The Martha Blog » Food & Recipes

Meredith Vieira and I have a baking contest

Martha Stewart — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:01:21 +0000

With the holidays approaching, I've been all about pies lately. We held a pie contest on my television show on Monday and invited the winner, Marjorie Johnson back to the show on Tuesday to demonstrate her recipe for English Toffee Pecan Pie. Yesterday, on the Today show, co-host Meredith Vieira and I decided to have a little contest of our own baking apple pies. Meredith brought her mother's original recipe in and I came prepared to make one that I call the 'Mile High Apple Pie.' Co-host Matt Lauer was the judge, a position that made him a little nervous, I think.

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1 For my pie, I used Empire and Granny Smith apples. Other good pie choices include Golden Delicious, Macoun, Crispin, Cortland, Winesap, and Rome.

2 The finished pies - Meredith's delicious apple pie of her mother's is behind my mile-high apple pie.

3 Matt was a very cautious judge.

4 Instead of choosing a winner, he tossed up the ribbon - Meredith caught it!

5 After tasting Meredith's pie, I was very impressed with its flavor and texture.

6 Here I am backstage with Kristen Stewart (no relation) star of "Twilight" and the new "New Moon."

7 We had a wonderful conversation.

8 Backstage with Jon Bon Jovi who was on the show promoting 'The Circle,' his new CD and 'When we Were Beautiful,' his new book.

9 Katie Goldberg - my AVP Public Relations - posing for her latest prized photo with Bon Jovi

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Mile High Apple Pie

INGREDIENTS

Pate Brisee

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 8 ounces (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

• 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Mile High Apple Pie

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling

• Deep-Dish Pate Brisee

• 5 1/2 pounds firm tart apples (about 14), such as Empire or Granny Smith

• Juice of 2 lemons

• 1 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 3 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

• 1 large egg yolk

DIRECTIONS

Pate Brisee (makes enough for 6 double-crust 4-inch pies):

Pulse flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor until combined. Add butter, and process until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. With the machine running, add water in a slow, steady stream until mixture just begins to hold together.

Shape dough into 2 disks. Wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate 1 hour to 2 days (or freeze for up to 1 month; thaw in refrigerator before using).

Mile High Apple Pie:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the smaller piece of pate brisee into a 15-inch round about 1/8-inch thick, dusting surface with flour to prevent sticking, as needed. Brush off excess flour. Roll dough around rolling pin, and place over a deep-dish 9-inch pie plate. Line plate with dough, pressing it into the corners. Trim dough to within 1 inch of the pie plate. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate.

Roll out remaining piece of dough into an 18-inch round. Transfer round to a baking sheet; cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.

Peel and core apples, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place slices in a large bowl; sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent discoloration. In a small bowl, combine flour, sugar, and cinnamon; toss with apple slices.

Remove remaining dough from refrigerator; place apple mixture into prepared pie plate, mounding it in a tall pile. Dot filling with butter. Place dough round over the apples. Tuck edge of top dough between edge of bottom dough and rim of pan. Using your fingers, gently press both layers of dough along the edge to seal, and crimp as desired.

Using a paring knife, cut several vents in top of dough to allow steam to escape. In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolk with 2 tablespoons water to make a glaze. Brush surface with egg glaze; sprinkle with sugar. Place on a baking sheet; this will catch any juices that may overflow during baking. Bake until crust is golden, about 15 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking until crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool completely before serving.

A Pie Contest

Martha Stewart — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:01:10 +0000

Last Monday on my television show, we had our first annual pie contest, where we asked members of the audience to share their favorite pies with us. It turns out that many were eager to impress us with their baking skills because amazingly, a total of 161 pies were transported into the studio that morning. To judge all those pies, we asked Karen Demasco, pastry chef at Locanda Verde in New York City; Sandro Micheli, pastry chef at Adour Alain Ducasse in New York City; John Barricelli, host of "Everyday Baking from Everyday Food" and owner of SoNo Baking Company and Cafe in South Norwalk, Connecticut; and Sarah Carey, host of "Everyday Food" and food editor of Martha Stewart Living.
As you can imagine, there was a whole lot of tasting going on. It was a pie lover's extravaganza! The judges narrowed it down to five choices, leaving me with the final judgment. The winner was Marjorie Johnson with her most delicious English Toffee Pecan Pie. Enjoy these pie photos taken that day and try not to drool!

