Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
PRIME Editor EAST LONGMEADOW Do you love to cook, but hate all the slicing, chopping and post-preparation cleanup? Do you hate to cook, but crave healthy, fresh meals for you and your family? Ron DiSalvo may have the answer to your mealtime dilemmas. A former restauranteur and culinary arts instructor, DiSalvo is introducing the area to a new concept in meal preparation through his shop, Fare with Flare, located at the site of the old Napa Auto Parts, near the Rotary at 48 Maple St. DiSalvo's shop offers takeout with a twist his customers come in and assemble their meals from fresh, pre-sliced and diced chilled raw ingredients, then take the ingredients home to cook in their own kitchens. Fare with Flare provides recipes, pre-prepared fresh ingredients and condiments, a sanitary area where customers assemble their meal, and take-away packaging, all for a set price per two-serving recipe. The 19 entree recipe choices range from stuffed chicken or zucchini for oven preparation to beef stew and chicken Fricassee for the crock pot, and also include meals that can be broiled or grilled, or stir-fried. All recipes can be easily doubled, tripled, etc. to feed larger families. A selection of side dish recipes is also available to help customers complete their meals. DiSalvo said he uses meats from locally-owned Arnolds Meats, and shops for organic ingredients whenever possible. "What people love is that, on a busy day they can come in and make a meal," DiSalvo told Reminder Publications during a tour of his bright and well-organized facility. "Or they can take home a pre-prepared, ready-made meal," he continued, referring to the packaged, ready-to-bake items in a cooler by the register. First-time customers Julie Craft and Donna August, both of East Longmeadow,were very impressed with DiSalvo's concept. "I hate to cook and I hate to go to the store without a plan," admitted Cook, a busy stay-at-home mother. "This is perfect." She and August selected and prepared DiSalvo's seafood creole recipe, intending to pop the ingredients in their crock pots when they arrived home. Former nurses, both Craft and August said they were impressed by the food safety standards at Fare with Flair and joked with DiSalvo about giving their hands a "five minute scrub" at the customer sanitation station before donning the crisp, white customer aprons he provided. DiSalvo also offered the women the opportunity to put on food-preparation gloves before moving to a recipe preparation station. Each woman was then presented with a tray holding pre-portioned, individual containers of the raw ingredients for their selected recipe. "I like this better." Craft said, referring to the open-container salad-bar preparation method DiSalvo had described as common at some meal preparation businesses located in other parts of the country. DiSalvo offered some advice on the use of spices as the women assembled their seafood creole following the pre-printed recipe. About ten minutes after they walked in the door to Fare with Flair, the pair left with dinner "in the bag." Though open just two weeks, DiSalvo said his make-and-take meal concept has been growing in popularity, with customers discovering his new business through word-of-mouth. "This is a healthy alternative for family meals," he said. Fare with Flair is open Mon.- Fri 11 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sat. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. The store is open on Sunday for privately scheduled sessions from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. For more information about Fare with Flair call 525-0194. | ||||||
