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For those of you who love olives, there’s more than one reason to love olive oil besides the fact that it has the word olive in it. While you may perceive any oil to be fattening, olive oil's benefits completely dwarf any caloric consideration! Here are MarDona's top eight reasons to love it:

5) Luscious Shrimp and Garlic Pasta: This mouthwatering dish requires only 3 ​tsp. of our Garlic Olive Oil. If you are a pasta lover and a seafood lover this meal is perfect for you. Check it out! 

The Father's Day barbeque is a classic celebration of all things dad. With some planning, your barbeque can be the best ever – something Dad will never forget. Make your Father's Day bash incredible with these great tips:

1) Make a guest list:

Is it a family-only bash, or is the whole neighborhood invited? Even if it's just a casual event, make sure the guests hear from you at least two weeks prior. Understand that people may wish to celebrate with their own family, so anticipate a few 'declines' on your event list.

2) Ask Dad what he wants:

Let the kids research easy recipes and ask Dad what his favorite foods are. Check out our Dads & Grads recipes, like this Red Slaw recipe. If having extended family over, try a potluck-style barbeque and ask friends and family to bring their favorite side dish.

3) It's Dad's day:

Dad may usually be “designated grill master,” but unless he insists, give him a break and let him enjoy the day.  Let Dad do what he wants most whether it be grilling, enjoying time with the kids, or eating to his heart’s content.

4) Simple is best:

Let kids make homemade place cards, table mats, and decorations. Remember, this day is all about Dad, so letting the kids do the decorations is a simple and easy way to show that they care.

5) Use outdoor music:

Dad likes rock-n-roll? Set up a playlist just for Dad, or just select a couple of his “most played” songs. Use outdoor speakers, or play from Dad's favorite radio station. Clear out an area for kids, family, and friends to let loose and dance.

6) Disposable plates and napkins:

Spend as much time with Dad as possible by cutting down the cleanup time. Disposable plates, finger foods, and lots of napkins make eating fun and casual.. Try our delicious Roasted Red Pepper Dip or Green Onion Dip with all of your finger foods, too!

7) Humor is the perfect gift:

Typical gifts for Dad include a tie, a “World's Greatest Dad” mug, or a money clip. Change things up and really make your gifts personal – humor is the best example. Remember an inside joke the two of you shared? Incorporate this into your gift or add it to a nice card. Let kids make funny cards for Dad and have Dad read all of them out loud to the rest of the party. Laughter abound!

8) Honor the other dads at the party:

Having a block party for Father's Day? Make sure all Dads are included! Let each family enjoy its own Father's Day kids-and-dads time, when kids can give their Dads gifts without feeling any comparative influences. If hosting the party, make sure all Dads are honored, perhaps with small favors for each Dad.

9) Add spice to your barbeque:

Have guests bring their favorite barbeque sauces and let Dad be the judge! Or, have kids mix their own spice blends and test them on the grill. Try different sauces on your barbeque, like our Prickly Pear Grilling Sauce, especially suitable for making burgers, like in this recipe.

10) Check the weather:

Most importantly (but also often overlooked) check the weather. You don't want to be suddenly surprised by a thunderstorm in the middle of the festivities! If the weather predicts rain, perhaps it would be helpful to have a tent setup or umbrellas handy. Be ready to run indoors if a rainstorm hits – set up a table for guests to move their plates and dishes.

And last of all, but most important, enjoy your day!

A great way to spice up to your dishes without adding calories is to add MarDona Truffle Oil Spray to them. At only 2.5 Calories per spray, it’s a great way to add flavor without adding to your waistline! Here are more tips about truffle oil to keep in mind:

If you’re curious about Truffle oil —an infusion of either white or black truffles with high-quality olive oil —it is surprisingly easy to incorporate. Truffle oil may seem like an exotic ingredient, but using it is simple as long as you know the three following tips:

1)  Use it as a finishing touch.

Truffle oil is not the same as canola or other oils. For roasting or baking foods, truffle oil should be added at the end of preparation. Just remember: heat will remove the infusion and destroy truffle oil’s flavor, so use it as a finishing touch for your recipes. This BBQ Shrimp recipe demonstrates the right way to use truffle oil.

2)  Drizzle.

Remember: a little truffle oil goes a long way! Truffle oil’s flavor is strong, so add it to your dishes sparingly. Use it lightly like you would with butter or dressing, drizzling on a little bit of oil at a time until you get the flavor just how you like it. A great recipe to try this technique? The classic truffle omelette, delicious and fluffy.

3)  Be experimental.

Truffle oil is typically used on pasta, eggs, and salads, but try it on other things, too! Try it on soups, meats, mashed potatoes, even as a topping for popcorn. The flavor makes any dish seem more gourmet, so you can easily impress your friends and family with dishes made with truffle oil!

These tricks will give you confidence and finesse when using truffle oil. The next time you want to add something extra to your dishes, make sure you remember these tips!

