It's always helpful to see what a chef buys at Costco, particularly items which can substitute for premium priced products and where chefs can use store-bought to substitute for from scratch items. Thanks for educating us.
Yeah I hate watching all these RUclips chefs using super expensive ingredients. It’s nice to know a talented chef buys his groceries at a regular store like regular folks.
I love this because you have been a successful restaurateur and cook book author and at the end of the day you buy the same things that we buy at costco.
For lemons, I often juice them and freeze the juice in silicon ice cube trays. Also, preserved lemons are very handy to have on hand and last mysteriously long refrigerated. I also freeze the peels, removed with a vegetable peeler, because there is so much flavor there and so many dishes profit from some chopped peel.
You can also freeze whole citrus. Very easy to grate the zest off when frozen, then after a short time on the counter they are thawed enough to squeeze (or microwave slightly)
I do this too with juice, and also freeze some peels whole to later make into candied peel, then freeze the rest as zest. Basically just buy a whole load of lemons and spend a couple hours processing them all and you save yourself so much hassle in the future months.
We used to buy that popcorn from Costco but in Los Angeles they don’t have it in our warehouses anymore. Now we get the 7-8lb Orville Redenbacher online from Amazon. Much better deal than supermarkets. Have you tried popping on the stovetop with EVOO and some Flavacol? It’s our “go-to”! 🍿
I love that Kenji with as much experience and knowledge of food and cooking as he has is still pretty down to earth when it comes to the ingredients he buys. No real sign of pretention where he only purchases the most quality of ingredients shipped from around the world.
Just what I was thinking. I love that he's a world class chef, but still uses Kirkland brands and isn't afraid to admit he sometimes uses pre-packaged ingredients instead of from scratch. One of the reasons I love him so much.
Kenji shops like us mere mortals. Note the tip on household harmony: when you use the last pound of ground, beef replace it with three pounds. Also a delight to see the care for his family's tastes (well, at least his daughter's) and patterns at this stage of their lives.
4:38 I used to work for Ardent Mills (the flour you bought)! Great company based in Denver CO. I was part of their shipping & operations team for an internship and was very impressed with their standard of excellence in their products. Hope you enjoy!
This is the first video I have seen of you on your channel (not just as a guest on another person´s channel) and I LOVE your outro! So lovely to see our nonbinary pals included in your farewell!
I'm upset he didn't mention it right away and waited until he got to another cheese to talk about government controlled cheeses! A LOT of people will incorrectly state that you can't get good Parmigiano Reggiano in the US. You can. That brand is PDO certified Parmigiano Reggiano from Italy. My local Walmart carries it, for christ's sake, yet I keep seeing "people who identify as an Italian" say that you can't buy PDO cheese in the US. It's infuriating.
Ha, I thought the same thing when I saw the label of the Gruyère. That’s the real deal imported from Switzerland, and it’s available in an American supermarket without any fanfare! Outrageous!
@@swisski Is the reputation of our grocery stores really *that* bad? I hear the jokes about "american cheese" but figured people knew there was also a normal variety. edit to add: this has changed somewhat even during my lifetime. Some of the imported cheese would have been legitimately hard to find where/when I grew up, but now it's common to see imported cheese in regular supermarkets
We're Costco addicts. Plus, Costco is just amazing. Pro tip: their pharmacies are top notch & you don't need to be a member to use them. They're less expensive than most other pharmacies & you'll get WAY better service! No long hold times, staff that actually cares... it's a gem that we've come to love in our 15 years of membership.
@marybratton5514 YEP! And at a fraction of the cost. At one point my kiddo & our dog were taking the same dosage of the same med. We all got a chuckle.
Yuppers. My insurance co. just let me know that Costco is in their network and that the one prescription that I currently refill is free there. Pretty cool.
Same here. My wife and I love feta, and the Costco one is the only fresh one we can find reliably. It's a little tough to finish before the brine gets funky, but we've never wasted more than half a brick. One thing we like to do is crumble some of it up, and smash burger patties into the crumbled cheese. Sear them up, serve them on a burger bun with tzatziki and various gyro toppings, and you have a delicious burger..
The Bologna producers all say Costco is the best place to get Parm in the states, due to how they package it (airtight) and the quantity they deal with (for freshness).
I read on America's test kitchen that most chicken stock you purchase is made from a concentrate like Better Than Bouillon. So, you can just use the BTB and save money and storage space.
I use Better than bullion, but hate all the different jars taking up refrigerator space. I still keep shelf stable containers of stock for soups and such.
BTB is very good and I know they make a lower sodium version but so wish they made a salt-free version for time when I am reducing a liquid and even a small amount makes the final product too salty.
I love BTB and always have it on hand, but I have started moving over to a liquid concentrate that I found that I really like from a brand called Kitchen Accomplice. I think that the BTB probably tastes a little better when making a lot of stock (although I haven't done a blind test yet), but I love how convenient it is to add a squirt of the liquid stuff when using small amounts.
Watched this last night and went to Costco this morning. And saw Kenji at Costco with a shopping cart full. As I went through the aisles, I noticed that many items mentioned were on the end caps but I resisted.
Hey Kenji, curious why the Better than Bullion chicken AND the chicken stock? Do you use them both for different applications? I stopped buying regular chicken stock after I discovered BtB and wondering if I'm missing something.
I think he's mentioned it in other videos but they get used in combination. Store bought stock as the base and the BtB or even just bouillon cubes added in to bump up the flavors.
@@drtbanthaI only buy low sodium everything. I’m supposed to be on a low sodium diet, plus I can always add if I need to. (I usually bump up spices and black pepper instead ;))
@@drtbantha True. I've been a fan of B&B for years... but if you wanted to reduce a broth made with it, it will get too salty. I usually have a jar of my own stock that is unsalted, but a freezer can only hold so much, and it takes a long time to defrost a quart. I'm going to check out this one that Kenji bought and see if it makes life easier.
