The Grapevine

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

Thanksgiving brings out the top competitors for best dessert. With its delicate spicy flavor and creamy but firm texture, pumpkin pie always delivers a winning taste. Our recipe is excellent for those new to pie baking, and our pie crust comes together quick and easy. One additional benefit of making a pumpkin pie is you can make it one to three days ahead.

One secret to a perfect pumpkin pie is when to pull it out of the oven. Since pumpkin pie filling is a custard, you’ll want to pull it out while it has a bit of jiggle. However, you don’t want to pull it out too early, or it will be soggy. Unlike a cake, you can’t check for doneness with a toothpick. What to do? Pre-bake (or blind-bake) your crust.

How to Pre-bake a Pie Crust

·         Insert your pie crust into a pie pan

·         Prick the crust all over using a fork

·         Brush the crust with egg whites

·         Bake at 350°F to 400°F for 10 to 15 minutes

Another way to pre-bake is to place your crust in a pie pan and line it with parchment paper. Fill with pie weights or uncooked beans. Bake until the edges turn a light golden brown. When the paper has cooled lift it out along with beans or weights.

Celebrate Thanksgiving with Caputo’s Traditional Pumpkin Pie

Tempt your Thanksgiving guests with Caputo’s Traditional Pumpkin Pie. For extra convenience, view the recipe and order the ingredients online! Don’t forget a dollop of whip cream!

The Recipe:https://shopcaputos.com/recipe-rack?dishId=d9614bf1-4962-4966-9d0d-b942324934cb&dishName=traditional-pumpkin-pie

Happy Thanksgiving! 

From Our Family To Yours

Holiday season is quickly approaching! The season starts off with a food lover’s favorite holiday– Thanksgiving! The prep for this day is long and tedious, it means the host will likely spend all day in the kitchen. There is another way though, you can order our homemade Thanksgiving Feast! Our team will be in the kitchen on Thanksgiving morning so that you don’t have to!

We want you to enjoy all the aspects of Thanksgiving, so we will do the cooking for you! We offer a full feast that will make your guests full and make your Thanksgiving easier! Our homemade feast feeds 10-12 people. Our feast is made the same way you would at home! We use all natural foods, no preservatives, and the special touch that only comes with homemade food. The feast includes all the fixings for a homemade dinner!

Your meal comes with a 14-16lb turkey, three sides, and a dozen dinner rolls. There are a variety of sides to choose from, but three categories– a vegetable, a potato, and stuffing! You can choose from our variety of options in each category. You can also upgrade your stuffing and try out our Italian sausage stuffing!

You will get cranberry sauce or cranberry jelly and gravy to go with your turkey.

No meal is complete without dessert and Thanksgiving calls for pie! You will get a fresh baked 8-inch La Bella Romana pie, your choice of apple or pumpkin!

All items come hot, fully cooked, and ready to serve. We are in the kitchen on Thanksgiving morning so that you don’t have to be.

You can get all of this for only $219.99! We also offer just the turkey without the full meal for only $99.99! 

For more info or to order online, click here

From Our Family To Yours

The holidays are quickly approaching and you might be looking for ways to impress your guests. Maybe you’re hosting a wine and cheese night with your friends, or you’re in charge of making the charcuterie board or maybe you just love wine and cheese! Either way, it’s never a bad thing to have knowledge of food and wine!

On December 10th, 2022, we will be having a wine and cheese pairing event at our Carol Stream location.

Here’s what you can expect from this event:

Each attendee will experience 4 sampling courses of cheese paired with wines from all over the World. We will feature products from Wisconsin through France made from cow, sheep, goat and even Buffalo milk!

The courses Start with a Fresh and soft ripened round and end with a dessert round to give you a full Sensory Experience!

You’ll hear from wine experts and cheese mongers  while you enjoy the delicious bites in front of you!

You’ll learn about the taste, flavors, processes, and more while you sample everything the experts are talking about first hand!

Each one of our guests will leave with a gift basket including premium wines, cheeses, and snacks!

You will also leave with a better understand of wine and cheese, and hopefully some new favorites!

On top of the gift basket you leave with, you’ll have a full (and happy) belly and tons of knowledge about wine, cheese, and pairings that you can use to impress your loved ones.