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1 It was a most amazing pie display!

2 TV show staff members Dani, Anduin, and Calia were happy to be tasaters.

A terrific evening for the Martha Stewart Center for Living at Mount Sinai

Martha Stewart — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:01:18 +0000

Two nights ago, I hosted the second annual gala for the Martha Stewart Center for Living at Mount Sinai. This is a special project I have been involved with for more than five years and is something very dear to my heart. When it opened, I dedicated the center to my beloved mother, who passed away two years ago this month at the age of ninety-three. The Center for Living is designed to provide out patients with whole patient care, including medical examinations, advice about diet and exercise, and the all important need for care giving. Simply stated, the main focus of the center is to teach how to grow old gracefully, something we should all start focusing on around the age of fifty.

The gala, held at my office in the Starrett Lehigh bulding in Manhattan, was a huge success with 375 guests in attendance. At the end of the evening, which included an auction, more than one million dollars was raised. The food was exquisitely prepared by Chef Pierre Schaedelin, who is now executive chef and part owner of Benoit in New York City. www.benoitny.com Sir Harold Evans, the legendary editor and journalist was our honoree of the evening and the event was emceed by Liz Smith. I wish to thank all who contributed and a special thanks to Jean Graham, Heather Kirkland, and Erin Fury, from our corporate events department, for all of their hard work in making this evening so wonderful. There is still time to bid on some great items to contribute to the Center for Living by visiting Charitybuzz.com.

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1 Tina Brown, Sir Harold Evans, and me DAVID X PRUTTING 2009 © Patrick McMullan

2 Here I am with Jim Cramer.

3 My daughter, Alexis, joined me for the occasion DAVID X PRUTTING 2009 © Patrick McMullan

4 Here I am with Tina Brown DAVID X PRUTTING 2009 © Patrick McMullan

5 Liz Smith, the Grand Dame of Dish, was our emcee for the evening.

6 With Liz Smith and Charles Koppelman - our Chairman of the Board DAVID X PRUTTING 2009 © Patrick McMullan

7 Here I am with Ed Victor and his mother-in-law - Florence Boggs - nearly 106 years old!

8 Robin Marino and Kevin Sharkey DAVID X PRUTTING 2009 © Patrick McMullan

9 Posing with Cynthia McFadden of Nightline and my niece, Sophie Herbert Photo - DAVID X PRUTTING 2009 © Patrick McMullan

