Martha's M&Ms

Mars Direct, a division of Mars Snackfood US, announced a collaboration between MY M&M'S Chocolate Candies and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. The collaboration, which will be unveiled on Friday during a special live Halloween edition of the Emmy-winning series, The Martha Stewart Show, combines Martha Stewart's unique do-it-yourself craft ideas with personalized MY M&M'S. These handcrafted gift ideas will be available exclusively at mymms.com/martha and across all of MSLO's media properties. In her Friday show, Martha takes viewers on a first-ever behind-the-scenes visit to the MY M&M'S factory, giving audiences a glimpse into what it takes to produce one of America's all-time favorite sweets.

Through the integration, MSLO will create a cross-platform 360-degree program promoting stylish, personable and affordable holiday gifts featuring MY M&M'S Faces. This platform will allow consumers to put their favorite faces and personal holiday messages on M&M'S Chocolate Candies. In addition to being featured on The Martha Stewart Show, these exclusive do-it-yourself personalized holiday gift ideas will be on Martha Stewart Living Radio on SIRIUS; MSLO's online, eight-week Holiday Workshop at marthastewart.com; and through do-it-yourself articles featured in Martha Stewart Living and Everyday Food magazines.

"From family tree ornaments to wish jars, MSLO's personalized holiday decor and gift ideas featuring MY M&M'S Faces will allow our audiences to tell their own unique holiday stories," said Martha Stewart. "Featuring custom photos and messages with a sweet chocolate twist, each holiday craft idea allows consumers to take personalization to a whole new level to create truly one-of-a-kind holiday memories."

A Baluster Renewed

I've had this old baluster my entire life and it, in turn, has had many lives. It was salvaged from the house where my father grew up prior to a renovation. It likely dates from the 1920's. It spent a while in my parents' basement during the early '70s and when I was just a year old it was put on show again. My father painted it a rainbow of colours and fitted it with a base he constructed himself so that it could stand freely, without the support of any railings. It was placed near my crib, and then my little bed, and it had a place in my childhood rooms, from house to house to house, until about the age of 13 when I considered it 'too juvenile' for my bedroom, which was painted a serious gray at the time. It went back into my parents' basement for a little rest.


It was only last year that I decided to reclaim it. It needed to be sanded down and repainted. I chose a dark cream tone, since neutrals work well in just about any scheme and I was quite pleased with the way it turned out.

I like the idea that I will have this 'artifact' from my father's childhood home in any home I live in. I also like the sculptural, architectural detail it lends to the room it finds itself in. In a traditional setting, it blends right in. In a modern setting, it adds a counterpoint of interest to cleaner lines.

The new cream colour on the baluster is a marked contrast to the rainbow-bright tones of its youth. The base, shown below, is an ingenious construction devised by my father to support the baluster.

Holiday Lane at Macys

The goodies at Macy's from the Martha Stewart Collection are all lining up along Holiday Lane for your perusal. I've selected some of my favourites from the 2008 Holiday Collection and a few other items from the Macy's line that would work well for the holidays - as gifts, or for yourself.

The Radiant Reflections 36" Feather Tree in gold looks gorgeous on a tabletop: $125

Three 12" glass tree-toppers in red, white and gold: $14.99 each.

These are my favourite, I think. A set of three gingerbread style snowflakes retails for $9.99

My parents had ornaments very similar to these ones, above and below. They're made of glass and are gorgeously elegant. Above, Snowflake Burst set of four $18.99. Below, Peppermint Swirl, $10.99 for a set of two.

Another gingerbread style ornament, these ones in the shapes of stately houses. (The bottom one looks a bit similar to Turkey Hill!) Set of three, $16.99.

Radiant Reflections and Red Berry wreaths and garlands: Wreaths are $48.99, Garlands are $34.99. Tres chic! So, it's your first time hosting a holiday dinner? Try the new Turkey Brining kit to make the turkey's juices flow through. The kit uses a brine inspired by a classic Martha Stewart Living recipe: $19.99.

Packaging cookies and cupcakes never looked so pretty! A set of six boxes for $9.99.

