Last week, I hosted a lovely dinner for a group of business colleagues and partners. My friend, Chef Pierre Schaedelin, from PS Tailored Events, and I, planned a menu for 16-guests. For this meal, I wanted to serve pot-au-feu, one of my favorite French comfort foods. We also served endive salad, white truffle risotto, and for dessert, homemade pomegranate sorbet and brown butter shortbread cookies. It was a delicious meal.
Enjoy these photos…
As always, my longtime housekeeper, Laura Acuna, set a lovely table for the event in my large Brown Room. Laura and I have worked together on many, many table settings over her 32-years with me.
Here is my place setting at one end of the long dining table. Each setting is decorated with bright fall orange placemats and crisp white napkins.
The beautiful pumpkins, grown right here at my farm, add such a warm and colorful touch to the table scape.
Just outside my Winter House, Ryan carries two potted plants through the upper terrace parterre. I always decorate my home with plants before every gathering, but I keep all my houseplants in the greenhouse, where they can be maintained properly, especially during winter and times when I am traveling.
I like to decorate with a wide assortment of interesting specimens. Ryan always brings in more than two dozen plants – it’s such an easy way to liven up any space.
Sansevieria cylindrica or the cylindrical snake plant is a succulent native to Angola. It has striped, rounded leaves that are smooth and green to gray in color.
This colorful houseplant is a Calathea lancifolia, or rattlesnake plant. It’s a great indoor ornamental houseplant with long, medium green leaves and dark green spots. The undersides of the leaves are a deep shade of purple.
In between my kitchen and smaller dining room is my servery, a room from which meals are served – I often prepare and serve cocktails and other drinks from this space. On the center island is a “slipper orchid” – one of my favorites. The key to growing these plants is to keep the root systems strong and healthy. These plants have no bulbs or stems to store moisture and nutrients, so it is important to maintain their roots.
Inside the Flower Room kitchen, Chef Pierre charred onions straight on the flame – these onions add an intense smoky flavor to any dish.
All the vegetables were prepared early in the morning as part of the “mis-en-place” meaning “set in place”. It refers to having all the ingredients prepped and ready to go before cooking. The main course includes leeks, celeriac, carrots, turnips, fingerling potatoes and horseradish.
Several meats are used for this pot-au-feu including veal shanks, beef shanks, short ribs, Italian sausage and marrow bones. The meats are slowly braised to cook the meat and melt the marrow.
For pot-au-feu, the vegetables and meats are simmered together, creating a very rich and flavorful broth.
Chef Pierre ties a bunch of leeks before placing them into the pot.
Chef Pierre makes one of the sauces for the pot-au-feu – sauce verte with capers and cornichons, those delicious mini gherkin cucumbers that are harvested before reaching full maturity for an extra-tart bite.
These are maitake mushrooms, Grifola frondosa. I harvested them myself during a visit to Phillips Mushroom Farms in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. I will share more photos from this amazing farm in an upcoming blog. http://www.phillipsmushroomfarms.com/
Here is Pierre holding the white truffles with the risotto. Known as the white Alba truffle, Tuber magnatum pico is famous for its distinct aroma and intense, earthy flavor.
Chef Pierre’s sous chef, Oscar, taps the back of the pomegranate to get out all the clusters of juicy, gem-like seeds from the inside. These pomegranates come from our friends at POM Wonderful. https://www.pomwonderful.com/
The pomegranates are used to make this gorgeous bright colored sorbet.
And to accompany the sorbet – brown butter shortbread cookies.
Guests arrive promptly for dinner. Here’s Chef Pierre preparing the endive salad.
These are some of the condiments that accompany the boiled meats – assorted mustards, sauce verte, coarse sea salt, and white horseradish I made earlier in the day from horseradish grown in my garden. I’ll show you how easy it is to make in another blog.
All the cooked meats and vegetables are arranged on a serving platter. Some of the meat is carved off ahead of the buffet service.
Here is a beautiful photo of the meats and vegetables from above.
Dessert always looks so beautiful plated up.
Pierre uses some of the fresh pomegranate seeds to garnish the cup of sorbet.
Everyone had a wonderful time – even Empress Tang came out for the party. See more photos from the party on my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48.
Plan this year's Thanksgiving menu with some of your favorite ideas and recipes from the MarthaStewart.TV App!
Preparing the Thanksgiving meal – especially the turkey – can seem daunting, but having prepared versions of the classic holiday feast both at home and in our studio kitchens for decades, I know cooking this dinner can also be lots of fun. I am so excited that my favorite time-saving and time-tested recipes are available to watch (and watch again) on the new MarthaStewart.TV App. Start your free 14-day trial on MarthaStewart.TV or download the MarthaStewart.TV App on your mobile or streaming device.
