It's absolutely affecting my trips to the grocery store. In fact, I no longer go to Kroger, even though it's closer. I now go to The Fresh Market. It's a little more expensive but I no longer buy the impulse items and snacks I was getting before. Lots of organic food now. So I am eating better and I am happier with my choices.

A friend has a baking company, and her triple chocolate browniers were a big seller. But the rising chocolate prices starting several years ago made them unprofitable for a small business (you can only charge so much for brownies), and she had to drop them.

Im not a chocolate fan, so that isnt a problem for me.

I am much more careful about not over-buying so I dont waste food. The grocery stores are close by so it makes more sense to buy as I need stuff.

I'm far more sensitive to the prices at the edges. I'll only buy soda pop on holiday special if I can help it. But, for myself, I'll spend three times as much on citra hop water. I do check the prices of produce that go in and out, like berries and artichokes, but will just buy something I want which has a short season, so long as the price isn't totally outlandish.

A long time ago, on a business trip way on the other side of the Rockies, I was at Kroger looking to buy a bottle of wine for my hospitality table. One expects California wines will cost more across the country, just for shipping and taxes if nothing else, but the prices for moderately good wines made me say, "Not without a sommelier!" There was one on special which was an unexciting not bad kind of bottle--adequate for serving to itinerant colleagues who will find it better than the caterer level swill--but I only chose it for the price.

I'll spend a shocking amount on a top quality, prime steak for Mr. Picky, whom I only have to cook for a few times per year, but for the house, I prefer lesser cuts with cooking involved to hunks of steak, anyway, and the sticker shock is a lot less, His birthday dinner was out, but he opted for seafood, which isn't shockingly priced, and five of us, with plenty left for taking home, averaged out to an acceptable price. I can't even imagine what his kind of steak would cost in a restaurant, given what it costs retail and raw.

So, chocolate. That's not the economy, but rather the increasing difficulties with the crop. Using a fancy dark cocoa powder, like Valrhona, can get you a lot more chocolatiness per spoonful than other kinds, but it always was more expensive. I just checked an online store, and it's the same price per pound of chocolate as you saw, for a 5lb. I don't know where you live, but the early peaches here are really good...

So, I wrote all that, and it doesn't answer your title question: I do, occasionally, test new recipes before a gathering, but since most coming are family, I'm less hesitant to make them the guinea pigs. If I thought the cake recipe seemed good, I'd go for it for the fancier party, and have fresh cut fruit and some biscotti or crisp cookies as well. Bases covered, and if the cake is an utter fail, a good laugh. The ganache filling recipe for pies and tarts I make calls for 12 oz. bittersweet, so 16 oz. for a full sized cake mousse does sound right, except for the price. So, if I really wanted the cake and really needed to test it, I'd pop for the chocolate, but the price would have me considering a T&T or peach tart, rather than the combo of bother and price.

No. I've been cooking for so long I feel pretty good about my intuition about a new recipie. I often serve a never before made by me item to guests. What can go wrong with chocolate cake!!????

Not really. I do very little experimentation with my cooking these days. Other than family, I don't entertain and since family has an assortment of food-related concerns, we stick to the proven, acceptable-to-everyone, crowd pleasers.

So other than my grocery bill somehow being higher with every shopping visit, rising prices do not have much effect on my cooking at all.

I hope I didn't misunderstand the comment but I wanted to clarify that it is very possible to get a very good and even bordering on excellent west coast wine for $20 or less. And I do not find $20 excessive for a bottle of wine.....a single glass in a restaurant is easily half that. And you are guaranteed to find a good wine at Trader Joe's for a decent price regardless of location.

Not really for me, too. I can usually tell if a recipe will work so not much experimenting goes on. If there is any question, I’ll stick with something more TNT. Definitely plenty of that!

To answer the OP question; not really, since I don't experiment very much, and only entertain family these days, so it's always TNT.

FWIW, I heard this stat the other day: wages have risen around 3.4%, while inflation is over 4% now...

Gardengal, this happened a long time ago in the Midwest. At the supermarket, they had a nice selection of nice California wines--equivalent of your $20. But they were $50 (about $112 today) or more, there, whereas the same wines here would have been $12-15. The one on special was $10, or about $22.50 in today's dollars.

I live right smack in the middle of Oregon wine counrty. Many winaries are struggling due to a variety of reasons. Over planting, lessening demand, surging overhead, basically market correction. The same goes for the cannabis industry that was suppose to make the farmers rich and the state with an anticipated tax glut. Hasn’t happened for the same reasons. The tourism and restaurants are struggling as well. It seems as if a major change of things is coming. Its unsettling.

I don't worry about trying a recipe before serving it. Especially if I trust the source, like Ina Garten or NYT (tho their recipes are sometimes just not appealing to me, depending on THEIR source). But, honestly, this time of year I'd be looking at fruit forward desserts and save the other for when there isn't such an abundance of wonderful fresh fruit.

