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Holiday Gift Guide– Caputo’s Edition

As the holidays approach so does gift giving season. Whether you’re part of a gift exchange or you’re just bringing your host a gift, we can help you out! We have the perfect gifts that are simple but show you care!

We have many go-to gifts that are easy and appreciated. One option is a bottle of wine. We have variety of wines that will satisfy any wino’s desire. Red or white, from Italy or from California— we have plenty options to choose from! Another staple for any party is a cookie or pastry tray. All of our cookies and pastries are made from scratch using recipes handed down, many coming from our Matriarch, Romana Caputo. They are easy to bring to a party and something everyone can enjoy.

An antipasto tray is always a crowd pleaser

A classic gift amongst Italians around the holidays is a panettone. Panettone is a sweet bread that Italians enjoy around the holidays. It is a tall, dome-like shaped sweet bread that comes in multiple flavors.  The baking process is long and involves curing the dough, then proofing the cake to give it the fluffy texture. There are then extras added into the dry mix like dried candies, raisins, or chocolate chips!

At Caputo’s we have a variety of gift baskets that are perfect for any occasion or gift! We have pre-made gift baskets. The pre-made baskets include the La Bella Basket, La Preziosa Basket, and more. These are different sized fruit baskets– ranging from 10 pieces to 57 pieces. We also have a La Bella Romana Cucina Basket that contains various La Bella Romana products and is perfect for the cook in your life. If you are looking for something different, we do custom baskets! You can shop the store and customize the gift basket to make it perfect for the person receiving it. Some of the custom ones we have created in the past have been chocolate, candy, and more!

 

 

No matter who you are giving a gift to, we can help you! The littlest thing can go a long way and can demonstrate how much you care. We want to help you show your loved ones you care!

 

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Giving Thanks & Giving Back

The holiday season is a time to reflect on the blessings you have and is a  time to give back to the community. At Caputo’s, we take great pride in giving back. We have many programs set up that help us and our customers give back to those in need!

One of the foundations we support is called Coats for Kids. Coats for Kids is a foundation dedicated ensuring “that every child who needs a winter coat receives a new one.” Living in the Midwest, we all know the importance of a good coat come winter time. We are faced with tough winters and extreme weather. Coats for Kids allows for people to donate coats to this charity. The coats will then be distributed to families in need. We partner with the Knight of Columbus of the Roselle district for this impactful collection. We will collect the coats and distribute them to the Knights of Columbus who will give them out to the families in need. A donation to this cause supports the basic needs of people who have scarce resources. We have been able to collect over 3,000 coats this year thanks to the generosity of our loyal customers!

The letter we received after St. Angela School received coats from our collection last year

We also offer donation bags. The donation bags are located  near the cash registers at each store. The bags contain various types of foods. Each bag has a list of the foods in the bag. You can pick a bag and purchase it. The purchased bags will be collected by food banks, such as the Northern Illinois Food Bank,  and handed out to those in need. There are different sized and priced bags available. So far this year, we have been able to provide over 9,000 meals to those in need thanks to your help!

Another initiative we take year round is donating produce to the food banks. Each store partners with a local food bank. These food banks accept our imperfect produce and goods every week. They use these foods to feed the local community members struggling to feed themselves and their families.  

Helping the community and giving back to those in need is a big part of who we are at Caputo’s. We are so thankful for our generous customers who support these local missions with us! From our family to yours, have a blessed holiday season!

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Addison– 1991 to Now

60 years ago, Angelo Caputo’s Fresh market opened up in Elmwood Park. What started as a little produce stand has since grown to seven locations throughout the suburbs of Chicago. Our second location was in Addison. Our Addison store has undergone many changes– opening in 1991, moving in 2001, and most recently adding a new addition to the store.

In 1991 Angelo Caputo’s Fresh Markets expanded to its second location in Addison, Illinois. The italian community that populated the city was moving out towards the western suburbs, making Addison the ideal location for our second store. We opened at 240 W Lake St in a 20,000 square foot store, a store that was double the size of our original location in Elmwood Park at the time! 