10 Susan Magrino, her mother Mary Cross, me, and Allyn Magrino Photo - DAVID X PRUTTING 2009 © Patrick McMullan

11 With my friend, Dan Shedrick Photo - DAVID X PRUTTING 2009 © Patrick McMullan

12 Dr. Al Siu and me Photo - DAVID X PRUTTING 2009 © Patrick McMullan

13 With Larry Shire Photo - DAVID X PRUTTING 200 © Patrick McMullan

14 Posing with Gerri Kyhill and Charles Koppelman Photo - DAVID X PRUTTING 2009 © Patrick McMullan

15 Dr. Brent Ridge, me, and Josh Kilmer-Purcell Photo - DAVID X PRUTTING 2009 © Patrick McMullan

16 Matthew Axe, Alex Postman, and Katie Hatch Photo - DAVID X PRUTTING 2009 © Patrick McMullan

17 Mark Ingram and me Photo - DAVID X PRUTTING 2009 © Patrick McMullan

18 Memrie Lewis and Holly Bannister Photo - DAVID X PRUTTING 2009 © Patrick McMullan

19 Darcy Miller with Sophie Herbert - my niece, and Christopher Herbert - my nephew

20 Michael Citro, Laura Blau, Muffin Dowdle, and Peter Michaelis

21 Steven Doyle - Gael Towey's husband and me Photo - DAVID X PRUTTING 2009 © Patrick McMullan

22 Here I am with Marc Lowenberg and Greg Lituchi Photo - DAVID X PRUTTING 2009 © Patrick McMullan

23 Jeffrey Brown and Robin Marino Photo - DAVID X PRUTTING/ PatrickMcMullan.com====

24 Bunny Williams, John Rosselli, and me Photo - DAVID X PRUTTING/ PatrickMcMullan.com====

25 Barry and Diana Levinson Photo - DAVID X PRUTTING/ PatrickMcMullan.com====

26 Pomegranate martinis Photo - DAVID X PRUTTING/ PatrickMcMullan.com====

27 Chateau St Jean donated all of the white wine for the evening

28 The vodka for the martinis - Imperia, of course Photo - DAVID X PRUTTING/ PatrickMcMullan.com====

29 The tables were set in the clerestory Photo - DAVID X PRUTTING/ PatrickMcMullan.com====

30 I contributed some of my photographs for the auction.

31 Other various auction items and bidding forms

32 These items were also available for bidding on Charitybuzz.com - some are still open.

33 Here is one of the stations set up for bidding.

34 The room was decorated with large stained plywood squares with silhouettes of bonsai trees made from white and silver vinyl.

35 Another image

36 And another

37 The logo for the Center for Living

38 Chef Pierre Schaedelin and famed Alain Ducasse

39 Pierre's menu taped in the kitchen area for easy reference

40 These racks held the lobster salad awaiting to be dressed and served.

41 The first course was a colorful lobster Salad consisting of lobster, lettuce cup, heart of palm, green beans, avocado, tomato, and grapefruit.

42 Dr. Audrey Chun addressing the room

43 Dr. Dennis Charney

44 Here I am thanking everyone for coming. Photo - DAVID X PRUTTING/ PatrickMcMullan.com====

45 My image up on the big screen

46 Pierre keeping a watchful eye over every detail

47 A very efficient assembly line

48 Pierre manning the ovens

49 The pace was fast in the kitchen.

50 The main course was salmon en croute served with carrot puree, spinach, and tarragon sauce.

51 The parade of food emerges from the kitchen.

52 The auctioneer for the evening

53 The Charitybuzz.com representative received bids by cell phone.

54 Dessert was a wonderful meringue shell filled with chestnut mousse.

55 Piping the filling into each shell

56 Candied marron garnished the top.

57 Cynthia McFadden and Sophie Herbert Photo - DAVID X PRUTTING/ PatrickMcMullan.com====

58 Dr. Nimesh Nagarsheth - the drummer for N.E.D, a rock band made up of six doctors.

59 Karen Hart - Steve Schwarz's daughter on the board of the Brookdale foundation and my friend, Ralph Robbins

Remembering my friend Merce Cunningham

Martha Stewart — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:19:10 +0000

This email just came to my attention and I wanted to share it with all of you. Merce was a good friend a very great man.

'Dear folks at Everyday Food, This is a missive for Martha Stewart, who
was friends with the celebrated American choreographer, Merce
Cunningham, who recently passed away. I simply wanted to tell Ms.
Stewart that in the last few weeks of his life, one of his favorite
dishes was a recipe drawn from Everyday Food -- a Spinach, Soba, and Shitaki Mushroom soup. Merce adored this, and requested it frequently
(something he rarely did), so I found myself cooking it all the time.
It's a marvelous recipe, as I find many to be in this wonderful little magazine, so thank you to all.'
Warmly, Laura Kuhn, Director John Cage Trust

Merce Cunningham: Portrait by Annie Leibovitz

The Incredible Brooklyn Flea Market

Martha Stewart — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:01:09 +0000

My television crew and I have been working on an upcoming special about the New York City borough of Brooklyn, with a strong emphasis on the food scene. This past Sunday, we paid a visit to the incredible Brooklyn Flea Market, and once again, my niece, Sophie Herbert, a proud Brooklynite, joined me for the occasion. The Brooklyn Flea takes place every weekend in two locations. On Saturday, it's held in Fort Greene and on Sundays, it's under the Brooklyn Bridge, now called DUMBO. More than 100 vendors gather beneath this most beautiful bridge and it's so much fun to stroll around and to sample all the delicious and varied food.

