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Share your favorite soup recipes during National Soup Month

January 13, 2012 By Tori 6 Comments

Did you know that January is National Soup Month? After a holiday season full of large meals and tempting sweets, a month of warm and nourishing soups sounds so appealing — don’t you think?

We asked our friends on Twitter which soup recipes they were most excited about and @sahopson shared this with us:

Of course this peaked our interest, check it out — how delicious does this look?

soup recipes

Brazilian Fish, Shrimp and Mussel Stew from Food & Wine Magazine

 

After drooling over this soup on Pinterest (check it out here and follow the link for the recipe), we had soup on the brain. This next find had our tummies grumbling:

National Soup Month

Spiced Butternut Squash and Apple Soup from Martha Stewart

This  Spiced Butternut Squash and Apple Soup looked too good not to share. So we pinned it on Pinterest and shared with our hungry Twitter crowd. Turns out it was perfect timing as our friend @DianaScimone was just about to make dinner. She saw our tweet and decided to make this recipe for dinner.  How cool is that?

She officially sealed the deal on our soup cravings with her tweets. Good thing we have a whole month to drool over recipes like this and test out new soups one in our own  kitchens.

What are your favorite soup recipes? We’d love to know! Share with  us in a comment below.

And if you are on Twitter, be sure to follow our friends @sahopson and @DianaScimone because they have delicious tweets!

We’d also love to connect with you on Pinterest and Twitter — let the recipe sharing begin!

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Alma’s Zucchini Bread Recipe

October 13, 2011 By Tori Leave a Comment

Last week while tweeting with our pal Alma Soto, we learned that she loves to bake. Next thing we know,  we had struck up a conversation about the types of things she bakes often and it turns out she’s got this famous zucchini bread recipe that folks beg her to make. Naturally, we asked her to share the recipe with us and she agreed! Alma whipped up a fresh loaf for us to snap this photo (now if only she delivered)!

More from Alma:

This recipe was handed down to me by one of my mom’s friends, who made this bread regularly but never had a recipe for it. We begged her to write it down and to this day I still have my copy, oil, cinnamon stains and all!

When I first told my kids I was going to make this they thought, zucchini? A vegetable in a bread? Ew! They were convinced they would hate it. Little did they realize how absolutely awesome it is.

Suffice to say this deliciously moist and tasty, spice infused bread has become a staple during the fall and winter months and holidays in my house! Perfect for a morning coffee, a splurge snack, the talk of the office coffee room, or your next group social potluck. Enjoy!

Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:

•3 eggs

•1 cup oil

•2 cups sugar

•2 tsp vanilla

•2 cups grated zucchini

•1 small can crushed pineapple (well drained)

•3 cups flour

•2 tsp baking soda

•1 tsp salt

•1/4 tsp baking powder

•1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

•3/4 tsp nutmeg

Optional

•1 cup crushed pecans

•1 cup raisins

Topping

•Glaze drizzle

•Pecan topping

•Powdered sugar

Add all ingredients into mixing bowl and mix well. Add crushed pecans and or raisins. Bake at 350º for about 1 hour (time may vary depending on baking pan used).

Create a glaze of confectioners sugar, water, and a 1-2 drops of lemon juice. Drizzle over bread, sprinkle pecans on top (run through food processor) and powdered sugar.

Thank you Alma for sharing your zucchini bread recipe with us!

Do you have a recipe you are known for? We’d love to hear what you’re baking in the kitchen!

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Daily Grommet sandwich throwdown?

August 11, 2011 By Tori 3 Comments

As the Community Manager here at Daily Grommet, I spend a good part of my day on Facebook chatting with our great fans and friends. I’m always delighted to see how eager our Facebook crowd is to jump into the conversation, whether we’re taking a poll, asking for opinions, or just bantering back-and-forth. Because I know our Facebook community especially loves talking about food, I decided to ask everyone to name their favorite sandwich (August is National Sandwich Month after all). In a matter of seconds, the responses were flying in. From traditional favorites to more adventurous recipes, it’s obvious our Facebook crowd is all about their sandwiches.

