Just returned from an expedition to the Chinese Market and put this gorgeous bunch of Thai basil in a glass of water for preservation.  Basil should never be refrigerated – it quickly turns black and limp, but when treated like a bunch of freshly cut flowers, the leaves will retain their turgor and might even develop roots for later planting.

It was not as bustling as usual today at midday, so there was no jockeying for a parking space or shopping cart, very quick and easy in and out now that I know my way around the endless aisles.  Today’s bounty totaled $58.41, filled two of my gigantic shopping bags, and contained some better-than-usual bargains:

2 kinds of soy sauce, 5 lbs of jasmine rice, roasted sesame seeds, 3 English cucumbers (for $1.99!), large bottle of Japanese sesame oil, yellow Campari tomatoes, lemon grass, cilantro, mint, Thai basil, thyme, radishes, Italian parsley, green beans, Taiwan cabbage, 2 bags of egg noodles, red potatoes, snow peas, and 2 dozen jumbo eggs from Mitlitsky egg farm in Lebanon CT.  And, 3 giant shallots so large I mistook them for red-skinned potatoes and put them in the fridge by mistake.

We’ll be shifting gears from Italian to Southeast Asian cuisine over the next week or so.  Now that the snow has melted enoughy to expose our stove vent outside, I can actually use the broiler again.  But no grilling in the foreseeable future…it’s snowing again!