Our Formato Family Blogger, Andrea’s visit to N’Awlins:

A few months back I wrote about Formato Brothers’ delicious Muffuletta Olive Salad and mentioned I was going to the birthplace of the infamous sammy:  New Orleans.  So as promised, I have returned from my visit and would like to share some pics with my amici!

The hubby I love and I stopped by The Central Grocery Store on Decatur Street in the French Quarter.  Before we even stepped inside, the Store seemed to be calling us in with its colorful window display of Italian food products.  We stepped inside immediately to a line of people waiting to get their Muffulettas.  Luckily, we got there there at the perfect time, 11:00 AM, because the line was out the door by the time we left.

The Store smelled of fresh meats, cheeses, garlic, and bread.  My mouth was literally watering as I waited for my turn.  I finally got to the counter, picked up some spices for mom and dad along the way, and ordered the half-sandwich and a Peroni (clearly)…

The Muffuletta was as delicious as I imagined.  The olives and oil were fresh and complimented the meat and cheese perfectly.  The ambiance was an Italian dream come true.  I felt like I was back in my Grandmother Formato’s house with all my relatives cooking, eating, drinking and shouting over one another to be heard.

If you’re ever in New Orleans LA stop in The Central Grocery and grab a Muffuletta for yourself and taste a little history.  But in the meantime, create your own version using Formato Brothers Muffuletta Olive Salad!

–Andrea Formato Castner

Andrea Formato Castner

Ok, so I have a confession to make:  I’m a snacker.  In case you haven’t noticed, I love food.  And as much as I love my 3 square meals a day, I equally love snacking in between those meals as well.  If you’re like me, you like to snack but don’t want to feel guilty about it.  Right?  Right.

Luckily, Formato Brothers has an assortment of Grissini Breadsticks (Thin, Sesame, Garlic or Rosemary) to help me get through the day.  My fav is the Rosemary Breadsticks made with Alessi Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  Deciding how to snack on the Breadsticks is like a painter looking at a blanki canvas:  the possibilities are only limited to your own imagination.  I could just kick it old school by dipping the breadsticks in a disk of Antica Italia Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar, but what I really love to do is wrap it up!

Here’s a list of simple staples you’ll probably already have in your Italian kitchen that you can use for your wrap:

Grissini Breadsticks (your choice of flavor from Formato Brothers website)
Deli Slices of Provolone Cheese (Formato Brothers offers this as well)
Deli Slices of Italian Salami or Prosciuttio (from the Home Page click on meats for selections)

Take one slice of cheese & one slice of meat & wrap it around your choice of breadstick.  It’s that easy.  If you’re feeling spicy, dip your wrap in a side Formato Brothers Hot Eggplant Salad or Hot Pepper Spread.

Snack away!

–Andrea Formato Castner

The following was written by a Formato Family member, Andrea.

I’ll never forget my first Valentine’s Day memory:  6th grade, Dallas, Texas.  There was a really cute boy in my class and I had the biggest crush:  Chris.  He was blonde and CUTE.  Unfortunately, the week of Valentine’s Day I got the flu, was super sick, and had to stay home from school all week.  It was 2/14 (sometime in the 80″s) and I was lying on the couch feeling less than Valentinesy.  Around 6:00 pm the doorbell rang.  My mom came over and said, “Andrea, you have a special visitor.”  It was Chris at the door!  Clearly his mom was waiting in the car.

Chris:  “I know you weren’t at school today because you were sick, but I wanted to bring this box of chocolates and tell you Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Andrea:  (Speechless)……

Are you kidding me?  I looked horrible and he was so sweet.  I said, “Thank you,” told him I’d see him at school next week, took the chocolates (sick or not, chocolates are chocolates!), and closed the door.  I was so frustrated that I wasn’t prepared for my surprise visit, but my dad reassured me I’d have many more Valentine’s Days to look perfectly perfect.

Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone out there who was ready for their Valentine or was just slightly off with the timing.

–Andrea Formato Castner

By the way, Andrea’s grown up, a working business woman who still likes chocolates, and who still can be surprised.