I can’t decide if I am a bigger costco fan or kenji fan and my wife makes fun of me for it. I think her eyes rolled into the back of her head when she saw the notification for this video pop up on my phone 😂
We love the small "artisan" romaine heads at costco, each small head good for an entree salad for two. Buying produce at Costco can lead to spoilage before finishing things, but we always get through these and they're good and there's little waste.
Love those capers, but they take up too much room in the fridge (I need a huge fridge for all the goodies I keep in there). Now I’m into their olives.. yum!
I was super surprised the first time I came across that ground Wagyu. It's good stuff, just watch out. It's 75/25, so have a strainer or some extra paper towels ready to get rid of the lake of grease.
My Yugoslavian grandma absolutely loved that Kirkland Signature feta if that is any kind of indication. If you're in Seattle and looking for a larger variety of fetas and specialty Mediterranean foods you should check out Big John's PFI in the ID if you haven't already
The parm is a long,long standing screaming deal.Ditto on the EVOO and Better than Bouillon.Two other items we go exclusively for are whole bean coffee and butter as well as too many to list.
Didn’t know about shelf stable milk. Lemons - what a good price. Just recently learned to keep extra lemons covered with filtered water in fridge. They last for many weeks. Thanks Kenji. We live very near Seattle and have been enjoying your Seattle focused videos
If you like the Oberto stuff, give the Lil Landjaeger from Bavarian Meats a try. Great little smokey sausages. They're also a local company (based in Kent, but they used to have a store near Pike Place).
Oberto used to be from Seattle but the family business was sold to a Canadian conglomerate a few years ago. That’s why they have the weasel word “Est.” in front of Seattle on the packaging. They shut down the factory store that used to be on Rainier Ave near I-90 around the same time. Not sure if they kept any production in the Seattle area. Oberto was one of many Italian American family businesses and farms that were established in the “garlic gulch”, Rainier Valley, back in the early part of the 20th century. RIP Borachinni’s Bakery. If you haven’t been to Big John’s PFI in their new digs on Rainier & Dearborn , you should check it out. Imported foods, great cheese counter, good selection of bulk flours and interesting ingredients. There’s underground parking accessible from the alley half a block east of Rainier.
Oberto still has a production facility/warehouse and a factory store in Kent. You can see the warehouse from 167, and sometimes even smell the sausages being made. The aroma is MADDENING. 🤤
@@nokatenoThere's nothing unusual or particularly risky safety wise with "that area". The 7, 9, and 106 stop right in front of the building. If you're not comfortable with riding public transit, there's an underground parking lot.
If you want a good quality flour that you can use for all types of baking, Cairnspring Mills is located in Burlington (about 45 minutes north of Seattle) and they supply for bakeries like Tartine & Macrina. You can order a 50# bag and pick it up on Saturdays.
@@jamiecallahan1911 all I remember is that it is an AP flour blend and I believe it’s a 50# bag. I emptied out my bag into a container a few months ago so I don’t have the bag anymore.
Great point about cheese pricing! I usually buy what I can find on sale when it is on sale, but sometimes you just need Feta, or Gruyère, or Parmesan, and you just can’t wait for it to go on sale.
They can also be frozen whole and zested straight from frozen. I zest what I need and put the frozen lemon back in the freezer. If I need juice, I'll zest, then let the lemon thaw and juice it. they thaw out pretty fast and freezing them whole keeps the flesh from getting freezer burn. The peel has enough oil in it to protect the zest from freezer burn.
I frickin' love my Whirley Pop. I don't like single use kitchen gadgets that are that size, but I use it 2x+ a week and it basically sits out on the back burner 24/7. In my quest for better than theater popcorn I've found that the best kernels are the white ones. They're smaller, more tender, and while not "hull less" they're about as close as I've found. Popping in coconut oil, topping with Flavacol and a drizzle of melted ghee rounds it all out. So good.
❤ Excited for the podcast! I love That’s It fruit bars; they are one of the few bars I’ll buy. Strong burst of fruit flavor and few ingredients. Thanks for sharing your Costco haul.
Glad to see more people enjoying NA beer, they've been improving lately by leaps and bounds, and the more profitable they get the more they'll improve. Like, to be clear I still enjoy drinking regular beer, wine, and whiskey. But, as I get older I'm noticing it's just about as satisfying after my kids go to sleep to wind down with an NA beer, just for the flavor and bubbles. Plus it's better for my belly and my liver.
Same here. I don't like drinking water with dinner, so often times NA beer fits the bill. The options are much much better than they were 2-3 years ago
♥️♥️♥️ this Costco haul, we’ve been waiting for this, thanks Kenji! Our family loves MONCHEGO CHEESE best price of course at Costco. KIRKLAND GRASSFED BUTTER, pasture eggs, frozen fruits & vegetables, BIBIGO BEEF MANDU 🥟 so good, just some of our Costco staple.
I like the packages of chicken thighs and drumsticks. I don't recall seeing those in Canada. I'll have to check for them though as I always have to re-package the chicken I buy from Costco.
WOW Kenji, I buy much of the same products from Costco...!! Mind you, Canadian Costco doesn't have exactly the same products or packaging, but still, love Costco... Cheers, from Vancouver...!
I love to get the Arlo Havarti cheese at CC, and I forgot to grab some Gruyère when I was there a week ago! It melts like a dream. Yrs ago a Fella at the cheese counter at Giant Eagle turned me on to Gruyère and I never looked back😋.
The sheep’s milk feta is quite excellent. It’s hard to find reasonably priced sheep’s milk feta, not to mention Greek sheep’s milk feta. We use it all the time for the uni feta pasta.
