ingredient: san marzano tomatoes

for someone who gets as snatty about ingredients as i do, i have a terrible confession to make. i've been using lousy canned tomatoes for years now, and i've just recently realized the error of my ways. yes, trader joe's whole canned tomatoes are $0.99 a can. and yes, the can of D.O.P san marzanos i bought today at venda were $2.99. honestly, though, the san marzanos are more than three times better. my previous canned tomatoes were fibrous, often blemished, and sour/insipid. these san marzanos are silky, tender, and a treat for the fingers. they also disintegrate far more readily in a sauce.

i realize i'm about ten years behind the cutting edge on this one, but better late than never. now i can add another picky arrow to my already full quiver. the question remains whether or not i can budget for this sudden increase in cost. you, readers, will be the first to know.