I hope you all had a safe and happy Christmas. Here's a blog that was originally posted on January 22, 2022. It includes photos from my trip to the Dominican Republic, enjoy.
Here in the Northeast, it's bitter cold. Temperatures are expected to hit 30-degrees Fahrenheit at my Bedford, New York farm today - very different from the weather on the Caribbean nation of the Dominican Republic, where I recently spent a glorious week with friends.
If you follow me on Instagram @MarthaStewart48, you may remember my trip to the Dominican Republic over the holidays. Most of our time was spent in La Romana, at the beautiful resort complex of Casa de Campo, about 70-miles from the historic city of Santo Domingo. We went fishing, enjoyed delicious meals, and relaxed on the most pristine beaches. We also visited the village of Altos de Chavon, home to the Altos de Chavon Cultural Center Foundation, a non-profit educational and cultural entity dedicated to maintaining an arts community within the Dominican Republic. It was a fantastic trip with perfect weather every day.
Enjoy my photos.
My friend, Dominique Bluhdorn, owns the most gorgeous home called La Favorita. Look at the breathtaking views.
Dominique’s house has many seating arrangements in many different scenic locations such as this covered loggia, which is a covered space running along the length of a structure similar to a porch, but with columns or arches on the open side.
This is the formal living room — where we did not sit once.
And here is her swimming pool – also with such delightful views.
These are the steps to the beach and to the swimming pavillion at the end of the pier.
And these are the sitting arrangements on the way to the hot tub, where I went every single day at 7am.
This is the swimming pavilion, with its thatched roof – it’s definitely a favorite place to sit and relax. Dominique’s home is within the boundaries of Casa de Campo Resort and Villas – a seven-thousand acre hotel, resort, and residential community on the southeastern coast of the Dominican Republic. The exclusive retreat was built by Dominique’s father, industrialist, Charles Bluhdorn.
Here is one of the dinner dishes we enjoyed – cooked wahoo fish with butter, capers, herbs, and lime. Wahoo is a scombrid fish found worldwide in tropical and subtropical seas – it’s in the same family as mackarel and tuna.
Here is my plate along with rice, avocado, and traditional Dominican Republic empanaditas, or bite-sized empanadas.
And of course… Martha’s Chard, my new wine from 19 Crimes. It was unanimously everyone’s favorite wine at dinner. Look out for it – it will be in stores near you very soon.
For breakfast the next morning, we had house eggs poached with broiled tomato, potato balls, cauliflower, onions, and herbs.
Here are two poached eggs with scallions – perfectly cooked.
The sunrises and sunsets were absolutely amazing. This photo was taken at 7:25am.
We saw some beautiful marine animals. This is a star fish, or sea star. They come in a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes. They also all have spines covering their upper surfaces…
… And soft undersides. When looking at the underside of a live sea star, one can see its tube feet wiggling.
For another meal, we shared a platter of grilled meats and chicken. Dominican cuisine is made up of Spanish, indigenous Taíno, Middle-Eastern, and African influences. And the largest, most important meal of the day is lunch.
Here is a platter of lobster, grilled to perfection.
And here are the Island tamales, known in the Dominican Republic as pasteles en hoja – often stuffed with meats.
We had salads with every meal – fresh, ripe tomatoes, avocados, cucumbers, pickled onions, and more.
Here’s my first helping – it may, or may not have been, my last. Everything was so flavorful.
On another day, I went to Puntacana and visited its Ecological Foundation, a project of the Puna Cana Resort and Club. I learned about their composting process. The garden is completely farmed using organic waste and soil from a worm-composting shed. The processed compost at the bottom is then sent back to the resort’s kitchens as well as other local restaurants, and a weekly local farmers’ market.
Here I am with Jake Kheel – sustainability innovator and Vice President of Grupo Puntacana Foundation.
The beaches stretched for miles and miles.
Here I am on the fishing boat – I wonder what we’ll catch.
