Micah's Read of the Week, Vol. 108
Steve Martin, football is back, New Yorker Cartoon of the Week, Recipe Corner and more.
Hello, and welcome to Micah’s Read of the Week. Sorry, we’re late.
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Steve Martin on His Late Career Surge and Contemplating Retirement: “This Is, Weirdly, It”
After more than 60 years in the business, the comedy legend was ready to wind it down. Then came 'Only Murders in the Building' and his three Emmy nominations. And a new stage show. And a new book. And a new doc. But after that, it's over. He's pretty sure…
Along with everybody else in America, the wife and I are watching “Only Murders in the Building.” The finale is tonight (today maybe since it’s on demand?) and we’ll be watching.
This profile is a fun look at Martin’s new creative process and his singular and historic career.
Martin’s pursuit of big laughs is the stuff of comedy legend. It also has surpassed 60 years. Born in August 1945, he was hamming it up at various jobs at Southern California amusement parks as soon as he could legally work. He began stand-up in earnest by age 18 and ultimately hit the highest highs of one of the most difficult professions. Since the 1980s, he’s been the unlikely leading man of films like Roxanne, L.A. Story and the Father of the Bride movies. For Martin, every bit of the work still demands constant refining.
“Talent is amazing and stunning when you first encounter it, but it has to get better and have a standard that it lives by,” says Saturday Night Live creator and producer Lorne Michaels, Martin’s close friend for five decades. “You don’t worry when Steve’s on something. He’s not going to be happy until he cracks it. And even then, he’s not going to trust it.”
Martin is the busiest he’s been in years.
His TV series, Only Murders in the Building, premiered in 2021 as an instant hit and quickly became Hulu’s most-watched original comedy. Already renewed for a third season, Only Murders earned 17 Emmy nominations for its freshman run. Of those, Martin is up for three: best comedy (as producer), writing for a comedy series (shared with co-creator John Hoffman) and lead actor in a comedy — pitting him against Short, his perennial co-star. There’s also their exhaustive tour, a follow-up to 2021’s The Funniest Show in Town at the Moment, 2017’s An Evening You Will Forget for the Rest of Your Life and 2015’s A Very Stupid Conversation. Martin even has an upcoming book (his 12th) and a long-gestating documentary about his life and career.
What these projects have in common — and what distinguishes them from Martin’s early days as the only guy onstage — is that he now eagerly shares the workload on almost every endeavor he tackles.
“I think Steve learned the joy of collaboration,” says Short, who first worked with him on the 1986 film Three Amigos! “All through his stand-up life, he was by himself. Now, when he has success, he can celebrate with someone. And when something bombs, he can really laugh about it — as opposed to just being alone with it.”
So why is Martin so busy in 2022? He doesn’t really know.
“We were very happy just doing the live show,” Martin says. “There may be a natural end to that — somebody gets sick, somebody just wears out — but I wouldn’t do it without Marty. When this television show is done, I’m not going to seek others. I’m not going to seek other movies. I don’t want to do cameos. This is, weirdly, it.”
How does someone operate at the top of their field for decades? Other than talent, preparation is always key.
Delivering does not just happen, even for Martin. “He phoned me up once and said, ‘Do you have a minute to hear some jokes? I’m doing Jimmy Kimmel in two months,’ ” says Short. ” ‘And you’re already working on it?!‘ That’s why he’s Steve Martin. That’s why he’s still Steve Martin.” (Michaels, too, has gotten those calls and is quick to clarify: “Most people I know prepare on the drive to the show.”)
Martin has never suffered from a shortage of ideas or creative avenues. He also learned that he works best with others.
“The first time I hosted the Oscars [in 2001], I remembered standing there alone, behind the curtain, waiting for it to go up,” he says. “I couldn’t believe it. I was so tense. But when I did it with Alec Baldwin [in 2010], I wasn’t tense at all. Thinking about it later, it was having a partner that made me comfortable. That’s what made it fun.”
