gourmet-hampers

Make Someone’s Easter Special with Gourmet Easter Hampers

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 09:53:53 +0100

With Easter fast approaching, the shops and supermarkets are filling with chocolate bunnies, Easter eggs, hot cross buns and dozens of other inventive confectionary items adapted to suit the occasion. This is also a time when people whose families are separated by distance start thinking about ways they can still share Easter traditions despite being apart. Packing up some traditional chocolate eggs or bunnies and sending them by courier is fraught with peril, since it only takes a heavy parcel to land on top of these delicacies, and they will arrive in a hundred pieces.

This is the type of occasion when Gourmet Hampers become the gift of choice. Nothing says “We’re thinking of you. Wish we were together” better than beautifully presented gourmet Easter hampers, carefully packed with top quality confectionary and food items that flood the memory with pictures of occasions past, and generate thoughts of home and family.

There are any number of different combinations of food, wine, cheese and confectionary that can be brought together to create an awesome gourmet hamper, and this can be arranged for any occasion at any time during the year. There are some hampers that have already been configured by experts, using information from past purchases that tells them the most popular items in the most often requested quantities and price ranges. This is especially useful for the busy person who has little time to study web sites and put together a range of products themselves, making this a popular option for the time poor.

However, many people like to make their own choices particularly for such special occasions and Easter and Christmas. They like to personalise their gift gourmet Easter hampers with items that they know their loved ones like and that may not be in ready supply where they are now located. A good example of this is the many people who have taken advantage of the resources boom and relocated to work in remote areas of the country. A quick trip to the local deli is out of the question for them, and a surprise delivery of a gourmet hamper filled with Easter surprises would top off the holiday weekend.

Only the imagination will limit the choices available. Chocolate is always a favourite at Easter, but there are also jams and honeys, specially blended coffee and tea, fruits, nuts, figs, olives, honeycomb, special spices and sauces, biscuits that melt in the mouth, and from the Cheese Shop, cheeses of every variety imaginable. There is also space reserved in the gourmet Easter hampers for fine wines, boutique beers and cordials.

The hampers are sturdy and made of wood, carefully packed, and if the customer requires, can also be gift wrapped to suit any occasion. When ordering, if a message is also desired on a card, that can also be arranged. These specially designed hampers are a quality alternative to the supermarket variety, and tell the recipient that they are loved, missed and thought of fondly at this special time of the year.

Buying the Perfect Gift Made Easy With Gourmet Hampers

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 10:28:26 +0100

Gourmet hampers from the Gourmet Grocer a hit for any occasion

when you’re looking to buy that perfect gift for a friend, family member or office team member it can become quite daunting to know what to choose. Particularly if the cause for the gift is to offer sympathies. Well the good news is that whatever the occasion, the Gourmet Grocer will have you covered.

A well established online gourmet Cheese Shop, the Gourmet Grocer knows good food and for all occasions, the happy and the sad, people love to receive the gift of good food. The Gourmet Grocer simply has it all when it comes to extremely high quality local and imported gourmet food. With everything available from the sweet to the savoury, from wine to kitchen apparel and gifts, they really are the 'go to' people when you want to buy a foodie a wonderful gift or spoil someone who needs a little spoiling.

Gift hampers have been quite a popular gift to give for some time now and it’s with much pride and pleasure that the Gourmet Grocer offer their very own fine selection of gourmet hampers to suit every occasion. Gift hampers make such a fantastic gift solution because they offer an assortment of a few different items. Not only does this mean the recipient can enjoy your gift over time but they can also share these with friends and family who may stop by. Gourmet hampers are a great way to introduce people to new foods and culinary items that can become new favourites for them.

The Gourmet Grocer not only commits themselves to offering fine quality foods but to offer outstanding service to ensure their customers are happy with every experience they have with the Gourmet Grocer. One happy customer wrote “Dear Gourmet Grocer, Thank you so much for your excellent service and goods! I couldn't believe how quickly my order arrived and was extremely well packaged too. Every item we tasted was just wonderful. Everybody else who received their gifts also enjoyed them very much and are still raving on about them! I look forward to shopping with you again as you were so friendly and helpful, thus making the experience so easy and enjoyable. Thank you, once again. Sincerely, Kat”

If you are unable to visit your friends and family to deliver your divine gift of gourmet hampers in person then the Gourmet Grocer can help. For a delivery fee your gourmet hamper can be delivered practically anywhere in Australia and even overseas if your order is large enough. One customer in Canada wrote “Good Morning Gourmet Grocer it is Monday here in Victoria in Canada and we are having a beautiful sunny day. I received my package Friday and was very excited that it came so fast. My daughter from Vancouver was here yesterday and I gave her a bottle she was surprised that I received it so fast as well. She is the reason for me ordering the Balsamic Vinegar, When she was in Australia a year and a half ago she brought me a bottle back with her. Thank you so much for making this so easy. Hope you have a good day. Cheers Donna Canada”

There is every reason, no matter what the occasion, to buy your Gourmet Hampers online from the Gourmet Grocer. If you’d like to give the best in gourmet food in a hamper, then jump online and order today.