Not an experienced baker? No worries. Try the new Martha Stewart sugar cookie mix at Macy's: $9.99.

Luxurious hand soap and lotion for the kitchen in a light pomegranate scent will make cleaning up after dinner a pleasure: $29.99 for the pair.

One of my favourites from the Martha Stewart Collection is the Oasis Red bedding set. It just screams festive warmth! Let's snuggle.

Inside Cooking School

Since I couldn't find the new cookbook on Tuesday when it came out, despite visiting four different book stores, I decided to order it on Amazon. Less than 48 hours later, it was at my doorstep at a huge discount. (Remind me to always buy online.) The book is fantastic. I'm not a big cookbook collector and I don't tend to be that adventurous in the kitchen. The textbook style of this book, though, may just make me broaden my culinary horizons. But even if it doesn't, I collect Martha's books for all kinds of reasons, not the least of which is design inspiration.



The book was designed by William van Roden, who also designed the Homekeeping Handbook, the Everyday Food cookbook and the Baking Handbook. Since the publication of those books, I've become a huge fan of this designer, who uses minimalist strategies to perfectly clarify instructional text in a way that is attractive and engaging.



Cooking School is no different.



It's a prime example of the well-planned guide. Much of this also has to do with the writing, which was undertaken by Martha and food editor Sarah Carey. The writing is clear, consise and well structured into highly-organized chapters that promote basic culinary techniques, which subsequently graduate to more challenging cooking tasks. All of it is fully illustrated with hundreds of step-by-step photographs.



I thought I'd take you 'inside' Martha's Cooking School and describe some of the details.

I always take the jackets off my cookbooks. The reason for this is that they don't get damaged and a well-worn book cover can always be covered again with the jacket. I keep the jackets in a small portfolio. I was pleasantly surprised to see this elegant black cover under the jacket. It's authoritative but not intimidating.

There are numerous new photographs of Martha throughout the book. Portrait photography was undertaken by Ditte Isager while the food photography (below) was done by Marcus Nilsson.

The Basics:

Dedication:


“To home cooks everywhere, may you always continue to learn.”

From Martha’s Introduction:


“This book has been designed and written as a course of study, very much like a college course in chemistry, which requires the student to master the basics before performing more advanced experiments. The lessons here begin just as they would in a true cooking school, with instruction about the essential tools and equipment, and perhaps the most basic lesson of all: how to hold and use a chef’s knife. You’ll also learn about fundamental ingredients, such as onions, garlic, and herbs & spices, as well as how they are used to build flavors. Then the book is organized in seven chapters, each offering indispensable lessons, such as the proper way to make a rich brown stock; poach eggs; braise meats, fish and poultry; prepare fresh pasta; simmer and puree vegetables; and cream butter to produce a fine-crumbled cake. The lessons are followed by recipes – a tutorial in stock making, for instance, is followed by a soup recipe that calls for the stock. This practical approach works throughout the book, which means that you build your recipe repertoire along with your skills.”

Pages: 504
Recipes: 200
Photographs: 500
Weight: 2 kilograms
Dimensions: 26 x 21.2 cm, and 4.4 cm thick

Chapters:
The Basics, 1) Stocks & Soups, 2) Eggs, 3) Meat, Fish & Poultry, 4) Vegetables, 5) Pasta, 6) Dried Beans & Grains, 7) Desserts.

Food photography by Marcus Nilsson
Portraits of Martha by Ditte Isager

Book designed by William van Roden

Printed in Japan

Framed Leaf Project

Since I am at home sick today, I thought I'd read the dictionary. Now that most of us get our information online these days, I thought it would be pertinent to remind myself what REAL research is about. All of those high-minded ideals went out the window, however, when a flurry of pressed leaves collected last fall, sandwiched between the pages and a few well-trimmed pieces of paper towel, came flooding out into my lap. I had gathered them last year during a trip to Quebec City, stuck them in the dictionary on my return and just completely forgot about them.

I got giddy when I realized I had a stack of new white frames that I had recently purchased (with not much idea as to what I'd use them for) and the little craft project that followed could not be stopped once the inspiration took over. I decided to frame a pair of the leaves, which were perfectly flat and completely free of moisture, one year after their first pressing. It's ideal to press them in a flower press, not books, since the pages of the book could potentially warp from the moisture or stain. But I made sure to layer them well with paper towel and there were no casualties.

