Good meals come from constant shopping. Knowing where to collect quality vegetables, meats and spices is a bit like farming: always paying attention to your sources. In my area I regularly shop Wal-Mart, Brookshires, Sam's, Kroger's, Albertson's and others.  

Whatever I invest in, I inspect everything. Amazing what your eyes and hands can understand just by continually searching. As you trust me to prepare great tasting meals, I trust my eyes and hands to find the freshest vegetables and the best cuts of meat. 

For potatoes, I lift up the 10 or 15 lb bags to my nose in whatever grocery and smell while pressing the bag like an accordion. Just takes one potato starting to go bad to ruin the whole bunch. The stench is undeniable. Worked grocery as a stocker long enough to learn these tricks. Lately, I get 50 lb boxes from SYSCO.

For my spices, I only invest in authentic Hungarian Paprika from the Szegedi region. These I refrigerate in a dark area to maintain their potency. Yes, I get my paprika from the 'leghiresebb' Eniko in Chicago.

The traditionally taste of Hungary does come from smart shopping AND abiding by my great grandmother's recipes.