3.30.2012

April's Everyday Food + Easy Cake Batter

While I don't collect Everyday Food the way I collect Martha Stewart Living magazine, I do have a small drawer in a kitchen cabinet devoted to the best issues of this informative little digest. I've been a subscriber since the magazine began in 2003 and I've saved the issues I find the most helpful - the ones I turn to most often for recipes, tips and techniques. I am not a born cook. I don't have the natural flare my father has to dream up new concoctions and problem-solve in the kitchen, nor my mother's patience in making beautiful, multi-course holiday meals. Everyday Food was crafted for people like me: interested in preparing good food with not a lot of time or natural-born talent.
The April, 2012, issue is one that is going into the archives. It is the 'how-to' issue, filled with advice and secrets for achieving success at mealtime. There are Easter and Passover recipes as well as daily kitchen tips. The best-selling feature of this particular issue is a piece about the most foolproof, versatile yellow cake batter. I've transcribed the essentials below. It's sure to become my go-to recipe whenever I'm required (or inspired!) to bake a cake.

INGREDIENTS FOR 8 CUPS OF BATTER:

1 CUP BUTTER (ROOM TEMPERATURE)
1 3/4 CUPS SUGAR
4 LARGE EGGS (ROOM TEMPERATURE)
2 LARGE EGG YOLKS (ROOM TEMPERATURE)
1 TABLESPOON PURE VANILLA EXTRACT
3 CUPS CAKE FLOUR, SPOONED AND LEVELED
1 TABLESPOON BAKING POWDER
1/2 TEASPOON FINE SALT
1 1/2 CUPS BUTTERMILK

Bring cold ingredients to room temperature. Butter should be soft enough to hold a thumb print but still keep its shape. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on high until light and fluffy, about six minutes. Beat in the eggs and the egg yolks one at a time until combined. Beat in the vanilla. In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients, whisking to combine. With the mixer on low, add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating to combine. Beat in 3/4 cup buttermilk, another 1/3 of the flour mixture and another 3/4 cup of buttermilk, and remaining flour mixture until just combined. Scrape down the bowl as needed.

The recipe makes a variety of cake desserts. The magazine provides four delicious examples: Raspberry Cream Layer Cake, Pineapple Buckle, Cappuccino-Chocolate Cupcakes and Chocolate-Vanilla Marble Cakes, shown below.


3.28.2012

Easter Egg Extravaganza!

As a child, the highlight of spring for me was the annual Easter egg hunt on Easter Sunday. My brother and I would wake up early and poke my parents as they slept until they rolled out of bed. And then we would begin our hunt: upstairs, downstairs, in every corner, on every ledge, behind books and under the leaves of houseplants. We left no space unchecked. The eggs we were hunting for were the standard store-bought chocolate variety that are still sold today in those colourful foil wrappers. I am very nostalgic about them and always treat myself to a little 'net' each year. The hunt was then followed by a beautiful breakfast prepared by both my parents and that evening we usually had my grandparents over for dinner, or would venture off to their house for more Easter goodies.  

Since falling in love with Martha Stewart Living nearly 15 years ago, the Easter-egg projects in the magazine's April issues have been a perennial favourite of mine. No other team of crafters and editors can match the skill, creativity and imagination of those who work at Martha Stewart Living. Below is a compendium of their gorgeous Easter-egg crafts to delight your eyes! There are so many techniques that can be used to decorate eggs, from dyes to decoupage, glitter to paint. For embellishments, materials can be as varied as leaves and grass, paper napkins and vinyl tape, elastic bands, onion skins and yarn. 

CLICK HERE for all of the information and how-tos you will need to make your own eggceptional creations! 
This is a new project dreamed up by the editors over at The Crafts Department blog: embroidered eggs! I can scarcely get my head around how creative this project is.
Another delightful craft from The Crafts Department: Dremel Egg Craft

3.26.2012

Martha to Guest Star on Law & Order SVU

Martha Stewart will guest star on an episode of Law & Order Special Victims Unit on NBC in late April. The episode, titled "Learning Curve" will have Martha playing the headmaster of a New York City private school. Arrested Development star Tony Hale and Hung alum Jane Adams will also star in the episode in which a teacher is accused of inappropriate behaviour with one of the students. This is not the first guest appearance by Martha in a televison show; she has done spots on "Ugly Betty," "All My Children," "The Simpsons" and most recently on "Two Broke Girls" in an episode that will air in May. In most of these roles, however, she has played herself. This is one of very few roles (perhaps the only one) where Martha has played a character! Check your local listings for an air date late next month.

In the meantime, here is a nice interview with Martha about how she got started in business, courtesy of the Huffington Post.

