Yes, I'm reviewing a Martha Stewart cookbook. Martha Stewart as a person, has received a ton of criticism, some founded and some not. Though not a diehard fan, I can appreciate her do-it-yourself approach to good living. I now have two Martha Stewart cookbooks.This particular cookbook is the recipe compendium of all Martha Stewart Living issues for 2001, plus a few recipes from her special topic issues (weddings, baby, kids). If you have every issue of the magazine, you'll not need this cookbook. For the rest of you, read on.
Chapters represent each month's issue, and along with the featured recipes for the month, include recipes from the regular columns: Dessert of the Month, Good Things, What To Have For Dinner, and Fit to Eat.
Browsing through this cookbook is like walking through a buffet. You'll find a varied assortment of dishes that will please just about everyone; from the basics like "Spaghetti and Tomato Sauce 101" to more elaborate meals like "Beef Rendang with Broccoli". Regardless of the recipe, I found each recipe clearly written and easy to follow.
My first experience with this cookbook was not something simple and safe. Oh no, I had to pick something that required time, patience, and steady nerves. I selected to make "Alma Etheridge Wilson's Roanoke Sixteen-Layer Chocolate Fudge Cake". If you ever see this cookbook, a slice of this particular cake appears on the cover.
Making this cake also required breaking in my new KitchenAid stand mixer. The sweat broke out on my forehead with the thought. What had I gotten myself into?
The only secret to this fun (yes, I said fun) cake is to follow the directions. No matter how much you want to, do not over bake it. Each layer is so thin that it will dry out or burn before you know it. The only thing missing from this recipe is an estimated time of completion. I made the mistake of starting the cake after dinner and didn't finish until sometime after midnight. The results were worth it. A delicious and gorgeous cake that had everyone wondering how I did it.
Another recipe that was a knockout was for "French Onion Soup". I've never had it, never wanted to try it, and turned my nose up at it if offered. I'm not a major fan of onions. I selected this particular recipe because my fiance said he liked it and I wanted to add another "new food/dish I've tried" to my growing list. For anyone who has never had French Onion Soup, unless you are allergic to onions or cheese, you must try this recipe! For those who love French Onion Soup but were afraid to make it thinking it might be too difficult, try this recipe.
The hardest thing about this recipe is having patience to not stir the onions too often while waiting for them to caramelize. I made this over the weekend and after my first taste, wanted the whole pot for myself. This is one of those recipes that are so simple, whether you make your own beef broth or use canned, you'll want to make it often.
I have to say that I went into this cookbook ready to find all sorts of faults with it and I couldn't. Well, I did run into a few silly editing mistakes. Small things like in the index, Pork is shown as a sub-category for Poppy-Seed. It was frustrating initially looking for a recipe using pork until I noticed the mistake.
As for who would enjoy this cookbook? Just about anybody looking for recipes they can be successful using, for anyone looking for a variety of recipes to suite family and friends, for those who enjoy good cooking. The few mistakes I found were easy to overlook but still tarnish the shine of this cookbook. Not bad Martha, not bad.
