Chicken Noodle Soup

With the changing of the seasons comes a reemergence of our favorite fall foods! Of all the classic foods associated with autumn, the most popular has to be chicken noodle soup. Whether it’s a handed-down family recipe or straight out of the can, it’s hard not to appreciate the old nostalgic feeling associated with this simple but hearty meal. Chicken noodle soup has fan base worldwide and is deeply routed in many different cultures.

While chicken noodle soup is often prepared differently depending on the style of cooking, the overall process usually stays the same. The soup is made by simmering chicken in water and mixing in a variety other ingredients. The broth is clear with pieces of chicken, vegetables, and noodles. In many countries, it is considered a comfort food and has acquired a reputation of a folk remedy for various illnesses.

Chicken noodle soup is often associated with the changing of the seasons because it has been believed to possess medicinal properties for centuries. Originally, chicken soup and noodle soup started off as different foods, both used for medicinal purposes in ancient times, with the former being used in ancient Greece. Physicians and philosophers believed that chicken soup cured everything from bedwetting to leprosy. As for noodle soup, it’s been around as early as the thirteenth century in Asia. In the 1700’s, Italians fed noodle soup to the sick because it is digested easily. In 1934, Campbell’s combined the two foods and was accredited for the creation of the now famous chicken noodle.

Chicken based soups are extremely popular and different spins are put on the classic chicken noodle soup in order to spice it up a bit! Any soup fan can find something to enjoy in our wide variety here at La Bottega of Farmingdale. The cold weather for us means we can keep our customers warm with a nice bowl of soup!

The Best Fall Wines

With the season changing and the leaves turning colors, what is better than switching up the type of wine you drink. The best fall wines this season to drink are full-bodied whites and light-to-medium bodied reds.

A wine body is broken down into three different groups: light body, medium body and full body. There are many different aspects that influence how the wine is categorized but the main factor is the alcohol. The more alcohol in the wine the heavier the body and the more fuller it tastes.

When wine is under 12.5 % alcohol it said to be light bodied, wines between 12.5 % and 13.5 % are considered to be medium-bodied, and any wine over 13.5 % is considered to be full-bodied.

This season the best full-bodied white wines to drink are Oaked Chardonnay, Unoaked Chardonnay, Roussane and Viognier. Each of these white wines are top choices of crisp full-bodied whites that you should drink.

Some light to medium reds that are a must for this fall are Soft Red Blend, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Syruh and Merlot. Each of theses reds differ in that some give you a sweeter flavor and others give a more dry taste. All are equally as good as the next and are perfect for this fall weather!

Another way to choose your wine between a red and a white is to go by what you are eating. When eating white meat such as chicken or turkey you should pair it with a white wine. When eating dark meat you should pair it with a medium bodied red wine.  

With the beginning of a new season, it is the perfect time to try something new! Trying a new wine to match the fall season is a perfect start for change, and the best one’s to try for this season are the full-bodied whites and light-to-medium bodied reds.

Bruschetta

Bruschetta, a word once used to describe a piece of toast rubbed and drizzled in garlic and olive oil, has come to mean several different things over the years. There are many different types of bruschetta toppings, including chopped tomatoes and basil, and they are always served on a single piece of toasted or grilled bread. While some people insist bruschetta must be topped with olive oil, toppings can vary from recipe to recipe.

In its most basic form, bruschetta is a piece of bread grilled on a wood fire and rubbed with a cut of garlic. A traditional Italian appetizer, the bread slices are rubbed with olive oil and topped with diced tomatoes, basil, salt, and pepper and served warm with melted cheese on top.

With the change of seasons, our appetites change as well, and if you are ready for something a bit heartier, La Bottega of Farmingdale offers a variety of delicious bruschetta. No food is as robust as this classic Italian fare.

A number of bruschetta variations are available today. Classic Bruschetta, which consists of tomato, garlic and fresh basil, is the most common. Mozzarella, roasted peppers and basil pesto is another well-known variant. For non-tomato fans, goat cheese, golden raisins and walnuts are added to the recipe as a complementary flavor. Seared steak is also available, including the addition of roasted jumbo shrimp with hot peppers.

All You Need to Know About Tiramisu

Dessert after a meal often marks a special occasion. Italian desserts are notable for presenting lavish arrangement of ingredients as well as unforgettable flavors, and of the most popular is tiramisu.

Tiramisu can be described as a creamy layered dessert with a jamocha flavor aftertaste. Everybody knows how much Italians love and value their food, and tiramisu is one of their best imports. Tiramisu layers espresso-soaked savoiardi—another name for crisp, sugary ladyfinger cookies—with a heavenly mixture of whipped cream, mascarpone cheese, and a cooked egg, sugar, and Marsala wine mixture called zabaglione.

If you are looking for this delicious dessert, you do not have to look no further than La Bottega Farmingdale.

An intense, yet refined, dish emerges through the grouping of these diverse ingredients. The delicate flavor of the mascarpone cheese and Italian custard are blended in with the robust presence of espresso and the sharpness of cocoa powder. When all these flavors come together, it brings forth a velvety texture providing an indulgent treat.

A number of tiramisu variations are available today. Chocolate tiramisu is a popular alternative which replaces the coffee flavor with chocolate. Fruit tiramisu is another well-known variant. Berries, peaches, and other fruits are added to the recipe as a complementary flavor. Frozen tiramisu recipes are also available, including the addition of gelato, frozen yogurt or ice cream in place of the custard. The popularity of tiramisu over the last couple of decades has prompted bakers to adapt the essential ingredients used in the dish for a number of recipes such as cakes, ice creams, cheesecakes and puddings.