Take my conversation with one of our members, Al …

It’s not like Al was calling me out for a challenge (no, I’m not competitive at all really), but I just couldn’t let Al down. So, I decided to test this famous recipe out for myself.

peanut butter and bacon sandwich

The ingredients: Bacon, bread (no sourdough on hand, so I went with wheat), and creamy peanut butter — as per Al.

At this point I was a little lot skeptical. I am not a big bacon fan (I’m pretty sure I’m in the minority here) BUT I do love peanut butter, so who knows?

peanut butter and bacon sandwich

After cooking up the bacon, I assembled the sandwich. At this point I was thinking, “am I getting this right?”

peanut butter and bacon sandwich

And there she is. Bread, peanut butter and bacon. Do we call this a PB-B? Okay, and now for the moment of truth…

Not too bad Al, not too bad.

Now, who is up for making some of the other favorites sandwich recipes? Did you see Heather C.’s favorite? Tuna fish and banana — I’ll let you all test that one!

Filed Under: Behind the Scenes at Daily Grommet, Featured Tagged With: , ,

Ever heard of fennel pollen?

July 22, 2011 By Rita 1 Comment

No? Well, neither had I. But recently, chefs in-the-know have been experimenting with it, and it has diners wondering just what that elusive yet distinctive flavor could be. Is it curry?? … anise?? … saffron?? Is it in fact all three, or something entirely different?

I’m actually quite familiar with fennel: the vegetable and the herb. It does have an anise-like quality. Sliced fennel bulb, or finocchio — also known as “Florence fennel” — is a beloved vegetable in Italy and is often found in salads, either cooked or as a side dish. Fennel seed is also popular in some tomato sauce recipes, and you can even chew fennel seed to freshen your breath.

But fennel pollen is a whole new, dare I say, invention? The Pollen Ranch in Lemon Cove, California (already sounds delicious) has been the leading promoter of herb pollens like fennel and dill, and the trend has really caught on in culinary circles.

Fennel pollen is collected just after the fennel plant has come into flower. The drying process is what makes this spice so expensive ($20 an ounce!). Once dried, the pollen can be packaged and used as is, or it can be blended with other ingredients.

I was intrigued and decided to try some.

The pretty little golden tin arrived in the mail from Daily Grommet. I opened it, smelled it and, of course, had to taste it.

What does it taste like? The dominant note is a very light licorice flavor (anise), but there were other mysterious back notes:  crushed toasted pecans, lemon peel, chervil flakes, fleur de sel, cumin, according to the ingredients on the tin. I knew a pinch of this would perk up my summer cooking and grilling.

Pork loin brushed with olive oil and rolled in fennel pollen

In Italy, fennel pollen is used most frequently with pork dishes. I rolled a pork loin in olive oil and some of the fennel pollen to marinate for several hours. We grilled the loin over hot coals for about 20 minutes — it smelled divine — sliced it and served it. Delicious. I think the fennel pollen even made the pork more juicy and tender.

What next? It’s often used in the preparation of sausages. And famous chef Mario Batali rolls goat cheese logs in the fennel pollen as an appetizer.

Bu since I live near the ocean on Cape Cod, I was searching for a more regional use. Stuffed clams came to mind. Just as the baked stuffed clams come out of the oven, I sprinkled each with a dusting of the fennel pollen and served.

“What is that flavor?” a guest asked.

Ah, the kitchen secret might have to be revealed.

This flavor enhancer can be sweet or savory, so it would work with any favorite fish dish or a risotto … the “gold dust” of the kitchen gods.

Try it and see.

I decided right then that a tin of fennel pollen will be my go-to gift for friends, especially for the cook who has everything and is on the lookout for the latest new foodie vibe.

Rita’s Baked Stuffed Clams

1 cup minced clams, drained but save some of the liquid

½ minced onion, 1 small clove garlic, minced

2 Tbsp. butter

½ cup fine breadcrumbs like Panko

salt, pepper

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 Tbsp. chopped parsley

fennel pollen, about 1 tsp.

Saute the onion and garlic in butter. Add in the breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, clams, lemon juice, parsley and 1 Tbsp. reserved clam juice. Off heat stuff the clam shells or ramekins with the clams/stuffing. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. To serve: sprinkle with a dash of fennel pollen and a wedge of lime.

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How does your garden go?

