Chef Martin Brock cooks dinner at my home
This past Saturday, I hosted a dinner party at my home in Bedford. One of my guests was clay sculptor, Clare Potter. Inspired by the bounty of her gardens, Clare creates amazingly life-like representations of flowers, fruits, and vegetables, all sculpted in porcelain and beautifully hand-painted. Some of Clare's work will be on display at Malett Inc. at 929 Madison Avenue in New York City, for two weeks beginning May 11th. My guests all agreed that the spring menu was superb. I invited Chef Martin Brock of Atria Restaurant in Manhattan to come and prepare the food. His culinary skills are rooted in French technique, but Chef Brock incorporates many global flavors, making for a unique dining experience.
I love your blog, and the postings about the chefs who come over and cook for you are great. I love seeing your kitchen etc. But, I would so love to see posts of you cooking for yourself or a couple friends, something casual. Does that ever happen? I dunno. Maybe weird of me to ask?
Posted by: Ben G | May 5th, 2009 at 12:06 am
The dessert looks vibrant and tantalizing.
I am curious to hear others' suggestions on which ice cream maker brand to purchase. I would like to find a small unit (as I am in a small flat) in order to make such lovely, cold sorbets & ice creams like the one Martin Brock prepared here.
Check out my food blog: apronandie.blogspot.com
Posted by: L. Parliament | May 5th, 2009 at 12:56 am
Hi Martha,
The food looks delicious, wonderful colors, and a little mysterious, too. Why is that lovely poached bantam egg brown? Is it bread crumbs or from the poaching liquid?
Posted by: Penny | May 5th, 2009 at 1:51 am
Hi Martha,
Chef Brock's menu looks délicieux i can imagine the taste! I was checking for Clare Potter's creation and found this blog with her amazingly beautiful work.
http://mrsblandings.blogspot.com/search/label/Clare%20Potter
God Bless
Posted by: Rowaida Flayhan | May 5th, 2009 at 3:43 am
That looks like a restaurant kitchen - no wonder he's comfortable! Looks like great fun.
Posted by: Blushing Hostess | May 5th, 2009 at 7:44 am
what a grand display of food! one can only dream...as far as Clare Potter, I thought I recognized her name the other day when you mentioned her on Twitter...I had done info. search a few years back for a very large white flower porcelain lamp, mom paid good money for it, I inherited the lamp but did not know anything about it, and at the time it did not fit in my Decor so sold it in a garage sale, now I hope it was not a CP design, as it looked just like her work...oh well.
Posted by: delia | May 5th, 2009 at 8:50 am
Martha, the asparagus I assume are from your garden. How delicious to serve these with Bantem eggs. An inspirational menu. I so look forward to spring...and we are only just commencing our winter season in Melbourne.
Posted by: Ingrid, Melbourne, Australia | May 5th, 2009 at 9:26 am
Hi Penny - Sorry, I forgot to mention that the poached eggs were breaded and fried after poaching. They were quite delicous!
Posted by: Martha Stewart | May 5th, 2009 at 10:28 am
Hi Martha,
The food certainly looks much better than the description sounded on Twitter, delicious in fact. I would have loved to watch Chef Martin prepare all of that especially the shrimp stuffed chicken wing. The dessert looked scrumptious too. Thanks for explaining the fried poached egg to Penny; I was wondering about that too. So unusual but it really looks good. Maybe you could give us a demo on the show one day – does the yolk stay runny through both processes? Some people like their yolks runny but not me. Btw, you have a fantastic kitchen! Trish
Posted by: Trish | May 5th, 2009 at 11:18 am
A lovely and tantalizing Spring menu...aren't the colors amazing!
Posted by: sherey | May 5th, 2009 at 11:53 am
I would love to have a chef cook in my kitchen! Your kitchen is so lovely that it comes as no surprise that the chef feels right at home!
Posted by: Enzie Shahmiri | May 5th, 2009 at 11:58 am
Hi Martha - Great site, great look. Love the stuff and love you. Great to see this interesting content on the web. I will be back, I am sure. (BTW- loved the recent book Homekeeping Handbook! That thing is loaded with fantastic ideas, as usual.)
Posted by: Evan | May 5th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
Your kitchen is amazing.
Posted by: alice | May 5th, 2009 at 6:40 pm
Beautiful pics!!
Everything I know about food and cooking I learned from your shows, books and magazine - thank you!
For some reason I can't find your TV show here in central Texas.
Posted by: Irene | May 5th, 2009 at 6:43 pm
One day I'll have a kitchen like that!
