Ciambella and Focaccia and Pull Aparts; Oh My!

The smell of fresh bread just coming out of the oven is nothing short of heavenly. The fresh aroma mixed with the thought of eating warm bread that is soft on the inside with the perfect amount of crunch on outside is enough to make your mouth water. At Caputo’s, we have a selection of fresh baked La Bella Romana breads to satisfy any craving!

One of our unique breads is our ciambella bread! In Italian, “ciambella” is generally used to describe a ring shaped baked good and that is exactly what our homemade ciambella bread is! It is a round loaf of bread with no center, the donuts of bread! It is light and crunchy. Made from scratch daily, the ciambella is a great addition to any meal or the perfect snack. While it is delicious on its own, you can always add a little flavor. Our La Bella Romana bread dipping is the perfect pair. All you have to do is add the bread dipping to oil and dunk your bread!

A classic is our focaccia! Focaccia bread is a go-to. Focaccia is a flat bread that has a similar consistency to pizza dough. It can be prepared with many different toppings. The classic focaccia you are probably used to seeing is topped with olive oil, oregano, and tomatoes. The cool thing about focaccia is that it is very versatile. You can eat it alone, cut it up and put it in your bread basket during dinner, or even use it to make a sandwich. It comes in a variety of shapes and sizes including square, individual minis, and round! Who else wants a focaccia sandwich with mortadella and provolone for lunch tomorrow?

We are also bringing pull apart breads back! Our pull apart breads! Our pull apart breads are designed for sharing because of their unique style which make it easy to take pieces or cut the bread. We have different flavors of this bread and the style make it so you can get the different ingredients in one bite! This bread consists of fresh dough that is seasoned with herbs then left to rise before adding various combinations of ingredients.  One is made with Genova salami and provolone, then splashed with our extra virgin olive oil. Another type is for our spicy lovers! This one is made with sliced jalapeño and sharp cheddar. Our third type is our broccoli and cauliflower medley with cheddar cheese. The veggies are sautéed in extra virgin olive oil with fresh garlic, herbs, and spices. Once the breads are paired with their respective ingredients, chopped to achieve the unique shape, left to rise again, and placed into an oven until golden brown. This process creates a medley of melted cheeses and ingredients that will leave your mouth dancing from the combination of flavors! While they can be enjoyed cold, they’re best enjoyed warm! At home, all you have to do is pop it into your oven and reheat it for 10 to 15 minutes at 300-325 degrees until crispy! It will taste as good as it smells!

 

Stop by our bakery section to pick out the perfect bread to accompany your meal or just something to snack on!

From Our Family To Yours

 

Caputo’s Faves Madness

The weather is warmer, basketball is always on TV, and bracket season has begun! We are always down for a little friendly competition, so we have developed a bracket of our own. Our first annual Caputo’s Faves Madness competition puts some of our signature and favorite items head to head and asks the real hard hitting questions, like eclairs or cannoli. Submit your brackets for a chance to win a Caputo’s gift card and apron!

It is very simple to enter. The first thing to do is fill out the bracket.  Brackets are very easy to fill out, all you have to do is look at the 2 items being matched up. You select which one you like better and move that onto the next round. For example, in the cannoli vs eclairs competition, I chose cannoli so I moved it to the next round. Then in the lobster tails vs cream puffs, I chose lobster tails and so that advanced. Now, I am forced to choose between cannoli and lobster tails (a very hard decision).

You continue to do that for every pair until you pick a winner.  You have a few different options for the way you choose to fill out your bracket. You can save the bracket as a PDF and fill it out on your computer or just type right on the bracket page. You can also screenshot it and fill it in with photo editing tools. Another way to fill it out is to print it out and fill it in by hand, then email it to us or turn it in at the service desk of your local store.

To figure out who the winners are, we are leaving it up to you! Every item in the competition is completely fan voted. Throughout the next weeks, we will feature the polls on various social media sites. Make sure you are following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter so you can cast your votes. The votes will be tallied and the winning items will be posted. The championship round will be on April 8th!

What happens if you win? You get a Caputo’s gift card and a Caputo’s apron! So fill out your bracket and join the madness!

Check out the official rules and scoring and get the bracket here!

From Our Family To Yours

St. Joseph’s Day

  The feast of St. Joseph is right around the corner– March 19th is the day dedicated to St. Joseph! To celebrate, many people are known to feast together. Some people attend parties where friends and family come together to honor St. Joseph or San Giuseppe. You will probably notice many St. Joseph’s Day tables in your communities around this time as a tribute to him. The traditions vary, but most celebrations include a lot of food and– of course– Zeppole!

