In the Kitchen with Marc Murphy
The CHOPPED judge shares his favorite Vitamix memory and the house dressing that’s been with him from the beginning
When Chef Marc Murphy isn’t in studio or busy running four New York City restaurants and his event catering business, Benchmarc Events by Marc Murphy, he’s at home cooking up new recipes with his daughter, Campbell.
“Last summer we used the Vitamix to make peppermint ice cream,” said Marc. “She loves mint, and we had some of those old school peppermints that look like candy canes in the house so I said to her, ‘wouldn’t it be great to make ice cream with these?’ We threw them in the Vita-Prep®, and they just turned to dust. I folded it into vanilla ice cream, and it tasted great. It’s a great memory, and it’s still one of our favorite desserts.”
Born in Milan, Marc travelled a great deal as a child, living in Paris, Villefranche, Rome, and Genoa, all before the age of 12.
“I ate well as a kid,” he said with a slight smirk. Those experiences weren’t responsible for Marc’s desire to become a chef, but they did give him an excellent education for the eclectic French and Italian menu offerings at Landmarc.
“Recently, I was catering a party for 190 people, and the staff was dressing salads in the hallway. All of a sudden, there was this waft of our Sherry Shallot Vinaigrette in the air. It’s not often that you think of a salad dressing filling a room with such a wonderful aroma. That’s the power of a Vitamix.
Every chef in the world is impressed with the Vitamix. It can turn anything you want into dust. When new chefs join our staff, they ask, ‘Where’s the Vita-Prep?’ They just assume that we have one because everyone has one. You guys have become like a paring knife.”
About Marc
Marc Murphy is executive chef and owner of Benchmarc Restaurants by Marc Murphy, including Landmarc in Tribeca and at the Time Warner Center, as well as Ditch Plains in the West Village, Upper West Side, and Ditch Plains Drop In at Brooklyn Bridge Park. He also leads the catering division, Benchmarc Events by Marc Murphy. Murphy’s involvement in the industry moves beyond his restaurants as well, with a regular role as a judge on The Food Network’s highest rated hit, CHOPPED, as well as appearances on IRON CHEF AMERICA, HOT CHEFS, THE MARTHA STEWART SHOW, MAKE MY DAY, UNIQUE EATS, THE BEST THING I EVER ATE, THE RACHEL RAY SHOW, and THE TODAY SHOW, among others. He also serves as both the official spokesperson and a member of the Leadership Council for Share our Strength’s Dine Out For No Kid Hungry campaign, and serves as a board member for City Harvest.