Antonella Caputo Presta, daughter of Angelo Caputo, on the register
Robertino Presta, son-in-law of Angelo Caputo

Ten years later, our lease in that location was expiring. We were faced with a decision of moving or renewing when an opportunity presented itself.

Three blocks west of our original Addison store was a shopping center with a bigger and better location for sale. In 2001, we moved to the location where we are today, 510 Lake St. At 40,000 square feet, the new location was two times the size of the first Addison location. At that time, we had two other stores, the original in Elmwood Park and the 1996 addition of Hanover Park! Hanover Park introduced new features in the store– a bakery and a hot foods section. The new Addison location allowed for us to add those features! The hot foods area would allow people to sit and enjoy a meal together before and after shopping. The bakery highlighted delicious pastries and cookies all made from scratch! The size of the new store allowed us to add these new features and increase the size of all our other departments!

That same feeling of excitement that came in 2001 has recently resurfaced as we decided to give Addison another makeover. Construction began on a new 10,000 square foot addition!

The Caputo family checking out the blueprints prior to construction

The new addition will bring what our customers love from our newest Carol Stream location to Addison as well as some other unique features! We will have an extensive hot foods department,  a coffee bar, salsa and guacamole station, a tortilla machine, a bar, sushi made in-house, and more! While we have been working hard to add these new features, we have also been working to update the entire store. The apparences may look different, but we are still the same family owned grocery store looking to bring quality, freshness, and friendliness to you and your families!

We thank all of our loyal customers for your continued patience and for sticking with us through this remodel process. We know the new layouts might change up your shopping routine a little. We hope that you are as excited as we are for these new additions!

 

For an inside look at all the new changes coming to Addison, check out this video with the Village of Addison:

 

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How About Them CARAMEL Apples

Fall is in full gear with Halloween being only weeks away. People are prepping for parties, picking costumes, and even beginning Thanksgiving meal prep. It is the time for sweet treats to take center stage as they are a staple in all the upcoming festivities. A treat that has a perfect mix of health and deliciousness are caramel apples!

Caramel apples came about in the 1950s when Dan Walker, a sales representative for Kraft Foods, was experimenting with leftover Halloween candies from the company. It was a pretty simple combo as all he did was melt down some of the remaining caramels and then dip apples in them to create a crunch. He did not know it at the time, but he was creating a dessert that would become a fall favorite. Dan Walker’s simple creation has evolved in many ways. Today, there are many different apples, caramels, chocolates, and toppings that go into making more complex caramel apples.

At Caputo’s, we believe in simple, fresh ingredients. We use this to make our own caramel apples! Our process starts with the apple. We want the juiciest apples for this dessert, so we use honeycrisp apples! Our honeycrisp apples come from farms around the US, usually Michigan or Washington. Honeycrisp apples range in size from medium to large and are characterized by their incredibly sweet flavor with subtle tart underlyings. Honeycrisp apples, sometimes called honey crunch apples, have a reputation of being one of the sweetest apples. The sweetness and subtlety of tartness compliment each other to make a juicy apple, perfect for dunking in caramel! The next step of the caramel apple process is the main event– the caramel! We prepare to dunk the apples by putting a stick in the core of the apple. We take caramel and melt it down, then submerge the apple in caramel. After the apple is properly and fully covered, the toppings get added! We use a variety of toppings like sprinkles, nuts, and chocolate candies. No matter what topping, the caramel apples are the perfect treat. The sweet, crunchy apple mixed with the decadent, soft caramel and the fun variety of toppings makes for happy and satisfied taste buds! Stop by and get one to test out for yourself!

Don’t forget that October 31st is National Caramel Apple Day! Be sure to enjoy a caramel apple while getting ready for trick-or-treating!

 

Check out this video for an inside look into how we make our caramel apples:

 

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Carving Out Some Fun!