Italians usually celebrate St. Joseph’s Day with a big feast. The tradition of the feast dates back to the middle ages. Sicily was in the middle of a big drought. This drought was causing crops to dry up and left sicilians on the brink of famine. They prayed to St. Joseph to relieve them with rain and in return they would honor him with a real feast or a banquet. When the rain came a few days later, they honored him as they said he would.

The feast can include a wide variety of items or, according to Angelo, “a little bit of everything.” Some traditions include a main dish of Mafaldine di San Giuseppe. Mafaldine is a pasta cut with curly edges, almost resembling a ribbon. This pasta dish includes bread crumbs and anchovies. The breadcrumbs are believed to signify sawdust as a nod to St. Joseph for being a carpenter!

For dessert, zeppole! Zeppole are traditional donut like fritters that are coiled on top. They are stuffed with different fillings and topped with a dusting of powdered sugar. This is fitting because St. Joseph also happens to be the patron saint of pastry chefs! There are many different types of zeppole. Traditional zeppole are filled with cannoli or french cream. We have recently expanded the types of zeppole we have. We have created different versions of these delicious treats, some filled with chocolate, some filled nutella, and more! All of our bakery items are made from scratch with no preservatives! Stop by and pick up your zeppole and try out our new flavors to celebrate St. Joseph’s Day!

What are your go-to meals or traditions on St. Joseph’s day? Share them down below!

From Our Family To Yours

 

Perfect Meals for the Meatless Days

This Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lenten Season. 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 Fridays. We’ve got all the perfect meatless options to make Friday meals easy and delicious!

Some common questions may come up when hearing this. One may be why meat was chosen as the food to refrain from. At the time, meat and land animals were commonly associated with parties and celebrations. Because Lent is considered a time to be in remembrance for the death of Jesus and is a time to lead a simple lifestyle, it is asked that Christian abstain from consuming meat on Fridays. The reason that Friday is the day is because it is believed that Jesus Christ suffered and died on a Friday. For this reason, Fridays are the day of fasting and remembrance in Lent.

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! The pizza can be enjoyed in store or taken to go. In our hot foods, we also offer pizza by the slice for an easy and quick meal. You can even pick up all the ingredients to make your own pizza and turn it into a fun event. 

Another option is pasta. Pasta is great because it can be prepared in a variety of different ways. There is 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!

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!

 

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

 

La Bella Romana

Every year Progressive Grocer honors businesses in various categories. We were lucky enough to be honored for our private label, La Bella Romana, as an Outstanding Store Brand. La Bella Romana is very important to us and has come a long way since its origin.

Our private label was established in 1984 by Angelo. The name is a tribute to the matriarch of our family, Romana Caputo. “La Bella Romana” translates to “the beautiful Romana.” The logo features a picture of Romana feeding pigeons in Piazza San Marco in Venice, Italy during Angelo and Romana’s honeymoon. 

The brand started with California grown tomatoes. We canned the tomatoes and it was the start of the brand. When Angelo was ready to add more products to the line, he knew that his expansion should be Italian staples. Angelo and Romana went to Italy and sourced suppliers who could offer the highest quality products and ingredients. The result of this trip was the addition of pasta and olive oil to La Bella Romana!  Pasta and olive oil are traditional components of every Italian meal. These items can be used or prepared in a variety of different ways to satisfy anybody’s hunger. These foundational items of the La Bella Romana line embody simplicity, diversity, and deliciousness.

Since those beginning items, the La Bella Romana brand has grown exponentially. The private label now includes bakery items, deli meats, catering and prepared foods, grocery products, and more. There are about 400 items that all have the La Bella Romana name on them.

We have a variety of canned tomatoes– sauce, puree, paste. We know that sauce is a staple in any Italian household. Canned tomatoes are the perfect start to sauce on a Sunday, pizza night, and more. We have spent time sourcing the highest quality ingredients for our products. The rich flavor and delightful smell will make your own kitchen feel like Italy.

Our giardiniera options are the perfect condiment for any meal, especially your beef sandwiches.

We also have organic pastas. Pasta is low on the Glycemic Index (GI). Low GI foods are digested more slowly; thus, pasta naturally satisfies hunger longer without spiking blood sugar levels making it a great meal option!

All of our private label items are made using only the freshest and highest quality ingredients. The core of our products today is the same as 1984 when it started– bringing the freshest and healthiest foods to you and your family.

We would like to thank Progressive Grocer’s for this award and look forward to continuing to bring the best products to our customers! Check out the press release here!

