Los Angeles has many things to recommend it to the enterprising eater, and Surfas is unequivocally one of them. Why? Well, for one, take a look at this photo. Mycryo Gelatine Substitute. Lots of it. While the vast majority of the population would have absolutely no idea of what to do with it -- sprinkle it? snort it? use it instead of NutraSweet? -- the fact that Surfas carries it in such large quantities is just very cool. So is the shop's eye-popping variety of spices, flours, sugars, extracts, chocolates, nuts, dried beans, butters and -- well, you get the picture.

Geared towards pro chefs who presumably have a need for things like mycryo gelatine substitute (used mainly by pastry toques, as discussed here), Surfas is also a paradise for the less ambitious homecook.

Find out why after the jump.

Really -- when the heck else are you going to give yourself permission to invest in an igloo cake pan and festive sugar snow for yourself or your favorite cook or eater? I've got my eye on the Dorset cocktail shaker, Shun Ken Onion boning knife and a new mandoline. Dare to dream.

Williams-Sonoma:
Friends and Family Event
Saturday December 20th through Wednesday December 24th Williams-Sonoma is having a Friends and Family Event at retail stores only. We will offer 20% off all merchandise in the store. See stores for details and visit www.williams-sonoma.com to find a location near you.

Pottery Barn:
Spend $100 and get $20 back
Friday, December 19th through Sunday, December 21st spend $100 at a Pottery Barn store and get a $20 gift card that can be used from 12/26/2008 – 01/31/2009. See store for details and visit www.potterybarn.com to find a location near you.

Know of a super kitchen-centric holiday sale? Share it in the comments below.

Last week, in preparation for my first houseguest since moving back home to Atlanta, I took myself on a mini shopping spree at a local housewares boutique called Heliotrope. First thing, I found what I came for. Diffuser of fragrance reminiscent of Tuscan herbs? Check. White ceramic pitcher to use as vase in guest bathroom? Check. Set of silicone coasters? Check. Thrilled to find what I wanted, I nevertheless couldn't yet leave the adorable and treasure-rich shop. So I browsed.

And browsed. And coveted. The apple of my eye? All things Charley Harper. A Modernist and self-proclaimed "minimal realist," Harper is a favorite of design aficionados, beloved especially for his streamlined wildlife prints. At Heliotrope, his images appear not only on puzzles and calendars, but also on all manner of tableware: cocktail napkins, plates, dishtowels, and some particularly precious salt and pepper shakers.

My favorite motif in the collection is the red cardinal, with its fans of wings against a white background, pictured here on the appetizer plates. The colors would work for Christmas table settings, but the look would work any other time of year, too.

Last week, I wrote a post asking why I cannot find decent macarons in the United States. Apparently, I'm not looking hard enough. Comments from all over the country revealed people's favorite shops where they buy them. Although I have not yet tried the macarons at all these places, I thought it would be useful to create a U.S. macaron directory.

So far, it looks like most of these places are located in California. Feel free to comment with new shops to add to the directory!

Columbus, Ohio: Becke recommends Pistacia Vera at 541 south third street. Try their salted caramel macarons.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Ann suggests that we try the macarons at 316 North Milwaukee St., at Harlequin Bakery.

New York, New York: To think that in my own city I failed to discover Macaron Café which is just around the corner from my mother's office at 161 west 36th street, just off 7th avenue. Thanks Tom Avel for letting us know about this shop. Kat Kinsman enjoyed the macarons from Alain Ducasse's Adour at the St. Regis hotel.

Yountville, California: Although I did not care for Thomas Keller's macarons at Buchon Bakery in NY, Kelly enjoyed them at Keller's Buchon in Yountville at 6534 Washington st.

San Francisco, California: Verena suggests Boulangerie at 2325 Pine Street. Ivan claims that Tartine Bakery at 600 Guerreo St., by 18th street, is the place to buy macarons. Mathew points out another shop located at the Ferry Building Marketplace, shop No. 10 - Miette.

Berkeley, California: Verena also reccomends Masse's Pastries at 1469 Shattuck Ave.

Los Angeles, California: Jon raves about the macarons at Boule located at 408 N. Cienga Blvd and at 413 N. Bedford Drive in Beverly Hills.