So how is 76-year-old Steve Martin living? Quite well, it seems.
Even by celebrity standards, the 76-year-old is fiercely private. He and his wife of 15 years, Anne Stringfield, spend summers in Santa Barbara, where Martin likes to bike into town.
Martin and Stringfield spend the rest of the year at their home in Manhattan. That’s where their only child, a 9-year-old girl, attends school. Martin likes hosting dinner parties, but he doesn’t cook — save poached eggs, which he makes with the help of a new machine he’s eager to evangelize. Those in his circle emphasize that domesticity now ranks highest among his many talents. “I have a family life that’s really fun,” says Martin. “To film a movie now, to go someplace else to live, I’m not willing to do that anymore. I can’t disappear for three months.”
And he seems to really like doing this new hit show.
Martin sports a genuine grin when he talks about working on Only Murders. He references the writers, set designers and even members of the lighting crew by name, anything to deflect the credit elsewhere. “He works really hard, and he really seems to be happy to be there,” adds Fey. “You’d be surprised how rare that is.”
So what about retirement?
“My wife keeps saying, ‘You always say you’re going to retire and then you always come up with something,’ ” says Martin, adjusting the cross of his legs to grab a glass of iced tea. “I’m really not interested in retiring. I’m not. But I would just work a little less. Maybe.”
Podcast Promotion of the Week
Football season is almost here. Let’s ride.
Coming tomorrow to our sports podcast, Back Door Cover, it’s our pro-football season over/under preview. It’s one of my favorite shows of the year. We’re set to be joined by our in-house sharp, Can't-Miss Mitch Flax, and the legendary Peter The Irish Guy.
Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify now, and get the episode on your device as soon as it’s released.
New Yorker Cartoon of the Week
LinkedIn Corner
Hi. Are you following me on LinkedIn? You should. I post daily about real estate and other interesting local and national issues. Some people actually find this valuable! Perhaps you will.
Connect with me today and see ground-breaking posts like the one below.
Come join my professional network and schedule a home buying consultation today.
Thanks,
M
Recipe Corner
Sour Cherry Mezcal Margarita
Time for a drink!
Sour Cherry Puree
2 pounds fresh sour cherries, stemmed and pitted
⅔ cup granulated sugar
Cocktail
Smoked coarse salt (such as Olsson's Red Gum Smoked Salt) (optional)
¼ cup (2 ounces) mezcal joven espadín (such as Ilegal Joven)
1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) orange liqueur (such as Cointreau)
Ice cubes
1 large (about 2 1/2-inch) ice cube
Make the sour cherry puree:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss together cherries and sugar on a large rimmed baking sheet until fully coated; spread in a single layer. Roast in preheated oven until fruit is soft and juicy, about 10 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes. Using a silicone spatula, scrape fruit and any juices on baking sheet into a food processor or a blender; pulse until smooth, 8 to 10 pulses. Pour through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a medium bowl. Discard solids. Refrigerate, uncovered, until completely cool, about 20 minutes. (You should have about 2 cups sour cherry puree, enough for 10 cocktails.)
Make the cocktail:
If using the smoked salt, sprinkle some on a small plate. Lightly moisten rim of a rocks glass with water; dip rim in smoked salt. Combine mezcal, orange liqueur, and 3 tablespoons sour cherry puree in a cocktail shaker filled three-fourths full with ice. Place lid on shaker; shake vigorously until well combined, about 15 seconds. Strain into a rocks glass with a large ice cube.
Combine 2 1/2 cups mezcal, 13/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sour cherry puree, and 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons orange liqueur in a large pitcher filled with ice; stir until chilled. Pour into rocks glasses with large ice cubes (rimmed with smoked salt, if desired).
Sour cherry puree may be stored in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 1 week.
Summer Goddess Chicken Salad
It’s official Big Salad SZN.
