Exotic Food Supplies in the Mid-Hudson
by Martha Powers Vos

Have you ever been intrigued by one of the many non-traditional recipes that appear in newspapers, magazines or on TV with increasing regularity . . . until you realize that it includes ingredients you don't expect to be able to find hereabouts? We all have had that experience in these days of multi-national cuisine. Well, here's fair warning: next time it happens don't be too quick to assume you can't get that ingredient around here. There is a surprising and growing array of resources for exotic foods in the Hudson Valley. Here are a few you might enjoy checking out.

Kimm's
This store features many beautiful Asian imports in its windows: beautiful porcelain lamps and traditional bowls of all sizes, intricate carved wooden bowls, an extensive collection of teapots, and a whole host of knick-knacks that invite browsing. There's barely a hint that once inside you'll find that the rear section of the store houses a treasure trove of oriental food supplies--including Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Korean specialties. The owner, Mr. Kim, a gentle man with a laid-back sense of humor, is happy to explain the various products,their origin and how to use them.

Recently a regular customer chatted with Mr. Kim while assembling his order, which included a 20-lb. bag of Jasmine rice -- a top-of-the-line, long-grain rice from Thailand. As the name suggests, it has a refreshing aroma when cooked. Along with the rice the order included a jar of black bean sauce (dried fermented black beans are also available for those who prefer to make the sauce from scratch), and curried braised gluten tidbits (Cha e Pow Yu), a terrific vegetarian substitute for chicken. Meanwhile, another regular went directly to the cooler for a half gallon jar of kim chee, pickled vegetable, a delicious way to "eat your vegetables."

Kimm's also carries traditional utensils for preparing and serving oriental food. If you've logged onto the recent interest in do-it-yourself sashimi, for example, Mr. Kim can set you up with ingredients and the equipment you need. He carries two or three brands of yaki nori, the sea weed wrappers, at a much better price than the supermarkets that sometimes stock it.

Twenty-five years ago when Mr. Kim opened there were only twenty Asiatic households in the area. Today his burgeoning business serves a greatly expanded Asian population, but it also includes many of the area's top chefs--a reflection of the current trend of adding an oriental flair to traditional menus. And then there are folks like you and me who have also discovered the joy of oriental cooking! · 316 Wall Street in Kingston. Telephone: (845) 331-3999

The Bangkok Market
Here's another fascinating oriental food supplier. This one is tucked in behind the row of stores at the north end of Hudson Plaza. Stand in front of T. J. Maxx and look north, you'll see the sign. Run by an energetic Thai lady named Kai Jorgensen, this store offers many of the same Asian specialties as Kimm's, including a variety of soy sauces (dark, light, mushroom, etc.) and fish sauces, as well as an array of imported bottled and canned ingredients. The store also carries Chinese sausage, many kinds of frozen dumplings, and is well stocked with frozen fish.

The special feature here is Mrs. Jorgensen's trip to NYC's Chinatown and other Asian markets every Saturday for fresh produce. It's a busy day--she leaves home in her white van at 3AM, and is bargaining with the grocers in Chinatown by 5. Back at the store around noon, she unloads a tantalizing assortment--many things can't be found elsewhere in the area, and often there are things you 've never heard of. Bitter melon, kumquat, taro root, snow pea shoots, yucca root, banana blossom, tiny corn in its husk, green papaya, fresh water chestnuts, Thai cherry eggplant, an assortment of fresh herbs, and of course fresh tofu in addition to the more widely available bok choy and snow peas.

Ms. Jorgensen sounds like a railroad conductor as she ticks off the types of cuisine she carries and where in New York City she has to go to find supplies: Thai, Lao, Cambodian, Vietnamese, Malay, Indonesian, and Philippine markets to name only some. · Hudson Plaza, Route 9, south of Poughkeepsie. Telephone: (845) 485-5142

La Mexicana Mexican Grocery
Tomasa Gonzalez opened this charming little store just three years ago. The shelves are stocked with an ample supply of imported ingredients including all the basics, as well as a wide variety of dried peppers, delicious Mexican sausage, tender cactus, Mexican oregano and jalapenos. But these are only the beginning. Because this store has a kitchen--and there Mrs. Gonzalez and her helpers turn out delicious made-from-scratch dishes daily. A growing list of regular customers swear by them, starting with the homemade salsa chips--"addictive"; her refried beans,--"absolutely super!" ; chiles rellenos,--"Best I ever had!" Then there's her homemade red and green sauces.

While you're shopping, you can enjoy a delicious lunch in the tiny four-table dining area from a menu that covers two sides of a 8 1/2 x 11-inch sheet. No surprise that La Mexicana does a brisk take-out business from the same menu. · 19 West Market Street, in Red Hook. Telephone: (845) 758-6356

Ideal Indian Foods
Looking for something Indian? This second generation Indian grocery can solve your shopping problems. Owned by Jayesh Shah, whose father started the business a quarter century ago, the store shares space with Mr. Shah's health food store, Ideal Nutrition. The relationship is interactive. The nearly 100 varieties of teas, for example, appeal to both markets. It's an extremely pleasant store to visit and poke around in while examining the vast assortment of chutneys and split beans of every variety and in a rainbow of colors, available packaged or loose. An encyclopedic collection of spices is available at reasonable prices. It is also, by the way, the only place I was able to find whole coriander seed.

Breads are an important and delicious part of the Indian meal. So here you'll find a number of them--parathas, naan and chapatis, prepackaged, ready to heat and serve. There is also chapati flour if you would like to try making Indian bread from scratch. Be sure to check the freezer case, which often contains homemade breads as well as homemade hummus. There are also frozen Indian meals like chicken tandoori. Doesn't that sound like an appetizing item to have in your home freezer when you're short on time but would like to have something unusual? · Poughkeepsie Plaza Mall, Route 9, south of Poughkeepsie. Telephone: (845) 473-4888