I whipped out the craft paper (I have three large 'books' of various designs) and started planning. I tried the leaves, which are all of reddish hue, on various types of paper: calming neutrals and warm oranges, even some outlandish patterns like green with brown polka-dots.

I finally settled on a chartreuse-toned paper with a faux-bois pattern. It's modern and goes well with my decor. Green and red are also complementary colours and the crimson leaves stand out nicely against the green, which I really liked. I picked my two favourite leaves from the bunch I had, laid them out first to make a nice arrangement and then glued them with craft glue to the paper.
I have three other white frames and I'm not sure whether I'll make a gallery of leaves or just do the one frame. I'm also not sure where to put it yet, but I have a few ideas. The nice thing about these kinds of projects is that they're easy to do, inexpensive, and can be as temporary as you want them to be: a few days, a month, a year, or several years.
I should really get sick more often.

Martha Stewart's Cooking School

On Tuesday, Martha's latest cookbook will be released: Martha Stewart's Cooking School. Tuesday will also mark the first day of Martha's Cooking School series on her television show, co-hosted by Everyday Food editor Sarah Carey, so be sure to tune in to hear the latest details about the program.

Martha recently spoke to the Detroit Free Press about the book and says Cooking School is the most instructional cookbook she has ever written.

"I am a teacher, so I thought this would be a good time to use all of our knowledge and put it down as a cooking school," she said. "We have people coming on the show all the time using some of these techniques, and we've never organized them as we have in this book.

"Here we go through the different techniques -- the braising, the poaching, the steaming, the oven roasting, the sautéing so that you really know what you are doing when you say you are sautéing," she said. "And the recipes we give are really jumpstarts for you to then be able to sauté something else. You are going to sauté a piece of chicken cutlet and you will be able to do veal if you wish, or beef or something else."

The chapters are called 'Lessons' and are built around a particular technique. A chapter on braising will teach readers the technique and then demostrate how that technique can be used in different ways in different recipes. In some ways it's like a textbook, with the lessons numbered 2.1, 2.2, etc. and "extra credit" sections such as making soup garnishes or homemade mayonnaise in the egg lesson. There are plenty of illustrations and pictures along with step-by-step instructions. The book weighs a hefty four pounds, is hardcover and has over 500 pages with 200 recipes: another tome to add to your Martha Stewart book collection!

Martha also says that learning to cook can help families save money in hard economic times. "I think all the how-to's, the do-it-yourselves, are totally reflective of what's going on in the world today," she told the Detroit Free Press. "Paying a lot of attention to nutrition and homemade is exactly where we need to be right now."

Ina Garten: Back To Basics

Ina Garten, better known, perhaps, as the Barefoot Contessa, has a wonderful new cookbook out this month that I wanted to let everyone know about. It's called Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics  and it delivers what it promises: simple, timeless recipes that don't skimp on flavour. There are also plenty of entertaining tips and menus for the novice and the more practiced host/hostess.

"I have to admit that food trends don't really interest me," she told Style at Home magazine. "What I need is pretty simple. I want an easy recipe that I can make in advance if possible, and when guests arrive I want the house to smell wonderful. When I talk about getting back to basics, I'm not talking about plain mashed potatoes. What truly fires my imagination is taking ordinary ingredients and cooking or pairing them in unusual ways that unlocks their true flavours."

Back to Basics is the sixth book by Ina, who now also has a show on the Food Network and a line of pre-packaged food items called Barefoot Contessa Pantry that includes coffees, dessert sauces, marinades and cake mixes. Visit her website for more information.

In 1978, Ina, who was then a White House finance analyst, wanted to flee the canned pressure of D.C. and do something she loved full-time. She took a chance on buying a small catering shop in the Hamptons and took it from there, with no experience as a professional shop owner. Called Barefoot Contessa, the place became the hot spot for the area's elite: Steven Spielberg and Lauren Bacall were regulars. Ina's specialty was making ordinary foods in extraordinary ways. Something as simple as onion dip was done up Ina-style with carmelized, pan-fried onions. Everyday dishes like meatloaf and chicken soup were given new punch by using the freshest local ingredients.

