Staples like pastured eggs, coffee, olive oil and pasta are a steal.
My love for great ingredients is only really rivaled by my love of a great deal.
Aldi keeps their prices low with some innovative tactics.
Photo: Getty Images
They stock almost no brand names and source some products, like meats, regionally.
Stores don’t need much staff because shelves are stocked with products still in their boxes.
For example, they have a commitment to using no synthetic colors or partially hydrogenated oils in their products.
They also have a huge selection of imported and organic items.
And since I have a go at stick to healthier fats, that means grass-fed butter and olive oil.
Grass-fed butter is packed with vitamins and beta carotene, a powerful antioxidant.
It also containsmore healthy fatty acids, like omega-3s, than regular butter.
Blame it on the Italian grandmother who taught me to cook, but I go through alotof olive oil.
Admittedly, I’m a bit of a snob about it, too.
Aldi’sSicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oilcarries seals from the North American Olive Oil Association and Val Di Mazara P.D.O.
Risotto
A great risotto is a labor of love.
When you want risotto without the work, the unlikely solution comes in apacket of risottofrom Aldi.
Cheese
If there’s one thing Aldi is doing absolutely right, it’s cheese.
It’s a sweet and creamy soft cheese that might just change the way you think about blue mold.
I always keep a few boxes on hand, and they make the perfect quick-but-elevated dinner.
Coffee
If there’s something I’m snobbier about than olive oil, it’s coffee.
Aldi’spasture-raised eggsfit the bill.
There are lots of benefits to eating pasture-raised eggs.
Crab Cakes
I grew up in southern New Jersey, an area known for its crab cakes.
And Aldi’s Boardwalk Style Crab Cakes are the real deal.
They’re meaty and creamy with big hunks of crab, onions, peppers and flavorful spices.
Lots of factories use dies coated in Teflon, which leaves noodles with a smooth, slippery texture.
The old-school method, on the other hand, uses dies made of bronze.
Listen, just trust me on thisbronze is better.
It also has a tendency to be more expensive, but again, Aldi is the exception.
It’s much smoother and more flavorful than most American chocolate, but at a comparable price.
Beyond the basic bars, Aldi does all kinds of other delicious things with chocolate, too.
