News
"Silver and gold, silver and gold"
THAT'S WHAT WE WON AT THE INTERNATIONAL HEALTHY FOOD CONTEST IN LONDON, ENGLAND
Can you believe it? We won three (3) gold medals and a silver medal overall at the International Healthy Food Show
held in London in September. We sent our Spiced Blueberry Jam, our Italian Tomato Jam, and our Hot Red Pepper
Jam. We were hoping for an honorable mention, but we were quite surprised when the email came that,
"Congratulations are in order". As soon as they arrive, I will have pictures on EVERY PAGE.
MY NEW BEST FRIEND IS OSCAR – VEAL OSCAR THAT IS. AS IN THE VEAL OSCAR AWARD THAT I WON FOR MY RASPBERRY HEAT n' SWEET DIPPING AND WING SAUCE AT ROBERT IRVINE’S GOURMET FOOD SHOW IN MORRISTOWN, NJ, THIS PAST MAY.
You can see my Oscar here! He’s gold on a marble base, but has a chef’s jacket and toque on. Tim Allen of “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” made the presentation, as you can see on the HISTORY PAGE. The inscription says “Best Wing Sauce 2006, Carriage House Creations.” Isn’t that wonderful???????????????
WE HAVE A NEW ADDITION
No, not that kind of addition! We have some new products.
Our daughter, Leah, researched the family history and found that our name is really "Cristoforetti", not "Christofor".
and that the original family came from Austria/northern Italy.
So what better title for our new pasta sauces than (you guessed it), CRISTOFORETTI OLDE WORLD PASTA SAUCE.
We have three (3) varieties:
ISABELLA SAUCE: (this is my favorite) This sauce is named for David's Grandmother, Isabella Cristoforetti. We have taken our classic pasta sauce and added a rosemary in a port wine reduction. The sauce is very smooth, and the reduction gives it kind of a "sweet" taste. Rosemary is for remembrance: this is one sauce that you'll remember. It is available in a 16 ounce jar, and sells for $5.50.
MODESTO SAUCE: (this is David's favorite). David's Grandfather, Modesto Cristoforetti , was a botanist so it is only fitting that we use two great flavors: garlic and basil. This is a slightly "chunky" sauce that is loaded with garlic and basil. This sauce is not modest: it is MODESTO!! It also is available in a 16 ounce jar, and sells for $5.50.
VICTORIO SAUCE: If you like it hot, this is the sauce for you. Victorio is named for David's Father, Victor Christofor, and has a variety of hot peppers in it. It is also chunky, and is used like an instant Diablo sauce. It is available in a 16 ounce jar, and sells for $5.50.
Until these products are added to the product listing, you can order them by calling (814) 653-8707, or emailing me at carriagehousecreations@verizon.net.
We have also introduced a new product, that is now on our product page. It is a Hot Olive Salsa. It is heavenly! At the Great Taste of Pennsylvania Wine and Food Show, in the Poconos last June, I cooked Hot Olive Salsa Pasta, and everyone went wild. It tastes so good. It is doubly good with fresh shredded Romano cheese. When I get an order for it, I will also include the recipe card for you of the pasta dish. The recipe is on the website also.
We are getting a new look! Our jar, lid, and label are going to change. We will also be able to do samplers in smaller sizes, but you will be seeing them soon. Keep tuned!!
The recipe section of our web-site has changed. Please check it out. Now, our recipes are arranged with hyperlinks and arranged like a cookbook. I am always trying new ideas for using our product, and am starting to include pictures of the meal on the website as well. I am learning how to use the camera (I know, it's about time!) and publishing to the web has not been my forte`. I am doing better though, check out the entrees section with the Strawberry Glazed Chicken. Not only does it look good (if I must say so myself), it tastes wonderful. Recently, at a show, someone asked me to include suggestions for vegetables/side dishes and wines to coordinate with the recipes. This recipe is a meal in-and-of-itself, and doesn't need a side dish or a vegetable. As for wine, you are on your own. Although, you know what they say, white meat: white wine!
THANK YOU: A special thank you to all of you who have met us, and sampled our products at the various shows and festivals. Thank you also for the e-mails telling us how great that you think our products are. We appreciate you. If you come up with a new recipe utilizing our products, please be sure to e-mail them to me at carriagehousecreations@verizon.net. Our trial Raspberry Heat 'n Sweet Dipping Sauce has been very successful, and now is part of our regular production. We will be commissioning a new label soon! We have also added a new line to our products: Salad Dressings. My favorite is my Grandmother's French Dressing. I have to tell you how I got the recipe: My cousin, Jonlyn McCuan was visiting from Birmingham, Alabama. She told me that she had our Grandmother's French Dressing recipe, and she would send it to me. (Our Grandparents lived outside of Punxsutawney, PA) I traded her a decanter that was our Grandfather's for it (so she could keep the French Dressing refrigerated). She sent me the recipe, and I fell in love with it. I have played with it, and over time, I have a taste that is stable as processed (does not need to be refrigerated until it is opened), and tastes so good! I added a touch of Sweet Smoked Paprika to add a special touch, and Voila` I have Grandma Means' French Dressing. I have also introduced a Honey Mustard Dressing that is great to dip pretzels in, or enjoy on a vegetable/fruit salad. The coming out party for the salad dressings was Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney, PA. Grandma Means' French Dressing recipe traveled over a thousand miles, and 20 years later, to come back home to Western PA, and Punxsutawney. Thank you Jonlyn.
For the upcoming summer barbecue season, try our Southern Barbecue Kits. I'll provide everything that you need for a good southern barbecue except the meat, grill/smoker/pit, and liquid for the meat. I will even include the wood chunks in a plastic bag for the smoke, a drip pan for your cooking liquid, a plastic bag to put the meat and half of the barbecue sauce in, and the rub to "rub" into the meat before it goes on to cook. We have even included a meat thermometer for you so that you can barbecue safely. This is not grilling that can take 10 minutes: this is old fashioned southern barbecue where it can take hours to cook. Remember Scarlet O'Hara and the barbecue at Twelve Oaks? That took all day, or several days to cook. Yours probably won't take that long, but it will take time. We are also introducing three (3) dips that are good with chips, pretzels, as a salad dressing, or on baked potatoes. They are: Zippy Onion Dip that has chipolte peppers and onions, a Toasted Garlic Curry Dip with Herbs (I guess that you can tell what is in that one!), and a Cool Cucumber and Onion Dip. The latter makes wonderful little cucumber tea sandwiches if you mix the packet with softened cream cheese.
Gift baskets are still the specialty of the "house". What a great gift idea: a Carriage House Creations gift basket. We customize our gift baskets to meet your needs, add a card from you, and we'll even pack and ship it for you. All that you have to do is call 814-653-8707. We also do corporate gift baskets. If you live in our local area, our muffin baskets make a great thank you, birthday, anniversary, open house, congratulatory, or even a bereavement gift. We even deliver. Ask us for a quote!
P.S. If you have any cooking ideas, using Carriage House Creations products, please e-mail them to us at carriagehousecreations@verizon.net. Our test kitchen is always going.
Louise!
