Author: Rosella Presta

As the month continues we go into our next holiday… Fat Tuesday! 

Fat Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent. Tradition has it that you are supposed to eat rich, fatty foods before Lent. Lent starts a period of fasting and reflecting, so many people take the day before as an opportunity to indulge and give into your cravings! 

This celebration is adapted from many different cultures– Carnivale, Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday, and more. One of our favorite ways to celebrate has been adapted from Polish culture.

A must have on Fat Tuesday– Paczki! Paczki are a Polish donut usually with some kind of sweet filling in the middle. In the month of February there are two days dedicated to enjoying Paczki– Fat Tuesday and National Paczki Day. Fat Tuesday is always the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday (the beginning of Lent) and National Paczki Day is the Thursday before that. This is because in Poland many people indulge in Paczki on the Thursday before Lent, known as Fat Thursday or Tlusty Czwartek. It can be dated back to centuries ago when people would use up all the ingredients in their house before fasting for Lent. The use of eggs, milk, sugar, etc. would result in a delicious treat with a sweet filling. 

Many people believe that not enjoying a Paczki on these days can lead to bad luck… and who would want to risk that?

Looking to indulge on this Fat Tuesday? You’ve come to the right place!

We have a full line of standard and gourmet paczki!  

Standard

The classics that you can never go wrong with! There is a flavor for everyone.

• Raspberry
• Apricot
• Strawberry
• Cheese
• Bavarian Cream
• Cherry

Gourmet

Love the standard ones, but want to spice it up a bit? These fillings made in house take our paczki to the next level. 

• Boston Cream
• Nutella Mousse
• Strawberry & Whipped Cream
• Apple
• Cannoli

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These are must tries! Available on 2/16 and 2/21, we will see you at one of our 8 locations 🙂

From Our Family To Yours

Getting ready to spend your Sunday sitting around the TV with friends and family for a Big Game party? There are tons of things to look forward to on Sunday, but here are three things we’re looking forward to… the game itself, the halftime show, and the food! 

People go all out with their game day spreads, eating the classic football watching foods. If you’re hosting, but have too much to do to think about what food to prep, we have you covered! 

Our catering department has tons of party trays and dishes that are great to feed a crowd. So if you need part of your feast covered.

Here are 5 catering trays that are sure to leave all the fans fed and happy!

Spinach Dip Bowl

This platter includes a Hawaiian Round Bread cut open and filled with our homemade spinach dip. The tray comes with veggies and pita chips for dipping. The best part? The bowl is edible!

Mini Bouchon Sandwich Platter

This platter is a great addition to any feast! A pre-game snack, 4th quarter pick-me-up, or late night snack… these sandwiches are a perfect size. Plus, if there are any sandwiches leftover, they are easy to pack in your kid’s lunchbox the next day. This platter includes a mix & match of Various Mini Sandwiches– Prosciutto & Provolone, Mortadella & Mozzarella, Ham & Swiss, Turkey & American Cheese. Plus, there are 3 different size trays so you can get the amount of sandwiches that works best for you.

American Classic Meat Platter

What’s more American than football? That’s why this deli tray is a must! With 5 different lunch meats on the platter, this is great for everyone. This tray comes with Smoked Ham, Honey Ham, Krakus Ham, Hard Salami, and La Bella Romana Oven Browned Turkey and is available in 3 different sizes

Mini Chicken Caesar Wrap

Another great option is our mini chicken Caesar wraps! Flour Tortilla Wraps, Rolled with Breaded Chicken Strips, Fresh Lettuce, Caesar Dressing & Fresh Parmesan… it’s a delicious and different platter to serve your guests!

Dip-n-Snack Platter

Everyone loves chips and dip! With so many dips to choose from, our dip-n-snack platter is a great option because there is something for everyone. This tray includes Homemade Fresh Pico De Gallo, Homemade Fresh Guacamole, Homemade Fresh Spinach Dip, Homemade Fresh Artichoke Dip, Homemade Fresh BLT Dip, Refried Beans, and Cheese Salsa.

These are just a few of the many options. Browse our catering menu to order whatever you need and stop in for all your gameday needs!

