Poor wild-salmon season in Alaska hasn't deprived me completely of this great fish

Costco magic may be melting away amid rush and crush of Covid-19 panic shopping

LINING UP TO SHOP: This morning, I stood on one of 3 lines split off from a fourth line of Costco Wholesale members who showed up at the warehouse in Teterboro, N.J., during the hour reserved for people 60 years old and older like me.

 Why isn't the special hour 

for seniors in force every day? 

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- My decades-long love affair with Costco Wholesale was sorely tested today.

I showed up at the Teterboro warehouse during the special hour reserved for shoppers 60 years old and older (like me) in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, hoping the line would be shorter.

Instead, I found a long, serpentine line and no signs to help me navigate.

I had to ask employees in the parking lot where the line began, then show my I.D. to a police officer, before realizing to my horror that the line I was on was being split into 3 other lines. 

I asked Costco

Checkout went much smoother, but I question why the special senior hours (8 a.m. to 9 a.m.) are available only on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Aren't seniors one of the biggest, if not the biggest, slice of the membership in the warehouse club?

When I posed those questions in an email to a spokeswoman at Costco headquarters in Issaquah, Wash., she replied:

"As you can imagine, Costco has received several requests from the media for more information about how Costco is handling the surge of interest in response to the coronavirus as well as our measures to provide a safe environment.

"Costco is not staffed to respond individually to all those questions."

First day?

When I saw so many older members like me on the line this morning, I thought this was the first day the special hours went into effect.

In fact, an employee in the parking lot using a bullhorn apologized for the long line, saying Costco didn't anticipate such a robust turnout.

But when I called the administrative staff later, a woman told me the special senior hours have been in effect for "weeks."

Organics

An increasing number of organic products at great prices have made me a loyal Costco shopper in recent years, including the items I purchased today:

Kirkland Signature Organic Quinoa from Peru (4.5  pounds for $10.89), Earthbound Farm Organic Spring Mix (1 pound for $3.89, 10 cents less than in 2005), Earthbound Farm Organic Spinach (1 pound for $5.49), Organic Kiwis and Organic Bananas (3 pounds for $1.99).

Other great items in my cart included a tray of fresh, wild-caught Monkfish, harvested in the United States ($6.99 a pound), Polish Sausage made with 100% grass-fed beef; and a bag of raw, sodium-free, steam-pasteurized California Almonds (3 pounds for $12.79) that I roast in the oven and dust with Vietnamese cinnamon (another Costco product). 

Out of stock

But in recent weeks, Costco hasn't been able consistently to keep a large number of other items in stock.

For example, no toilet paper was to be had today.

But the warehouse offers other items of only limited appeal, including a 1-pound package of dried Sea Cucumber from Canada ($44.99) that I saw today. 

Even more annoying than that during the pandemic is that Costco continues to move items around in the cavernous warehouse to create what is referred to as a "treasure hunt." 

That ensures members have to walk every aisle to find items on their shopping list and in the process, Costco hopes, discover and purchase impulse items.

Today, as in previous visits to the Teterboro warehouse and the Costco Business Center in Hackensack, I haven't been able to practice the social distancing recommended during the pandemic, even though aisles are wider than in a traditional supermarket.

It would help to make aisles one-way, as they are at the ShopRite in Paramus.

Read: Grocers aren't always ready

 for early business

SOCIAL DISTANCING: At checkout, a Costco employee enforced social distancing, but even the wide aisles in the warehouse make keeping 6 feet apart difficult, because members are searching for their favorite items, which aren't always in the same place.

FOR SEA CUCUMBER FANS: The warehouse was out of toilet paper, but offered a 1-pound package of dried Atlantic Sea Cucumber for $44.99.

PLEXIGLASS BARRIERS: Costco has done an excellent job using plexiglass barriers to separate employees of the membership and returns desks, above, as well as those at registers and at exits, from shoppers.