Kenji making a big chunk beef chilli is the most exciting news here for me. One of my favourite dishes and I'm yet to find a truly great recipe for it. (That doesn't involve a TON of effort and washing up!)
With cheese blocks that size what's your preferred storage method. I have some airtight glass tupperware and generally dedicate one of them to all cheeses I have unfinished. Any better way?
Fascinating view into somonne else's shopping trolley I'm in the UK (so my comments are UK CostCo) but I'be used my card in US CostCo's and (if I recall) one in Sydney .. any way Cheese - absolutely - big wheels of French Brie, Grand Pedano is my preference to Parmeggiano (cheaper and still good flavour) and Halloumi. What I did not see were paper goods... we buy kitchen paper towels and bathrookms towels. So cheap - but we have storage. Vegetables I sometimes get the big packs of onions and garlic but you need to stay on top of them. French onion soup in an emergency where they are starting to look 'old'. Oil.. yeah their olive oil is good but their choosen foods Avocado oil is brilliant. That is my go to high temp oil... I also always get Lavazza coffee beans and cat litter and so on.
A lot of people are asking this, and I honestly think that there are different applications for each. Bear in mind, Kenji specifically said that he likes keeping the quart containers around for soups, and I'm on the same page with him here. I personally wouldn't want to waste 1-2 quarts worth of BtB on a soup like creamy asparagus or Toscana, where the quality of the chicken stock is really inconsequential, so that's when I reach for the cartons, especially if my frozen homemade cubes are running low, and I don't want to waste a half gallon of it in one go. But maybe something like a curry or a chili, you might go with the BtB because the flavor can be more concentrated or appreciated in that application.
Curious why you don't make stock from the better than bouillon, and opt for cartons of stock? Great video, always helpful for me as a family home cook even when you're just talking through a grocery haul.
Hey @JKenjiLopezAlt I too love popcorn as a snack. I have a Nordic Ware microwave popcorn popper that I use the Orville's in and it works very well. After it is done I spray the popped kernels with spray coconut oil and whatever herb or seasoning that I want and toss it in a bowl. You can use yeast, dried herbs, ranch dressing mix, or sometimes I will use my barbecue rub. Do what you like!
While making your own stock is best, I find many chicken stocks from the grocery store are basically water. Is Kirkland the brand you like best? So far kettle fire bone broth is the best I’ve found
Speaking of lemonade, I highly recommend State Fair lemonade. Chef John has an excellent recipe which involves making an oleo saccharum with the sugar and zest, and it is hands down the best lemonade I have ever tasted.
Agree! that recipe changed how I usually make it. If you use citric acid powder to make an oleo citrate, you don't even need to juice the lemons (although it is in your interest to do so) and you can make a ton of lemonade from just as few lemons that has a nice bright flavor.
YESSS!!! When Kenji said lemonade, that's the first thought I had as well. Really does taste like state fair lemonade, and my wife always asks me to make batches in the summer to bottle up for a picnic. I'd tweaked his recipe a touch, and here's what I go with now: Lemonade Makes about 750ml - [ ] 3 lemons (about 440g) - [ ] Sugar - 110g - [ ] Water - 325g - [ ] Ice - 275g Peel lemon zest in thin ribbons, being careful not to take off pith (about 35g+). Place in bowl with the sugar and mix to combine. Cover and let sit for at least 12 hours. Transfer sugar/zest mixture to pot and cover with water. Bring to just below simmer. Stir to dissolve sugar. Fill pitcher with ice. Strain hot water into pitcher, and push on zest to squeeze lemon oils out. Stir to help the ice melt and cool down mixture. Once mixture is cooled, juice the lemons (≈150g-160g) and add the juice to pitcher.
I love Québec! I go a few times a year and make sure to stock up my freezer with bread and pastries when I return home. Not to mention the nice local cheese!
We love the Kirkland Organic Greek Feta. We used to buy Dodoni brand from Costco but they stopped carrying it during the pandemic. The Kirkland is very close in quality imo.
Hey Kenji that savings on lemon are no joke. But what can we do to preserve them or save them efficiently so we can use them in the future. I've been aware of Moroccan style but it always seems so time consuming. Any tips? Thanks dude and welcome to THE PNW we love having you and your family here.
Been using the Ardent Mills APF from costco ever since pandemic. So far no issues at all. I get the 50# bag sometimes, especially in baking season before the holidays!
I went to Costco alone ONCE. I had a list. It was written by She Who Runs My World. I was doing fine. I was following the list and getting stuff and then one single line caused much joy and happiness...for me, "snacks"...I am no longer allowed to go to Costco without an adult.
@JKenjiLopezAlt Hi :) I had a question about the olive oil- are you worried about the plastics of the bottle getting into the oil during storage? Who knows how long its had to sit on a shelf somewhere leeching into your oil. I try to buy glass only, which my Costco sometimes has, albeit in smaller bottles.
I shed a tear when I saw the guava. I grew up eating guava, but have yet to find really good ones. I've since moved from FL and now it's impossible. Yet, here you are with some good looking guavas out in the PNW. 😭😭
A lot of people are asking this, and I honestly think that there are different applications for each. Bear in mind, Kenji specifically said that he likes keeping the quart containers around for soups, and I'm on the same page with him here. I personally wouldn't want to waste 1-2 quarts worth of BtB on a soup like creamy asparagus or Toscana, where the quality of the chicken stock is really inconsequential, so that's when I reach for the cartons, especially if my frozen homemade cubes are running low, and I don't want to waste a half gallon of it in one go. But maybe something like a curry or a chili, you might go with the BtB because the flavor can be more concentrated or appreciated in that application.
