Questions of innocence, guilt, crime, punishment and celebrity aside,
what do y'all think of Martha Stewart's recipes and cookbooks? I have
one, Entertaining, I think. I don't use it regularly, but the few times
I've cooked out of it, I was pleased. At this point in my life, I'm
making more simple, old standby recipes so Stewart's recipes strike me
as too fancy, too much emphasis on presentation, but I've been known
every now and then go for presentation too. Thoughts?


--Lia

Julia Altshuler wrote:

> Questions of innocence, guilt, crime, punishment and celebrity aside,
> what do y'all think of Martha Stewart's recipes and cookbooks? I have
> one, Entertaining, I think. I don't use it regularly, but the few times
> I've cooked out of it, I was pleased. At this point in my life, I'm
> making more simple, old standby recipes so Stewart's recipes strike me
> as too fancy, too much emphasis on presentation, but I've been known
> every now and then go for presentation too. Thoughts?


Check out her Hors d'Oeuvres Handbook. It's quite good. As for her
recipes being too fancy, I've never found them difficult. She doesn't
really write her own recipes. She's sort of a recipe clearinghouse, and
she smart enough to publish ones that are not overly difficult. That's one
reason why she's popular, I think.

<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0609603108/qid=1078806111/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/102-8284641-0858534>

--
Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot) com

What I never liked about her recipes is that she always had like one ingredient
that you could only get in one store in Manhatten. I always thought that
everything she made was rather pretentious. Maybe that's way I like Rachel Ray
so much more.

Sandra

Julia Altshuler > wrote in message
news:4tb3c.148920$Xp.606602@attbi_s54...
[snip]
> what do y'all think of Martha Stewart's recipes and cookbooks?
[snip]

I was given three of them by family. (They know I collect things like this.)
I looked through them and shelved'em. I find they're just not what I want in
a cookbook. I have so many alternative choices that are better-written,
better-sourced, better presented.

The Ranger

Julia Altshuler wrote:
>
> Questions of innocence, guilt, crime, punishment and celebrity aside,
> what do y'all think of Martha Stewart's recipes and cookbooks?

You reminded me of something I found amusing. Sorry that I cannot
help you about her recipes or books.

This co-worker of mine was dating another co-worker of mine, he was
from a wealthy family. He lived in this little rich town in central
jersey. So, they went into the little snotty bookstore in town,
looking to buy the latest Martha book, guess what. (sniff) We do
not carry her books any longer since she started selling stuff from
KMart. (laughing) Pretentious jerks. Probably out of business.

nancy

Lia asked:

> Questions of innocence, guilt, crime, punishment and celebrity aside,
> what do y'all think of Martha Stewart's recipes and cookbooks?

Last Thanksgiving, I followed her gravy-making recipe, and thought it was
extremely good.

Bob

The Ranger wrote:

I have so many alternative choices that are better-written,
> better-sourced, better presented.


Tease! So what are the cookbooks you like better?
--Lia

in article , Sandy n ne at
wrote on 3/8/04 11:36 PM:

> What I never liked about her recipes is that she always had like one
> ingredient
> that you could only get in one store in Manhatten. I always thought that
> everything she made was rather pretentious. Maybe that's way I like Rachel Ray
> so much more.
>
> Sandra

Well, I think she's a stickler for "quality" ingredients.
I always have this mental picture of her describing ingredients in
superlatives. She would never use Hershey's or Baker's pre-wrapped,
pre-measured chocolate squares, available in any supermarket for $2 for a
half pound box to make homemade brownies.
She uses chunks of imported Callebaut or Guittard, and weighs out 4 ounces
that she's chopped off the block. ("4 ounces of best quality chocolate")
You might not be able to find Callebaut or Guittard at the Super Walmart in
Coralville Iowa.

Frankly, I made 2 batches of brownies, one with some Callebaut I picked up
in NYC and one with Hershey's. And I liked the Hershey's brownies better.

On Tue, 09 Mar 2004 04:10:40 GMT, Julia Altshuler
> wrote:

>Questions of innocence, guilt, crime, punishment and celebrity aside,
>what do y'all think of Martha Stewart's recipes and cookbooks? I have
>one, Entertaining, I think. I don't use it regularly, but the few times
>I've cooked out of it, I was pleased. At this point in my life, I'm
>making more simple, old standby recipes so Stewart's recipes strike me
>as too fancy, too much emphasis on presentation, but I've been known
>every now and then go for presentation too. Thoughts?

One of the recent biographical specials said a NYTimes reviewer (I
think) infuriated M. by trying several recipes in her first book and
discovering they didn't work. Presentation is all; content not so
important.

