giacomo's

Our Specials - Week of October 19

Sandwich Specials

Monday - The "PLT" - our version of the classic - Imported pancetta, lettuce and tomato with mayo on rye bread

Tuesday - Giacomo's Garden Salad and Soup

Wednesday - Prosciutto, brie, and roasted red peppers on a baguette with lettuce, tomato, and red onion

Thursday - Tuna salad or homemade hummus wrap with lettuce, tomato and red onion

Friday - Caprese with homemade pesto on rosemary focaccia bread

Espresso Specials

Monday - Mayan Mocha Latte

Tuesday - Cinnamon Roll Latte

Wednesday - Caramello Latte

Thursday - Pumpkin Spice Latte

Friday - White Chocolate Latte

Soup Specials

Monday - Sicilian Lentil with pancetta crisps

Tuesday - Pumpkin Bisque (vegetarian)

Wednesday - Wild Mushroom Bisque (vegetarian)

Thursday - Chicken Stellete

Friday - Tomato Basil (vegetarian)

Alcune cose preferite (some of my favorite things)

It's been an active summer here at the shop. Of course, I'm not complaining but it does make it almost impossible to post! Here's my current list of some of my favorite things this summer, otherwise known as "Five more reasons to pay us a visit this week!"

1. "Olivos" - These wonderful  little imported olives from the the Aragon region of Spain, are perfect for people like me on the go. They come in cute little 2 oz. vacuum packed bags full of nothing but the best olives. They're just the right amount for a healthy, delicious nibble.  And believe me, they honestly have nothing artificial added—no liquid or preservatives and no surprise they were apparently the winner of the “Fresh Ideas” competition at the London IFE in 2007. They are currently available in two flavors - the original natural black Aragon olives and a harbanero variety that has quite a kick. Perfect with an icy beer!

2. "Antica Balsameria Emiliana" Balsamic Dressing - This is a perfect perfect balsamic. I'm serious when I say, it is probably the finest balsamic you'll ever taste. Don't be confused by the fact that its called a dressing. That simply means that it can be used to dress up any dish without adding a thing. It's flavor will knock your socks off.

3. "Frutta di Bosca" Crostata- We've just started baking a delicious sweet "pizza" that is a perfect summer treat. Topped with a creamy ricotta cheese mixture and fresh berries, it's a beautiful thing!

4. Cipriani Bellino mix - Make the classico bellino at home with this great mix that comes in a little 8 oz. can. Add to your favorite chilled white wine and you'll feel like you're a regular at Harry's Bar in Venice.

5. Speaking of chilled white wine...our new favorite Summer wine is Vinho Verde (green wine). Some say the word "green" (the wine is actually pale yellow) alludes to the bracing acidity, the fizz (injected carbon dioxide) and the fresh, youthful personality. This scrumptous Portuguese wine has the potential to be a cult favorite in my opinion. We have some excellent brands to choose from and the last time we checked our prices on vinho verde were actually cheaper than the local wine shop!

See you soon...A presto amici!!

Picnic Italiano

I love a good Italian picnic. When I was growing up, Sundays in the summertime were about getting together with friends (our friends were our family since most of our real family lived in Italy) and heading to the lake for a delicious Italian feast al fresco. You see, in our tight-knit Italian circle there were probably about 6 or 7 families with children of similar ages that would meet almost every weekend at the lake for a day of fun and food. And being that we were Italian, we never did anything the easy way. Hotdogs and hamburgers, yeah, that would have been easy...we didn't do that...instead, there'd be baked lasagna, roasted turkey, baked ham, stuffed bread and of course sausages and peppers, pasta with broccoli, stuffed shells, frittatas and the list goes on and on...

I have to admit it was embarassing whenever American famlies would stroll by "Camp Italia" (basically 10 picnic tables side by side, complete with linens and Mario Villa blasting on the casette player) and stare-- but you know what,  I wouldn't trade those great summer memories for the world.