In 1996 Ina sold Barefoot Contessa to two of her employees who continued those traditions.

When Martha Stewart purchased Lily Pond Lane in the Hamptons in 1992 she was quickly impressed by Ina's talents. Ina appeared on the Martha Stewart Living television program and was continuously urged by Martha to write a cookbook, which she eventually did: The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook was released in 1999. Following this, Ina was hired by Martha to write a regular column for Martha Stewart Living magazine called Entertaining is Fun, which appeared between October, 2000, and August, 2001.

Today, Ina has six cookbooks under her belt, including Barefoot Contessa Family Style and Barefoot Contessa in Paris.

"I've actually been looking around for years for a way to do the basics. But at the end of the day, a lot of my recipes are basic," she says. "The idea has been rattling around in my head. I realized what's important to me is flavor. There's a brightness and a depth of flavor that I'm looking for."

Now, here are ten things Ina Garten says you should NOT serve at a dinner party:

1. Appetizers that take two hands: You're holding a cocktail, having a good conversation, and someone offers you a grilled scallop served in a martini glass. What are you supposed to do with your drink?

2. Beets or red wine: If you're serving buffet style and eating dinner on your lap in the living room, you're just inviting disaster. Save these for the dinner table.

3. Three rich courses: It's important to balance the weight of the courses. If you're serving a rich main course, start with a small salad and end with baked fruit and a homemade cookie. Your friends will thank you.

4. Garlic and raw onions: I like chicken with 40 cloves of garlic as much as the next person, but I don't love the breath that comes with it.

5. Spinach and poppy seeds: How many times have you been conversing with someone you barely know and find yourself staring at that stray piece of spinach or that little poppy seed stuck in their teeth?

6. Corn on the cob: Same problem as spinach. If I serve corn, I cut it off the cob, saute it with some butter, salt and pepper and serve it in a big bowl. No dental floss required.

7. Two fish courses: Most people eat meat, but fewer eat fish and seafood. If I'm serving smoked salmon to start, I'm always sure to have a traditional chicken or filet of beef for the main course.

8. Offal: If your family loves liver and chitlins, great - make it for them. But don't spring it on unsuspecting dinner guests without checking first.

9. Nuts: A lot of people don't like nuts or are allergic to them. Unless I know my guests really well, I avoid dishes with nuts or at least provide an option.

10. Raw beef, fish or eggs: I never eat steak tartar, sushi or raw eggs unless I know they're from a safe source, so I'm not about to serve food to friends that requires me to explain its safety.

Martha Crafts at QVC

As I'm sure many of you hardcore crafters know, Martha Stewart Craft items are now available on the QVC shopping network and through their website, QVC.com, with affordable delivery rates. Many of the craft items are available exclusively to the home-shopping company, just as there are exclusive craft products available only at Walmart and, of course, Michael's. Several exclusive craft kits can only be found through QVC, including the Cutting Tool Kit, Halloween Punch Kit, Christmas Ribbon Storage Kit, Food Packaging and Glitter Stamp Craft Kit.



If you visit QVC.com you'll be able to watch how-to videos using the products and find some other interesting items, like these favourites of mine below:
A beautiful, elegant holiday ribbon box with a front dispenser slot, rod, hinged lid, and paper lining. And when you're done with the included ribbon, you can put in your own 3" spools.This new screw punch tool lets you punch holes of various sizes anywhere on a surface--not just along the edges. Try it on paper, cardboard, foam, fabric, thin metals, leather and multiple layers of material. The punched cards on the right reveal the finished effect. Some consumers have complained, however, that the punches are too small and too difficult to make on some of the sturdier card stock.

I love these acorn box ornaments with glitter kit. It contains three 4"H x 2-5/8"Diam molded paper acorn boxes with hanger loops, 1.5 oz Brownstone glitter, 1.5 oz Peridot glitter, 1.5 oz Garnet glitter, 4 fl oz non-toxic glittering glue with brush applicator.

