TASTINGS ~ Martha & Marley Spoon, Olive Theory Pizzeria, Sullivan Farms Foods Mustards

(Image from www.tips-tricks.net)

It’s a new year, and with it comes new tastings I recently discovered that I want to share with you.  Our first tasting, Martha & Marley Spoon, is part of a growing trend of chef-inspired complete meal boxes delivered right to your door, turning any novice cook into a well-seasoned chef.  Our second tasting, Olive Theory Pizzeria, is redefining artisanal pizza in a busy Chicago suburban shopping area to rave reviews and chews.  Our final tasting, Sullivan Farms Food Mustards, adds just the right amount of zing to the traditional spread.  In this edition, there’s something to prime everyone’s taste buds and get them salivating.  Enjoy!

MARTHA & MARLEY SPOON

(Photo by T.Herman)

Martha & Marley Spoon is the perfect solution to that age-old dilemma of having such a frenetic schedule that a person doesn’t have the time, inkling, or the ambition to plan a healthy meal, let alone trek to the market, fight traffic, cull the aisles for all of the ingredients needed, wait in line, and then trek home too frazzled and too pooped to do anything.  And, before I go on any further, the “Martha” in Martha & Marley Spoon is none other than culinary great Martha Stewart.  Talk about putting your culinary experience in very capable hands…but, I digress!  Now imagine a Zen moment, where you’re breathing a sigh of relief, completely calm, with no stress…voila!, a huge, fully stocked, complete meal box arrives at your door, complete with chef developed and tested recipes, and packed with all of the freshest organic and locally sourced, sustainable ingredients you’ll need to create spectacular meals for you and your family.  With menus that change each week, carnivores, vegans, and vegetarians have many delicious options to choose from; a person can order enough meals for two to a family of four; the amounts of food provided are generous enough that portion sizes can easily accommodate three to five, or more meals.  You select the menu options, the size of order, and your preferred delivery date.   Your order arrives fully chilled and on ice, with produce and protein options at their freshest; beautifully illustrated and easy to read and follow four-color recipe cards are also included.  Amounts for all ingredients are portioned appropriately, so there’s no waste whatsoever.  About the only thing you need to do is supplement a few pantry basics for each recipe; in my case, it was oil, salt and pepper…everything else was provided.  Interesting to note is that each recipe is tested no less than three times by professional recipe writers.  There’s also a handy brochure that provides information on Martha Stewart and Jennifer Aaronson, Culinary Director, the suppliers and producers, helpful tips on your pantry basics, what’s in your box, and a brief guide on getting started.  Martha & Marley Spoon has left very little for you to do, except prep, cook, serve, and enjoy.  It’s that simple!

For my meal selections, I chose Winter Tomato Soup with Beans and Barley, and Pan-Roasted Cod and Potatoes with Herb Butter.  For the Soup, ingredients included pearl barley, cannellini beans, fresh sweet basil, San Marzano tomatoes, crushed red pepper, and sherry vinegar.  For the Cod, ingredients included baby red potatoes, shallots, fresh whole lemon, baby spinach, fresh cod, fresh dill, fresh chives, and butter.

~ Winter Tomato Soup with Beans and Barley ~

(Photo by T. Herman)

(Photo by T. Herman)

This was the perfect comfort food for those biting cold winter days.  The San Marzano tomatoes were sweet and have a fresh picked off the vine taste; the pearl barley added a hearty and nutty flavor; the cannellini beans were a great nutrient-dense economical protein; and, the fresh basil added the perfect amount of bright and herbaceous flavor.  I also added a dollop of Greek yogurt and sweet basil pesto. 

~ Pan-Roasted Cod and Potatoes with Herb Butter ~

(Photo by T. Herman)

(Photo by T. Herman)

All of this meal’s fresh components, along with their bright colors and flavors, erased any thoughts of dreary winter I was experiencing, while transporting me to spring.  The potatoes, shallots, and spinach cooked quickly, as did the cod.  One of my favorites of this meal, aside from the delicious well-paired flavors of the veggies and protein, was the fabulous herb butter, which used Plugra butter; its 82% butter fat content was an extravagant taste component for me, since my taste buds are used to the standard 80% ratio.  Once I creamed the butter, I added freshly minced shallots, dill, and chives, plus the zest and juice of fresh lemon, salt and pepper; the result was an incredibly rich and decadent herbed butter that tempted me to just eat mounded spoonful’s of the luscious concoction; the herbed butter was a stellar add to the cod, and truth be told, I smushed some of it on the veggies.