Beverly Hills, California: Apart from Boule's Beverly Hills location, you can stroll into Paulette at 9466 Charleville Blvd. If you're not in Beverly Hills, you can order from them online. That's what John did.

Here are a few tips on how to save at the grocery store, straight from the grocer's mouth via the New York Times business section. Tom Heinen, owner of the Cleveland-area Heinen's Fine Foods chain, gives us the dirt. This is a recap:

1) DIY everything is not always your best bet. Sometimes it can be cheaper to buy certain pre-washed, pre-cut or otherwise pre-prepared items, because the factory that makes them probably wastes less lettuce/pepper/carrot than you would.

2) Look for local "artisan deals," like Wisconsin cheddar instead of the imported New Zealand kind, or locally grown radishes. If your grocery doesn't have good local deals, ask why not. Whole Foods does.

3) In fact, ask tons of questions of store employees. What's the best deal this week? What did you buy for your own kitchen today? I'm guessing this wouldn't work too well at your local Supervalu. Try it, and let me know!

The New York Times seems to think so. Indeed, many grocery stores in urban areas are closing up shop, and all that's left is a big open lot and a smattering of mom and pop convenience stores left in their wake. But despite the name, convenience stores aren't always, well, that convenient, especially when you're in need of fresh fruit and veggies, low-fat snacks and fresh poultry or seafood.

A study by New York's Department of City Planning estimated that over 750,000 New Yorkers live five blocks or more from a supermarket. And when that's the case, most people opt to drive or cab it to the store, especially if they have lots of shopping to do or little ones in tow. And at the end of a long work day, many people just don't have the energy - or the time - to stroll down to the grocery. (The study also found that there is enough need for 100 additional supermarkets across the city).

So what's a hungry person to do? Most people simply go without fresh produce and other things that are carried by larger supermarkets. Others are currently shopping at a store, but worry about it closing, because the only other option is miles away.

What about you? Did you or someone you know ever have trouble getting to a decent grocery store, especially if you live in a populated urban area?

I have a cell phone that is just a phone. It makes calls. I am online eighty percent of my day. When I'm out of my house, I like to talk to live human beings.

The Los Angeles Times reports that "Wil Shipley, a Seattle software developer, uses his iPhone at the Whole Foods fish counter to check websites for updates on which seafood is the most environmentally correct to purchase. He quizzes the staff on where and how a fish was caught."

Why not trust that the guy behind the fish counter knows about the fish he sells? Do we only place our trust in Google now and not the people who work in our neighborhood shops?

Do you think it was smart for Wil to question the fish counter staff or just plain rude?

Trader Joe's is a newcomer to my neck of the woods, opening in Chapel Hill just a few months ago. I'm a huge fan – whenever I can deal with the crowds I head over there to pick up my growing list of favorites. So far my favorites include their almond butter, Greek yogurt, sweet and spicy walnuts, paper bag pecks of "eco apples," Triple Ginger snaps, dried mango with chili and red pepper hummus.

But I have also had some real losers. The frozen hamburgers I had a few weeks ago were as hard as hockey pucks, with a weird, almost gamy smell. An apricot flan tart tasted of sticky cardboard, like an office meeting Danish left to dry for a week on the boardroom table. I was thinking of picking up some dessert for tonight, but I don't want to risk another disaster.

There have been plenty of Trader Joe's "favorites" lists in the past, but seeing how their stock changes so ridiculously fast, I'd love to start another one. So tell me, please, what's your favorite thing at TJ's? What to avoid?

Speaking of Dean & Deluca...lately I've been on a bit of a kitchen spending spree. Not only have I been going to the regular grocery store to buy basic things like eggs and milk to force myself to cook and eat at home, but I have been shopping for gourmet food stuff as well as kitchen utensils, gadgets, and equipment.

For the most part I have been loyal to...no one! Because I do a lot of the shopping online, I skip from Crate and Barrel for ice cream bowls to Dean & Deluca for pretty little things like spice tins to Williams-Sonoma for a pepper mill. I even found myself hoarding all those 20% and $5 off coupons to Bed, Bath and Beyond and getting Brita filters there. In other words, I have no favorite.

