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!

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!

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!

1) Join our Fan Page and Post your Recipe

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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.

We are proud to announce that one of MarDona Specialty Foods Products will be reviewed by  Phil  Lempert  on the ABC TV television show “The View” on a live telecast Wednesday 11AM (EST)  February 16^th.  Mr. Lempert is well known for his weekly reviews of food products on "Hits & Misses" on his website “www.supermarketguru.com” and is also seen ABC TV. He will be reviewing what he considers best new products for 2010.  We will be giving TEN PEOPLE  who comment correctly on our blog (right below this post) about what product it is,  a free sample of that product.  Only one sample per person! Increase your chances to win by following our fan page. 

RULES:

* 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 February 18, 2011
    * Winner is notified by email by February 25 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 any unacceptable posts due to profanity or otherwise objectionable language will be disqualified.

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

The user is able to search recipes and then seamless cross right back to the store interface to buy the product -- increasing sales through contextually relevant placement.  We aren't hungry any more --neither are our users!

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