Wherever you are this holiday, my favorite shows, and yours, can be close at hand. Enjoy these photos - they're just some of the glistening turkeys, sensational side dishes, comfort food favorites, and show-stopping desserts we’ve prepared, and shared, over the years. As a very special thanks to my blog readers, I’d like to encourage you to download and watch my new App. Use this limited-time promotional code for 50% off three months: WELCOME
Cognac Marinated Turkey: For a flavorful, juicy bird try this unique combination using milk and a hint of cognac – just half a cup!
Perfect Roast Turkey 101: In this segment, my longtime producer, Judy Morris, learns how to prepare her first Thanksgiving dinner. For more than 20-years, fans have told me this is a never-fail, almost-too-perfect-to-carve turkey recipe. My secret to success? Cheesecloth!
Boned, Rolled, and Tied Turkey: Practical and elegant, this deboned turkey breast roulade is filled with savory stuffing. Watch my tutorial on boning and butterflying the breast, or to save time, ask your butcher to do the knife work.
Black-Lacquered Turkey: My dear friend Jane Heller’s precise technique and “exactly 39-ingredients” yields a showstopper with a dramatic black-lacquered skin. Remove the coating to reveal a succulent mahogany bird beneath!
Deep Fried Turkey: Personal chef, Rina Prentice, provided this recipe, which includes safety tips for preparing food outdoors. Before dropping a whole turkey in peanut oil, the turkey is rubbed with hand-ground spices and Creole seasoning.
Corn Bread with Sage and Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing: Regardless of which turkey recipe you prepare, this is one of my all-time most requested dressings. So flavorful on its own, who needs turkey? But I do like to pair it with the Cognac Marinated Turkey, above.
Stuffing 101: This bread-based recipe with plenty of celery, onion and sage, is at its delicious best when baked in the bird. To safely stuff a turkey, make sure to do it right before it goes in the oven, not ahead of time. The stuffing should be cool and loosely packed inside the turkey. A 12 to 15 pound turkey needs about 10-cups of stuffing; a 15 to 20 pound bird can hold up to 12-cups.
Cornbread Apple Sausage Stuffing: Long before it became a popular method of preparation, chef and frequent guest, Chris Schlesinger, demonstrated how to brine and roast a glistening turkey. This stuffing, with pumpkin challah, cornbread, and tart apples pairs excellently with any brined poultry recipe.
Sweet and Savory Stuffing: Without a doubt, this stuffing has nearly every ingredient – including water chestnuts! Here I am with Jane Heller, preparing the stuffing for her striking Black-Lacquered Turkey, above.
Low Country Dressing: Rina Prentice, who provided the Deep Fried Turkey recipe, traveled to our studio to share her Southern-inspired stuffing with Carolina Gold rice, cornbread, Italian sausage and roasted garlic.
Mixed Grain Pilaf: This medley owes its substantial texture to pearl barley, wheat berries, millet, and wild rice. Garlic, onion, and mushrooms contribute flavor and additional texture. A side dish that satisfies vegetarians as well – simply swap vegetable stock for chicken stock.
Cranberry Orange Relish: Cranberry sauce that’s so easy to prepare. This relish with a kick requires no cooking, and it also makes an excellent condiment for leftover turkey sandwiches.
Creamed Spinach: This is one of my personal family favorites. My mother “Big Martha’s” Creamed Spinach always makes an appearance at our holiday gatherings – even better served with a large dollop of sour cream!
Brussels Sprouts with Lemon: With a warm lemony vinaigrette dressing, you may be able to convince all your guests to eat their Brussels sprouts! An easy-to-prepare side dish with few ingredients and no oven space required.
Acorn Squash Rings: A lovely way to prepare and present squash while it’s in season. Cutting the squash in rings aids even roasting, yielding a tender, buttery, and slightly sweet side dish.
Perfect Pecan Pie: Here I am with Mom after preparing another one of our family’s Thanksgiving culinary traditions, pecan pie. She would be tickled to know her fans are now able to watch her on a mobile phone!
Alexis’s Sweet Potato Pie: My daughter, Alexis, is a dedicated pie baker. This is one of her early creations, developed after testing many, many different recipes. Sweet but not overly so, I also enjoy the dense, but not heavy, texture.
Salli LaGrone’s Cranberry Tartlets: Salli LaGrone, a talented caterer and dear friend since my own early catering days, made several appearances on our programs. Early fans may remember our Fried Chicken Cook-Off, which is also available to watch on the App! These tangy cranberry tartlets make a festive addition to holiday tables or dessert buffets.
Pumpkin Soufflé: I originally presented this recipe in the very early days of Martha Stewart Living in 1993. An alternative to the traditional Thanksgiving pumpkin pie, the soufflés are individually baked and served in Jack-Be-Little pumpkins.
Rustic Apple Tarts: Take advantage of the last days of apple season with these free-form tarts filled with both apples and applesauce, no pie or tart pans required. I demonstrate how to make homemade apple sauce, but in a pinch, you may use a good-quality prepared brand.
It’s just a couple more weeks until Thanksgiving and the start of the holiday season, so be sure to shop all my collections on QVC for great gift ideas!