However, I know that many people do. At the very least, people have favorites for certain types of things, and might include small local stores. Where are your favorite places to shop?

While we occasionally post about products on Slashfood, whether cool gadgets, beautifully designed dinnerware, or some other hot new item, we very rarely talk about actual shopping.

That's changing tonight because this is something that cannot be kept to ourselves. Amazon.com has a 10-piece Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless 10-Piece Cookware Set that's originally priced at $400, on sale for $149. That, my stainless steel cookware-less friends, is a steal, particularly since you can get this shipped for free!

Thanks to Elise of Simply Recipes for the heads up.

Of course, it's only for a few weeks, to see how the other half lives.

Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski and his wife are going to live on just three dollars worth of food stamps a day raise awareness of what poorer people have to face in their everyday lives.

It sounds great I guess, but is it really an accurate representation? I mean, what car is the couple going to drive to the store in? When they get back from the store, what kind of house are they living in, what kind of bed, what kind of TV are they watching, how much money do they have in the bank if they need it for an emergency? When I was a little kid, my family was on food stamps for about a year, and I think a lot of other factors weigh in on what happens to you when you have to be on them.

You ever get in one of the modes where you eat the same snack for days and days and weeks?

That is what's happening with me right now with Planters Chocolate-Covered Cashews. They come in cans now (the bags vanished several months ago). They're big cashews, and the chocolate is delicious too. I have no scientific proof to back this up, but it seems to me that when companies cover their nuts with chocolate, they seem to use bigger nuts. It's especially noticable with whole cashews. Maybe they just seem bigger because they are covered with chocolate, I'm not sure. I just know I'm going through whole cans in one sitting while watching television or reading.

San Francisco is considering making a change that will affect most shoppers in the city: they're talking about instituting a ban on the use of plastic grocery bags. Lawmakers are blaming the bags for everything from "littering streets and choking wildlife" to playing a major part in global warming. The expect that such a change will save the city millions of dollars, although taxpayers may have an increased out-of-pocket expense for reusable canvas (or other materials) shopping bags and alternative plastic bags that would serve the functions that reused grocery bags often do now (lining small trash bins, picking up after dogs, etc.).

San Francisco is not the first city to consider such legislation. Plastic bags are either taxed or not used in parts of South Africa, Ireland and Taiwan. Bangladesh has banned them and Zanzibar, Rwanda and Paris are also considering a ban. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors will vote on the measure next week and, if passed, it will take effect in six months.

What's a luxury department store to do when it hits the century mark? If it's Berlin's KaDeWe, or Kaufhaus des Westerns, the answer is simple. Let them eat cake, and lots of it.

Yesterday the store served up an enormous 20-foot tall cake to celebrate its 100th birthday. As you can see here, the confection's lowest tier was adorned with a replica of the store, including marzipan customers, complete with shopping bags. An enormous cake is especially fitting for the luxe KaDaWe given that it has a renowned food hall. With 164,042 square feet of selling space, the store also happens to be Europe's largest.

Me and my sweet tooth are holding out for one of New York City's great retail destinations to whip up a similar cake for a special occasion.
[via Spluchster]

When confronted with winter storms, grocery store owners, managers and employees note an interesting phenomenon dubbed the "squirrel effect." The term applies to the fact that when confronted with any sort of disaster or potential disaster, shoppers come into the store and hoard whatever they can lay their hands on, much like squirrels stocking food away for the winter. The same reaction happens when natural disasters - hurricanes, tornadoes, etc - seem to be on the horizon, as well as directly after a disaster occurs.

At one point in time, "stocking up" meant grabbing kitchen staples, water and canned goods. Bread, milk and bananas are all popular items. But these days the definition of a staple food has changed somewhat and more shoppers are forsaking the component parts for the whole. Stores in the northern part of the country, for example, sold out of pizzas and other frozen goods, as well as sodas. Rental videos/dvd were also hot items, with people anticipating that a lot of time might be spent indoors while snow fell outside.

Here in California, I do have an earthquake supply kit (no frozen pizza in that, though), but there aren't many disastrous occasions to anticipate unless you count traffic. What do you - or would you - stock up on if you were to squirrel away some supplies in the face of a storm?