Ok, so Mardi Gras is just around the corner, February 21st, and if you know me, you know I’m preparing for the feast day commonly known as Fat Tuesday!  You might also know that Mardi Gras is also known as Fat Tuesday, but, did you also know that one of the great delicacies of Mardi Gras is the Muffuletta Sandwich?  And, you guessed it, the greatest American city to celebrate Mardi Gras is home to this deliciousness:  New Orleans!

And, if you’re like me, you’re brave enough to visit Naw’Leans, but not brave enough to actually visit during Mardi Gras.

Thanks to Formato Brothers, I don’t need to travel farther than my kitchen cupboard to enjoy the taste of Mardi Gras all year long!  So according to legend, the Muffuletta sandiwch originated at the Central Grocery in New Orleans back on Decatur Street in early 1906.  The true sandwich starts with a 10″ round loaf of Italian bread filled with all the Italian fillings you can imagine:  salami, cheese, ham, and most importantly, olive salad — and, oh, by the way, NEVER heat or toast the sandwich!!!  It must be served at room temp or you’ll be disowned by the family.

And, this is the easiest recipe ever:  just all all ingredients til your heart’s content!

Here’s how I would create my Formato Brothers Muffuletta (layer each item):

1 – 10″ round Italian bread (if you can’t find round bread, just use regular Italian), cut into the top and bottom
6 oz sliced provolone cheese
6 oz sliced salami
6 oz sliced Italian ham
4 Tablespoons of Formato Brothers Muffuletta Spread (regular or Hot will work)

Cut sandwich into quarters, serve, enjoy!

Ok, so one more thing:  I’m actually going to New Orleans in a few months (like I said, not brave enough to actually go during Mardi Gras), but, I’m going to track down and visit the original Central Grocery on Decatur Street and post the pics on Facebook (formatobrothers.com).

If you “like” the picture, then go ahead and  “like” the Facebook page (formatobrothers.com).  Look for the $5.00 discount code available there.

Click on Recipes for Chicken Muffuletta Sandwich, Crispy Muffuletta Raviolis, Meatless Eggplant Meatballs made with Muffuletta Olive Salad.  Come back to our Blog page for a New Orleans update once Andrea returns from her trip there.

–Andrea Formato Castner

It’s been along time since I lived in Chicago, and a lot has changed over the years.  However, one thing I know has not changed is the city’s love for beef sandwiches and hot giardiniera.  Ever time I step off the plane back in the Windy City, my stomach’s internal radar sounds off — it knows we’re back home and we have to go to the nearest beef stand immediately for a sammy and some spicy fixins.

Of course, back in Cali, I could try and make my own hot giardiniera, but I’d be spending hours chopping carrots, olives, peppers, caluiflower and cooking them up in oil with spices.  So why would I waste my time when Formato Brothers has already created a delicious Chicago tradition, homemade and hand-packed in my home town for over 30 years?

I love saving time cooking to focus on the more important action: eating.  My toughest decision is what should I put the hot giardiniera on?  So many tempting choices:  hot dogs, sausages, beef sandwiches, meatballs, pizza, and my new favorite:  Scrambled Egg Sammy!

Here’s how I do it:

1.  Heat a frying pan with a little butter
2.  In a separate bowl beat 2 eggs
3.  Cook the eggs in the pan and scramble for about 3 minutes on medium-high heat
4.  Meanwhile, toast up a couple slices of your favorite Italian bread
5.  When the eggs are finished cooking, place them on one slice of the toasted bread
6.  If you like, throw a slice of provolone cheese on the bread (well, you don’t have to really throw it, unless you are adventuresome)
7.  Add 1 Tablespoon of Formato Brothers Hot Giardiniera (2 Tablspoons if you are daring!)
8.  Top with the other slice of toasted bread
9.  Cut in half, and enjoy!

Thanks to Formato Brothers, I can taste the tradition of Chicago without leaving my kitchen.  Visit our homepage to see our current shipping specials, and let me know how you’ve created your own taste of Chicago-At-Home!

–Andrea Formato Castner