Posted by: Ms. Cherryspoon | May 5th, 2009 at 6:45 pm
Hi Martha,
I, too, am a potter and I use garden elements in my pottery. I googled Clare's name to try to see some of her work and couldn't find anything. I'd love to see some.
http://hearthandhomestudio.blogspot.com
Posted by: Clayvessel | May 5th, 2009 at 6:48 pm
Any chance Chef Brock would share a recipe for ramp risotto? I dig ramps each spring in our woods here in Michigan, and am always looking for recipes using the tasty onion relative. The arctic char looks mouthwatering accompanying the risotto, and I can't wait to start cooking!
Posted by: Ruth Reeser | May 5th, 2009 at 7:11 pm
I would very much like for you take a look at my wife's very special wildlife art. Any advice that you or any of you staff have would be enjoyed.
If you are ever in SC let us know and stop by our plantation.
Posted by: John Kinney | May 5th, 2009 at 7:25 pm
Martha thank you for your passions in business and In life. I'm so happy you continue to do what it is you love to do! All else can try to do it but in the end Martha It's you that started it. I know there's room for others but they miss that Good Things aspect of the process. To just do what it is you love to do Cheers to you , and to the Co. Oprah has nothing on you she can diversify herself but it's not her doing it! It's been truly nice to watch your growth as a woman in business!!
Posted by: kristin svens | May 5th, 2009 at 7:45 pm
Thank you so much for posting the pics! The meal sounded wonderful and the pictures do not disappoint. I am in Indiana. Any suggestions as to where I might have a similar meal here?
Posted by: Asha | May 5th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
... and what is that white thing with a bow on top of the key lime tart? I love this post. You should invite him in your show.
Posted by: Norbie K. Las Vegas | May 5th, 2009 at 9:35 pm
LOve you. Love your shows. I would like to see you do a quilt history on your show from really old to really new. Check out a lady named Siglinde Shoen Smith. Worth your time. She makes lots of fabulous needlework, quilts, painting, crafts, and she was a child model for the original Hummell work. Berta Hummell. (spelling may not be right)anyway, check her out.
Posted by: Cheryl Kimble | May 5th, 2009 at 10:17 pm
Hi Martha, My, what a handsome chef Martin Brock is and what beautiful food he prepared for your lovely dinner. Everything looks absolutely delicious! Is the arctic char similar to brook trout? It sure looks good! How great that you can just go out to your cold house and get food to prepare for any meal any time of the year. Look forward to seeing your photos of Clare Potter's creations. Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | May 6th, 2009 at 12:19 am
I really like your blog and look forward to your Tweets on Twitter. I'm having the darndest time getting my kitchen organized! It's always a hassle to get my pots and pans out or put away. Is there a web site you can recommend where I can download a pic of my kitchen and "virtually" re-arrange it?
Thank you!
Posted by: Alexia Wilson | May 6th, 2009 at 12:21 am
You have got the most amazing kitchen ! !
Posted by: has | May 6th, 2009 at 3:59 am
Wow Your kitchen is amazing realy Lovely Food.
Abid Kolber
Posted by: Abid Kolber | May 6th, 2009 at 7:12 am
Look you've made me want dessert!! Oh well to be alive to enjoy it is the key!! Have fun at work, and the show!
Posted by: kristin svens | May 6th, 2009 at 7:38 pm
Hi Martha, I love every thing you share with us can't tell you how much I love watching,reading etc... of any thing that you do, i am so much like you its scary , i have a Martha day every day in a very small way even if it is just taking my cut flowers on the table and gathering all the dry ones to collect for my home made polpori. i am not well so at times its almost impossible, my youngest son is not well as well. i would like to see some macrobiotic cooking in your show as you know more people are getting sick and we need help to get the massage that they food is your medicen they medicen is they food.going green is great but we need to go green in what we cook in our daily life to see a decline in so much illness, thank you so much for all you do for our HUMANITY you are the greatest teacher love Eva form Cleveland
Posted by: Eva Winninger | May 7th, 2009 at 10:10 am
Hi Martha,
Thanks for sharing your experiences. I've heard many times that great leaders are great teachers, and you're just that. I absolutely love everything. You have no idea how inspiring and refreshing all of these things are. I'm a big fan. I can't wait to check your blog/webiste/magazines (wich I of course subscribe to), they have so many ideas. Btw - Usually when I deceorate the house my husband says all the time "I like it, did you see it on Martha?". It's usually true...Thanks and you're the best. Joana from New Jersey.
Posted by: joana | May 8th, 2009 at 10:23 am