Michele StuevenMartha Stewart took over the grounds of the Los Angeles Center Studio for the Dec. 1-2 weekend for the Martha Steward Food & Wine Experience celebrating local L.A. chefs and vintners. Tirelessly interactive, she spent the afternoon giving pressure cooker recipe demonstrations, divulging her favorite dog and cat food recipes and answering endless fan questions.
“Yes, he cooks and makes a very good mac and cheese,” the host of Martha and Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party said of her co-star when answering burning question No. 1 from the crowd.
“He always adds that extra little ‘herb’ at the end,” she added. “But even with or without that ‘herb,’ it’s always delicious. He has a nice gentle way of stirring his food and really cares about it. I taught him how to make pizza dough, which opened up a whole new world of baking for him. We met for three hours yesterday planning the upcoming season in his ‘mothership studio,’ which is all hermetically sealed. Boy, were we tired after those three hours.”
Chef Alex Reznik from Mrs. Fish puts his best bento box forward, with samples of short rib with sunchoke puree & horseradish, and albacore Wayaraki.; Credit: Michele Stueven
Thousands sampled short rib with sunchoke puree and horseradish, and albacore Wayaraki bento boxes from Mrs. Fish; pork toro nigiri with doubanjiang, crispy rice, shiso and young ginger from Hock and Hoof; and sustainable seafood paella from Preux & Proper.
Noree Thai served khao soi tofu, and Hamasaku offered white fish sashimi with vegetable gelee. For vegans, there were BBQ jackfruit tostadas with pineapple habanero salsa, cashew creme, micro cilantro and crispy onions from Gracias Madre and gluten-free tartar from Air Food.
Whitefish sashimi with vegetable gelee from Hamasaku; Credit: Michele Stueven
Susan Feniger prepared beef barbacoa tacos in the shadow of her Border Grill building while the Blending Lab poured samples of its custom-blended wines.
The event was presented by USA Today and is part of a 12-city tour that highlights local chefs and vintners throughout the country. It also offered wine seminars and classes as well as crafting spaces to custom stencil your own personalized apron.
Beef barbacoa tacos from Border Grill with Susan Feniger; Credit: Michele Stueven
And what about that dog food recipe?
“Get a big oily fish at $4 a pound or less,” Stewart shared. “It’s dog food, after all — we’re not putting halibut in there at $23 a pound. Cook the fish in a pot and then add some brown rice or quinoa, but mostly quinoa because it has more protein and less carbs. Then I add carrots or sweet potatoes, peas and spinach all in a giant pot and cook that. The people in my house eat it first. Then we grind it all up in the Cuisinart and pack it up in individual portions for the dogs. I don’t open cans. Ever. At all. I’ve always got one container frozen and one thawed for them every day.”
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Winner of the best display: Don Julio!; Credit: Michele Stueven
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