Fresh News
We’re bringing you the freshest news on all things food + more!
05/09/2022
May is American Artisan Cheese Month, and to kick things off, we are featuring Firefly Farms Handcrafted Cheese’s Bloomy Breeze, Mountaintop and Merry Goat Round
Founded by Mike Kock and Pablo Solanet, Firefly Farms is located in Western Maryland. They are artisan cheese makers that have dedicated themselves to delivering the finest cow and goat milk cheeses without additives, preservatives or stabilizers and never any added hormones or antibiotics. Bloomy Breeze is a soft-ripened cheese made with blend of fresh milk from Holstein and Jersey cows. First aged for three-weeks, then wrapped and aged for an additional month. The end result is a rich, luscious, velvety white cheese with an edible rind. Mountaintop is an award-winning innovative soft-ripened cheese. Taking the classic pyramid shape of a Valencay, the ripening agent instead of ash is blue. This delectable cheese has a mild yet rich flavor with a decadently creamy texture. And last but certainly not least, we come to Merry Goat Round. With it’s super creamy texture and mild, clean flavor, Merry Goat Round is for all cheese lovers especially for those Blue to Brie connoisseurs. Best of all, the rind is where the best flavors are! It’s soft and bloomy, and edible at every stage of ripening. We hope you stop by our cheese department and bring home one of Firefly Farms artisan cheeses to share with your friends and family.
05/09/2022
Let’s Get Cooking!
Every cut of beef, pork, poultry and seafood have distinct qualities that separate them from one another and require different methods for cooking. Think of it this way, would you grill a salmon fillet the same way as a T-bone steak? Let Bianchini’s help you navigate the world of cooking meats. We have an easy-to-navigate page for beef, pork, poultry and seafood, with suggestions on which cut of meat is better suited for baking, broiling, pan frying, grilling, roasting and braising, as well as recipes next to each that can help you make truly great tasting meals. Count on Bianchini’s, the Readers’ Choice Best Place to Buy Meat & Seafood, to provide the finest and freshest beef, pork, poultry and seafood available.
05/02/2022
Celebrate American Artisan Cheese Month throughout the month of May.
To kick off our cheese celebrations, we are featuring Cypress Grove cheeses. Located on California’s North Coast in Humboldt County, Cypress Grove are purveyors of premium goat cheeses. Founded by Mary Keehn, a single mother of four, who was searching for a healthy milk to give her children. One of her neighbors owned a farm that used goats to maintain the brush. After inquiring about purchasing two, the neighbor stated that if she could catch them, then the goats are hers. After a bit of work, Esmeralda and Hazel the goats became a part of Mary’s life. Soon, the goats multiplied and so did the milk. Curious about making cheese, Mary began to travel around the world to learn from the cheese making masters. Cypress Grove opened their doors in 1983 and have been honing their cheesemaking skills over the years to adapt to the changing tastes of the customer. In 2010, Cypress Grove built their own dairy, making the animal’s happiness and health the primary focus. This mindset earned Cypress Grove the American Humane Association’s endorsement of Humane Certified with a score of 100% three years running. With so many delectable cheese from Cypress Grove, it’s only fitting there’s a mac & cheese recipe featuring the award-winning Midnight Moon.
Midnight Moon Mac & Cheese
Homemade mac and cheese at its very finest.
Ingredients
- 1 cup grated Midnight Moon cheese
- 2 cups grated cheddar cheese, medium or sharp, your preference
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, or mozzarella
- 1 lb. rigatoni noodles
- Olive oil, for noodles
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 2 1/2 cups half and half
- 1/2 tablespoon salt, more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika, more to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease a 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
Fill a large pot with water and sprinkle with salt. Bring water to a boil.
Combine the grated Midnight Moon and cheddar cheeses with the shredded Monterey Jack in a mixing bowl. Toss to combine.
Separate the cheese into three piles. One pile should be 3 cups of cheese for the sauce. The other two piles should be close to 1 cup each, one pile for inner layer and the other for the topping.
