Magic City Chatroom: Martie Duncan, Food Network Star

Y’all know I love a good party. And I love food. Marry the two, put ‘em on a Southern table, and it’s a match made in heav’un.

In a past life (before the arrival of Sweet Pea and Butterbean), I planned parties for a living. Still do, from time to time, although the magnitude has shrunk quite a bit, and my clients pay with love, gratitude, and the occassional pound cake.

Now, I like to think I can still orchestrate a bangin’ bash (although Boss tends to run the kitchen while I flitter about, tending to details and refilling cocktails), and these days I look to the pros for inspiration. Currently, I’m obsessed with Southern entertaining expert, Martie Duncan. If you don’t recognize the name, flip on your TV and tune it to Food Network… you’ll find Martie there, vying for her own show on the insanely popular Food Network Star. You’ll be instantly smitten, as Martie delivers just like the best breed of Su’thun’ women would: full of charm, grace {under pressure}, and a heapin’ helpin’ of great, flavorful tips on how to entertain with ease.

Want to know something really special? Martie Duncan was born and raised right here, in Birmingham, Alabama. And our Magic City  Belle has cooked/entertained her way to the top! Martie is (…wait for it…) a finalist on Food Network Star, and you may soon begin to hear my screaming pleas from the top of Red Mountain, to the tune of “VOTE FOR MARTIEEEE!”.

Martie is immensely talented and entertaining, and I think it’s about time we show the rest of the world just how {fabulous} we do things here in the South. So, VOTE for Martie, y’all. There’s info at the end of this post on the how and when…

In the meantime, pull up a chair in the Magic City Chatroom. Martie {who knows Parties} spared a few moments for us, and we’re still giggling with excitement. She’s as cute as a button and tough as a tiger, and she’s giving Birmingham all kinds of reasons to be proud!

MCM: Martie, girl, where do we start?! THANK YOU for taking some time to sit down with us in the Chatroom. We know you are a busy gal, and we’re dying to get to know you.

Tell us about your connection to Sweet Home Alabama. How long have you lived in Birmingham?

I’m from Birmingham! I grew up in South East Lake. I went to South East Lake Elementary and Banks High School, which sadly, is closed now. I was there in the “golden era” of Jeff Rutledge and state high school football championship seasons. It was a great high school experience. We had an incredibly close-knit school which is so obvious even now. My high school friends are the ones helping me get the vote out for Food Network Star and they have been sooooo supportive! Those Banks High School days and memories have played an important role in shaping who I have become and those friendships are some of my most cherished. I was a cheerleader at South East Lake Elementary; we cheered for football and basketball. I roamed all over Ruffner Mountain growing up. The Ruffner Mountain Nature Center borders the house I grew up in and we loved playing and camping out in those woods. I played softball for as long as I was able to at South Roebuck park and then played a few years at Huffman. We spent our summers at the pool out in Clay at Zamora Park… my father was a Shriner. And I spent a lot of Friday and Saturday nights skating at Skatehaven… so many great memories of Roebuck and the Eastern side of Birmingham.

I’ve lived away quite a lot for work over the past 25 years but always maintained a presence here and had an office here for the past 10 years. My family lives here…  I like to say I can live anywhere but I choose to live here.

MCM: We love that!! East Birmingham is such a unique place with so much history and so many little enclaves to explore. Ruffner Mountain is a favorite of ours…

Now, you really are a girl after our own heart, and we have a few things in common: We love to create the perfect experience for friends/family/strangers to gather and have an incredible time. And we’re completely incapable of being brief when telling a story. What is your mantra when it comes to entertaining, and why do you think being Southern makes you an even better hostess?

I think us Southerners were blessed at birth with two very unique qualities: Southern hospitality and we never meet a stranger; we want to welcome, feed, and love everyone we meet. My party philosophy is to keep it simple… parties and holidays don’t have to be perfect. They should just be fun. Nobody really cares much about all of the stuff that makes us anxious about entertaining. If you are hospitable, offer your guests delicious food (you don’t even have to cook it yourself) and a warm and welcoming environment, people will have fun. And you will, too!

MCM: Amen, sister! We learned a long time ago that food and fellowship should go down easy, like sweet tea and potato salad. Then again, we can’t help it when we let ourselves dance with the devil in the details… ’tis a party, after all!

So, we loved the episode where you shared the story about being invited to a very special gathering as a teenager, only to be disappointed when your hosts never showed up to take you to the party. Tell us more about how you got your start as an entertaining expert, and how has your journey evolved? 

