A few weeks ago, I received a lovely surprise in the mail. It was from Amanda Graff, a former assistant chef, recipe developer and producer from Martha's television studios in Westport, Connecticut. Unbeknownst to me, Amanda had been following my blog and its companion Instagram account for many years and this was her thank you to me for the enjoyment she's received from the content I produce: a very fun Martha Stewart ornament designed by Cody Foster, which she sells on her website. I was so touched!
12.19.2024
A Nice Surprise from a Special Reader
12.12.2024
Martha (is rarely) On The Mantel
If you're on social media or involved in Martha's fan community, you will have heard about the fantastic new Christmas decoration taking the world by storm: it's Martha on the Mantel! (The spelling enthusiast in me needs to ask you to please take note that mantel is spelled with "el" at the end, not "le". Not even Amazon got it right!)
The toy, which is a spinoff of the traditional Elf on the Shelf has been extremely popular with fans who are reveling in the childlike enjoyment of watching their idol get silly around their homes, in true Elvish form. And she doesn't always act alone... Her sidekick, Snoop on the Stoop, frequently aids and abets Martha in her wily shenanigans. Always the activity-lover, Martha rarely sits on the mantel for long. Below are snapshots of Martha and Snoop making mischief in homes across America.
Leading the pack is a favourite series of mine (with captions!), put together by my friend Brian Utz.
Thank you to everyone on the Martha Moments Facebook Group for submitting your photos. They are so much fun!
11.12.2024
Martha: The Cookbook, Out Today!
Today's the day! Martha's 100th book is published. Martha: The Cookbook features 100 of Martha's favourite and time-tested recipes that she turns to again and again. And she hopes you will too! From the perfect roast chicken to her mother's pierogi recipe, from the perfect brownie to her daughter's famous chocolate chip cookies, the book has every meal of the day covered, including a section on Martha's favourite cocktails.
Interspersed throughout the book are Martha's personal remembrances from her kitchens over the years, as well as cooking and gardening wisdom that makes the book both a learning guide as well as a journal of sorts. Beautiful photographs, including some from Martha's private archive, enrich the book with colourful memories. There's even a section in the book on how to organize your own recipes and some tips on writing a cookbook! Be sure to pick up your copy! It is available through Amazon or where ever books are sold.
Here's a full description of the book from the publisher:
Like a scrapbook of Martha’s life in cookbook form, this is the ultimate collection for devotees as well as newer fans who want to become more confident in the kitchen and do what Martha does best: Start with the basics and elevate them. From timeless classics to contemporary delights, these recipes reflect storied moments from her legendary, trailblazing career.
11.08.2024
A Chat With Eater.com
I was really honoured to have been featured recently on Eater.com as part of their weeklong celebration of Martha Stewart. Dubbed “Martha Week”, the editors of the famed foodie site spent the week reflecting on some of Martha’s greatest tips, greatest books and the influence she’s had on popular culture and food culture.
It was Nat Belkov who reached out to me. He is the
James Beard Award-nominated design director of Eater. He was interested in
doing a profile on me and the Martha Moments blog and community. I was so pleased
to take part, and it was really nice to reflect on how I started the blog and
how it came to eventually create a vibrant community of Martha Stewart fans
from around the world.
Click here to read Nat’s interview with me and be sure to read some of the other great features from Eater’s Martha Week series! Thank you, Eater, for the great feature!
11.02.2024
A Fan's Review of "Martha"
Having recently watched the Netflix documentary about Martha (called simply, “Martha”, directed by R.J. Cutler), I feel as though I know her a bit better, and respect her even more than I had before. The revealing nature of Martha's interviews will surprise many, but this exposure of her more vulnerable side was likely the main purpose of the film. Martha’s cultural image as a person who is somewhat aloof, somewhat above the fray, is challenged in the documentary with extremely frank, honest and at times emotional interviews with Martha about the more personal aspects of her life - sometimes at the expense of a thorough examination of the worlds she's built in business, publishing, television, and at home.
For those expecting a documentary about Martha’s work and legacy, the film may be a disappointment. Martha had given full access to all of her archives, both professional and personal, and in a New York Times interview online she expressed surprise and discontent that the producers of the film had not used that access to full advantage. She also says that too much time was spent on the criminal trial and her subsequent incarceration, and I tend to agree.
Much more could have been said about Martha’s cultural
relevance and how that relevance was achieved – much more about the “why”
rather than so much of the “what.” This would have required more analysis of
the cultural dynamics during the 1980s and ‘90s: Martha’s ascent and peak. The
trial and its fallout were significant, of course, and there’s no question that
period in her life radically altered the trajectory of her career – and the
careers of many others. It deserved to be in the documentary, certainly, but
not a full quarter of the documentary.
There were some stylistic elements, too, that I found a little bit jarring. I was not fond of the comic book illustrations that appeared throughout the documentary. It took me out of the narrative and seemed at odds with Martha’s aesthetic. Using footage of Martha’s gardens and kitchens and rooms in her homes during narration would have been a more interesting alternative to the cartoonish drawings. This would have subtly shown aspects of Martha’s achievements and passions in her personal world: slow pans of Martha’s peony garden in full bloom, or the cracked-ice terrace at Skylands, or the kitchen at Bedford, or the luxe, dark tones of the Brown room, the antiques, the crystal, the stables, the pine-needle pathways, the greenhouse, the flower arrangements… Footage of her private world could have been used instead of the drawings and the viewer would have a more accurate understanding of her aesthetic and the atmospheres she builds around herself for comfort and display.
There was only brief mention of her renovation of Lily Pond
Lane in the early 1990s, but nothing was said about any of her other homes,
gardens, kitchens or legendary parties where so much of her talents are on full
display. This was a missed opportunity.
The consistent deferral to her relevance to a youthful audience highlighted the filmmaker’s preoccupation, rather than any true analysis of why this relevance is important. Much more time could have been spent on what she was teaching and why those lessons were so important to so many people around the world, how that shifted the culture, how it influenced magazine publication, how it inspired entrepreneurship, etc. Once again, the subject of her life’s work was treated as almost incidental and unimportant – homemaking as an artform. By glossing over this, the film unintentionally belittled the relevance of Martha's work over the relevance of Martha as an older celebrity.
Having said that, the personal admissions and confessions by
Martha about some of the more shadowy aspects of her life were fascinating and
captivating as a viewer. She does discuss uncomfortable subjects, such as her
divorce, unfaithfulness, and some of her difficulties maintaining lasting relationships,
both personal and professional. It reveals some of her vulnerability, which I’m
sure was uncomfortable for her. But I think the audience, for the most part,
will find this aspect endearing. Showing herself to be a person who is not
immune to emotional pain, to some bad decisions, to feelings of loss and regret
will humanize her to many.
This is clearly not the documentary Martha wanted, given her
comments to the New York Times, although she seems to be at peace with the result. I personally feel that a docu-series is required
to fully illustrate the complexities of her life as well as the legendary
achievements of her career, which is still unfolding, by the way! But anyone
interested in the subject of Martha Stewart must watch this documentary. I
think it is enlightening in surprising and revealing ways.
10.10.2024
New Special Holidays Issue
Martha Stewart fans have been enjoying a spate of new special-issue publications this year! A special issue devoted to Gardening appeared in March and in August we were treated to a special Halloween issue. On October 18th, a new 96-page special issue devoted to the holidays will be published, and the cover looks beautiful!
Elizabeth Graves, the editorial director on the project, says she is very proud of it and that she knows readers will find delight in its contents. It will be available on newsstands where ever books and magazines are sold, but you can also get it through Amazon. It is available for pre-order now. I can't wait to receive my copy!