Tomatoes, Ginger Drops

A healthy crop of California tomatoes is coming to market, and prices are expected to drop to around 49 cents a pound by mid-month. This is good news after a long stretch of scarcity and high prices. The short supply resulted from bad weather and disease that affected the spring crop grown in the eastern United States. On top of that, March rains delayed the transplanting of tomatoes in California, which produces 65% of the nation’s crop during the summer.

In Bali recently, in an open-air Chinese restaurant in Sanur, I was given after-dinner candies that set my mouth tingling with hot gingery flavor. When I got home, I found myself craving the chewy sweets--and regretting I hadn’t bought some to bring back. To my surprise, I found a stock of the ginger candies here in Chinatown. Made in Indonesia and packed in Singapore, they’re in the candy section of the Hong Kong Supermarket, 717 New High St., Los Angeles. The price is 69 cents for a 2.97-ounce package. The multilingual label is marked “ginger candy,” “ bonbon de gingembre “ (French for ginger bonbons) and “ ting ting jahe “ ( jahe is the Indonesian word for ginger).

It’s great to have a market within walking distance. But how do you carry home a heavy load of groceries? You might try Magic Tote Bags, made of nylon and as flat and small as a purse when folded. When open, the bags are large enough to hold 40 pounds of food. Wheels unfold too, as does a metal hook that functions as a stand. The tote is just coming into stores, including Mayfair and Gelson’s markets, Kitchen Things in Costa Mesa, Cookin’ Stuff in Torrance and Container Arts in Canoga Park. The price varies from $15 to $20. You may also order the bag direct from Atlantic Representations for $20, which includes postage and handling. Send checks made out to the company to 236 S. Oakhurst Drive, Beverly Hills 90212.