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1 This is my film crew setting up for the shoot.

2 Mary Curran - my hair and makeup artist and Clair Magruder - my wardrobe stylist visiting with Sharkey

3 Delicious prosciutto, arugula, and fresh ricotta open-faced sandwiches at Salvatore Ricotta Bklyn www.salvatorebklyn.com

4 Betsy and Rachel, the founders of Salvatore Ricotta - they named their business after a man called Salvatore, whose ricotta they fell in love with in Italy. That's Gary behind the lens.

5 Scrumptious cannoli from Salvatore Ricotta

6 Bob and Joe McClure of McClure's Pickles www.mcclurespickles.com have carried down their great-grandmother Lala's classic pickle recipe. They make their pickles in Brooklyn and Detroit. We loved the spicy dill pickles!

7 Here I am with John Cutti, his wife Sarah, and their adorable son Eli.

8 Francesca was captivated by the people strolling on the Brooklyn Bridge walkway overhead.

9 Francesca's point of view of the bridge above

10 Raw, fair trade Ecuadorian cacoa from FINE & RAW Chocolate www.fineandraw.com - Decadent!

11 FINE & RAW's chocolatier Daniel Sklaar

12 Pickled green beans, okra, peppers, and more at Rick Field's Rick's Picks rickspicksnyc.com pickle stand. Rick has been living and pickling in Brooklyn for over 20 years.

13 Rick Field of Rick's Picks

14 Gary standing in front of Pizza Moto www.pizzamotobklyn.com - a portable wood oven pizza parlor

15 Pizza dough ready to go into the wood burning oven

16 The pizza assembly line at Pizza Moto

17 The incredible Margherita pizza we savored from Pizza Moto. It's made with a sourdough starter procured from local apples.

18 Here I am with Dave, the founder of Pizza Moto, and his co-worker. Dave, a former architecture student, is also a chef at Brooklyn's Lunetta.

19 Susan Povich of the Red Hook Lobster Pound redhooklobsterpound.com. She and her husband, Ralph Gorham, founded their Maine Lobster business last May.

20 A classic Maine lobster roll on the left and a Connecticut roll on the right - served on a buttered roll

21 Rafael and Reina Soler, of Red Hook Foods, cook up some of their delicious tamales and pupusas - a traditional food of the Pipil/Mayan people of Cuzcatlan in modern day El Salvador

22 The hot pupusas at Red Hook Food Vendors

23 Cesar Fuentes of Red Hook Food Vendors told us all about pupusas.

24 Delicious tamales and pickled cabbage to go

25 Sophie and I shared a rice and bean pupusa - delish!

26 Yummy hot dogs at Asia Dog

27 Steve Porto and Melanie Campbell of Asia Dog. Both are half-Asian and decided to merge their Asian and American heritages. Their dogs all have Asian inspired toppings.

28 David Carrell and Joel Horowitz of People's Pop. They make splendid all-organic popsicles and ices.

29 Joel shaving the ice block

30 Crafts by Lotta Jansdotter jansdotter.com

31 Former MSLO craft department editor - Laura Normandin's crafts. Her new line is called Wren Handmade. lauranormandin.com

32 Fois bois plates, made by Marcie McGoldrick, AVP editorial director Holiday & Crafts MSLO (http://www.marciemcgoldrick.com/) The stationery is made by moontree letterpress

33 Laura Normandin with her handmade craft line

34 Blue Marble ice cream cart under the Brooklyn Bridge www.bluemarbleicecream.com

35 Maple, vanilla chocolate chip, chocolate, and green tea ice cream from Blue Marble. Yum!!

36 The Blue Marble ice cream vendors - Alexis and Jennie. Blue Marble, which has two store fronts in Brooklyn, makes organic ice cream from locally sourced ingredients.

