See Chef Otto preparing Easy and Delicious Dei Fratelli Recipes:
Watch Chef Otto Hirzel in Toledo
Watch Chef Otto Hirzel in Detroit
Watch Dei Fratelli in Alabama
Ask Chef Otto ...
Chef Otto is Dei Fratelli’s own culinary expert and family chef extraordinaire! A fourth generation Dei Fratelli family member, Chef Otto spends his time creating new ways to bring you and your family the products, recipes and meal solutions you want.
Q: I try to cook quick recipes for my family, but they always end up bland and boring. Is there an easy way to spice up our meals without all the work?
A: There is a quick and easy way to spice up literally any meal, and it comes all in one jar packed with nutrients and health benefits ... it’s salsa! According to recent studies, salsa is America’s favorite condiment, too.
Dei Fratelli has six salsas to choose from that are perfect for spicing up a bland dinner. Need ideas to get you started? Make a masterful meatloaf by adding mild classic salsa before cooking or take your baked chicken south of the border by topping it with black bean salsa, taco seasoning and shredded cheese. Buon appetito!
Do you have a question for Chef Otto? If so, send it to us!September is National Food Safety Education Month
and Dei Fratelli is here to give you the facts about how to keep your family safe and happy in the kitchen!
Serving Food Safely
- Never leave anything out for more than 2 hours. Bacteria that can cause food borne illness grows rapidly at room temperature.
- Keep hot food hot and cold food cold. Your lasagna and chilli should stay hot – your salsa should stay cold. Eat leftovers within four days.
- Don’t multitask. A common mistake is to use the same knife or cutting board for vegetables and meat. This can spread bacteria easily.
About Canned Foods and Safety
- Canned foods ensure the ultimate in freshness – making them not only tasty and safe for up to two years, but easy to make as well.
- Most canned foods contain no preservatives. Vegetables are picked and packed at the peak of ripeness, cooking quickly at high temperatures and sterilized in steel cans to keep nutrients in and impurities out.
- It is not recommended to cook or bake in empty, repurposed cans since the intense, prolonged heat of a stove or oven can compromise the integrity of the can.
Why Do You Love Cooking with Dei Fratelli?
Summer is almost here and that means lots of busy activities and schedules! Dei Fratelli knows that cooking with your kids is a great bonding activity that brings families together.
We want to see you and your family having fun in the kitchen! Tell us why you cook with Dei Fratelli. Send us a picture or video showing your latest Dei Fratelli cooking adventures with the fam, along with your story, and we'll share it with On The Vine members. We will choose the best picture or video to win a Dei Fratelli gift box.
To submit a video: Either post a link to the video in the Comments section of the form below or fill out this printable form and mail it, along with your video to:
Dei Fratelli - Cooking with Family
c/o RMD Advertising
6116 Cleveland Ave
Columbus, OH 43231
Find Your Favorite Dei Fratelli Products in More Places Than Ever Before
Atwoods
Because of you, our consumers, and your love for our tomato products we are excited to announce that Dei Fratelli tomato products are now being sold in Atwoods! With participating locations in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas, check out all of the products you can find at our newest retailer!
- Dei Fratelli Chopped Mexican Tomatoes 14.5 oz.
- Dei Fratelli Chopped Italian Tomatoes 14.5 oz.
- Dei Fratelli Chopped Tomatoes with Onion & Garlic 14.5 oz.
- Dei Fratelli Petite Diced Tomatoes 14.5 oz.
- Dei Fratelli Petite Diced Tomatoes with Onion, Celery & Peppers 14.5 oz.
- Dei Fratelli Seasoned Diced Tomatoes 14.5 oz.
- Dei Fratelli Our Original Salsa – Medium 70 oz. jug
- Dei Fratelli Arrabbiata Pasta Sauce 26 oz.
- Dei Fratelli Fire Roasted Vegetable Pasta Sauce 26 oz.
- Dei Fratelli Three Cheese Pasta Sauce 26 oz.
- Dei Fratelli Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce 26 oz.
- Dei Fratelli Homestyle Pasta Sauce 26 oz.
- Dei Fratelli Marinara Sauce 26 oz.