Well, they abbreviated the story for TV! It was a high school sorority and a pretty typical high school situation. My friends thought I’d be a shoe-in for their sorority and leaked some information to me about the rush the following morning, but then someone decided I did not fit the mold of their ideal candidate and blackballed me. I had hurt feelings for a couple of weeks but once I saw how much fun they were having, instead of being left out, I decided to start throwing my own parties. The next year, I was asked to be a member of a different sorority and I have not stopped throwing parties since then. I’ve always been the go-to party-thrower in circle of family and friends. Sounds like you are the party-thrower in your circle, too! 

Over the years, I learned a lot from watching wedding pros: florists, designers, caterers, etc. and I picked up tips from them along the way that I would translate into easy ideas for home entertaining. That passion evolved into a blog and that blog led me to appearances at food shows around the country. It was at a food event in Atlanta in 2009 where I met Guy Fieri… he inspired me to look into food television. Three years and one audition later and here we are!

Martie, on the set of Food Network Star, with Season 1 winner, Guy Fieri.

MCM: What an incredible journey, Martie! You are walking proof that every experience, every lesson, every chance meeting is one step closer to exactly where you are meant to be…

Of course we’re biased, and we’re thinking Food Network *needs* some (new) Southern flair to share and showcase our truly unique culture of food. Want to give us a few bites of your POV (Point of View)?

Southern food is THE trend in the culinary world right now. About time, right?

I am not a traditional Southern cook but I am greatly inspired by our food and our culture. I love using fresh, locally produced ingredients in my recipes. Like I said earlier, entertaining – Southern Hospitality – it is in our DNA. It’s easy for some of us. Others panic when it is their turn to have people over. I want to use what I know to help America overcome their fear of entertaining at home with easy, affordable recipes and creative yet very simple ideas. Who has time to do anything that is not easy? 

I want to help people create precious memories tied to food and our life’s occasions…  It is the way we live in the South but not everyone is that lucky. 

MCM: Sho’ nuff, sister! It took us a long time to realize how special it is to be a born-n’-bred Southerner, and the older we get, the tighter we hold on to our core values: eating, entertaining, and telling stories. Based on what we’ve seen from you (both on TV and via your super swell website), we’re convinced that you epitomize Southern culture.

We know we’re only getting a glimpse at the intense pressure of your whirlwind experience on the show.   What is the hardest and best part about being on Food Network Star, and what big lessons will you take away from it? 

The hardest part has been watching it. While there was a lot of pressure during the filming, you knew what was happening and could adjust. With editing, you just don’t know how what you did or what you said is going to be perceived by the audience. A quick snippet of your comment can be easily taken out of context. I can relate to politicians a lot better these days  

I loved the work, what we did each day during taping. That part was challenging but fun. I was away from home for a long period of time but did not even notice. You become totally immersed in it. You miss your people and your comforts of home but you do become very focused on the mission and the ultimate prize of winning your own television show. That leads me to the best part: the people. I met and made lifelong friends with this amazing group of people. And even now, as the show airs, I am meeting people from all walks of life who say they are pulling for me. So many people say I have inspired them to try something that has been in their heart to do. Well, that is the very best part of the whole experience! 

Lessons? TRY TO TALK LESS.  So far, it is not working. The problem is I get so excited – I want to share everything! And as Alton Brown stated on the show, it is not necessary to tell it all. I’m trying but it is not easy to change your spots after so many years. 

MCM: Oh, we can certainly relate. But, even Paula Deen pointed out that being concise is a *very* hard thing for us Su’thun-ahs’ to do. We adore your personality AND your stories. Should you win the ultimate prize of getting your own show, we vote that you get a whole stinkin’ hour!

Birmingham is your home, so tell us what you like to do while you’re in the Magic City. Favorite Birmingham sight to see? Favorite character? Favorite dish? Favorite place to entertain? 

I love the city view from The Club. I’m not a member but I have friends who are and have been lucky enough to celebrate there over the years. It is so old-world, so romantic. We had my dad’s 80^th birthday party there, complete with ballroom dancing to a live orchestra. I love it there. I am a regular at Bottega for lunch, especially in the summer on Wednesday when they have the veggie plate! I love to entertain/meet friends at Chez Fon Fon if we are going out. They have a bocce ball court and make a mean Pimm’s Cup. We might meet for a bottle of Champagne and solve the world’s problems over the Charcuterie. Favorite dish? I love the Tomato Salad at Hot & Hot Fish Club. Chef Chris Hastings shared his recipe with me some 10 years ago- before his cookbook came out.  I cannot wait for Tomato Salad season each summer. Beeline to Hot & Hot~~ let’s go now! My favorite characters? Well, not in food but certainly they love food… would have to be Rick and Bubba. A couple of real characters…. They crack me up sometimes. 

