Looking for something new to try? Try Roma Food’s Cannoli Cream Filling recipe!
All ingredients for this recipe can be found at either Roma store location!
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Recipe of the Week: Roma Antipasto!
Looking for a fabulous antipasto recipe? Roma has just the one you’re looking for!
All ingredients for this can be found at either Roma store location!
Olive Oil at Roma Foods in Latham, NY
Our large, international olive oil selection is a big draw for customers who shop at Roma Foods in Latham New York. We carry 20 different brands of olive oil from over 6 countries around the world such as Greece, Lebanon, Italy and beyond! Our olive oil selection is a unique niche at Roma Foods and we would like to use this blog to explain the different types of olive oil to our customers!
Used generically the term “olive oil” means the oil is obtained solely from the fruit of the olive tree. In fact, olive oil is the only oil edible straight from the production press without necessary further process. There are over 800 millions olive trees in the world and 93% of them are found in the Mediterranean region. The Mediterranean is where the olive tree is originated and where the better quality olive oil is produced. An olive tree can live from 300 to 600 years and many say that there are olive trees that are over 1,000 years old!
When it comes to cooking, olive oil is a great alternative to butter/margarine and supplements the flavor of foods. All edible types of olive oils have the same nutritious value: roughly 120 calories per each tablespoon. However, because olive oil has very good flavor, smaller quantities are required compared to other vegetable oils. It can be used in all types of cooking: frying, baking, boiling, sauté.
Different Types of Olive Oil:
- EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL is an excellent olive oil with an extremely fine taste, exceptional aroma, flavor and color. This olive oil comes from first pressings that meet the ultimate standards. It has an extremely low content of free fatty acids.
- VIRGIN OLIVE OIL is very good quality oil with a higher content of free fatty acids of not more than 2g per 100g (2%). Virgin olive oil has the aroma, flavor and color respectively with those of extra virgin olive oil.
- PURE (ORDINARY) OLIVE OIL is good quality oil with good flavor and has acidity of no more than 3g per 100g (3%).
- OLIVE-POMACE OIL is a blend of refined olive-pomace and virgin olive oil. It’s excellent for deep fat frying, pan-searing and grilling. In fact, Extra Virgin Olive Oil is far superior for frying because of the higher smoke point (460F).
- EXTRA LIGHT OLIVE OIL is olive oil which has been heavily refined, and has a pale color and minimal flavor. The term is also not governed by food regulation agencies in many countries, so the ingredients in extra light olive oil may vary. As extra-light olive oil has a higher smoke point than pure or extra-virgin olive oil, it’s best suited for use in baking or any kind of cooking where neutral-tasting oil is needed. However, the neutral flavor makes it a poor choice for dishes in which the taste of olive oil is desired.
Stop into Roma Foods in Latham or Saratoga, New York today to get more information about our olive oil selections!
Make Your Latham or Saratoga, NY Superbowl Party A Hit This Year With Specials from Roma Foods!
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…SUPERBOWL TIME!
With the Giants and the Patriots once again going head-to-head for the big game, we can only assume that YOU want to throw the best Superbowl party for your family and friends. Why don’t you let us help you with the cooking for your party so you can focus on the big game?
We have prepared some additional specials that are Roma staff favorites from past Superbowl parties. This year, we are serving up:
- Party subs, 3-6 feet long, $10.00 off – these subs have been a fan favorite at Roma’s for years
- Half bushel Littleneck Clams $64.95
- All natural New York Strip Steaks, $8.99lb.
- Bone-in or boneless chicken wings, cooked and prepared Buffalo style, $3.99 lb.
Chef Paul is also preparing some of his favorite Superbowl dishes for your party:
- Chef Paul’s Southern style pulled pork, $3.99 lb
- Chef Paul’s famous beef Chili, $5.00 per quart
- Jalapeno Cheddar Corn Bread Muffins, $1.50 each
As always, we can prepare platters of cold cuts, pasta salads, green salads and all the other fixings you need! Prepared hot and cold dishes such as lasagna, eggplant parmesan, chicken dishes, antipasto and more are available for your convenience. Click here to view our menus!
To learn more about our Superbowl party options or place your order, call us at 518-785-7480 (our Latham store) or 518-587-6004 (Saratoga store). Both locations will be open on Superbowl Sunday for food pick-up as well as your last-minute grocery needs. The Saratoga store will be open from 9am-3pm Superbowl Sunday.