A lot of people are asking this, and I honestly think that there are different applications for each. Bear in mind, Kenji specifically said that he likes keeping the quart containers around for soups, and I'm on the same page with him here. I personally wouldn't want to waste 1-2 quarts worth of BtB on a soup like creamy asparagus or Toscana, where the quality of the chicken stock is really inconsequential, so that's when I reach for the cartons, especially if my frozen homemade cubes are running low, and I don't want to waste a half gallon of it in one go. But maybe something like a curry or a chili, you might go with the BtB because the flavor can be more concentrated or appreciated in that application.
I'm curious why you bought the better than bouillon and the separate chicken stock. I've been using the BTB as a replacement for stock in soups, but now I wonder if I'm missing something!
A lot of people are asking this, and I honestly think that there are different applications for each. Bear in mind, Kenji specifically said that he likes keeping the quart containers around for soups, and I'm on the same page with him here. I personally wouldn't want to waste 1-2 quarts worth of BtB on a soup like creamy asparagus or Toscana, where the quality of the chicken stock is really inconsequential, so that's when I reach for the cartons, especially if my frozen homemade cubes are running low, and I don't want to waste a half gallon of it in one go. But maybe something like a curry or a chili, you might go with the BtB because the flavor can be more concentrated or appreciated in that application.
Gotta say, I'm extremely pleased with how you say "Costco" as someone from the Pacific Northwest who sometimes says the "T" in it with exaggerated silliness. It should have an actual T sound, even though it mostly gets absorbed. Hooray weird linguistic stuff!
When do you prefer to use chicken stock over Better than Bouillon and vice versa? I’ve just started using BTB for everything since it’s easier to store and lasts forever.
I do the same thing. Each week to get 2 gal milk. The not as often certain items are Kirkland OJ and lemonade and eggs. Then it’s go crazy (or not). I buy 80% of the things you showed.
Just curious, why buy the bouillon and the chicken stock? I’m not super familiar with bouillon but as I understand it, you can dissolve that in water and you essentially have stock.
And then I forgot the milk!
Just an excuse to go back and get cookies too!
Lol, that's exactly what I go for, too, milk. It's cheaper for organic milk, only costs me between 200 and 300 dollars every time I buy milk 😅
If you run into my dad while buying the milk could you tell him we miss him?
When you go to Costco for milk, they make you buy a cow!
That is exactly how I shop at Costco! Go for one thing and come back with everything but.
Hey everyone. Sorry for the long break in videos. I have a few coming up!
The videos are worth the wait because you put a lot of thought into them and switch up the topics. Keep up the great work Kenji!
Any late nights 🤣?
No sorry Kenji, this is your world, we’re just living in it
Hi, the link to your Patreon in the video description is broken. It has an extra closing parenthesis 🙂
your videos are always worth the wait.
your are the GOAT for me. (and chef John of course)
"I went to get some milk, and I got like $400 worth of stuff"
This is the ideal Costco experience
🤣
I really must say; "Better tan bouillon" is not too salty=My fave.@@RoninHLee
And then I forgot the milk!!
Well its a good thing you have emergency milk! @@JKenjiLopezAlt
@@JKenjiLopezAlt My wife loves it when that happens to me.
It's always helpful to see what a chef buys at Costco, particularly items which can substitute for premium priced products and where chefs can use store-bought to substitute for from scratch items. Thanks for educating us.
The irrational swell of pride I feel whenever I find out that one of my favourite cooks buys a product that I buy too 😅
Yeah I hate watching all these RUclips chefs using super expensive ingredients. It’s nice to know a talented chef buys his groceries at a regular store like regular folks.
I love this because you have been a successful restaurateur and cook book author and at the end of the day you buy the same things that we buy at costco.
For lemons, I often juice them and freeze the juice in silicon ice cube trays. Also, preserved lemons are very handy to have on hand and last mysteriously long refrigerated. I also freeze the peels, removed with a vegetable peeler, because there is so much flavor there and so many dishes profit from some chopped peel.
🙏 for this tip.
You can also freeze whole citrus. Very easy to grate the zest off when frozen, then after a short time on the counter they are thawed enough to squeeze (or microwave slightly)
I started making my own limoncello last year. Great use for those lemon peels.
I do this too with juice, and also freeze some peels whole to later make into candied peel, then freeze the rest as zest. Basically just buy a whole load of lemons and spend a couple hours processing them all and you save yourself so much hassle in the future months.
My annoying pet peeve. Silicon = computer chips. Silicone = rubbery kitchen stuff
I know everyone is commenting on Costco stuff, but Kenji’s daughter has great taste just like her dad. Very wholesome.
Would love to see how you make and season your popcorn!
I was thinking the same thing!
He already has at least one popcorn video on this channel. "Late Night Popcorn With Chorizo and Pecorino"
@@alicestella He already has at least one popcorn video on this channel. "Late Night Popcorn With Chorizo and Pecorino"
We used to buy that popcorn from Costco but in Los Angeles they don’t have it in our warehouses anymore. Now we get the 7-8lb Orville Redenbacher online from Amazon. Much better deal than supermarkets.
Have you tried popping on the stovetop with EVOO and some Flavacol? It’s our “go-to”! 🍿
I love that Kenji with as much experience and knowledge of food and cooking as he has is still pretty down to earth when it comes to the ingredients he buys. No real sign of pretention where he only purchases the most quality of ingredients shipped from around the world.
Just what I was thinking. I love that he's a world class chef, but still uses Kirkland brands and isn't afraid to admit he sometimes uses pre-packaged ingredients instead of from scratch. One of the reasons I love him so much.
Kenji shops like us mere mortals. Note the tip on household harmony: when you use the last pound of ground, beef replace it with three pounds. Also a delight to see the care for his family's tastes (well, at least his daughter's) and patterns at this stage of their lives.