3.22.2012

Remembering: Martha Stewart's Gardening

Spending time with Martha's older books is a pleasure I try to indulge in at least once a month. I'm not one to let books sit around collecting dust. I read them - sporadically - and always leave several pages unturned so that I have something to look forward to the next time.

Martha Stewart's Gardening Month By Month (1991 Clarkson Potter) was Martha's eighth book and is my second-favourite, after Entertaining. At the time of the book's release Martha was already a bestselling author, a well-known spokesperson and consultant for Kmart and a columnist in national newspapers and magazines. She was considered to be the leading lifestyle expert in America, with stints on David Letterman and Oprah, and special holiday programs on television. She was on the cusp of releasing the first issue of her magazine, Martha Stewart Living, and launching her weekly TV series of the same name. Yes, 1991 was a big year for Martha!
I was in elementary school at the time of the book's release and the name Martha Stewart was still unknown to me. I purchased this book nearly a decade later and it instantly captivated me, reminding me of the gardens at my grandparents' house and the gardens I helped plan with my dad, sitting with him at the kitchen table imagining which plants would go where. It was the book's personal vision that I found so engaging, calling to mind nearly all of the gardens I had loved as a child, even if they were not as large or ambitious as Martha's. They still held so much wonder, then and now in memory, just as Martha's Turkey Hill gardens did for me when I first laid eyes on this book.

Gardening Month by Month is the quintessential Martha Stewart book: a large, coffee-table sized format with full-colour imagery of the grounds at Turkey Hill. There are recipes and illustrated instructions, as well as informative how-tos that are humanized by Martha's personal garden journal entries. Already, Martha's lifestyle concept of incorporating several areas of content (cooking, decorating, gardening, crafting) into one beautifully-written, gorgeously-illustrated volume was apparent. The concept would prove to be the foundation for Martha Stewart Living magazine upon its release and Martha's eponymous company, by extention.
Upon opening the book, the reader is greeted by this highly-detailed illustration of the grounds at Turkey Hill (above), showing all the various areas of the yard. This is only one section of the drawing, but it reveals quite a bit about the size and layout of the place. The book is divided by month, as the title suggests, with seasonal tips, recipes and instructions for the garden as it evolves throughout the year. There is information for growing specific vegetables and flowers, making flower arrangements and caring for houseplants. Its real strength, however, is the overall picture it presents of a successful garden that has been tended to and carefully planned, revealing hard-won victories that Martha's determination made possible. Whether she intended this or not, the book reveals a great deal about Martha's personal tastes and her formidable character. It is a wonderful book - one I cherish in my collection - and if you do not have it yet, I urge you to get it.
These are two of my favourite photos of Martha in the book: on the left is Martha dripping with sweat and caked in dirt as the sun sets at Turkey Hill after a long day outdoors. You can almost hear her sighing. I think the photo goes a long way in quashing the impression many people had of Martha as someone who doesn't like to get her hands dirty. These gardens are her gardens and her personal work was instrumental in their keeping, year after year. On the right, Martha is on the sun porch, pruning some of her houseplants. In the book, she reveals that she has rarely had luck with typical houseplants but finds them irresistible. I enjoy the expression of uncertainty on her face as she leans back before making that fateful snip with her shears!
View of an arbour leading to the shade garden at Turkey Hill.
The dead of winter is the perfect time to plan and prepare for spring planting: Martha planning her formal herb garden, left, and ordering seeds and bulbs from her favourite catalogs, right.
The plans for Martha's formal herb garden at Turkey Hill were extremely elaborate, as you can see in the illlustration above. The finished product was a rustic variation on the sketch, but no less prolific. In the book, Martha shows how the wall was built and how her herb plantings were planned.
This arbour leads wanderers to the 'barn' shown in the background near the potting shed. It was an old structure at the back of the property that Martha used for entertaining and restoring large pieces of furniture. A second laneway led from Turkey Hill Road to this location, which is where the herb garden was planted on the opposite side.
Martha's excellent flower-arranging skills are shown to great effect throughout the book in numerous examples.
A restored kitchen dining set painted Martha's favourite colour in the studio kitchen, which was located in a separate building from the main house. This space was Martha's catering 'home base' for many years.
Peonies and a white picket gateway leading to the orchard, left. Throughout the book are botanical illustrations from the 1800s by English artist J.T. Hart. These drawings were later developed by Martha into a collection of writing papers and stationery designed by Robert Valentine Inc. 
Martha in the studio kitchen readying the dried floral ingredients for large batches of her handmade potpourri, which was given to guests, hostesses and friends at Christmas in beautiful packages.