PS- Don’t forget that no party is complete without dessert! Order our homemade Italian pastries!
GO GIANTS!
Posted in Meat, Specialty food
Tagged catering, natural meats, party subs, Superbowl Sunday, take-out
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Meet the Man Behind the Meals: Chef Paul of Roma’s Latham, NY Italian Specialty Food Store
One of the great things about Roma Foods is that we constantly bring our customers fresh, homemade food made of the finest ingredients. While ingredients make our food good, it is our team at Roma that makes our food GREAT. An invaluable member of that team is Chef Paul. Chef Paul, a.k.a. Paul Higgs, has been Roma’s in-house culinary master for 16 years and loves sharing his 35 years of experience and passion for cooking with our customers. His cooking skills, culinary talents and warm personality are some of the qualities that bring customers coming back to Roma.
It’s hard to believe that Chef Paul called anywhere his home before he came to Roma, but it is his past culinary experiences that continually challenge him to make new and exciting dishes for our customers. Not many grocers and delis can say that they have a full-time in-house chef on premise and we love that Chef is such a big part of our Roma family. Chef Paul started his culinary ventures in the Deep South as the Head Chef for several resorts in Georgia and Alabama. After feeling slightly burnt out from the restaurant industry, Paul took a break and did construction for a year. His project for Niagara Mohawk brought him to the area and after completion, he decided to stay and start a family here. Chef Paul, his wife and five children now call the Capital Region home!
Chef Paul’s career at Roma Foods started as a part-time gig in the small back room known as the “old kitchen.” When he started working at Roma 16 years ago, he would work the night shift in the bakery making bread and preparing food for the following day. “I would come in at 11pm with the bakery crew and work until the morning. During the day, I worked as the Food and Beverage Director at the Ramada Inn in Schenectady, NY,” he explains. Over the years, his growing role at Roma allowed them to expand from salads and prepared foods to a full-blown catering menu. These days, you can find Chef Paul cooking and baking all sorts of delicious dishes for our customers. When asked what he loves most about working for Roma Foods, he simply said, “I love coming to work every day because I love cooking. I love creating new dishes for customers, especially ones that aren’t on our regular menu.” Along with the staple favorites just as his sauces, soups and daily dinner specials, Chef Paul regularly prepares unconventional dishes at the special request of customers. “I have had customers ask for Chinese, French and Asian cuisine for their catering needs. Those are my favorite to prepare because I can get creative. Chicken teriyaki and seafood dishes are some that I have recently prepared,” he explains. In addition to his cooking skills, Chef Paul enjoys baking traditional Italian pastries and desserts such as cannollis, pies, cookies and brownies.
When asked about his domestic duties, Chef Paul admits that he cooks the majority of meals for his family at home as well. “I usually leave here and cook dinner for the family,” he says with a chuckle. Hopefully he has some hands to help him in the kitchen: of his 5 kids (3 boys and 2 girls), he shares that all of his boys have worked or at currently working at Roma! “It has become a family tradition.”
If you have any questions for Chef Paul about our catering menu or any other services in our Albany, NY store, please contact us at 518-785-7480 or visit our website at romafoods.com.
Posted in Roma staff, Specialty food
Tagged catering, Chef Paul, desserts, dinner specials, Gourmet meals, Pastries, Roma Foods Latham
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Need help in the kitchen?! Let this Latham NY Deli take the pressure off…
At Roma Foods, we know how hectic life can be! With over 65 years in the business, we have perfected the art of helping our customers make life just a little bit easier. Whether it is helping you prepare for a big family party, making you a fabulous home cooked dinner to bring home to your family or providing you with groceries, we enjoy having our customers be a part of our growing Roma Family. Why not let Roma Foods help take some of the pressure off you and let us help you with…
IN-HOUSE CHEF: At Roma Foods, we have an in-house chef that prepares all of our delicious homemade meals and pastries. Chef Paul, aka Paul Higgs, has been with Roma for 16 years and loves sharing his 35 years of experience and passion for cooking with our customers.
PARTIES: Roma Foods is experienced in providing you the perfect spread for your party. We provide platters of cold cuts, pasta salads, green salads and all the other fixings you need! Prepared hot and cold dishes such as lasagna, eggplant parmesan, chicken dishes, antipasto and more are also available for your convenience. We even take care of dessert with our famous, homemade Italian pastries! Call 518-785-7480 to learn more about party options as well as place an order.
