Superlative Gift Baskets

Gift baskets are always a nice to give and welcome to receive compendium of items. But, there are gift baskets, and then there are Gift Baskets. Balducci’s is Some examples from Balducci’s Food Lover’s Market:

 Simply Sweet ($18): When the thought that counts needs to be both sweet and savory. Includes: Funky Chunky Popcorn or Pretzels and Balducci's Honey Roasted Peanuts. Even the fussiest connoisseur will find these delectable.

 Gluten Free Basket ($45)- Eating healthy never tasted so delicious! This yummy sampling offers a Pasta dinner, salty snacks and sweets to satisfy anyone who maintains a gluten free diet. Includes: Gluten free Tates cookies, Mrs Crumbles crackers, Divvies chocolate bar, Bionature pasta, Lucina pasta sauce and lentil crackers. http://www.balduccis.com/gifts/gluten_free_basket

  Little Italy Basket ($50): Everything needed for an Italian feast; evocative of the tastes and smells of the Tuscan countryside. Includes: Balducci's Bolognese Sauce , Balducci's Marinara Sauce , Garfalo Pastas , Balducci's Pesto Sauce, Balducci's Olive Oil and Grissini Breadsticks. http://www.balduccis.com/gifts/little_italy

 And for the ultimate of the ultimate--Mama Balduccis Cupboard ($150): A basket that harkens to the roots of our past. The taste of all the fabulous food that bears the Balducci's name. Includes: Balducci's Preserves , Balducci's Peanuts , Balducci's German Raspberries , Balducci's Olive Oil , Balducci's Pasta Sauce , Balducci's Colossal Pistachios , Balducci's Honey Bear , Balducci's Trail Mix, Balducci's Coffee , Balducci's Chocolate Bars , Balducci's Cocoa Tin and Balducci's Granola. http://www.balduccis.com/gifts/mama_balduccis_cupboard

 

 

 

Pasta from the Past for the Present

From Italy to you comes Jovial First Ever Einkorn Pasta. What is it? It is a pasta made from the same type of ancient grains that were among the first type of wheat to be cultivated. Einkorn is the most ancient species of wheat and was the first grain to be farmed by man over 12,000 years ago.

Avaiable in a variety of shapes, the look is similar to whole wheat pasta but the taste after cooking is somewhat lighter, yet meatier. Einkorn is high in Thiamin and is a good source of protein, dietary fiber and a number of B Vitamins. It also contains a significant amount of the powerful antioxidant Lutein,  and has a higher content of proteins, tocols and carotenoids than other species of wheat.

 
 Jovial will be sowing Einkorn next week for harvest in July 2011. But you can buy it now at stores such as Whole Foods. Rediscover a cherished grain of the past, and a versatile and tasty pasta of today.

http://www.jovialfoods.com/

Pasta with an Unexpected Zing

We usually don’t post recipes here, but for this we had to make an exception—which we will be doing from time to time as we lead up to the holidays. This recipe for Autumn Harvest Fettuccine takes advantage of Autumn’s freshest produce and the unexpected fillip of Tabasco. The result is colorful, surprising, and delicious.

Autumn Harvest Fettuccine

1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces,
about 4 cups
1 leek, sliced
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 pound green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons original Tabasco® brand pepper sauce, divided
1 teaspoon salt, divided
8 ounces fettuccine pasta
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley or basil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 450º F.

Toss butternut squash, leek, red bell pepper, green beans, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce and 1/2 teaspoon salt in large roasting pan. Roast until vegetables are browned and tender, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, cook fettuccine as package directs.

Toss roasted vegetables with fettuccine, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and parsley in large bowl.

Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

Makes 4 servings.

Buon appetito!

Attenzione! Pasta Fans

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We are hosting an online giveaway. Anyone who is in or going to be in the New York area—Stop by the Buitoni Italian Art of Food Exhibit featured at the Union Square Station. (The exhibit ends July 31). Then write back to us with a comment on the exhibit or about any of the four new products from Buitoni ‘ s new Riserva line of pasta: Chicken & Four Cheese Ravioli, Spicy Beef & Sausage Ravioli, Quattro Formaggi Agnolotti, and Wild Mushroom Agnolotti

You will have a chance to win a VIP coupon for Buitoni pasta.

