Breaking News From Sclafani’s Bakery

 

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Mark your Calendar & Set you cellphone alert for Monday morning March 31, 2015! Just received word  from an employee of Sclafani’s Bakery, that starting Monday morning they will be taking orders for their famous freshly made  Cartocci, Lobster Tails, Cannoli, and Ricotta Pies, for next weekends Easter Celebrations!. 

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Brother Joey and I have posted numerous times about brothers Frank and Gus Sclafani’s delectable hand crafted “Ricotta Cartocci.” We both agree, that the Sclafani’s  brothers Cartocci are by far the best Cartocci sold in town!

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Every Saturday morning my twins, husband, St. Barry and mother Pat, look forward to enjoying a freshly made Italian pastry from the Sclafani’s Bakery. This year it’s been requested they be added to our Easter Brunch menu. Over the past several months, this Italian Donut’s popularity has grown to sell out by 10:30 am each Saturday morning.  Knowing this fact, first hand after leaving the bakery a few times empty handed, I decided to inquire about pre ordering a dozen for our families Easter Brunch next weekend. While inquiring this morning while shopping for Easter basket fillings, I asked if they would be willing to extend a pre order option for Cartocci to their customers and general public this holiday season. Without hesitation Frank agreed! 

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The Sclafani borthter’s Cartocci are usually sold “Saturdays Only,” in limited supply. Take advantage of this opportunity for next weekend. Call your Easter orders in before next Friday. 

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If your planning a Easter Brunch, lunch or Dinner, or invited out for any of the above, I highly recommend calling in an order bright and early Monday morning for one of  Sclafani’s delicious handmade pastries. All will be freshly prepared and awaiting your pickup next Saturday! 

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Trust me… your guests will be licking their dessert plates clean!

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Monday Sista Felicia shares an Easter Basket filled with products she uses often, sold at Sclafani’s Bakery. One product included is a childhood favorite. Look for the Sista Dish post Monday to learn what that childhood favorite is! 

Call Sclafani’s Bakery  to Place your Easter Orders

49 Washington Street, Gloucester Ma. 01930

 Phone #1-978-283-6622

Cartocci $2.50 each

Lobster tail  $2.50 each

Cannoli $1.75 each

Ricotta Pie $12.99 each

Italian Cookies $5.99 per lb.

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Sista Felicia’s Favorite Picks for Filling Easter Baskets Locally!

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The Seven day countdown to Easter Sunday begins tomorrow!

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Planning for the holiday is well underway. The house is officially decorated, and our Easter Brunch menu is set! It’s now time to start the Easter baking and basket making! Thursday while shopping for ingredients at Virgilios Bakery I was inspired to fix a few traditional and “nontraditional” Easter baskets using items sold at local stores that I shop often. This year I’m looking forward to surprising friends and family with a few of my favorite things tucked into the decorative Easter Baskets my loved ones look forward to receiving each year! Over the next several days I will share my theme basket ideas highlighting items I adore sold at local business. 

Get ready to think in and out of the basket!

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Starting off this week’s Sista Dish Easter Basket Blog Series off with a basket created for the special cook in your life. If you are looking to create a special gift for the hostess preparing your celebratory Easter meal this year, stop by The Cave and seek owner Laura Cramer’s expert help selecting the perfect items to tantalize the pallet of your Easter chef!  

Laura Cramer Owner of “The Cave” Writes ~ The Cave is filled with an incredible amount of cheese. Blues, double & triple cremes, cheddars, classic Italian, & so many more. Foie gras, pate, olives, spreads, smoked fish & salami too. A bounty of chocolate & confections also just in. Come by for a taste. Open 10-5

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 All items displayed in this hostess theme basket, are items sold at “The Cave” on Gloucester’s Main Street.

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Sista Felicia’s Cookbook for sale while supply last…

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Note~ Easter basket embellishments were shopped locally at “The Dollar Store” located in Gloucester Crossing Plaza. Easter Basket was selected from my personal basket collection.

Wine will be on sale starting April 1, 2015

Don’t forget to pick up a wedge of “Rat Cheese” at The Cave and follow my Step-by-Step Recipe for a delicious “Lent Friendly” Homemade Mac & Cheese!

Click Read more for Step-by-Step Mac & Cheese Recipe and complete photo gallery of shopping “The Cave”… Continue reading “Sista Felicia’s Favorite Picks for Filling Easter Baskets Locally!”

Yikes! Flooding at Corner of Grapevine & Alantic Road 

 

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Live at the corner of Grapvine & Atlantic Road… some drivers are passing through the huge puddle… I’m playing it safe and turning around! Someone call the DPW STAT!

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Click Read more for additional photos! Continue reading “Yikes! Flooding at Corner of Grapevine & Alantic Road “

Live From Opening Night Of “The Sound Of Music” at Rockport Middle School





Fantastic Performance… Sista gives it a Two thumbs up! 





Show is running March 26-29 … A must see! 



Back Stage with the cast!