Fall is in the air! As soon as October approaches, people are gearing up for all the fun fall festivities there are to do– hayrides, haunted houses, seasonal drinks, and so much more! A favorite amongst the Angelo Caputo family was picking and carving pumpkins thanks to the unique way our founder and my grandfather, Angelo Caputo, did Halloween!

Our family always had a unique way of carving pumpkins. We wouldn’t carve pictures into the pumpkin or make it a Jack O’Lantern, we had a different way of doing it which involved goodies from around the store! It would start with my grandfather taking us to Caputo’s to pick a pumpkin. There were so many to choose from and Nonno Angelo would help us pick the perfect one and then load it into the cart. After we picked out our pumpkins, we would go around and find different foods and props for our pumpkins to make faces! We would get things like chestnuts or lychee for the eyes, a gourd or a pepper for the nose,smaller pumpkins or corn husks for the ears, hay for the hair, and no pumpkin was complete without a carrot as a pipe! We could come up with any crazy idea and Nonno Angelo would do it for us.

 

When we got home from picking up our tools and ingredients for our pumpkins, my parents and Nonna Romana were waiting for us with the kitchen ready! The first thing we would do is cut open the top and clean the insides of the pumpkins. We would separate all the seeds and give them to Nonna Romana so that she could roast the pumpkin seeds. We would let them soak in some water so that all the pulp would come off. Then Nonna would salt them, put some olive oil, and put them in the oven! While she was doing this, we would be helping direct the carving! The adults would cut the holes and we would put the food in the proper places. After that, we would draw or paint all the finishing touches on our pumpkins!


We have a fun Halloween tradition, what are yours? Do you have a unique way that you carve pumpkin or think your design is the best? Stop by Angelo Caputo’s Fresh Markets, pick out your perfect pumpkin, then send us a picture of you and your creation! Email your pumpkin carvings to events@caputomarkets.com and the coolest pumpkin will win a $20 gift card to Caputo’s! The finalists will be put to a vote and the winner will be contacted by email. Submit your pictures to events@caputomarkets.com before October 29th at 2pm for a chance to win!

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Cookies That Will Bake Your Day!

It’s always a nice surprise when you are going to a friend’s house and see a tray of cookies, it’s even better when you see a tray of La Bella Romana cookies!

As with all of our bakery items, our butter cookies are made from scratch daily using only the freshest and simplest ingredients. A butter cookie is a relatively simple treat in order to maintain the flavors of the cookie itself. The foundation of our butter cookies are butter, sugar, and flour.  Our butter cookies are very unique. The buttery flavor comes through in each and every cookie, and creates a sense of nostalgia that will transport you right to enjoying your grandma’s butter cookies around Christmas time. The good thing about our butter cookies is that you don’t have to wait for Christmas, they are readily available in all of our stores! Each cookie is created with the passion our company was founded on.We want the customer to be able to taste the homemade qualities in each cookie that makes every bite tasty and each bite better than the last.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our butter cookies have the perfect crunch paired with the perfect softness. The butter makes the cookie melt in your mouth and gives you the ability to really absorb the delicious flavors. We have a variety of butter cookies. Some are chocolate and some are original. They come in different shapes and different toppings. Whether you like nuts, cherries, chocolate chips, or sprinkles– we’ve got you covered! We have cookie trays are sure to be a crowd please at any party of get together! Butter cookies are a perfect, go-to gift! We offer them in pre-packaged containers that make them easy to grab, go, give, and enjoy! If you’re in the mood for a sweet treat that is simple and satisfies, stop by our bakery and pick some up!

 

 

 

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Holy Cannoli!

No full meal is complete without dessert! La Bella Romana Bakery provides many different types of dessert for any craving! A go-to dessert that will please every crowd is cannoli. Cannoli, the singular version is cannolo, originated in the south of Italy. Originally, it was only enjoyed during Carnevale celebrations, similar to Mardi Gras, that occur throughout the region right before Lent, a religious season. Carnevale was the time to dress up, have fun, and splurge. People only enjoyed cannoli on this day, but began craving them so much that cannoli became a year round staple in all of Italy and are now enjoyed all over the world!