I love chocolate cake with fresh strawberries or cherries and whipped cream...

arcy--I raved to freinds about a Tunnel-of-Fudge cake I was about to serve. Unfortunalty it baked too long and wasn't as gooey as it should have been.

Yesterday I baked a pan of 7 laayer magic cookie bars. I asked husband if i should skip the layer of butterscotch chips becuse prices have doubled. Hes the BEST! told me I make this recipe once a year and don't worry about the price increase.

Budgeting? Never heard of her when it comes to the grocery store. I treat food like high art—sometimes you buy the expensive paint and end up with a masterpiece, and sometimes you end up with a mess. But the thrill of the hunt is totally worth it!

I always feel constricted when I bring a food item to someone's house. Because of allergies and the like. I usually wind up with oatmeal raisin cookies. Innocuous, and a hand-food, so that the host doesn't need to provide plates and forks. At home, just for us, I am probably not as adventurous as I should be. I stick to the old favorites, and everybody's happy.

"But, honestly, this time of year I'd be looking at fruit forward desserts and save the other for when there isn't such an abundance of wonderful fresh fruit."

Someone is bringing an ice cream cake (family tradition for July 4), and you can't beat chocolate + ice cream. I'll probably have a fruit salad, too.

"I'm struggling with price increases even without experimentation."

Oh yea. The price increases are real, no doubt about that. I budget a certain amount for my weekly grocery shopping; I increased that amount last year, and now I find this amount isn't stretching far enough lately, I'm going to have to juggle the budget again.

I keep harping on DH that if he is serious about retiring, he's got to cut back on impulse purchases, especially of steak. He treats himself to a steak and a bottle of wine if he's had a tiring day at work, it's an "I deserve it" thing. Which he does, but you can't do that a couple times a week when you're not earning what you used to. Plus, if you're not working you're not tired from work anymore LOL :0p

"I always feel constricted when I bring a food item to someone's house."

I feel constricted when I'm hosting. Allergies, plus so-and-so doesn't like this, so-and-so doesn't like that. Sigh.

I tried a new brownie recipe yesterday instead of the cake. I haven't made brownies in decades. On second thought, I don't think I've ever made brownies, believe it or not. I had 3/4 bar of leftover unsweetened baking chocolate, all I needed was one bar of semi-sweet and some cocoa powder, so it wasn't expensive to try. The recipe was meh; I'm sure there's better out there. I'll start a separate post about that.

Plus, if you're not working you're not tired from work anymore LOL :0p

This makes my day!! Thanks!!

I also smiled at the "if you're not working you're not tired from work anymore" theory. Except I have a farm, so there's always work to be done.

I tend to be very adventurous in my cooking and constantly try something new, or some recipe that might be "better" than the one I use already. Often it's not better, but how do you know until you try?

I seldom/never use mixes, they're not really less work or less expensive and not nearly as much fun as making it myself. I often make new recipes when people are coming for meals and I tell them outright that they are guinea pigs and I made XXXX because it's something I wouldn't normally make for myself and my spouse, I need an occasion or extra eaters. I made a 4 layer lemon cake with raspberry filling for my birthday this year, but the whole family was here for dinner and so I didn't have to deal with a whole cake.

Because we raise our own beef and chicken and many fruits and vegetables, my experimentation is more often dependent on what is in the garden, the freezer or the pantry that needs to be used. Unusual ingredients usually need to be sourced on line or require a 100 mile round trip drive, so that does limit my impulse cooking. I do have a daughter who is celiac, so I'm always trying to find ways around that when everyone else in the family loves carbs. A bigger issue for me is my relatively recent "heart healthy" diet, although that usually results in cooking what everyone else likes and I try to focus on the vegetables and only serve cheese sauce or whatever on the side.

Right now it's Napa cabbage. I grow it so Elery can make kim chi but really? I haven't found much else it's great for and I really like vegetables. The same goes for bok choy. Tonight it's stir fry.

Annie

Shredded napa cabbage is good on tacos - especially fish or shrimp tacos.

I continue to experiment, but find that the fresh, seasonal and special ingredients can form the basis for experimentation. Last night's new cobbler recipe is an example.

After six+ months living overseas, I came back to six months of accumulated sticker shock. It is especially true of some imported ingredients.

annie1992 -- you can add some shredded/chiffonade napa into your stir fries (or on its own, like regular cabbage). It can also make a good slaw (esp asian style), as it is more tender and sweet than regular cabbage. Another classic is an asian chicken salad..

This is one of my favorite go-to recipes when I'm short on time. Thai Beef Salad

Napa cabbage would work well with it. I usually throw in some red cabbage.

I cook for just myself about 50% of the time, so don't do a lot of experimenting. I've noticed a few prices have gone up, but I have a large selection of grocery stores nearby and lots of options. Our farmers market has started back up, and it will be interesting to see if those prices increase.