Today, I still love a good picnic, however, as a busy mother of 3 one of my new priorities is getting everyone fed easy and efficiently.  Instead of elaborate Italian feasts my family enjoys the basics, which in our house include crusty bread, a delicious dry salami, a wedge of piave vecchio, olives and of course, panzanella salad (which if you have never tried it you must --we make it ourselves at Giacomo's  and it's sooo fabulous)...Other wonderful picnic must haves: melon and proscuitto, a delicious caprese salad, and of course, my favorite drink: san pellegrino limonata. If these sound like your kind of eats, stop in today and we'll get you ready for your own Italian picnic!

What's in a name?

I get asked alot about the significance of our shop's name: Giacomo's Groceria.  I actually discovered the name Giacomo here in the U.S.  If you've ever been to Boston's North End, you've heard of Giacomo's, a fabulous intimate little Italian eatery that  serves the best Italian food outside of my mother's kitchen.  I loved the food and I loved the name.  Then, when we discovered that I was pregnant this last time with another son, we thought of "Giacomo" and it just sounded right. But the real reason I wanted to name our store after him was because when my son was born his Dad was deployed in Afghanistan and so for the first seven months of his life he missed out on his Dad. This is my gift to him and I hope it makes up for that.  

The "groceria" part of the name is sort of made-up...What did you say?? Yeah, made-up. There is no such thing in standard Italian (as far as I know) as a "groceria". It sounds like what one would think grocery store is supposed to be called in Italian but it's actually not an Italian word.  (Some have told me it's more an Italian-American term). I decided to go with it for it's ease of pronunication but more importantly because I couldn't think of an one Italian word that best described all that we are. Besides being a salumeria (delicatessen) and a negozio di alimentari (grocery store) we are also a bar (Italian coffee shop) . All those names I felt were either too difficult to pronunce or only partially described us.

Well now you know. That's what's behind our name. Next up: Our growing list of Italian meats & cheeses.

A presto, amici!

Pocket Coffee e' arrivato

Pocket Coffee has arrived! Thanks "Rebecca" for your very wise suggestion to sell these delicious coffee concoctions at Giacomo's.   What kind of Italian grocery store would we be without Pocket Coffee? I first discovered these in Lettomanoppello as a young teen and thought they were pretty cool then and they're still pretty cool. I think the fact that they are hard to find in the U.S., well that just makes them that more special when you do bite into one.  Fantastico! And believe me one bite and you'll be a believer! Usually by 3 o'clock in the afternoon Pocket Coffee starts to call my name......

Artisinal Dairies

We have been slowly building our stock of local Maine organic goods.  Its a slow start in the winter but we hope to add a lt more in the way of local cheeses etc.  This NYT article was an interesting read on the revival of small dairies.

These artisanal operations are turning cow, goat or sheep milk into simple, straightforward foods like crème fraîche, butter, buttermilk, ice cream, puddings, custards, yogurt, yogurt-based sauces and yogurt drinks. Many of these dairies also sell unhomogenized, and in a few cases even unpasteurized, milk with an old-fashioned farmhouse flavor.

The movement is, in some ways, an offshoot of the American cheesemaking revival that began 15 to 20 years ago, and some of the creameries make fresh cheeses like mascarpone, mozzarella and ricotta that let the quality of the milk speak for itself.

Chalk it up to a lucky confluence of events. Most small dairy farmers cannot keep afloat selling milk to large processors at commodity prices, so those who are trying to survive are looking for alternatives. At the same time there is an increasingly sophisticated public that appreciates the difference between mass-produced dumbed-down food and the handiwork of a small dairy that has learned to produce exceptional butter or yogurt or ice cream by doing it the way it was done before World War II, when there was a creamery in every town.