4:38 I used to work for Ardent Mills (the flour you bought)! Great company based in Denver CO. I was part of their shipping & operations team for an internship and was very impressed with their standard of excellence in their products. Hope you enjoy!
This is the first video I have seen of you on your channel (not just as a guest on another person´s channel) and I LOVE your outro! So lovely to see our nonbinary pals included in your farewell!
Somehow how the universe managed to combine two of my favorite things: Kenji videos and Costco
I love that Ardent Mills flour! I make bread, cookies, cakes, and pastries. Works well for all of those! Great haul!
I am such a fan that I will watch (and thoroughly enjoy) you unpacking your groceries. I find this strange but also awesome!
pretty incredible being from Parma and seeing the Logo of a cheese factory literally 15 minutes from home in your videos
Only the best at Costco 😁
I'm upset he didn't mention it right away and waited until he got to another cheese to talk about government controlled cheeses! A LOT of people will incorrectly state that you can't get good Parmigiano Reggiano in the US. You can. That brand is PDO certified Parmigiano Reggiano from Italy. My local Walmart carries it, for christ's sake, yet I keep seeing "people who identify as an Italian" say that you can't buy PDO cheese in the US. It's infuriating.
Ha, I thought the same thing when I saw the label of the Gruyère. That’s the real deal imported from Switzerland, and it’s available in an American supermarket without any fanfare! Outrageous!
@@swisski Is the reputation of our grocery stores really *that* bad? I hear the jokes about "american cheese" but figured people knew there was also a normal variety.
edit to add: this has changed somewhat even during my lifetime. Some of the imported cheese would have been legitimately hard to find where/when I grew up, but now it's common to see imported cheese in regular supermarkets
to be fair there are cheeses even you cannot have, I believe, because of regulations, which are all the french cheeses made with raw milk
We're Costco addicts. Plus, Costco is just amazing. Pro tip: their pharmacies are top notch & you don't need to be a member to use them. They're less expensive than most other pharmacies & you'll get WAY better service! No long hold times, staff that actually cares... it's a gem that we've come to love in our 15 years of membership.
Yes! Costco pharmacy is the best!
They carry pet meds, too!
@marybratton5514 YEP! And at a fraction of the cost. At one point my kiddo & our dog were taking the same dosage of the same med. We all got a chuckle.
Yuppers. My insurance co. just let me know that Costco is in their network and that the one prescription that I currently refill is free there. Pretty cool.
Same if they have a vision center. You won't be able to buy glasses, but you can see an optometrist without being a member.
I was very happy with the kirkland feta. It also kept well in the brine for a few weeks in the fridge before getting too funky!
Same here. My wife and I love feta, and the Costco one is the only fresh one we can find reliably. It's a little tough to finish before the brine gets funky, but we've never wasted more than half a brick. One thing we like to do is crumble some of it up, and smash burger patties into the crumbled cheese. Sear them up, serve them on a burger bun with tzatziki and various gyro toppings, and you have a delicious burger..
The Bologna producers all say Costco is the best place to get Parm in the states, due to how they package it (airtight) and the quantity they deal with (for freshness).
I read on America's test kitchen that most chicken stock you purchase is made from a concentrate like Better Than Bouillon. So, you can just use the BTB and save money and storage space.
I’m a big fan myself
I use Better than bullion, but hate all the different jars taking up refrigerator space. I still keep shelf stable containers of stock for soups and such.
BTB is very good and I know they make a lower sodium version but so wish they made a salt-free version for time when I am reducing a liquid and even a small amount makes the final product too salty.
I love BTB and always have it on hand, but I have started moving over to a liquid concentrate that I found that I really like from a brand called Kitchen Accomplice. I think that the BTB probably tastes a little better when making a lot of stock (although I haven't done a blind test yet), but I love how convenient it is to add a squirt of the liquid stuff when using small amounts.
I miss the Low Sodium versions of Better Than Bouillon at Costco. They changed to organic, but it’s not low sodium.
An excellent haul. Their British Coastal Cheddar cheese is also a staple at my place. And pasta, Garafolo organic pasta, A+.
Watched this last night and went to Costco this morning. And saw Kenji at Costco with a shopping cart full. As I went through the aisles, I noticed that many items mentioned were on the end caps but I resisted.
We were loading up for a little vacation with a few other families this weekend!
Hey Kenji, curious why the Better than Bullion chicken AND the chicken stock? Do you use them both for different applications? I stopped buying regular chicken stock after I discovered BtB and wondering if I'm missing something.
Same question! @JKenjiLopezAlt Thank you for this content!
I think he's mentioned it in other videos but they get used in combination. Store bought stock as the base and the BtB or even just bouillon cubes added in to bump up the flavors.
Not sure it’s Kenji’s answer, but sometimes BtB is too salty for recipes with salty ingredients in them.
@@drtbanthaI only buy low sodium everything. I’m supposed to be on a low sodium diet, plus I can always add if I need to. (I usually bump up spices and black pepper instead ;))
@@drtbantha True. I've been a fan of B&B for years... but if you wanted to reduce a broth made with it, it will get too salty. I usually have a jar of my own stock that is unsalted, but a freezer can only hold so much, and it takes a long time to defrost a quart. I'm going to check out this one that Kenji bought and see if it makes life easier.
Thanks!
I can’t decide if I am a bigger costco fan or kenji fan and my wife makes fun of me for it. I think her eyes rolled into the back of her head when she saw the notification for this video pop up on my phone 😂
We love the small "artisan" romaine heads at costco, each small head good for an entree salad for two. Buying produce at Costco can lead to spoilage before finishing things, but we always get through these and they're good and there's little waste.
I'd love to see a follow-up where you give your thoughts on the items that were new to you.
Sometimes they have the giant jars of capers.. I love that.
Love those capers, but they take up too much room in the fridge (I need a huge fridge for all the goodies I keep in there). Now I’m into their olives.. yum!
