Oh kitchen, where art thou? Living on sandwiches again – but this time, it’s truffle mozzarella sandwiches :-)

You may remember how the story went after the birth of our daughter a few years ago: I took a long break from blogging and lived on grilled cheese sandwiches for months. History seems to be repeating now, following the birth of our son. I don’t have the time or the energy to cook – blame it on nighttime feeds, my son’s sleep disturbances, and overall poor physical shape. So yes, I have been absent from here and have been feeling guilty about all those posts “which could have been” 🙁

Living on sandwiches can be repetitively boring, but I believe I’ve found a way to avoid said boredom. There’s no reason why your sandwiches can’t be upgraded and thankfully, there are plenty of upgrade options on the market these days. For me, the saving grace has been (drum roll!) truffle fresh mozzarella.

I have been a fan of Caputo Cheese Market ever since we moved to Chicago. What a great place to be inspired, to get your cheeseaholic’s cravings satisfied, or just to learn more about dairy products! Boasting a family cheese-making tradition that goes back 40 years, Caputo Cheese sell over a thousand types of cheese from all around the world, and a trip to one of their stores in Lake Forest or Melrose Park is a must whenever you need fancy specialty items to entertain or just super fresh made cheese that is as wholesome as it is delicious. Indeed, dairy aside, their stores are a good place to find imported Italian goodies such as oils, vinegars, pastas or spices. During my recent shopping trip I was able to find some specialty pasta I hadn’t been able to find anywhere else  – so thanks for this too, Caputo Cheese! 🙂

Going back to cheese, here’s the assortment of specialty cheeses I bought from Caputo recently, including one of the newest additions to their repertoire, the truffle ovolini:

Specialty cheese is always a great source of inspiration for me, and Caputo’s truffle ovolini didn’t make an exception. These oval pockets of fresh mozzarella are a work of wonder: inside, the milky, mild cheesy goodness meets the tangy earthiness of the truffles to create a flavor blend that’s unique, sophisticated and enchanting. I paired the sliced ovolini with soppressata, hot capicola, arugula and some of my all-time favorite peppers: peppadew peppers (check out other dishes I made with these peppers here and here). I added a few drops of extra virgin olive oil to moisten the authentic Italian bread – and there it was: an almost all-Italian sandwich!

Indeed, the weather might still be cold in Chicago, my nights might still be sleepless, and my days might still feel energy-less. And yet, the great consolation lies in knowing that whenever I open the fridge to make another sandwich, I will discover cheese to be inspired by, such as Caputo’s truffle ovolini. It turns out I don’t need a lot of nagging to make myself a quick bite: some delicious, high quality cheese will do marvels to get the creative juices flowing. Thankfully, sleepless nights and repetitive sandwiches don’t have to be boring 🙂

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