Lines outside food stores, rationing give us frightening glimpse of coronavirus' impact

SUNDAY, MARCH 22, 2020: At the Super H Mart Shopping Center in Ridgefield, N.J., an employee of the Korean supermarket wiped down the handles of shopping carts as customers applied hand sanitizer or put on gloves. Free weekend food samples were suspended indefinitely.

Gas falls below $2 a gallon,

 but many people stay home

TODAY, MARCH 24, 2020: At the ALDI in Hackensack, N.J., customers lined up before the supermarket opened at 9 a.m., as an employee wiped down the handles of shopping carts in an enclosure, below.

NO DELIVERY: But customers who were told on Monday the store gets a shipment of toilet paper at 6 a.m. every day were disappointed to find the delivery wasn't made and no toilet paper was available.

WAWA ON ESSEX: Many stations along Essex Street in Hackensack, near Route 80, were selling regular gas for about $1.95 a gallon, but there were no customers at those stations or at the Wawa, above, where the price was about $2.05 a gallon.

COSTCO WHOLESALE IN TETERBORO: This afternoon, the parking lot of the Costco Wholesale warehouse in Teterboro, N.J., had plenty of room for members' cars.

POLICE ON HAND: Although police were on duty outside the entrance, the number of shoppers entering the warehouse wasn't being controlled. Employees were wiping down the handles of shopping carts and there were other measures inside to maintain social distancing.

TOILET PAPER: There was a limited supply of toilet paper for sale, and plenty of bottled water, below. I don't know whether Costco had more toilet paper than what was on display.

PLENTY OF FAVORITES: I filled my cart with organic brown eggs, bottom right; Chobani Less Sugar Greek Yogurt, frozen Wild Gulf Shrimp, the Ultimate Fish Stick, made from wild-caught Pollock; Maine Lobster Ravioli, organic agave syrup and Organic No-Salt Seasoning. Other items included Jarlsberg Lite Swiss Cheese, a 3-pound bag of raw California almonds; and 2 hand-crafted soups. A package of toilet paper was below the basket.

SOCIAL DISTANCING: A clear plexiglass barrier has been erected between employees at the register and Costco members, above and below.

CHECKING YOUR RECEIPT: At the exit, the Costco employee didn't take and mark my receipt, as is usually done, but just glanced at my cart and then at the receipt I held out, and nodded for me to leave.

My gym closed, line at Costco is too long, so how am I supposed to get any exercise?

CORONAVIRUS PANIC BUYING: Lines to check out at the Costco Business Center in Hackensack today were short, compared to Saturday, above and below. The warehouse was still out of toilet paper, but had bottles of spring water, as well as purified water. There was no spring water available in half-liter bottles on Monday.

WATER LIMITS: Costco members were allowed to buy only one pack of bottled water today.

The spread of Covid-19 endangers

older Americans in other ways

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- Since I retired a dozen years ago from a sedentary night job on a newspaper copy desk, I've relied on food shopping and the gym to get my exercise and stay healthy.

In 2012, I supplemented the gym and food shopping with volunteering at a hospital, pushing patients in wheelchairs and doing other chores that required a lot of walking. 

I've covered from 2 miles to 3 miles during a 4-hour volunteer shift on both Wednesdays and Fridays, according to the app on my smartphone.

But the spread of the coronavirus has changed all of that, and now I find that only food shopping provides me with the opportunity to exercise.

As I've always done, I've boosted my steps by parking as far away from the store entrance as possible.

No more volunteering

First, the hospital cancelled the volunteer appreciation lunch and award ceremony scheduled for April, then closed the Volunteer Office altogether.

This week, my gym closed. 

And this morning, I drove into the parking lot of the Costco Wholesale in Teterboro, N.J., only to find a line of shoppers (100 to 150 is my guess) with carts lined up in the rain single file, waiting to be allowed into the warehouse.

Costco decided to limit the number of members in the store at one time, and Teterboro police were on duty to make sure shoppers complied.

Instead of waiting in that line, I walked over to the nearby Walmart, waited on a short line inside the store, and an employee gave me a 12-roll package of toilet paper, which cost about $8.50.