I learned some great techniques from fishing with Kevin Fox.
And look, we caught a nice sized wahoo.
Casa de Campo is also home to Altos de Chavón a one-of-a-kind 16th century replica Mediterranean village. This project was conceived by Bluhdorn and the Italian architect, Roberto Copa. Dominique is the current president of the Altos de Chavón Cultural Center Foundation.
The entire village is located atop the Chavón River. The project began in 1976 when the construction of a nearby road and bridge crossing the river was blasted through a mountain of stone. The stones were used to create the village and celebrates the artisans of the Dominican Republic.
Much of Altos de Chavon is made from coral block and terra cotta. This giant fish sculpture is part of a fountain – it looks like it has been here for centuries.
Each stone was hand cut, each wooden door frame was handcrafted, and each wrought-iron detail hand-forged. The village was finally completed and inaugurated in 1982.
Another attraction in Altos de Chavon is this five-thousand seat amphitheater. It is mainly used for music concerts and other performances. The amphitheater is so beautiful and carved all from stone. The term “amphitheater” derives from the ancient Greek words meaning “on both sides” or “around” and “place for viewing”.
It was a such a wonderful get-away. I hope to return again sometime soon.
It's Christmas Eve. If you're traveling to see loved ones today, please be careful and safe. Here's another fun holiday memory - a festive party at my farm. This blog was originally posted on Dec. 21, 2019. Enjoy!
I love this time of year when everyone gathers together to celebrate the holidays.
Recently, I hosted my annual holiday party at my Bedford, New York farm. More than 200-guests wandered in and out of three buildings, each with a different and festive theme. My Winter House was where my friend, Chef Pierre Schaedelin, and his talented team from PS Tailored Events, prepared and served a variety of delicious and savory dishes. Fancy sweets and eggnog were served in my Summer House, and the little Tenant House offered an array of beautiful and whimsical holiday cookies. Friends, family, and neighbors also enjoyed music from a jazz guitarist and photos with Santa! It was a cold late autumn day, but everyone had a most wonderful time!
Enjoy these photos.
Here I am with Douglas Friedman and Kevin Sharkey on this day of merriment and good cheer. See more fun selfies of the three of us by @DouglasFriedman on my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48. And you can always find fun photos on Kevin’s Instagram page @seenbysharkey.
My home was filled with all kinds of trees. Here is a collection of bottle brush trees on the green marble table in my foyer – a woodland scene under my great falcon weathervane.
I love how the sun came through the window in this photo taken by @seenbysharkey.
My Green Room was decorated with gold and shades of green. On the right is one of two Chinese foo dogs given to me by Kevin. They’re perfect for this parlor.
I published this recipe for my special eggnog in my first book, “Entertaining” in 1982. It’s made with plenty of bourbon, cognac, dark rum, heavy cream – and this year, 96 eggs for 200 people.
All the eggs used for my eggnog came right from my hens here at the farm. A single eggnog recipe, by the way, calls for a dozen eggs, which can serve about 26-guests. My eggnog is always so popular – it is so rich it needs no accompaniment.
I used Marti Autentico Rum “Dorado” – a delicious quality rum with a lovely rich taste. https://www.martirum.com/
Guests arriving at my Winter House saw Moises, from PS Tailored Events, and these delicious fresh oysters on the terrace parterre – a perfect first stop at the party.
The oysters are from Norm Bloom – we ordered hundreds of delicious oysters, served on the half shell with cocktail sauce and mignonette. http://www.coppsislandoysters.com
My Winter House is where Chef Pierre Schaedelin @pstailoredevents and I prepared and served all our glorious savory foods. We pushed my kitchen counters together on one side, so we could serve the food buffet-style – it’s a wonderful solution for large gatherings.
Our shrimp and salmon came from True North, @truenorthseafood. We served the shrimp on cake stands in circular layers. http://www.truenorthseafood.com
These are mini blinis – traditional Russian pancakes, which are best served with a dab of creme fraiche and a spoonful of caviar. I published the recipe in “Martha Stewart’s Hors D’oeuvres: The Creation and Presentation of Fabulous Finger Food” in 1984.
