Month: March 2023

Spring is here and so is the beginning of many celebrations! If you’re looking forward to enjoying all spring has to offer, you might be getting ready for a get together. If you’re hosting an Easter celebration, an end of school year party, a get-together to visit with friends and family, or you are always down to try out new items, we’ve got just the thing for you… a Spring charcuterie board! 

Explore some of our new items and create the perfect charcuterie board for everyone to munch on. It can appeal to a whole crowd and it’s a fun creative outlet for the one making it. However, cheese can be intimidating! With so many options from all over the world, it’s hard to choose what to add. Need some inspo? Here are some items for a perfect Spring Charcuterie Board!

The Cheeses

With every charcuterie board, it’s great to keep a balance. We chose a bunch of different cheeses that range from sweet to savory to bold. 

*Charcuterie Tip* cut your cheeses thin! When you cut your cheeses thin, you open it up to more oxygen which allows the cheese to breathe and a lot more flavor to come through. 

Beehive Cheese with Sea Salt and Honey

This Utah cheese is a gouda style cheese that has honey in the milk which is balanced with a hearty sea salt. It is a simple and creamy cheese with hints of salt in every bite that is balanced with the subtle honey. 

Sage Derby 

Derby is a blend of cheeses from England. This blend of cheeses is then infused with fresh sage. The cheese is very light with subtle notes of the herb coming through. It has a beautiful green marbled color because of the sage which makes it taste good and look beautiful on the board!

Sweet Swiss

This swiss cheese comes from Fair Oaks Farm in Indiana. It is comparable to a baby swiss, but it is much more creamy, yet full. It has a mild, sweet flavor which makes it great for a balance of the other strong flavors on the board!

Sartori Black Pepper Bellavitano

A full tasting cheese that dances on every taste bud! The Bellavitano cheese has a rich, nutty flavor. It is then surrounded with a fresh black peppercorn rind which adds a bold, intense flavor. The rind is meant to be eaten which makes the flavor of this cheese really pop!

Lemon Baked Ricotta

Imported from Italy, this Isola Lemon Baked Ricotta is like eating a dessert! Incredibly creamy and light, the rich, but delicate taste from the fresh lemon make this a wonderful cheese! The texture is similar to a cheesecake or a pizza di ricotta.

Cranberry Roule

From France, this cheese is similar to cream cheese and very spreadable! Smooth and creamy. there are layers of cranberries incorporated into the cheese itself and the outside is rolled in fresh cranberries. Subtly sweet, this is great with a simple cracker. The little pops of red add a great color to the board.

The Meats

With considering wanting balance and flavor on the board, we chose 4 different meats that do just that!

Busetto Salami Nuggets with Fennel 

The dry salami with aromatic fennel and a lighted flavor to this classic salami. Already cut, it’s an easy addition to any board!

Fiorucci Sopressata

Similar to salami, but it has a coarser, heavier taste. This sopressata has whole peppercorns delicately seasoned into the meat to give it a refined flavor that acts as a great accompaniment to the other items on the board!

Veroni Black Peppered Salami

This simple salami is seasoned with fresh pepper seeds around the sides. Pre-sliced, you get a bold, intense meat compared to the otherwise mild ones.

Prosciutto

A true classic! Cut thin, this is a nice, simple addition to any board!

The Crackers and Nuts

Effie’s Oat Cakes

This is a sweet, cookie like tea biscuit. They are very buttery with light hints of salt. This biscuit serves as a great element of sweet crunch to a board that has a lot of salty flavors

Sonoma Parmesan Crisps

For a savory snack, we used these baked parmesan cheese crisps. A good crunch, this crisp is light, airy, and delicious!

Rain Coast Peach and Pecan Crackers

This crisp has a combination of fruity, nutty, and warmth! The peaches, pecans, and warm spices blend together for a delicious cracker!

B’s Gourmet Nuts Insatiable Cashews

These cashews are heavily seasoned with a rosemary based seasoning and finished with spices that bring a little bit of heat and intensity at the end. These nuts are small batch and handcrafted locally. Another cool thing about this brand is that a portion of the proceeds goes to the Cancer Wellness Institute which supports the patient battling cancer and the caregiver. 

The Jam

Quince with Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla

This jam is created with quince fruit. Quince has it’s own unique flavor which is very sweet, some describe it as a cross between an apple and a pear. The naturally sweet, fruity flavor is then mixed with the vanilla to give it a delightful flavor! Because of how sweet this is, it pairs great with saltier cheeses (like the Beehive cheese on this board) to mild out the flavors!

These are just a few of the items we carry in store! We have a wide variety of cheeses and items from all over the world that pair wonderfully together to make a great charcuterie board!

