National Salad Month

Salads get a rep for being boring and repetitive, but we disagree! Salads can be fun and nutritious! You can put a  variety of things in a salad to make it taste good and different! 

If you make your salad at home, there are plenty of ingredients you can throw in a salad. Some of our favorites that you may not think of are

  • goldfish or a cheese cracker instead of croutons
  • dried cranberries
  • almond slices
  • fruit like oranges, apples, or strawberries
  • sunflower seeds
  • corn
  • rotisserie chicken

If you don’t feel like making your own, but want something different, We have a large selection of gourmet salads to choose from. Your classic garden salad to a fun chopped salad, there is a salad for everyone! 

Here are some of our favorite La Bella Romana salads!

Julienne Salad

 Julienne is a type of cut that means the food is sliced into thin strips and this is reflected in the ingredients of the salad! With different types of lettuce, ham, cheese turkey, and a few different vegetables, this is a great summer salad! 

Bacon Ranch Salad

 Our rotisserie chicken mixed with mozzarella, bacon, tomatoes, and croutons tossed in ranch dressing! 

Chopped Salad

A variety of diced ingredients for maximum flavor! This salad has eggs, turkey, ham, cheese, bacon, cucumber, onions, and tomatoes. There are so many veggies and proteins!

Greek Salad

Onions, peppers, cucumbers, feta, tomatoes, and olives… a Mediterranean dream! 

Mexican, southwest, tropical, caesar… there are so many more! 

May is National Salad Month and in honor of it, we are featuring a salad of the week. Every week throughout the month of may, we will be highlighting a few different salads in our ad and in store! Be sure you’re following us on social media to see what unique salad is being highlighted!

From Our Family To Yours

Homemade Ricotta

Do you love cheese? If you do, you have probably paid a visit to our deli and seen the large selection of imported and domestic cheeses, specialty cheeses, and, a personal favorite, homemade cheese! One cheese that we NEED to have in our fridge at all times? Homemade Ricotta!

Ricotta is made from re-cooking the milk whey leftover from the production of other cheese. The result is a soft, creamy, and delicious cheese! The taste is like no other. It’s fresh, creamy, and versatile– it can be a great compliment to any dish or main ingredient in another! You can change the flavor profile depending on what you pair it with and use it to elevate any dish or meal! 

Here are some of our favorite things to do with ricotta!

Ricotta with honey and cinnamon

Mixing ricotta with honey and cinnamon makes a sweet and delicious topping! Try to put it on toast for yummy breakfast or even mix it with berries, peaches, or other fruit for a nice snack!

Ricotta & Avocado Toast

Italian avocado toast! Mix the ricotta with olive oil, salt, and pepper (also great with bread on its own), spread it on bread or even friselle, then put some avocado and everything bagel seasoning on top. You have a delicious and escalated avocado toast!

A Pizza Topping

Scoops of ricotta on a pizza is one of our favorite pizza toppings! We like to add some giardiniera and sausage too!

Check out our Gourmet Pizza Ideas blog for this pizza recipe and some others!

In a Sandwich

There is nothing like imported prosciutto and arugula on fresh bread with some creamy homemade ricotta. Add a little olive oil for flavor and even throw some giardiniera on it! 

With Lemon Olive Oil

If you’re looking for a light and refreshing bite, this is it! Mixing ricotta with a lemon olive oil or plain olive oil and a squeeze of a lemon is a wonderful treat! You can put it in a salad or even enjoy it with a piece of bread. It is fresh, light, and a great summer snack!

Use it in lasagna, in cookies, in a salad, in pancakes, with eggplant, in stuffed zucchini… the options are endless! Let us know what you use ricotta for and stop by our deli to try out our homemade ricotta… your life will not be the same!

From Our Family To Yours

Specialty Cakes

No celebration is complete without the perfect dessert. If you’re looking to take your celebration– no matter how big or small– to the next level, order a custom cake from our bakery! The best thing is that the cake will be beautiful and still taste delicious!

Our bakery is happy to work with you to make your event perfect. We have custom, specialty cakes for every occasion and any theme. Just tell our talented bakery what you want and they will help bring your cake dreams to life. 