3.21.2012

Our Little Place Celebrates 3 Years of Us

On this day, three years ago, my partner and I moved to Toronto from Ottawa to pursue new career goals and new adventures as a couple. It was a big move for us: a five-hour drive in a big truck with all our belongings stowed in the back, just the two of us. We settled in a small apartment in a 1940s building in the north end of the city, near shopping, parks, public transit and Yonge Street, Toronto's landmark throughway. While we do not intend to stay here forever, we have enjoyed this quiet one-bedroom immensely. Below are some glimpses into the little place your Martha Moments blogger calls home.

3.17.2012

Spring Punches From The LCBO

The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) is responsible for the importation and distribution of booze in this Canadian province. Americans can buy their liquor at grocery stores and convenience stores, but in most Canadian provinces this is not the case. With the exception of Quebec, each province regulates the sale of booze by selling it in specific, licensed locations. In Ontario, that is the LCBO, which owns and operates thousands of liquor stores across the province. They are beautiful stores, stocked with wines, spirits and ales from across Canada and around the world, staffed by knowledgable experts who can help suggest the perfect pairing.

Each season, the LCBO issues a free magazine called Food & Drink to its stores. It is a beautiful, full-colour publication filled with original recipes for cocktails, suggestions for wine pairings and excellent food recipes as well. It offers decorating tips for holiday tables and is one of the best giveaway publications I have ever seen.

In its current issue, there is a wonderful feature on spring punches that I wanted to share with you. I intend on trying each one of these this season! I hope you do too! Each recipe makes approximately eight drinks.
LEMONADE PUNCH: 
To a punch bowl or large pitcher, add 1 cup raspberry vodka, half a cup of AlizĂ© Red Passion Liqueur, 1 can frozen concentrated lemonade, 3 cups water and 1 cup soda water. Add 1 cup of fresh raspberries, 1 cup of red currants (or sliced cherries), 1 lemon sliced in wheels, 2 limes sliced in wheels. Pour into tall glasses with ice, evenly distributing the fruit. 
COTTONTAIL PUNCH:
To start: fill an ice cube tray with half Irish cream liqueur (such as Baileys) and half water and put in the freezer overnight. To a punch bowl or large pitcher add 1 cup Caramilk Cream Liqueur, half a cup of Phillip's Butterscotch Schnapps, one-and-a-half cups of heavy cream, and 4 scoops of vanilla ice cream. Add the frozen cubes of Baileys and ice to the mixture. Stir to mix and let the ice cream almost melt before serving. Stir once more and pour into small glasses topped with a dollop of whipped cream and a jelly bean. (This sounds so decadent and delicious, like a strong spring nog!)  
THE BUDDING PUNCH:
To a punch bowl or large pitcher, add 1 cup of Smirnoff Twisted White Grape vodka, half a cup of Chase Elderflower Liqueur, half a cup of Sauvignon Blanc, 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice and 3 cups of white cranberry juice. Add 2 lemons sliced in wheels, 1 cup sliced green seedless grapes and 1 English cucumber sliced into thin rounds. Pour into glasses, distributing fruit evenly. For serving you can add an edible flower to each glass.
RHUBARB PUNCH:
To a punch bowl or large pitcher, add 1 cup rhubarb ginger syrup (recipe follows) one-and-a-half cups of spiced rum, half a cup of lime juice, two cups pineapple juice and two cups cranberry juice. Add two cups of strawberries, sliced, one cup chopped pineapple and one cup dried cranberries. Pour into glasses with ice, distributing fruit evenly. RHUBARB GINGER SYRUP: Clean and chop 4 cups rhubarb and place a pot with two cups of water. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Add 1 cup sugar and one teaspoon of fresh ginger. Continue to simmer until rhubarb is soft. Strain out liquid. Let cool, cover and refrigerate. 
IRISH EYES:
To a punch bowl or large pitcher, add 1 cup Irish whiskey, half a cup of Cointreau, half a cup of McGuinness Cherry Brandy, half a cup of fresh lemon juice, one cup fresh (cloudy) apple juice and 2 cups chilled orange pekoe tea. Add two lemons sliced into wheels, 2 oranges sliced into wheels, and 20 fresh mint leaves. Pour into glasses with ice, distributing fruit evenly, and garnish each with a sprig of mint.
The cover of the Spring 2012 issue of Food & Drink, a glossy, full-colour magazine published by the LCBO and distributed free, in-store, to its customers.
This is an LCBO location not far from where I live. It's always a pleasure visiting their stores: big, bright and beautiful with an incredible selection. 