From Our Family To Yours

With February being Heart Health Month, we thought we would highlight a sample of our delicious meals that look after your heart but don’t compromise on flavor. These ideas include heart healthy recipes for dinner, lunch, as well as dessert! Make enough for leftovers to whip up an easy meal with minimal effort.

Heart Healthy Recipes

The American Heart Association is encouraging us to eat a wider variety of foods, and nothing could be easier with the heart healthy recipes we have available for you. Heart healthy foods include fruits, vegetables, nuts, cereals, lean meats, deli meats, poultry, fish, and more. You can find all of these ingredients in our four hand-selected recipes specially chosen for Heart Health Month.

Try one of our heart healthy recipes today, knowing you get a delectable, nutritious meal that also keeps your heart happy:

One Dish Dill and Lemon Baked Salmon

We all love a one dish recipe. You can enjoy this heart healthy dish even more by knowing there’s only one dish to clean! Just swap out the butter for trans-fat-free margarine.

Sweet Potato and Spinach Quesadillas

Easily reheated in a skillet, make more than you need, and you have an easy ready-made but heart healthy recipe to have at any time of day!

White Bean Chili

Our White Bean Chili has all the vegetables, lean poultry, and flavor you need from any heart healthy chicken recipe. This low-maintenance recipe can also be cooked in a slow cooker that will be ready for you when you get in from your busy day.

Annie’s Apple Crisp

Just swap out the butter for trans-fat-free margarine and the granulated sugar for sweetener. Enjoy this sweet dessert as a treat to finish off a well-rounded heart healthy meal that leaves you feeling full and satisfied.

For more heart healthy recipes, browse Caputo’s full range of recipes and shop online or in-store!

From Our Family To Yours

As a way to honor our founder, our family, inspired by Angelo’s love of wine, created 2 new wines as a tribute to his legacy and hard work. 

In 2021, we lost the heart and soul of our family and our business, Angelo Caputo. Committed to honoring him and making sure his legacy lives on, we began brainstorming new ways we could do so. Antonella, his daughter, knew a perfect way. 

Angelo always used to say “I work hard and I play hard” and he was well known to have a glass of Cabernet at dinner— a way to end his day after long, grueling hours of hard work. With this in mind, Antonella initiated the process of a private label wine. It is a way to have Angelo’s name grace the dinner table of both our own family—  as anywhere he was surrounded by his family was his favorite place to be— and other families. 

Angelo has a beautiful story, he came here with the goal of living out the American Dream and he accomplished that goal with strength, grit, and humility. We know that so many other immigrants from his generation have similar stories of coming to America in hopes of a better life for their future families. With this wine, we toast to Angelo and to all those who worked hard to accomplish their goals. The back of our Angelo Caputo wine reads this in their honor

“Cheers to Angelo Caputo, an Italian-American immigrant who proudly and courageously lived out the American Dream and loved his family above all else. A toast to his legacy and to the generations of hard workers. From Our Family To Yours, Salute!”

We partnered with a family vineyard in Sonoma County California to create two varieties of Angelo Caputo wine, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. The wine is now available in store and online!

From Our Family To Yours, Salute

The Benefits of Chia Seeds

Did you know that chia seeds come from the plant Salvia hispanica, a part of the mint family? These tiny (2-millimeter) seeds are packed full of goodness and nutrients and are easy to incorporate into your daily diet. So, exactly what are the benefits of chia seeds? Read on to find out, and for some delicious chia seed recipes.

What Are the Benefits of Chia Seeds?

Although small, the benefits of chia seeds are phenomenal. Two tablespoons of chia seeds (about 25 grams) contain:

• 4.1g protein
• 2g carbohydrates
• 8.6g fiber
• 7g fat
• 158mg calcium
• 84mg magnesium
• 93mg iron
• 15mg zinc
• 68mg manganese

Chia seeds may contribute to all sorts of health benefits, including:

• Lowering the risk of heart disease due to the amount of fiber and ALA (an omega-3 fatty acid) they contain. They also help with lowering blood pressure in people with hypertension.
• Promoting bone health. The number of minerals in each portion of chia seeds makes a significant contribution to the amount needed for good bone health. The amount of calcium in 2 tablespoons of milk, for example, is 38.1mg compared to 158mg in the equivalent of chia seeds.
• Reducing the risk of diabetes because the poly-unsaturated omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and fiber in chia seeds all help to stabilize the body’s blood sugar levels.

