Whole Grain Mornings with Megan Gordon + Giveaway
I am so excited to kick off the New Year spotlighting my friend Megan Gordon and her new book, Whole Grain Mornings: New Breakfast Recipes to Span the Seasons. I’ve known Megan since we began blogging around the same time. Fast forward four years and now we share an awesome agent, both have books out, and she has transitioned from English teachers to granola entrepreneur. I am so thrilled for her success, if you’ve ever tasted Marge Granola you’ll know her accomplishments are well-deserved! Today I am featuring a fun interview with Megan to give you a glimpse inside her book. Tomorrow I am going to feature my own review and a recipe I made from it over the weekend. You won’t want to miss it!
2) I love the variety of recipes in this book. You cover everything from sweet to savory, baked to grilled. Where did your inspiration for all of these recipes come from?
To be totally honest, about halfway into writing the book and focusing on recipes that tended towards the sweet side of things, I became obsessed with savory breakfasts and realized there wasn’t nearly enough savory in the book, so I sat down to make a list of what we were really enjoying eating and cooking in the house and began working up recipes for those dishes — things like Quick Breakfast Fried Rice, California Barley Bowl and Zucchini Farro Cakes. I also knew that I wanted a big variety of flavors and approaches so there would be something to appeal to different palettes and persuasions, so you’ll see everything from more traditional whole-grain pancakes to halloumi with couscous recipes. My partner Sam is Lebanese so we have a great deal of interesting spices and grains from his trips to the Middle Eastern markets, so those flavors tend to sneak into many of the recipes, too.
3) How did you test and write all of these recipes? Did you eat breakfast morning, noon, and night?
I did, actually. There was a lot of breakfast going on. Sam would ask me, with hope in his eyes each day: is it a savory recipe today? We live a block from a great coffee shop, so I’d often walk muffins and breakfast cookies down to the staff there to save us from eating dozens all on our own. Since the book is organized seasonally and further categorized by occasion (Busy Weekday, Slow Sunday, Brunch) I made a master list of recipe ideas that would fit into each category and then began writing, experimenting and testing the recipes from there. I had a great team of recipe testers who worked hard to double and triple check that each recipe worked well for the home cook, too.
4) I seriously hope we’ll see some cooking classes and more based on this book. I think we all have a lot to learn from you!
Oh that’s so nice! Yes, I’m doing some events here on the West Coast to promote the book, teaching whole grain breakfast and brunch classes and a few whole-grain baking classes as well. I used to be a high school english teacher, so I really love the opportunity to get back in front of students again — although this time, obviously, with very different material.
5) Will you incorporate more whole grain foods into the Marge repertoire?
Yes! We’re almost done perfecting a Marge Muesli which will hit shelves in February and the next goal will be a line of granola bars using ancient grains. Stay tuned!
6) Tell us, what is next for you and Marge?
Well, Marge is looking to have a very busy farmers market spring/summer season here in Seattle, so I’ll be staying close to home to help drive that. We have a new kitchen space all our own and are expanding in accounts and reach. We’re hoping 2014 will be a big year of overall growth for Marge, and I’m excited to bring on an additional employee (or two) to help with the logistics of packing and shipping. For me? Sam and I just got engaged, so we’re starting to plan a wedding (which seems to take up an unusual amount of time), I’m flirting with another book idea and looking forward to some non-work related travel this summer — hopefully to the South and New Orleans (I’ve never been!)
I love to making and eating muesli!
I love making whole grain snack bars with lots of dried fruit and some nuts..my 4 yr old insist on healthy eating 90℅ of the time so those disappear quickly at my home.
I love granola. Looking for the perfect recipe now.
My kids just love steel cut oats, cooked super slow. Yum!
I love oatmeal!
I subscribe to Kelsey Banfield on Facebook!!
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Pancakes – Love them!
I follow you on facebook Kelsey! Thanks for the giveaway.
Whole wheat raspberry lemon breakfast muffins! yum!
Hooray! Thanks for the great Whole-Grain Mornings love, Kelsey! So glad you’re enjoying the book and the granola. xox
This looks like a wonderful book. Our favorites are during the week whole grain oatmeal topped with apples sauteed in butter and cinnamon. On weekends we love Kim Boyce’s Maple Oat Waffles and her Buckwheat and Pear pancakes.
I just made my first batch of Granola from Megan’s website. Ate it today over yogurt with a splash (or two) of maple syrup. Heaven! Hope to win the book (or buy it for myself!)
our house loves whole wheat, quinoa pancakes!
We love Kim Boyce’s Seeded Granola. Delicious!
whole wheat pancakes!
Oatmeal made with freshly rolled oats (we have an grain roller…looks a lot like a manual pasta roller) topped with fresh fruit.
Karen Goodwin Delaney subscribes on facebook
I love scottish oatmeal, and make homemade fruit bars made with whole grain wheat and oatmeal for my daughter for a grab and go breakfast option.
I subscribe to Kelsey Banfield on Facebook
oatmeal!!
I am subscribed to KElsey Banfield on Facebook
steel cut oats with pecans and cranberries. and I am subscribed to Kelsey Banfield on FB
We love baked apple oatmeal using rolled oats.
I am subscribed to Kelsey Banfield on Facebook.
I love oatmeal, especially with raisins and a little brown sugar. I’ve been working on getting it to come out just right in my rice cooker.
Oh, and I’m a Kelsey Banfield follower on Facebook, too!
Anything with oatmeal!
I love waffles!! Especially whole wheat ones! 🙂
I subscribe to KB on FB 🙂
I love baking a triple batch of baked oatmeal, and freezing it in thirds
FB subscriber
I like good, old fashioned oatmeal, with cinnamon and raisins
like you on FB
My favorite is quinoa porridge
I love my steel cut oats with cocoa powder and chocolate chips, yum!
My favorite is oatmeal with brown sugar and raisens sorry I do not do facebook for privacy reasons hope my entry still counts me in.