LATEST TASTINGS ~ PART FIVE

(Image from www.artofeating.com)

The English poet and hymnodist William Cowper (1731-1800) said it best in his poem “The Task” (1785): “…Variety is the very spice of life, That gives it all its flavor...” For me, everything I approach, I try to do so openly, and with a curiosity to learn from that new experience, and then apply it often.

Today’s edition features reviews of delicious seafood from Maryland’s finest, Cameron’s Seafood, and refreshing beverages that include Beetology, Brooklyn Crafted Ginger Beers, Cusa Premium Tea, and Wicked Joe Coffee, plus a review of the Palmer House Hilton Hotel’s popular Lockwood Restaurant & Bar.  Each of these special tasting experiences will definitely please your palate.  Enjoy!

~ Maryland’s Finest ~

Cameron’s Seafood ~ Crab Cake Stuffed Sea Scallops, Crab Stuffed Jumbo Shrimps, Maryland Cream of Crab Bisque, Maryland Jumbo Crab Cake, #1 Male Maryland Blue Crabs, and Large Gulf Spiced Shrimp ~ When it comes to seafood, there definitely is a difference in freshness, taste and overall quality.  Cameron’s Seafood is superior in all of these aspects.  Since 1985, Cameron’s Seafood has been the premier direct seafood provider throughout Maryland and Pennsylvania, as well as an online retailer, for its exquisite tasting seafood, especially its signature Crab offerings.  

I had the pleasure of taste testing each of the listed products, and each one was stellar on its own.  The Crab products were freshly caught in Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay, and shipped the day they’re caught, assuring maximum freshness.  The Crabmeat was very impressive and outstanding in taste and texture; its meat was thick, sweet, moist, and tender, and like none other I’ve consumed.  The Crab stuffing for the Crab Cake, Sea Scallops and Jumbo Shrimp were mostly Crab, with a small amount of flavorful filler and binder made from breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, eggs, and their signature seasoning blend of eleven ingredients (based on the popular Old Bay Seasoning); the stuffing mixture was subtle in taste, which allowed for the taste of the Crab to be the dominant taste factor.  The Crab Cake, Stuffed Sea Scallops, and Stuffed Jumbo Shrimp were huge portions.  

The Crab Bisque was rich and dense with most of the contents being huge chunks of the mouth watering Crab; it was so rich, that it could almost be eaten with a fork; my only issue was that it tasted a bit too salty; I ended up using salt-free saltine crackers, which helped temper the saltiness.  Both the Male Crabs and Spiced Shrimp were seasoned and fully steam-cooked, and ready to eat; all I had to do was either slightly warm them (following directions), or eat them cold; incredibly delicious!  All of these products were easy to prepare and exceptionally delicious.  For more information, visit https://www.cameronsseafood.com

~ Refreshing Beverages ~

Beetology ~ Beet+Cherry Juice, Beet+Lemon+Ginger Juice, Beet+Tropical Juice, and Beet+Veggie ~ One of the trendiest healthy beverages to hit the market is anything with beetroot in it.  Beets are a very healthy vegetable, high in fiber, and nutrient-dense; some of the nutrients in beetroot include minerals and vitamins like Potassium, Calcium, Zinc, Iron, Manganese, Copper, Selenium, Vitamin C, Vitamin B, and Folate.  Beetology are cold-pressed, which preserves the nutrient value of the vegetable; they’re also certified organic, non-GMO, and certified fair trade.  You’ll enjoy these naturally sweet drinks as is, or added to smoothies; try using them in your soups or sauces for a flavor add.  For more information, visit http://kayco.com/brands/beetology210

Brooklyn Crafted Ginger Brews ~ Extra Spicy (Regular) Ginger Beer, Extra Spicy Sugar Free Ginger Beer, and Sugar Free Ginger Ale ~ I’ve always enjoyed the taste of ginger, whether it was in a recipe or added to a beverage.  I especially enjoy the refreshing taste of a ginger beer.  Ginger is one of those wonder roots that has many healthy benefits to it, among them being a natural anti-inflammatory and natural anti-infection.  Ginger’s taste is very potent and a little of the root goes a long way; I learned that the hard way some years ago when I was being overly creative with a stir fry; I added to much ginger to my ad lib recipe and nearly choked its extremely hot and spicy taste; my metabolism doesn’t tolerate intense heat of any type when it comes to food.  Which brings me to the Ginger Brews.  I had a difficult time taste testing both of Regular and Sugar Free Extra Spicy versions, because for my palate, both were too fiery hot and heavy-handed with the ginger.  Toughing it out, fiery hot aspects aside, both had a fresh taste to them and I enjoyed the tiny bits of fresh Ginger floating throughout the beverage.  The Regular variety uses Pure Cane Sugar, and the Sugar Free variety uses organic Stevia Leaf Extract; both also use organic Ginger Extract.  The Sugar Free Ginger Ale also uses organic Stevia Leaf Extract, organic Ginger Extract, and fresh Ginger bits; this was a deliciously refreshing beverage.  These beverages are recommended to be used as a mix for alcoholic beverages, but would also go well with ice cream to create an ice cream float, or mixed with other fruit drinks to customize your own unique flavor.  For more information, visit http://drinkbrooklyncrafted.com/ - about