Hopefully, these benefits of chia seeds have tempted you to try out some chia seed recipes! Need some inspiration? We at Caputo’s are happy to provide you with delicious recipes for every meal of the day. Try out our 3 nutritious chia seeds recipes that are really simple to make and all use chia seeds in different ways. Enjoy these tasty treats and reap the health benefits that go alongside them! Here are 3 recipes to try that are easy to make and all have chia seeds!

1. Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie Smoothie
2. Caramelized Banana Baked Oats
3. Peanut Butter Banana Oat

Easy to incorporate into a meal or snack and full of nutrients, chia seeds are a great ingredient!

From Our Family To Yours

January is the perfect time to focus on self-improvement and try new things. One way to do that is by participating in Dry January, which involves abstaining from alcohol for the entire month. This gives your body a much-needed break after the indulgences of the holiday season and allows you to try new, non-alcoholic drink options.

With that in mind, here are three delicious non-alcoholic sparkling water mixed drink recipes that are easy to make and sure to satisfy your cravings:

Mojito Mocktail:

· ¼ cup lime juice

· ¼ cup simple syrup

· 10 mint leaves

· 1 tsp lime zest

· 1 cup sparkling water

1. In a small saucepan, heat the lime juice and simple syrup over medium-high heat until the mixture comes to a boil.

2. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the mint leaves and lime zest. Let the mixture steep for 5 minutes.

3. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher.

4. Add the sparkling water to the pitcher and stir to combine.

5. Serve the mojito mocktail over ice, garnished with mint leaves and a slice of lime.

Lemon, Cucumber, and Mint Infused Water:

· 2 cups water

· 1 cucumber, sliced

· 1 lemon, sliced

· 5 mint leaves

1. In a large pitcher, combine the water, cucumber slices, lemon slices, and mint leaves.

2. Cover the pitcher and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight for the best flavor.

3. Serve the infused water over ice, garnished with additional cucumber slices and lemon slices if desired.

Non-Alcoholic Sangria:

· 1 lemon, sliced

· 1 lime, sliced

· 1 orange, sliced

· ¼ cup cranberries

· ¼ cup cranberry juice

· ¼ cup grape juice

· 2 tbsp lemon juice

· 1 cup sparkling water

1. In a large pitcher, combine the lemon slices, lime slices, orange slices, cranberries, cranberry juice, grape juice, and lemon juice.

2. Stir the mixture until the fruit is evenly distributed.

3. Add the sparkling water to the pitcher and stir to combine.

4. Serve the non-alcoholic sangria over ice, garnished with additional fruit slices if desired.

With these refreshing non-alcoholic sparkling water mixed drinks, your Dry January will be a breeze! For more dry January recipes and mixed drink ideas, visit Caputo’s and explore our selection of non-alcoholic drinks and ingredients.

From Our Family To Yours

It’s time to start thinking about meal prep for what may be the biggest holiday of the year. Sharing a meal on Christmas Eve and Christmas is sure to help you make some happy memories. At Caputo’s, we want you to have a hassle free holiday, so we will do the work for you! Our Homemade Holiday Feast is perfect for the holiday season and will allow you to spend quality time with the family! This homemade feast features a main entree, multiple side dishes, condiments, and dessert! 

We offer a full feast that will make your holidays much easier! Our homemade feast feeds 10-12 people and is made with all natural foods, no preservatives, and the nostalgia that comes with home cooking. For the main entree, there is a choice between an oven roasted turkey or an oven baked ham. Both items are holiday classics so you can’t go wrong with either one of them! Plus, the ham comes with our very own signature apricot pineapple glaze! 

You will get sides–vegetables, potatoes, a salad, and bread. There are different options to pick from in each category to make your dinner perfect. To go along with your meal are condiments! You will get two cans of either jelly or cranberry sauce! 