July 14, 2011 By Jeanne Leave a Comment

If you watch the Grommet videos very closely, you might occasionally spot the Lexington Farmers Market in the background – it’s the perfect setting to shoot some video for stories like ChicoBags (creator of reusable produce bags). Every Tuesday, from early summer into the fall, dozens of farmers and artisans set up shop on our village green, just across the way from Daily Grommet headquarters. And last Tuesday, Donna, Daily Grommet’s master of finance, headed over to meet Charlie, “the Boston Truck Farmer.”

It turns out, the guys who produced the award-winning PBS documentary, “King Corn” had started a new movement last year by growing a garden right in the bed of their old Dodge truck and driving it around to urban farm sites. This year, there’s a fleet of 25 trucks scattered across the country doing the same — and Charlie, from Arlington, MA,  is the Boston truck farmer.

Charlie will be visiting 25 sites throughout the season, and we’ll be watching for the next time he’s back in our neighborhood so we can check in on his garden’s progress.

lexington farmers market

I especially like how these guys describe what they’re doing as a “mobile community farm” … as well as a “public art and education project.”

You can take a look at  www.truck-farm.com to see if there’s a truck farm in your neighborhood and find out more about this cool project.

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5 finds for summer entertaining

June 28, 2011 By Tori Leave a Comment

Tis’  the season for summer entertaining and backyard dining. We’ve got the perfect collection of Grommets that are sure to enhance your summer get-togethers.

summer entertaining - SalsabolSalsabol

A beautiful ceramic bowl with a strategically engineered lip that’s designed to push the dip onto your chip for a more stable scoop. Buy the Salsabol spill proof salsa or dip bowl here.

–

iSi Twist and Sparkle

Once you experience this DIY carbonation system, you might find yourself trying to carbonate every beverage in your home. Juice, tea, wine, cocktails, mocktails… you name it, this little gadget can add bubbles to it. Buy the iSi Twist and Sparkle seltzer maker/drink carbonator here.

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Firewire for summer entertainingFirewire

Made of stainless steel cable, Fire Wire skewers can literally bend to your cooking needs. You can shape them to fit inside a container for marinating (try doing that with rigid metal skewers), or twist them so they fit on your grill. Buy Firewire’s flexible metal skewers here.

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What Is It?

They look just like the ubiquitous paper plates and plastic cups that appear at picnics and barbecues everywhere, but they’re not disposable. They’re made of durable melamine, so they’ll hold up to gobs of barbecue sauce and potato salad much better than the flimsy dinnerware they pay homage to. Buy What Is It? Melamine plates and cups here.

–

lights for summer entertainingAllsop

When the garden work is done and the sun is down, it’s time to enjoy the Allsop’s stunning solar-powered lanterns. The accordion-style lanterns and string lights are made from nylon so the vibrant colors will stay bright and won’t fade from sun exposure. Add a glow to your summer entertaining. Buy solar hanging lanterns and string lights here.

Filed Under: Discoveries, Grommet Gift Guide Tagged With: , ,

A passion for delicious photos

May 16, 2011 By Tori 1 Comment

If you are a regular reader here, it comes to no surprise that we love food. From scouting cool places to eat, to sharing our favorite food blogs, and even challenging our own readers to come up with unique (mini!) recipes — if it’s tasty, we’re interested! During our love affair with great foodie resources, we’ve been following an up-and-coming food blogger Lisa Thiele. Her blog, With Style and Grace is equal parts delicious food and delicious food photography. She was gracious enough to do a little Q&A with us, and we would love to help tell her story.

Note – Lisa realized this is her first interview and found it to be a great exercise to articulate her story and journey so far. We are honored to be sharing her first interview with you. We have no doubt, there will be many more in Lisa’s future.

I am not sure which is more captivating, your recipes or your photography. Which came first, your love for food or photos?
food blogs

Mushroom & Walnut Quinoa + Fried Egg (recipe and photo by Lisa Thiele)

When I quit my job, I decided to start cooking since it was the one thing I knew and loved to do. I then needed a way to share my recipes on my blog, With Style and Grace so my mom loaned me her camera and well, the rest is history. That was in August 2010.

How did you learn to cook so well? What about your food photography, how did you get started?

