When you go grocery shopping, do people approach you to ask food questions?

[oregonwoodsmoke]

I live in an area where we all chat in the grocery store. It kills time while standing in line at the checkout.

I used to live in an area where I knew everyone I encountered in the grocery store. Shopping involved extra time because I had to stop and chat for a minute with everyone I passed. I still know the clerks in most of the stores. They've been there a long time and I've shopped there for a long time. So we chat as they scan the groceries.

This time of year, I always explain to several confused looking shoppers about how to cook a standing rib roast.

Most questions from strangers are at the meat counter or in the produce section. Someone will come up and say "You look like you know what you are doing. How do I pick a good fill-in-the-blank?"

[Mistoftime]

Originally Posted by DawnMTL

Ha! I'm that short woman. I always say, "Excuse me? Can I borrow your height for a second?"

LOL, I can relate, at 6'5'' I am approached frequently in stores

[Naturen]

Most times it is me asking questions. I have gotten some very helpful answers:

Once, I was looking for the Mexican packaged ground cumin instead of the outrageously priced alternative in the spice section. I mentioned this to a fellow shopper and she walked me over to the bulk area - we had a nice chat.

My last experience, I needed brown sugar for the Thanksgiving ham. I had a completely perfect crusted and rock hard version of brown sugar at home. While shopping, I decided to purchase a new package; however, I couldn't find the brown sugar so a salesperson directed me to the shelf. I explained the perfectly dried brown sugar at home and that I wondered which version of the brown sugar I should purchase to avoid yet another rock-hard perfection in a couple of months. A fellow shopper happened to be near that overheard my conversation. She said "put in a piece of bread and it will soften the sugar - my mom told me this and it works every time but you will lose the bread".

I had a couple of pieces of bread to spare so I put them along with the block of sugar in a ziplock bag. It worked! The sugar is soft and supple and the birds got a Thanksgiving treat - the bread.

[graceC]

Originally Posted by BOS2IAD

Hope this is the right forum.

Do people ask you food questions when you shop? This has happened to me several times.

For example, I was in the produce area once and a young man with a newborn in tow told me that his wife sent him shopping. On the list were "baking apples". He asked me what kind of apples he should get. I took the time to point them out.

Another time, a man asked me what type of cream he should buy for a recipe he was making. I explained the difference between heavy and light cream.

I have more stories that I can tell. Both men and women have approached me. Each time, I'm glad to take the time to help them.

When I tell others that this happens to me, they tell me that no one has ever asked them such questions.

Do any of you have similar stories to share?

Yes, it happened to me and more of then than not, I'd the one asking questions. I'm also not shy to ask questions about how to make certain things. I think grocery stores, especially in the fresh produce section, is the best place to exchange recipes and people are almost always too happy to share

One time I was standing in front of a breakfast isle and I was marveling at the varieties of frankfurters on display. The guy who was standing next to me immediately told me how he liked to add little slices of frankfurters in his rice & beans recipe. I tried it at home and it's not bad, a one pot meal that's easy to make when you're too lazy to cook.

When I visit my local ethnic supermarket, I always spend more time in the vegetables section as they'll have all kinds of veggies I've never seen before, let alone tried. So one time I was standing in front of a vegetable called "tindora". It looks like tiny cucumbers the size of your little finger. So when an Indian lady next to me caught my interested look and smiled, I took that as my cue to ask questions. Turns out it's also called baby watermelon, from ivy gourd family, and it has crunchy texture when you eat it. She proceeded to tell me how she liked to make it: just stir fry with mustard oil, garlic, salt, and a pinch of turmeric powder. Another lady on my other side chimed in and said that she usually added shredded coconut for extra flavor. Tindora has since become one of my favorite vegetables.