From Our Family To Yours

Whether you like your peanut butter crunchy or smooth, these delicious peanut butter recipes will bring lots of smiles to the dinner table. Whether you want savory peanut butter dishes or are looking for a sweet treat with easy peanut butter desserts to round off a delectable dinner evening with friends, we have the perfect peanut butter recipes for you to try.

Savory Peanut Butter Recipes

Peanut butter is the secret winning ingredient in the dishes below. Adding peanut butter to your meals makes them more flavorful, and being high in fiber and protein, it also helps you to stay fuller for longer. Try these savory peanut butter recipes, and you won’t look at your jar of peanut butter in the same way again:

Thai Peanut Chicken– The peanut sauce in this Thai dish really gives it the edge over other Thai dishes. Top Tip- marinade the chicken overnight in the sauce ready to skillet the next day, and your meal will be ready in 5-8 minutes! Quick and delicious, you can’t beat that.

African Peanut Stew– Everyone loves a good hearty stew. This one is sure to become your favorite go-to peanut butter recipe. Packed full of flavor, with earthy spices, this stew is the perfect option when you want something healthy and meat-free.

Spiralized Pad Thai– This dish is so delicious you won’t even realize there are no noodles! A fantastic take on a traditional pad Thai, with the peanut butter adding the perfect nuttiness, this is a great midweek meal. Make extra so you can have leftovers for lunch the next day!

On the Sweet Side

Peanut butter is so versatile we can even show you some sweet peanut butter recipes that we know you’re just going to love. These are some super easy peanut butter recipes for you to make at home:

Peanut Butter Banana Oats– Have these oats for breakfast, dessert, or a snack! The peanut butter adds a depth of flavor that will ensure you are never going to use another oats recipe again.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie Smoothie– Just reading the title of the recipe is enough to cause mouths to salivate. Chill overnight before blending to create optimum thickness for a dessert or breakfast treat that will leave you feeling very satisfied.

Shop for Peanut Butter at Caputo’s

We would add peanut butter to almost anything! Try adding a dollop of it to make easy peanut butter desserts and treats to turn your boring old recipes into something new and exciting like your own peanut butter fudge recipe or peanut butter cookie recipe. Stock up on peanut butter by shopping online at Caputo’s or in-store and try more of our delicious peanut butter recipes.

From Our Family To Yours

We love the month of March and the start of the spring season at Caputo’s. With the lighter days and slightly warmer temperatures comes a host of fresh seasonal ingredients that really flourish this time of year. It’s time to start putting away your heavy stews and soups and look towards lighter, refreshing fruits and vegetables that pair greatly with different proteins or are great on their own. These are sure to give you a spring in your step in keeping with the season! 

What Produce Is in Season in March 

March foods include a lot of green vegetables! Think of asparagus, artichokes, lettuce, and more. Here is our full run-down of some of our favorite March seasonal foods: 

• Artichokes                                                             
• Asparagus 
• Bananas 
• Bok Choy
• Broccoli 
• Brussel Sprouts 
• Cabbage 
• Cauliflower 
• Celery 
• Kiwi
• Lemons 
• Lettuce 
• Limes 
• Onions
• Mushrooms
• Peas
• Radishes
• Spinach
• Strawberries

Recipes for March Seasonal Foods 

Check out three of our favorite recipes that include March seasonal food. These recipes will have you delighting in all things spring for the whole season: 

Our Artichoke Pesto and Kale Pizza with Sundried Tomatoes is calling out to be eaten al fresco with friends under some budding trees. The best thing about this recipe is that it is super quick and easy to make, so as soon as the sun is shining, you can invite your friends over and whip this up in minutes!  

Lemon-Baked Salmon with Asparagus is not only delicious but delightfully light and healthy. This is the perfect recipe for when you are looking for simple, clean food that is still full of flavor and feels special.  

Our recipe list wouldn’t be complete without something a little sweet! Strawberry Mango Popsicles are the ideal way to end a scrumptious spring feast or to eat as a snack midway through a sunny afternoon. Mango and strawberry make such a good combination you’ll be making these popular treats every week. 

Shop Your March Seasonal Food at Caputo’s 

We love delighting in recipes that take advantage of the fresh seasonal produce that we offer in-store and online at Caputo’s. Check out more of our recipes that include March foods. We have a handy tool so that you can pop the ingredients straight from the recipe into your cart, so you know you have everything you need to create the best March seasonal food at the click of a button. Or, see us in person and shop at your nearest Caputo’s store.  

From Our Family To Yours

March 8th is International Women’s Day. It is the day to honor and celebrate the achievements of women. 

In thinking about the meaning of this day, I cannot help but to think of two incredible women who deserve so much praise– Romana Caputo and Antonella Caputo Presta. Both women have led a life of sacrifice and are the backbone of our company.

