Eats + Apps Event: When Food Meets Technology

Kelly Senyei Demonstrating the Gourmet Live app - (Photo Credit: nicoalaryjr)

Amy Cao Demonstrating the Foodspotting app - (Photo Credit: nicoalaryjr)

The experience of eating and enjoying food is not done in private or even just with a group of friends anymore. Thanks to the huge growth of innovative websites, and now apps, dining, food, and how we share information is done quicker and spread among billions of our (new) friends. I recently had the opportunity to learn more about this unique correlation at the Eats + Apps event held at 4food, a tech savvy burger joint in NYC. Produced and hosted by The Noble Rot, Danielle Gould of Food+Tech Connect, and Emily Cavalier of Mouth of the Border, the event as a part of Social Media Week, gave attendees the opportunity to learn more about the featured apps, eat some delicious food and network among their food/tech-loving companions. 

Producers of the eats + apps event - Photo credit (Waisum Tam)

As a soup maker, I was interested in learning how these apps could enhance both Seriously Soupy and how I cook. Both are equally important (brand and food), I discovered that websites are more dimensional that one would think where users can build communities and share common food interests and passions. As I learn more about the tech world, here are some exciting apps and websites that I am excited to use to enhance my soup making and beyond.

Guests at the Eats + Apps Event - (Photo Credit: nicoalaryjr)

Foodspotting. This site has created quite the buzz in the food world (and beyond) for its innovative way to share pictures and information about what you eat. Amy Cao, Head of Social Media at Foodspotting, described this “positive food site” as a way to put the user in control of their dining experience where the user can locate the best foods around them. They can also take pictures or spot food and earn expert badges for their contributions.

Gourmet Live. A free iPad app, on Gourmet Live users can locate new recipes, check out videos, gorgeous photos, and read articles about relevant and current food-related topics. The app also features a reward program where users can earn collections such as tips about seasonal cooking or ideas for holiday cooking. Since I am always seeking out soup recipes, I am excited to test out this colorful app for some inspiration and new ideas.

Bread Baking Basics. Soup and bread go hand-in hand so I was really excited to learn more about this new iPad app created by food writer Michael Ruhlman. Through Bread Baking Basics, users can pick any type of bread they want to make (baguette, boule, loaf, etc), the shape, type of flour (whole wheat, sourdough, etc) and how you want to measure ingredients (ounces, grams, or cups) to create your own personalized loaf of bread. Even better is the gorgeous step-by-step pictures where users can select the electronic mixer or by mixing by hand option to create a doughy masterpiece. There is also a reference section with Ruhlman’s notes on technique, ingredients, a discussion of yeast and salt, grains, and various bread baking tools.

Snooth. Another great way to pair soup is with wine. Through Snooth's new iPhone app, users can take a picture of a wine bottle at a store where users can then view its Snooth ranking, price, and region. The app also allows users locate wine stores in their immediate area as well as browse through a store's inventory, read user reviews, and get directions.

Dinevore. Ever since I've been making my own soups, I've been disappointed by the lack of good soups outside of my kitchen. This seems pretty impossible when living in NYC and most likely its because I am going to the wrong places. Instead of having to guess, I learned how a community-based food website called Dinevore call actually help me exchange information to learn where the best places are. Through Dinevore, users create lists of restaurants like this amazing soup list where they can follow others that share their tastes – making it easier to figure out where to enjoy your best bowl of soup (or whatever else you are looking for).

Gojee. A new way for users to track their groceries, Gojee uploads a list of what users buy each week when they upload their shopping rewards card to the site. It also gives users a run-down of how much they spend and suggested products and recipes based on what you have purchased. 

What apps have you used for your soup making?

Seriously Soupy Serena