Piccolini Perfection from Barilla

These smaller pasta shapes from Barilla, the love of Italy, are palatable not just for smaller mouths—the taste is somehow more precise and the al dente is truly “to the tooth.” Everyone will appreciate the consistent good taste.

Piccolini® is a new line of miniature classic Italian pasta shapes that makes it easy to create a meal that the entire family will enjoy. With a quicker cooking time, Piccolini® keeps its al dente texture and is ideal for any pasta dish. Bite-size Piccolini® is perfect for everyone who really loves pasta.

Piccolini® comes in the following five miniature shapes for different sauces, texture variety, and just for fun-- Mini Farfalle, Mini Penne, Mini Wheels, Mini Fusilli and Mini Ziti. These mini-pastas can hold up to any recipe or sauce, and are a delight to prepare and eat. An excellent addition to Barilla’s pasta collection.

Make Mine Mac

There is something about winter and winter sports that needs to be fed by Mac and Cheese. Skiers and Snowboarders have been known to stock up on cartons of this hearty, tasty, and fast-cooking food to have on hand after voracious runs on the slopes. Who doesn't appreciate the delicious pleasure of a creamy pasta and cheese dinner?

But wait, why not consider an alternative that has no artificial flavors or preservatives, and with a creamy cheese sauce mix made with real, certified organic cheese. California-based Back to Nature Foods has created a line of pasta and cheese dinners like Cheddar Spirals made with White Cheddar or Crazy Bugs, with the pasta in shapes that should interest kids. But in any shape or form, these dinners are a hit.

We found that each and every one tasted just like, well, Mac and Cheese, only better because you know it is healthier for you. It just doesn’t taste like it. Sort of a trompe de l'oeil for the taste buds-- trompez la bouche?

Macaroni Grill at Home

If you like some of the entrees available at casual restaurants like, Macaroni Grill, for instance, but would rather prepare them at home and in the least possible amount of time, you might try the Romano’s Macaroni Grill Restaurant Favorites from General Mills. It cooks quickly, just as the directions, state—about 20 minutes—and you can add fresh veggies or veggie meat in addition to or in place of some of the other called for additions.

There are four varieties so far: Creamy Basil, Parmesan Chicken and Pasta; Chicken Alfredo with Linguine; Garlic and Herb Chicken Penne; Chicken Marsala with Linguine

One of our respondents had this to say about the Parmesan Chicken and Pasta: “ I liked this meal because it cooks quickly and tastes like it came from a restaurant. It lived up to my taste expectations.”

Another told us “It really was easy to make. I added some of those frozen steamed vegetables to the Garlic and Herb Chicken Penne and had a great tasting and pretty healthy meal. I really wish there were more servings per box, though.”

Another way to serve this is as a side dish, adding a touch of restaurant taste to the rest of the meal.

Pastas—plain, whole wheat, enhanced

Pasta has been a food staple for hundreds of years. There may be few variations on the theme of where exactly pasta originated but here is a brief look at its brief more recent history:

“By the 1300's dried pasta was very popular for its nutrition and long shelf life, making it ideal for long ship voyages. Pasta made it around the globe during the voyages of discovery a century later. By that time different shapes of pasta have appeared and new technology made pasta easier to make. With these innovations pasta truly became a part of Italian life. However the next big advancement in the history of pasta would not come until the 19th century when pasta met tomatoes. "
"Although tomatoes were brought back to Europe shortly after their discovery in the New World, it took a long time for the plant to be considered edible. In fact tomatoes are a member of the nightshade family and rumors of tomatoes being poisonous continued in parts of Europe and its colonies until the mid 19th century. Therefore it was not until 1839 that the first pasta recipe with tomatoes was documented. However shortly thereafter tomatoes took hold, especially in the south of Italy. The rest of course is delicious history.”
From http://www.lifeinitaly.com/food/pasta-history.asp

While Italy has more than 300 shapes of dried pasta, there are not quite so many from which to choose in the U.S. There are, however a few categories that await us in the pasta aisle. Regular, Whole Wheat, and a sort of hybrid pasta that seems to have the best of both of the first two.

To be continued.