From Our Family To Yours

A little bit about us

2019 will mark our 61st year in business. 2018 was a milestone year for us that allowed us to look back on all the memories we have created over the years. What started as an Italian immigrant looking to live out the American Dream has flourished into 7 stores throughout the Chicagoland area. At our core, we are a family and are lucky enough to now have 4 generations of Caputos! As a family owned and operated business, we strive to bring the healthiest and freshest products to you and your family.

Caputo’s was opened in 1958 by my grandfather, Angelo Caputo. He was born in Mola di Bari, Italy and immigrated to America at the age of 18. To gain entry into the country, he enlisted in the US Army. One thing about my grandpa, that is still true to this day, is that he is a determined man. He has the ability to accomplish whatever he sets his mind to, no matter what obstacles stand in his way. It was that state of mind that got him to where he is today. He believed in himself and never settled. He came to America with a goal– make something of himself and live out the American Dream. He put everything he had towards accomplishing his goal and his hard work paid off. In 1958, on the corner of Harlem and Wrightwood in Elmwood Park, Angelo opened Caputo’s New Farm Produce. That is what started it all.

  

 

To me, Angelo is synonymous with Romana. Angelo fell in love with Romana at a young age when he was still in Italy and their love story is very special. My grandpa would hang out in places just to catch a glimpse of my grandmother. He was without her for a while when he moved to America, but Romana was always on his mind. When he was in the army, he asked for a leave and went straight back to Mola di Bari to find out if Romana was still in love with him. A few weeks later, in 1956, they were married! They shared a beautiful story together. In 1984, they were back in Italy visiting family and looking at product manufacturers in hopes of launching a private label. When thinking of a name for this upcoming private label, Angelo decided this was the perfect opportunity to honor the beauty of his wife. He named the new brand, La Bella Romana which translates to The Beautiful Romana. Anyone who knew my grandmother knew that she was the most incredible woman. She had a heart bigger than anyone could imagine. She was selfless, humble, and kind. She was the best cook. She was beautiful inside and out. Romana lost a battle with cancer in 2004, but her memory and legacy live on.

  

While Angelo is retired, you can usually find him drinking an espressino or fixing a produce display. He left the business in the hands of his son-in-law, Robertino, and daughter, Antonella. My parents met when my father started working at Caputo’s at a young age. My siblings and I are very fortunate to have such hard working and dedicated role models in our lives.

    

We want to thank our extended family of customers for their loyalty throughout the past 60 years and we look forward to continuing to make more memories in the years to come!

From Our Family To Yours

 

Gifts for your Valentine

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner! Valentine’s Day dates back to the 400s when Romans would celebrate Lupercalia, a festival to celebrate the beginning of Spring. It was later named Valentine’s Day when Roman priest, Valentine, died on February 14 and was later canonized and became St. Valentine. Legend has it that while in prison, St. Valentine would write love letters to his jailor’s daughter and sign it “Your Valentine.” He became the patron saint of lovers and so people began to celebrate Valentine’s Day in his honor. February 14th is known as the day to spend time with your loved ones and show them you care. There are many little things that can help you show someone that you’re thinking of them.

An easy reminder of your feelings is flowers! With all the different bouquets and arrangements, it is easy to find the one that fits your loved ones perfectly. Whether you want to order an arrangement or just pick up a bouquet, we have just what you need! Flowers are proven to release happy chemicals into the brain because the vibrant colors, the fragrance, and the overall look can bring about a sense of joy. Flowers are a great way to spread love. We have a wide selection of flowers at each store. You can also call Naperville, South Elgin, or Carol Stream to place a custom order!

If your Valentine has a sweet tooth, we’ve got just the thing for you! Our bakery has a variety of Valentine’s Day sweets! We have special heart shaped sugar cookies and butter cookies decorated with pink sprinkles. We have chocolate covered pretzels and delicious chocolate covered strawberries. We also have special, heart shaped cannoli cake or a cookie cake. Nothing quite says “I love you” like a sweet from our La Bella Romana Bakery!


If you plan on having a quiet dinner at home to celebrate, we have what you need to make a simple and tasty meal. Pick up one of our chef kits for an easy Valentine’s Day meal. We have 5 different meals– all fresh ingredients, vacuum sealed and packed in a box for your convenience. Slow cooker pot roast, asian style salmon, and more delicious meals to cook for your special someone on Valentine’s Day! Don’t forget to stop by our liquor department to pick up the perfect wine to compliment your meal.