I can’t help but laugh. I grew up watching my parents cook and reading food magazines & cookbooks and then watching the Food Channel while I worked or studied. See, I’m a perfectionist and since I didn’t have experience (i.e. confidence) in the kitchen, I had just assumed I would fail. Note: don’t be like me. It wasn’t until the end of college that I really got into cooking and now I go to bed dreaming of what I’m going to make next.

Food photography is all self taught and started so I could share my recipes and inspire others in some form or another.

What has been most exciting so far in your blogging, foodie, and photography journey?

For the blog – Every day is exciting for me. I truly love my blog. Receiving comments from followers who tried and loved my recipes, emails from people wanting to work with me and then seeing my work on other blogs or sites. It’s allowed me to connect with the most incredible people and to really inspire grace and beauty in other people’s lives.

For the foodie – I recently joined the Gluten-free Ratio Rally, started by Gluten-free Girl, which is a group of us set out to test gluten-free baked goods based off a ratio. For the first time, I created my very own gluten-free recipe, for baking. It felt amazing and now I have the confidence (& desire) to continue creating my own recipes.

With Style Grace - food blogs

Lisa juggling cameras while attending a styling and food photography camp

For the Photographer – It’s honestly exciting any time someone says they’re inspired by my photography or that they want to hire me. However, the most exciting was when my local (yet, famous) bakery hired me as a photographer – I mean shooting beautiful cupcakes and cakes, talk about a dream!

What has been most challenging?

Trusting myself and not being fearful of the unknown. If someone were to ask me what I would be doing a year ago from now, I would have starred at them, wondering the same thing. Not knowing what’s ahead and whether we’ll be able to pay our bills has been very challenging, but rather than reacting from fear, I have to just trust my heart that it’s leading me in the right direction.

What’s in the future? Any exciting plans or dreams?

I dream of becoming a food photographer and having my blog be a place where people come for inspiration. I’m currently working on a cookbook with my mom, who’s an incredible cook! Overall, I aim to inspire grace and beauty whether that’s working as a photographer, creating/sharing recipes, planning/hosting events, or bringing people together.

What three blogs do you read daily?

Just three?? I think this might be the hardest question, yet!

1. Joy the Baker

2. Creature Comforts

3. Cannelle et Vanille

Thank you Lisa for sharing your story with us! We look forward to drooling over reading more of With Style and Grace!

For those of you new to Lisa’s work — check out the delicious creations she made after we sent her a Babycakes Whoopie Pie Maker to test. These gluten-free strawberry cakes and these vanilla whoopie pies almost look to good to eat.

Filed Under: Discoveries, Featured Tagged With: ,

Hidden Secrets of Savannah

March 31, 2011 By Claire 3 Comments

For me, a staunch northerner, coming to Savannah for college was like being a fish out of water. Having grown up in Washington DC all my life, I was coming to a city where the pace nowhere near matches that of our capitol city and where buildings tend to be smaller, not taller.

However, once I got over the heat (even in February!) and the occasional whiff of the nearby paper mill – reminding us all of its presence – I discovered Savannah’s many hidden gems. They’re not on the top of every tourist’s list, but to me, they really encapsulate Savannah’s character.

What to do in Savannah - Forsyth Park

Forsyth Park

One of my favorite areas of Savannah is one that is free of charge – Forsyth Park. Located in the heart of the historical district, Forsyth Park covers 30 acres and dates back to the 1840s. Whether you want to sit and relax or play with a Frisbee, Forsyth is the perfect place to do so. With two beautiful fountains, a stage, tennis courts and a basketball court, Forsyth always has a plethora of activities happening. Jazz festivals, outdoor concerts and movies in the park are just a few of the city organized events that have happened there; just walking through under the overhanging Spanish moss gives you a sense of calm.

Zunzi's always crowded entrance way

It is the South, so food does play a huge part in Savannah’s culture. When you think of Savannah, the food that comes to mind is usually grits, biscuits and gravy. However, whenever I miss food in Savannah, I always want Zunzi’s. The food that they serve is nothing short of extraordinary; a mix of South African, Swiss, Italian and Dutch cuisine, Zunzi’s never fails to impress. They say you know how good the food is by how long the line is – walking by Zunzi’s, I always see the line snaking out the door.

