We couldn't justify paying $5000 for a sub-zero, but we own a liebherr so can't point fingers. I noticed that once I started cooking more from scratch the amount of foods I need to refrigerate has gone down.

I've heard that you need to chill foods bought at giant supermarkets, as opposed to the type of outdoor markets found in third world countries. The food at the mega-mart is probably a lot older, having been shipped on trucks and boats from a thousand miles away.

I used to buy produce, eggs, and cheese from an outdoor market in London. Nothing was refrigerated. Of course it did not ever get as hot there as it does here (southern USA) where chocolate melts on the counter, and we have more of a problem with bugs. What I have heard about mayonaise is that you don't have to refrigerate it, but anything that goes into the mayo jar must be clean and uncontaminated by dirt or other food.

Apparently eggs that have never been processed or refrigerated can keep for weeks without the cooler (turn them over every other day, or paint them with vaseline to seal them) but they are extremely hard to find here.

I am especially interested in this article because I will be spending the next four months in the Gulf of Mexico on a boat with no refrigeration, and am trying to decide which of my exotic, pretentious condiments to take (and what to throw in the bin). It's a relief to know that my soy sauce, chutney and even jam can survive. But I'll probably leave the tahini and the tamarind paste to a friend. Still don't know what to do with the pickled ginger.

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There is a very good book by Nicols Fox called "Spoiled" about food borne illness. I wash my hands a lot more after reading it.

people keep bottled water in the fridge NOT because they're afraid it'll spoil, but because they want it to be cold when they drink it, duh!

I had a french roommate one summer and learned I could keep a lot of stuff out of the fridge (of course, some stuff I keep in there even though it doesn't need it to keep it away from the occassionaly mouse)

Actually, I prefer the urban shopping experience. I find the huge suburban supermarkets to be soul-killing. You can spend hours wandering around in these vast, florescent-lit wastelands with check-out lines 20 long. When I used to live in New York, I could stop off on the way home at any number of places located between the subway and my apartment and get whatever I wanted for that particular evening. Now I live in Paris and at first I was resistant to having to go to several different shops just to get all of the ingredients for a meal, but it's just a different pace of life and it's really nice. Food has become much more of a production, and I'd say the time I used to spend in front of the TV is now spent eating, shopping, and thinking about food. And I'm not standing in check-out lines forever staring at pictures of Britney Spears and whichever celebrity has gained too much weight this week!

anything with oil in it (including oil itself) is subject to rancidity. period. that includes nuts.

fridge it, but buy locally, buy organically, buy preservative-free, and buy smaller portions.

It's quite true that most of us are guilty of refrigerating foodstuffs unnecessarily. The list would include most fruits, starchy vegetables, butter, bottled water, and most condiments. But then, most of us live in "toxic" homes, and we don't seem to mind that too much.

We are driven more by fear (of Salmonella) than by taste when choosing how to store our food. Perhaps our hunter-gatherer instincts are coming to the fore, when we hoard food for long-term use. At any rate, I believe that we are more at risk of dying of chemical poisoning than of developing food poisoning. While consumers are educating themselves about food storage and preparation, perhaps they can read those food labels more carefully. What with the addition of BHA, BHT, nitrates, etc., our staples could last for months, if not years. It is a good idea to refrigerate our flour and other grains, though.

Those of us who would like more information about food safety can visit websites like http://www.foodqualitynews.com and http://www.safefoodinternational.org. Bon appetit!!

Can I take the pickles out of the fridge? How long will they keep? how about the pickle relish? I'm not being funny--I have a small refrigerator and a big appetite.

Also, how long will those little jars of "Thai Chili Paste," "Hoisin sauce," you know the type things--last, in or out of the refrigerator? I only make Chinese food once in a blue moon and I always decide to chance it. I keep 'em in the fridge, not knowing I didn't have to. But once opened, how long will they keep? Just curious.

Misanthrope, this may sound funny but I love you!

"Once inside, I enjoy a much greater selection than most New Yorkers can find in their supermarkets (yes, I've been inside many D'Ag's and Food Emporia)."

I totally buy this, actually. Is there a more hellish experience than going to the grocery store in NYC? Not really. Sure, you can find exemplary produce and meats *somewhere*, but generally not all in one place and certainly not for a good price. My parents live in suburban CT (not an affluent suburb, either) and their grocery stores are cleaner, better-stocked, and better-staffed than any of the major NYC chains. Don't even get me started on the fact that they usually don't employ baggers at these places.

My husband and I do Fresh Direct. It's, ultimately, cheaper and higher-quality food. I'd rather go local, but I simply don't have the patience or the time to rely on specialty stores and greenmarkets.

Well I guess there are no yuppie copyeditors at Salon, since nobody caught Subzero. Please, for the sake of all the Biffs and Buffys out there who wouldn't keep their designer water (and vinegar, and mustard) in anything less: Sub-Zero.