History of the Margherita Pizza

For many pizza lovers the margherita pizza is their favorite. It is a common pizza found at many Italian restaurants, but what may be unknown to those who frequently order this type of pizza is the rich Italian history that is behind its origin. The margherita pizza is more than just a different variation of pizza, it is a symbol of Italy that has represented Italian culture for years.

In 1889, King Umberto I of Italy was taking a tour of Italy with his wife, Queen Margherita of Savoy. The King and his Queen traveled all over Italy and during their stop in Naples Chef Raffaele Esposito created something special for them. Chef Esposito knew that the Queen loved “pizza breads” and decided to use this information to make her a special creation. The chef created a pizza bread for the Queen that would represent Italy. This is how the margherita pizza was created!

The chef decided to create a pizza that resembled the colors of the Italian flag. The three colors came from fresh ingredients that were vibrant on the pizza.He started with the tomato sauce. The tomato represented the red in the Italian flag. Next, he added the mozzarella. The mozzarella made up the white of the flag. Last, was the green. Chef Esposito added basil to the pizza and created the margherita pizza. The Queen loved the pizza and from the time it was created until now, margherita pizza is one of the most famous Italian pizzas!

If this blog has you craving a margherita pizza, or if you have never tried margherita pizza before and are curious about what this royal creation tastes like, stop into La Bottega of Farmingdale and try their versions of the margherita pizza! La Bottega of Farmingdale has delicious food that are made from the best ingredients. Besides various types of pizza, La Bottega of Farmingdale also offers a great variety of dishes for you to stop in and enjoy!

5 Menu Items that Mae for a Delicious Gluten- Free Brunch

5 Menu Items that Make for a Delicious Gluten-Free Brunch

A gluten-free diet is one without the protein gluten. Foods such as wheat, barley, and rye carry gluten. Celiac disease is a common sickness associated with gluten-free diets because the gluten is said to make symptoms worse. Gluten actually causes inflammation in the small intestines for people with celiac disease. Therefore eating gluten-free helps prevent complications and symptoms for people suffering with this disease. Finding restaurants or delicious meals that are gluten-free can be difficult to find.

Switching to gluten-free is a drastic change and can be depressing if you can’t enjoy the foods you normally love. However there are ways around it and with restaurants like La Bottega in Farmingdale you can experience a great meal gluten-free. A large group of people have whats called non-celiac sensitivity where they have the same symptoms as the celiac disease. Symptoms include bloating, gas, stomach aches, headaches, and itchy skin rashes. The reason it’s so hard to find gluten-free diets because you have to eliminate breads, grains, pastas, cereals, cakes,..etc People with sensitive stomachs can’t absorb this protein putting their health in danger. Reducing gluten in your diet has also seen to help with weight loss.

Five delicious meals I want to express that are gluten-free can be found again at La Bottega in Farmingdale. One meal you can get is a beautifully prepared tricolore salad which has radicchio, baby arugula, endive, gaeta olives and shaved Parmigiano with a balsamic dressing. You can find yourself a gluten-free salmon with baby spinach, endive, red pears, toasted pecans, roasted beets and cherry tomatoes with a raspberry vinaigrette dressing. There are also a number of gluten-free paninis which include portabello mushrooms and mozzarella, tomato, basil, extra virgin olive oil, and balsamic dressing. They offer an angus steak with mixed greens and cherry tomatoes. Lastly you can satisfy your diet with grilled chicken avocado meal with delicious sides.

5 Menu Items that Make for a Delicious Gluten-Free Brunch

A gluten-free diet is one without the protein gluten. Foods such as wheat, barley, and rye carry gluten. Celiac disease is a common sickness associated with gluten-free diets because the gluten is said to make symptoms worse. Gluten actually causes inflammation in the small intestines for people with celiac disease. Therefore eating gluten-free helps prevent complications and symptoms for people suffering with this disease. Finding restaurants or delicious meals that are gluten-free can be difficult to find.