We hope your Valentine’s Day is filled with love and happiness ❤️

From Our Family To Yours

Game Day Staples

It’s almost game day! Whether your team is playing, you want to see the commercials, or you can’t wait for Maroon 5’s performance, many people will be glued to their TVs on Sunday! No matter why you’re tuning in, the game day meal is very important. We have all the staples you need to make any viewing party a success and help you get ready for kick off!

One option to make your party a breeze is our Big Game Feast! Our Big Game Feast feeds 10-12 people and has every part of the meal covered! We’ve got your appetizers and main courses–3lbs of chicken wings, 2 pizzas, a half pan of pasta, 3lbs of beef, and 12 pieces of our homemade italian sausage. We’ve got your sides– 5 inch french rolls for your sandwiches and sauteed sweet peppers and giardiniera for extra flavor! It also includes 12 mini chocolate football cakes for dessert! This feast is available hot or cold and is only $119.99!

If you’re just looking for some easy appetizers or meals, we also have you covered! Our homemade dips and guacamole pair perfectly with our homemade chips. Our tortilla chips are made in house daily and are amazing! They are great with the buffalo chicken dip sure to be at whatever party you go to 😉 Our grab and go section is stocked and ready for your game day needs! Our sub sandwiches are a great compliment to your feast. We also have chicken wings, chicken tenders, and more in our grab and go section! Then you can stop by our bakery to satisfy your sweet tooth. We have many desserts that fit the football theme! Football cakes, cookies in a football container, and more!

From appetizers to main courses to the perfect desserts– we are your one stop shop for all your big game needs!

 

Iowa Premium Beef

Being a family business committed to bringing the freshest and highest quality products to our customers, we strive to source from local businesses. One area where we do this is in our meat department. Just a few hours west of Chicago is a small packaging facility, Iowa Premium!

Iowa Premium is a company in Tama, Iowa who sources cattle from local, family raised farms. The processes are all in accordance with and monitored by the USDA, making it a USDA Choice brand, as Iowa Premium sources locally. Most of the cattle come from within a 150 mile radius of the headquarters in Tama. They look for farms that raise cattle with an emphasis on sustainability and responsibility that adhere to the nationally recognized Beef Quality Assurance guidelines. The farm areas have rich soil, good climate, and average rainfall. These conditions result in high quality beef.

Iowa Premium uses black angus, corn-fed cattle. These qualities result in a unique flavor and easy marbling. Marbling is the white streaks in a lean piece of meat. The degree of marbling is a great indicator of flavor of the meat.  Many people follow the general rule that the more marbling, the better piece of meat. The cattle is corn-fed in order to create that rich, distinctive flavor that is unmatched by other brands. This adds to the degree of marbling and the quality of the meat!

You can get Iowa Premium exclusively at Caputo’s in the Chicagoland area. Stop by one of our locations to pick up some Iowa Premium and taste the quality! You can also pick up a recipe card to learn how to make a garlic herb crusted roast beef!

Also, stop by Addison on 1/25 from 12pm-4pm to meet an Iowa Premium representative who can answer your questions and help you get a Caputo’s gift card!

Check out http://www.iowapremium.com to learn more!

From Our Family To Yours

Easy Peasy, Meyer Lemon Squeezy

Looking for a little bit of warmth in this chilly winter? We’ve got just the thing for you! A sweet twist on a classic, summery fruit– the Meyer lemon!

A Meyer lemon is a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange. Originally they were only in China, but introduced to the United States in the 20th century by Frank Meyer. Meyer lemons are known for their distinct taste. While regular lemons have an acidic taste, Meyer lemons are known for their sweeter taste. Because Meyer lemons are a cross between the citrus mandarin, Meyer lemons have a sweeter taste.

They also have a different appearance. This special lemon has a small, round shape and an orange tint. The skin is thinner and smoother. In addition, the scent has more of a floral scent!  

Their unique taste and look makes Meyer lemons a fun addition to a plate. Whether a drink, a meal, or a dessert, Meyer lemons can take a meal to the next level! People particularly enjoy Meyer lemons in salads because of the sweet and refreshing taste, they can be used to make a great lemon vinaigrette!  There are a number of recipes that call for Meyer lemons or you can use them instead of regular lemons–it’s all up to you! Whether you’re making lemonade, pie, or something else! Check out this list of a bunch of fun recipes to try out with Meyer lemons: https://www.latimes.com/style/la-fo-meyerlemons16jan16-story.html

These lemons are known as a winter fruit, so they have a limited availability. We are very excited to be getting some from a farm in Phoenix, Arizona.They are organic… and they’re on sale this week! Stop by and get yours, then send us what you did with your Meyer lemons!