Martha Stewart's Everyday Food

[bloviatrix]

I was completely unaware they were going to do a companion TV show to the magazine but today's NY Times had review of the show.

Cooking Tips Marinated in Martha Stewart's Style

I made a point of watching the show tonight and it's really not bad. It's the complete antithesis to Sandra Lee in that they show you can make healthy, good meals with minimal work and without all that prepared crap.

Has anyone else caught it? What are your thoughts?

[Mottmott]

I was completely unaware they were going to do a companion TV show to the magazine but today's NY Times had review of the show.

Cooking Tips Marinated in Martha Stewart's Style

I made a point of watching the show tonight and it's really not bad.  It's the complete antithesis to Sandra Lee in that they show you can make healthy, good meals with minimal work and without all that prepared crap.

Has anyone else caught it?  What are your thoughts?

←

I think we might call it Five Faces of Martha. Her stamp is all over the show. The range of "novice" to "pro" echoes her guests on her own show that ranged from the cookie monster to Boulud and beyond. And that's a good thing. And I have no doubt that anything I try will probably work out since most of these recipes seem to come right out of the MSL files.

That said, I personally found the pace a bit hectic and disjointed, perhaps to mimic the hectic life of the people feeding everyday food to their families. But the show draws a line between itself and Martha's own show. Everything's stripped down, from the functional, institutional kitchen to the simple direct cooking. We're not likely to see Nobu in that kitchen.

It's Martha without the glam and 'tude.

edited for spelling

Edited January 11, 2005 by Mottmott (log)

[Arey]

The recipes are from EveryDay Food magazine, which sometimes are simplified recipes from MSL magazine. I'm assuming that in time the cooks will calm down and relaxa bit. The intial show seemed to be more of an introduction and demonstration of what they're trying to do.

The farfalle with salmon, mint and peas is good. I've made it a couple of times. My sister-in-law gives me her MSL magazines. I'm going to do the chicken breast in parchment paper with ginger and scallions, but my parchment paper folding technique needs a lot of work first. .

With Everyday Food they have symbols for low carb and healthy meals, but they don't include cholesterol in their nutrient analysis, so sometimes the meals are only healthy for people without a cholesterol problem.

[emilymarie]

I caught a few minutes of the show last night but had to turn it off when the blonde woman (who came on right after the farfalle with salmon, peas, and mint) started talking. She looked so nervous it made ME uncomfortable.

Any rate, what I saw reeks of Martha--and that's a wonderful thing in my opinion. From the color palette to the absolute neat, uncluttered set. It's like a tease of things to come soon (I hope). I like that the recipes seem really simple and healthy. And I am sure once the hosts calm down and ease into their new positions it'll be a show full of good tips and recipes.

It seems that they're going for a very teacher-to-student/one-on-one approach in how they talk about what they're doing, like they are trying hard to seem friendly and approachable. It's everyday food, let's not be stuffy about it, would seem to be their intended tone. They're not quite there yet. Still seems a bit too tense, coiffed, and strained for that--not to mention the fact that Martha's presence is definitely hovering over the set. And let's be honest, Martha's not freewheeling, breezy, or cool--at least on television. It can develop into a nice alternative to the garbage that has become the Food Network and to all of the other wonderful, but otherwise decadent food demonstrated on WLIW. One night, you cook Lidia, the next you cook Martha Everyday.

[bentherebfor]

I subscribe to the magazine. Its okay. The recipes are generally good, especially for simple, easy to find ingredients.

I saw that the show was now on PBS, but haven't caught it yet.

[andiesenji]

my parchment paper folding technique  needs a lot of work first. .

←

Here's a tip that might help with this technique:

Pre-fold and crease the paper, using a knife handle to smooth and tighten the creases and you can even build in a pleat or two so the paper will conform to an odd-shaped object.

If you have all the pieces of paper prepared ahead of time, it makes the prep work much speedier when you are doing several pieces.

[Mottmott]

my parchment paper folding technique  needs a lot of work first. .

←

Here's a tip that might help with this technique:

Pre-fold and crease the paper, using a knife handle to smooth and tighten the creases and you can even build in a pleat or two so the paper will conform to an odd-shaped object.

If you have all the pieces of paper prepared ahead of time, it makes the prep work much speedier when you are doing several pieces.

←

No, no, Andy, you need one of those bone folders that Martha uses.

[Toliver]

Yesterday I received in the mail an "invitation" to subscribe to the magazine. Included in the invitation was a plastic cookie/muffin stencil with two star shapes on it and a promise to send me an "Everyday Food" microplane zester once I send them my money.

Should I hold out for a poncho?

[CaliPoutine]

Should I hold out for a poncho?

←

Omg, that is the funniest thing I've heard all day.

[howard88]

Damn.

Had I known about the new show, I would have

gone into my attic to retrieve my spring collection

of tablecloths, which ala Martha are rolled up in

my oversized map tubes and of course labled with

my special label maker. Its a good thing!

[peppyre]

OK, so I finally got a chance to see this show on Saturday and I wasn't impressed at all. Granted, I was watching it through the haze of pain killers and migraine, but still, it seemed to be lacking. Does anyone remember the initial Everyday Food series that was part of From Martha's Kitchen? It was so much better and seemed more like a cooking show and not just a bunch of people following along to a recipe in a book. I do enjoy the magazine though.

[Toliver]

I ended up subscribing to the magazine. It's an odd food magazine. It has a simplisitic tone to it ("Celery: How to buy it, how to store it, how to use it and its nutrition content").