Costco in Hackensack

So, on the way home, I stopped at the Costco Business Center in Hackensack, where I live, and picked up:

A 10-liter bag-in-box of extra-virgin olive oil from Spain, two large bottles of 100% grape juice, a pack of half-liter bottles of Poland Springs natural spring water, a smaller pack of Poland Springs flavored, zero-calorie seltzer; and a 2-pound package of organic Mejdool Dates.

The Business Center also was out of toilet paper, Lysol wipes and other cleaning products.

Counting steps

According to the Health app on my smartphone, I've done .65 miles or 1,500 steps so far today.

In February and so far in March, I've averaged 1.1 mile a day, but my average surely will be less now that I no longer have volunteering and an occasional visit to the gym to supplement food shopping.

On Sunday, I stopped at the Aldi near my home for jars of organic salsa and cans of organic tomatoes, the latter for Pasta with Garlic, Tomatoes and Oil with vegetables I plan to prepare tonight.

Later that morning, I drove to the Super H Mart in Ridgefield, N.J., for the fresh, wild-caught fish we prepare for our Sunday dinner.

On Monday, I also shopped at Whole Foods Market in Paramus, N.J., where I get most of the organic produce and organic pasta we eat, but found many empty shelves.

Message from Costco

Not long after I posted this, I saw this message from the CEO of Costco on controlling the number of members in the warehouse:

Dear Costco Member,

As the global effect of coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to evolve, Costco is firmly committed to the health and safety of our members and employees, and serving our communities. We are closely monitoring the changing situation, and complying with public health guidance.

As many of you have noticed, we’ve experienced a surge of business during this time. As a result, we’ve taken steps to control the number of members in our warehouses and asked that members and employees practice social distancing.

We’ve also reduced some services.

We’ve increased our protocols in sanitizing surfaces, including shopping cart handles, merchandise shelves, front-end belts and registers. Limits have been implemented on certain items to help ensure more members are able to access the merchandise they want and need. Our buyers and suppliers are working to ensure in-demand merchandise as well as everyday favorites are available in our warehouses.

 As new information becomes available, management is keeping warehouse staff well informed so they can respond swiftly and appropriately. While the circumstances continue to change and we modify our operations as necessary, we thank you for your patience and cooperation. As new developments occur, be assured we are committed to taking care of our members and employees and to our mission of providing low prices, quality merchandise and exceptional service.

We extend our sincere thanks to Costco members and employees worldwide for their ongoing support and loyal dedication during this challenging time.   

Thank you,Craig Jelinek, President and CEO, Costco Wholesale

CHECKING TWICE: At the Costco Business Center, an employee, left, checks what's in your cart against your receipt before you are allowed to leave the warehouse.

I'm getting tired of all this running around before Thanksgiving, other major holidays

SYMBOLS OF THE SEASON: Our white Christmas tree, above, and our menorah, made from Murano glass, that I brought back from Italy in 2010, below.

VENICE'S JEWISH GHETTO: I bought this menorah in a shop in what was once the Jewish Ghetto in Venice, Italy. I vividly recall a large display of wall plaques telling the story of Venetian Jews who were sent to the death camps during World War II.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The headline for this post could have been, "Shop too much, cook too much, eat too much."

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- I dashed out of the house a little after 8 this morning, skipping my usual big breakfast, and drove to Whole Foods Market in Paramus.

I was hoping to buy wild-caught lobster tails for our Thanksgiving meal before the surface lot off of Forest Avenue became packed and frenetic with shoppers, as it was before noon on Monday.

Meanwhile, my wife drove to the ShopRite in Englewood for an organic turkey to donate to the Center for Food Action, and to a Teaneck market for goat meat for her and the other meat eaters in the family.

Our Thanksgiving menu includes turkey drumsticks from the Goffle Road Poultry Farm in Wyckoff that we purchased last week, and 3 vegan dishes I ordered online and picked up at Whole Foods on Monday.

I'm a pescatarian who eats only seafood after giving up meat and poultry nearly a decade ago.

Food shopping follies

Last year, I spent $88 on Alaskan Red King Crab Legs at Costco Wholesale, and made a salad with diced sweet peppers and onions, all dressed with Dijon mustard, fresh lime juice and cumin.