Once the water is boiling, add in the rigatoni noodles. Follow the package directions for cooking but subtract 2 minute for al dente noodles. Drain the water and transfer noodles to a large bowl. Drizzle a little olive oil over the noodles and stir.
Bring a saucepan to medium heat. Add butter and flour to the pan, cook for 1 minute, whisking regularly. Pour in about half of the whole milk and the half and half, whisking until smooth. Pour in the remaining whole milk and half and half, whisk until well incorporated and has thickened.
Add half of the larger cheese pile to the sauce pan and season with salt, ground black pepper and paprika. Stir together until cheese has melted. Once melted, add the remaining cheese from the larger pile and stir until melted and smooth. Season with more spices as needed.
Pour the cheese sauce over the cooked noodles in the large bowl. Stir to combine. Pour half of the cheesy noodles into the baking dish. Sprinkle noodles with one cup of the cheese mix. Add the remaining cheesy noodles on top. Sprinkle the last cup of cheese mix over the noodles.
Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and a light golden brown.
Servings 6
05/02/2022
Let’s Get the Cinco de Mayo Party Started!
What are your plans for Cinco de Mayo? Whether you’re celebrating with your family and friends or heading to a party, Bianchini’s is your one-stop shop for snacks, salsas, dips and much more. Enjoy Bianchini’s Signature Homemade Tortilla chips, our excellent salsa selection and ready-to-eat guacamole. And if you’re looking for standout dishes and drinks that are sure to make your guests come back for more, be sure to browse our Cinco de Mayo recipe collection. You’ll find everything from street-style grilled corn and pork tacos with sweet pineapple to lime & mint frozen mojito and citrus infused margaritas.
05/02/2022
May the 4th Be with You AKA Star Wars Day, is nearly here!
This intergalactic holiday can only mean one thing, it’s time to enjoy a tall glass of Blue Milk. We’ve all seen Luke pour himself a glass to have with his meal in A New Hope, but what does it taste like? The mystery is finally over we have a Blue Milk recipe that’s out of this world delicious.
Blue Milk
Out of this galaxy good.
Ingredients
- 4 cups milk, use soy, cashew or coconut for non-dairy
- 2 cups blueberries fresh or frozen
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Pour the milk, blueberries, maple syrup and vanilla extract in a blender. Pulse until smooth.
Use a cheesecloth or nut milk bag to strain liquid into a pitcher.
Place the lid on the pitcher and refrigerate until chilled. (Can be refrigerated up to four days)
Servings 4
05/02/2022
Create a special Mother’s Day brunch this Sunday, May 8th, with a few mouthwatering recipes from our Mother’s Day recipe collection.
You’ll find a little of everything, enjoy Grand Marnier French Toast, Cinnamon Coffee Cake, Mini Broccoli Cheddar Quiche, Avocado Toast with Egg and Pancetta, Gruyere Sliced Potatoes, Grapefruit and Avocado Salad, and Mascarpone Cream Puffs for an afternoon dessert. And don’t forget about Bianchini’s Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice and a bottle of her favorite bubbly for mimosas! Browse our full list of Mother’s Day recipes.
04/25/2022
This is the final week to vote in the 2022 Almanac Readers’ Choice.
Voting closes on May 1st. Please consider voting for your local Bianchini’s Market.We are nominated for Best Place to Buy Meat, Best Produce, Best Grocery and Best Sandwiches. The continued support of local farms, ranches, vendors and food purveyors, has allowed us to continue to tailor our inventory to our customers. Letting us provide a truly unique selection of items you won’t find anywhere else. Vote today for Bianchini’s Market!
04/25/2022
Pizzone Pizzas Now Available at Bianchini’s!
Check out what’s new in Bianchini’s freezer section, Pizzone pizzas. Made locally, in Palo Alto, Pizzone is a Milano-style pizza with a thick and pillowy crust yet surprisingly light and airy in the middle. Each Pizzone pizza is topped with sauce made with the finest Italian tomatoes and premium local mozzarella cheese, with flavorful seasonal vegetables and high-quality cured meats on select pizzas. Stop by our freezer section this week and pick up a Pizzone pizza to bake at home. And for an extra cheesy, extra delicious pizza pie, try our recipe below.