This event is a great date night, girls night, or a fun solo outing leading into the holiday season. Tickets are on sale now and space is limited, so reserve your spot today! Get your tickets here

From Our Family To Yours

November has officially started which means the next few months will be full of holiday parties. Your weekends might already be booked from now through the New Year and you might be tasked with bringing dishes to all of these events. 

Maybe a potluck friendsgiving, a side dish for Thanksgiving, or a cookie for your Christmas party! All of these upcoming festivities might already have you tired and stressing about what to make. Need some inspiration?

Here are 5 easy and delicious dishes to impress your friends and family and bring to your upcoming holiday parties

1.Bacon Glazed Squash

Hearty, savory and warm but healthy. This dish is a great side dish. Great because squash is in season with warm flavors and spices!

The Recipe: https://www.shopcaputos.com/recipe-rack?dishId=591f16cd-2731-4ee1-a4ca-b01be3fb839d&dishName=bacon-glazed-winter-squash

2. Cranberry Pecan Stuffing

Cranberries and stuffing are two classic Thanksgiving sides. Combined, they’re a perfect match for your dinner spread.

The Recipe: https://www.shopcaputos.com/recipe-rack?dishId=b0311bd6-a075-419a-9ca3-8f6a5c563ba0&dishName=cranberry-pecan-stuffing

3. Eggplant Stuffed Mushrooms

Often made as an appetizer or tapas, Stuffed Mushrooms can also shine as the main component in a vegetarian meal. In this version, eggplant takes center stage alongside the mushrooms and a hearty dose of garlic. Add in some crusty, toasted bread and a salad to complete the Eggplant Stuffed Mushrooms as a meal, or simply serve as a starter course with a unique twist while entertaining.

The Recipe: https://www.shopcaputos.com/recipe-rack?dishId=cc365e03-e884-40c6-82bf-79319a57f60d&dishName=eggplant-stuffed-mushrooms

4. Creamy Ricotta and Spinach Stuffed Shells 

Stuffed jumbo pasta shells are fun and easy to prepare. They also make clever little containers to sneak greens into the meal. Each al dente pasta shell is smothered in sauce, then stuffed with smooth and creamy ricotta and mozzarella cheese, spinach, and Italian seasonings.

The Recipe: https://www.shopcaputos.com/recipe-rack?dishId=25b46678-b8f7-46b2-94b9-ec81790571a2&dishName=creamy-ricotta-and-spinach-stuffed-shells

5. Cranberry Upside Down Cake

When you want a holiday dessert that is a show stopper this is just the thing to serve. Oohs and aaahs will abound. Great flavors in a moist cake will put you right in the holiday spirit. 

The Recipe: https://www.shopcaputos.com/recipe-rack?dishId=8a74eab1-9182-4411-b51f-b0b170578fff&dishName=cranberry-upside-down-cake

From Our Family To Yours

October is National Pasta Month! As an Italian family, we know that most every meal includes a good plate of pasta. While we all have a special place in our heart for mom’s sauce on a Sunday, pasta is unique because there is a plethora of sauces, toppings, spices and everyone has a go-to!

There are so many options and add-ins to choose from. At Caputo’s, we pride ourselves in having tons of different pasta cuts available. Tons of brands, different cuts, fresh and frozen, imported. Then pick up your favorite sauce or the ingredients to make your own.

Need some inspiration for your next pasta night? Our family put together each of our favorite pasta dishes

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Robertino Sr

The cut: Rigatoni 

Sauce: a fresh sauce made with cherry tomatoes

Antonella

Cut: orecchiette

Sauce:Marinara

Add ins: Ricotta

Giancarlo

Cut:Spaghetti

Sauce: Aglio Olio

Add ins: Shredded parmigiano reggiano, crushed black pepper 

Robertino Jr

Cut:Penne

Sauce: A white wine Alfredo 

Add ins: Chicken

Daniela

Cut: Orrechiette

Sauce: aglio olio

Add ins: rapini, sausage

Rosella

Cut: Orrechiette

Sauce: Supreme Sauce

Add ins: sausage, crushed red pepper, ricotta

Marco

Cut: penne

Sauce: vodka

Add ins: chicken

These are just a few of the possibilities. So stop by and get everything you need for your pasta night!

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Which one are you making?

From Our Family To Yours