Switching to gluten-free is a drastic change and can be depressing if you can’t enjoy the foods you normally love. However there are ways around it and with restaurants like La Bottega in Farmingdale you can experience a great meal gluten-free. A large group of people have whats called non-celiac sensitivity where they have the same symptoms as the celiac disease. Symptoms include bloating, gas, stomach aches, headaches, and itchy skin rashes. The reason it’s so hard to find gluten-free diets because you have to eliminate breads, grains, pastas, cereals, cakes,..etc People with sensitive stomachs can’t absorb this protein putting their health in danger. Reducing gluten in your diet has also seen to help with weight loss.

Five delicious meals I want to express that are gluten-free can be found again at La Bottega in Farmingdale. One meal you can get is a beautifully prepared tricolore salad which has radicchio, baby arugula, endive, gaeta olives and shaved Parmigiano with a balsamic dressing. You can find yourself a gluten-free salmon with baby spinach, endive, red pears, toasted pecans, roasted beets and cherry tomatoes with a raspberry vinaigrette dressing. There are also a number of gluten-free paninis which include portabello mushrooms and mozzarella, tomato, basil, extra virgin olive oil, and balsamic dressing. They offer an angus steak with mixed greens and cherry tomatoes. Lastly you can satisfy your diet with grilled chicken avocado meal with delicious sides.

Best Wines to Pair with Summer Foods

You may think that pairing popular summer foods such as salads, paninis, and fish with wine is an impossible task. However, this is not true. There are many different types of wines that pair exceptionally well with summer foods while at La Bottega of Farmingdale or enjoying a meal at home. These wines each include reds, white, roses and sparkling. Whichever wine you prefer, there is at least one that you will enjoy this summer.

If you are preparing a meal or visiting us at La Bottega of Farmingdale and having a salad, fish, or other seafood, try either a riesling, or a wine that is infused with citrus flavors. A riesling will pair well with these foods due to its fruity but light taste. Wines infused with citrus, pair well specifically with a grilled fish such as salmon.

If you are going to be grilling foods such as chicken, burgers, or red meat in general, try a chilled, red wine. Pinot Noirs and Dolcettos are two red wines that pair specifically well with these summer foods. The flavors seem to become more noticeable when the wine is chilled and paired with a red meat, as opposed to when the wine is served at room temperature.

Pasta salads, vegetables, and turkey burgers should be paired with a rose wine. Most rose wines have tangy, citrus  flavors that help to bring out flavors in vegetables especially. These wines typically feature flavors including orange, lemon, cherry, and watermelon. Rose wines even pair well with hot dogs.

If you are just having snacks including chips or pretzels, try a sparkling wine. Sparkling wines also pair well with raw shellfish appetizers, such a shrimp cocktail. Sparkling wines pair well with these snack foods for a variety of reasons. One of these being the bubbles give a nice contrast to the saltiness of these foods. Sparkling wines also manage to combine fruity flavors often found in white and rose wines with the bold flavors that are typically found in reds, making sparkling wines the best of both worlds when pairing them with food.

Great Foods to Eat this Summer

Great Foods to Eat This Summer

What kinds of foods do you want to be eating this summer?  You might want a beach ready body, but let’s be real, a cup of fruit and a side salad just isn’t going to cut it.  That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take advantage of nature’s summer candies, that is actually exactly what you should be doing.  Fresh fruits and vegetables are one of the best parts about summer! So what are some of the best ways to eat these foods every day without restricting your diet? I’m glad you asked...

A big, hearty salad- not a little one!  What’s is better than all of your favorite things thrown together in one big bowl?  During the winter a salad option is likely your dietary choice, but during the summer it is a luxury.  A salad is the freshest, simplest way to mix and match your favorite summer foods so that every salad you eat can be a little different.  A fresh, ripe pear matched with gorgonzola and toasted pecans on a bed of mixed greens topped with some lime dressing, or the trending avocado with some mozzarella, chicken, cherry tomatoes; just name it and you can mix it right in.  No muss and no fuss, salads are just that good and that easy.

Another great summer food is a panini.  Now I know what you’re thinking, too many carbs before heading to the beach doesn’t sound like a good plan, but that’s not necessarily true. Did you know that carbohydrates are actually our main source of energy?  So stuff your panini from La Bottega Farmingdale with some of your favorite healthy foods and you have the perfect meal to stay on that summer diet as well as energy to get you to the beach and enjoy the day!