Cusa Premium Organic Instant Tea ~ Green Tea and Mango Green Tea Instant Tea ~ Green tea is rich in beneficial antioxidants.  Cusa using premium organic teas that are then cold steeped, which preserves the integrity of the tea, while also preserving its health benefits; the tea is then gently vacuumed and dehydrated, which further ensures the vibrant clean and refreshing taste of the processed organic teas; this unique process creates an ideal crystal that immediately dissolves in either cold or water hot, making for a satisfying cup of soothing and comforting tea, on the go, or for those who want to get their tea ritually started quickly, without having to wait for any brewing or steeping time.  While I enjoyed the fresh, clean taste of the Green Tea variety, my favorite was the Mango Green Tea; it had just the right amount of subtle fruitiness that paired well with the Green Tea combination.  For more information, visit https://cusatea.com

Wicked Joe Sumatra Fair Trade Organic Coffee ~ Wicked Joe offers vibrant coffees that are both certified organic and certified fair trade.  The state of Maine, where they’re roasters are located, has also recognized the organization for its commitment and leadership to environmental, recycling, and sustainability issues; they’re also involved with a local agency that serves the community’s in-need.  Given this company’s leadership and involvement in community, perhaps Wicked Joe is too harsh a name; maybe they should be known as Caring Joe!  When it comes to coffee, I’ve always preferred one that’s rich, full-bodied, bold and flavorful, and the Wicked Joe Sumatra didn’t disappoint.  Just inhaling the aroma from the grounds was tantalizing.  The rich roasting process yielded a nutty tasting brew that was mellow and velvety, and never bitter. Mornings were definitely much better with my pot of Wicked Joe Sumatra Coffee.  For more information, visit http://www.wickedjoe.com

~ Event Tastings ~

Lockwood Restaurant & Bar ~ Palmer House Hilton Hotel (Chicago) ~ I recently attended a special media lunch at the Palmer House Hilton Hotel, which was sponsored by Historic Hotels of America (HHA).  The Palmer House Hilton Hotel is one of the HHA properties represented at the event; other HHA properties represented included the Pfister Hotel, American Club, White Stallion Ranch, Morris Inn, Historic Hotels of Lake Geneva, and the Grand Hotel.  The event was held at the hotel’s popular Lockwood Restaurant & Bar, a favorite of locals and hotel guests.  Of interest is that the hotel has a rooftop garden where it grows various herbs used throughout the hotel’s restaurant menu preparations; additionally, the hotel has its own bee hives and regularly harvests honey that’s also used in menu preparations.

~ The Menu ~

(Photo by T, Herman)

Starter ~ Arugula Salad with red quinoa, grapes, rooftop beakfast radishes and edible flowers, dressed with Palmer House walnut-honey dressing (the honey was from the hotel's rooftop bee hives).  For some reason, a Parmesan Tuile, which was supposed to accompany the salad, was omitted; instead, finely grated Parmesan cheese was used, which made the salad taste too salty.  Overall, the salad was delicious with a nice balance of sweet and tart.

(Photo by T.Herman)

Entrée ~ Barbecue Salmon with cucumber gazpacho, charred onion and shaved asparagus, frisée, and pickled parsley root.  The salmon was perfectly cooked, had a beautiful glaze, and a lovely subtle sweetness; the deconstructed salad components added a fresh green taste to counter balance the sweetness of the salmon and its barbecue preparation. 

(Photo by T. Herman)

Dessert ~ Palmer House Brownie with fresh berries, chocolate and fruit reductions, and the signature Palmer House Cherry Walnut Ice Cream.  Tidbits ~ The brownie was originally birthed at the Palmer House during Chicago’s World Columbian Exposition of 1893; to this day, the hotel uses the original recipe when preparing this global treat; and, the Cherry Walnut Ice Cream was customized for the Palmer House with luscious vanilla extract, cherries and walnut chunks; this is the same ice cream flavor used exclusively in Chicago's famous Original Rainbow Cone. 

~ Resources ~

Lockwood Restaurant & Bar, visit https://www.lockwoodrestaurant.com  

Palmer House Hilton Hotel, visit http://www.palmerhousehiltonhotel.com  

Historic Hotels of America, visit http://www.historichotels.org  

Original Rainbow Cone, visit http://www.rainbowcone.com

~ In Closing ~

(Image from www.hopespeak.com)

Take the time to be culinary-curious…discover new tastes…go out and explore your surrounding area for some new experiences…make it an adventure…claim your new culinary finds as your own.

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, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.  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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