Secrets of frugal foodies

Marketing consultant Shauna Dawson likes good food and good deals, and that has turned her into a bold shopper. ¶ The 34-year-old Carthay Circle resident will troll a Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, checking to see whether the “sell by” date on a product is that very day. It’s almost like food bingo. When Dawson finds something she wants, she asks a clerk for 50% off. ¶ “I bought a package of fresh cream puffs this way -- just the other day,” she said. ¶ It can be tough these days to be a gourmet. With food prices rising at the fastest pace in 18 years, Dawson and other shoppers must look harder and shop smarter to get the special items they want. But they say they’ve figured out ways they can still afford some of those premium goodies such as a double-cream brie, perhaps a juicy rib-eye steak or even a small bottle of truffle oil. ¶ Despite raging inflation, it’s possible to eat well without spending like crazy, Dawson and other food gurus say. You just need a strategy. ¶ For some secrets to eating well for less from chefs and other foodies, turn to Page C4. Have a plan

That’s almost universal advice from shoppers and experts surveyed. Most people head off to the supermarket with little idea of what they need or any sort of menu plan. They toss food into the shopping cart, head home and then try to figure out what to make.

“Knowing what you want to make before you go shopping and taking a shopping list is a sure way to save money, and you will wind up throwing less food away,” said Jeff Lavia, a partner and chef at Dinner MoJo, a personal chef service in Long Beach.

And that will leave you more money to spend on that special bottle of wine or sumptuous Camembert that you might otherwise do without.

Learn to cook

Right, that’s the typical advice of chefs and people who sell fresh food. To a person, they agree. It’s not all that daunting.

“You save enormous amounts of money if you sidestep the takeout department and buy your own fresh ingredients,” said Lynne Rossetto Kasper, who hosts American Public Media’s radio show “The Splendid Table.”

And it doesn’t need to be hard. If you have a grill with a rotisserie, you save money and will eat better by putting your own chicken on the spit rather than buying the prepackaged rotisserie chicken, she said.

Lavia and Kasper are big fans of simple dishes, such as easy-to-make meals built around a high-quality brand of pasta like Barilla Plus, a multi-grain pasta rich in protein, fiber and omega-3 fatty acids.

“I love the texture and the flavor. It has the resilience and spring of properly made pasta and is really delicious,” Kasper said.

Lavia serves the pasta with sauteed fresh vegetables, a can of diced tomatoes from Trader Joe’s, olive oil and garlic.

Buy high-quality meats, serve smaller portions

Whether purchasing a tender rib-eye or a marbled London broil, that’s the strategy used by Beverly Hills real estate agent David Flate when he heads for the meat counter at Whole Foods Market.

“A 5-to-6-ounce portion is more than adequate, especially when you are serving more than a salad with the meal,” Flate said.

He’s also not shy about picking a larger piece of meat and asking the butcher to cut it into smaller portions that will better fit his appetite.

Whole Foods expects people to shop this way, said Erica Dubreuil, director of perishables for the Southern Pacific region of Whole Foods Market.

One of Dubreuil’s favorite meals is rib-eye steak, brushed with olive oil and some salt and pepper and then a dash of herbes de Provence before it hits the barbecue grill. She serves it with bread -- warmed on the top shelf of the grill as the steak is finishing -- a salad and green or yellow vegetables.

But if you are dining at Dubreuil’s house, don’t expect a giant steak. She serves 4-to-5-ounce portions of red meat because that’s more healthful.

People who don’t shop at Whole Foods and other high-end stores can do the same at their regular supermarket, said Lavia of Dinner MoJo, who goes to a service meat counter at an Albertsons in Long Beach.

“Go to the meat counter and get exactly what you need instead of a big package,” Lavia said. “I can buy just one or two chicken breasts instead of a package of four.”

Check out specialty retailers and suppliers

When Julie Anne Rhodes, a personal chef and small-event caterer from Hancock Park, wants really fresh fish, she goes to Santa Monica Seafood, which has retail stores in Santa Monica and Costa Mesa.

“It’s not inexpensive, but you are getting it as close to the sources as you can unless you know a fisherman,” Rhodes said.

Lavia does similarly in his neighborhood, buying his fish from Long Beach Seafood Co., which is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will pack the food in ice.

This is how to get fresh restaurant-quality fish without dining out, the chefs say.

Rhodes also frequents other specialty retailers for unusual items. Surfas in Culver City is one of her favorite destinations for ingredients such as Selezione Truffle Oil and Valrhona cocoa powder.

Go to the source

Whether it’s an ethnic neighborhood or a farm, the closer you get to where the food originates or where it is eaten, the better the taste and freshness, said Kasper, the radio food guru.

