I wanted to put up this post before I left for London, but alas, dummy me, I realized morning of my flight that my passport was expired! I called those expensive expediting companies but by 10am, there was nothing they could do to get me on a 7:30pm flight. First, I panicked and cried. Then, I called the passport agency who told me I couldn’t go without an appointment. Luckily, I went anyway, and when I got there, it wasn’t really an issue, just a lot of waiting. I was still nervous the whole time, thinking that they may not finish making my new passport in time, but I had it in hand just a little past 4:30 pm. I jumped a cab to meet my friends for the AirTrain and we all rejoiced in disbelief, and one more time when I finally landed in London.
Ok, back to what I was going to post. Right before leaving, I went to a lovely dinner at Eleven Madison Park 11 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10010 hosted by POM, the company known for pomegranate juice. We enjoyed being in a small group of bloggers in one of the private rooms upstairs, where we could really talk and learn about their products: the fresh pomegranate fruit, the juice, concentrated juice, tea, and more. Did you know those little seeds, the part we eat, are called arils? I didn’t.
Each course, amuse, appetizer, entree, and dessert was made with pomegranate. Cocktails too and a virgin one for me. Everything was a piece of modern art, almost too stunning to eat. The colors were vibrant and fall-perfect. We were especially impressed by the entrees because of the quality of meat. The chicken and lamb were some of the best we’ve tasted where their natural flavors were showcased in tender juicy pieces.
Do you eat the hard part inside the seed or spit it out? There’s no “right” way, just preference. Lon eats it. I spit it out.
And, if you’ve never tried a pomegranate, now is your chance to win some!! We left with a great goodie bag and we want to share it with one of our readers. It’s been months since our last give- away. (That was May but then I got pregnant in June and you know the rest…)
POM Goodies Give-Away: All you have to do is leave a comment here (and a way for me to contact you) by Friday, October 22 at 3 pm. One winner will be selected randomly. Sorry, shipping to the US only (but you can enter as a non-U.S resident and give your prize to someone you know in the US if you want). The POM Goodies include:
- Rubies in the Orchard (book) – The POM Queen’s Secrets to Marketing Just About Anything
- pack of 2010 Chef Series recipes
- 2 coupons for a free pomegranate
- 2 coupons for a free bottle of POM juice
- 2 coupons for a $1 off POMx
…and the winner is #26: Roxanne!
I swear I used random.org but my screenshot is not working.
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Ha! I just ate a pomegranate yesterday. I spit the seeds out, too so it takes me forever to eat one!
I love pomegranates! I eat the seeds 🙂 so I can go through one in no time
Haven’t tried on this season yet. Looking forward to it!
Hi Jessica! What a wonderful post 🙂 It was really great meeting you and Lon at the dinner and I look forward to possibly working together in months to come.
I’d better heed advice from your passport problem 😉 I am traveling to the Caribbean in early December and mine is currently expired as well! Glad you made it to London.
Cheers,
Lindsay
I used to have a pomegranate tree at my parents house, but I never used it in recipes. I’d really like to try it!
I love eating pomegranates but it takes forever, and I do eat the seeds. Peeling them without destroying the arils is as challenging as keeping your fingers from turning red. If pomegranate popularity keeps up, they will find some way to mass peel them and sell jars of arils. Hmmmmmm, maybe I’m on to something.
I’m always fairly reminded of the seasons by pomegranates — because of the Greeks, I suppose.
I eat the seeds too. That’s where the fiber is. 🙂
@Barb – here in NY they do sell just the arils! for $7/lb and up! I got a free booklet from POM at my supermarket a few years back with their suggested method for opening pomegranates (under water!) and have used it since
http://www.pomwonderful.com/products/freshfruit/pomegranate-101/
My son loves pomegranates, all I do is to peel and get the arils out for him when the pomegranates are in season :-))
Hee! Love the place card holders.
Pomegranates are my favorite! Did you know that many historians and bible scholars believe that pomegranates were the fruit in the garden of Eden, not apples?
Hope I’m a lucky winner!
What a fantastic event to showcase this great fruit.
I think all of these look wonderful. I never thought bout so many uses in recipes.
Pomegranates, wow they bring back memories of my grandfather. When I was a child, he would go to the markets in NY and bring back my “special treat” which would be the very best of the fruits in season. My favorite was the pom!!
Those look great. I’ve had many pomegranate flavored foods and beverages but have never tried the real thing!
I really like the way the mushroom in the third picture down.
I like pomegranates, not so much a fan of the stains on my clothes
I love pomegranates! Despite them being a hassle to eat, the outcome is so well worth it!
The wonders of pomegranates have enchanted me all my life, every autumn we would await their arrival in our markets. Even today I look forward to their sweet crunch, after the challenge of revealing the tender ruby jewels.
I can’t believe that about your passport. Talk about stress. I adore adore pomegranates. I put them in everything. Soup, Salads, even pasta dishes. I’ve made pomegranate sorbet and now want to make that cake I see on this post.
Pomegranates are messy but flavorful fun!
Ooh, pomegranate goodies! My fingers are crossed!
I love POM’s products! One of my favorite things to do with their blueberry pom juice is to make a lazy vinaigrette! I’m a seed spitter too 🙂
the pomegranates sure do make for some gorgeous presentations! what a stunning color.
Everything looks amazing!
wow! how did your pictures turn out so great! Asha, Stephane and I all had blurry pictures! i think it might have been too many of those pom cocktails. but these photos are outrageous!
Winner announced! It’s Roxanne!!
Lindsay, If you do it now, you can do it hassle-free by mail and not pay the extra $60 expediting fee I had to pay. Do it now!!
Patrick, it must have been the cocktails since I wasn’t drinking. Hope to see you again soon!
So jealous of your trip!! I lived in England for a year (in Oxford) and spent every moment I possibly could in London. I love the warm colors of the food you tasted–very inviting!