3.13.2012

Looking Back to Move Forward: Vol. 3 (March)

In her letter to readers in the March, 2012, issue of the magazine, Martha Stewart Living editor-in-chief Pilar Guzman makes an intriguing comment about looking back to former issues of the magazine in order to move forward. She writes: "...we will feature images on this page that inspire us from the magazine's archives. Sometimes it's important to look back in order to move forward." As a longtime subscriber, I felt like playing along! I'll be raiding the archives each month to showcase my favourite issue.
MY FAVOURITE MARCH ISSUE: 2002
Beginning in 1997, Martha Stewart Living offered an annual issue devoted to the subject of gardening. The special issue was published each March and it has since become a perennial favourite for readers. The March, 2002, issue has everything you could possibly want in a gardening issue, from landscape design to specific growing instructions for a variety of sensational plants. It is also, coincidentally, the magazine's 100th issue! Readers tour several astounding gardens around the United States, including the robust landscape at Skylands, Martha's home in Maine. We learn about urns and how to plan a grouping of potted plants around a particular palette. There are delicious spring recipes, too, including those by Chef Raymond Blanc from his gorgeous inn in Oxfordshire, England, which is shown below. 
What is timeless about this issue is its perfect blend of instruction with inspiration. Gardening philosophy is examined with as much interest as practical techniques and how-to information. This information is innovative and unique, also, not frequently found in many lifestyle publications: the best plants for underplanting, for instance, or the myriad varieties of hellebores, climbing roses and clematis. I constantly refer back to this issue and I'm still finding little gems of information I missed the last time.
These older issues were almost classical in their scope, with pages and pages of informative text. The magazine industry today has been deeply influenced by the speed and immediacy of the Internet: websites, blogs, social media and all of the gadgets and gizmos that facilitate these resources. In short, the photography in print lifestyle magazines now trumps the text in most cases. That is true for Martha Stewart Living as well. As much I love modernity and sparsity and the visual presentation of ideas, I also miss the devotion to the subjects of the content by the writers and researchers that was so evident in the older issues of the magazine. I learned a lot and read the articles earnestly. It was almost encyclopedic and many of my older copies of the magazines have underlined sentences and little notes in the margins of the pages - in the lightest ink possible, of course!
I don't think we can, or should, expect a return to that format. The world has changed. We are a culture obsessed with speed and, I dare say, our attention spans have suffered as a result. (I include myself in that lot.) This is why these older issues are the perfect counterpoint for me. The depth of their editorial discoveries are almost nostalgic - and it is always lovely to re-read them.

3.11.2012

Ceramics by Angus & Celeste

Australian design duo Keir Angus MacDonald and Asha Celeste Mato met in 1997 while studying fine arts at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. With combined backgrounds in ceramics, printmaking and sculpture, the pair began to collaborate and by 2005 Angus & Celeste was born. 

Working from their studio in the Dandenong Ranges of hilly outer Melbourne, they create extraordinarily beautiful ceramic vases and planters (not to mention fine jewelry) that feature their whimsical prints, which are inspired by the nature that surrounds them. I'm already deeply in love with their work, especially their vases and hanging planters. With spring-like temperatures and a world of sunshine outside my window, I felt like sharing these gorgeous photographs of their work, which are so evocative of the new season. Click here to visit their beautiful website for prices and information and to explore more of their work. 





3.09.2012

Spring Weddings: All About Colour!

I don't buy Martha Stewart Weddings regularly, but when I do, it's for all the right reasons: flowers, favours, stationery and a million excellent ways to throw a party, whether a wedding takes place or not. The Spring 2012 issue of Weddings is a charmer. Its focus is on colour: playing with it in unexpected and unusual ways to create an occasion that is lighthearted and bursting with brightness! Pick up your copy and prepare to be dazzled!
The introduction to the well of the magazine is an inspirational quote by Oscar Wilde: "Mere colour...can speak to the soul in a thousand different ways." How true that is.
A bride wears a dress by Anne Barge with a bouquet of lady slippers, ranunculus and roses in a warm palette, dressed with a pleated striped ribbon. Top right: a series of bouquets to give to the bridesmaids tied with silk scarves. Bottom right: lemons and limes were the inspiration for the palette of this table setting.
A Dutch still-life painting was the inspiration for the country tablescape on the left. Right: a bouquet of dahlias, scabiosa, ranunculus, roses and protea looks freshly gathered.
Create modern art in the reception hall with a mosaic of pleated paper. On the right, a stunning dress by Jenny Packham.
Stationery is one of my favourite things in life. Thankfully, the editors have compiled an A - Z resource list of where to find the best of the best.
The wedding of Leila Khalil and Tony Lewis in a verdant California vineyard is truly inspirational. I love the restrained palette of brown and white, which is beautifully offset by the natural greenery surrounding the setting. An open hutch is an ingenious and unexpected way of displaying a variety of smaller cakes for the guests. 
These labels for cocktail syrups make it easy for guests to help themselves on a table laid with glasses and crushed ice. Peach Daiquiri, Margararita, Cosmo and Mojito are on order here. You can find the recipes in the magazine or online. Click here to download the clipart and peruse more from this issue.