Easter Gourmet Hampers a Foodies Delight

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 04:34:12 +0100

When we think of Easter we immediately think of ‘pigging out’ on chocolate and throwing our diets to the wind for this short time. For gifts we offer chocolate, baked treats and just about anything that is a food substance that can be enjoyed by the recipient. Well let’s take a step back for a moment and discard the idea of ‘pigging out’. You can keep in mind the idea of delectable tasty treats or things to add to the pantry but you can choose delicacies that are to be eaten slowly, savoured, enjoyed and used over again.

The gourmet gift of assortment.

Gift hampers are a gift that has been growing in popularity for some time now. We see them at Christmas time in the main grocery stores lining the shelves with all sorts of goodies inside. For hampers that are a touch above those you find in stores you can get online for any occasion and order from one of many gift hamper companies out there. There are many to choose from however there are few that really stand out from the crowd. Gourmet Hampers are in a class of their own. They make fantastic gifts for people to give who have a foodie in their life or someone that would like to introduce their friends to a wonderful world of gourmet delights. High quality international and local gourmet foods can be found in gourmet hampers and will make the ideal gift for Easter this year.

Variety is the spice of life.

As you would expect, you can find gourmet hampers that offer ready made foods to try and fall in love with. Biscuits, tea, jams and wonderful sweet confectionary such as turkish delight, chocolate, rocky road and even caramel popcorn. But it’s not all about being able to grab something from the cupboard and enjoying immediately for some. There are many who get so much enjoyment and relaxation from spending some time creating in the kitchen. The perfect gourmet Easter hamper for these folk are the gourmet hampers that contain cooking spices, sauces and other cooking ingredients. The Simon Johnson Pantry Hamper for instance is perfect as it is packed with variations of pasta, pasta sauces, sauces, cous cous and more. If savoury cooking is not their gig then the Heilala Vanilla Hamper may be just the thing with top quality vanilla products perfect for creating wonderful sweet dishes.

A peruse online of what a gourmet Cheese Shop grocer has to offer will soon see you securing that perfect gourmet Easter hamper that is sure to delight even the fussiest foodie.

Escape to the Orient with Indian Spices

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 06:30:55 +0100

The secret to good Indian cuisine is to use the correct blend of spices. It does take a little time for the amateur cook to master these blends but the rewards are well worth it in the end. The following are the main spices used in Indian cuisine:
1) Turmeric
2) Coriander
3) Cumin
4) Red Chilli/ Curry Powder

You will also need to learn to incorporate cumin, black pepper and mustard seeds as well as aniseeds. These Herbies Spices not only have culinary value but they also have medicinal properties as well. Do go a little more lightly with the spices at first though; it can be easy to overdo them.

Turmeric

Also called Haldi, Turmeric is easily recognised by its bright yellow colour. Be careful when using it though as it can stain your hands and clothes. Turmeric is used in just about every Indian recipe and it imparts a smooth flavour to foods. The Curcumin in the Turmeric is the active healing ingredient.

Coriander

Also known as Dhania, Coriander is used in a lot of Indian cooking. It helps to round off the flavours of a curry. When using the fresh herb, it is important to add it towards the end of the cooking time so that it doesn’t lose its flavour. Medicinally, Coriander tea is used to treat stomach upsets, bad breath and also as an anti-inflammatory.

Red Chilli/ Curry Powder

When we think of Indian cuisine, we usually think of curry first. This is the powder that gives the curry its zing. There are many different strengths of curry powders – chilli powder is made from chillies that have been dried and ground up – dependent on the type of chilli and the area it is grown in. Chilli has been proven to be an effective cure for some types of ulcers and is effective at combating congestion. It also raises the metabolic rate and thereby aids in weight loss.

Cumin

Also known as Jeera, cumin is used extensively worldwide. It has a very distinctive flavour and is best used in smaller quantities. You would generally slightly crush and braise the cumin before adding to a recipe. It is good at helping to restore alkalinity in the system and as a tonic herb.

Ginger

Ginger is another herb that is well-loved worldwide and is also extensively used in Indian cuisine. Ginger has quite a pungent taste and strong aroma and so a little goes a long way. When using fresh ginger in cooking, it is best to chop it finely or grate it. Of all the herbs and spices mentioned, it is probably the most useful medicinally. Ginger is great for those fighting colds and flu – it induces sweating and so allows you to get rid of the bug. It is also great for those suffering from travel sickness.

There are a lot more spices that are used in Indian cuisine but these basic ones should provide anyone a good place to start their culinary adventures.