Canadian Thanksgiving

While our friends in the United States observe Columbus Day this weekend, Canadians up north are celebrating Thankgiving. Canadians celebrate the holiday on the second weekend in October because of the earlier harvest. It was officially designated a statutory holiday in Canada in 1957. Parliament declared it "A day of general thanksgiving to almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed." Despite its references to God, Thanksgiving in Canada is considered a secular holiday. 

Unlike the American tradition of remembering Pilgrims settling in the New World, Canadians give thanks for a successful harvest. The harvest season falls earlier in Canada compared to the United States due to the simple fact that Canada is further north.

The history of Thanksgiving in Canada goes back to an English explorer, Martin Frobisher, whose aim was to find a northern passage to Asia. He did not succeed but he did establish an English settlement in North America. In the year 1578, he held a formal ceremony, in the province known today as Newfoundland, to give thanks for surviving the long journey. This is considered the first Canadian Thanksgiving. In the ensuing decades, other settlers arrived and continued these ceremonies. Forbisher was later knighted and had an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean in northern Canada named after him: Frobisher Bay.

At around the same period, French explorers who settled in eastern Canada also held huge feasts of thanks - celebrations that were first observed by French explorer Samuel de Champlain. These Frenchmen formed an organization called 'The Order of Good Cheer' (L'Ordre de Bon Temps) with autumn feasts, theatre performances, dances and celebrations designed to celebrate New France and its many bounties.
 

Canadians today enjoy their Thanksgiving dinner on either the Sunday, as we do, or on Thanksgiving Monday, which is a statutory holiday. Below are some photos of our celebration on Sunday at my parents' house. Happy Thanksgiving, Canada!

Everyone gathers around the dining room table for a big, hearty meal.

Most people can't stand them, but my grandmother loves her brussels sprouts and helps herself to a steaming spoonful.

Apple and pumpkin pies baked by my grandmother.

After dinner, my nephew put on a puppet show for us. He made the set and the puppets and called the show "My Crazy Thanksgiving." It involved a pizza delivery man, a French chauffeur, a postman and a turkey that ran away with the spoon.

Fall Foliage

I thought I'd share some images of fall foliage in my area, photos I took of some of the season's changing leaves in my neighbourhood and at my parents' cottage. These might be especially nice for people who live in regions of the United States where the leaves don't turn quite as flagrantly.


The colours here in Eastern Ontario are especially vibrant this year. The heavy rain we had this past summer has blessed us with a technicolour show in the treetops. The photographs, of course, never do them justice. You have to experience them first-hand, with all your senses, to really get the full effect. You have to smell that damp autumn smell, feel the crispness of the air around you and hear the leaves rustling in the wind. Have a look at some of the photos all the same and let me know what you think.

You may think these beautiful trees were found along a country lane somewhere, but they were smack-dab in the middle of a city park. I'm not sure what tree produces these gorgeous fall berries, above, but the branches were loaded with them. A sugar maple, below.

Not all bright folliage is found in the country. These climbing vines were a beautiful crimson and were visible from one of the busiest streets in Ottawa.

At my parents' cottage there are miles and miles of roads winding through the forests. I love taking long walks. There isn't a single sound except the wind in the leaves. It's completely restorative. Maples, especially, seem to turn the brightest colours. I found this baby leaf, below, resting on a still-thriving fern near a stream.
Eventually, even the ferns and groundcover turn a shade of golden yellow.

When the light hits the trees, it's like a fireworks display in the middle of the daytime. The scene above is of the forest at the cottage, which had been turned completely golden. It literally shimmered in the sunlight.

My mother takes her dog, Molly, for a walk down one of the roadways at the cottage. Again, the autumn canopy above was just so alluring.
I found this enormous maple leaf in Quebec City. It was large enough to cover my face! I photographed it on a black table in a cabin we rented there last year. The black backdrop really brought out its features.

Views from balconies are often the best way to see the treetops - from above! The view from my current balcony (above) yields flecks of gold and orange that carry straight into the city in the distance. Some of the leaves have yet to turn. This was taken just today. The view from my apartment last year, below, which was on the 19th floor, was incredibly spectacular.