Someone gave me one of her magazines that featured a beautiful color
picture of an hors d'oeuvre composed of a toasted baguette slice, goat
cheese, and 3 lima beans. I'm wasn't interested in reading further.

> Lia asked:
>
> > Questions of innocence, guilt, crime, punishment and celebrity aside,
> > what do y'all think of Martha Stewart's recipes and cookbooks?
>

De-lurking . . . .

I used a recipe of hers for a dinner party. Roast pork tenderloin
with apples and red cabbage, served with a hot cider vinaigrette. It
wasn't difficult, and it was a big hit with our guests.

Wieland

Thanks for the replies. I took another look at my bookshelf. I have
_Entertaining_ and _Hors d'Oeuvres_ and a holiday magazine on cookies.
What a surprising mix of styles and advice. The cookie recipes are ones
I've used. The instructions and photographs are clear. She answers
basic questions that someone new to baking might ask. (If you bake all
the time, "cream butter and sugar" is automatic. If you're new to it,
you might appreciate a detailed explanation on what that means in terms
of temperature and texture. Hell, even if you're an old pro, it is nice
to have the nuances explained.) I like the chocolate ginger snaps.


Then I looked through the other books and was reminded of why I never
use them. I could also see how her abrasive personality gets confused
with her basic cooking advice. I love to entertain, but my style is so
different. There's something precious, cold and exacting even in the
cookbooks. Hard to pinpoint.


--Lia

"Julia Altshuler" > wrote in message
news:nfs3c.91015$ko6.560608@attbi_s02...
> Thanks for the replies. I took another look at my bookshelf. I have
> _Entertaining_ and _Hors d'Oeuvres_ and a holiday magazine on cookies.
> What a surprising mix of styles and advice. The cookie recipes are ones
> I've used. The instructions and photographs are clear. She answers
> basic questions that someone new to baking might ask. (If you bake all
> the time, "cream butter and sugar" is automatic. If you're new to it,
> you might appreciate a detailed explanation on what that means in terms
> of temperature and texture. Hell, even if you're an old pro, it is nice
> to have the nuances explained.) I like the chocolate ginger snaps.
>
>
> Then I looked through the other books and was reminded of why I never
> use them. I could also see how her abrasive personality gets confused
> with her basic cooking advice. I love to entertain, but my style is so
> different. There's something precious, cold and exacting even in the
> cookbooks. Hard to pinpoint.
>
>
> --Lia
It saddens me that she is condemned for her personality and seems to bring
out the bitchiness in people. I think we all have known others like her
that are detail oriented and don't make friends easily or quickly. A person
with a bubbly personality and charming wit seems to have no trouble at all
in getting things from others without complaint. I know that is the way the
world works, but it has always struck me as so unfair.
Janet

Janet Bostwick wrote:

> It saddens me that she is condemned for her personality and seems to bring
> out the bitchiness in people. I think we all have known others like her
> that are detail oriented and don't make friends easily or quickly. A person
> with a bubbly personality and charming wit seems to have no trouble at all
> in getting things from others without complaint. I know that is the way the
> world works, but it has always struck me as so unfair.


Some of the best informed and most technically competent teachers I've
ever had were also very low on the emotional IQ scale. It never really
bothered me.

--
Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot) com

"Reg" > wrote in message
om...
> Janet Bostwick wrote:
>
> > It saddens me that she is condemned for her personality and seems to
bring
> > out the bitchiness in people. I think we all have known others like her
> > that are detail oriented and don't make friends easily or quickly. A
person
> > with a bubbly personality and charming wit seems to have no trouble at
all
> > in getting things from others without complaint. I know that is the way
the
> > world works, but it has always struck me as so unfair.
>
>
> Some of the best informed and most technically competent teachers I've
> ever had were also very low on the emotional IQ scale. It never really
> bothered me.
>
> --
> Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot) com
>
I'm not sure that they are low on emotions, but rather unable to share or
reveal themselves. Perhaps they are intensely private people. Some of the
most personable people I know are also the most shallow emotionally. All
fluff and no substance.
Janet

I wish Martha would get it right. Sometimes, the stunts, recipes,
whatever do not work. Remember the episode about growing garlic in your back
yard? WRONG. The stunt of bringing her live chickens into the studio with
Regis Philbin with the chickens shitting all over the place was grotesque.
Yes, she does practice a little bitchcraft, but I don't think she should go
to prison. I think her recipes and cookbooks suck. Period.

Farmer John

"Bob" > wrote in message
...
> Lia asked:
>
> > Questions of innocence, guilt, crime, punishment and celebrity aside,
> > what do y'all think of Martha Stewart's recipes and cookbooks?
>
> Last Thanksgiving, I followed her gravy-making recipe, and thought it was
> extremely good.
>
> Bob
>
>

>Questions of innocence, guilt, crime, punishment and celebrity aside,
>what do y'all think of Martha Stewart's recipes and cookbooks?

