Not all that many, Cathy, especially for somebody raised up in New York, and is, therefore, spoiled. And it's been a long road ferreting them out.
For instance, I learned about Sagar by accident, when I mentioned, at the Good Foods Co-Op that I was having difficulty finding curry leaves. This was before the ban.
Somebody asked, "did you try the Indian market?" To which I replied, "what Indian market?" There then ensued a discussion about exactly where they were located, what their hours were, etc. Took me another two weeks to actually figure out their location.
Despite what Emeril and them say, X is not available "everywhere." Indeed, "everywhere," seems to exclude everybody who doesn't live in either New York, Chicago, or LA. But the fact is, too, that all big cities, and most not so big ones, do have these ethinic and neighborhood places. If you take the time to find them, they can be godsends---particularly to someone like me, who hates ordering on-line.
Often, too, you find sources in unlikely places. It never would have occured to me to look in a liquor store for offbeat meat and cheese products. I discovered that counter when I went in looking for some wine.
And so it goes. Now, if I could only find a restaurant supply store within a reasonale distance......
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