“Years ago, we offered a pizzetta in our cafés, and it was a customer favorite,” says Leslie. “This is an adaptation from that, and I’ve been really loving this new version,” says Leslie. “We made it simple so you can dress it up with your favorite toppings at home. Lately, for me, it’s been prosciutto and roasted asparagus. But it’s also great just as it is.”

Our Rustic Ready-To-Bake Pizzas come frozen, and you can store them until the need for a quick meal or the impulse for great pizza strikes you. This is not your typical frozen pizza. The flavorful crust is formed from our Giuseppe dough and topped with our house tomato sauce, high-quality mozzarella and Parmesan. Baked, the crust is delicately crisp, and the sauce bubbles through just-browned cheese. That’s the baseline, without any added toppings.

Here are three more of Leslie’s favorite combos:

• Thinly sliced heirloom tomatoes, a drizzle of pesto, torn basil leaves, dash of extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle of coarse salt.

• Roasted asparagus, shaved Parmesan, truffle oil, chopped thyme and Italian parsley

•  Italian sausage, roasted red pepper, grated Parmesan, drizzle of balsamic reduction

Our Rustic Ready-To-Bake Pizzas bake in 15–18 minutes, depending on how many toppings you add, and feed two with a salad. They’re available at any of our cafés.

May is the month of Mother’s Day—Sunday, May 9th, this year. If you’re searching for brunch ideas, try my favorite Mother’s Day meal: a potato, prosciutto and rosemary frittata served with country biscuits and fruit conserve. You bake it in a Dutch oven, which presents beautifully at the table. The creamy country biscuits paired with Project Barnstorm conserve (my handmade fruit conserve made on Vashon Island with local fruit) provides a sweet treat to complement the savory frittata.

-Leslie Mackie

Ingredients:
Serves 4

3 medium pink potatoes
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped 1 tsp kosher salt, divided
½ tsp black pepper, divided
3 oz prosciutto, thinly sliced
6 eggs
¼ cup half and half
¼ cup water
2 tsp chives, finely chopped
⅓ cup grated Parmesan, divided
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
4 Macrina Country Biscuits
1 jar Project Barnstorm conserve

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.

Thinly slice the potatoes and place in a medium bowl with the olive oil and rosemary. Toss to evenly coat the potatoes in the oil. Spread in a single- layer on the prepared baking sheet. Season with ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Roast in the oven for 18–20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Let cool.

Cut the prosciutto crosswise into ½-inch strips.

In a medium bowl, crack the eggs and add the half and half, water, chives, ¼ cup Parmesan and remaining salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside.

Reduce oven to 350°F.

Place a Dutch oven or cast- iron pan over medium heat. Melt the butter in the pan, coating the bottom to prevent the frittata from sticking. Add the cooked potatoes, sliced prosciutto and use a wooden spoon to spread them evenly. When the prosciutto starts to sizzle around the edges, add the egg mixture. Cook until the eggs begin to form a golden-brown edge, 5–7 minutes. Top with the remaining Parmesan and bake in the oven for 12–15 minutes or until the eggs are set in the middle of pan. Let cool for 5 minutes.

While the oven is still on, heat up the biscuits for 5–8 minutes.

Cut the frittata into four portions. Serve from the pan at the table. Present the warm biscuits on a tray with the conserve.

Any leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 1 day. Enjoy!Preheat oven to 375°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.

Thinly slice the potatoes and place in a medium bowl with the olive oil and rosemary. Toss to evenly coat the potatoes in the oil. Spread in a single- layer on the prepared baking sheet. Season with ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Roast in the oven for 18–20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Let cool.

Cut the prosciutto crosswise into ½-inch strips.

In a medium bowl, crack the eggs and add the half and half, water, chives, ¼ cup Parmesan and remaining salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside.

Reduce oven to 350°F.

Place a Dutch oven or cast- iron pan over medium heat. Melt the butter in the pan, coating the bottom to prevent the frittata from sticking. Add the cooked potatoes, sliced prosciutto and use a wooden spoon to spread them evenly. When the prosciutto starts to sizzle around the edges, add the egg mixture. Cook until the eggs begin to form a golden-brown edge, 5–7 minutes. Top with the remaining Parmesan and bake in the oven for 12–15 minutes or until the eggs are set in the middle of pan. Let cool for 5 minutes.

While the oven is still on, heat up the biscuits for 5–8 minutes.

Cut the frittata into four portions. Serve from the pan at the table. Present the warm biscuits on a tray with the conserve.

Any leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 1 day. Enjoy!

According to Calvin and Hobbes, “There’s an inverse relationship between how good something is for you, and how much fun it is.” Some might say a similar rule holds true when it comes to food. Exceptions prove the rule.

Homegrown, which opened in 2009 and now has ten restaurants throughout the Seattle area, is one of those exceptions. The trifecta of taste, health, and sustainability come together in their reasonably priced meals. They’ve made it fun to eat responsibly!