Sista Felicia’s Peeps Easter Egg Surprise

 

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Sista Felicia’s Peeps Easter Egg Surprise

Time to start preparing sweet treats for Easter. Last year this recipe was created and posted on Sista’s Dish after being inspired by my favorite childhood Italian traditional Easter candy while shopping at Scalafini Bakery here in Gloucester. Its a fun recipe to make with kids and adults of all ages.

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Click Read more for Step-by-Step Recipe and photos

Continue reading “Sista Felicia’s Peeps Easter Egg Surprise”

Ricotta Stuffed Shells & Sunday Sauce

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Ricotta Stuffed Shells & Sunday Sauce

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Click Read more for Step-by-Step recipe details

Continue reading “Ricotta Stuffed Shells & Sunday Sauce”

A Timeless Photo Triggers A Treasured Memory

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Fried Smelt

The above photo was included in a Sista Dish post yesterday. Shortly after it posted, I received a message from Facebook friend, Mary Ann Albert Boucher,  that touched my heart and made my day!

 

Mary Ann Writes~ “OMG…never thought a photo of fried smelt would bring a tear to my eye, but smelt ice fishing was one of my father’s favorite hobbies and would go several times during the winter to Brunswick, ME with the guys and bring home hundreds and hundreds of them… he’d bag them up by the dozen or two or three and deliver them all over the city to friends……………as kids we would often go to the Cape Ann Marina or to a small bridge off of Essex Avenue and fish with him…Memories”

 Mary Ann, Thank you so much for sharing your memory triggered by the Fried Smelt photo posted yesterday. Your comment not only touched my heart and made my day, it once again reinforced why I’m so passionate about connecting younger generations to our past through celebrations of food, family and friendship. Each time I receive a comment like yours, it fuels my determination to find a way to share the remainder of my cookbook series with the world, and expand the ability to share step-by-step recipes, and childhood memories involving food on a larger scale. 

 Mary Ann Comments posted on FB regarding today’s Post~AWWWWW…thank you for the kind words Felicia…..isn’t it funny how a simple photo CAN bring the most awesome memories rushing back. You are a blessing to not only your family, but the entire community…God Bless! 🙂

Follow Sista Felicia on Twitter, Instagram & FaceBook for a daily sneak peek at what’s cooking in Sista’s Kitchen… @SistaFelicia

 

 

 

Celebrating St. Joseph Day with Feast Food Family & Friends

 

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 A traditional Feast of St Joseph Pasta, Italian bread, Orange and Finochio Salad, Frittata, Baked Haddock, Panelle, Fried Calamari, Smelts, Haddock, Crab Cakes, Muddica Artichoke, Seafood Casserole and St. Joseph Zeppole, were served with cordials of homemade Limonciello and Arancello. All were accompanied by many other delicious foods and desserts that were prepared by and enjoyed with family and friends on Thursday evening following our nine day nightly St. Joseph Novena. 

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Sista Felicia’s Homemade “St. Joseph Zeppole” filled with both traditional vanilla custard, and sweetened ricotta topped with cherries and confectioners sugar!

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What’s left of 130 lbs Hand made pasta!

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It was a fun day of cooking, feasting and celebrating!

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Click Read More for Photo Gallery Continue reading “Celebrating St. Joseph Day with Feast Food Family & Friends”

Viva Mariposa!

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Yesterday while preparing bread for our Feast of ST. Joseph, my BFF Dee Noble creatively shaped a Mariposa “String Of Pearls” inspired “Viva St. Joseph Bread” for the altar when I was in the other room fixing a second batch of bread dough. She knows my love for all things Mariposa and thought our altar needed a special Mariposa touch!

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This year’s Altar Breads

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The big question late last night…
How many men does it take to put the Mariposa away?”

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BFF Dee, directing the men during the massive team effort to tidy the house after last nights feast!

Family friend and GMG Contributor Donna Ardizzoni was in the kitchen with us all day photographing the process of preparing dishes served at last night’s traditional St. Joseph Feast. Look for her Photo gallery tomorrow afternoon!

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Donna Thank you for everything! Yesterday was so much fun! My kitchen is always filled with laughter when your in it!

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James and I look forward to selecting photos from your gallery for cookbook #3!  

The Final Night of 2015 St. Joseph Rosary at Sista Felicia’s

 

 

 

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The Power of Prayer

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The highlight of the evening was Madame Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken’s Surprise visit with friends, Maria Rossi and Giovanna Margiotta!

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The children of the rosary

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Keeping Mom busy preparing Italian Nachos for our last “Novena Coffee”

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The Cappuccino Makers!

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The Last “Novena Coffee”

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If walls could talk…..

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The time shared around the dinning room table and kitchen island are now beautiful memories that will last a lifetime! 

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The ceremonial “Soaking of the Fava Beans! 

Click Read More for photo gallery

Continue reading “The Final Night of 2015 St. Joseph Rosary at Sista Felicia’s”

Live From Virgilio’s Bakery With Breaking News! 

 



On sale tomorrow at Virgilio’s will be  $4.50 bowls of St. Joseph Pasta, including their famous St. Joseph Roll! Get there early… this is sure to sell out fast! 