But, sadly, I've decided not to renew thanks to the March 2006 issue which includes an actual recipe for...wait for it...a grilled cheese sandwich.

C'mon!

In the March issue they're also soliciting recipes from their readers for future issues. Is this now "Taste of Home a la Martha"? That's not what I signed up for.

It's as if this magazine is being aimed at the Forrest Gump's of the kitchen who want to cook but don't make it too involved, please. Sure, the original idea was good meals done quickly and simply (a la Jacques Pepin, Sara Moulton, et al) but they seem to be emphasizing the simple ("This is a spice called 'cayenne'").

I guess I'm just now realizing that I'm not their intended audience.

There's a definite difference in the tone of the magazine as compared to the tone of the companion PBS cooking show.

[Wendy DeBord]

As a subscriber I've noticed the magazines focus hasn't been steady. I wonder if their fighting among themselves on the dirrection or if they are turning over management all the time.

Theres issues that are so basic it's rediculous. I don't see anything wrong with addressing how to make simple items well, I appreciate those. But sometimes they really do go into such basic mode it assumes the reader knows less about cooking then a reader of an automobile magazine.

Then they play with issues that are all light recipes.....and that's not their focus either.

And who said everyday food has to consist of 4 ingredients or less?

They'll write a recipe so it looks really basic and then hide additional needed ingredients in the dirrections. That's way confusing......... and no one writes recipes like that.

They just need to find their focus.

On the other hand, I've gotten several excellent baked goods recipes from this magazine........which is the reason I have the subscription and I'm not canceling it yet.

[PamelaF]

I have a subscription to this magazine too. When they first started the magazine, each issue had a least a few interesting and easy recipes, the kind of thing you would want to cook on a weeknight. I remember a Pork Bulgogi that was pretty impressive given the short ingredient list and quick preparation. (Haven't made that in a while, have to look that recipe up).

Another thing I like about the magazine is that they use real ingredients and do not rely on processed stuff.

But over the last year or so, I have found the magazine to be less interesting and definitely more "basic". Perhaps a bit repetitive.

Still worth flipping through when it arrives in the mail, but I may not renew the subscription. I would recommend it (or give as a gift subscription) for those who are beginning or reluctant cooks, cause that seems like who they have settled on as their target market.

[BarbaraY]

I dropped my subscription after the first year. It is OK for some people but doesn't exactly suit us. Usually I can figure out how to do simple stuff myself.

[Toliver]

Has anyone else been turned off by this season's episodes? They changed the way they light/shoot the episodes so now they seem to have a duller/colder look to them. The food rarely looks appetizing anymore.

[Luckylies]

Disclosure: I work as the assistant food editor of Everyday Food Magazine.

Do you guys think the themes of the magazine translate to the show?

[markabauman]

Our local PBS affiliate has just picked up Everyday Baking to go along with Everyday Food, that is aired just before the baking show. Interestingly, Martha is in the first episode along with John, who is also on the Food series and is an accomplished baker. Is it my imagination, or does it appear that he acts differently on the Baking series with the boss at hand, deferential, crediting her for all sorts of things?

[Toliver]

Our local PBS affiliate has just picked up Everyday Baking to go along with Everyday Food, that is aired just before the baking show. Interestingly, Martha is in the first episode along with John, who is also on the Food series and is an accomplished baker. Is it my imagination, or does it appear that he acts differently on the Baking series with the boss at hand, deferential, crediting her for all sorts of things?

←

The polite word is "fawning".

[johnder]

Congrats on the show Emma, the cupcakes looked awesome!

Overall the show had a good pacing and the recipes looked really good. Not sure what the deal is with the salt on the bottom of the skillet for the lamb chop recipe though. Why not just season the meat as opposed to the pan?

John

[Luckylies]

aww thanks! that was one of the first shows I recorded in the series...talk about nervous!

[Toliver]

Not sure what the deal is with the salt on the bottom of the skillet for the lamb chop recipe though.  Why not just season the meat as opposed to the pan?

John

←

Though I've never used that method, I've seen it discussed here and there on eGullet. Here's one such post. It's the second method mentioned in the post. Perhaps it helps develop a good crust on the meat?

edited to add: I found another brief reference to this method from snowangel herself in this post.

Edited January 14, 2008 by Toliver (log)

[Pierogi]

Not sure what the deal is with the salt on the bottom of the skillet for the lamb chop recipe though.  Why not just season the meat as opposed to the pan?

John

←

Though I've never used that method, I've seen it discussed here and there on eGullet. Here's one such post. It's the second method mentioned in the post. Perhaps it helps develop a good crust on the meat?

That was how my Mom used to cook hamburgers when I was a kid......thick layer of salt in a heavy skillet, flop the patties in on top, and cook over high heat. I haven't done that in eons, but I do remember her burgers tasted pretty darn good !

[Luckylies]

Disclosure: I work as the assistant food editor of Everyday Food Magazine.

Do you guys think the themes of the magazine translate to the show?

←

wow how far we've come...

also, that's how my mom made burgers too! who knows if it made a difference...but, yup, they were gooood...

[kellycolorado]

I noticed that this season's episodes look different too- Not as "green" out the windows or something. Is it a new set/different kitchen? It's not as bright. I liked the old look better- More stainless/professional and brighter.

On the bright side, it's on my PBS HD feed now so I can record it in HD- yay.

-Kelly