What's New

Altamura bread's  staple food of the peoples of the Alta Murgia region in Apulia is considered one of the finest and oldest types of bread in Italy.  The earliest documents describing Altamura bread dates back to A.D. 37!  In the old days, it was customary to knead the dough at home and then take it to public ovens to be baked. In order to distinguish the loaves, the bakers would stamp them with the initials of the head of the family.  A good Altamuran bread should be very crisp, fragrant, and golden like straw. Altamura breads are quite crusty, and last a long time, which makes them perfect for dipping.

Now, you too can enjoy the golden loaves of Altamura by visiting our shop.  Oropan, a certified producer of Altamura bread has shipped us a fresh batch of their small and large Filone long loaves, and Round Altamura loaves.  They slightly bake the loaves, then immediately pack them in foil bags and freeze them.  

Every day, we finish baking the loaves in our Forno oven for a freshly baked, authentic flavour. 

Come early in the morning and grab some, or else purchase the loaves frozen, still in the foil wrapper. Pop them directly like that into your oven, and soon your house will be so filled with the comforting smell of freshly baked bread, you will almost believe you've been transported to a rustic bakery in Southern Italy. 

Panna da cucina' means 'Cream for cooking'. It's indeed creamy, but to our great delight, it has almost half the fat of heavy cream or whipping cream, so you can still enjoy your favourite creamy dishes without breaking your New Year's resolutions!

Panna da cucina is used mainly in savory main dishes. You can add it like a ready to use cream sauce to pastas, tortellini, chicken, beef, seafood dishes, baked casseroles, soups, and anything that needs a creamy luscious taste and texture. Just make sure to add it in the very last step of your food preparation, as it does not require much cooking.

It cannot be whipped and the product is shelf stable until opened.

Here's a recipe you can use Panna in:

Tagliatelle Porcini ai Funghi, Piselli, e Panna(Tagliatelle with Porcini Mushrooms, Peas and Cream)

• 250gr Tagliatelle ai Porcini or Tartufo
• 150 gr Pprosciutto Cotto from Italy diced
• 35-40gr Dry Porcini Urbani
• 1cup Green Peas Frozen or Fresh
• 200 ml Panna da Cucina
• 40 gr Butter
• 50 gr Parmigiano Reggiano grated
• 1 Pinch Nutmeg
• Satl and Pepper to taste

Soak porcini in hot water and set aside. Put butter in a large skillet on med high heat add the prosciutto and brown for a few minutes then add the peas. Strain the porcini reserving the water and add them to the skillet. Toss to coat in butter and once the peas have thawed add the panna da cucina. Stir and add salt and pepper to taste as well as a pinch of nutmeg. Add some of the porcini water to loosen the sauce if necessary. Simmer on very low while the pasta cooks. Strain the pasta reserving some of the water. Add the pasta to the skillet and toss to coat with sauce. Keep adding the porcini or the pasta water to loosen. Serve topped with a generous spoonful of parmigiano and enjoy.

Come in today and purchase your gift card for the ones you love! Shower them with Italian products this Christmas!

This fall, you will find many new items lining our shelves, including preserves from Orticola Mediterranea.  Like us, Orticola is a family company that began from a desire to share their traditions with the world.  In Italian, "orticola" means horticulture, which is important to the Rammunno family, for they have a long history of farming in the Apulian plains.  Orticola's goal is to create a synergy between the region's ancient farming traditions and their modern philosophy in which consumer health and eco-sustainability are key considerations during both harvesting and processing. Orticola produces specialties unique to their region, items we just can't find in Canada, such as Cerignola olives, marinated artichokes, vegetable antipasto, pickled forest mushrooms, black olive tapenade, capers and caper berries. W've also brought in their selection of Italian classics including basil pesto, roasted red peppers, eggplant strips, sun dried and semi-dried tomatoes, all preserved in high quality sun flower oil, which is high in vitamin E and low in saturated fats.  Their branding and packaging is very basic and low-frills, which means you are receiving an honest product where the value is found in the quality of the food, rather than the outside of the package... something that has become increasingly hard to find in today's market. We hope you will enjoy the fruits of their labour as much as we do.

For more information, visit theirwebsite.