Behind every successful television cook is a team of unseen chefs who dice, sauté and purée, all to make the host look good. Even Martha Stewart depends on her kitchen crew to keep her knives and her wit sharp.
Every day, the notorious perfectionist calls on one Colorado farm boy for everything from the right spatula to the perfect soufflé on “Martha,” (9 a.m. on KCNC-Channel 4).
Stewart’s managing TV chef, Wes Martin, grew up on a Weld County farm, near Loveland, where his parents, Melvin and Nancy Martin, and his brothers’ families still grow sugar beets, corn, wheat, pinto beans and hay, and his sister-in-law runs a flower shop east of Windsor called Flowers From the Farm, 10175 Colo. 392.
It’s quite a leap from studying music at Colorado State University, singing solos at St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral and waiting tables at Tante Louise and Zenith, to being Martha Stewart’s go-to chef.
Martin’s restaurant work, doing “the singer-actor gig and waiting tables” in San Francisco, became the bridge to the world of television food after he took a pastry class and began working on photo shoots for cookbook publishers.
He worked with Food Network shows “Sweet Dreams” and “Paula’s Home Cooking,” and prepped food for Rachael Ray and other celebrity chefs’ appearances on “The Today Show” and “The Late Show With David Letterman,” among others.
The Windsor High grad (class of ’84) started with the “Martha” show last June. Right after shooting their 100th show, Martin took a break between tapings (they sometimes film two a day) to talk about his new boss.
Who hired you? Was it Martha herself?
She had final say. I had to cook for Martha – that was the most nerve-racking of all. I packed a little supper for her: ginger chicken salad with romaine, Asian cucumber salad, a strawberry shortbread cookie and rhubarb lemonade.
I was supposed to drop off the supper so she could eat it on the way home that evening. Instead, she said she was starving and asked me to sit down. She was in the middle of a meeting with the executive producer of the show, and proceeded to eat the meal. That was the surreal part – watching Martha Stewart eat the food you’ve prepared and waiting for a response.
The kitchen on the show looks fully functional. Does it have everything you need?
A real genius thing about the set is they did make the prep kitchen part of the set. It takes a small army to do these things. The talk shows all have one or two people who are setting up before the chef comes in. We can troubleshoot every aspect, but sometimes she’ll want something that’s just not there.
Have you ever made a mistake? On a recent show, she yelled over her shoulder for a spatula.
She would sometimes rather have a different tool. Recently, there was a chocolate-ganache glaze that thickened somewhat, so it was hard to spread. She’s fair. I just have to stand there and say “of course.”
She does yell out my name, but she is not being mean. I think it’s become kind of a shtick for her. I mean, that’s my job.
What’s a typical day like for you?
On show days, I’m at the studio by 6:30 a.m. Martha likes to eat hard-boiled eggs and yogurt for breakfast, and then we begin prepping for the show. At 7:30 we have a production meeting, then rehearsal, 8:15-9:15. At 9:20 the audience comes in.
Every segment has a cart with bowls filled, ingredients all set up right before the segment. We try to do baked things the day before.
The show happens, and we start tearing down. Many days we’ll make lunch for her. Lunch meetings go from 11:15 to noon.
Twice a week we shoot two shows so many days are 12 hours, 14, 15 hours.
Does she ever talk about her time in prison?
She has moved past that. That chapter was closed very quickly.
How would you describe the show’s mission?
Martha’s main concern is that it’s informative and that pople learn something. Her main mission is that she’s teaching something to people.
What have you learned from her?
You have to expect the unexpected and be prepared for it. There’s no stopping, you’ve gotta roll with it. Even Martha, who has traveled the world, says there’s always something to learn. I showed her my way to store basil: put it in a bag, blow it up, tie a knot in it. Leave on kitchen counter. It lasts for a week.
So does Martha store her basil the “Wes way” now?
(Laughing) She has her own way of doing things.
Have you been back to Colorado lately? What did you eat while you were here?
I was there at Christmas. The growth is shocking. My mother is a great cook – we were a meat-and-potatoes family and still are.
There’s a good new Mexican place in Windsor called Guadalajara. I also had a terrific meal on New Year’s Eve at Saddle Ridge, a restaurant in Beaver Creek. A friend of mine is the chef there. I had buffalo filet mignon, which was delicious.
Other than the growth around your hometown, have you noticed other changes on the Colorado food scene?
I do think its very encouraging to hear about the organic dairy (Windsor Dairy). I think farming and agriculture has to really evolve. Hopefully we will begin to do away with chemical-laden foods – those pre-made boxed and canned foods that we have become so dependant on, as well as a lot of the fast food that so many of us eat.
We are all standing around scratching our heads wondering why obesity is such a problem in this country, yet we can’t slow down long enough to prepare a healthy, home-cooked meal. A lot of the produce and meats that are now being produced that are either naturally raised or organic are much higher quality than the mass-produced goods in the huge supermarkets.
People need to stop looking at cooking as a chore, but rather a way to slow down, relax, do something good for ourselves and spend quality time with our loved ones.
Food editor Kristen Browning-Blas can be reached at 303-820-1440 or kbrowning@denverpost.com.
More Martha
As Martha Stewart’s managing chef Wes Martin says, her mission is to educate. To that end, “Martha’s Cooking School” will teach you a lesson, every day through April 21 on “Martha,” 9 a.m. daily on KCNC-Channel 4.
The ultimate home-ec teacher will demonstrate proper food storage, knife sharpening, chopping and choosing the right cookbooks. Her lesson plan includes intensive courses in stews, soups, roasted meats, marinades and a Ph.D. program on desserts. The lessons will be available at marthastewart.com.
-Kristen Browning-Blas