...but were afraid to ask!  Did you ever think that you could use balsamic vinegar as a topping?  We're sure you've used it in salads, but how about dessert? With MarDona's delicious flavored glazes, ANYTHING is possible!    .

Balsamic Vinegar Glaze

Did you ever think of cooking with fruit infused glazes? Try these taste bud tickling ideas:
Straccettidi vitello: this fast and easy veal dish is  thin slices of veal quickly sautéed in a tablespoon olive oil and served with slices of Parmigiano Reggiano.  Just drizzle some MarDona Balsamic Glaze, and viola!  A masterpiece.  Or try it over grilled fish, grilled vegetables,
omelets and frittatas or as a topping for ice cream, panna cotta, and other desserts.

Balsamic Vinegar Reduction

Want to make your own homemade balsamic vinegar reduction? It's simple and easy: just pour balsamic vinegar in a pan and reduce over heat.  Watch carefully and stir constantly to avoid burning.

Also try aromatizing your reductions by adding spices or herbs before reducing, like cinnamon, cloves, rosemary, or thyme. We also tried flavoring our reductions with fruit, as in this lemon bars recipe -- absolutely delicious!

Cooking with Balsamic Vinegar

Don't want to spend time cooking but still want delicious balsamic flavor?

• Topping fried appetizers like fried calamari or fried mozzarella sticks with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar makes these dishes more elegant and delicious!
• Also, when making risotto, creamy pastas, or pasta salads, balsamic vinegar can be drizzled at the end to add a pop of flavor and really make these dishes exquisite.

Whether plain, reduced, or as a glaze, balsamic vinegar transforms dishes to make them really special. Next time, if you're wondering how you can add some depth and flavor to your recipes, think about balsamic vinegar and try these tips and ideas!

We do! And you don't need to be a millionaire to afford them!  We have lots of affordable truffle products in our store.  But in the meantime, here are some great tips for cooking with the noble truffle.

Valentine's Day is just around the corner- it's time to send out the Valentine Cards, plan a pink or red outfit, and buy that box of chocolate to share. Ready to spend it with your loved one? While  many couples will probably be dining at local restaurants, how about skipping the 2 hour-long wait and franticly packed parking lots, and make your own dinner? Nothing says "I love you" like a homemade meal made straight from the heart. Here's a couple easy recipes using your favorite MarDona Specialty Foods products!

Win your sweetie over with this delicious Garlic Shrimp Pasta.
Zesty, flavorful and filling, it's a meal you and your significant other will never forget!

Don't tell cheesy love poems, eat cheesy pasta! Our Fit Fettucine Alfredo will surely fit the bill. Incredibly delicious, yet slimming enough to stay looking trim in that Little Black Dress!

What about dessert, you ask?
Try this delicious recipe for Glazed Strawberries with Ricotta..Sweet and delicious, the perfect ending to any meal!

Whether spending the holiday with your significant other, friends, or even family,we hope you have a Valentine's Day full of delicious treats and love!

Thank you to all who entered this contest!  We have our first and second prize winner selected:  Monika B and Samantha B!  Coming tomorrow are the coupon winners.  Congrats to all!!

Welcome to MarDona Specialty Foods NEW and IMPROVED website!  To celebrate our new website, we are having a new promotion which met with overwhelming success.  The Grand Prize winner will receive $75 of delicious gourmet products from MarDona Specialty Foods.  The Second Prize winner will receive $50 of MarDona  Specialty Foods and ten lucky winners will receive a 20% off coupon, good for any product on MarDona's Website.  All you have to do is tell us your DREAM RECIPE using your favorite MarDona Specialty Foods Product.  Put your comment HERE.  For every extra "SOCIAL" action, you will be entered another time:

1) Join our Fan Page and Post your Recipe

2) Tweet about your entry!

3) Blog your post and link back to our site

4) Subscribe to our Newsletter.  

Make sure you tell us what you do in your entry form!

RULES AND REGULATIONS:

* Contest is open to US residents, 21 years of age and older unless otherwise noted or prohibited by your state.
    * Once contacted, selected winner must provide a valid mailing address and phone number, excluding P.O. boxes.  48 lower states only.
    * This contest ends on September 25, 2011
    * Winner is notified by email by September  30, 2011 and must claim their prize within 48 hours (noted on email time stamp) or a new winner will be selected in a live drawing.
    * MarDona Specialty Foods cannot be held responsible for lost, damaged or undelivered prizes.
    * Winner is selected by random drawing, however, you can increase your chances by tweeting, liking us on Facebook, joining our newsletter, or blogging about our product.  However any unacceptable posts due to profanity or otherwise objectionable language will be disqualified.  

All videos and recipes posted on this site or  will become the property of MarDona Specialty Foods for usage on marDonaspecialtyfoods.net, mardonafoodsYOUTUBE channel, or mardonausa.com in addition to other printed materials.