While shopping in Pathmark and pushing my overloaded cart, I was approached by a loyal reader with an idea for a future column.

Usually, I pretend to be deeply interested in the thought but I know full well that it is not always usable. It is either too touchy or too bland or just too "too." This one had merit, I liked it!

"Why don't you write about all the free food and giveaways at food stores?" said Dave Norfluss, my friend and also the former president of my synagogue.

Dave said, furtively, "Actually at this very moment, they are giving away steamed salmon filet steaks at the fish department." I am not a salmon devotee (except for smoked salmon-Belly Lox) so I did not rush over.

In the past I have tasted various forms of salsa, crackers, cheeses, olives, smoked meats, and other delicacies while shopping for necessities. This is not counting soaps, shampoos, underarm deodorant and skin creams. Cakes, cookies, candy bars, chocolates are also frequently doled out for a free sampling.

It would be nice if the various food chains, Pathmark, Waldbaum's, Edwards, Shop-Rite and Grand Union, etc. would supply a menu of the free giveaways with their weekly circulars. Then we could prepare a meal by going to one market for shrimp and leave. The next market would supply the soup course, with croutons, hopefully. The main dish would be served in the third supermarket and the fourth would supply the desserts.

Planning is very important to the gourmet shopper and eater. He must carry his own napkins and possibly a plastic knife, fork and spoon. Vertical eating is not as satisfying as sitting at a table, but the price is right.

In my opinion, and that is what this column is about, this free eating at supermarkets does not come under the heading of being a "schnorrer."

This comes under the aegis of sampling foods before making a purchase. It is incumbent on the wise shopper to be an aware consumer.