We are thrilled to announce that STAR Fine Foods has a brand new blog! You can visit our new blog to see even more helpful cooking tips and tricks by following this link: http://starfinefoods.com/blog/

Mother’s Day is on May 8th this year. Take advantage of this day to show your Mom just how much she means to you. Here are some ideas to help you make the most of Mother’s Day!

Breakfast in Bed
Start Mom’s morning off right by surprising her with breakfast in bed. Impress mom by making these divine Walnut Rosemary Olive Oil Scones or this tasty recipe for a hearty Spinach, Artichoke and Sun Dried Tomato Frittata. You can also serve some of her favorite fresh fruits and don’t forget the mimosas!

Give Mom the Day Off
The title of “Mom” comes with many duties. This Mother’s Day, give your mom the day off. Encourage her to relax or send her off to get a massage while you tidy up the house, weed the garden, or any other chore that you know she would appreciate.

Create a Meaningful Gift
Create a meaningful gift to show mom how much you treasure her. Try making a handmade card, pick up a bouquet of her favorite flowers, or create a “coupon book” of various things she would appreciate (this coupon is good for one foot massage, one week of doing the dishes after dinner, etc). Another idea is to make some type of memento of something that you would not have been able to accomplish without her. For example, an award you received, a picture of your diploma, or a drawing of the front door of your new home.

A Day Together
Clear your schedule for the day and gather the family to celebrate together. Play some of Mom’s
favorite games, go out to see a movie or go to the zoo. Whatever it is, Mom will be happy to be spending time together with her family.

In 1898 Angelo Giurlani left Lucca, Italy. With money borrowed from his father, Angelo migrated to
San Francisco and started selling groceries house to house from his horse-drawn wagon. This experience plus hard work earned this enterprising young man a successful business.
When brother Giuseppe moved to San Francisco to join Angelo, they began importing olive oil from Italy and selling under “Giurliani STAR Olive Oil." They chose the name "STAR" to demonstrate their patriotism to the United States. As other fine imported foods where added, the brothers expanded their markets to Southern California and nearby Western states.

Throughout time, STAR Olive Oil has won many international awards, proving STAR’s unwavering commitment to quality. In the early 1900’s, the majority of STAR Olive Oil was packaged in tins that proudly showcased these awards and accolades that the company received.

Pasta is a perfect source of nutrients for any diet. We recently posted some pasta recipes for if you’re on a diet, and now we’re looking at some vegetarian recipes that prove how versatile pasta can be! Here they are:

Eggplant and Peanut
You will need 1 large eggplant, 4 peeled tomatoes, 1 onion, a small handful of peanuts, 2 chopped cloves of garlic, salt, STAR Extra Virgin Olive Oil and fresh basil. Cut the eggplant into cubes, fry and put by. Fry the onion and add the garlic, tomato, chopped basil and salt until you’ve got the sauce ready. Crush the peanuts and add to the mixture. Serve with strained pasta.

Artichokes and Walnuts
You will need 1 (6.5 oz) jar Cara Mia Artichokes Hearts in Water, 2 spring onions, 3 carrots, 1/2 cup walnuts, STAR Extra Virgin Olive Oil, salt, pepper and the juice of half a lemon. Place artichokes and water in a bowl with the lemon juice. Wash and chop up the other vegetables, fry and put by. Strain the artichokes and fry in STAR Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Add the other vegetables back in and add salt and pepper. Mix with the pasta and sprinkle the walnuts on top.

Pumpkin and Tofu
You will need 1 cup pumpkin, 20 grams tofu, 1 leek, 2 tomatoes, 5 hazelnuts, STAR Extra Virgin Olive Oil, salt and coriander. Fry the finely chopped leek. Add the cubed pumpkin and, once golden, the finely cubed tofu. Make the sauce by putting the peeled tomatoes, coriander, hazelnuts and a little STAR Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a blender. Add the cooked pasta to the pumpkin and tofu, toss and then add the sauce. Yum!

Make cooking even more fun by grabbing your favorite person to help you out in the kitchen. All recipes are twice as satisfying when they’ve been made with two pairs of hands, so get to it: put on some music, open a bottle of wine and fire up the stove!

