martini time

Lively cooking show at Henderson’s M Resort serves up tasty—and healthy—fare.

By CHARLIE JOHNSTON | May/June 2010

Photo: Tom Donoghue

As I sip what is hands-down the best Bloody Mary I’ve ever tasted (see recipe below), Tina Martini lists the nutritional benefits of the drink’s ingredients—the tomato juice helps prevent heart disease and certain types of cancer, and the horseradish and red pepper flakes lower cholesterol, stimulate metabolism, and detoxify the liver. As if the delectable cocktail hasn’t cemented my positive opinion of Martini, her next words seal the deal. “Anytime I can get vitamins with my booze, I’m a happy girl,” she says enthusiastically.

A nutritionist, demonstration chef, and natural health guru, Martini is the host of M Resort’s resident food show, “Martini Time with Tina Martini.” Similar to a network-television cooking show, “Martini Time” blends meal preparation, nutrition, fitness, and wellness for an experience that is as educational as it is entertaining. “My shows are about real food and real fun,” she says. “I give practical advice, tips, and techniques to empower people.”

Martini’s encyclopedic knowledge of foods and their various health benefits take center stage during the 60-minute show. Guests are treated to food and beverage samples during the cooking demonstrations. The intimate studio—it seats about 50 people—makes guests a part of the show and encourages constant interaction with the chef. Martini also provides helpful tips—such as preparing difficult or time-consuming portions of recipes in advance and refrigerating them to ease the strain during final preparation—which serve as an aid for home chefs who want to dazzle friends and family without bringing undue stress onto themselves.

Following her own advice, Martini pre-cooked the tenderloin for the Beef Wellington she prepared during my visit in February. In case you wonder how the food on cooking shows actually tastes, Martini’s Beef Wellington is a symphony of flavors. From the perfect, medium-rare tenderloin to the earthy, complex duxelle and flakey puff pastry, the chef’s interpretation of this classic dish is superb.

There are two shows daily, starting noon and 4 p.m., Thursday through Sunday. Tickets are $39.95 (plus taxes and fees) and include lunch or dinner at Studio B Buffet with reserved seating in the buffet immediately following the show.

UPDATE

“Martini Time” is now on Southern Nevada’s Cox Channel 96. In a joint partnership between M Resort and Cox Communications, the resort’s innovative studio cooking program will air its first show on Monday, May 10 at 9 a.m. The show will reach an estimated 400,000 households, and new episodes will air every week. Shows will air Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Check local listings for additional air times. Shows will also stream live on cox96.net and be available through Best of the Valley ON DEMAND two weeks after the broadcast.