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DON'T FORGET TO DUST |
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| As holiday time approaches, some of us begin to feel the stress associated with entertaining our friends and relatives. You want to make a good impression, after all, these are your really good friends and favorite relatives, right? So, you gather all the ingredients and start preparing the hors d'oeuvres, antipasto, main courses, side dishes and desserts, not to mention picking up the rare wine, beer or other adult beverage that special guest of yours likes to pound down. In the meantime, you still have go to work and prepare the house- it's a lot to think about! Usually my non-food related preparations go something like this: I hide that pile of old mail, clear out the "junk" corner, display the correct photos, dust the furniture, throw up a few strands of lights and a stuffed Santa here and there and then get cooking. You might be reading this and getting a little anxious, thinking, how am I going to do it all? Well, Capone Foods is here to help you! No, we're not going to volunteer to polish your silverware or clean out your fridge, but as far as the food, we have lots of suggestions that can make your life easier.
For example: Empanadas. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes, let them cool, cut in half and serve as hors d'oeuvres.
Toasted Clearflour bread. Spread some Crème de Crème on a slice of toasted baguette and top with Sun Dried Tomato, Basil or Roasted Pepper Pesto for crostini appetizers.
Large Lasagna. Choose one or more of our six Large Lasagnas. Just bake, let settle, slice and serve as the main course. For more detailed instruction and tips on how to make it look like you made them yourself, ask one of the nice girls behind the counter.
Fregola, Strata and Gnocchi with Plum Tomato are delightfully easy to prepare as side dishes and guess what, they taste a heck of a lot better than green beans.
Cannoli kits and Cheesecake. What could be better than a nice cup of Lavazza coffee, a cannoli and some cheesecake for dessert?
So as you can see, we can help you free up a lot of time when planning your holiday party. But remember, if you go ahead and use some of these suggestions, do yourself a favor and don't tell your guests how easy it was because if they find out, they may not volunteer to help you with the clean-up.
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| WHAT'S NEW |
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Duck and Squash Lasagna is a savory and seasonal addition to any holiday party. Thin layers of fresh egg pasta are layered between a homemade duck sausage and sweet butter and shallot infused butternut squash. The filling is bound with a mushroom flavored béchamel sauce and topped with a thin layer of caramelized onions, more béchamel and grated Asiago cheese. Mmm. |
| SPECIAL OFFER |
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| Large Duck and Squash Lasagna. Just in time for the holidays, this 6 pound lasagna serves 8-10 as a main course or many more as a side dish. Regular price $32.50. On special until the end of December for $30.00. |
| THE MACHINE |
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| You may have noticed that the sliced meats, cheeses and sausages in our Cambridge and Somerville stores have a different look. Thanks to our new "state of the art" high powered but still earth friendly vacuum sealer, Capone products are now very well protected in our fridge and yours, are fast and easy to grab and go, and look really great! All of the meats and cheeses that you see at the Cambridge store have been hand cut and vacuum sealed in our Somerville store, most likely by Al himself. We think The Machine is a great addition to Capone's and we hope you do as well.
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| HAVE YOU HEARD OF THIS? |
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| AJ. Stephen's makes the best tasting Ginger Beer that we've ever had. It is made with all natural cane sugar - not high fructose corn syrup like some other brands- and has the perfect balance of ginger, citrus, sweetness and heat. Pour over ice with Goslings Dark Rum to make a great tasting "Dark and Stormy." This cocktail will warm you up on those cold New England nights (or days) and is a festive party drink.
AJ Stephen's did not stop at just ginger beer. Want to feel like a kid again? Try AJ Stephen's Root Beer with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top for the perfect root beer float. Now that's good. Looking for something non-alcoholic but festive to serve the at the children's table this holiday season? Why not try AJ Stephens Raspberry Lime Rickey? Kids will be sure to love this special, sweet drink. |
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FAST FOOD |
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The following soup is quick and easy to prepare, and makes a satisfying hot meal.
Hearty Sausage Stew
1 Package Capone's Italian Sausages
2 pints. Capone's Chicken Stock (room temperature)
1 lb. Capone's Plum Tomato Basil Sauce (room temperature)
1 cup Orecchiette dry pasta
1 cup Cannellini beans
1/2 tsp. Red pepper flakes
Cayenne pepper to taste
Pecorino Romano for grating
Clear Flour Rustic Italian Bread
1. Bake sausages, let them cool, and cut into circles. (This can also be done the night before to save time).
2. Boil chicken stock, add pasta and cook until al dente.
3. Lower heat and stir in Plum Tomato Basil sauce.
4. Add sausage and beans, stir.
5. Stir in red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper to taste, and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
Serve with Clear Flour Rustic Italian bread and grated Pecorino Romano on top. Serves 3-4 people.
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| MORE FAST FOOD |
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| This recipe was "borrowed" from our good friends at the Amherst eatery Pasta-e-Basta by our own Lori Doris, while she was an undergrad at UMASS. Thanks, Lucciano !
Vermicelli with Pesto Cream Sauce
6-10 oz. Capone Basil Pesto at room temperature
1 lb. Capone Fresh Egg Vermicelli
2 oz. Sun-dried Tomatoes, julienned
10oz. fresh spinach, washed and chopped
½ cup Half and half
2 tbs. Olive oil
2 oz. Capone pine nuts, toasted (optional)
Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1. Start boiling 4 quarts of water. In the mean time, heat large skillet over medium/medium high heat with the olive oil. Add spinach and a couple pinches of salt and pepper and cook until wilted.
2. When water is boiling add tablespoon of salt, and the pasta. Cook for about 2 minutes until al dente.
3. In a large serving bowl mix the pesto and cream. Add strained pasta, cooked spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and pine nuts. Mix together. Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan. Enjoy! Serves 3-4 people.
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