Cannelloni: a classic for helping hands
Cannelloni are just the thing, because while one of you is working on one stage, the other can be working on a different one. First you need to make the filling: tuna, tomato and pâté (to bind it together and make it smooth and tasty), spinach and pine nut. You also need to cook or hydrate the pasta sheets.
Once it’s ready, one of you can spread the strained pasta sheets on cloths, arrange the filling and roll the cannelloni. Meanwhile, the other should make the white sauce: STAR Extra Virgin Olive Oil, flour, milk, salt, nutmeg, plenty of patience and lots of stirring. You want to get a light, smooth sauce without any lumps. Pour the sauce over the cannelloni on an oven tray and cook au gratin.

Chicken breasts stuffed with king prawns and port sauce
Teamwork! While one of you fillets and halves the chicken breasts, the other can be peeling the fresh king prawns. Once you’re done, place some fresh spinach leaves on top of each piece of chicken, along with 3 or 4 king prawns, and roll them up and tie with kitchen string. Gently poach some onion in STAR Original Olive Oil  and sear the rolls. Put aside.
Now, one of you should place the breasts in the oven, and keep watch until the prawns are cooked. Take them out and remove the kitchen string. The other one should be making the sauce on the stove: you’ll need a glass of port, a glass of chicken stock and a cup of evaporated milk. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve with the meat.

Mexican style: I’ll make the guacamole; you make the fajitas
For the guacamole you’ll need 2 avocados, 1/3 cup spring onions, 2/3 cup tomatoes, half a lime, half a teaspoonful of chopped, fresh cilantro and salt. Chop all the ingredients up finely (leave the avocados until last as they’ll go brown quickly) and mix together. Add salt, a dash of lime juice and flavor to taste. You can add chili pepper or Tabasco for an extra bite.
Meanwhile, the other can be making the fajita filling: for example, strips of beef with green, red and yellow peppers, chunks of onion, peeled, cubed tomato and a pinch of chill pepper or Tabasco. Fry everything together in STAR Original Olive Oil. Warm the tortillas and serve the guacamole with tortilla chips. Time to take off your aprons, pour yourselves another glass of wine and enjoy the food and company.

It’s got a broad crown and a thick, short, gnarled trunk. It bears olives as its fruit. What else do you know about this amazing tree? Here are five things every lover of extra-virgin olive oil ought to know:

The cultivated olive tree comes from the wild olive tree, which is smaller and bushier, with thorny branches. It bears fruit similar to olives, but smaller. It is found in Mediterranean areas and, although it adapts well to different soils and high temperatures, it is very sensitive to frosts.

It was believed to be an immortal tree. For the first ten years of its life, the olive tree’s trunk is flat and grey. It then starts to knot and darken in color. It has a root system near the surface and when it falls ill it produces offshoots to survive. That’s why in Classical Antiquity it was believed to be an “immortal tree”.

It has small, whitish, feathery flowers arranged in clusters on short branches. It flowers between April and June, depending on the variety, area, climate and the like. This process culminates when the fruit sets to form the drupe, i.e. the olive.

What does it need? Olive trees grow well in Mediterranean soils with little rainfall. They are resistant to drought and can survive temperatures below 15 ºF and above 105 ºF. However, they do need light and air currents. This hardy tree has been known to live for over a thousand years.

Over 200 varieties. More than 262 varieties of olive trees have been counted in Spain alone. Each one has adapted to a certain climate and terrain, although they are not all of the same quality. This leads to a wide range of different olives, each with their own size, color and nuances of aroma and flavor. The gordal olive, from Seville, for example, is the biggest, while the arbequina is the smallest.

Pizza: Noun. A delicious, crispy round of crust topped with warm sauce and garnished with endless varieties of your favorite toppings. Synonym: Happiness

Do you love pizza night? We do too. Instead of ordering the same ol’ take-out pizza, we recommend trying something different! Grab your favorite person or gather the family and make it a special night by making a custom pizza from scratch.

First thing’s first: the dough. You can make things a little simpler by grabbing some French bread from the store, cutting it into equal halves, and then layering all of your favorite things on top and popping it in the oven for it to bake. OR, you can go the whole nine yards and make your dough from scratch! It’s not as scary as it seems. With 30 minutes and only six ingredients, you’ll have your own freshly made pizza dough.