Earlier this week, I flew back down to West Chester, Pennsylvania, home of the QVC headquarters and studios, to share some of my favorite holiday offerings for the season - candles, garlands and other festive decorations for the home, delicious gourmet foods and selections from Martha Stewart Wine Co., my new Everything Pressure Cooker and “Pressure Cooker” book, and charming clothes and accessories for your pets. If you didn’t get a chance to catch my appearances, take a look at the QVC web site - just click on this highlighted link. All my products are doing so well. I know you’ll find something for everyone on your list!
Here are some photos. And be sure to follow me on Twitter @MarthaStewart to find out when I’ll be on QVC again to show you more terrific items from my collections!
This season, I’ve got so many beautiful holiday decorations for your home. I love the festive look of this table-scape filled with shimmering gold and beautiful faux evergreens.
The five foot long cedar garland comes with gold or red accents – it’s so lush and lifelike.
The cedar garland coordinates well with my Cedar Topiaries, Swags and Picks. Get them all and fill your home with wonderful holiday color this season.
Bottlebrush trees also add such a nice touch to any table or mantel during the holidays. With metallic tops and fir wood bases, these trees come in a set of three – gold, green and silver. And they look great next to my Smooth Wax Pillar candles. Each of these candles gives you at least a thousand hours of glow time per battery pair.
My holiday collection also includes garlands, topiaries and picks in pinecone. All of these pinecone decorations are durable and can be used year after year.
This pinecone topiary is about 24-inches tall and looks so full and festive. This topiary is accented by pinecones, ornaments, and glittered leaf and berry branches.
And don’t forget holiday nutcrackers. I offer this set of three nutcrackers – Nutcracker Man, Nutcracker King, and Nutcracker Santa. They measure 13-inches to 15-inches tall. They’ll look great on your mantel, but would also be a wonderful gift for anyone on your list.
These are Pearl Bead Trees – three sizes of pearl beads arranged throughout twisted wire branches on black lacquered bases. They can be used alone or with the bottlebrush trees on your dining table.
And this is a wonderful tool to have for both indoor and outdoor tasks around the house – my Lithium-Ion Screwdriver with Six Driver Bits. This tool drives screws and drill anchors into wood, metal, and plastic. It recharges quickly and its quick-swap cylinder keeps bits close at hand. Plus, the LED light that is attached is great for working in dark or tight spaces. This makes a wonderful gift for any homeowner.
I shared some of my sweet holiday offerings including these delicious Warren Pears from Frog Hollow Farm. You can choose from either a two-pound gift box or a four-pound gift box. These pears are so juicy, you’ll want a box for yourself!
And, what’s a holiday without chocolates? Here are my gourmet chocolates – Peppermint bark, Sea Salt Toffee Bark and Pecan Nut Clusters.
The Peppermint Bark is made from premium white and dark chocolate, and peppermint candies. The chocolate is hand feathered, and then hand sprinkled with peppermint candy.
The Pecan Caramel Clusters are enrobed in chocolate and filled with caramel and pecans.
And the Sea Salt Toffee Bark is made using milk chocolate, buttery toffee, and sea salt Toffee. It is cooked, and stirred in a copper pot, poured on a long table, spread by hand and then broken into pieces – such a nice treat.
Also featured this week – charming harnesses and sweaters for our favorite furred friends. I love all these items – and my dogs test every single product before it’s released.
This is a Buffalo Check Vest Harness for male dogs. My harnesses are designed for complete comfort and control during morning and evening strolls. They have adjustable straps, padded mesh linings and are available in this gray and red or a tan and brown for boys and red or tan versions with skirt edges for girls.
Here is the Buffalo Check Dog Harness for girls – with a bow on the back.
Here’s the tan and brown version for females. They are warm and durable for those dogs with short haired coats that need a little extra warmth in fall and winter.
Although my dogs were not with me on this day, here they are in their Buffalo Check Harnesses – everyone stops to greet them whenever they wear these – and they fit so perfectly.
My Cable Knit Dog Sweaters come in this olive, a brown and a navy. And they are available in many sizes to fit small toy breeds to large breeds. Any canine companion will stay cozy and comfortable in this cable knit sweater.
Bete Noir and Creme Brulee love their sweaters and often use them when walking around the farm on chilly mornings.
Here is Creme Brulee in an olive Cable Knit Sweater and her Step-In Harness also from my collection.
And for the holidays, why not provide your pets with fun gold faux bois ceramic pet bowls. Each bowl holds up to 35-ounces of food or water and measures 6.5-inches in diameter.
Here I am with some great selections from Martha Stewart Wine Co. For the holidays, I shared Fair Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon, Sierra Trails Zinfandel, Spencer Sauvignon Blanc, and Stone & Glass Chardonnay. My wines are doing so well – some of them are my own personal favorites. My wines are offered in three options – one to three bottles of one varietal, two to 12 bottles all red or white, or three to 12 assorted bottles. And you can still order in time for Thanksgiving. Please go to the QVC web site to see products from all my collections and follow me on Twitter @MarthaStewart for future appearance dates and details.
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