Check first for excessive salt and sugar, then enjoy the poetry of some food labels

Kirkland Signature Wild Alaskan Smoked Sockeye Salmon from Costco Wholesale with organic sunny side up eggs, also from Costco, and brown rice.

Along with organic salsa and low-fat Swiss cheese, the same smoked wild salmon makes a delicious filling in an egg-white omelet.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- Did you know those silken, pleasantly salty slices of smoked wild salmon from Costco Wholesale were previously frozen?

Or that the wedge of crumbly Parmigiano Reggiano, which is cut and packed in Italy for Costco, is a hard cheese "made today as it was centuries ago"?

You can find this and other information about some of the best items at Costco on the same labels that list sugar and sodium content.

And all of the Kirkland Signature items I discuss today are a much better value than national brands sold in supermarkets.

Frozen whole

The Kirkland Signature Wild Alaskan Smoked Sockeye Salmon, for example, is from fish that are immediately frozen whole after they are caught "in the ice-cold waters off the coast of Alaska."

Then, the salmon are "cold smoked using time-honored traditions and minimal ingredients: salt, brown sugar and natural wood smoke." 

"Sockeye Salmon are a natural source of healthy Omega-3 fatty acids."

A 2-ounce serving of the smoked salmon, which is sliced, contains 650 milligrams of sodium or 27% of the recommended daily limit.

I usually use about that or less with eggs or in an omelet or sandwich. 

I also like to roll up slices of salmon and reduced fat-Swiss cheese with organic mixed greens and a little Dijon mustard for a breadless snack.

Avoid smoked salmon from farmed fish, which are usually raised with harmful antibiotics and colored artificially.

See: Look for high-fructose corn syrup

 in processed food

Costco Wholesale's price of $18.89 for 1 pound of Wild Alaskan Smoked Sockeye Salmon is lower than at any other store in northern New Jersey.

Italian geography

The wrapper for the Parmigiano Reggiano -- often called "the King of Cheeses" -- offers a geography lesson:

The cheese "uses the highest quality milk from provinces located between the Po River and Apennine Mountains" in the north of Italy.

"Only premium wheels are selected and aged for 24 months, allowing the intense, fruity, nutty flavor and grainy hard texture to develop.

"Each wedge of Kirkland Signature Parmigiano Reggiano is carved from a wheel that has passed Italy's rigorous maturation standards...."

And the wrapper offers tips on how to enjoy this wonderful cheese, which has less fat because it's made from part-skimmed cow's milk:

"Freshly grate, shred or shave on traditional pasta dishes, salads and rustic soups. 

"Chunk and serve with fresh pear slices and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Use the rind when cooking to add a burst of flavor to stews, stocks and risotto.

"Pair with a Chianti Classico or Chardonnay."

A 1-inch cube contains 180 milligrams of sodium or  7% of the recommended daily limit for an individual.

Formaggi Zanetti in Italy supplies the cheese to Costco, which pledges:

"Every Kirkland Signature product is guaranteed to meet or exceed the quality standards of the leading national brands.

"If you are not completely satisfied, your money will be refunded."

Kirkland Signature Organic Quinoa is grown in the mountains of Peru.

Say "keen-wah"

With fewer carbs than rice or pasta, Kirkland Signature Organic Quinoa is one of my favorite weight-watching bread substitutes.

"From Andean farmers to your table" is the message on the front of the 4.5-pound bag.

On the back, you can read the story of this easy to cook, gluten-free quinoa, which is pronounced "keen-wah."

"Quinoa -- known as the 'Mother Grain' in South American culture -- dates back to the Incan Empire and is actually a seed, not a grain.

"Today, we enjoy quinoa for its great taste and nutritional properties. Quinoa is one of nature's complete plant proteins.

"Our quinoa is cultivated by small-holder farmers in the Andean Mountains, who remain committed to sustainably grown, organic quinoa and continue to honor the farming techniques of their ancestors."

How to cook

You'll also find cooking instructions for this pre-washed quinoa from Peru (no need to rinse):

Listed as optional: "Toast quinoa in a dry skillet before cooking for an authentic South American flavor."

I'll have to try that. 

I prepare mine in an electric rice cooker, adding 2 cups of organic chicken broth for each cup of quinoa.

I also add whole garlic cloves or a can of organic diced tomatoes or chickpeas or all three, plus some olive oil and salt, and cook them on the "white rice" setting.

Costco's Organic Quinoa contains no salt. 