St Joseph Zeppole will also be on sale $2.50 per Pastry! 



Viva San Guisseppe! 





A special thank you to owner Joe Virgilio for the fresh ricotta cheese I needed my feast tomorrow! 

Fr. Jim Blessing The Altar & Ingredients for The 2015 St. Joseph Feast

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Photos by Bridget Mathews

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Early this morning daughter Amanda and I were reminiscing about this years Novean while looking through dozens of photos downloaded onto my computer. It’s with mixed emotions I write todays post. Feeling incredible blessed to be surrounded this year by so many who share a devotion to St. Joseph. As a group through the power of prayer we have come together to continue the deep rooted Sicilian tradition for future generations. It’s been wonderful to see the young kids join us in prayer and song each night. It truly warmes my heart to see them inthustically following  their prayer books eager to learn the  Sicilian words! It’s been a wonderful 2 weeks of prayer and preparation for our celebatory feast on Thursday March 19th. It’s hard to believe that tonight is our last “Novena” of the 2015 celebration. I have to thank my faithful Novena ladies for everything they did to make this years so special…the memories we made, the laughs we had, the tears we shed, and the jokes we told, and the  stories shared will be remember for a lifetime. As Andrea reminds us each night “we got at least 30 more years of this together ladies!” Please know from the bottom of my heart ,I thank each and everyone of you for being by my side night after night and I very much look forward to the next 30 years together.  Tonight we pray one last time together, and tomorrow we celebrate our Patron Saint Joseph!

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Viva Gesu Maria Giuseppe….Viva!

 

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 Father Jim Blessing the Altar and ingredients for tomorrows feast Of St. Joseph

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Click Read More For Bridget Mathews photo gallery of last nights blessing prayers service.

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Continue reading “Fr. Jim Blessing The Altar & Ingredients for The 2015 St. Joseph Feast”

Viva Market Basket!



Gloucester’s own Market Basket is working hard with sister Felicia to ensure our Sicilian traditions are handed down! You can pick up all of the ingredients necessary to make your St. Joseph’s pasta in one easy location at the front of the store. 



Viva! And thanks to Market Basket management for making this happen! 





Live at Cape Ann Giclee with The Talented James Eves!



Creative Director James Eves working on an exciting Sista Felicia project being launched latter today! 

Thank you James!

XO

Sista



Orange & “Finochio” Fennel Salad

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Orange & “Finochio” Fennel Salad

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Preparations for “The Feast Of St. Joseph” is under way! All ingredients including fresh produce are officially in the house and ready for tonight’s ceremonial blessing by “Holy Famliy Parish” Pastor Father Jim, taken place this evening at tonight’s Novena.

Click Read More for Step-by-Step Recipe Details and Photos Continue reading “Orange & “Finochio” Fennel Salad”

Happy Birthday James Eves!

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Wishing the most creative man in my life “Creative Director” of all things Sista Felicia, and owner of Cape Ann Giclee 

James Eves

a very

Happy Birthday !

Sista Felicia’s Confections for Tonight’s “Novena Coffee Time”

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Cuccidatta Cookies

 

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Champagne Cookies

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Almond Macaroon Cookies

Almond Macaroon Cookie Recipe is highlighted in my cookbook, “Gifts Of Gold In A Sicilian Kitchen With Sista Felicia; Harvest”

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Keeping mom very busy this week!

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Click read more for my Step-by-Step Cuccidtta Cookie Recipe Continue reading “Sista Felicia’s Confections for Tonight’s “Novena Coffee Time””

Sunday Pasta & Meatballs

 

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Sunday Pasta cu Sugu!

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Fore my Step-by-Step Recipe, see Page #72 In my cookbook “Gifts of Gold In A Sicilian Kitchen With Sista Felicia; Harvest”

Sista Felicia’s Signature Homemade St. Joseph Zeppole

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This morning while whipping up a few batches of my famous St. Joseph Zeppole for tonight’s Novena Coffee, I decide to fix a special tray for my Comere Bridget Mathews, to serve at their families St. Joseph Feast at the Mathews family home this afternoon! After all a St. Joseph Feast is not complete without St. Joseph Zeppole Pastry. A Traditional St. Joseph Zeppole is filled with a pastry custard and or sweetened ricotta cream filling toped with either cherries, candied fruits and or small chocolate pieces, finished with a light dusting of Confectioners sugar. Today I prepared my signature St. Joseph Zeppole Pastry, in an equal assortment of  pastry custard, and sweetened ricotta cream filling, accompanied with sweetened cherries!

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Bridget Mathews Writes~ Melodey might have to have dessert before lunch! Thank you Felicia for the zeppole delivery!! They look delish!!!

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Each year I prepared 168 St. Joseph Zeppole for our families Feast, and all 168 Zeppole were enjoyed as fast as the freshly baked pastry shells were filled. This year I’m definitely planning to make a few dozen more!  

Click read more for Sista Felicia’s St. Zeppole Photo Gallery

Continue reading “Sista Felicia’s Signature Homemade St. Joseph Zeppole”