My favorite thing about The Culinary Institute of America is the storeroom. Tourists, of course, would never know it’s there. But it was one of the first places I took my brother when he first came to visit me. I guess it probably seemed a little weird, but to me, it is one of the most magical places on earth. More magical still is that (since I work there) I can do a little grocery shopping there. Here’s the skinny on this week’s scores.

Chinese Long Beans: Yum. Crisp, delicious, wonderfully green. In short, everything you love about green beans though slightly different in texture – slimmer beans. And, of course, they are very, very, very long.

Reliant Grapes: The entire CIA became a buzz with news that Reliant Grapes were in the storeroom. A school-wide favorite, and up there with one of my favorite fruits of all time. Never had a Reliant Grape? Imagine a Concord grape, but without the messy seeds and a less bitter skin. Imagine so much juice popping in your mouth in one tiny little grape that it literally takes your mouth a moment to process it. I spent the whole week dreaming about what to do with them. Naturally, I just ate them raw – they barely made it home! I guess I’ll have to get more.

Trumpet Royale Mushrooms: These bad boys are huge. Their flavor is mild but still distinct. Since Matt and I love mushrooms, I’ve decided to try to take advantage of all the varieties available in the storeroom (there are dozens). I’m still not sure how to best highlight their flavor. Any ideas out there?

Stay tuned! More exciting finds next week!