The toppings are the fun part. You can pretty much put anything you want on a pizza, and that’s what makes it great! Our favorite toppings are Cara Mia Grilled Artichoke Hearts, Cara Mia Mushrooms, Cara Mia Sun Dried Tomatoes, our Pimiento Stuffed Manzanilla Olives and Hot Pepper Stuffed Olives. Give them a try, we’re sure you’ll love them, too!

Here’s a recipe for making your own pizza dough:
Ingredients:

• 1 package (0.25 oz.) active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 ½ cups bread flour
• 2 tablespoons STAR Olive Oil - Try one of our Infused Olive Oils to give your dough added flavor!
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450⁰F. In a medium-sized bowl, dissolve both yeast and sugar in warm water and let stand for about 10 minutes or until creamy.
2. Stir in flour, salt and oil and beat until mixture is smooth. Let it rest for 5 minutes.
3. Roll the dough out on a surface that is lightly floured. Transfer dough to a lightly greased pizza pan. Add your favorite sauce and toppings and bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Let it cool and then enjoy!

Planning to host a party to see which films win this year’s awards? Here are some tips to dazzle your friends and make your evening unforgettable!

Snazzy Décor & Entertainment:

Fabulous Appetizers & Beverages:

Putting an end to the misguided notion that all pasta is fattening, here are three healthy, tasty recipes that are perfect for when you’re watching what you eat.

Three recipes and three handy hints you should always bear in mind: make sure you cook the pasta until it’s al dente (lower glycaemic index, more energy expended on chewing it and more time spent digesting it); go for whole wheat pasta (more nutrients and higher in fiber) and eat it for lunch rather than dinner (to make sure you burn off the energy). Now that that’s all clear, let’s get cooking!

Farfalle With Avocado and Salmon
Avocado and salmon are both rich in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins and minerals such as magnesium, potassium and zinc. This recipe combines this healthy energy with farfalle cooked in salted water, strained and flavored with a dash of our STAR Infused Olive Oil With Lemon Peel.

Add the fresh, cubed avocado. You can use either fresh or smoked salmon, depending on whether you prefer a warm or cold version. If you go for fresh salmon, cut it into cubes and sautée with salt and a little coriander.

Penne With Roasted Vegetables 
For this recipe you can use whatever vegetables you like: fresh asparagus, courgette, aubergine, carrots or whatever else you enjoy. Wash the vegetables well, chop them up and arrange them on an oven tray together with a couple of fresh tomatoes. Add salt and pepper, drizzle with STAR Extra Virgin Olive Oil and roast for 25 minutes at 400 ºF. Remember to stir the vegetables regularly.

Meanwhile, boil the penne in plenty of salted water. Strain and sautée the cooked pasta in a frying pan with a dash of a STAR Infused Olive Oil With Fresh Basil. Serve with the roasted vegetables.

Spaghetti With King Prawns and Soy Sauce
Peel and cut an onion into chunks. Cut off the tips and clean a bundle of fresh asparagus. Add the onion and asparagus to a wok or frying pan with a little STAR Extra Virgin Olive Oil, together with some fresh peeled king prawns. When it’s almost ready, add the soy sauce and stir for a couple of minutes.

Now it’s time to add the cooked, strained spaghetti, which should take on all the flavors and aromas of the stir fry, transporting you from the U.S. to the Far East.

It’s a proven fact that a balanced diet is one of the keys to physical and mental wellbeing. We need nutrients (carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals), fiber and water to keep our body running properly.

That’s why it’s important to follow a series of healthy steps and build them into our daily routine. Food is one of the best preventive medicines, so take note!

1.    Follow a varied diet that doesn’t leave out any of the different food groups, since they all have a role to play and the nutrients they provide are vital for our body to work at full potential. For example, carbohydrates and fats give us the necessary energy for our vital functions and physical activity, proteins help build our tissues, and minerals help regulate the body’s functions.