37 The very majestic Brooklyn Bridge

38 Driving away from the flea market on the Brooklyn Bridge

39 Another view of the grand bridge

Photos By Sophie Herbert and Martha Stewart

A harvest and feast at my home in Maine

Martha Stewart — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 04:01:47 +0000

A couple of weeks ago, I invited a small group from my television crew to join me for an inspirational weekend at Skylands, my home in Maine. It was also the same weekend that all the vegetables from the garden were harvested, providing us with an end of summer bounty. Tom Joseph, one of the chefs from the TV test kitchen, joined me in the kitchen preparing delicious and nutritious meals. We built up healthy appetites hiking and exploring all day and here are some photos of the harvest and of one great feast.

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1 Rainbow carrots - a colorful array of yellow white, and orange

2 Amazing artichokes

3 Three kinds of beets - golden, red, and a candy striped beet called Chioggia

4 Beautiful full heads of cabbage and large stalks of broccoli

5 This is the largest broccoli we had ever seen - grown in my own garden in Maine - it was delicious and fed eight of us!

6 Tom Joseph prepared the dinner with me - he is one of the chefs in our TV test kitchen. He is a student at New York University working on his MA of Food Studies - his thesis is on Vietnamese Foodways/Pho (a traditional Vietnamese beef noodle soup).

7 Tom making faces!

8 Tom made a lemon tart with meringue - the curd was from the juice of my own Bedford lemons.

9 The table for this Saturday night supper was set in the kitchen because we were serving messy lobsters in the shell.

10 We roasted freshly harvested Mt. Desert potatoes - they were wrapped in parchment lined foil and baked until tender in the oven.

11 This is before they were roasted.

12 I am about to smash the potato on the table - this breaks up the flesh into a snowy fluffy mound - so delicious.

13 I love my potato with butter and sour cream and chives.

14 The lobsetrs were from Downeast Lobster Pound - soft shells called shedders - the meat is tender. The 1 1/4-pounders take 15 minutes to cook in boiling water.

15 Sauteed Swiss chard, potato, and broccoli - simple, fresh, nutritious

16 Here is Tom, really enjoying the fruits of his labors. The egg cups held the clarified butter for dipping the lobster meat.

17 And the piece de resistance - lemon curd tart.

18 Another view - Yumm - I could eat the whole tart.

The New York City Wine and Food Festival

Martha Stewart — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:01:44 +0000

Last Friday evening, I had a really fun experience and took part in the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival. This is the only festival in New York which brings together both legendary culinary icons from around the globe and America's most beloved television chefs. And now in its second year, the festival is already one of the most important food events in the country. Much more than a celebration of fine wine and delicious food, the festival is also a campaign to help those in need. All proceeds benefit the Food Bank for New York City and Share Our Strength, two terrific organizations dedicated to fighting hunger in this great city. Last year, the 2008 Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival raised over one million dollars for these two important charities. I was very proud to be a part of this wonderful cause.

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1 At five PM, I gave one of the opening demos of the festival. I cooked a menu from our new Dinner at Home cookbook - out next week. Anna Kovel, who was instrumental in the creation of this great book, assisted me.

2 Lauren Shakely - my publisher at Clarkson Potter and Kate Tyler, publicity director, Clarkson Potter

3 Lee Brian Schrager of Southern Wine & Spirits of America - Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival founder and director - introducing me

4 We were filmed during the demo, held at the New School’s Tishman Auditorium

5 The audience was very, very nice - 500 came.

6 The dinner of duck breast with fig sauce, braised red cabbage, grated potato cake, and hazelnut brittle over ice cream, was really good.

7 Later that night in Dumbo, under the Brooklyn Bridge, hamburgers were the focus of many of New York City's finest restaurants.

8 The big tent under the bridge

9 Minetta Tavern was one of the first burgers we ate - it was very good.

10 Little brioche buns are tender and light in contrast to a very tasty burger.

11 Riad Nasr and Lee Hanson - genius chefs at Minetta Tavern, Bathazar, and Pastis - cooked what I thought was the very best hamburger at the Burger Bash. Of course, it was the first of ten I tasted!!!! In the smoke of the Minetta Tavern tent, Riad and Lee, smiled despite the 'fog.'

12 Here I am with Rachael Ray - we were very popular photo subjects, as you can imagine! I met Rachael Ray there - she was surrounded by many bodyguards - I had only my trusted Roc!

