie or cheese.
To start with an aside, I value my mental health too much to go to Berkeley Bowl everyday.
I prefer to stock up on grains and staples in one big monthly-ish trip and then stop by the mid-week farmers markets and the butcher in Rockridge after work to get 1-3 days worth of meals at a time. When I'm not eating vegetarian I'll roast a chicken or a pork loin and incorporate the leftovers into my meals for days. I've never really thought about this as being either [un]American or European, its just the way I want to eat. And I live in an area that allows me to do this, that's probably the biggest factor in why I do what I do.
It seems from many of these comments as well as my own experience that it's about the car culture / city design where you live. Naturally in cities many people don't drive, so it becomes a matter of buying only what you can carry & tote home on foot, or bicycle. This is the case for me; although my city is very small, the grocery & market options are plentiful, and I do almost all of my shopping on foot, or tag along with a friend who has a car for a bigger stock-up. Still I find it tiring to shop daily, and prefer a weekly schedule.