A few weeks ago, Tricia and I were browsing the aisles at a local discount store and were surprised by the selection of food they carried. Not by the quantity, mind you, but by the variety. Because they primarily stock those items that have failed to sell elsewhere, the food offered runs the gamut from exotic to inedible.

Intrigued by the notion of purchasing foods available at a discount store, I thought it would be fun to try to make a tasty meal exclusively from discounted items. Sure, the odds were not in my favor, but in the end … well, I'll let you decide. Here's the video. I'm calling it "Dollar Store Gourmet."

Watch the video here.

Ingredients
2 7-oz. packages fideos
1 medium onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 14-oz. can chicken broth
2 13.7-oz. packages crushed tomatoes
2 3.5-oz. packages whole baby clams
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. paprika
ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Bring olive oil to medium heat, and add fideos. Sautee until they are golden brown, and drain on paper towels.

In the same pan at medium heat, add garlic, onion, tomatoes, salt, pepper and paprika. Let it simmer for 15 minutes.

Add broth and the reserved fideos to the pan and let simmer for an additional five minutes.

Add baby clams (along with juices they are packed in) into the pan, and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Preheat broiler, and spoon the fideos into oven-safe bowls. (The flatter your bowls, the more surface area will be exposed to be crisped up.) Place bowls beneath broiler until tops of fideos are browned and crispy.

Originally posted to The Grub Report by Steve Gibson on August 4, 2007 12:59 PM

Comments

Steve Gibson, I think the video is a great idea. Permit me to cite a previous article that suggested ordering specialty food items over the Internet. For example, someone wanting to try your recipe for fideos with clams may be hard pressed to find fideos locally (maybe La Poblanita?). I've used Amazon.com on a few occasions and discovered they have a large variety of specialty foods and ingredients. However, I'd advise your readers to be careful, since the shipping costs can sometimes be more than the item ordered. Your recipe contains two of my favorites, pasta and clams.

As an aside, one of my favorite restaurants in the whole world is Umberto's Clam House in New York City. They serve the best linguine with white clam sauce on the planet.(It's in the New York City dining guide and is located in the center of Little Italy. If anyone is traveling to NY I'd recommend it). Umberto's has been prospering in NY for over thirty years. That says something for a city that is very hard on the restaurant trade. Food critics rule and new restaurants come and go overnight based on their reviews. After moving back to Marion, I discovered that there must be a cosmic gazillion varieties of tomato sauce in the local markets, but no white clam. After a quick search I was able to locate a large selection on Amazon.

Your idea of "Dollar Store Gourmet" was very good. Maybe next you can try "Gourmet Recipes from Our Sisters of Charity Soup Kitchen". (Just joking)

Love the video and love the "Dollar Store" concept!