We also had two hams from my friend, Pat LaFrieda. This is a 20-pound smoked ham. http://www.lafrieda.com
The ham was served with homemade biscuits, scones, horseradish sauce I made from horseradish grown here at the farm, and homemade mustard sauces.
The smoked chicken was displayed so nicely on this large platter. I smoked four four-pound chickens using my delicious smoked chicken recipe from my first hors d’oeuvres book. Everyone thought it was duck and every tidbit disappeared. This photo was taken just before the guests started eating.
For sweets, I made these gorgeous palmiers, also known as pig’s ears, palm hearts, or elephant ears. These are French pastries made in a palm leaf shape or a butterfly shape. My guests loved these so much, they were gone before I got to even taste one myself.
We also made a beautiful croquembouche – a French dessert consisting of choux pastry puffs filled with creme patissiere piled into a cone and bound with threads and threads of caramel. We topped ours with orchid flowers because we didn’t make enough puffs.
Also in my Brown Room – my precious Drabware manger set, which I made years ago. While Drabware tones vary from light coffee to dark olive, it took me a while to get this perfect hue – I love it. I fired and glazed all the pieces myself and then embellished it with palm trees imported from Germany.
Outside, Empress Qin, Emperor Han, Bete Noire, and Creme Brulee stand guard – picture perfect.
Here is a fun snapshot of television correspondent and Editor-at-Large at Ballantine Bantam Dell, Alina Cho @thealinacho, Douglas @DouglasFriedman, Sarah Carey @sarahcarey1, and Kevin @seenbysharkey outside on my terrace parterre.
And here he is, the jolly ol’ man himself – Santa Claus. Santa, played by Fernando Ferrari, wished everyone a Merry Christmas as they walked from house to house.
My Summer House was where guests could sit and share holiday stories and plans while eating sweets and sipping eggnog. It was decorated in lots of pink and silver.
The trees were decked in silver with silver ornaments – I love how everything glistens.
Alexis’s famous Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies went so fast. Her recipe is in my book, “Entertaining.” Unlike traditional recipes, this batter produces flat and crisp cookies. They are my all-time favorite chocolate chip cookies.
Another lit nativity scene sits on a side table in my Summer House. I got this one from Brazil.
Anduin Havens, her daughter, Harper, and her husband Cedric, stopped for this photo with Santa.
And here are my neighbors, Laura Blau, and her husband, Michael Citro.
All the outdoor decorations glimmered in the early evening light. My holiday party was from 3pm to 6pm, so everyone could enjoy the farm’s festive lights.
Guests were told not to miss the “Cookie House” – Alexis’s little Tenant House was filled with more sweet treats. We made about 2500-cookies in all. Molly Wenk @moll_doll23 and Jessie Damuck @jessdamuck baked cookies for four days. Many of the recipes are from my books and my web site at MarthaStewart.com. In this house, they were surrounded by whimsical woodland animals and miniature figurines – the children loved this house the best.
Because my grandchildren stay here when they visit, I love decorating the space for them with lots of stuffed toys.
Even the napkins had a woodland theme. The delicate machine embroidered napkins are from Coral & Tusk @coralandtusk in Brooklyn, New York.
And of course, there were candy canes – all our hard candies came from Hammond’s. http://www.hammondscandies.com/
And outside, my beautiful Christmas tree with 1000 lights. Everyone had such a great time at the party. Happy holidays to all of you.
Wherever you are this holiday, I hope you are able to enjoy the time with those near and dear. For the next couple of weeks, I'll be sharing a few of my favorite holiday memories from years past. This blog was originally posted on December 23, 2020.
I hope you are all enjoying these last couple of days before Christmas despite pandemic guidelines to keep parties and other gatherings small and intimate.