~ Mental Notes ~

(Image from Pinterest)

Since the directions were easy to follow, it was a breeze prepping and cooking each meal; all total, I completed everything for each meal in about an hour.  The results were amazingly delicious.  The great thing about each recipe is that they’re not at all fussy, and incredibly easy to recreate again, and again!  And, not having ever prepared either dish before, I now have two new recipes in my repertoire that I can either recreate, or adapt using other ingredients.  Martha & Marley Spoon is a real dinner winner!  I hope you enjoyed the photos of my humble attempts at these delicious and simple recipes.  For more information, visit their Facebook page, or https://marleyspoon.com

OLIVE THEORY PIZZERIA

(Photo by T. Herman)

Olive Theory Pizzeria’s is based on a mythological rivalry between Athena and Poseidon; Athena wins the contest by presenting the gift of an olive tree to the first king of Athens.  Olive Theory Pizzeria opened in late October 2015, and has consistently garnered praise from it customers and its charitable benefactors.  It’s tag line is “eat well, do good”…on the “do good” side, they promote sustainable growth with its charitable outreach within the community; benefactors include schools, non-profit organizations, fund-raisers, and food banks…on the “eat well” side, the customers are its benefactors with some of the finest artisanal crafted pizzas around.  Since opening, Yelp reviewers have consistently ranked them at nearly “five stars”, which is quite the accomplishment given that they’re a relative newbie to the fierce and competitive Chicago pizza scene.   And, a recent area-wide fundraiser, “Pizza Wars”, saw them garner top prize for “Best Crust”, beating out some very formidable iconic pizza legends like Lou Malnati’s.  Unique to this pizzeria is its open kitchen concept where you can watch your pizza being hand crafted from an individually prepared yeast dough base, topped to order with a sauce made from Italy’s premier San Marzano tomatoes, and then topped with unlimited fresh veggies, meats, and cheeses.  Everything is made to order.  Within seven minutes, pizzas are cooked to perfection in a gas-fired 1,000 deg F domed oven.  For my taste treat, I selected a traditional dough (whole wheat or gluten-free are available), San Marzano sauce, Parmesan, Mozzarella, and Provolone cheese, sausage, fresh spinach, fresh basil, Kalamata olives, and their "Poseidon’s Blessing", an artisan crafted blended topping of Parmesan cheese, oregano, and sea salt.  This pizza was the most delicious I had had in quite some time.  The flavors were well blended and the freshness aspect added immensely to the overall taste and flavor profile.  The thin crust I requested was perfection and had a great nutty chew to it and didn’t overpower the delicate taste of the sauce, cheese, and toppings.  Before I forget, they also make sandwiches and salads, and some awesome fresh-baked chocolate chip and chocolate macadamia cookies.  Currently, there is only the one location in Downers Grove, IL.  If you’re not in the area, it’s easily accessible by highway, and well worth the trek.  For more information, visit their Facebook page, or http://www.olivetheorypizzeria.com

SULLIVAN FARMS FOODS MUSTARDS

Original Sweet & Spicy, Brown Ale, and Smoke Varieties…My favorite was the Original Sweet & Spicy, which added a delicious depth of flavor to sandwiches; I also found it to be the perfect add when making your own mustard-based vinaigrette.  The Brown Ale and Smoke varieties added a nice flavor to sausages and hot dogs.  None of the flavors were too spicy, which I appreciated, since I’m sensitive to spicy flavors.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to determine the exact ingredients in each recipe, since the samples provided weren’t full-sized jars and didn’t have labels with ingredients listed; the website doesn’t include this information, either.  The mustard recipes are listed as vegan, gluten, soy, and dairy free.  For more information, visit their Facebook page, or https://www.sullivanfarmsfoods.com/?v=7516fd43adaa

 ~ In Closing ~

(Image from www.miumiuborse.com)

When it comes to cooking, be curious and adventuresome…you never know what you might encounter.   The more new tastings you discover, the more character you’ll be able to consider adding to your culinary creations.

That’s it for this edition.  Until the next one, remember to always celebrate yourself and your culinary curiosity.  Happy creating…happy cooking…happy eating!

By Terry Herman

TERRY HERMAN continues perfecting her passion for food and wine.  She has been covering culinary related for many years as it relates to wellness and a healthy lifestyle.  Her popular blog, Terry's Spa, Beauty and Wellness Go-To has featured formidable reviews of cookbooks, restaurants, wine and food, food prep and tools, chef interviews, and coverage of prestigious events such as International Home+Housewares Show, National Restaurant Show, Sweets and Snacks Expo, United Fresh, and Food Marketing Institute.  She has served as a food judge at the Bellavita Italian Expo Excellence Awards (Chicago).  She has been published since the mid-1990s in both consumer and trade publications, and is regarded as an expert in spa, beauty, wellness, travel and lifestyle, and is frequently interviewed by publications for her expert content.  She has also presented at major industry conferences, and has served with distinction on numerous governing and advisory boards.  She has a background in strategic and qualitative management, consulting, and motivational speaking.  In addition to her blogs, her social media outreach also includes Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.  Don’t forget to “Like” her Facebook Page, Terry’s Second Helpings.  Please note that the “Comment Section” has been disabled.  For additional information, email her at terry.herman@gmail.com.

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