MY 2014 RECAP: FOOD NETWORK STAR FAN FAVORITE, MSN FOOD, BIRMINGHAM'S BEST BITES BOOK, ALTON COMES TO TOWN, AND A NEW WEBSITE

2014 is over? Really?

BLINK- it is 2015! Before we dive in to the new year and new projects, here are some highlights of my year, complete with the most popular recipes from my new website. Thanks to all of you who made this year my best yet! I may not say it enough but I'm grateful for each and every one of you. I look forward to your posts, your comments, and especially love to hear the results when you've made one of my recipes. Thank you.

I'd also like to say a special thank you to my dad, Jared, Corey, Debbie, Jason, LynnBo, Kathy, Justin, Sam, Caroline, Raymie, Nicole, Chanda, my friends at The Hangout, and everyone else who helps me do what I do day in and day out. I love and appreciate you, too.

My Favorite Photos 2014

A look back at where I've been, what I ate, and who I saw in photos.

 We did a lot of good this year.

We hosted a charity dinner party in Chicago with my friends, the Yandell's, to benefit the Latin School scholarship fund. They wanted a classic Southern menu so I brought a lot of ingredients with me: Gulf shrimp, McEwen & Sons stone ground grits, blueberries from the garden, and of course, Red Diamond tea to make authentic Alabama style sweet tea. The party was a huge success and over $1 million was raised through the event for scholarships. Yeeeaaahhhh!

In June, our "Country Carnival for a Cause" in Argo, Alabama was put together with the tireless and amazing Holly Hart Shirley and Toomer's for Tuscaloosa (a disaster relief group) to raise money for Linda Tucker, Miss Wheelchair Alabama. Linda has no use of her legs and lost everything she had when tornadoes tore through Bessemer, Alabama in the spring of 2014. She had to replace all of her possessions and didn't have the means to travel to her national pageant. Many of you came out or made contributions to help make her dream come true. I so appreciate that you always show up when we need you. Special thanks to Sean Brown of Tutt Land Company, my good friends Bunnie and Bob, Stacy, Toni, Jared and Corey from The Sonnet House, Jill, Jason, Bryan, Beth, Laurel, Debbie, Rita, Joy, Kristin and John Coon from House of Q and BBQ Pitmasters on Destination America, Tommy Trimm from Trimm Landscape, Cam Video Production, Darlings Sweets, and so many others who showed up with their work boots on to make this event happen. 

My friend and Food Network Star cast mate, Michele Ragussis, invited me to Rockland, Maine to help cook and be part of her event for Maine's Make-a-Wish Foundation. It was great fun to work with Linkie Marais, Nikki Martin, and Michele again. We raised enough for the organization to grant wishes for two families. Our sous chef for the evening was Zach- a young foodie who has survived two major brain operations---one of them just days before our event. He is an inspiration and I'm proud to have gotten a chance to meet him and his family. Thank you, Michele, for making it possible.

Another big do-good project for 2014 was the Birmingham Best Bites cookbook. I helped produce the book featuring recipes from local restaurants with Chanda Temple and photographers Arden Ward Upton and Mo Davis of Arden Photography to benefit the Birmingham Public Library's special events division. Many in our community don't have the means to purchase books and these special events give people who need it most an introduction to the library and all of the services they offer. Almost 1,000 copies were sold thanks to funding by EBSCO Media and Alagasco. The secondary benefit is increased visibility for Birmingham's food scene and the wonderful restaurants we have in my hometown. If the recipes don't inspire you to cook, I hope they will at the very least inspire you to make a reservation. Thank you to friends and fans from around the country who purchased the book! The book is currently sold out but plans are being made for another printing.

AND... because of all the good you helped me do and because I try to promote the state of Alabama, our restaurants, our beautiful resorts and destinations, and most of all, our people and culture, someone (Deidra Perry) got the big idea to include me in Birmingham Magazine's elite group of "20 Women Making a Difference" in my hometown. I am very honored; there are some incredible women doing unreal things to make Birmingham better. I am not remotely deserving, mind you, but very honored to be included. Thank you to all involved.

I traveled a lot.

Everyone knows my work keeps me on the road. This year the road went all the way to Juneau, Alaska where I helped host the Haa Aani Oyster Festival and a charity event to help fund local business opportunities. My favorite photo this year is from that trip to Alaska- if you have not been, go. Read the story... and you'll know why Alaska should be on your bucket list. Thanks, Juneau. It was magnificent. Can't wait to go back.

Also new this year, after many requests for travel info on where to go, where to eat, and where to stay, I'm now writing a monthly travel article I'm calling "Two Days Away". Read all about New Orleans..

