As part of the FoodBuzz community, we occasionally get the opportunity to sample free products. In the case of Asian Food Grocer we were given $30 worth of credit to use on the site to buy whatever we wanted. If you live in a city with a nice Chinatown then you know that the prices are waaaay cheaper than Asian products at specialty food stores. I was happy to see that the prices at Asian Food Grocer were in line with Chinatown prices, so $30 went a long way. I got tons of noodles, sauces, canned wheat gluten, and even some small serving bowls (what you see above is only a small part of it). If you don’t have a good Chinatown where you live, I’d recommend moving to a place where there is one. If, for whatever reason, you’re not willing to move, Asian Food Grocer could be a good alternative.

I’ve been cooking a lot with broccoli lately. For some reason it pairs insanely well with lemon juice — if you saute the broccoli, season with salt and pepper, then add some lemon juice and cook it for a minute, you’ve got something versatile and delicious. Instead of parmesan cheese, try topping it with breadcrumbs. They’ll soak up all of the salty, lemony goodness. And don’t forget to peel and use the stems as well.

If you are a fan of the Market Watch posts check out my Farmer’s Market Examiner column.

I know I’ve written about Brussels sprouts before, but these on-stalk sprouts at the Union Square Greenmarket were too good to pass up. Some people don’t like the bitter flavor, but these mini cabbages really do it for me. Recently I made a dish from a recipe sent to me by my mom that combined Brussels sprouts with apricots and nuts — the contrast between sweet and salty, as well as the texture contrasts, really made the dish.

Way back in May I got an email from Stonyfield Farm asking me whether I wanted to try a free sample of their new product, an organic Greek yogurt they called Oikos. I love yogurt, and I love free stuff, so of course I said yes. They sent me several coupons for a free tub of the yogurt. It was a good move for them to send coupons — I’m sure the cost of shipping a refrigerated package of yogurt would be prohibitively expensive. It was also a bad move for me, since I rarely go to the grocery store. Finally, here in the middle of October and the coupon’s expiration date rapidly approaching, I went and picked up my free yogurt. So how was it?

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This is the time of year that leafy greens and root vegetables dominate the market. I thought I’d highlight the humble carrot, a vegetable we often take for granted. If you think about it though, carrots have made their way into just about every cuisine around the world. In fact, according to the Carrot Museum (road trip anyone?) they may have been domesticated way back in the 10th century.

I got up early to buy some stinging nettles at the Union Square Greenmarket last week (the previous week they were sold out by the time I got there). Take a good look at the close-up of the stinging nettles above and you can really see how they got their name. You have to boil them before eating them to avoid stinging yourself, and then you can do whatever you’d like with them. They don’t have a lot of flavor, but they do have an almost minty, herbal finish. I thinkone of the best reasons to eat stinging nettles is just the thrill of eating something so local and seasonal, something that’s only available for a couple of weeks a year.