Gallery Espresso's inviting exterior

If you’re not in the mood for a lot of food (which Zunzi’s always gives you), then make sure you stop by the neighborhood coffee shop, Gallery Espresso. Gallery is not the only coffee shop in Savannah, but it’s my favorite. I always see people I know there (which may be a bad thing when I’m trying to do homework!), no matter what time of day it is. Although I’m not a coffee drinker, Gallery always has something I want to try; from their hot chocolate to their quiches. One of my favorite things to do is to sit in one of their comfy chairs with a book – it’s a relaxing way to spend an afternoon if I don’t have any pressing need to be somewhere.

what to do in Savannah

The Starland's wonderful backyard seating

The last place in Savannah that I will introduce you happens to be a little off of the beaten path. Located a couple minutes from downtown, the Starland Café is one of my favorite places to eat lunch. Right next to the Savannah dog park, the Starland’s bright orange exterior is what immediately draws your attention. Just sitting and eating in their back patio takes you away from the rest of Savannah; it’s as if you are sitting in your own backyard talking to your neighbors. The food…oh, the food! I don’t think I’ve tried anything there that I didn’t like. From their amazing Panini’s to their delicious salads, I don’t think you will be disappointed.

I hope that by telling you a little bit about some of my favorite places in Savannah, many of you will be able to experience the city as I have! Even if you’ve been to Savannah before, you may not have discovered these places. For those who haven’t, maybe it will inspire a trip down South!

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Make cake balls, mini donuts or your favorite whoopie pie!

March 19, 2011 By Tori 330 Comments

We know from the first Babycakes Mini Cupcake Maker feature that our community has a passion for quick baking and sweet mini treats (remember Juli and her  Babycakes mini cupcake maker recipes?). However, Thursday’s feature which introduced the extended Babycakes Maker line spurred A LOT of excitement.

Cake Pops

So, for those of you who want to create cake balls, mini donuts, or want to experiment with a favorite whoopie pie recipe — we thought it would be fun to offer a giveaway!

If you missed it, check out all three in this video. Then, leave a comment below telling us which maker  you would like to win.

*For an extra entry, join us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter then come back and leave a seperate comment telling us you did. Good luck!

General contest rules: To enter, you must be a U. S. or Canadian resident, and at least 18 years of age and you must leave a comment or question on today’s post. No purchase necessary. Up to 3 entries per person. The winner will be randomly selected and notified via email. Employees, contractors, and the families of employees and contractors of Daily Grommet, Inc. are not eligible to enter. You are not eligible to win if you have received a prize or giveaway from Daily Grommet in the last six months. Void where prohibited. Contest will run from 8am PST March 19, 2011 to 10 pm PST March 23, 2011.

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5 of our favorite food blogs

March 7, 2011 By Tori 11 Comments

There are several common “likes” around Grommet HQ. Many of us like outdoor activities, some of us like a great beauty find or an innovative tech gadget — but I think it’s safe to say ALL of us like a tasty unique food find. When we aren’t sampling delicous food Grommet ideas, we are scouring the web and feasting with our eyes. Here are some of our favorite food blogs, we hope you’ll enjoy them as much as we do!

food Blogs

Pear Galette (created/photographed by With Style and Grace) With Style and Grace

  • With Style & Grace – Lisa captures the amazing beauty in food. She bakes, cooks and takes all of her own (gorgeous) photographs.
  • Tartelette – Helene has been creating amazing dishes and capturing the images since 2006. The french foodie is one we love to follow (and often makes us drool on our keyboards)!
  • Amy Atlas – We love seeing the most recent sweet dessert stylings Amy has done and are having a blast reading along as she shares in her journey of creating a book.
  • The Pioneer Woman – Aside from the fact that she is most likely on everyone’s “top list,” her food just tastes GOOD. Believe me, I’ve made almost all of her recipes!
  • Cookin’ Canuck – Dara posts recipes (like this one) that get our tummies rumbling!

Hopefully you have found a new food blog (or two!) to read. We’d love to know what are your favorites, tell us below!

Filed Under: Discoveries, Featured Tagged With: ,
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