Our cakes aren’t just pretty to look at, but they’re delicious too! Our cakes are all made in-house. The filling makes all the difference in a cake. We have a variety of fillings that you can mix and match to create what’s best for your event! Some of our fillings include French cream, custard, cannoli, fudge, peanut butter, Nutella mousse, preserves, cookies and cream, chocolate French cream, and more. There are so many options that it’s hard to pick just one! We always like to test out new combinations, and these are some of our favorites that we’ve tried so far:

  • yellow sponge cake with a layer of cannoli filling and a layer of fudge
  • chocolate or yellow cake with cookies and cream filling
  • chocolate cake with cannoli filling
  • chocolate sponge with peanut butter filling
  • yellow cake with cannoli and fresh strawberries

You can never go wrong with the classics like a cream puff cake, tiramisu,  carrot cake, or cannoli cake either! 

We have done simple cakes, wedding cakes, themed cakes, number cakes, cupcake cakes, and more. We are more than happy to work with you and share our offerings. Take a look at some of the custom cakes we have done in the past. 

Follow us on social media where every Sunday we post a new, custom cake for some inspiration for your next event and to see the work of our talented bakery. 

Get a cake that tastes even better than it looks. Order your next cake from our La Bella Romana bakery. 

Email lbrbakery@caputomarkets.com or call (630) 620-4444 ext 1036 for more info or to order!

From Our Family To Yours

Homemade Tortillas

Did you know we make our own tortillas?

In 2018, we remodeled our Addison store. Part of this remodel was bringing in a brand new tortilla machine from Mexico! This machine allows us to make our very own, homemade corn tortillas in-house every day. We then take it one step further and turn our tortillas into tortilla chips!

Like all of our other prepared foods, our tortillas are all natural and have no preservatives. We offer yellow or white corn tortillas that are made from scratch in this machine daily. The tortillas are made in our Addison location and then sent to each store from there. 

Our tortillas are great for Taco Tuesday and once you have tortillas, our meat department is the next stop. We have a variety of pre-marinated taco and fajita meats and poultry ready to go. They are located behind the meat counter. All you have to do is cook and enjoy! 

We also turn our homemade tortillas into tortilla chips! We cut the tortillas into triangles and throw them in our fryer. They are salted, cooled, and packaged in brown paper bags. 

Our chips also pair wonderfully with items from different departments, especially our homemade guacamole and salsas. Made fresh daily, our guac and salsas are made using items right from our produce section! Guacamole, classic salsa, pineapple salsa, mango salsa, and more! You can also try our chips with our homemade chili! They are great for dipping in the chili on its own or making chili nachos!

Check out this video on our tortillas here

From Our Family To Yours

Easter Calzone

Easter is only a few days away, so that means the prep has begun. Easter, as with many holidays, has many special traditions and so many revolve around food. You may make certain breads or desserts, maybe a certain meal. One food item that we look forward to each year is Calzone! 

Calzone is sometimes referred to as Easter Pie, though it’s not sweet. It is a crust stuffed with different, savory ingredients. There are many different versions and different names for this–  each unique to different regions, towns, and even families. 

In our kitchen commissary, we make two different versions of this Easter Calzone from scratch– a traditional version and a sausage version.

Calzone prep! Keep reading for the finished product!

Traditional Calzone

The Traditional Calzone is made with eggs, black olives, onions, and mozzarella cheese. All the ingredients are put into our homemade crust.

This meatless option is great for Good Friday. On Fridays during lent, those partaking are supposed to fast from meat. On Good Friday which is the Friday before Easter, you are supposed to fast. 

Fasting in Christianity calls for people to eat one full meal and two smaller meals, but the two smaller meals cannot equal a full meal when put together.

On Good Friday, Romana and Angelo would have the calzone as their one meal. Romana would make hers a bit different– her filling would consist of onions, tomatoes, olives, and anchovies… we all know that every Barese recipe has anchovies in it somewhere!  We refer to this as Scalcione, another name for the calzone! This calzone was their only meal of the day to respect fasting.