Our Cannoli

Our homemade cannoli will transport you right to Italy! We use only the freshest and highest quality ingredients, we even make our own shells in house daily! We make our own dough, shape it, then fry it.

Once the shells are ready, they are filled with our homemade ricotta filling. The base of the filling is ricotta cheese, and it is sweetened to give the filling a perfectly creamy and decadent flavor. The crispy outside paired with the perfectly sweet filling makes it the ideal dessert.  A traditional cannolo is finished with green nuts garnished on each end, but we offer many different types of cannoli in different sizes. We have chocolate chip topping, chocolate dipped shells, mini cannoli, and even a party cannoli!

Cannoli for the Crowd

Having a party filled cannoli lovers? We have quite a few options that are great for crowds. Our party cannoli is one huge cannolo filled with 50 mini cannoli and it is the perfect addition to any party! 

We also offer a cannoli dipper– think chips and guac, but for dessert! This is a container full of cannoli filling in the center of the tray surrounded by cannoli shells that have been broken up to form chips so that guests can take a cannoli chip and scoop the filling right out of the center! 

We also have our cannoli heaven tray! This tray consists of 24 Mini Homemade Cannoli with Assorted Fillings. the fillings are French
Cream, Nocciola, Traditional cannoli & Chocolate French Cream. This is a unique and great platter because guests get a little bit of everything!

Other Cannoli Musts

Still want more cannoli? We also offer cannoli cake and giardoni. Giardoni is a shortbread filled with cannoli filling and drizzled with chocolate. Plus, we have a cannoli of the month so be sure to stop in to see the limited time flavors!

From Our Family To Yours

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It’s Football Season!

Fall is upon us! The pumpkins are ready to be carved, it’s time to go apple picking, and football is back! Most football fans, college or pro,  know that the season is full of ups and downs when rooting for your team. You never know what the outcome of a game is going to be, but you can always count on Caputo’s to make sure everyone is well fed on game day!

We offer the perfect foods for a game day party, tailgate, or for just lounging around and watching football all day! From guacamole to salsa to different dips to wraps, we’ve got all of your appetizers covered! We also have the perfect meals– wings, sandwiches, sausage, and more! Boneless and bone-in chicken wings. Plain, BBQ, teriyaki, or buffalo, the chicken wings are so juicy with the perfect amount of breading and sauce. 3ft American and Italian sub sandwiches. The American sub sandwich contains oven roasted turkey, polish ham, hard salami, and American cheese on a french baguette. The italian sub sandwich contains Volpi genoa salami, mortadella, mild capicola, and provolone on a french baguette. Another tailgate staple is sausage. Our homemade sausage is handcrafted using old world and traditional recipes in our own facilities. We carry a wide variety of sausage– rope, links, bulk, polish, barese, mild, and so much more!  Our sausage is made with trimmed, lean pork and house blend of spices and seasonings. Every bite is even more delicious and juicy than the last. Our sausage topped with our homemade La Bella Romana giardiniera is the perfect combo.

These items are sure to make any game day easy and relaxing while still eating good, quality meals. What’s evenbetter thandelicious food? Delicious food at a low price! This weekend we have you game day necessities on a 3 day sale! Check out this week’s ad to see the items featured in the sale!

 

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Check Out Caputo’s and Win!

 

The year-long 60th anniversary celebration continues at Angelo Caputo’s Fresh Markets. “The Angelo Caputo Family has been in business for 60 years,” said Giancarlo Presta, grandson of Angelo Caputo and General Manager of the company. “We wanted to show our appreciation to the people who made that possible, our customers, and have a little fun while doing it—not just for one day but throughout the year.”

