Falvo's Meats

If neither time nor money were obstacles, there are a few things I would do differently in terms of indulgence.  I would insist upon having fresh flowers in my home - always.  Nothing fancy, not necessarily a fresh bouquet every day, but I would like there to be flowers in my dining room, bedroom and bathroom.  I also have a thing for clean sheets and would love for my bedding to be laundered daily - heck, I'd settle for just having a clothesline to hang the stuff out on to freshen it up. 

As summer approaches, and my schedule gets a little lighter, I have the luxury of time, which allows me the opportunity to visit smaller specialty purveyors and markets.  Memorial Day weekend provided the perfect excuse for me to go to both the Troy Farmer's Market and to Falvo's Meats out in Slingerlands - two very satisfying shopping expeditions which I hope to include in my regular summer shopping circuit.  Who says women don't like to hunt and gather? 

yep, 5 lbs o'bacon.

Have you been to Falvo's?  It's a lovely drive out New Scotland Avenue to 85A and you're there.  Not too far, yet beautifully rural at the same time.  They advertise in the Times Union and I think their sales pricing is pretty competitive.  I was on a mission to accumulate sausage and they make their own chorizo, andouille and Italian varieties, in house.  They also have really good bacon and often sell it for less than $4 a lb, if you are willing to buy a minimum of 3 lbs.  A three pound minimum on bacon - uh, yeah, sign me up!  And the best part (aside from the deliciousness that is bacon) is the fact that I was able to get my 5 lbs of bacon wrapped in a way that suited my household's eating habits - four 3/4 lb packages for me and 2 1 lb packages for the boys to eat at their Dad's house.  An argument could be made that Falvo's helps to facilitate shared custody arrangements...

lots of meat

All told, I walked with a hefty bag of bacon, numerous pounds of various sausage and about 3.5 lbs of sirloin steak for grilling for less than $60.  The beef had a lovely color, full flavor and a thick edge of fat that grilled up beautifully.  I found the Italian sausage to be a little dry after grilling, but that may have been more a function of the gwui (grilling while under the influence) than the fault of the sausage.  I tossed some in the freezer and I'll try to remember to cook those with a little more care and perhaps a little less wine. And the bacon?  As always, it broiled up nicely in the oven and there wasn't a speck left.