8 oz. green beans, trimmed, halved crosswise
Kosher salt
1 ear of corn, kernels removed (about 1 cup)
2 skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts (about 1½ lb.), split, or 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 oil-packed anchovy fillet
¼ avocado
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. sour cream
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
2 Tbsp. (or more) fresh lemon juice
1½ tsp. red wine vinegar
¾ cup finely chopped mixed tender herbs (such as basil, chives, parsley, mint, and/or chervil), divided, plus more for serving
Freshly ground black pepper
¾ cup store-bought fried shallots, divided
2 small heads of tender lettuce (such as Little Gem or Bibb), leaves separated, torn if large
Cook green beans in a large pot of boiling heavily salted water 30 seconds. Add corn and cook until beans are bright green and crisp-tender and corn is just barely tender, about 15 seconds. Using a spider or slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to a medium bowl of ice water; keep pot of water boiling. Let vegetables cool, then drain and transfer to a large bowl.
Add chicken to pot; return water to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and cook at a bare simmer until juices run clear when thickest part of chicken is pierced with the tip of a small knife (an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken should register 150°; internal temperature will climb to 160° as chicken rests), 20–25 minutes for skin-on, bone-in breasts; 10–15 minutes for skinless, boneless breasts. Transfer chicken to a plate; let cool slightly. Shred meat into big pieces; discard skin and bones if present. Add shredded meat to bowl with vegetables.
Purée anchovy, avocado, oil, sour cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, vinegar, ½ cup herbs, and ¼ cup water in a blender, adding more water to thin if needed, until smooth and thick (dressing should be the consistency of heavy cream); season with salt and pepper. Taste and add more lemon juice, salt, and/or pepper if needed (dressing should be bright and acidic).
Toss chicken and vegetables with half of dressing, half of fried shallots, and ¼ cup herbs. Arrange lettuce on a platter; mound chicken salad on top. Drizzle with more dressing. Top with more herbs and remaining fried shallots. Serve with remaining dressing alongside.
Do ahead: Chicken can be cooked and shredded 3 days ahead. Transfer to an airtight container; cover and chill.
Grilled Greek Feta Salad
We’ve baked feta in this space several times, today, we’re grilling it.
2 pounds cherry tomatoes, halved, or your favorite tomato cut into bite-size pieces
1 cucumber (about 4 ounces), cut into bite-size wedges
1/4 teaspoon fine salt, plus more as needed
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
1/2 medium red onion (3 ounces), thinly sliced
Two (7-ounce) packages sheep’s milk feta cheese
4 fresh thyme or dill sprigs or 1/2 teaspoon dried
2 teaspoons honey
4 ounces kalamata olives, pitted
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, or 2 teaspoons dried
Fresh mint leaves, torn, for serving (optional)
Toasted or baked pita chips or toasted pita bread, for serving (optional)
Lemon wedges, for serving (optional)
Preheat the grill to high
In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes and cucumbers and sprinkle lightly with salt.
In a small bowl, whisk together 4 tablespoons of oil, the lemon juice, 1/8 teaspoon of salt and the pepper. Add the red onion to the dressing.
Generously grease a heatproof baking pan and transfer the feta to the pan. Top each block with sprigs of fresh thyme or dill, or with the dried herbs. Drizzle with the remaining oil and the honey, and season generously with black pepper. Place the pan on the grill grate, cover and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the feta is softened and golden around the edges. (At the last minute, you can add the pita to the grill to toast, if you like.) Transfer to a heatproof surface to cool for 2 to 3 minutes, then cut each block in half diagonally.
Drain the tomatoes and cucumbers, if necessary. Return them to the bowl and toss with the dressing, olives and oregano.
Divide the tomato mixture among the bowls and top each with a wedge of feta. Sprinkle with the mint leaves, if using, and more pepper, if desired.
Serve with pita chips or toasted pita and lemon wedges.
Did Micah practice yoga this weekend?
Yes. One hour at Sersana Dripping Springs Sunday.
That’s 30 in-person weekend classes in 33 weeks this year.
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