Childhood friends and Homegrown founders Brad Gillis and Ben Friedman are environmentalists at heart. They also love to gather with friends around great-tasting food. They built their business around these passions— call it sandwich environmentalism.

Now, Homegrown has taken that ethos and delivered it—literally—to your home. You can get a sandwich, but much more, too. Homegrown Goods offers a selection of ready-to-eat meals, fresh 20-minute-meal kits, and a handpicked selection of groceries for those that want to throw their own thing together.

“Everything we sell is backed by our quality standards,” says Brad. “We run every purchase thorough our sourcing standards and make sure we feel comfortable with what we’re buying.”

Homegrown Goods has its own fleet of delivery vans and drivers. They pack chilled items with ice packs, and everything arrives in a sealed box. You are notified by text when your delivery arrives. Your food is delivered one to two days after you order, on a day of your choosing. Delivery areas include much of Seattle and the Eastside, and their delivery area continues to expand.

Since Homegrown Goods launched last summer, high demand for everything has encouraged them to expand their line of offerings. Now you can choose from more than a dozen different meal options on any given day, but Brad expects to more than double the selection.

Whether it’s a Turkey, Bacon, Avocado sandwich or a Farmstead Cobb salad at one of their locations, or a Mediterranean Salmon Bowl from Homegrown Goods, food sourcing is central to Homegrown’s mission. They select the best growers and producers in each category from each region with a twin focus on deliciousness and what’s good for the planet. At Macrina, we’re proud to have our bread featured in many of their sandwiches and available through Homegrown Goods.

Food is one of the most vital connections we each have to our planet. What sustains us should also be produced sustainably. We have great admiration for the leadership role Homegrown has taken in their effort to change the food system, so it’s not just healthy for us, but for the planet too. Homegrown does the research so you don’t have to—and with tasty options delivered to your home or served up at one of their many locations, they make it easy—and fun—to do something that is good for you, and, well, just good.

Macrina Bakery was born of a dream. Leslie Mackie wanted to build a vibrant community around her love of artisan breads. The early days in Belltown, back in 1993, were a whirl of activity and excitement. The crowds gathered, the bread earned a loyal following and garnered awards, and as demand mounted, we opened a wholesale business. Behind every success was a team of talented and hard-working individuals.

A few years ago, we sat down to find words for the values that drive us. We considered the many valuable contributions of our diverse team of bakers, pastry chefs, savory cooks, baristas, café staff and delivery drivers that make up Macrina. We identified five core values: Hard working, remaining positive, continuously improving, embracing diversity, and integrity in all we do. Then we established an annual award for each value.

Our 2020 core value winners lead by example, and their commitment to excellence is a big part of what makes Macrina Bakery shine.

Hard Working: Juan Carlos Machorro, Steward Lead
In this tough year, Juan Carlos has impressed everyone with his resolve to get the job done. Pandemic-related staff cuts made for a lean crew, and it seemed no challenge was too much for Juan Carlos. From fixing water meters for the baking department to snaking clogged floor drains, to washing dishes and taking out the garbage, Juan Carlos, sweat on his brow, works tirelessly behind the scenes to make everything work.

Remaining Positive: Josh Kull, Sodo Lead 
Whether interacting with a customer or a fellow worker, Josh is cheerful, kind and genuine. All of our core values could describe Josh, but his ability to remain positive, especially in the toughest situations, stands out. His positive attitude is infectious and inspires those around him, uplifting the entire staff.

Continuously Improving: Theo Ngo, Savory Department, Assistant Manager 
In 2018, Theo was promoted to assistant manager in our savory department because of his attention to detail and ability to step into any position in savory. To improve efficiency, he developed spreadsheets to capture weekly production numbers for our savory items. Theo’s attention to detail and his determination to continuously improve our ordering, inventory, and new product rollouts has made us better able to survive the many business challenges presented by Covid-19.

Embracing Diversity: Scott Romine, Human Resources, Assistant Manager
At Macrina Bakery, we employ people from many nations and diverse cultural backgrounds. Scotty’s job in human resources often puts him in the position of assessing someone’s ability to succeed in a particular job. Scotty values a diverse workplace. With respect for each applicant, Scotty takes the time to listen and answer questions and to carefully find someone with the attitude and skills needed for the job he is hiring for. Scotty’s work has brought more diversity to the Macrina crew.

Integrity in All We Do: Jennifer Truong, Wholesale Office, General Manager 
At our current scale of operations, ensuring integrity in all we do requires thorough attention to every detail. As the general manager of our wholesale office, Jen interacts with both customers and staff. She brings compassion and directness to the task. Her attentive management and the improvements she has made to our procedures and systems help keep the many parts of Macrina moving in harmony.