This year, I wasn't able to have my annual holiday party at my Bedford, New York farm. I usually invite more than 200-guests for an open house through three buildings, each with a different and festive theme. Some of last year's party photos are in the December 2020 issue of my magazine "Martha Stewart Living" - I hope you have your copy. Among the main features at the event - my elaborate gingerbread village and the thousands of cookies we baked and decorated for my guests.
Here are photos, enjoy.
Preparations for my annual holiday party start weeks in advance. During the week leading up to the party, I make two or three cookie doughs every night after work and then store them in the refrigerator. I made all the sugar cookie and gingerbread cookie doughs.
Last year, I gifted myself with this wonderful prepline countertop dough sheeter from Kitchenall. It is a commercial size machine, so it took up almost the entire counter, but it saved us so much time. The dough is placed on the conveyer belt and then passed through the machine – no rolling needed. It’s so amazing. And when it is done, it is flattened to a pre-programmed thickness.
Longtime “Living” contributor and author of the new book, “Fruit Cake: Recipes for the Curious Baker,” Jason Schreiber, helped me create a beautiful gingerbread village for the party. My Winter House kitchen was bustling with activity.
Jason pre-made all the templates using cardboard and labeled each piece with the structure name and building part.
Royal icing was used to secure all the pieces together. This is the back of a chimney ready to be placed onto a house.
Here is the inside of two walls – all carefully connected with delicious royal icing. Finished houses dry in the background.
T-Pins are used to hold the pieces together until they dry.
Then more icing is applied to support the roof.
Here I am using silver-leaf foil to decorate the the top of this roof. We worked late into the night, but it was so much fun.
Meanwhile, Jason tends to the piping details on this wall to the clock tower.
Down at my Maple Avenue House, Molly Wenk @moll_doll23 and Jessie Damuck @jessdamuck prepared the long list of cookies to make. Being very organized is crucial when making so many cookies.
Molly and Jessie spent four days baking and decorating cookies with me. I am fortunate to have several kitchen at the farm where we could use all the ovens to make stacks and stacks of cookies.
These cookies were just decorated and are ready to be displayed. In the center, crushed freeze-dried raspberries and pink peppercorns on icing-filled sugar cookies.
On the day of the party, guests were told not to miss the “Cookie House” – Alexis’s little Tenant House was filled with sweet treats. We made about 2500-cookies in all. Many of the recipes are from my books and my web site at MarthaStewart.com. In this house, they were surrounded by whimsical woodland animals and miniature cookie figurines – the children loved this house the best.
I made these gorgeous palmiers, also known as pig’s ears, palm hearts, or elephant ears. These are French pastries made in a palm leaf shape or a butterfly shape. My guests loved these so much, they were gone before I got to even taste one myself.
I love to incorporate natural elements whenever possible. Here in the woodland Christmas themed Tenant House, cut tree stumps hold stacks and stacks of cookies – Alexis’s brown-sugar chocolate chip cookies, four-ingedient sables bretons, bourbojn-spiked Noel nut balls, raspberry and apricot jam filled pecan linzers, and sugar cookie mushrooms.
We decorated sugar cookies in different colors – these in white, gold and silver.
Green royal icing and sanding sugar were applied in sections to add texture to these gingerbread trees.
And these sugar cookie wreaths were embellished with ground Sicilian pistachios and silver and gold dragees.
Some cookies were as small as coins while others spanned seven inches across – there was something for everyone. And guests were encouraged to take a bag home with them to enjoy later.
And then back in my Winter House Brown Room – the finished gingerbread village.
Small lights were used to illuminate every house.
The entire village scene includes outdoor elements as well – gingerbread boxwood and trees covered in snow.
The village filled an entire table. It was such a beautiful centerpiece – everyone loved it. I hope you are baking lots of beautiful cookies this holiday. No matter how small, every Christmas gathering can be special. See more photos from last year’s gathering in this December 2019 blog. Happy holidays.
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