The Grapevine

This Sunday is not just any Sunday, it’s Father’s Day! The day 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 my life and 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. His efficiency in unloading the trucks as a teenager is a testament to his work ethic. He never hesitates to step in during any task. My father embraces all challenges, coming up with unique and efficient ways to get past them. 

He has helped us and the business grow. He has taught us the importance of hard work and dedication, always leading by example. His lessons span from how to properly display produce to how to clean tables the right way. 

One of the things I feel most fortunate for is that my father believes in us, sometimes more than we believe in ourselves. He doesn’t make us feel like we cannot handle a situation. 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. 

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My grandfather and our patriarch, Angelo Caputo, 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 and his family. He took risks I could never imagine and I am always in awe of his strength. 

He has been faced with so many challenges in his life, but never let that stop him. He never shies away from hard work and faces adversity head on. His passion for work is still apparent from him asking about work to visiting each store to see how things are running. Hard work is in his blood.

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. From teaching us how to eat a prickly pear or telling us stories from his childhood, he is always there for us. Nothing makes him happier than watching and being a part of the successes of his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. 

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I am very lucky to have two strong men who believe in me. My father and grandfather are incredible people whose sacrifices and hard work have led to many great achievements. 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

Sometimes when you’re planning a party or get together, you can skim over sides or antipasti because the main course requires the most attention. It is easy to leave these additions for last minute and you may find yourself scrambling to find something to put on to munch on. 

Don’t worry because we got you covered! Our deli has the solution for you– olive salads!

We have a variety of prepared olive salads that are delicious and easy to serve. Whether you want a snack to keep in your fridge for yourself or you want something to serve a crowd, these olive salads are perfect. All the work is done for you. If you love olives, you’ll love these salads.

Here are 3 of our favorite pre-marinated olive salads that go great with any meal:

Sicilian Olive Salad

This is Sicilian olives, red onions, and a special blend of spices and peppers!

Artichoke and Olive Salad

This salad is sliced artichokes and green Sicilian pitted olives in a blend of oil and spices

Greek Olive Salad

This Greek olive salad contains 3 different types of Calamata olives and bite size pieces of feta cheese, all tossed in a special marinade. 

We have even more olive salads available in store for you to choose from! What’s your favorite?

From Our Family To Yours

A holiday weekend usually means leftovers! Your fridge may be loaded with extra food that didn’t get eaten at the other day’s barbecue. If you have some leftover sausage, we have an idea for you!

There are tons of things you can do with leftover sausage for every meal! Incorporate it into a breakfast skillet, make a sausage sandwich, or roast it in the over with some potatoes, olive oil, and rosemary. 

Here is one of our favorite recipes to use with sausage that can be customized in so many ways… pasta!

Orecchiette Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli

This is one of our favorite dishes to use up leftover sausage. 

Here’s what you need:

-Italian sausage

-Orecchiette pasta

-Olive oil

-Broccoli

-Marinara sauce

-Salt

-Black pepper

-Parmesan cheese

-Basil for garnish

We love this recipe because it’s easy to change up. You can change the type of pasta, the sauce, or even the vegetable! It is easy to make and you’ll love the results!

For the full recipe, click here!

To get some more ideas for other leftovers that you have, browse The Recipe Rack for tons of options to practice and show off your cooking skills! 

From Our Family To Yours

Memorial Day Weekend is usually considered the start of summer. When we think of summer we think of being outdoors and grilling! Some of the best summer memories come from enjoying the sunny weather and eating some food straight from the barbecue. We have all the grilling essentials you need for a great barbecue this summer!

Every barbecue needs some sides or appetizers and we go straight to the deli for this! Our fresh deli salads are a great addition to any barbecue. Potato salad, macaroni salad, antipasto salads, and more! These are great options to put out and snack on before or even during your meal!

There are so many things that taste better when they are out on the grill. One of those things is corn. You can either  put the corn on there with the husks and everything or peel the husks, remove the silk, add your seasonings, and let the corn sit on the grill. This gives the corn a delicious and fresh flavor. The grill leaves the corn warmed and with an unmatched and distinct taste. 

Then for the main course! Our meat department offers a variety of the freshest products perfect for your barbecue. Our unique items will give your party or dinner a delicious and flavorful twist! Some of our favorites to throw on the grill are steak, burgers, chicken, and more. Here are a few additional items we love at a barbecue! 

One is our kabobs. Our chicken and steak kabobs come on skewers with peppers and onions. We also offer some pre-marinated kabobs for a different flavor. You can even throw different veggies on and make veggie kabobs! 

Shrimp! An exciting and different item to grill is shrimp! It is a fun way to mix up some of the entrees being served!  

Can’t forget the sausage– our homemade sausage! Our sausage is made in house daily. Our recipe has been tweaked and perfected over the years. It is made th old-world way, by hand using lean pork and private seasoning blend. There is nothing quite like our homemade sausage. Hot or mild, links or rope, traditional or barese– we have it and we have dedicated a lot of time and effort to making it perfect.

We hope everyone has a safe Memorial Day Weekend. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who are currently serving or have served our country, as well as their families. We especially remember the fallen soldiers who gave their lives to protect us.

From Our Family To Yours

These past few days have been rainy, but as the saying says “April showers bring May flowers!” and our garden centers are open for business! 