DAILY DINNER SPECIALS: Don’t have time or energy to cook dinner for your family? We have Daily Dinner Specials ranging from bar favorites like pizza and wings to sophisticated comfort food such as rosemary chicken or meatloaf. All of the specials are prepared in-house daily by our own Chef Paul! Call 518-785-7480 to place an order and pick it up in time for dinner!
NATURAL MEATS: At Roma Foods, we firmly believe that eating well is part of living well and have the overall wellness of our customers in mind as we debate what high quality meats to carry in our stores. As always, we provide our customers with natural meat with no added hormones, antibiotics or steroids. These meats make the perfect main dish for your holiday dinner. For more information about our natural meats, see an article we recently posted on our blog by clicking here.
GIFTS: Let Roma Foods be your one-stop shop for picking out gifts for everyone on your list. We carry an array of gifts ranging from Italian French presses to demitasse sets. As always, we carry Italian favorites such Italian Torrone candy. Roma Gift Cards make the perfect gift for the person who has everything!
GROCERIES: Roma Foods has the largest selection of Italian, Greek, Near East and domestic food specialties and staples in the Northeast. Our offerings include many varieties of pasta, olive oils, vinegars, tomatoes, sauces, coffees, teas, jams, jellies, breads, frozen foods and vegetables, olives, exotic spices, rice, and much more. Chances are good that we have that hard to find item that will complete your meal or confection. From allspice to zataar, artichokes to zampino, we have what you’re looking for!
REWARD PROGRAM: Stop in to Roma Foods today to enroll in our NEW REWARD PROGRAM! Load $50 or more on your rewards card and receive an additional 20% back on your card!
If you have any questions, please contact us at 518-785-7480 or visit our website at romafoods.com. We look forward to serving you in the New Year!
-= The Roma Food Staff
Posted in Meat, Specialty food
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The Feast Of The Seven Fishes: Let Roma Do the Cooking For You!
In 1946, Frank D. Bolognino and his cousin Vince Pellegrino opened the original Roma Importing Co., so it’s safe to assume that these two deeply Italian families have been cooking the traditional “Feast of the Seven Fishes” on Christmas Eve for over 65 years!
Not familiar with this Italian tradition? The Feast of the Seven Fishes (festa dei sette pesci), celebrated on Christmas Eve, also known as The Vigil (La Vigilia), is believed to have originated in Southern Italy. Today, it is a feast that typically consists of seven different seafood dishes. Some Italian American families have been known to celebrate with 9, 11 or 13 different seafood dishes. This celebration is a commemoration of the wait, Vigilia di Natale, for the midnight birth of the baby Jesus. The people from Naples are famous for their elaborate spreads of cold shellfish cocktails and hot fish dishes, as well as the roasted peppers and antipasti so it is no surprise this tradition was started! Why only fish you might ask? Catholics typically refrain from the consumption of meat or milk products on Fridays and specific holy days as a sign of respect for the holy family.
Now that the history is out of the way, let’s get back to the food! The Bolognino family has been perfecting this holiday tradition for generations and is more than happy to take some of the pressure off you this holiday season! So why don’t you let Roma Foods do the cooking for you this Christmas Eve?
Roma Foods provides many options for your Feast of the Seven Fishes holiday tradition. May we suggest serving…
- Calamari (cleaned, fresh or frozen)
- Smelts (cleaned, frozen)
- Shrimp of all sizes (raw or cooked)
- Lobster tails (frozen)
- King crab legs (fresh or frozen)
- Octopus (frozen)
- Baccala (salted or soaked, boneless or bone-in)
- Scungilli (frozen of canned)
- Chef Paul’s homemade cold baccala salad
- Chef Paul’s homemade baccala (fried or oreganata)
Please pre-order items and dishes at 518-785-7480 for the best availability or stop into Roma Foods to discuss your options with our knowledgeable staff!
Posted in Holiday food
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Natural Meats in Albany, NY? Look No Further Than Roma Foods!
At Roma Foods, we firmly believe that eating well is part of living well and have the overall wellness of our customers in mind as we debate what high quality meats to carry in our stores. This emphasis on wellness is why all … Continue reading
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