Ines Rosales Sweet Olive Oil Tortas

I know, I know...we're an Italian market so why are we carrying Spanish Sweet Olive Oil Tortas by Ines Rosales. Believe me, once you try them you will be hooked!  These little beauties are so light and delicately sweet (they loosely remind me of "elephant ears."  Those tiny dark specks you see in the photo are real fennel seeds which give its distrinct flavor.  They come packaged as 6 very thin flat, pressed crisps in distinct white wrapping paper.  The tortas are made without preservations and the ingredients are listed on the package as unbleached wheat flour, extra virgin olive oil, sugar, baking powder, sesame seeds, anise seed, salt, and natural anise essense. 

If you don't belive me, check out Jasmine Shops.

Zia Vienna's Torta di Mela (Italian Apple Cake)

I want to share a recipe that is very special to me -- special because it comes from one of my favorite aunts that recently passed away after a sudden illness.  Zia Vienna (or Za' Vien as we called her) was a wonderful human being. She was a beautiful woman, tall and lean with gorgeous skin aged by the sun and short gray hair that she always brushed away from her face.  She was an original. I will miss her extraordinary sense of humor. She loved to tease! She spoke only in dialect and was a very country girl.  I remember traveling to Florence with Za' Vien and my uncle Nicolino as well as my mother and sister to visit their son Rocco.  It was such a fun trip because she was there. Watching her in Florence was the best. She was a genuine fish out of water...she kept us in stitches with her Florentine observations! Zia Vienna spoke only in dialect which completely annoyed my cousin Rocco. You see, when traveling in Italy, especially when one visits major cities such as Florence, speaking in dialect is just not done.  It's a sure-fire sign that you are a "country bumpkin". But Za' Vien was a country bumpkin and proud of it!

Well, here's the recipe. I love it but maybe it's not for everyone. It may be delicious but isn't a sweet cake.  It does travel well which makes it a good choice for picnics and long airplane rides back to America.  The last time I was in Italy which was in 2004, I actually had my mother call Za' Vien from America to let her know when exactly we would be arriving in Lettomanoppello so that my cake could be waiting for me! I know that is a bit over the top but I just love the taste of this cake.  By the way,in Italy, cakes are sometimes referred to as "pizza" and that's just what this is -- a sweet pizza. 

Lastly, it's best to weigh the ingredients as they do in Italy but if you don't have a digital scale I have included the American equivalent.

Torta di Mela (Apple Cake)

500 grams of cake flour ( 3 1/2 cups)

300 g. of sugar ( 1 1/2 cups)

100 g. of butter (1 stick + 1/2 cup)

4 eggs

1/2 glass of Strega (Italian liquor) (Za' Vien actually measured this using a short wine glass which in America would be considered a juice glass -- I believe it's about 1/4 cup.)

4 - 5 apples (cored, peeled and thinly sliced)

lemon peel of 1 lemon

juice of 1/2 lemon

a package of "lievito pane degli angeli" (3 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder)

1 Tablespoon of vanilla

Beat the eggs and sugar until frothy or foamy.  Add the liquor, lemon juice, vanilla and lemon peel and mix well with a wooden spoon. Add the flour and baking powder and mix until well blended.  Spread the batter into a round pan (I usually use a 10 1/2 inch pan).  Place the thinly sliced apples in an circular arrangement (overlapping the slices) on top of the batter. Place in 350 degree oven until toothpick comes out clean.   

The Deli is Open!

We've had our cooler for a couple of weeks now and finally have enough stock and have gotten trained on our fancy new slicer so we took a deep breath and started selling.  It was a good first day and we came up with some panini.  I don't expect that our sandwiches will be perfect at first but I was pleased with our first efforts.  Come on by and try.  Please give us your honest opinion and recommendations!

Nutella

Via Bleeding Espresso there is a World Nutella Day?!

We here at Giacomo's are looking for a better source of the good stuff.  Right now we have to go to the local military commisary and they only have one size.  The other distributor we've found is very pricey.  Any ideas?