- Dei Fratelli Mushroom Pasta Sauce 26 oz.
- Dei Fratelli Traditional Pasta Sauce 26 oz.
- Dei Fratelli Tasty Tom Spicy Tomato Juice 46 oz.
- Dei Fratelli Tomato Juice 46 oz.
- Dei Fratelli Vegetable Juice 46 oz.
Also, in addition to adding Atwoods as our newest retailer, we’ve also added more products to some of your favorite retailers already carrying Dei Fratelli tomato products.
Publix
Publix locations in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and South Carolina have added the following Dei Fratelli tomato products:
- Dei Fratelli Crushed Tomatoes 28 oz.
Harris Teeter
Harris Teeter locations in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Maryland, Delaware and Washington D.C. have added the following Dei Fratelli tomato products:
- Dei Fratelli Seasoned Diced Tomatoes 28 oz.
- Dei Fratelli Petite Diced Tomatoes 28 oz.
- Dei Fratelli Tomato Sauce 28 oz.
- Dei Fratelli Crushed Tomatoes With Basil & Herbs 28 oz.
Dierbergs
Lastly, Dierbergs locations in St. Louis, Missouri have added the following Dei Fratelli tomato products:
- Dei Fratelli Traditional Pasta Sauce 26 oz.
- Dei Fratelli Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce 26 oz.
- Dei Fratelli Marinara Sauce 26 oz.
- Dei Fratelli Homestyle Pasta Sauce 26 oz.
- Dei Fratelli Chili Ready Diced Tomatoes 14.5 oz.
- Dei Fratelli Chopped Tomatoes With Onion & Garlic 14.5 oz.
- Dei Fratelli Tomato Puree 28 oz.
- Dei Fratelli Tomato Sauce 8 oz.
Family Fun: Reunion Games
5 Fun Games for the Whole Family
Whether your family reunion is large or small; all five of these games will encourage active participation and will entertain the whole family. Let the games begin!
- Family trivia: Learn something new or prove your knowledge of family secrets.
Every member can submit little known fun facts about themselves anonymously, and then a designated member or everyone can take turns reading the pieces of information. The rest of the family can then have the amusing task of guessing whom the fact is about.
- Cornhole Tournament: Get paired up!
Cornhole is a game played with two cornhole platforms and eight corn bags. A popular pastime in places such as Ohio and Kentucky, cornhole is a game that can be played by anyone who can toss a corn bag 30 feet. Divide up the family into teams of two, set up your bracket system and start playing!
- Ladder Golf: A great alternative to traditional yard games.
Ladder golf, or yard golf, is a great alternative to the traditional outdoor games like Horseshoes, Bocce Ball, Darts and countless other yard games. Split up into teams or have each family compete against each other. Don’t forget to yell fore!
- Family Awards: And the winner is …
With a little bit of prep work, you can create some great awards such as “Funniest Family Member” or “The Hostess Award” that the whole family is sure to love. Place the awards out on a table and let the whole family vote for the person they think should win. At the end of the reunion, announce the winners and honor them with a small trophy, gift or object linked to family tradition.
- Cook Off: Fire up the grills!
Host a family cook off where each person competing has to make the ultimate recipe on the grill. You can choose one specific recipe that everyone has to make or let the creativity fly. Bring in friends of the whole family to serve as an objective judge and get ready for a feast!
Family Fun: Nutrition Quiz
Did you know that in the United States, more tomatoes are consumed than any other single fruit or vegetable source? Learn more fun facts about tomatoes by taking this quiz.
| 1. Tomato Juice is the official state beverage of which state: | |
| a. Ohio | b. Oklahoma |
| c. Louisiana | d. Alabama |
| 2. Tomatoes are referred to as the "apple of love" by: | |
| a. The Italian | b. The British |
| c. The German | d. The French |
| 3. Which state is the number one producer of fresh market tomatoes? | |
| a. Florida | b. California |
| c. Ohio | d. Michigan |
| 4. How many tons of tomatoes are produced in the world each year? | |
| a. 5 million | b. 28 million |
| c. 53 million | d. 60 million |
| 5. Which of the following are TRUE about lycopene: |
| a. Lycopene acts as an antioxidant and can help people stay active even in old age and more. |
| b. Studies suggest that lycopene can help prevent cancer. |
| c. Men who consume 10 servings of tomato sauce a week can cut the risk of developing prostate cancer by a formidable 45%! |
| d. All of the above. |
So how did you do? Here are the answers:
- A. Ohio
- D. The French
- A. Florida
- D. 60 million
- D. All of the above
What Sauce are You?