2.    Keep cholesterol at bay! Eat healthy, unsaturated fats, which you will find in foods like olive oil and nuts, rather than saturated fats (sausages, full-fat dairy products, etc.) and as far as possible avoid trans fats (mass-produced baked goods, margarine, etc.).

3.    Don’t skip meals. You should have a full, varied breakfast (with dairy products, fruit or vegetables and cereals) to start the day firing on all cylinders. It’s best to eat carbohydrates at lunch (to avoid accumulating energy you’re not going to burn) and have a light dinner. And don’t forget to have some fruit or yogurt as mid-morning and afternoon snacks.

4.    Add fiber to your diet. Don’t forget to eat the recommended five pieces of fruit and vegetables a day, as well as pulses and cereals. Fiber does not count as a nutrient because it does not act in the body’s internal processes, although it does play a major role in digestion.

5.    Drink water. Human beings need water to stay alive so we should drink water regularly throughout the day, even before we feel thirsty. About half a gallon of water a day is enough, given that we also take in water from other foods such as fruit and vegetables.

It is traditional to eat fried foods on Hanukkah because of the significance of oil to the holiday. One-day worth of oil for the lights in the temple lasted for 8 days.  Among Eastern European Jews, this usually includes latkes, pronounced "lot-kuhs" or "lot-keys" depending on where your grandmother comes from.  If you are not Jewish, it is pronounced "potato pancakes".

Another traditional food is a Sufganiyah.  It is basically a round doughnut that is deep-fried, filled with jelly or custard and topped with powdered sugar.  We found this Sufganiyah recipe on marthastewart.com and adapted it to use STAR® Grapeseed Oil, a healthier alternative when it comes to frying.

It is best to enjoy these treats while they are still warm!

Ingredients

Sufganiyah - Deep Fried Jelly Doughnuts

• 3/4 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
• 1 envelope active dry yeast (1 scant tablespoon)
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/4 cup sugar, plus 1/2 cup for coating
• Pinch of salt
• 2 large eggs, separated
• 2 tablespoons margarine or unsalted butter, room temperature
• STAR® Grapeseed Oil, for frying, plus more for bowl
• 1/4 cup raspberry or strawberry jam or jelly

Directions

1. In a large bowl, stir together the warm water and yeast. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add 3/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup sugar, and salt; mix until well combined. Add egg yolks and remaining 1 3/4 cups flour. Mix until combined, then knead dough in bowl until all flour is incorporated. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface; knead a few minutes until smooth. Knead in margarine until incorporated.
2. Transfer dough to a bowl well-oiled with STAR® Grapeseed Oil turning several times to coat entirely with oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
3. Bring dough to room temperature, about 30 minutes. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough into an 11-inch square, about 1/8 inch thick. Using a 2-inch cookie cutter (or a glass), cut out about 24 (2-inch) rounds, dipping cutter in flour as needed to prevent sticking. Re-roll scraps; cut out about 16 more rounds.
4. Line a baking sheet with a clean kitchen towel. In a small bowl, lightly beat egg whites. Brush edge of a dough round with egg white, then mound 1/2 teaspoon jam in center. Top with another round; press edges to seal. Repeat with remaining rounds. Transfer to prepared baking sheet; let rise until puffy, 20 to 30 minutes.
5. Heat a few inches of oil in a large, heavy pot until it reaches 360 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer or a scrap of dough sizzles upon contact. Working in batches of 4 or 5, carefully slip doughnuts into hot oil. Fry, turning once, until golden brown, about 1 minute (doughnuts will fry very quickly and puff up). Using a slotted spoon, transfer doughnuts to paper towels to drain.
6. Place remaining 1/2 cup of sugar in a medium bowl.  While doughnuts are still hot, dip them in sugar, turning to coat.  Serve immediately.

This mouth-watering recipe is given an exotic twist by adding a dash of coconut milk.

Pumpkin, Orange and Coconut Milk Soup

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup diced, peeled pumpkin
  
• 3 Medium sized potatoes
• 2 Spring Onions
• 2 Cloves of Garlic
• 1 tin of Coconut Milk
• Juice of 4 Oranges
• A handful of Almonds
• STAR® Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions


Roast the almonds in a frying pan and add as a topping before serving.