Four Cheese Pizzone with Potatoes, Rosemary and Bacon
Layer after layer of incredible flavor!
Ingredients
- 2 Four Cheese Pizzone pizzas
- 4 slices bacon, or Italian pancetta
- 3 small potatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Fresh rosemary, chopped, to taste
- Salt, to taste
- Ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Thoroughly wash and pat dry potatoes. Slice potatoes into thin slices, about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer sliced potatoes to a bowl, drizzle olive oil over top and season with chopped rosemary, salt and pepper. Toss together. Transfer seasoned potatoes to the baking sheet. Place the potatoes in the oven and bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Keep oven on.
Place bacon in a pan and cook for 5 minutes at medium heat, until lightly browned and crisp. Transfer bacon to a cutting board and cut into 2-inch pieces. (Skip cooking if using Italian pancetta)
Remove the two Pizzone trays from the box and remove the compostable film from the tray. Arrange potatoes and bacon pieces on both Pizzones. With the Pizzone on the provided compostable tray or on two sheet pans, place the Pizzone in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes. (If the Pizzone is frozen, bake for 10 minutes before adding potatoes and bacon.) Remove the Pizzone from the oven, transfer to serving plates and enjoy your gourmet pizza!
Servings 2
04/25/2022
We Are in the Final Week of Grilled Cheese Month
To end on a delectable note, we are featuring Hoffman Smoked Cheddar cheese. Both cheese connoisseurs and casual cheese lovers have fallen in love with hickory smoked sharp cheddar flavor. Hoffman has accomplished this mouthwatering feat by first aging the cheese and then smoking it with hickory chips. One bite and you’ll be hooked!
Smoked Cheddar and Bacon Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
An elevated grilled cheese with deep, rich flavors.
Ingredients
- 8 slices sourdough bread, about 1/2-inch thick
- 8 slices Hoffman Smoked Cheddar cheese
- 4 slices bacon, cooked and cut in half crosswise
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, divided
Directions
Arrange 4 slices of sourdough bread in a row. Place 2 slices of smoked cheddar cheese on each bread slice. Place an even amount of bacon slices on top of the cheese. Place the remaining four slices of bread on top of the bacon.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a cast-iron skillet. Place 2 sandwiches in the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes, until golden brown. Flip and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Transfer sandwiches to serving plates and cut in half. Repeat process of 2 tablespoons butter and two sandwiches, 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown.
Servings 4
04/18/2022
Grilled Cheese Month is Going Strong in All its Cheesy Goodness
This week we are featuring manchego cheese. This aged sheep’s milk cheese from the La Mancha region of Spain ranges in color fro white to ivory-yellow, has a semi-firm texture that becomes crumbly the longer it’s aged, with a distinctly zesty flavor with a creamy finish. Manchego is the perfect centerpiece for our latest grilled cheese masterpiece.
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Manchego and Serrano Ham
The trifecta of salty, savory and sweet.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- 4 slices firm white sandwich bread
- 6 oz. Manchego cheese, sliced thin
- 4 oz. Serrano ham or prosciutto, sliced thin
- 4 Medjool dates
Directions
Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.
Evenly spread butter on one side of all four slices of bread. Place two slices of bread butter side down on the baking sheet.
Top both slices of bread with an equal amount of cheese and Serrano ham or prosciutto. Place the dates on top and then lay the two remaining slices of bread on top, butter side up.
Cover sandwiches with plastic wrap and place the in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. (This can be done the night before, follow directions and refrigerate overnight)
Warm the panini press and cook sandwiches according to the appliance’s directions.
Alternatively, warm a large skillet to medium-high heat. Once hot, place both sandwiches in the skillet and reduce to medium-low. Use a second skillet or heavy pot to press down on the sandwiches while cooking. Cook for about 4 minutes per side, until golden brown and the cheese is melted.
Remove the sandwiches from the skillet and transfer to serving plates. Cut in half and enjoy!
Servings 2 sandwiches