13 The Spotted Pig's burger was topped with blue cheese - yum!

14 The buns were cleverly toasted.

15 The only non-hamburger served that night were the hot dogs of the famous Crif Dogs in the East Village.

16 This one is called the Chihuahua - a bacon wrapped dog covered with avocados and sour cream.

17 Two of the sponsors of the Scripps Networks - they are the best! Scripps Networks owns the Food Channel and the Fine Living channel.

18 Burger aficionado, Kyle Huebbe - commercial real estate broker

19 The gang from Shake Shack - their burger was good!

20 Susan Magrino and her friend, the famous Chef Alain Ducasse - he was doing research, I suppose.

21 Jessica Aufiero works for the Susan Magrino Agency - my public relations team - she is really into food and wine.

22 The inimitable Bobby Flay - he looked good.

23 Another good photo of Alain Ducasse

Field trip to Brooklyn

Martha Stewart — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 04:01:08 +0000

In preparation for an upcoming episode of my television show, we decided to visit the borough of Brooklyn to see some of the wonderful additions to the culinary and cultural aspects of that amazing place. Brooklyn, just across the East River from Manhattan, has seen an exciting growth in the artisan food scene, and there are also terrific flea markets to peruse. I, along with my TV crew, met up with my niece, Sophie, who is a resident of the borough, in the section called Williamsburg, to pay a visit to the fantastic restaurant, Marlow & Sons and their amazing butcher shop, Marlow & Daughters. If you are ever in New York City, you should really consider a visit to Brooklyn.

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1 This is a beautiful platter of icy and delicious east coast oysters - so briny!

2 The deep fried corn is extraordinaire!

3 This is a fabulous local stone fruit salad with deep fried okra.

4 And a delicious crostini with chopped Swiss chard, and shredded aged goat cheese.

5 The favorite dish - and always on the menu is the brick roasted chicken - really, really good. The heirloom tomatoes are grown on a rooftop in Brooklyn!

6 This is the co-owner of Marlow & Sons, Mark Firth, with my niece, Sophie - a Brooklyn resident.

7 A few doors down, the restaurant has a small store and cafe. These are some of the tasty baked goods for sale.

8 The barista - very busy at work

9 Some of the cured meats, cheeses, and other delicacies sold at Marlow & Daughters

10 The majority of the cheeses sold at Marlow & Daughters are from small producers in the North East.

11 Quails, free-range chickens, and wonderful sausages

12 An unusual assortment of meats, such as ox tail, pig tail, beef tongue, and beef lung

13 And of course, Marlow & Daughter sells beautiful aged beef.

14 Marlow & Daughters also carries local, organic produce and other artisan products.

15 More great stuff

16 Pastas, oils, and vinegars

17 Interesting canned goods and root vegetables

18 More great stuff

19 This is the meat locker at Marlow & Daughters.

20 They even had a whole pig!

21 Some of the aging beef

22 Marlow & Daughter's butcher, Ben, showed us his skills. The small piece on the right is the decadent 'oyster' of the cow.

23 Look at the beautiful marbling in this beef.

24 My niece, Sophie, and Andrew Tarlow, co-owner of Marlow & Sons/Daughters

25 Beautiful skirt steak

26 Here I am with Andrew Tarlow

27 Co-owner Mark Firth and me

Dinner at the extraordinary Eleven Madison Park

Martha Stewart — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 04:01:34 +0000

Last week, I went to dinner at the extraordinary Eleven Madison Park, located at 11 Madison Avenue in downtown New York City. Eleven Madison Park, which opened in 1998, is a Danny Meyer restaurant, the famous restaurateur known for his impeccable hospitality. A few years ago, Mr. Meyer brought Chef Daniel Humm on board and together they transformed this already distinguished restaurant into what restaurant critic, Frank Bruni, of the New York Times, recently has deemed New York City's newest four-star restaurant.

My dinner companions were Laura Slatkin - founder of Candela Fragrance and Candles, her SVP of Marketing and Sales - Seungah Jeong, and Hannah Milman - my Executive Editorial Director. While enjoying our fabulous meal, we discussed fragrances at great length. Please enjoy these photos taken at the restaurant and try not to get too hungry. Also, be sure to watch the new season of my television show beginning on Monday, September 14th. The fabulous Chef Daniel Humm will be appearing on that day!