This year, I was planning to buy the crab legs on Tuesday, but gave up that idea after my wife, who made her weekly trip to Costco on Monday, reported the Teterboro warehouse was packed and there were no whole turkeys or the smoked wild salmon on our list.

We eat well all year around, including wild-caught seafood, antibiotic-free chicken and as many organics as possible, so all this running around for a special holiday menu seems a little ridiculous.

And we still have our Christmas dinner to shop for in a few weeks.

Dinner out for a change

With all of our Thanksgiving food shopping done, my wife, son and I splurged on an early dinner at Legal Sea Foods in Paramus, where prices and quality are both high.

I enjoyed oysters on the half shell, and all of us had jumbo lump crab cakes, scallops, shrimp, mussels  and lobster in a variety of appetizers and entrees, as well as a kale salad with diced sweet potatoes and ricotta salata, all washed down with white and red wine.

WHOLE FOODS MARKET: This morning, I went to Whole Foods Market in Paramus for wild-caught lobster tails, but also brought home cooked shrimp and cocktail sauce, below.

ORGANIC PRODUCE DELIVERY: On Tuesday, we received our second box filled with 10 pounds of organic produce, including radishes with their greens, from MisfitsMarket.com. We just started the subscription, which cuts down on food shopping, and get one box every 2 weeks.

MORE MISFITS: Organic bok choy and green beans, as well as an extra-cost item, organic blueberries, also were in the box, below.

From Victor's Healthy Kitchen (YouTube): I'm going wild over fresh Sockeye Salmon

Should you cash your rewards certificate from Costco or use all that moola to shop?

FISTFUL OF DOLLARS: Today, I cashed my second Costco Wholesale credit card reward certificate (cash rebates on warehouse and Costco.com purchases, gasoline, restaurant meals, travel and spending at other stores) at the Costco Business Center in Hackensack. That brought my total cash rebates this year to $451.91.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- I took the money and ran.

In the past, I'd use the cash rebates from my no-fee Costco Anywhere Visa Card to make more purchases at the warehouse in Teterboro or the Costco Business Center in Hackensack.

But that makes no sense when I can use Costco as an ATM and make those purchase with the Costco credit card, earning even more cash rebates.

My cash rebates -- awarded in February -- totaled $451.91 this year, including the $189.78 I received today. 

Compare that to my annual Costco Executive Membership fee of $120.

In August, when my membership automatically renews, I'll get another 2% cash back on my purchases by virtue of my executive membership.

I made a few purchases at the Costco Business Center on South River Street today, and charged them to the Costco credit card:

A large Golden Pineapple ($1.99), a 5-pound bag of grated Parmesan Cheese ($20.19), and a 24-bottle variety pack of flavored Poland Springs Sparkling Spring Water ($8.49).

AT THE COSTCO BUSINESS CENTER: My purchases today included a 5-pound bag of grated Parmesan Cheese I use in pasta, fish and egg dishes, such as those you'll find at Victor's Healthy Kitchen on YouTube.

Overeating, pushing leftovers to celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Eve

BACCALA WITH GARLIC AND BROCCOLI RABE: I used the 2 pounds of boneless salted cod (baccala) called for in this recipe from Whole Foods Market, plus garlic, tomatoes, wine and a big head of organic broccoli rabe. The codfish was boiled three times to remove the salt, then 2-inch chunks were dredged in a little flour, fried and turned over.

ORGANIC PASTA AND WILD SHRIMP DRESSED WITH PESTO: I used a 1.1-pound package of Garofalo Organic Casarecce Pasta from the Costco Business Center in Hackensack, 1.5 pounds of cleaned wild-caught Key West White Shrimp, sold frozen at Whole Foods Market; and dressed them with plenty of Kirkland Signature Basil Pesto from Costco.

Our New Year's resolution:
 Shop less and eat less food

Editor's note: The first version of this post included a video that didn't play and a number of typos, but I've fixed them and included a link to the cooking video at Victor's Healthy Kitchen on YouTube.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- All that's left is a celebratory meal out today (New Year's Eve) before I can return to eating normal amounts of food.

