"Top Chef" Padma Lakshmi at BMS

Award-winning author and host of Bravo's hit show "Top Chef", Padma Lakshmi was at the Studio for a full day shoot for her new Show and for her new " Wine and Foodie Movie" series. Sterling Winery was also featured, with their impressive and tasty selection of cabernets, pinot noir, and chardonnay. During the shoot, there were quite a few bottles which disappeared amongst us.

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Padma is best known for her Top Chef Show on Bravo. But she is also a popular fashion model, writer, actor and entrepreneur. Helmut Newton first captured the scar on her arm, and turned it into a fashion statement. From there she ascended the difficult path to becoming a " Super model", with Paris runways, magazine covers, and TV shows. The film career took off with Holywood and, given her Indian descent, Bollywood, where she has many credits. Or perhaps you saw her as the Egyptian Princess Bithia discovering the baby Moses in " The Ten Commandments" .

However, her instincts and passion for food is what makes her a talented chef. Her cookbooks are quite popular, full of exotic flavors yet residing on a low fat premise throughout. Maybe that has something to do with her keeping her trim shape so constant.

Robert Whitman was most brilliant at the shoot. His portfolio is one of the best I have ever seen.

A wine tasting will be scheduled in the Fall with the Sterling Wines.

Contact us if you have interest in attending.

Bobby Flay shoots at BMS

Bobby Flay, Star Chef of TV Food Network, shot 10 shows over the course of one week in the private kitchen of Ed Bennett at Bennett Media Studio.

"Working with Bobby and his production team was a delicious delight for me. I learned so many new recipes, and having Bobby here was better than any private chef. The show will be a treat when it airs in July," said Ed Bennett, founder and owner of BMS.

The 4 camera shoot started at 7am daily, and rarely broke until 6pm. The lighting in the kitchen was quite innovative, with the designer from the beijing Olympics. In all this was a Pro-team, headed by Rock Shrimp Productions.

Every Saturday, you can see Bobby in his greatest passion: cooking brunch. With a spatula in one hand and a cocktail in the other, Bobby goes from sweet to salty to savory, drawing inspiration for every-occasion we ordinary cooking mortals may encounter.

Check out this link for more on the series.

There was a special treat for Ed Bennett when Bobby made his signature poached eggs on sweet potatoes with pulled pork and fig sauce.

Ed was seen eating that dish for his dinner. While his vegan friends may raise their eyebrows, Ed was smiling all the way through the meal.

Bobby Flays cooks in Ed's Kitchen

Bobby Flay from TV Food Network, and owner/chef of Mesa Grille and Bolo in New York, shot several episodes of his TV Show here at Bennett Media Studio. He was a delight to work with, and having him film his show here was a real treat. It felt like having " personal" cooking lessons to see how he spins his magic with food. On this episode below, ( one of 20 shows shot here) Bobby demonstrates how to make Acorn Squash. He cooked this recipe on the Grill located on the Terrace off the Kitchen.

He will be back in my kitchen in a few weeks to do 20 more shows. I will get a chance to share with you some more recipes. Or you can wait until these shows premiere on the new season for TV Food Network.

Private Dinner with Wine Tasting at BMS

I hosted a wine tasting and a private dinner here at Bennett Media Studio on April 26th, 2011. This event was co-produced by DailyFoodandWine.com and featured wine connoisseur, Alex Elman. She has also created some extraordinary wines. You can see her web site HERE.

Although blind, she has tremendous experience and credentials as an executive in the wine business (Perrier-Jouët Champagne in Epernay, and Sherry Lehman in NY). She now imports small production, hand crafted, artisan wines to the U.S and has her own label of wines. Elman’s wines are honest, focusing on the sustainability of the vineyards where they are produced, as well as truly representing the wine’s terroir.

Today, she travels the world with Hanley, her seeing eye dog, in order to find the best wines that the earth has to offer. Hanley is a good sniffer, but stays away from the wine. Good dog.

For this event, we limited it to 30 people who have a keen interest in wine. Most were press people, wine bloggers, and just wine imbibers ( like me) to mix it up and taste some nice wines. We will be doing some future Video for the wine blog, and a posting here at BMS Studios. This may become a monthly series, particularly during the summer when we can go outdoors on the terrace and eat/BBQ/ and enjoy the early evening weather.

If you want to attend future tastings, please contact us.

Please contact register@bennettmediastudio.com if you are interested in joining us!

BMS presents Counterpoint AfterHours

Here at the studio, I will be hosting "Counterpoint AfterHours" - an evening of new writing curated by Counterpoint Theater Company. Counterpoint Theatre Company is an international collaborative of artists, committed to producing a global exchange of the most innovative new writing as well as bold re-imagined classics. We will feature new short works by some clever and talented writers from London and New York, and live music from our friends, The Vanguard. Watching these guys at a soundcheck session is a real treat..and they thrive in front of a live audience. Sticking with our season's theme of "What's Love Got to Do With It?", we're focusing on crossed wires, gullible lovers and guilty secrets, and asking our writers to respond to the provocative phrase, "I LOVE YOU...I THINK".'

The multi-award winning US/UK lineup includes Counterpoint's Resident Playwright, Bekah Brunstetter (NY Innovative Theatre Award), Lily Bevan (artistic director of the Osip Theatre), Joel Horwood (Cameron Mackintosh Award), Josh Koenigsberg (2010 Playwright in Residence, Urban Arts), Michael Lew (Heidman Award winner), and Morgan Lloyd Malcolm (Smiffie Award Winner).

April 21st, 2011 8:00 pm, $10 Cover CASH ONLY at the Door! Doors open at 7:30pm

RSVP on Facebook!

Directed by Allison Troup-Jensen

Creative Team: Artistic Director: Allison Troup-Jensen Executive Producer: Rachael Stevens Development & Event Coordinator: Lauren Davis Waisanen Education Director: Anna Andersen Associate Artist: Elizabeth A. Davis Artistic Assistants: Alex Mallory, Paten Hughes

SALME geishas performed at BMS

Salme Geishas performed at Bennett Media Studio on April 6th, 2011. This performance at Bennett Media Studio last week opened SALME's NYC tour, hosted by the Japan Society.