Great Foods to Eat This Summer

What kinds of foods do you want to be eating this summer?  You might want a beach ready body, but let’s be real, a cup of fruit and a side salad just isn’t going to cut it.  That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take advantage of nature’s summer candies, that is actually exactly what you should be doing.  Fresh fruits and vegetables are one of the best parts about summer! So what are some of the best ways to eat these foods every day without restricting your diet? I’m glad you asked...

A big, hearty salad- not a little one!  What’s is better than all of your favorite things thrown together in one big bowl?  During the winter a salad option is likely your dietary choice, but during the summer it is a luxury.  A salad is the freshest, simplest way to mix and match your favorite summer foods so that every salad you eat can be a little different.  A fresh, ripe pear matched with gorgonzola and toasted pecans on a bed of mixed greens topped with some lime dressing, or the trending avocado with some mozzarella, chicken, cherry tomatoes; just name it and you can mix it right in.  No muss and no fuss, salads are just that good and that easy.

Another great summer food is a panini.  Now I know what you’re thinking, too many carbs before heading to the beach doesn’t sound like a good plan, but that’s not necessarily true. Did you know that carbohydrates are actually our main source of energy?  So stuff your panini from La Bottega Farmingdale with some of your favorite healthy foods and you have the perfect meal to stay on that summer diet as well as energy to get you to the beach and enjoy the day!  

Why Quality Ingredients Make A Big Difference

Why Quality Ingredients Make a Big Difference

Do you know when you eat something and it just doesn't taste good? The taste is bland, the color is weird and the texture just doesn't feel right. Quality ingredients is truly what makes or breaks food. Nothing is worse than waiting for a delicious dessert or pie and being disappointed by the cheap ingredients that give it its mediocre taste. In order to enjoy your next meal it should be made with the freshest ingredients.

Every ingredient makes a huge difference when cooking.If a chef is cooking with old chicken or fish the flavors will naturally die out. The same if the meat is frozen for a long time. The proteins give out and the flavor just doesn't have that juicy fresh taste. A piece of fish can either be shipped and frozen for a couple weeks or a local fisherman can drop off a batch of fresh fish that day. It a huge difference when it comes to quality. The same can be for vegetables if they're sitting in a refrigerator for too long. The lettuce gets soggy or the vegetables dry out. The freshest ingredients are the ones that are delivered to a restaurant that day. A chef is just as good as his ingredients. Don't let the preservatives and additives fool you.

When it comes to picking a restaurant to eat at, quality plays the most important value. La Bottega, a small cozy Italian restaurant knows how to use the freshest ingredients. When it comes to a gourmet pasta dish or a panini we take pride in making fresh meals that allows our customers to leave with a sm

Why Quality Ingredients Make a Big Difference

Do you know when you eat something and it just doesn't taste good? The taste is bland, the color is weird and the texture just doesn't feel right. Quality ingredients is truly what makes or breaks food. Nothing is worse than waiting for a delicious dessert or pie and being disappointed by the cheap ingredients that give it its mediocre taste. In order to enjoy your next meal it should be made with the freshest ingredients.

Every ingredient makes a huge difference when cooking.If a chef is cooking with old chicken or fish the flavors will naturally die out. The same if the meat is frozen for a long time. The proteins give out and the flavor just doesn't have that juicy fresh taste. A piece of fish can either be shipped and frozen for a couple weeks or a local fisherman can drop off a batch of fresh fish that day. It a huge difference when it comes to quality. The same can be for vegetables if they're sitting in a refrigerator for too long. The lettuce gets soggy or the vegetables dry out. The freshest ingredients are the ones that are delivered to a restaurant that day. A chef is just as good as his ingredients. Don't let the preservatives and additives fool you.

When it comes to picking a restaurant to eat at, quality plays the most important value. La Bottega, a small cozy Italian restaurant knows how to use the freshest ingredients. When it comes to a gourmet pasta dish or a panini we take pride in making fresh meals that allows our customers to leave with a smile. Come in today and grab a fresh bite to eat! You won’t be disappointed.