Martha Stewart Rosebridge Collection

This month, Martha Stewart Omnimedia and Bernhardt Furniture will unveil the latest of the Martha Stewart Signature Furniture lines: Rosebridge. The Art-Deco inspired collection includes 30 pieces of bedroom, dining room and occasional. It also has six pieces of upholstery in 10 new fabric options.

Stylistically, the Art Deco and Biedermeier influences mark a new direction for the Signature line. Various wood pieces have walnut and rosewood veneers that flow down drawer fronts in a waterfall effect. Others have a checkerboard pattern of mismatched burl.

Signature pieces include:

• A tall dresser whose Art Deco shape gives it a slightly recessed base and top. The drawer faces have swirling burl walnut panels and columns of narrow scoring.
• The Bellcourt Sunburst dining table, which features cathedral walnut veneers and a framed walnut burl border. The four-pillar pedestal base has solid wood turned posts and shaped bun feet. It also has a 60-inch top and extends to 84 inches with a single leaf.
• The Rosebridge brass console table has a rosewood veneer top and shelf and shaped edges. Its metal base has semicircular stretchers.

Some pieces have tumbled brass and heirloom nickel hardware. The Rosebridge joins the other collections in the Signature collection: Lily Pond, Skylands, Turkey Hill, Katonah, Opal Point and this year's North River, which mingles traditional honey-colored finishes and wood turnings with chic mid-century profiles and luxuriously grained mahogany veneers. Gold leaf accents, handpainted chinoiserie, granite tabletops, and bronze-finished grillwork enhance the North River pieces.

Bernhardt has decided to release a new Martha Stewart furniture line every six months instead of every year, since the pieces are selling so well. Catalogs for the North River and Rosebridge collections will soon be available for order.

A Collector's Find

Every so often, something comes up for Martha Stewart collectors that really gives them cause to consider splurging. The items below are being sold on eBay by a former Connecticut resident who collaborated on a story about holiday desserts in the first issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine. Not only is the first issue part of the sale, but so too is the correspondence between Jerome (the seller) and Martha Stewart Living, which includes a hand-written note from Martha's sister Laura on Martha Stewart stationery, a typed letter signed by Martha as well as the antique cake molds and cake tins that were photographed in the story.

Perhaps the piece-de-resistance is a pint of plum chutney that was made by Martha's mother, Martha Kostyra, and given to Jerome by Laura when the cake molds were exchanged at Turkey Hill.

"On September 5, 1990, at Laura's request, I delivered my Christmas related cake pans and bake ware to her home in Westport," Jerome writes. "This was late afternoon and Laura and her mother, Martha Kostyra, had just finished making Plum Chutney and they gave me a pint. Yes, of course the house, grounds, and especially the kitchen were beautiful and I've seen them featured in the magazine and on TV."

The bidding starts at $900. It's a rather expensive 'martha moment' to be sure, but it's a very unique one! Below are the photos and descriptions of the items.

The first issue of Martha Stewart Living (December, 1990) and a look at the introductory page to the "Holiday Desserts" story that features Jerome's antique bakeware in the photographs.

Ruldolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus 9 inch diameter tin cake pans. The pans date to the late 1930's. The Santa Claus cake pan is believed to be German.

An original Griswold Manufacturing Company cast iron (weighs about 7 pounds) Santa two piece cake mold. What looks like rust in the tree cake pan is actually the grease and flour left in the mold from its use in baking the cake. The cake mold is 12 inches tall and dates from the late 1940's into the early 1950's.

A typed letter dated September 19, 1990 saying "We are very grateful for the help you gave us in putting together our Holiday issue. We will, of course, send you a copy of the magazine when it appears, in early November." It is signed by Martha Stewart and is in the original envelope. It also comes with a Martha Stewart Everyday button.

The handwritten note from Laura Herbert, Martha's sister, regarding the use of Jerome's bakeware for Martha's 'new' magazine. It is written on Martha Stewart "Entertaining" stationery.

The one-pint jar of plum chutney with a label that notes that it was made by "Martha K." - Martha's mother, Mrs. Kostyra, now deceased. It is dated September 5, 1990.