Can’t forget dessert! The feast comes with a fresh 8” La Bella Romana apple or pumpkin pie! 

The feast is available hot for Christmas Eve or you can request it cold and warm it up to enjoy on Christmas Day! 

More info here

From Our Family To Yours

With the holidays quickly approaching, we’re experiencing a constant craving for something sweet! A long day of shopping, wrapping, decorating, or holiday party has us wanting a delicious treat at the end of the day. Just in time since December 9th is National Pastry Day!

We have a variety of homemade pastries, cookies, cakes, and more. There are plenty of options to choose from that will help you satisfy your sweet tooth.

Our bakery items are all made from scratch in our corporate bakery daily. Many recipes are our matron, Romana Caputo’s, recipes– just adapted to be created in bulk! She had a passion for cooking and baking and so it was only fitting that our bakery was named in her honor, the La Bella Romana bakery!

Chocolatey or fruity, rich and decadent or simple and light, we have so many options for you to look forward to at the end of a long day. 

Here are 3 must try pastries

Cannoli 

Every aspect of our cannoli are homemade. We make and fry our own shells and make our own cannoli filling. We have different sizes, toppings, and even offer chocolate dipped cannoli. For the chocolate dipped cannoli, we take our homemade shell and dunk it in melted chocolate. In addition to our traditional cannoli, we offer a monthly flavor! We take unique flavors and combine it with our cannoli filling to make some delicious and unique flavors. Changing on the first of each month, some include nutella, pistachio, dulce de leche… just to name a few.

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Eclairs

Another must try… our eclairs! The homemade pastry is filled with custard and topped with a layer of fudge. It’s impossible to take just one bite of this delicious dessert. The light custard and the rich, chocolatey fudge pair together perfectly in a way that will keep you coming back for more!

Giardoni

If you love cannoli filling, this is another must! This pastry resembles a cannoli, but is a shortbread shell filled with cannoli filling. The ends are dipped in chocolate and dunked in green nuts, then the tops are drizzled with chocolate.

Whether you’re looking for a classic Italian dessert like sfogliatelle or cartocci or a traditional American dessert like a brownie or carrot cake, we have those and so many more! Take a peek inside our bakery 

From Our Family To Yours

As the Thanksgiving holiday passes and our fridges empty of all the leftovers, we take a minute to reflect on the many blessings around us. As we get that fleeting moment of calmness before Christmas kicks in, our family would like to share what we are grateful for.

Our Loyal Customers

We are incredibly thankful to all those who have supported us over the years. Whether you have been shopping with us since our Harlem and Wrightwood days in 1958, you recently discovered us, or anytime in between… we are incredibly grateful to the support and loyalty our customers and communities we serve have shown us!

Our Dedicated Staff

We want to thank our dedicated staff who have been working selflessly to keep our stores clean and our shelves stocked. We are so proud and thankful for the hard work and dedication, especially during these trying times. Our staff has made our family so proud in the way that everyone has stepped up and helped to serve our local communities! 

We would also like to extend our thanks to their families for the support they have offered to our employees!

Our Family

Angelo Caputo’s Fresh Markets started as a dream. My grandfather, Angelo Caputo, left his home in Italy to come to America in hopes of creating a good life for himself and his family. His hard work, dedication, and sacrifice is the reason we are where we are today. The unending support of my grandmother, Romana Caputo, cannot go unnoticed. She was a helpful and supporting pillar through the hard work and long days.  Both gone too soon, their presence lives on forever in our hearts as we live and work each day with the values they instilled in us.

My parents, Robertino and Antonella, have done more for us than you can imagine. They both began working at very young ages. They take every opportunity to thank my grandparents for their sacrifices and dedication, but will never look for credit or draw attention to all they did for us as a business and a family. They have taught my siblings and I so much. I am also grateful for my siblings. Our parents have raised us to put family first and because of their influence, I am blessed enough to have siblings that I can call my best friends. 

We hope you and your loved ones all had a Happy Thanksgiving!

From Our Family To Yours