TODAY’S QUEST
I like having a quest. You know, when you look endlessly for something? Here in Utah searching for the quest item is much more challenging than finding it in California. It really makes it more fun. And truly, the searching is a lot more entertaining than the finding.
Some of our recent quest items include:
Tamarind pulp – we looked everywhere for this to make pad Thai. We found some pods in a grocery store here in St. George and found a block of it in a store in Concord, CA. They also have it at Sigona’s in Redwood City, CA.
Wustof paring knife – now this is an easy item but not if you are unwilling to pay full price. Sarah and I found a couple of these at Marshall’s and I am still looking for one more. $4.99, you can’t beat that price!
Rice papers – These are becoming much more popular and thus easier to find. You can always find them at an Asian grocery but, guess what, no Asian grocery in St. George. We found them at Dixie Nutrition which has all sorts of odd things. (Aside: this part of Utah is called Dixie because it was originally settled as a place to grow cotton due to its mild climate year round.)
Fish spatula – John really likes fish spatulas. They have a diagonal, bendable blade. Once again we are looking for one that is off-price. They carry them at Williams-Sonoma but for more than we want to pay.
Fried calamari – this is part of our restaurant quest. We originally had the best calamari ever at Starz in Oakville, CA. It has since gone out of business. I think we hit the jackpot a week ago on our trip to wine country. Mustard’s Grill in Yountville has some mighty fine fried calamari. See review below.