And return to baking small sweet potatoes, a bread substitute I can eat to my heart's content without worrying about gaining weight; or another great side dish, an electric cooker full of organic quinoa with organic diced tomatoes and plenty of garlic.

Yes. I love to eat, and I'm happiest when I'm eating. But we simply buy too much food, and I can no longer dismiss all that shopping by saying it's good exercise, especially if you park far from the supermarket or warehouse entrance, as I do.

We've tried to ignore the profiles of pastry chefs in newspapers, even as some of them have published entire sections devoted to pie, and continue to avoid too much sugar, salt, butter and other saturated fat.

My wife and I don't compete in the kitchen, but on some nights we prepare two meals, because I've eaten only heart-healthy seafood for the last decade, and she and the rest of our family eat meat and poultry, as well as fish.

Too much food

So, on Thanksgiving and Christmas, we ended up with too many entrees (a half-dozen), and I am still eating leftovers from a Feast of the Seven Fishes I prepared for last Tuesday's meal.

I cooked only three of the seven seafood courses, relying on leftovers in the refrigerator for the rest: 

A tuna-sardine salad dressed with Dijon, lemon juice and cumin; silken slices of smoked wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon from Costco Wholesale, and leftover fried squid from a Lotus Cafe delivery (total of 4 fishes).

My annual battle of the bulge is trying to stay under 200 pounds, and this morning, I tipped the bathroom scale at 200.4 pounds -- down from 205.6 pounds.

I had dipped under 200 pounds just before Thanksgiving, meaning I needed nearly 3 months to lose the weight I had gained on a 15-day vacation in Alaska in August, where we ate three big meals a day.

New year dinner

I made reservations for tonight at Rosa Mexicano, the fine-dining restaurant in Hackensack, where we'll order a la carte to avoid the desserts served with the fixed-price holiday menu.

Still, I'll need willpower to avoid eating too many of the scrumptious little corn tortillas (usually made in the dining room) with our guacamole and other food.

And, of course, I won't be able to resist ordering a bottle of Negra Modelo, one of Mexico's great beers.

Pushing leftovers 

On Sunday morning, I made an egg-white omelet to use the last wild-caught shrimp and some leftover sauce from our Christmas dish of Organic Pasta dressed with Basil Pesto.

I still have a little bit of the Baccala with Garlic and Broccoli Rabe, and some of that tuna-sardine salad, but it will be futile trying to get anyone else to eat them. 

NO-FLIP FRITTATA WITH PASTA PESTO: The day after Christmas, I used leftover organic pasta with shrimp and pesto, plus egg whites, to make a no-flip frittata covered with grated parmesan, tomato slices and spoonfuls of pesto. See this how-to video.

GIVING THANKS FOR RED KING CRAB: For Thanksgiving, I prepared a salad of cooked Red King Crab and diced sweet peppers dressed with Dijon mustard, fresh lemon juice and ground cumin.

VEGAN PLATTER: I also ordered a vegan Thanksgiving meal from Whole Foods Market in Paramus, including a head of cooked cauliflower, center; squash, chickpeas and dressing, all of which required reheating in the oven. We decided to throw away the dessert, which was way too sweet.

Am I the only older American watching his cholesterol, and his salt and sugar intake?

WOULD YOU EAT THIS? The ingredients label on these holiday cookies I saw at Costco Wholesale in Teterboro on Nov. 27 lists sugar, butter, soybean oil, canola oil, palm oil, eggs, cocoa, chocolate liquor, unsweetened chocolate, butter oil, high fructose syrup, corn syrup, brown sugar, artificial colors, beeswax, carnauba wax, shellac and gum arabic.

SUGARLAND: The bakery in the Teterboro Costco does sell a pair of decent baguettes, the only reason I ever venture there. 

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- "Thanks, but we don't eat dessert."

My wife and I say that or something similar every time a server in a fine-dining restaurant approaches our table with the dessert and coffee menu.