Food Network. Again.

In January. I headed to Los Angeles to compete for my own show (again) on Food Network Star after being named "fan favorite" for Season 10. While I didn't win the big prize, I was very grateful for the opportunity and especially the title of fan favorite. That is a win as far as I'm concerned. And yes, I'm still plugging away at my own show.

Speaking of Food Network, Alton Brown, my mentor from Season 8 of Food Network Star, came to my hometown of Birmingham in October for his Edible Inevitable Tour. Alton invited me to the show and then had me come up on stage with him to make a pizza in his Mega-Bake, a giant Easy-Bake oven on steroids. It turned out pretty well, considering. Alton cheated, using delicious BBQ from Saw's BBQ on his pizza and leaving me with crappy pepperoni for mine. I guess one would not expect less from the sinister and devious host of Cutthroat Kitchen, right? Very cool of him to include me in the show. Thanks, Alton.

Food Shows 2014

I do a lot of food festivals and live food events. Number one on the list has to be the Fabulous Food Show in Cleveland, Ohio. This show at the I-X Center is legendary and I finally know why. I had a great time with the fans and made some new friends along the way including Michael Symon, Carla Hall, and Tyler Florence. My good friend Jason Roberts hosts the entire weekend and my new friend Sammy Jo manages all of the culinary. It was a blast. Put it on your calendar... it is a can't miss food event.

My other favorite event for 2014 has to be the Hangout Oyster Cookoff in Gulf Shores, Alabama. We bring in over 60 teams from the region who cook over 70,000 Gulf oysters in 3 different categories. I host the party each year and bring in some other celebrity chefs to help me. This year we had Jason Roberts, Michele Ragussis, Linkie Marais, Ippy Aiona, Nikki Martin, Panini Pete, and others from Food Network. We also had James Beard Award winner Ryan Prewitt from Peche on our celebrity chef stage. Staying at Turquoise Place is one of the best parts of this event... a grill and a hot tub on the balcony makes it hard to leave. This year, we also had incredible hospitality from the Hangout and from Salty Dog Charters.... Captain Marty took us out for some fishing and we all caught the limit them brought them home and cooked them. Yes, I'd call that paradise. Plan on spending part of November in Lower Alabama at the 8th Annual Oyster Cookoff at the Hangout. You'll fall in love.

A New Website, Branding, and MSN Food & Drink

2014 brought a lot of changes and I launched the new MartieDuncan.com website in August. Right now, the old MartieKnowsParties.com site still exists but as soon as I get all of the recipes moved over, we'll merge them.

Also in 2014, I joined forces with Microsoft to help launch the new MSN Food & Drink app and the Food & Drink channel on MSN.com. I'm proud to have my recipes featured with some of the top chefs in the world. More to come in 2015.

Top 10 Recipes for 2014

Here's the list of top rated/liked/shared recipes from my new website for this year. Read more...

What's up for 2015?

I'm working on my own first cookbook and a new video web series that you are going to absolutely love. Stay tuned!

I guess that is about it. I wish all of you good health, much happiness, and the very best for the new year.

Love,

Martie

TWO DAYS AWAY: WHERE TO EAT, SLEEP, AND HAVE FUN IN NEW ORLEANS

MARTIE ON THE ROAD: NEW ORLEANS

where to eat and stay in New Orleans

Because I travel all the time, I get as many questions about where to stay and where to eat as I do about anything else so I decided to write about them for you. Here are some of my favorite spots from my trips to New Orleans.

Ask folks to say the first thing that pops into their mind when you say New Orleans and their answer, 99.5% of the time is Mardi Gras. While I love the carnival atmosphere of Mardi Gras and all of the parades and celebration of tradition it brings, there is a totally different New Orleans. Plan your next visit when it is not Mardi Gras... perhaps around Christmas. It is my favorite time of year to be there. The streets, hotels, and homes are so beautifully decorated and the cooler temperatures and humidity-free days make it easy to really get out and explore one of America's most interesting and exciting food cities. The architecture and buildings- even the ones in disrepair, are fascinating. Make sure to look up as you wander the streets and alleyways. You might miss something spectacular if you don't!

WHERE TO STAY

Because I'm always on the road, a good bed with nice linens is important to me. And in New Orleans, I don't want to drive because parking isn't easy so I stay in hotels where I am close (walking distance or quick cab ride) to my favorite spots. 