Specialty Pizzette

Football season is here, and because of this, we are going to jump on the bandwagon and offer an Italian appetizer anyone can enjoy before, during, or after the game. This delicious appetizer or meal is called a pizzette, and the best part about it is no pots or pans are necessary!

For those not familiar with a pizzette, it is essentially a pizza, but smaller and healthier. The simple reason they are so thin. That reason is simple. People love pizza right? Be it take-out, homemade, served at the greatest pizzeria in town or even frozen, everyone loves it. So why not enjoy a thin crusted pie of pizzettes for a reasonable price?

Everyone loves pizza, right? Be it take-out, homemade, served from the best pizzeria in town, or, dare we say frozen, the cheese and sauce on a crust is a staple of our society. A pizette, on the other hand, offers the same thin-crusted deliciousness of a pizza, except bite-sized and a lot less pricier!

Here at La Bottega Farmingdale, we offer tasty food with a pleasant atmosphere, and the pizzettes are one of our specialties. It took only one tiny crisp of parmacotto artichoke hearts with sundried tomatoes on margherita pizza to remember some of the best meals in the world are deceptively simple. Why settle for a simple piece of pepperoni pizza when you can get better, healthier ingredients for a much better price? Don't like artichoke? No problem! At La Bottega Farmingdale, we have over ten different pizzettes to choose from, from sweet italian sausage to oven roasted chicken, and even sauteed spinach for all you vegetarians out there!

At La Bottega Farmingdale, we give you the option of coming in to dine at our restaurant or having us deliver our delicious food to you! We also have catering options available. Isn’t is about time you try something new and indulge yourselves with our huge variety of famous specialty pizzettes?

A Taste of Autumn

As the summer heat transitions into an autumn breeze, and the leaves begin to turn shades of red, orange, and yellow, the fruits and vegetables growing in our gardens go through some changes as well. Fall brings the largest and most bountiful harvest of the year, with many cultures and religions celebrating holidays and festivals where food is the main attraction. Some of the most essential fruits and vegetables are harvested in the fall, including apples, pumpkins, zucchini, beets, eggplant, beans, potatoes, and squash.

With so many delicious crops being harvested in the Fall, right now is the best time to get a taste while they are in season. Eggplant and zucchini, two main staples of any Italian kitchen, are in season in the late summer and early Fall in most climates, and at La Bottega of Farmingdale, are a main ingredient in many of our delicious vegetarian paninis. The Foggia, Sicilia, and Potenza all use eggplant and is an excellent choice for both plant and meat lovers alike.

Zucchini is another great tasting and incredibly healthy vegetable packed with nutrients, containing a low calorie count and no saturated fats or cholesterol. La Bottega of Farmingdale uses zucchini in two of our legendary vegetarian dishes, the Terra and the Quattro Formaggi. For all the chicken lovers out there, the Trieste combines grilled chicken with zucchini, mozzarella, and black-olive paste on ciabatta bread, and the Cuneo subs out the black-olive paste for roasted peppers, another staple of the fall harvest.

La Bottega of Farmingdale also offers a wide variety of chicken, steak, turkey, and seafood salads with delicious autumn vegetables. Our salads contain a wide range of fall fruits and vegetables, from beets, artichokes, and peppers to squash, carrots, and chicories. Come down to La Bottega of Farmingdale and try out everything the autumn harvest has to offer.

The importance of incorporating soup in your diet this autumn

As we begin to adjust to the cooler temperatures this fall, the perfect meal or addition to any meal is a hearty bowl of soup. Vegetables including pumpkins, butternut squash, and broccoli are in season right now, making it the perfect time start incorporating soup in your diet.

Vegetables in season are often at it’s freshest and most nutritious. The average adult should be consuming 7 or more cups of fruit or vegetables daily which can be made achievable when adding vegetable soups into your diet.

Whether you like to make your soup at home or order at a restaurant, there is a lot of options to choose from. Butternut Squash Soup, also known as Zuppa di Zucca, is a popular soup dish for the season. Butternut squash is a nutrient packed vegetable; high in fiber, vitamin A (an antioxidant), B-group vitamins such as thiamin and vitamin b-6, and low in calories and fat. At La Bottega of Farmingdale, pair this soup with one of their artisan paninis, such as the the Gubbio, which has roasted portobello, goat cheese, basil pesto, and roasted pepper on whole wheat bread, or the Como, which has imported smoked prosciutto, fontina, baby arugula on ciabatta bread.

Another popular soup dish is the Broccoli Cream Soup, also known as Crema di Broccoli. Creamy in consistency, broccoli serves as the main ingredient in this dish. Broccoli is also a nutrient packed vegetable; high in fiber, vitamin C, folic acid, and potassium, and low in calories and fat. This soup is a very delicious way of incorporating more nutrients in your diet. Try this soup with the Torino panini, featuring slowly roasted porchetta, mozzarella, tomato, and baby arugula on rustic bread, or one of their Brushette’s such as the Mozzarella Basilico.

Another very popular soup dish is the chicken and vegetable soup, also known as Zuppa di Polla Ai Vegetali. This hearty soup is protein and fiber packed. The vegetables can be seasonally changed allowing for many different variations, and is perfect for pairing with a salad such as the Bietole, which contains mixed greens, roasted red beets, goat cheese, toasted walnuts, corn, and tomatoes with honey dijon, or one of their Brushette’s such as the Firenze.

Soup, in addition to being an excellent source of nutrients, can be extremely delicious too. Hungry yet? Come down to La Bottega of Farmingdale tonight and don’t forget to order soup with your meal!