“I am going to save a lot of money if I buy my Indian ingredients in the neighborhood and market where that culture shops instead of the big fancy grocery store, and I will have an adventure along the way,” Kasper said.

Cindy Bis of Santee, Calif., said she shops widely and noted that she is frequently “the only white customer” in many of the ethnic stores she visits. “The fruits and vegetables are often less expensive than the regular supermarkets, and you can get items like fresh soy milk instead of the packaged soy milk that Ralphs or Vons only sell,” she said.

Keep currency exchange rates in mind

Shoppers should look for foods from regions of the world where the dollar has taken less of a hit in value. California olive oil might be a better bargain than Mediterranean oils. In the wine aisle, you could get more for your money buying a vintage from Argentina or Chile than from France.

Play the seasons

“One of the best ways to save money is to buy what is in season,” said Michael Ainslie, the development chef for the Fresh & Easy chain of small grocery stores.

Ainslie suggests that shoppers look for root vegetables -- beets, turnips and carrots in the winter, greens such as lettuce and asparagus in the spring, fruit and vine vegetables including tomatoes, zucchini and eggplant in the summer, and hard squashes such as butternut and acorn in the fall.

Farmers markets are a great place to purchase fresh produce, he said, and don’t be afraid to bargain.

“I have been to farmers markets in other countries, and I can say that people in America sometimes forget to put on their negotiating caps,” Ainslie said.

Shoppers will get better selection in the mornings but better deals nearer to closing. The farmers don’t want to haul the produce back.

Shop with friends or relatives

Dawson typically shops for just herself and her boyfriend, but when she sees a good deal for something in bulk, Dawson will also buy it to divide up with her grandparents, who are in their 90s.

“That’s a great way to cut the price down for the amount you need,” she said.

Kasper said people can also band together for trips to the farmers market to bolster their buying power.

“Instead of getting a rack of lamb, see what type of deal you can get for a side of lamb that you can split up with your friends,” she said.

If you don’t have a local sheep farmer handy, purchasing a beef rib roast and cutting it into rib steaks also saves money, Kasper said. “It only takes six vertical strokes with a knife to turn it into steak.”

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jerry.hirsch@latimes.com

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Saving at the supermarket

Here are 10 ways to save money while grocery shopping.

1 Use loyalty cards: If you don’t have one from your supermarket, get one now. It’s the single easiest way to save money on items on sale each week.

2 Check out local farmers markets: They often have good deals. Go just before closing to negotiate even better bargains.

3 Think about the store: A high-end grocer might have the gourmet cheeses and meats you need to make a party special. But go to a discount store for laundry detergent.

4 Use electronic coupons: Search online for printable coupons for the products you use -- www.shortcuts.com is one popular site. Some sites will allow shoppers to load coupons onto their store loyalty cards for savings.

5 Check the Sunday newspaper: Newspapers remain an important source for store and product coupons.

6 Buy one, get one free: Such sales can be even better deals if you can use coupons with the purchases -- and stock up.

7 Try store brands: These often come from the same factories as the large consumer labels and can be less expensive than a more famous name.

8 Pursue favorite brands: Frequent the websites of brands you prefer for money-saving printable coupons.

9 Look for rebates and “free-bates”: Keep your eyes open for deals that get you a refund of the full purchase price.

10 Don’t be loyal: There’s no reason to be wedded to one grocer. Check the ads each week and see who has what you want on sale.

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Delicious bargains

Here are some top picks from food gurus we consulted.

Barilla Plus pasta: Several chefs raved about this line of pasta. Albertsons sells the brand for $2.79 for a 14.5-ounce box. It is a multi-grain pasta rich in protein, fiber and omega-3 fatty acids that has a satisfying texture and mouth feel.

California olive oil: Trader Joe’s sells a 16.9-ounce bottle of California extra-virgin olive oil for $5.99. With the euro trading near record levels against the dollar, California olive oils provide a less expensive but high-quality alternative to European products.

British-style back bacon: This is one of a handful of products at the new Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market chain that’s gained a real following among foodies and rave reviews on several food blogs. Fresh & Easy reproduces British back bacon by using American pork loins and smoking them. It is leaner than the traditional American-style bacon and is uncured, meaning that no nitrites are used in the cooking process. It sells for $3.99 for 10 ounces.

Dark-chocolate gelato: This is another Fresh & Easy product gaining notice. It’s rich and velvety, and at $2.98 for a pint is about 60% the price of a premium brand. The roasted-banana gelato also is top notch. Some say it tastes like bananas Foster.

Truffle oil: Surfas in Culver City sells a Selezione Tartufi black-truffle oil, 8.8 ounces for $29.14, about 20% less than at many other gourmet-product purveyors.

-- Jerry Hirsch