And that’s exactly what we’ve done. During the summer months, Caputo’s hosted a series of all-you-can-eat Parking Lot Picnics featuring grilled burgers, hot dogs, and our famous Italian sausage, plus sides, drinks, and desserts. Now, as summer gives way to fall, each of our seven locations is hosting Check Out Caputo’s, an in-store game where the winning customers walk out with prizes in addition to their groceries.

Here’s how it works: Each store location will host Check Out Caputo’s for one day from 11:00 AM until 3:00 PM. On the day of the event, our prize team will be set up at the front of the store with a bingo ball machine, a prize wheel and a table filled with prizes. Every 15 minutes, the prize team will be drawing a numbered ball to determine the “winning” checkout lane. All customers in the “winning” lane will be given a card that allows them to play the game over at the prize station after they finish checking out. Each card holder will receive a $5 Caputo’s gift card and be allowed to spin the wheel for a chance to win some great prizes.

The first game event was held on Saturday, September 8 at our Elmwood Park market.  Greeters were handing out complimentary shopping list pads to all customers as they entered the store. Winning customers were allowed to select their own prizes, which ranged from gadgets to small appliances. There were many smiles and even a few squeals of delight as the game continued. Several members of the Angelo Caputo family were on hand to greet the winners and personally thank them for being customers.

Occasionally an individual would walk up to the prize station and ask what they needed to do in order to play. Nobody knows in advance which lane number will be pulled, so winning is simply a matter of shopping at Caputo’s while the game is being played and being in the right place at the right time.

The Check Out Caputo’s game will be hosted for one day at each of the remaining store locations during the months of September and October. Here is the current schedule. We hope to see you there!

Hanover Park – September 15, 11 AM to 3 PM

Carol Stream – September 22, 11 AM to 3 PM

Bloomingdale – September 29, 11 AM to 3 PM

South Elgin – October 6, 11 AM to 3 PM

Naperville – October 20, 11 AM to 3 PM

Addison – October 27, 11 AM to 3 PM

 

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Melon Sense: How to Choose the Best Cantaloupe

Eating fresh cantaloupe during the growing season is a joy unto itself, especially if you know how to pick a good one. Here’s how to consistently ensure that the cantaloupes you select are ripe, sweet, and flavorful.

Appearance matters. This may seem obvious but always select cantaloupes that look good. Avoid obviously defective or damaged fruit. This includes any melon with a cracked rind, soft spots, bruises, or moldy patches.

Steer clear of stems. Melons easily detach from their stems when ripe. If you see a cantaloupe with a piece of stem still attached or with a torn rind where the stem was attached, that means it was taken from the vine too soon. And since they do not continue to ripen after being picked, a cantaloupe with its stem still attached should not be selected.

Go for the gold. The rind of a ripe cantaloupe should have a gold or orange tint with well-developed netting. If you see a lot of dark green and the net-like textured part appears to be rather thin, the cantaloupe is not ripe. Also examine the spot that shows where the melon was resting on the ground. A smooth, yellow patch means you’ve got a ripe melon.

Lightweights need not apply.  When comparing cantaloupes, pick them up. A good cantaloupe contains a fair amount of water and will thus feel heavy for its size. All other things being equal, go with the heavier fruit.

How does it feel? A healthy, ripe cantaloupe is neither rock-hard nor soft and squishy. The melon should be uniformly firm. There should be a slight indentation where the stem used to be, indicating that the melon came off the stem easily and that indentation should not be wet. The blossom end, which is opposite the stem end, should give slightly when pressed.

Smell the blossom end. A sweet, ripe cantaloupe smells pleasantly sweet, especially at the blossom end. A cantaloupe that has no sweet aroma should not be considered.

In addition to being delicious, cantaloupe is quite healthy. Thanks to the high water content, one cup only contains about 55 calories. Cantaloupe is a great source of vitamins A and C, potassium, beta-carotene, and fiber.

Now that you know what to look for, stop by any of Angelo Caputo’s Fresh Markets‘ seven store locations and get some delicious cantaloupe today!