Never looked at them. I found the idea of "branding" good taste so offensive
that I ignored her and her enterprise whenever they emerged.

Neil

Julia Altshuler > wrote in message news:<4tb3c.148920$Xp.606602@attbi_s54>...
> Questions of innocence, guilt, crime, punishment and celebrity aside,
> what do y'all think of Martha Stewart's recipes and cookbooks? I have
> one, Entertaining, I think. I don't use it regularly, but the few times
> I've cooked out of it, I was pleased. At this point in my life, I'm
> making more simple, old standby recipes so Stewart's recipes strike me
> as too fancy, too much emphasis on presentation, but I've been known
> every now and then go for presentation too. Thoughts?
>
>
> --Lia

I don't have any of her cookbooks, but every single recipe of hers
that I've used, especially the "101s," have been "perfect" and gotten
rave reviews. I have no complaints, whatsoever. I don't believe her
recipes are difficult so much as they require a lot of attention to
detail, which doesn't bother me. I've looked through the appetizer
book and think I'd like to have it, but right now, I'm collecting
pop-up books. ;-)

N.

On 10 Mar 2004 08:38:08 -0800, (Nancy
Dooley) arranged random neurons, so they looked like this:

>I don't have any of her cookbooks, but every single recipe of hers
>that I've used, especially the "101s," have been "perfect" and gotten
>rave reviews. I have no complaints, whatsoever. I don't believe her
>recipes are difficult so much as they require a lot of attention to
>detail, which doesn't bother me. I've looked through the appetizer
>book and think I'd like to have it, but right now, I'm collecting
>pop-up books. ;-)
>
Nancy, I have her _Entertaining_ book and have not been impressed with
the recipes atall atall. I tried a cream cheese stuffed cherry tomato
recipe topped with red and black caviar that was a disaster. The
caviar bled into the cream cheese and looked horrible, not to mention
not a taste sensation. I'd estimate 40% of the recipes I've tried out
of that book have been gawdawful to pedestrian and I fancy myself a
fairly good "recipe reader." Much of the recipes seem to be long on
presentation (with the aforementioned glaring exception) and short on
taste.

And lovely to see your post, toots! You are missed!

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
AAC(F)BV66.0748.CA

"If the soup had been as hot as the claret, if the claret
had been as old as the bird, and if the bird's breasts had
been as full as the waitress', it would have been a very
good dinner." Anonymous.

To reply, remove replace "shcox" with "cox"

On 10 Mar 2004 16:27:51 GMT, (WardNA) wrote:

> >Questions of innocence, guilt, crime, punishment and celebrity aside,
> >what do y'all think of Martha Stewart's recipes and cookbooks?
>
> Never looked at them. I found the idea of "branding" good taste so offensive
> that I ignored her and her enterprise whenever they emerged.
>
What other brands do you boycott? Branding is everything
these days.


Practice safe eating - always use condiments

On Wed, 10 Mar 2004 19:44:04 -0800, Terry Pulliam Burd
> wrote:

> On 10 Mar 2004 08:38:08 -0800, (Nancy
> Dooley) arranged random neurons, so they looked like this:
>
> >I don't have any of her cookbooks, but every single recipe of hers
> >that I've used, especially the "101s," have been "perfect" and gotten
> >rave reviews. I have no complaints, whatsoever. I don't believe her
> >recipes are difficult so much as they require a lot of attention to
> >detail, which doesn't bother me. I've looked through the appetizer
> >book and think I'd like to have it, but right now, I'm collecting
> >pop-up books. ;-)
> >
> Nancy, I have her _Entertaining_ book and have not been impressed with
> the recipes atall atall. I tried a cream cheese stuffed cherry tomato
> recipe topped with red and black caviar that was a disaster. The
> caviar bled into the cream cheese and looked horrible, not to mention
> not a taste sensation.

Dahlink, you simply are NOT using the same quality of caviar
that Mahtha uses. If you use the dyed stuff, you can expect
it to bleed.

> I'd estimate 40% of the recipes I've tried out
> of that book have been gawdawful to pedestrian and I fancy myself a
> fairly good "recipe reader." Much of the recipes seem to be long on
> presentation (with the aforementioned glaring exception) and short on
> taste.

Well, Hruumph. Don't you know presentation is EVERYTHING?

Personally, I haven't tried many of her recipes... I'm
trying desperately to think of ONE. I do have her
Entertaining Book, but it's not on my cookbook shelf... it's
with my clothes. When you think about it, that's telling.
LOL!
>
> And lovely to see your post, toots! You are missed!
>
My sentiments, exactly!


Practice safe eating - always use condiments