MCM: Honey, we’d meet you at ANY of those spots, ANYtime. Just let us know the when and where. And, speaking of good dishes, we’re not gonna’ let you get away without sharing a little recipe. Care to share your go-to cocktail/nibble/main dish of the season? We promise to tell where we got it from as we wow and impress at our next gathering… 

For summer? I always have tons of tiny tomatoes growing in the garden and I never know what to do with all of them so I came up with this idea about 10 years ago. I make it every summer. Everyone loves them. Easy, peasy. And they are so versatile. You can change it up and add your favorite flavors. Serve it hot or chilled.

{Behold…Martie Duncan’s} BLT Stuffed Tomatoes 

Use cherry or grape tomatoes… about 3 dozen or as many as your crowd will eat. Probably about 3-4 each. You want them to be like a popper or just one bite. Nip off the bottom of the tomatoes so they stand up.  Assemble on a sheet pan or cookie sheet. Use a very small spoon to scoop out the inside. Put in a bowl. Add one finely diced large ripe tomato. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook about 5 strips of bacon per dozen tomatoes. Crumble that into the bowl while warm. Finely chop about 1 cup of your favorite lettuce… I use Arugula instead of lettuce but I use whatever I have. Add 2+ tablespoons mayonnaise and a squirt of fresh lemon juice. Add a tiny pinch of cayenne or a tiny dash of Tabasco if you like a little heat. (I do) Note- you can add more or less mayo depending on how juicy your tomatoes are. You don’t want the mixture to be soupy.

 Mix all of the ingredients together and stuff into the tomatoes. I overstuff them so there is some goodness peeking out of the top of the tomatoes. Allow them to chill for about 2 hours before serving so the flavors can come together.  For serving, you can drizzle with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with fresh chopped herbs like basil and a crack or two of freshly ground black pepper.

Variations: add goat cheese to the mixture (reduce the mayo to 1 tablespoon) before stuffing.

OR make these a hot appetizer! Add ½ cup of Parmesan cheese and some fresh chopped basil to the mixture before stuffing the tomatoes. Bake at @425 for 10 minutes Remove, grate Parmesan cheese over the top, drizzle with olive oil and some freshly ground black pepper and continue to cook for about 10 more minutes or until cheese is golden. So good!

MCM: Oh, yeah. That one will be a summer staple, indeed!! Okay – final question, and it’s our favorite so we ask it of everybody that sits in the Chatroom:  If there were a Birmingham time capsule planted now, to be opened in 2112, what would YOU put in it?

Photos – paper photos of the people and places as we knew them. There is a guy on my Facebook page who posts old photos from Birmingham 50+ years ago and I love looking at them and thinking what it must have been like back then- to see how the people and the neighborhoods have evolved. With technology, I have a feeling that photos are soon going to be a thing of the past. Nobody prints photos anymore. And maybe a Frank Stitt Southern Table cookbook… along with one of mine  so they can see how parties at home were a big part of their heritage and how we live.

MCM: What a joy it’s been speaking with you, Martie! Thank you so, SO much for hanging out with us and letting us share more of your incredible story. We’ll certainly be channeling our inner Martie at our next fabulous fête! AND, hope you can hear us as we fanatically cheer for you on Food Network Star… Straight to the top, girl!

Want to keep up with Martie as she continues to rise to the top of Food Network Star, and continues to impress and inspire home entertainers across the nation?

Well, here’s her blog.

And here’s her official website.

And here she is on Facebook.

And she’s also on Twitter.

Vote for our hometown girl, y’all! And tell your friends, your neighbors, your family, your farmer, your boss, and everybody else you might see… Martie Duncan IS a star, so let’s make sure the world knows it!

FYI:  Food Network Star airs Sunday nights at 8pm, with the season finale on July 22. There will be a vote for the final winner at the conclusion of the July 15^th show.  Voting will be online from this page: http://www.foodnetwork.com/the-next-food-network-star-fan-vote/package/index.html

Cheers to a big win for Martie, and for Birmingham!

[Images couresty of Martie Duncan and FoodNetwork.com]