Working with The Gracious Gourmet has been an experience I will always remember. This specialty food company out of Bridgewater, Connecticut has created a line of products that truly make a busy working Mother feel like there is hope to serving my family any sort of sophisticated food.
They offer a complete line of chutneys, tapenades, and pestos that can be shipped anywhere in the United States. I was sent the Savory Pairings Gift Set which includes three, 4oz jars of Artichoke Parmesan, Chile Red Pepper and Fennel Blood Orange Tapenades.
Generally, a Tapenade consists of puréed or finely chopped olives, capers, anchovies and olive oil. It is a popular food in the south of France, where it is generally eaten as a hors d’oeuvres spread on bread. Obviously, The Gracious Gourmet has transcended the traditional concept of Tapenade with unique flavorings and endless uses. They have an extraordinary recipe section on their website which helps you easily transform basic dishes into gourmet creations.
At first I looked at this gift set as if it was way out of my culinary league. Each one smelled so flavorful and looked so elegant. These days, my family is lucky if we eat at home one meal per week, so I admit I was intimidated by this refined line of foods.
So, I started simple. I went to our local specialty food store and bought some toasted baguettes. I poured a glass of my best Chardonnay and spread each of the tapenades on the baguettes. My husband was watching football at the time, so I served him a plate of my “Tapenade Hors d’oeuvres” and a glass of wine. It has been years since I served him anything while he watched football so he was very content. The kids were coloring at the time and for a brief moment, The Gracious Gourmet made us feel like we were on a special date – before kids, when I was more interesting than football. Just two people, delicious wine, and wonderful food. The Gracious Gourmet truly can turn the simplest occasion into a special occasion.
Visit www.thegraciousgourmet.com for more information!
Perfect Goody For: I highly recommend ordering a few Gift Pairings to bring to friends during the holidays. Present it in a beautiful bag with a fresh baguette and a handwritten note.