Sugar -- whether natural or added, plus high-fructose corn syrup and other cheap sugar substitutes -- can be found in so much processed food, ranging from pasta sauces to soda to cereals to sliced bread to 100% juices.

So, I certainly don't need more sugar from cookies, cakes, puddings and other desserts, including the the 67 holiday recipes from The New York Times' Cooking editors this week. 

Excessive sodium

Also lurking in pasta sauces and other processed food is excessive sodium, so I make my own low-sodium pasta sauce, and might add a pinch of salt to the pasta water.

Excessive sodium can lead to high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. 

I stopped eating meat and poultry -- but love wild-caught fish and other seafood -- and long ago stopped using butter, which is loaded with saturated fat, in favor of spreading pesto on bread or dipping my bread in extra-virgin olive oil.

When we eat out, I make sure the kitchen doesn't use butter or cream in a dish I want to order, and if they can't eliminate it, I order something else.

Yes. I love to eat, but from what I see in newspapers, magazines and on TV, I sometimes feel like I'm the only older American watching my cholesterol, and salt and sugar intake. 

SUGAR OVERLOAD: I saw this 3 Layer Coffee Cake studded with cookies at Paris Baguette, a Korean bakery and coffee shop in Hackensack's Home Depot Shopping Center.

Glorifying pie

Sugar plays a major role in heart disease, and like saturated fat, the sweet stuff can clog arteries, one reason you see so many diabetics recovering in cardiac step-down units.

It's a full time job to avoid sugar by reading nutrition labels, which supply only partial information about natural and added sugar in food.

Lobbyists have successfully prevented government regulators from listing the number of teaspoons of sugar in food and juices.

For example, the Kirkland Signature Organic Orange Juice I buy at Costco Wholesale lists 21 grams of sugar in an 8-ounce serving, but not how many teaspoons that is. 

A teaspoon contains roughly 4 grams of sugar -- or 5 teaspoons in an 8-ounce serving of that organic OJ.

Yet, The New York Times recently devoted an entire section glorifying Thanksgiving pies, and The Record, the local daily newspaper I once read, devoted a section front and a full inside page to "New Jersey['s] Best Pies" in early November.

Read: Look for salt and sugar in processed food

Read: Exposing excessive salt and sugar

Syrian pastries

One reason I get queasy when looking at photos of pies, cakes and other desserts loaded with sugar, butter and cream are the pastries I ate growing up in a Syrian Jewish home in Brooklyn, including baklava.

For the most part, those pastries used very little butter and no cream. Honey and pistachio nuts predominated.

Today, I rarely eat them. 

My mother put a salad on the table every night. We ate fresh, wild fish at least once a week, and on Saturday nights, she served only dairy.

AARP advice

The editors at AARP The Magazine have come a long way from an article in the April/May 2016 issue that was headlined, "Eat This, Not That!"

For example, the article listed only chain and fast-food restaurants, and recommended older Americans eat Arby's roast turkey and bacon sandwich over a roast beef and cheddar cheese sandwich, arguing the latter has fewer calories and less fat.

Who in their right mind would eat either sandwich, stuffed as they are with harmful antibiotics, preservatives and cholesterol?

Read: The last place seniors 

should go for nutrition advice

There was no mention of fast food or chain restaurants in the August/September 2018 issue of AARP The Magazine, with Rita Moreno on the cover.

An article, "What to Eat When You're 70+," was good advice for people in their 50s and 60s, too.

Older Americans were urged to eat more lean meat, fish and dairy; more protein at breakfast, more brightly colored vegetables; more oily fish, olive oil and avocados; and more bran cereals.

I'll drink to that.

CHOLESTEROL ON SALE: On Nov. 27, Costco was offering $2 off ready to cook packages of Mac and Cheese, which contains lots of cheese, milk and some sugar, below. Nutrition labels on Costco's cookies and Mac and Cheese don't indicate the percentage of the recommended daily maximum of any ingredient. Thanks, but no thanks. I'll stick to organic pasta in a homemade, low-sodium red sauce.