The Hotel Monteleone: Is my favorite place to stay in New Orleans. A 4-star hotel right in the French Quarter, most rooms overlook the Mississippi or the Quarter. It has been owned by the same family for five generations. It feels like Paris- but the rooms are larger. The beds have luxury brocade linens which have a rich, old world feel. The hotel's famous Carousel Lounge-a revolving bar off the lobby- has become a bit touristy and crowded but still fun to sit and chat with people from all over the world over a Sazerac.

Hotel Monteleone: 214 Royal Street  New Orleans, Louisiana 70130 • Phone: 504.523.3341  

JW Marriott on Canal: I'm a Marriott rewards member so Marriott hotels are usually my home away from home. The rooms are extremely nice with big, fluffy beds dressed in crisp, white linens. Important to me, a large bathroom with a marble vanity where I can actually put something more than a toothbrush. There's a rooftop pool (small, but still a pool) where I occasionally will relax and read a book, and it is walking distance to everything.

JW Marriott New Orleans • 614 Canal Street New Orleans, LA 70130 • Phone: 504.525.6500

WHERE TO EAT

There are an unlimited number of wonderful places to eat in New Orleans. Here are a few I never miss:

COFFEE I BREAKFAST

RUBY SLIPPER: Breakfast with a Milk Punch is one of my favorite treats and Ruby Slipper is one of my favorite places to have it. They use all locally produced or house-made ingredients and have been named one of New Orleans' best breakfast spots for the past few years. I like the corned beef hash and the Eggs Cochon. They have several locations. I always go to the one in the Quarter. RUBY SLIPPER • 1005 Canal Street New Orleans, LA 70112 • Phone: 504.525.9355

CAFE DU MONDE: Do I really need to tell you about Cafe du Monde? It is a New Orleans tradition. Beignets. Chickory coffee. Enough said. (Take some cash. I don't think they take cards.) Get an order of beignets. People watch. Tip the street performers. Don't wear a black shirt. Plan on doing a lot of walking because you most certainly will not eat just one! I like the location at the French Market best. CAFE DU MONDE  800 Decatur Street New Orleans, LA 70116  Phone: 504.525.4544

CAFE BEIGNET: Alton Brown says these are the best beignets in New Orleans. So good, he featured them on an episode of Food Network's The Best Thing I Ever Ate. I believe him. CAFE BEIGNET • 334-B Royal Street, New Orleans, LA 70130 • Phone: 504.524.5530

And Morning Call certainly gets a mention for their beignets. If you pass one, stop in. There was one in Metairie but it may have moved since I was there last. They don't have a website so I'm not sure.

LUNCH

CENTRAL GROCERY:  My first stop in New Orleans is always Central Grocery. Their muffuletta sets the standard for all muffulettas the world over. It is the bread that really makes the difference. Be sure to get one to go. You'll have a craving about midnight. Make sure to get a bag of made-in-New Orleans Zapp's kettle chips to go with it. I like the regular and the Voodoo flavor best. Central Grocery • 923 Decatur Street  New Orleans, LA 70116 • Phone: 504.523.1620

LUKE: Chef John Besh is well known to television foodies and his restaurants are all very, very good. August has won a Beard award and is one of the city's best. Dominica is popular with locals and tourists but I prefer its French cousin, Luke. A French Bistro with a New Orleans soul, Luke is a daily stop for me whether it is breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, dessert, or just a carefully crafted cocktail at the bar. In fact, it is my New Orleans office. Weekday specials are always excellent. Shrimp and Grits, Crab Bisque, and the Croque Monsieur or any of the fish dishes are hard to beat. I would be remiss not to mention the Vanilla Gateau Basque Cake with fresh berries. Always on the menu and always something I must have when I'm in New Orleans. LUKE • 333 Charles Street, New Orleans, LA 70130 • Phone: 504.378.2840

Top left: Vanilla Gateau Basque Cake with Louisiana Berries. Top right: Luke Shrimp and Grits. Bottom left: Chef John Besh. Bottom right: Selfie with John in Miami.

PARKWAY BAKERY & TAVERN: You certainly cannot talk about food in New Orleans without a discussion about Po'Boys. The Po'Boys at the Parkway are a local favorite and have won all kinds of awards and critical acclaim. The shrimp Po'Boy is my favorite- piled high with freshest fried shrimp on the freshest  bread you can find. They have oyster Po'Boys- Monday and Wednesday only. Stacked about a dozen high, these give the shrimp a run for their money. Hard to choose. PARKWAY BAKERY & TAVERN • 538 Hagan Avenue  New Orleans, LA 70119  • Phone: 504.482.3047

