Author: Rosella Presta

As the summer winds down, people start to get into back to school mode. Kids start looking at their schedules. They need new shoes, new school supplies, new clothes, and more! As it gets closer, you may feel like there is so much to do and so little time. One thing you don’t have to worry about is what to pack for lunch because we’ve got your back!

One good option for lunch is hummus! Kids love hummus and it’s good for you. It’s packed with plant based proteins. The single servings are great to throw in the lunchbox and the hummus with pretzels are even easier!

There are also many different on-the-go boxes that have a variety of snacks in individual boxes. You can pick the ones that best suit your cravings. Sweet or salty options, or sweet and salty options, the variety boxes make it so you don’t have to choose! There are also variety packs of crackers. Cracker sandwiches filled with peanut butter or cheese are another good way to sneak a little protein into the lunch box. 

Bites are trays that come with a fruit, a protein, and a cheese. These are delicious and nutritious. They get a little bit of all the essentials in your diet and they are compact!

For the meat lovers, try some snack packs.  An on-the-go container filled with cheese, taralli, and salami are delicious! They are like the italian lunchables!

And if you just like salami, try these Busseto salami snack cups. They don’t need to be refrigerated, which makes it great for grab and go!

Don’t forget the drinks! Mini water bottles, juice, or milk. We have smaller version that you can throw in the lunchbox without taking up too much room. 

We have plenty of options that are good for you and delicious, so you can feel good about what you give your kids to eat!

From Our Family To Yours

   The summer heat makes us crave refreshing foods. We find ourselves wanting light options that leave us satisfied. A go-to is our homemade octopus salad! Made using simple, high quality ingredients, our homemade octopus salad is a great meal on these hot summer days! 

   Our octopus salad is made to perfection with a few different steps. We first tenderize the octopus with a machine that Angelo brought back from his hometown, Mola di Bari, Italy. Mola di Bari is a coastal town known for its fresh octopus where fishermen go out every morning to catch octopus, so we take great pride in our octopus salad.

After the tenderization process is complete, we begin the marinating process. We dress the octopus using a signature blend of spices, oils, vinegars, and vegetables. We then like to top it off with a squirt of lemon, and voilà! The result is fresh and filling octopus salad! 

The aroma of marinades, the bright colors of the vegetables, and the taste of it all makes our octopus salad delicious and refreshing! 

 You can taste our octopus salad at a few different festivals in the upcoming weeks. We will have booths at the taste of elmwood park and Little Italy Festa on Taylor Street where we will be selling our signature octopus salad. Of course, we also carry the salad in all our stores! It’s perfect for parties, barbecues, or just to keep in the fridge for yourself! 

From Our Family To Yours

 

Are you wondering what the orange drinks that have been taking over your Instagram and Facebook feeds? One of Italy’s most popular drinks has been taking the world by storm and rightfully so. The Aperol Spritz is the drink of the summer because of it’s refreshing and fruity flavor. 

Aperol is an aperitivo or aperitif, an alcoholic drink taken before a meal to stimulate the appetite. Aperol was created in Padua in the 1910s by the Barbieri Brothers after inheriting the company from their father. Aperol is still the same recipe from 1919, but the aperol spritz did not gain popularity until the 1950s. Since then, the drink has grown in popularity. A great thing about this drink is the simple ingredients and how easy it is to make it!

Heres how to make it:

1. Fill a glass with ice

2. Add the  Aperol and Prosecco

*the amount of Aperol and Prosecco you adds depends on your personal preference. If you prefer sweet drinks to bitter drinks, add more Prosecco than Aperol. Aperol is a bitter*

3. Add a dash of soda water

4. Garnish with an orange slice

Enjoy! Let us know how you liked the Aperol Spritz down below!

From Our Family To Yours

Angelo Caputo’s Fresh Markets is known for many unique specialities. Our various departments and items can take you on a trip around the world just by roaming our aisles. If you are looking to take be transported to Italy, take a look at our meat department. Our homemade sausage is full of flavors and aromas that will make your home taste like Italy!

Our sausage is made in-house daily. The process starts with our old-world tradition of using hand-trimmed lean pork. We mix the pork with our private blend of spices and seasonings, developed specifically for our sausage. 

Our recipes for our various sausages have been perfected throughout the years. Our different types have different spices or cheeses that make it different from any sausage you have ever tasted. We have devoted time and resources to perfecting our sausage recipes and you can taste it in the end product.’

The flavors and taste you enjoy from the first bite into our Italian sausage is unmatched and you cannot find anything like it. If you have not tried our sausage yet, what are you waiting for?! The only regret you’ll have after tasting it is the fact that you have not been enjoying it sooner!