With so many flavors of pasta sauces available, flaunting different tastes, ingredients and heats, it’s hard to choose which one will be right for you and your taste buds. Want to know what your pasta sauce personality is? Answer the questions below then follow our guide to find out which sauce you are.
1. Would you describe yourself as:
a. Practical and Grounded
b. Passionate, Lively and Courageous
c. Sensitive, Compassionate and Romantic
d. Quick, Decisive and "On the Go"
2. Your ideal Saturday night would include:
a. A cozy night at home with friends and family watching movies and playing board games
b. Getting dressed up for a night out at the newest hot spot in town
c. A romantic dinner and "date night" with your special someone
d. An evening outdoors, either camping out or taking a stroll through a park near your home
3. When you think of Dei Fratelli products, you think ...
a. Boy, I remember my grandma using that same great product in her family recipes.
b. Italian at it’s best! Now that’s amore!
c. I feel good about giving my family the very best.
d. Open a can, throw it on some pasta, and I’m a miracle chef!
If you chose mostly "A" then your pasta sauce personality is Dei Fratelli’s Mushroom Pasta Sauce. This sauce offers a delightfully rich and rustic combination of hearty mushroom chunks united with robust vine-ripened crushed tomatoes. Another good option for you would be Dei Fratelli’s Three Cheese Pasta Sauce. This sauce hosts a distinctive blend of Parmesan, Asiago and Romano cheese combine with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and vine-ripened crushed tomatoes to produce this deliciously rich, cheese lovers' delight.
If you chose mostly "B" then your pasta sauce personality is Dei Fratelli’s Arrabbiata Pasta Sauce. The fusing of spicy red peppers with crushed and diced vine ripened tomatoes produces this wonderfully intense and fiery sauce. Another good alternative is Dei Fratelli’s Fire Roasted Vegetable Pasta Sauce. Fire Roasted zucchini, red and yellow bell peppers, onions and carrots make for a deliciously, savory sauce sure to provide you with your latest culinary masterpiece.
If you chose mostly "C" then your pasta sauce personality is Dei Fratelli’s Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce. Perhaps the most versatile of all our sauces, the delicately clean flavor created by combining vine-ripened crushed and diced tomatoes with fresh chopped basil leaves offer culinary options too many to list. Another sauce perfect for you would be Dei Fratelli’s Marinara Pasta Sauce. The refreshingly, robust taste of crushed and diced vine-ripened tomatoes mingle with flavorful onions, garlic and Italian seasonings to produce a wonderful taste sensation not soon forgotten. A fantastic start to any Italian dish.
If you chose mostly "D" then your pasta sauce personality is Dei Fratelli’s Traditional Pasta Sauce. This is a full-bodied sauce created from vine-ripened crushed and diced tomatoes blended with onions, peppers, oregano, basil, garlic and Romano cheese. A memorable taste experience your family will surely enjoy. Another good option for you includes Dei Fratelli’s Home-style Pasta Sauce. This original family recipe captures the true tomato flavor of freshly crushed vine-ripened tomatoes carefully blended with spices and a dash of Romano cheese.
Crafting that great Dei Fratelli taste you’ve come to love begins well before our premium tomatoes are plucked from the vine. Before it gets placed on your dinner table, the Dei Fratelli team agonizes over seedling varieties, our processes and our relationships with local farmers (canning, preserving and passion). We select only the very best tomatoes possible for each product within our line. We think your family is worth it ... and know you’d agree.
All Dei Fratelli products come from seedlings that we germinate ourselves ... in our own greenhouses. The seedlings are then planted on local family farms that have grown tomatoes for multiple generations. 49% of the tomato farms are within 10 miles of a Dei Fratelli processing plant. All farms in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan are within 50 miles of a processing plant.