When Leslie Mackie opened Macrina in 1993, one of the most time consuming jobs was rolling out the laminated dough for pastries like our hazelnut pinwheels and morning rolls. Leslie considered using laminated dough for cinnamon rolls, but decided not to stress the pastry team more than it already was. Instead, she turned to the bread team for brioche dough.

“The brioche has all the same delicious rich ingredients as the laminated dough but in different proportions,” Leslie says. “I decided to go for a classic more traditional cinnamon roll, similar to my Grandmother Bakke’s homemade version, which leaned toward our brioche dough.”

In 2017, we opened our dream bakery in Kent for wholesale production. Finally, we had temperature-controlled spaces and room for a piece of equipment called a sheeter, which is used for laminated dough. With the new capacity, we launched our line of cornetti, the Italian version of the French croissant.

And now, a new cinnamon roll.

The buttery laminated dough is layered with brown sugar and cinnamon and topped with cream cheese frosting. Leslie says, “They have this succulent texture and taste that sends you to the moon.”

Those of you who love our brioche cinnamon rolls need not worry—after more than 25 years of making them we are not going to stop. But you do have to choose: classic or ultimate. The difference is in the dough. The classic is more bread-like, the ultimate has the flaky texture of our cornetti. Both are filled with brown sugar and cinnamon and topped with silky-smooth not-too-sweet cream cheese frosting.

You can buy the new cinnamon rolls individually in our cafés. The 6-pack Classic Cinnamon Roll Tray is also available in our cafés and at local retailers of Macrina products.

Fredy Montero has made his name through excellence on the soccer pitch. A household name to anyone who owns a Seattle Sounders scarf, Montero is one of the most prolific goal scorers in MLS history. Lesser known, but equally devoted to excellence, is Santo Coffee, Montero’s sleek coffee shop located in Seattle’s Roosevelt neighborhood that opened in August of 2019.

The welcoming space—floor to ceiling windows, gorgeous Victoria Arduino espresso machines, elegant modern furniture, polished concrete floors, a window-side bar made from a long “ribbon” of solid wood, plush green vintage couches—is the product of a vision shared by co-owners Montero and his wife Alexis and Mikhail (Mike) and Jessica Ghyvoronsky.

The stunning space transports you, somewhere dreamy, an international destination that’s hard to pin down.

“I’m originally from Russia, Jessica was born in Korea, Fredy grew up in Colombia and he and Alexa lived abroad for years,” says Mike, who can usually be found behind the counter. “We wanted to take inspiration and experiences we had in other countries and other coffee cultures and bring them here.”

Working with a local architect, they collaborated to dream into reality the kind of space they’d love to bring their family and friends to.

Santo Blend, their coffee, is a locally-roasted blend of Colombian single-origin varietals. The well-balanced coffee has a bright, lively flavor and is excellent both brewed and as espresso. It is available in whole bean form and elegantly crafted espresso drinks and pour-overs.

“Because of Covid, we’re only doing takeout right now, but we still have many customers who come every day for their coffee and a Macrina Nutella Brioche, coffee cake, or another favorite Macrina pastry,” says Mike.

For a café built to inspire people to gather around excellent coffee in an elevated space, the Covid-19 restrictions have been hard. Still, they’re taking it in stride and look forward to the day the café will again be made vibrant by people who share their passion for coffee and community.

With vaccinations underway, there’s at least a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. In the meanwhile, stop in, check out the digs, let Mike make you a great coffee, grab a pastry, a bag of beans, maybe a Santo crew, tee-shirt, or hat, and begin to plan future coffee dates.

“We wanted the space to be one that people felt inspired in and would take some part of that into their own life,” says Mike. “We can’t wait to see people able to gather here again.”

Photo credits: Andrew Story, John Hong

Dating back to Roman times, lasagna is the best-known baked Italian pasta. A great many variations exist, from the heavy cheese bomb of the college cafeteria to versions with béchamel in place of mozzarella.

We developed a Neapolitan-style lasagna with a distinctive Macrina flair. With the fall and winter nights in mind, we focused on the classic comfort casserole of thin lasagna noodles, an Italian sausage ragù, mozzarella, fontina, and parmesan and fresh herbs. Macrina bread crumbs thicken the sauce. Our secret ingredient is time: a long-simmered sauce so the meat tenderizes and the flavors meld, and the laborious process of carefully layering all the elements.

Because we’ve done the work, your job is simple: Pop it in the oven for an hour and eat.

And since a classic lasagna isn’t the same without a savory loaf of garlic bread with which to mop up the sauce, we’ve got that too. We spread our batard loaf liberally with our made-in-house garlic butter and topped with parmesan and herbs. All you need to do is bake it with the lasagna for the last ten to fifteen minutes until the cheese is golden at the edges, and they’ll both emerge ready to eat at the same time. (Or get a second to enjoy as an appetizer.)

Throw a salad together, open a full-bodied red wine, and mangia!