Sausage Calzone

The other version of calzone we offer is a sausage one. This one is our homemade sausage, eggs, black olives, onions, and mozzarella cheese. This calzone is typically enjoyed on Easter day. The addition of meat makes it a heartier calzone. Heartier foods were typically used at feasts. Since Easter is a celebration and everyone is rejoicing, the more ingredients, the better for the calzone with meat!

We have both versions of calzone available through Easter. These are only available once a year, so get yours now!

From Our Family To Yours

Caputo’s Madness 2021

Bracket season has begun and we have a little bracket challenge of our own! Caputo’s Madness is back! Your favorite Caputo’s items are going head-to-head to see which of our signature items is the winner. 

The rules are simple and the prizes great!

The Basics 

You enter by filling out and submitting your bracket either in store or online by March 21, 2021.

Voting begins on March 22 and you’re in control! Voting is done through social media, so make sure you’re following us to cast your votes!

The brackets will be tallied up and the winner(s) with the most points will receive a $25 Caputo’s gift card and a Caputo’s apron. We can have up to 15 winners total

Each contestant who chose the winning item, but did not win the bracket will win a $5 Caputo’s Gift Card

Get all the info you need and how to enter here

Good luck!

From Our Family To Yours

Grilled Cheese Recipe Contest

I think we can all agree that sometimes we need a meal that tastes like a hug feels. Most of the time, a grilled cheese sandwich can do the trick! It’s the ultimate comfort food for many reasons! Maybe it reminds you of being a kid, maybe it’s the melted cheese (because who doesn’t love melted cheese), maybe it’s the special way you make it. No matter the reason, grilled cheese is classic.

When you think about grilled cheese, you probably automatically picture two pieces of American bread and a slice of American cheese, but there is so much more that you can do to make your grilled cheese burst with flavor! 

You can use a specific bread, a mix of cheeses, specialty cheese, or maybe you add extras to your sandwich that take it to the next level! You can add things like mac and cheese, bacon, avocado, tomatoes, flavored olive oil, and more to make your grilled cheese elite!

Do you make a special grilled cheese? We want to know! Plus you can win money for it! 

April is National Grilled Cheese Month and in honor of it, we want to know how you make your specialty grilled cheese! Share your grilled cheese recipes with us for a chance to win! The rules are simple and the prizes great! 

Click here for all the rules and how to enter!

From Our Family To Yours

International Women’s Day

March 8th is International Women’s Day. It is the day to honor and celebrate the achievements of women. It is such a special and significant day, that many countries in Europe treat March 8th as Mother’s Day. 

International Women’s Day is all about honoring the strong women in your life. 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. They are the heart and soul behind our company. Their unending support, dedication, and hard work are the foundation of who we are.

My grandmother and our matriarch, Romana Caputo, was one of the best women there was. She was a beautiful soul with the kindest, most generous heart. It was her mission to make sure others were happy– especially her grandchildren. She would do anything for us, all we had to do was ask. Anyone who had any type of encounter with my grandmother can attest to two things- 1. She was incredibly kind and classy 2. She was the best cook. 

Her self-taught skills in the kitchen were remarkable. Anyone lucky enough to have had a meal prepared by Romana Caputo knows that she went all out, no matter the occasion, and that it may have been the best thing you have ever eaten. Her ability to prepare a meal and make anyone feel like they are a part of the family. She is the inspiration behind our private label, La Bella Romana. It was inspired by her beauty and 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.

Another pillar of our company is my mother, Antonella Caputo Presta. She often talks about the beautiful spirit of my grandmother, but does not realize that she has those same, incredible qualities that she thinks so fondly of my grandmother for. She is the most selfless, most humble, and the hardest working person I know. She began working for my grandfather at a very young age. She could tell you many stories like driving to Michigan at 3 in the morning with my grandfather to get produce or memories about what those freezing winter days working at our original location on Harlem and Wrightwood were like. She will never look for credit, but there is so much we owe to her. She takes the time to point out all the good others have done and praise others for their accomplishments, but will never draw attention to herself. She has made countless sacrifices and lives her life to make sure everyone around her is happy. She has done so much for us, as a business and as a family, and we would not be where we are today if it weren’t for her. She is always there for advice, a lesson, a prayer, a hug, a meal, and anything else you may need. She always was and still is an integral part of our business and we are lucky to have her as a guiding force.

