"marthastewart" news and stories

Valentine's Day, with its endless opportunities for both food AND crafts, is a big deal in Marthaland, where the chocolate strawberries are always hand-dipped and the decorative pink ribbons always cut on the diagonal. Check out Martha's adorable Lovebug cookies, which satisfy both the baker's sweet tooth and the decorator's need to go wild with the gel paste food coloring. The bugs' eyes are silver dragees and the spots are white dragees or white fruit imperial candies. The fuzzy insect heads are acheived with black or brown sanding sugar.

Other Martha-approved Valentine's treats include chocolate truffles, pink-on-pink strawberry cupcakes, heart-shaped raspberry Napoleons, mini heart-shaped cakes, heart-shaped merengues and massive chocolate cupcakes.

Source

Leave it to The Martha to have not 10, not 20, not 50, but SEVENTY-FIVE separate recipes to keep your guests happy no matter who wins Super Bowl 43. Her Super Bowl Party foodstuffs are helpfully categorized as "Dips, Wings, Nachos," "Pizza, Chili, Sandwiches, Tacos, Ribs and Burgers," or "Brownies, Sundaes, Cheesecake and Cookies." I reckon that should about cover it.

Highlights, which seem equally suited to a gallery opening or a wedding reception as a Super Bowl party, include a tarted-up Chex mix with olive oil and Parmesan cheese, herbed shrimp dip, panko-crusted chicken bites with apricot-mustard sauce, beef tacos with radish and avocado salsa, espresso double-chocolate chunk cookies, and ice cream with homemade butterscotch sauce. There's also a special section on game day ideas and make-ahead menus. All recipes come with yummy photos, of course.

Source

This week on "The Martha Stewart Show" (11 a.m., syndicated), "domestic diva" Martha tours some of her new favorite restaurants, all located on East 10th Street in the East Village of Manhattan. The restaurant tour seems appropriate since it falls during Restaurant Week, when many high-end restaurants, such as Mario Batali's Del Posto, offer reduced fixed price menus.

The New York Post explains that Martha's fascination for E 10th st. began this summer at Graffiti Food and Wine Bar, a tiny four table restaurant. In fact, the tour kicks off tomorrow with a tasting of 15 small dishes from Graffiti's chef Jehangir Mehta. The tour then goes to the ramen noodle counter at Rai Rai Ken, ChikaLicious dessert bar, and of course the hip and trendy Momofuku Milk Bar.

These restaurants offer a refreshing diversion from many of the larger restaurant establishments that will be offering discounted meals for Restaurant Week. In fact, the prices at some of these East Village restaurants are just as inexpensive. Check out Martha' website to find out more about the restaurant tour and to view some of chef Mehta's recipes.

That's right! You're looking at a pasta mosaic of Rachael Ray created by artist Jason Mecier. Last Wednesday, the blog Entertainmentwise posted a story about the artist's most recent mosaics, including one of Mariah Carey made using "only beauty essentials like lipstick and eyeliner." We're so used to seeing food sculptures, like those cheese ones from last year. But, an actual portrait...

Pasta is not the only material Mecier uses in his mosaics. The gallery on his website reveals candy mosaics of celebrities, such as Dolly Parton and the Spice Girls. Then, there's the unforgettable portrait of Martha Stewart made with veggies! Check out his wacky gallery and let us know which ones are your favorites.

Won't mid-week lunches pack so much more panache if a star chef like Alice Waters, Grant Achatz, Tom Colicchio or Mario Batali has a hand in 'em? You'll still have to make your own PB&J, but now you can tote it along in celeb-stamped style with a one-of-a-kind lunchbox decorated by your favorite chef.

"The Lunchbox Auction presented by Gourmet which benefits hunger-relief organizations Food Bank For New York City and The Lunchbox Fund of South Africa, kicks off live on the World Wide Web at www.thelunchboxauction.org on Thursday, December 11th at midnight and continues through Thursday, December 18th at noon. Almost 100 celebrities from film, television, fashion, art, music and the culinary world have united to remind us that food matters and that hunger is an on-going problem.

Each lunchbox reflects the personal style and individual flair of the person designing the box and no two lunchboxes are alike. Collectors will find that each box is signed and numbered, and some will even contain hidden surprises inside. The collectible lunchboxes make a great gift for the holidays!"

I've already been outbid on Grant Achatz's stainless steel and tension wire armature, and Ruth Reichl's epicurean treasure trove, yet still hold out hope for Michel Richard's mustard-gilded, postprandial bonescape. Mostly because I'd have a chance to say "mustard-gilded" all the darned time -- for charity.

[via: thelunchboxauction.org]