Napa is also good for rolling things in...

OK, so I have a steak marinating in a "kind of teriyaki" type marinde and I have a Napa cabbage. Sear the steak and wrap it in the napa? Turn it all into a big stir fry? Grill the steak and make slaw on the side?

Just kind of flailing about here....

Annie

If wrapping, put in egg roll type crunchy veggies with it, and some spices. Or go Hawaiian. :) Seasoned rice with colorful stuff in it,

Napa IMHO is too soft for a regular slaw, but I think it would be great just shreadded with a vinegary dressin, and hemp hearts or something.

I'm sure you'll come up with something good...

FYI: The new grocery sales for the week come out on Wednesday...today. Safeway: Boneless pork loin roast is .99cents a lb. You ALL might want to check your sale adds...see if it's being offered in your area.

Pork is very reasonable right now. Just picked up a pkg of Iowa pork chops - close to

1 1/2" thick - for a little over $5/lb.

I also bought a pkg of (2) 8 oz bottom sirloins to grill. They were very tasty and tender.

And the same jumbo eggs I was buying pre-covid, and all the way through the crazy price swings (over $6/doz at one point), were $1.49/dozen this week.

Except for the beef prices, I find that fresh produce & meat has had the least inflation.

Not sure how or why the all the packaged foods and canned goods have doubled, and even tripled their prices (while at the same time shrinking the sizes)!

My parents were farmers -no one works harder!!

If you eat it, drink it or smoke it, a farmer was probably involved in producing it, LOL. Water excluded, of course.

I grilled the steak, roasted some asparagus and left the Napa in the refrigerator, so it just got put off until tomorrow.

My experimentation today involved cheesecake. Cream cheese is cheaper at Aldi than anywhere around here, so I'm going to have to stock up. My great-niece graduated high school this year and wants a "cheesecake bar" for dessert at her open house in July. I baked cheesecake, then baked some more. I have a big stack of disposable aluminum cake pans and found that if I make a double batch of cheesecake it'll fill 3 pans. If I line the pans with parchment and refrigerate the cheesecake in the pan after I bake it I can turn it out onto a plate, pull off the parchment, invert it onto a cardboard "cake round" and slice it. So, I can bake 4 cheesecakes at a time in my double ovens, I"ll need at least a dozen. Bake a day ahead, refrigerate overnight, pack into coolers and keep some refrigerated at the open house while I cut and serve a couple at a time. The aluminum pans will help with support during transport plus allow me to bake several at a time without waiting for my two springform pans.

Now I have to work on toppings. I'm thinking strawberry, blueberry, chocolate, caramel, some pecans for a "turtle" kind of thing and whipped cream. Maybe peach, since I have all those peaches from last year in the freezer. So now I have to figure out how to make fruit topping that each person can choose and serve themselves. Probably not as thick as pie filling....

So, no, I guess prices haven't cut down my experiments, LOL.

Annie

My experimentation has changed. I used to love inviting friends and neighbors over for a taste testing. Get 4 recipes for the same dish and prepare all 4 or bake 4 apple pies using different varieties of apples, or getting 3 varieties of cheese and buying one 4 different brands each and have everyone do a side by side taste test along with a full meal. I made 3 varieties of cookies once using 6 different varieties of vanilla. I can't afford to feed that many people now.

Instead I've been experimenting more with less expensive cuts of meat and ingredients. I love Filet Mignon and Prime Rib, but it is hard to justify the price. Still get one here and there, but am experimenting with less expensive cuts. Got Chuck Eye steaks for $7/lb. After cooking in the sous vide and then quickly grilling it was tender and flavorful. Not Filet, but still delicious. I will test one steak, cut it in 1/2 and use 2 different oils or spices rather and do a side by side for myself or making 2 servings and sharing with a single guest.

BTW - in the Vanilla test the different flavor profiles found in Madagascar vs Tahitian vs Mexican were noticeable when used in unbaked icings or fillings, but baked in a cookie it was pretty indistinguishable from the Costco Real Vanilla.

Beef prices have gotten pretty crazy. Even ground beef can be $8-$10/lb. I did get tri-tip on sale for $5.99/lb. Our market has thick cut top round (labeled “London Broil”…a technique, not a cut) on sale for $6.99/lb. It’s actually very tasty marinated, grilled and sliced fairly thin. For years now I’ve used this Lawry’s seasoning packet for top round. Good for leaner, tougher cuts.

@gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9) "guaranteed to find a good wine at Trader Joe's for a decent price regardless of location"

I am so sad to say that this is not true for me! My stupid state will not allow wine to be sold in grocery stores. I have to buy from the state liquor store. I always hear about people finding good affordable wine at Trader Joe's and I'm so jealous.

@pricklypearcactus - are you in PA? We've had some very strange experiences with alcohol sales in that state...