A quarter cup dry has 3 grams of "sugars," 3 grams of dietary fiber and 6 grams of protein.

Kirkland Signature Basil Pesto used as a spread on Dave's Killer Bread, an organic loaf with 21 grains or seeds that also is available at Costco.

Red wine, pesto

Kirkland Signature's delicious Cabernet Sauvignon from California in the 1.5-liter bottle ($7.99) offers great value. Check out the tasting notes on the label:

"...Vibrant, juicy flavors of black currant with broad, red fruit notes that linger on the palate, and are surrounded by hints of spice and sweet smoke with a graceful finish of cherry and mocha."

So, both the wine and the label are a mouthful.

Kirkland Signature's wonderful Basil Pesto is a refrigerated product that doesn't need to be heated when dressing pasta or when used as a sandwich spread.

You also can try it with scrambled eggs.

According to the label, the Basil Pesto contains only Genovese basil grown "in the Liguria region of Italy, which is a narrow strip of mountainous land bordering the Mediterranean Sea and surrounding the city of Genoa" [where pesto originated].

"Liguria is the only approved D.O.P. [an Italian acronym for Protected Designation of Origin] basil-growing region in Italy, because its unique soil, sea air, mild climate and soft spring ran create a pure, sweet basil."

However, a quarter-cup contains 26% of the recommended daily limit of sodium for an individual.

Of course, you wouldn't find that much pesto on a portion of pasta or if you use it as a sandwich spread.

Eating Out + Eating In: $13.50 for a Greek Salad, brunch in Red Bank and fish stories

DID THEY SHRINK THE SALAD? I met a friend for lunch at the Suburban Diner, 172 Route 17 north in Paramus, and paid $13.50 for a Greek Village Salad. He ordered a Turkey Club Sandwich with French Fries, Onion Rings, Russian Dressing, Cole Slaw and Pickles on the side, photos below, and paid $11.95. I feel I was penalized for trying to eat healthy.

-- HACKENSACK, N.J.

By VICTOR E. SASSON

EDITOR

The Suburban Diner in Paramus appears to have downsized some lunch items, judging from the skimpy Greek Village Salad I had there the other day.

The popular Route 17 diner was expanded and completely renovated in 2012, and since then I've enjoyed meeting a friend there, usually ordering one of the big lunch salads.

But after an absence of more than a year (or maybe two), I found that the Greek Village Salad I ordered for $13.50 on Oct. 2 wasn't that big.

And though salads usually are healthy, this one had way too much salty feta cheese and olives, too much bread, and too little chopped cucumbers and greens.

I gained 6 pounds during a vacation in Iceland in August, when I filled up on fish, bread and beer.

Since we returned, I've tried to stick to my traditional bread substitutes -- sweet potatoes, organic quinoa and organic whole-wheat pasta -- and their lower carbs helped me shed the extra weight in about a month. 

So, all that bread in Suburban Diner's Greek Village Salad wasn't welcome, but there wasn't that much else to fill me up.

Meat substitutes

When eating out, I rarely have a problem finding substitutes for the meat and poultry I haven't eaten since 2010, but that wasn't the case on a day trip to Red Bank for a 3-course brunch and a play, "A Raisin in the Sun," at Two River Theater.

The day was arranged by WBGO, the jazz station in Newark, for members who paid one price for brunch and the theater. Jazz 88 is a media partner of the Red Bank theater.

Three of the four main courses listed on the limited menu of JBJ Soul Kitchen on Oct. 8 contained meat or poultry, and I didn't want the fourth choice -- Soul Kitchen Fall Pancakes with Candied Peanuts, Cinnamon Whipped Cream and Home Fries -- which had too many carbs and too much sugar.

A least for dessert, we were able to choose fruit salad over a cake.

BRUNCH IN RED BANK: This Pepper Frittata was listed on the menu of JBJ Soul Kitchen in Red Bank with Monterey Jack Cheese and a side of "Pork and Potato Hash." When I told the server I don't eat meat, she said the restaurant couldn't offer a substitute, so I was served only the small red pepper frittata.

The restaurant described my first course as Farm Vegetable Soup, but the bowl held only this thin broth and a scattering of vegetables.

At JBJ Soul Kitchen, my wife chose Teriyaki Beef with Soy Glazed Fried Rice, Fried Egg and Seasonal Green for a main course, above, and started with the Spring Into Fall Salad with Red Wine Poached Pears, Maple Vinaigrette and Feta Cheese, below.

I tried some of my wife's salad, and was sorry I didn't order it instead of the soup.

