On the hunt for ingredients to make a robust sopa de pollo (chicken soup) for a sick relative recently, I stepped into Sabor Latino Supermarket, a small but well-stocked grocery store on Indiantown Road in Jupiter. I picked up a handful of enormous carrots, a couple of malangas, a clutch of cilantro and a few other items, all destined for a simmering, soothing pot of soup, one I hoped would boost my relative’s spirits as well as his health.

My own spirits were lifted at the check-out counter. A woman approached the register as I was about to leave with my purchases and asked the cashier for “dos libras, por favor.” Two pounds. The cashier reached into a large Styrofoam container and grabbed a thick stack of fresh-pressed corn tortillas. The woman handed the cashier two dollars for the hefty bundle and was on her way.

Imagining how perfect those tortillas seemed for my homemade soup, I asked the cashier for a half-pound stack. I gave her two quarters and she handed me a bundle of tortillas. They landed in my palm warm, fresh and fragrant with the buttery aroma of corn. They made a delicious accompaniment for my chicken soup. My leftover tortillas inspired a couple of comfort breakfasts, as I paired them with local farm eggs, sunny-side up, and a homemade jalapeño sauce I purchased from another local market.

What can you get for 50 cents these days? At this little market, you get a soul-warming moment with the promise of yummy meals ahead.

Sabor Latino Supermarket:229 W. Indiantown Road, Jupiter; (561) 747-5891

SPINY SATURDAYS AT THE RITZ

Get your crustacean on at the Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach.

Starting Saturday, the resort’s Temple Orange restaurant is serving a three-course feast of local spiny lobster that offers a little New England flavor to the fresh-caught crustacean.

For $35 (plus tax and tip), you get a choice of corn crab chowder or a wedge salad with blue cheese and heirloom tomatoes, a 1 ½-pound spiny lobster served with corn on the cob, lemon potatoes, veggies and lots of drawn butter (yes, bibs are available), and for dessert your choice of homemade strawberry shortcake or brownie a la mode.

The lobster dinner is served Saturdays from 6 to 10 p.m. Reservations are suggested.

Temple Orange at the Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach: 100 S. Ocean Blvd., Manalapan; (561) 533-6000