I miss the Richmond/Point Isabell Costco. Dog park + costco run was my favorite part of living in the bay area.
I was super surprised the first time I came across that ground Wagyu. It's good stuff, just watch out. It's 75/25, so have a strainer or some extra paper towels ready to get rid of the lake of grease.
I slice lemons into wedges and freeze them. Great for adding to drinks or you can defrost in the microwave for 10 seconds and squeeze into a recipe.
My Yugoslavian grandma absolutely loved that Kirkland Signature feta if that is any kind of indication. If you're in Seattle and looking for a larger variety of fetas and specialty Mediterranean foods you should check out Big John's PFI in the ID if you haven't already
It’d be great if vandals could stop terrorizing Big John’s
The parm is a long,long standing screaming deal.Ditto on the EVOO and Better than Bouillon.Two other items we go exclusively for are whole bean coffee and butter as well as too many to list.
Didn’t know about shelf stable milk. Lemons - what a good price. Just recently learned to keep extra lemons covered with filtered water in fridge. They last for many weeks. Thanks Kenji. We live very near Seattle and have been enjoying your Seattle focused videos
"When I take a pound, I replace it with three" Ahhh... I see you've met my scale.
Sounds like Kenji broke the #1 rule. Don't go to Costco hungry!
always get a $1.50 hot dog BEFORE shopping 🤣
If you like the Oberto stuff, give the Lil Landjaeger from Bavarian Meats a try. Great little smokey sausages. They're also a local company (based in Kent, but they used to have a store near Pike Place).
Yes, they rule
Oh I love those. They have gone moldy on me a few times though so we stopped picking them up. Just don’t go through them fast enough I guess.
That feta is really good! It doesn’t have the astringency of a lot of cow fetas and lasts a decently long time in the fridge 6:13
I freeze lemon zest and lemon juice in ice cube trays. Lasts forever, super easy to use.
Oberto used to be from Seattle but the family business was sold to a Canadian conglomerate a few years ago. That’s why they have the weasel word “Est.” in front of Seattle on the packaging. They shut down the factory store that used to be on Rainier Ave near I-90 around the same time. Not sure if they kept any production in the Seattle area. Oberto was one of many Italian American family businesses and farms that were established in the “garlic gulch”, Rainier Valley, back in the early part of the 20th century. RIP Borachinni’s Bakery. If you haven’t been to Big John’s PFI in their new digs on Rainier & Dearborn , you should check it out. Imported foods, great cheese counter, good selection of bulk flours and interesting ingredients. There’s underground parking accessible from the alley half a block east of Rainier.
Oberto still has a production facility/warehouse and a factory store in Kent. You can see the warehouse from 167, and sometimes even smell the sausages being made. The aroma is MADDENING. 🤤
Big John’s is AMAZING (if you are willing to brave that area).
@@nokatenoThere's nothing unusual or particularly risky safety wise with "that area". The 7, 9, and 106 stop right in front of the building. If you're not comfortable with riding public transit, there's an underground parking lot.
If you want a good quality flour that you can use for all types of baking, Cairnspring Mills is located in Burlington (about 45 minutes north of Seattle) and they supply for bakeries like Tartine & Macrina. You can order a 50# bag and pick it up on Saturdays.
The Seattle Costco also stocks Cairnspring Mills right next to the brand he bought
I've never seen Cairnspring Mills flour at Costco. Do you mean the green and white packages of AP Flour?
@@aloumun Do you know which Cairnspring flour it is? It could save me a couple hours drive every 6 months or so. :P
@@jamiecallahan1911 all I remember is that it is an AP flour blend and I believe it’s a 50# bag. I emptied out my bag into a container a few months ago so I don’t have the bag anymore.
When do you use the Better than Bouillon vs the boxed chicken stock? I've only been using the BtB for years
Great point about cheese pricing! I usually buy what I can find on sale when it is on sale, but sometimes you just need Feta, or Gruyère, or Parmesan, and you just can’t wait for it to go on sale.
When I know I don't get through all of the lemons I've bought, I cut them into pieces in freeze them.
Great for some lemon flavored water.
They can also be frozen whole and zested straight from frozen. I zest what I need and put the frozen lemon back in the freezer. If I need juice, I'll zest, then let the lemon thaw and juice it. they thaw out pretty fast and freezing them whole keeps the flesh from getting freezer burn. The peel has enough oil in it to protect the zest from freezer burn.
Only Kenji could make a Costco haul exciting. Love it ❤
I frickin' love my Whirley Pop. I don't like single use kitchen gadgets that are that size, but I use it 2x+ a week and it basically sits out on the back burner 24/7. In my quest for better than theater popcorn I've found that the best kernels are the white ones. They're smaller, more tender, and while not "hull less" they're about as close as I've found. Popping in coconut oil, topping with Flavacol and a drizzle of melted ghee rounds it all out. So good.
❤ Excited for the podcast! I love That’s It fruit bars; they are one of the few bars I’ll buy. Strong burst of fruit flavor and few ingredients. Thanks for sharing your Costco haul.
I would watch weekly videos of your Costco hauls! Great to see what you buy and recommend
Glad to see more people enjoying NA beer, they've been improving lately by leaps and bounds, and the more profitable they get the more they'll improve.
Like, to be clear I still enjoy drinking regular beer, wine, and whiskey. But, as I get older I'm noticing it's just about as satisfying after my kids go to sleep to wind down with an NA beer, just for the flavor and bubbles. Plus it's better for my belly and my liver.
Same here. I don't like drinking water with dinner, so often times NA beer fits the bill. The options are much much better than they were 2-3 years ago
♥️♥️♥️ this Costco haul, we’ve been waiting for this, thanks Kenji! Our family loves MONCHEGO CHEESE best price of course at Costco. KIRKLAND GRASSFED BUTTER, pasture eggs, frozen fruits & vegetables, BIBIGO BEEF MANDU 🥟 so good, just some of our Costco staple.