Our matriarch and my grandmother, Romana Caputo, was one of the best women there was. Any person who has crossed her path is sure to tell you a memory centered around her cooking skills, generosity, or classiness. A self taught cook, she spent hours in the kitchen–  preparing feasts, cookies for weddings or parties, or a simple dinner… which could probably rival the best meal you’ve had. No one who encountered my Nonna was left hungry. She loved her family and did everything she could for them, no questions asked. It was her mission to make sure all of her loved ones were happy and she did everything she could to lift others up. She was always there for her husband, Angelo Caputo, as his biggest support and his rock through his long, grueling days of hard work. She made sacrifices to help him achieve his dreams. She had the biggest heart and the kindest soul. The picture of class, she made everyone in her presence feel like a part of her family. It is inspired by her beauty and exceptional cooking skills that we get the name of our private label, La Bella Romana. Translated to the Beautiful Romana,  Angelo created our private label as a way to acknowledge all she did for our family and company. Although gone too soon, she has left a beautiful legacy and we continue to honor her in every way that we can. Her spirit and her mission lives on through her daughter, Antonella.

• 

• 

• 

• 

My mother, Antonella Caputo Presta, is the rock of our family and a foundational pillar in our company. She has made it her mission to make sure the legacy and work of her parents do not go unnoticed or unappreciated. What she doesn’t realize is that the same traits that she so proudly uses to describe my grandparents are the very same traits that she embodies. Strong, smart, and hard working like Angelo and generous, humble, and classy like Romana… just to name a few. She will never look for credit or draw attention to anything she does, but we would not be where we are today without her. She started working at a very young age. She would take early morning trips to Michigan with Angelo to pick up fresh produce at the age of about 9 years old. She can tell you about the freezing days at the original store on Harlem and Wrightwood, the distinct smell of the store that brings tears to her eyes at just the thought of it, or her exceptional skills in the front end (she could beat anybody in a bagging groceries competition.) She will sacrifice her happiness just to see a smile on the faces of her kids or grandkids. She has taught us the importance of family, which I am so grateful for as my siblings are my best friends. She is always there for advice, a story, a prayer, a hug, a meal, and anything else you may need. 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

I am blessed to have such strong, beautiful women in my life and am so grateful to be able to call Romana Caputo and Antonella Caputo Presta my role models.

Happy International Women’s Day to all the beautiful women ❤️

From Our Family To Yours

Pasta… it seems simple right? As an Italian family, we know that pasta is much more layered. When you want pasta for dinner there are a lot of decisions– what cut, what sauce, anything in the pasta. So let’s break it down

The cuts

Pastina

Pastina is a very,very small type of pasta. You can usually find it in soups, but eaten on its own is like the ultimate comfort food! People love to enjoy pastina with an egg, cheese, and so many other options. Some cuts of pastina include stelline, ditalini, orzo, acini di pepe, and more.

Short cuts

A short cut of pasta is one you can pick up using a fork. There are so many shapes and types that it can be hard to choose! Short cuts are usually hollow or have a shape that makes it great to collect sauce or the add-ins. The great thing about short cuts of pasta is that they are great for collecting sauce! You can choose the classic penne or rigatoni– each cut also has different sizes. There is orecchiette which got its name from the shape and it means little ear (plus it’s a Barese favorite,) this shape is great for collecting sauce and add-ins as one side kind of caves in.  Then you also have cavatappi, rotini, shells, farfalle… the options are endless!

Long cuts

A long cut of pasta is one that you usually have to twist with a fork. These are great for smooth sauces or heavier sauces! Twirling the pasta around the fork makes it a great vessel for scooping up sauce. Long cuts range from incredibly thin like angel hair to thicker like laganelle. There’s even bucatini which is round with a hole through the middle. 

Add-Ins

There are tons of items you can add into your pasta to really change the flavor and make it even more delicious!

• Sausage crumbles
• Broccoli or rapini 
• Chili flakes
• Toasted breadcrumbs
• Ricotta or mozzarella
• Red peppers
• Peas
• Fresh lemon zest

Top with fresh parmigiana or pecorino romano and you have a tasty dish!

Want some pasta dishes to try out? Check out these 4 recipes!

Crispy Cauliflower and Garlic Pasta

Full of delicious flavors and unique, this pasta is a simple must try!

Baked Bocconcini and Gnocchi in a Rich Tomato Sauce

Creamy, velvety, and cheesy… what more can you ask for in pasta? Fresh cheese and a delicious sauce, this will warm you up!

Creamy Lemon Pasta with Bacon and Peas

A bright and light pasta contrasted with the saltiness of bacon and peas, this pasta is great all year round!

Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli 

This fan favorite pasta is bursting with flavor and sure to please the whole crowd.

These recipes and many more available online on The Recipe Rack

From Our Family To Yours