Flowers have the ability to brighten a persona’s day or put them in a better mood. The beautiful colors, the enticing smells, and more make flowers a wonderful addition to your home. 

For decades now, our family has been buying from the same family run greenhouse. They grow many staple Italian garden items special for us– melrose peppers, swissh chard, cicorie, and other classics! Despite many new greenhouses using automation, this greenhouse still grows their plants the old fashion way. This means that each plant is hand plugged– meaning they are grown in one pot and then hand moved into a bigger pot to continue growing. 

If you’re looking to add some color to your house, we have a variety of different plants. From hanging baskets to potted plants, even the tiniest flower can make things better. We can’t help but appreciate the beauty a flower can create. 

If you want your garden to be full of fruits and veggies just like your Nonno’s garden, we’re here to help! We have tons of different vegetables, plants, and herbs for you to plant. There is nothing like the smell of fresh mint from your garden. From the infamous Melrose Pepper to different varieties of tomatoes– come pick out all the veggies you want to grow from home!

We also have some really cool and exciting things for kids this year! We are featuring some of Chef Jeff’s plants which are plants for children. The individual plants are a great way to teach responsibility and watch things grow! These include things like corn, pumpkins, and strawberries!

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From Our Family To Yours

You may find yourself looking in your pantry or fridge a little more often these days. The countless trips to the kitchen for another snack throughout the day have become a given. We usually have our go-to items that we know we love. Here are some of our pantry staples that we need to have on hand at all times. 

Taralli

Our La Bella Romana Taralli are imported from Italy and an addictive snack! They are small, breadstick-like snacks that are formed into little circles. This Italian cracker comes in many different flavors– olive oil, red pepper, rosemary, and more! There is a variety for any craving you may have. We love to keep a package of taralli (or two) ready for a salty snack!

Granola

With health in mind, granola is something we love to have on hand! Our favorites are the La Bella Romana vanilla granola or La Bella Romana honey n nut granola in our bulk section. It is great to snack on when you’re looking for something crunchy. Whether you’re eating it on it’s own, mixing it into yogurt, or something else, granola is a pantry essential! 

Castelvetrano Olives

Our favorite snacking olives, castelvetranos are great to have on hand! These olives are buttery and smooth. They pair well with almost every meal, or to even sneak one from the deli container each time you look in the fridge. These olives are imported from Italy 

Giardiniera 

Giardiniera is a very important item to have in your house at all times. You never know when it might take your meal to the next level! We love to keep giardiniera on hand for things like sandwiches, pizza, and more. It has the unique ability to elevate the flavors of whatever you put it on!

What do you need to have in your house all the time? Let us know in the comments!

From Our Family To Yours

This weekend is when the Irish comes out in everybody, even if you aren’t Irish. It’s almost St. Patrick’s Day and in Chicago, that’s a big deal! You might kick off the celebrations this weekend and what you eat can be a big part of that!

Here are some foods to bring out the Irish in you. 

Soda Bread

Soda bread is a scone like bread. This bread is made with simple ingredients and enjoyed by people all over the world!

Corned Beef

Corned beef was used as a bacon substitute for many Irish- American immigrants looking for some comfort foods from their homeland. Corned beef had a similar taste to boiled bacon that was usually enjoyed on St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland, which is why it is mainly eaten by Americans to celebrate this holiday. 

Irish Cream Cannoli 

We can’t completely stray from our Italian roots, and our Irish Cream Cannoli are an ode to this. Our March Cannoli flavor of the month is Irish Cream in honor of St. Patrick’s Day! Come pick some up in our bakery for your upcoming festivities! They will be available now through the end of March.

We hope everyone has a safe and happy St. Patrick’s Day!

From Our Family To Yours

March is National Nutrition Month. Focusing on your nutrition can be difficult, but one way to do this is by forming healthy habits, like eating fruits and vegetables. You can use different approaches to create healthy habits that last. One thing you need to form a habit is repetition and consistency. If you’re looking to eat better, it is good to have those good foods right in front of your face. You can do this by having a fruit bowl in your house!

Besides looking beautiful in your kitchen, dining room or office, fruit bowls keep satisfying fruit front and center. Intuitive eating is also a growing trend and a full-to-the-brim fruit bowl is well-suited to this eating pattern! 

The great thing about having a fruit bowl is that you can get creative with it! You can out whatever fruit best fits your taste. Fruits come in an array of colors which can really brighten up a room. Here are some of the fruits you can find in our kitchen fruit bowl

Apples

With different varieties that are good in each season, apples are a staple in fruit bowls. They are nutritious 

Oranges

These citrus fruits are another good way to add some color into your fruit bowl and some nutrition into your everyday life. Oranges are known for their high vitamin c content as well as antioxidants, vitamins, and more!

Plums

Plums are an incredibly nutritious food. They contain antioxidants that can help prevent macular degeneration and cataracts. They are a high source of vitamins and minerals, and contain fiber. 

Kiwi

Kiwi is another fruit that has many health benefits. They are low-fat, high in fiber, high in vitamin C, a good source of vitamin E, and a good source of potassium amongst other benefits!

Pears

There are many varieties of pears and all are good to add into your diet for more nutrients! They are good sources of fiber and vitamin C. 

USA Pears wants to help create a supportive community that encourages healthy habits and daily fruit consumption. Share photos of your fruit bowl and your favorite ways to enjoy fruit using #WhatsInYourFruitBowl. 

From Our Family To Yours