I like the packages of chicken thighs and drumsticks. I don't recall seeing those in Canada. I'll have to check for them though as I always have to re-package the chicken I buy from Costco.
WOW Kenji, I buy much of the same products from Costco...!! Mind you, Canadian Costco doesn't have exactly the same products or packaging, but still, love Costco... Cheers, from Vancouver...!
I love to get the Arlo Havarti cheese at CC, and I forgot to grab some Gruyère when I was there a week ago! It melts like a dream. Yrs ago a Fella at the cheese counter at Giant Eagle turned me on to Gruyère and I never looked back😋.
The sheep’s milk feta is quite excellent. It’s hard to find reasonably priced sheep’s milk feta, not to mention Greek sheep’s milk feta. We use it all the time for the uni feta pasta.
We buy the Costco bag of lemons and refrigerate them in a ziplock or two - they’ll keep for 4-6 weeks easily.
Kenji making a big chunk beef chilli is the most exciting news here for me. One of my favourite dishes and I'm yet to find a truly great recipe for it. (That doesn't involve a TON of effort and washing up!)
Check out his video from last year, it's great!
When do you use the boxed chicken stock and when do you just use better than bouillon? I basically only use the latter (or homemade).
With cheese blocks that size what's your preferred storage method. I have some airtight glass tupperware and generally dedicate one of them to all cheeses I have unfinished. Any better way?
Fascinating view into somonne else's shopping trolley I'm in the UK (so my comments are UK CostCo) but I'be used my card in US CostCo's and (if I recall) one in Sydney .. any way Cheese - absolutely - big wheels of French Brie, Grand Pedano is my preference to Parmeggiano (cheaper and still good flavour) and Halloumi. What I did not see were paper goods... we buy kitchen paper towels and bathrookms towels. So cheap - but we have storage. Vegetables I sometimes get the big packs of onions and garlic but you need to stay on top of them. French onion soup in an emergency where they are starting to look 'old'. Oil.. yeah their olive oil is good but their choosen foods Avocado oil is brilliant. That is my go to high temp oil... I also always get Lavazza coffee beans and cat litter and so on.
Those fruit bars are fantastic. Wonderful way to quickly and easily get some real fruit in a portable package.
Love this ! Thanks for posting:) question I had was how do you decide in a recipe when to use the carton of chicken stock vs better than bullion ?
A lot of people are asking this, and I honestly think that there are different applications for each. Bear in mind, Kenji specifically said that he likes keeping the quart containers around for soups, and I'm on the same page with him here. I personally wouldn't want to waste 1-2 quarts worth of BtB on a soup like creamy asparagus or Toscana, where the quality of the chicken stock is really inconsequential, so that's when I reach for the cartons, especially if my frozen homemade cubes are running low, and I don't want to waste a half gallon of it in one go. But maybe something like a curry or a chili, you might go with the BtB because the flavor can be more concentrated or appreciated in that application.
Curious why you don't make stock from the better than bouillon, and opt for cartons of stock?
Great video, always helpful for me as a family home cook even when you're just talking through a grocery haul.
Hey @JKenjiLopezAlt I too love popcorn as a snack. I have a Nordic Ware microwave popcorn popper that I use the Orville's in and it works very well. After it is done I spray the popped kernels with spray coconut oil and whatever herb or seasoning that I want and toss it in a bowl. You can use yeast, dried herbs, ranch dressing mix, or sometimes I will use my barbecue rub. Do what you like!
While making your own stock is best, I find many chicken stocks from the grocery store are basically water. Is Kirkland the brand you like best? So far kettle fire bone broth is the best I’ve found
costco definitely better
Speaking of lemonade, I highly recommend State Fair lemonade. Chef John has an excellent recipe which involves making an oleo saccharum with the sugar and zest, and it is hands down the best lemonade I have ever tasted.
chef john is hands down the best ive tasted
That lemonade is so good.
Agree! that recipe changed how I usually make it. If you use citric acid powder to make an oleo citrate, you don't even need to juice the lemons (although it is in your interest to do so) and you can make a ton of lemonade from just as few lemons that has a nice bright flavor.
YESSS!!! When Kenji said lemonade, that's the first thought I had as well. Really does taste like state fair lemonade, and my wife always asks me to make batches in the summer to bottle up for a picnic. I'd tweaked his recipe a touch, and here's what I go with now:
Lemonade
Makes about 750ml
- [ ] 3 lemons (about 440g)
- [ ] Sugar - 110g
- [ ] Water - 325g
- [ ] Ice - 275g
Peel lemon zest in thin ribbons, being careful not to take off pith (about 35g+). Place in bowl with the sugar and mix to combine. Cover and let sit for at least 12 hours.
Transfer sugar/zest mixture to pot and cover with water. Bring to just below simmer. Stir to dissolve sugar. Fill pitcher with ice. Strain hot water into pitcher, and push on zest to squeeze lemon oils out. Stir to help the ice melt and cool down mixture. Once mixture is cooled, juice the lemons (≈150g-160g) and add the juice to pitcher.
Costco sells Central Milling Organic Flour. 2 10# bags. Good flour from Utah.
I really love your cooking show.
Because i'm from Québec Canada, most cooking we learn in cooking school is french...
I love Québec! I go a few times a year and make sure to stock up my freezer with bread and pastries when I return home. Not to mention the nice local cheese!
Do you have a video or article where you talk about your preferences for standard vs organic foods at the grocery store? Thanks!
I have no preference for vegetables in that regard. If I want better produce I buy it from the farmers market or the produce shop.