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 ❤️

Don’t forget to honor the special ladies in your life on this day with a mimosa cake

From Our Family To Yours

Mimosa Cake for International Women’s Day

A very important date, specifically in Italy, is March 8th– International Women’s Day! International Women’s Day is the day to celebrate achievements of women and show your love and appreciation for all the strong women in your life. 

In Italy, this celebration is referred to as La Festa della Donna. Many Italians celebrate by giving flowers, specifically the yellow mimosa flower. The beautiful, bright coloring of the mimosa flower represents the sun and the flower itself is a symbol of strength, sensibility, and is given as a sign of respect. The flower looks delicate, but in reality it can withstand a lot– just like a woman can.

The appreciation for this flower is what inspired a traditional cake to eat on this day– a Mimosa Cake! 

This cake has a beautiful look with a delicious, light, and refreshing inside. It is a yellow sponge cake two ways– with a custard filling or with a pineapple filling. The outside is made to resemble the mimosa flower. It is pieces of our yellow sponge cake cut up and placed on top to mirror the yellow color and the intricate design of the mimosa flower.

with pineapple filling

Order your mimosa cake and celebrate the strong women in your life today! Also available in cupcakes!

Did you have mimosa cake, but remember it a little differently? Our bakery team is happy to work with you and make your cake dreams come to life! you can place your order here, give us a call at 630-620-4444 Ext. 1036 or email us lbrbakery@caputomarkets.com

We will also have mimosa flowers available in store for purchase on 3/8!

From Our Family To Yours

Meatless Meal Ideas

The Lenten Season has begun. Lent is the 40 days leading up to Easter recognized in the Christian calendar. Those who partake in Lent may follow a number of different rules. One big occurrence during the season is the fasting from meat on Ash Wednesday and every Friday until Easter. Although this sounds simple, sometimes you don’t realize how difficult it may be and how easy it is to forget. We’ve got all the perfect meatless options to make Friday meals easy, delicious, and something to look forward to!

Pizza

While some people cut meat out for a little during these 40 days, there are many delicious meals you can enjoy! One go to is pizza and our Pizza Fridays are perfect for this! You can have a grab and go 16” thin crust, cheese pizza for only $6! You can turn a meatless Friday night into a make your own pizza night by picking up dough, sauce, cheese, veggies, and everything you need to make your perfect pizza! Maybe even some Nutella for a dessert pizza??

Recipe to Try: Shaved Asparagus Pizza

Pasta and Soup

Another option is pasta or soup. Soup can warm you up on a cold day and we have a variety of different prepared soup without meat that make mealtime easier for you! Pasta is great because it can be prepared in a variety of different ways. There are a number of different cuts of pasta as well as different sauces that can make each pasta different than the next. A personal favorite is our Supreme Sauce. This is a unique, creamy sauce that is unlike anything you’ve tasted before. It is great for any pasta! We even have a number of different pasta dishes ready in our prepared foods section. Full pans to individual meals can make cooking easy for you! Our prepared foods are made all natural with no preservatives– just like you would at home, but with less of a mess! 

Recipe to Try: Parsley Shrimp Pasta

Veggies

Veggies! Veggies are a great option because they are good for you and fun to cook with. You can throw them in a stir fry or a pasta. You can make veggie tacos or even an omelets. 

Recipe to try: Sweet Potato and Spinach Quesadillas or Veggie Pad Thai

Seafood

Seafood is also a great option for meatless days! We offer a great assortment of fresh & frozen seafood, imported & domestic. Different fish are filled with omega 3 and vitamins that are great for you. Our extensive fish department will help you find just what you’re looking for. We even have pre-marinated fish which are delicious and hassle free! Fish can be eaten as meals or can be added to different dishes for great flavors– seafood risotto, pasta with clams, or just a simply grilled salmon are all great dishes with lots of flavor! Try our fresh ceviche and marinated octopus salad!

Recipe to Try: Spiced Salmon with Brown Rice and Spinach

Some meatless recipes to try:

Stop in for all the perfect meal solutions for those meatless days!

From Our Family To Yours