Proud Italian Cook

Standard Market, Westmont

March 28, 2012 by Marie 12 Comments

Over the weekend I had the opportunity to tour the new Standard Market that opened up in
Westmont, IL, a suburb of Chicago. The minute you walk in you’re greeted by colorful, fresh produce everywhere, you just know you’re going to have a good shopping adventure here.

I have to admit I’d been to Standard Market five times already before the tour and was very happy with all the goodies that I purchased, so much so that I went back for more! The building is huge, a contemporary farmhouse feel with various departments throughout. They pride themselves on providing many local products to their customers.

They recently opened up a coffee bar within the store that features Intelligentsia Coffee. I sampled it brewed from a Chemex, a very pure method of brewing.

If you don’t feel like cooking, take home some Chicken Vesuvio from the hot foods station, complete with potatoes and peas all for under ten dollars!

The wine, beer and cheese department contains over 500 wines, including 150 selections under $15. More than 150 cheeses and 150 beers from around the world, with a strong focus on American artisanal offerings.

I love the bakery, over thirty five varieties of artisan breads, everything made in house from scratch, the perfect place to pick up something for a special occasion or just to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Don’t leave without grabbing the coconut cake, either a slice or the whole thing, with passion fruit on the side. To die for!

The deli offers chef inspired prepared foods as well as the classics, olives and high quality deli meats.

Samples from the butcher shop!

Their meat department is phenomenal, everything I tried so far I loved, this is where I got my tomahawk pork chops I featured in this post.

The fish market offers fresh whole fish and seafood that is flown in daily from around the world, already tried several things, I just love their salmon. Fish is available whole or in fillets, all cut down on site, there’s even a sushi station.

This is some good coffee!

I’m so grateful to be able to buy good quality fresh pasta, all made in house. Check out the price! I’ve bought the lasagna sheets twice already and used them in my post on Little Lasangas.
Also there’s a wide variety of homemade soups and sauces available, you won’t be finding
Campbell Soup here anywhere!

Standard Grill offers lunch and dinner daily.

If your in the chicagoland area I highly recommend a visit to Standard Market, a welcomed fresh approach to food shopping. Credit only, no cash!
Standard Market and Grill
333 East Ogden Avenue
Westmont

12 Comments Filed Under: Chicago Tagged: Intelligensia Coffee, Standard Market, Westmont

Farfalle Pasta Salad to Welcome in Spring

March 20, 2012 by Marie 24 Comments

We can officially now say that winter is behind us and spring has arrived, and this is the perfect salad to usher in the warm weather! Farfalle pasta, tender asparagus, cherry tomatoes, baby arugula and pecorino and pepper roasted chickpeas.

I love the gourmet food section of HomeGoods I always find something good there, the minute I saw these cute colorful butterflies I knew I’d be making a pasta salad so I quickly grabbed a couple of boxes, don’t they just scream spring? The pasta is made with all natural ingredients too, red beets, red bell pepper, spinach and tumeric, no food coloring at all.

Boil gently for 10 to 12 minutes then spray with cold water to cool down.

Slice cherry tomatoes in half add 1 crushed garlic clove, a healthy dose of olive oil, fresh chopped basil, salt and pepper, as it sits for a while the tomato juice will mingle with the oil and this will become your dressing.
For the roasted chickpeas I used one can that was drained and patted dry then tossed on a baking sheet with olive oil, lots of cracked black pepper, salt and a healthy dose of pecorino romano. Roast for around 15 minutes at 400 or until golden.

I cut the asparagus at a diagonal and roasted them for a few minutes, tender but al’ dente. Just toss everything together adding more olive oil, basil and grated pecorino romano.
For this version right above and below I added in julienned zucchini and sliced olives for added flavor and texture.

Either way, I’m sure you’ll enjoy!
Buon Appetito

24 Comments Filed Under: Pasta, Salads, Spring, Vegetables Tagged: bow tie pasta, farfalle, julienned zucchini, pasta salad, roasted chickpeas

Limoncello Tart with Amaretti Cookie Crust and Blueberry Blackberry Sauce

March 13, 2012 by Marie 54 Comments

I have a fondness for limoncello, that sunny, refreshing, sweet, lemony flavored liqueur from Italy, I love to sip it icy cold straight out of the freezer from a small delicate glass.
I also love it in desserts, like this tart.

Amaretti cookies make the perfect base for this tart and paired with the lemon filling, it’s a match made in heaven! Just whirl a package of amaretti cookies in your food processor and drizzle in some melted butter until it all comes together and you’re able to pat it into a tart pan.
The cookies are sweet enough so I didn’t add additional sugar, for a 7oz bag I used 6 tablespoons of melted butter which fits nicely into a 9″ tart pan.
Have your oven set to 350 and pre-bake your crust for 5 minutes, then let it cool.

The filling is simply, 2 egg yolks, 1 can of sweetened condensed milk, 1/4 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice, 1/4 cup of limoncello liqueur and 1 tablespoon of lemon zest. Blend it with a hand mixer until creamy. Pour mixture into the cooled crust and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, it should be firmed up but not overcooked.

While the tart is baking you can make this quick sauce by warming berries with a little sugar in a saute pan, add lemon zest for an additional boost of flavor. In just a few minutes the berries will break down and yield their precious juice!

After the pie cools down you need to chill it in the fridge! This is very important because the colder it is, the better it is, give it at least a few hours, I promise you it will be worth it!