DINNER

PECHE: Donald Link's Peche caught the attention of critics, the Beard Foundation, and the press when it opened in the Spring of 2013. Before it turned one, the restaurant earned its first James Beard awards for Best New Restaurant and Best Chef South for Chef/Owner Ryan Prewitt. I hate it because it is now super crowded and hard to squeeze in but worth the effort if you do. I always nab a seat at the seafood counter in the back so I can watch the chefs at work in the kitchen. If you have a friend with you, order the whole fish. If not, do what I do and graze over the small plates like tuna dip, the Shrimp and Fontina Croquettes, or a the cup of the Shrimp and Corn Bisque. Fried Bread? Don't be silly, A must. PECHE • 800 Magazine Street New Orleans, LA 70130 • Phone: 504.522.1744

RESTAURANT R'EVOLUTION: I'm not sure I can be objective when it comes to Restaurant Revolution. I happen to think Chef John Folse hung the moon and his partner Chef Rick Tramonto might have hung the sun. This restaurant wasn't named New Orleans restaurant of the year in 2013 for nothing. Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you'll find me there for Eggs Sardou with Hollandaise and artichokes for brunch any Sunday. The Salumi is second to none and the traditions and heritage of Cajun and Creole cooking are found in dishes like Snapping Turtle Soup, Fire Roasted Oysters with Bienville Butter, and Creole Bouillabaisse. Expensive? Can be. But very worth it, especially for the jazz brunch, a big occasion, or holiday gathering. RESTAURANT R'EVOLUTION: Inside the Royal Sonesta Hotel  •  777 Bienville Street, New Orleans, LA 70130 •  Phone: 504.553.2277

OTHER FAVORITES YOU ABSOLUTELY WANT TO TRY

COMMANDER'S PALACE: Chef Tory McPhail walks in the shadow of legendary New Orleans chefs like Emeril Lagasse and Paul Prudhomme as Executive Chef of Commander's Palace and made the landmark his own with a James Beard award for Best Chef South 2013 to prove it. Located in the heart of the Garden District (a short walk from the St. Charles streetcar line) Commander's Palace is probably one of the best known restaurants in the world and one you do not want to miss. Go for brunch, lunch, or dinner... you can't miss with the Shrimp & Tasso Henican, a spicy Louisiana white shrimp dish or the Smoked Seafood Croquettes: crispy Gulf fish and Louisiana white shrimp with grilled Creole trinity,  ripped herbs, pickled mirlitons and spicy crab boil aïoli. But if I didn't go for anything else, I would go for the Creole Bread Pudding Souffle. COMMANDER'S PALACE • 1403 Washington Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70130 • Phone: 504.899.8221

GALATOIRE'S: Where the locals go for lunch. My friends love this place for its old school tradition and classic favorites they've eaten since birth. Souffle Potatoes, Escargot, and their famous Oysters Rockefeller are standards. GALATOIRE'S • 209 Bourbon Street, New Orleans, LA 70130 • Phone. 504.525.2021

BON TON CAFE: For lunch or dinner. Highlights are the Turtle Soup, Bayou Jambalaya, and their other New Orleans signature dishes. The Rum Ramsey cocktail is a tradition! BON TON CAFE • 401 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA 70130 • Phone: 504.524.3386

THE GOOD STUFF

HANSEN'S SNO-BLIZ: No trip to New Orleans in the Spring or Summer would be complete without a trip to Hansen's Sno-Bliz. Hansen's is the original New Orleans snow ball and they patented the machine that makes that beautiful, smooth and silky ice necessary to achieve the ice cream like texture. The shop is virtually unchanged in decades... so not only is it simply wonderful, it is a cool experience as well. (haha- cool, get it?) I love the creamy ones. I love the fruity ones. Go early because if you don't, the line will be around the building. I dream of the Cream of Root Beer flavor called the Brown Pelican. AND yes. You have to have the condensed milk on the top. Divine. Simply divine. HANSEN'S SNO-BLIZ • 4801 Tchoupitoulas Street New Orleans, LA 70115 •  Phone: 504.891.9788

NEW ORLEANS AT NIGHT

THE SPOTTED CAT MUSIC CLUB: I'm often working when I'm in New Orleans so it doesn't often leave me time to go out on the town at night. One place I do love to go is the Spotted Cat. It is like a throw back in time with live music from legendary local players and the dancing goes on until 2am, even on Sunday night. It is called a jazz club but you'll find almost every kind of spin-off, too, like blues and funk. It is located in Fauborg Marginy, a bit off of the French Quarter. Take a cab over and there are always cabs waiting outside. SPOTTED CAT 623 Frenchman Street New Orleans, LA 70116

If you have a favorite place I should visit, hit me up on Twitter, Facebook or via email. I'd love to hear about it! Let the stars be your guide... safe travels. xo

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