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1 Chef Daniel Humm - New York City's new four star chef of Eleven Madison Park

2 The cutlery, plates, and linens are simple, elegant, and appropriate for the fine food.

3 The restaurant has an extensive and very interesting wine list, including an aperitif service of champagnes that are excellent and unusually good.

4 Here is a page of the wine menu highlighting the sparkling wines.

5 The glassware is simply elegant and we all enjoyed having the sommelier pour us different wines for each course.

6 The amuse bouches - little appetizer tastes - were exquisite small bites - lovely hors d'oeuvres.

7 A small carrot shaped fried cornucopia filled with sweetbreads.

8 Light as air gougères - cheese puffs

9 A very good appetizer wine was poured.

10 A corn soup as a starter - It was a pure essence of sweet summer corn kernels.

11 Magical ambrosial tastes that popped in the mouth

12 Another wonderful wine for one of the first courses

13 A mousse of egg topped with gold leaf - exquisite!

14 A more detailed view

15 A most unusual wine that none of us had ever drunk

16 An avocado-wrapped roulade of prawns appetizer - so beautiful!

17 Gnocchi like I have never, ever tasted before

18 Perfectly ripe tomatoes and slivers of cured ham

19 Another wine being poured - Laura Slatkin loved the food as much as I did.

20 Laura's SVP of Marketing and Sales, Seungah Jeong, is also a foodie and totally into fine dining.

21 Hannah Milman talked scents and candles and flowers all through dinner.

22 This was an incredible lavender-scented roast duck.

23 My wonderful plate of perfectly cooked black bass

24 The carved breast of roasted duck

25 Poached cod with corn, radish, pea shoots, and purslane

26 A fun young couple celebrating an anniversary - The restaurant is full of patrons, intrigued by good food, beautiful presentation, and elegant surroundings.

Dinner with Ted Turner

Martha Stewart — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 04:01:15 +0000

Let's face it - a visit to Ted Turner's Snowcrest Ranch would not be complete without sampling some of the bison, which are raised on the ranch. Ted's chef, Karen Averitt, was happy to prepare a special meal for us, which we ate, dining al fresco with the incredibly gorgeous Montana scenery as our backdrop. I found the bison to be especially delicious - flavorful, tender, and juicy.

It's estimated that 30 million bison once roamed this country before European settlers arrived. By the late 1800's, they were nearly extinct, with fewer than 1,000 remaining in private herds and on public preserves, such as Yellowstone National Park. Ted Turner purchased his first bison in 1976 - a bull and two cows. Since that time, his herd has grown to more than 50,000 head across the various Turner ranches. Today, there are approximately 500,000 bison living in North America. Bison has gained popularity in the meat business because it is leaner and healthier than beef. It contains less fat, fewer calories, and has more protein. If you eat meat and have the opportunity, you should definitely try bison.

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1 Here I am with Ted enjoying dinner.

2 Gary Nardilla grilling bison steaks at Ted Turner's ranch - he is great behind the grill!

3 Karen - Ted's chef, me, and Ted discussing logistics

4 We just can't wait for our meal of bison - hamburgers and steaks - very, very good.

5 A table al fresco - overlooking Snowcrest Ranch

6 Wonderful bison steaks and roasted red, yellow, and orange peppers

7 Yummy grilled corn

8 Beautifully grilled squash

9 It really was a very superb hamburger!

10 I'm holding a piece of delicious bread made from Kernza™, a new perennial grain that Ted is testing. By planting grains that are perennial, you cut down on plowing and the potential of creating a dust bowl.

11 These are solar heating panels - one of many environmentally sound measures practiced on Ted's properties.

12 There are many, many bird houses on the ranch to encourage more species to return.

13 Even deer are encouraged.

14 As are birds of prey

15 The local cranes are wonderful.

16 We all enjoyed this spectacular sunset over the ranch.

17 The mauve skies were breathtaking.

18 The TV crew ate dinner at the lodge.