From Our Family To Yours

 

Angelo Caputo is the founder and reason for our company. He has accomplished so much. We asked him a few of your questions to get to know him better.

• Do you have a favorite fruit that reminds you of Italy or your childhood?
  • Prickly pears. During the war, prickly pears were readily available, so we ate them at every meal

 

• How often do you travel to Italy?
  • When my wife was alive, we would go during the summer and visit her family.

 

• What was the biggest obstacle in opening Caputos?
  • We operated outside and had very long hours. 

 

• How old when you met Romana?
  • I was 15 years old 

 

• Favorite place to go to buy produce for the stores?
  • The Benton Harbor Food Exchange in Michigan where I would go once or twice a week, depending on the time of year. I would leave at 3am, usually with one of my children at my side, to pick up locally homegrown produce picked that same morning. 

• Of all of your travels, what is your favorite?
  • Visiting Bethlehem, the place where Jesus was born. Another favorite of mine is Lourdes, France.

 

• Favorite fruit?
  • Moscato grapes

 

• All time favorite meal?
  • A panino. In my hometown, I would go to piazza coperta. There were many stands along the street and I  would ask for a mortadella sandwich. 

 

• What do you tell your grandkids?
  • I tell my grandkids they are my life. I also tell them to work hard because it will pay off

 

• What is your biggest accomplishment?
  • Our family business in hopes that it will be continued to be handed down through the generations 

 

• Favorite soup from Caputo’s
  • Italian wedding

 

• Favorite dessert
  • Gelato

• Favorite saying
  • Work hard, it pays off

 

• Favorite thing to do in your free time
  • Play cards 

 

• Favorite sport
  • Soccer, I love watching Team Italy play during the World Cup and Euro Cup 

From Our Family To Yours

The Fourth of July is right around the corner. The holiday to commemorate America is usually celebrated with friends and family at outdoor parties.  People celebrate in a variety of ways, but the celebrations usually involve food. If you’re in charge of a side dish and don’t know what to bring, we’ve got you covered. This caprese pasta salad recipe is your easy and simple crowd pleasing dish.

The pasta salad doesn’t require much. Here’s what you need:

Ingredients

• Pasta of your preference
  • Farfalle or bowtie pasta is our go to, but other cuts also work well!
• Caputo’s Homemade Bocconcini
• Fresh cherry tomatoes 
• Olive oil
• Garlic
• Basil 

Steps

1. Boil the pasta
2. While the pasta is cooking, cut the cherry tomatoes in half and sauté it with garlic, olive oil, and basil in a pan
3. Cut the bocconcini in half
4. Right after the pasta is done cooking, transfer it to a bowl or serving dish
5. Add olive oil and salt to the pasta
6. Mix all your ingredients in the bowl
7. Garnish with basil 
8. Enjoy!

The great thing about this recipe is that it is very customizable. You can add as many or as little ingredients as you want. You can choose your pasta cut or even mix!

From Our Family To Yours

There is always the one Sunday in June that is dedicated to appreciating all the father figures in a person’s life. It is a day to acknowledge all the valuable lessons, laughs, and guidance they have given over the years. With Father’s Day this Sunday, I can’t help but think of two very important men in our company. I would like to take this opportunity to recognize my father, Robertino Presta, and grandfather, Angelo Caputo.

My father started working at Caputo’s at a very young age. My grandfather appreciated him because of his strength, especially his ability to throw and catch watermelon when unloading a truck. Throughout his 30 plus years, he has learned and taught us. He has helped us and the business grow. He has taught us the importance of hard work and dedication. He has taught us a variety of different things from how to properly display produce to how to clean tables. My father embraces all challenges, coming up with unique and efficient ways to get past them. One of the things I feel most fortunate for is that my father believes in us, sometimes more than we believe in ourselves. He helps to give us the tools we need to succeed and guides us towards the path of success. I have learned so much from not only my father, but my grandfather too.

My grandfather has always been one of my biggest inspirations. He overcame so much and always persevered. When he was just 18 years old, he left his home in Italy and enlisted in the US Army so that he could create a better life for himself. He never shies away from hard work and faces adversity head on. He has always taken the time to teach us and work with us. He has passed along important tools and wisdom– things that we can carry with us

I am very lucky to have two men who believe in me. My father and grandfather are incredible men who have made many sacrifices to get to where they are today. I have the utmost respect for these two men and strive to make them proud.

Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers and father figures.

From Our Family To Yours