JBJ Soul Kitchen, 207 Monmouth St. in Red Bank, doesn't serve "soul food," but takes its name from Jersey shore rocker Jon Bon Jovi's JBJ Soul Foundation. The non-profit community restaurant serves paying customers and those who cannot pay. A second JBJ Soul Kitchen is in Toms River.

EATING IN: I assembled a pocket-bread sandwich with four fish -- leftover fried whiting from a takeout dinner; red snapper and a tuna-and-sardine salad we prepared at home; plus homemade pesto and tzatziki, sliced tomato and organic salad greens.

TAKE-OUT: In September, the opening of Paula's Soul Food Cafe at 331 Main St. in Hackensack proved wildly popular, judging from the crowds we encountered when picking up takeout on two successive Saturday nights. On Sept. 30, my wife picked up three Fried Whiting Dinners ($13 each), but Paula's staff needed an hour to fill the order. Paula's has a full soul food menu, including ribs and fried chicken, but also offers fresh wild-caught fish.

Fresh wild salmon

The four-month run of fresh, wild salmon at Costco Wholesale in Teterboro ended this month.

On Oct. 3, I picked up a skin-on fillet of wild Coho Salmon for $9.99 a pound.

Starting in early June, Costco offered fresh wild Sockeye Salmon from the Copper River, and later Sockeye and King Salmon, which were marked "Product of USA."

Only Coho Salmon was available in the last weeks.

EATING IN: I grilled fresh wild Coho Salmon and served it with a reduction of organic diced tomatoes, red wine and garlic; homemade pesto and fresh herbs, above and below.

A week later, I served grilled Coho Salmon with homemade basil pesto and a homemade yogurt sauce called tzatziki (non-fat Greek Yogurt from Costco Wholesale, shredded cucumbers, minced garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice and dried dill).

TZATZIKI: Shredded cucumbers, non-fat Greek Yogurt and extra-virgin olive oil are three of the ingredients in tzatziki.

The skin-on Coho Salmon fillets spend 8 minutes on a preheated stovetop grill with spray oil (6-7 minutes for medium), turned once. 

A week ago, the Teterboro Costco offered only artificially colored farmed salmon, above. Another case held antibiotic-free farmed salmon.

Other wild fish at Costco

Costco's refrigerated case offers other fresh wild fillets, including Atlantic cod and haddock, flounder, ocean perch and monkfish.

Smoked wild Alaskan sockeye salmon is available year-round for use in omelets, salads and sandwiches. 

FISH & VEGETABLE MEDLEY: Serving pieces of fresh wild cod ($7.99  a pound at Costco) coated in Asian Indian spices and baked under a mantle of organic diced tomatoes, pitted olives, capers and grated Parmesan Cheese, above and below.

I lined a large pan with parchment paper, added fresh spinach, extra-virgin olive oil, serving pieces of fish, lemon juice and the other ingredients. The fish was ready after 15 minutes in a preheated 400-degree oven.

CHEESY FRITTATA: With the return of cooler weather, I prepared a 10-inch frittata with eggs (whole or whites or both) grated cheese, seasonings and dried herbs -- 4 cups of liquid in all. I poured the liquid into a preheated non-stick pan with olive oil, and added plum tomato slices, more grated cheese and Costco's Organic No-Salt Seasoning, below. When the crust was set, I moved the pan to broiler until the crust browned. I added homemade pesto as the frittata was cooling on the counter, then cut it into wedges with a spatula.

BREAD SUBSTITUTES: Organic quinoa from Costco Wholesale is one of my bread substitutes (above with  Jamaican-style ackee and salt fish, below with an omelet stuffed with wild smoked salmon.

I put 2 cups of organic quinoa, 4 cups of organic chicken stock, a can of organic diced tomatoes, a can of organic chickpeas or beans, olive oil, sesame oil and a little salt in an electric cooker, and choose the "white rice" setting.

Two more bread substitutes are organic whole wheat pasta, above, and sweet potatoes, below. The best sources for organic whole wheat pasta in a variety of shapes are Whole Foods Market and ShopRite (both charge $1.50 or less for a 1-pound package).

I bake sweet potatoes at 350 degrees until they are soft and the natural sugar oozes out of them (takes at least an hour). I also boil cut-up, skin-on sweet potato with peeled garlic cloves and mash them with extra-virgin olive oil and seasonings, including cinnamon, curry powder and red-pepper flakes.

A wedge of frittata served with a baked sweet potato and Mexican-style salsa.