I love my Whirley Pop! We love getting popcorn kernels from the coop. They have great varieties!
Costco Kirkland brand organic maple syrup is a can't miss.
We love the Kirkland Organic Greek Feta. We used to buy Dodoni brand from Costco but they stopped carrying it during the pandemic. The Kirkland is very close in quality imo.
when would you use the chicken stock vs. better than bouillon? i always just used the latter.
Congratulations to your family
I feel you’d like Duke’s Hatch green chile smoked sausages, some of my favorites for fishing, camping, whatever…
Hey Kenji that savings on lemon are no joke. But what can we do to preserve them or save them efficiently so we can use them in the future. I've been aware of Moroccan style but it always seems so time consuming. Any tips? Thanks dude and welcome to THE PNW we love having you and your family here.
Been using the Ardent Mills APF from costco ever since pandemic. So far no issues at all. I get the 50# bag sometimes, especially in baking season before the holidays!
Really good stuff Kenji! I'm def. going to be adding some of these items to my shopping list for my next trip to Costco.
I went to Costco alone ONCE. I had a list. It was written by She Who Runs My World. I was doing fine. I was following the list and getting stuff and then one single line caused much joy and happiness...for me, "snacks"...I am no longer allowed to go to Costco without an adult.
Top recs for nonalcoholic beer are Best Day Brewing and Athletic. For stouts the athletic lights out and na black butte porter are solid
Costco is really Italian food friendly. got them cheeses, sliced meats, olive oil, and san marzano tomatoes. if only they carried the tipo 00 flour
@JKenjiLopezAlt Hi :) I had a question about the olive oil- are you worried about the plastics of the bottle getting into the oil during storage? Who knows how long its had to sit on a shelf somewhere leeching into your oil. I try to buy glass only, which my Costco sometimes has, albeit in smaller bottles.
would watch every single one of these if u made it a series
That feta is sooooo good! I don't know if I can go back to normal pre-crumbled feta.
pre-crumbled aint normal!
I shed a tear when I saw the guava. I grew up eating guava, but have yet to find really good ones. I've since moved from FL and now it's impossible. Yet, here you are with some good looking guavas out in the PNW. 😭😭
make sure you cut the chicken pouches before freezing! if not i find they freeze into this massive block and it's pain to get apart.
Why both the carton stock and the BTB? Do you have a dedicated use case for each?
A lot of people are asking this, and I honestly think that there are different applications for each. Bear in mind, Kenji specifically said that he likes keeping the quart containers around for soups, and I'm on the same page with him here. I personally wouldn't want to waste 1-2 quarts worth of BtB on a soup like creamy asparagus or Toscana, where the quality of the chicken stock is really inconsequential, so that's when I reach for the cartons, especially if my frozen homemade cubes are running low, and I don't want to waste a half gallon of it in one go. But maybe something like a curry or a chili, you might go with the BtB because the flavor can be more concentrated or appreciated in that application.
Hey Kenji, what is the benefit of having both chicken stock and better than bouillon on hand?
A lot of people are asking this, and I honestly think that there are different applications for each. Bear in mind, Kenji specifically said that he likes keeping the quart containers around for soups, and I'm on the same page with him here. I personally wouldn't want to waste 1-2 quarts worth of BtB on a soup like creamy asparagus or Toscana, where the quality of the chicken stock is really inconsequential, so that's when I reach for the cartons, especially if my frozen homemade cubes are running low, and I don't want to waste a half gallon of it in one go. But maybe something like a curry or a chili, you might go with the BtB because the flavor can be more concentrated or appreciated in that application.
My fiancee and I are OBSESSED with the Finlandia cheese packs. Great haul.
I never knew they sold better than bullion at Costco! Thanks for the tip! And a whirly pop is the best for making popcorn!
they sell the chicken, beef and vegetable versions. also bone broth is available
I'm curious why you bought the better than bouillon and the separate chicken stock. I've been using the BTB as a replacement for stock in soups, but now I wonder if I'm missing something!
A lot of people are asking this, and I honestly think that there are different applications for each. Bear in mind, Kenji specifically said that he likes keeping the quart containers around for soups, and I'm on the same page with him here. I personally wouldn't want to waste 1-2 quarts worth of BtB on a soup like creamy asparagus or Toscana, where the quality of the chicken stock is really inconsequential, so that's when I reach for the cartons, especially if my frozen homemade cubes are running low, and I don't want to waste a half gallon of it in one go. But maybe something like a curry or a chili, you might go with the BtB because the flavor can be more concentrated or appreciated in that application.
I'd also recommend the large Spice containers of granulated onion and Old Bay Seasoning,
I need a video on how you do your whirly pop. I love mine. If you havent already you should try white hulls. Red is good as well.
Gotta say, I'm extremely pleased with how you say "Costco" as someone from the Pacific Northwest who sometimes says the "T" in it with exaggerated silliness. It should have an actual T sound, even though it mostly gets absorbed. Hooray weird linguistic stuff!
When do you prefer to use chicken stock over Better than Bouillon and vice versa? I’ve just started using BTB for everything since it’s easier to store and lasts forever.
That Costco Feta cheese is amazing. Hands down one of the best.
We really like the “That’s It” fruit bars.
I do the same thing. Each week to get 2 gal milk. The not as often certain items are Kirkland OJ and lemonade and eggs. Then it’s go crazy (or not). I buy 80% of the things you showed.
Oh also, that feta cheese is amazing. We bought it once and never looked back. Don't buy feta anywhere else anymore.
how do you get through so much chile powder ?
we love spicy food but often use real chiles. What sort of dishes do you use this for ? indian ?
Just curious, why buy the bouillon and the chicken stock? I’m not super familiar with bouillon but as I understand it, you can dissolve that in water and you essentially have stock.
Was wondering the same thing!