Casa Casale

Visit Peddler’s Village for a slice of Italy.
By Karen Appold

You can never truly know Italy if you haven’t been among its people, that is, until you visit Casa Casale. This unique shop, located in Lahaska, welcomes visitors with open arms and personifies the passionate spirit of Italy.

Shop owner Esterina Casale and her staff will take you to the true heart of Italy, by sharing the intimacies of their kitchens, marketplaces, cellars and best of all, their families. “It’s very much your Italian family home,” says Esterina Casale. “Folks come into the store and reminisce about their childhood, parents and grandparents. Customers have become family for me.”

For Esterina, it is more than just a shop. “It’s a whole experience,” she continues. At Casa Casale, guests are greeted with wine and invited to sample pasta, which is cooked fresh throughout the day. The store is redolent with the perfumes of herbs and oils that are imported from Italy, including pastas and olive oils from seven different regions and balsamics that hail from Modena. Various stations enable guests to sample products throughout the store, including almost 50 olive oils and balsamics.

Esterina’s enthusiasm for her Italian ancestry shines brightly through her work. With her father who hails from Avellino, near Naples, and her mother who is a native of the Abruzzo region near Rome, Esterina’s heritage has no doubt played a very important role in the life she now leads. Encouraged by her family, Esterina spent many years in Italy, soaking up the sights and scents that would eventually lead to the inspiration of her extraordinary product line.

In addition to offering authentic Italian goods, Casa Casale features a sweet-smelling espresso bar that boasts true Italian coffees. “It’s just like what you would find in Italy,” Esterina says.

From an assortment of ceramic vases and Italian culinary items—such as gnocchi boards, pasta machines and macchinetta—to gourmet cookbooks and signature CDs, Casa Casale offers a wide variety of rare gifts. Alongside the talented staff, guests can create their own custom theme and assemble personalized gift baskets. “Even if it’s just one bottle of olive oil, it will look beautiful by the time it’s done,” Esterina promises.

Prior to the store’s launch, Esterina worked in corporate retail for 25 years, during which she considered opening a store of her own for quite some time. When she heard about a vacancy in Peddler’s Village, she seized the opportunity and is currently celebrating her 10th year of business at Casa Casale. “The area is up and coming. There is an ethnic feeling in this community—a lot of folks are passionate about Italian food and heritage.”

Joining Esterina at Casa Casale are talented chefs who are well-equipped to listen to what you are looking for and point you in the right direction by sharing their in-depth knowledge of Italy. Executive Chef Fiorenza Dolceamore, an American with Sicilian roots, and Chef Isabella Paone, who hails from Rome, warm guests with their heartfelt opinions on how to prepare authentic Italian dishes that are as much of an experience as they are a family meal.

For an unforgettable, authentic experience, visit Casa Casale to live, feel, taste, smell and touch Italian family charm in your own backyard.

Visit Casa Casale at Peddler’s Village, Routes 202 and 263 in Lahaska. For more information call (215) 794-1474, e-mail esthercasale@comcast.net or visit www.casacasale.com.

Karen Appold is a freelance writer in Royersford (www.WriteNowServices.com).

Learn to Cook Italian!

For those who are looking for an interesting way to spend an evening, embrace real Italian life and culture by taking cooking classes at Casa Casale. This month our Editor-in-Chief, Shannon McLaughlin attended the Zuppe e Risotto cooking class. She learned how to cook mouth-watering Italian cuisine, including Italian Wedding Soup, Palle Di Rice, Butternut Bisque and a delicious banana-inspired dessert, which she was given the opportunity to assist Esterina with. The nearly twenty attendees were treated like old friends and enjoyed a brief shopping break, during which they were given a 20 percent discount for purchases made in the store that evening.

Taking place on March 24 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., the next class will highlight Roman cuisine, including two glasses of wine, two pasta dishes—carbonara and amatriciana, a bean dish and dessert. “We try to make it as authentic as possible,” Esterina says. “Come with a big appetite, we will serve you a lot.”

Additional upcoming classes include Trattoria Cibi on April 21, Mangare Napolitano on May 19 and Summertime Sicilian on June 23. Classes are held Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.