I like asparagus just plain, but when it gets into asparagus season I sometimes feel overwhelmed with it and tired of the same preparation. So I was happy to try something new – Asparagus with Breadcrumbs and Parmesan from Everyday Food, Apr issue. Nothing complicated here, just whiz up 4 slices of white bread. Mix with 2 tbsp olive oil and 1/4 cup Parmesan and salt and pepper. Lay 2 bunches of asparagus out on a 9×13 baking dish and cover with the mix. Bake at 425 for 20 minutes until the breading is brown. It comes out very crunchy and wonderful and is a nice accompaniment to the asparagus.

I like asparagus just plain, but when it gets into asparagus season I sometimes feel overwhelmed with it and tired of the same preparation. So I was happy to try something new – Asparagus with Breadcrumbs and Parmesan from Everyday Food, Apr issue. Nothing complicated here, just whiz up 4 slices of white bread. Mix … Read more →

Teen Martha saw this recipe on the counter (from April Living) and said “No way! You’re making warm potato salad with goat cheese?!” Here’s the thing. Potato salad with my grandmother’s recipe is a family tradition and something my daughter and I could just eat buckets of. Teen Martha is also a tremendous goat cheese fan. The two together in one dish, well, it’s enough to give her a seizure of joy.

This recipe is extremely easy. You don’t even peel the potatoes! Cut 2 lbs red potatoes into bite size pieces and boil until cooked. Cool slightly. Mix with 1 stalk of celery chopped, 1 shallot (I used a scallion), and some parsley. Mix up a dressing of 3 tbsp oil, 2 tbsp white vinegar, 1 tsp Dijon and 1 tbsp of cooking water from the potatoes. Salt and pepper the salad. Pour dressing over the salad and stir in 4 oz goat cheese. Ta-dah! This was really delicious – and not something I would have thought of making on my own. I loved the contrast of the warm potatoes with the creamy goat cheese. Unfortunately, this was not good at all as leftovers since it was cold and just tasted like potatoes. I think you would have to let this rest and come up to room temp to eat it again. Even then, I’m not convinced it would be as good because you wouldn’t have that contrast of warm potatoes and cold cheese.

Teen Martha saw this recipe on the counter (from April Living) and said “No way! You’re making warm potato salad with goat cheese?!” Here’s the thing. Potato salad with my grandmother’s recipe is a family tradition and something my daughter and I could just eat buckets of. Teen Martha is also a tremendous goat cheese … Read more →

As part of Kevin Sharkey’s kitchen remodel IRS write-off (am I cynical? Why, yes!) several months ago, Living did a big feature on his kitchen and how “Martha” (meaning MSLO I think) helped him redo it. Included in this was a list of kitchen essentials. I went through that list on my blog and a lot of you commented about your own kitchen essentials. Someone is snoozing in editorial at Living because April’s issue includes yet another shorter list of 10 kitchen essentials. So just for kicks, I thought I would go through this one as well.

– Measuring cups and spoons. Duh.

– Asian strainer. I do like mine, but I think a slotted spoon is almost as good.

– High-heat rubber spatula. Yes, definitely.

– Vegetable peeler. They say they like Y shaped peelers. I am fond of my Oxo peeler with the rubber handle.

– Flour-sack towels. Personally, I prefer a terry towel since it absorbs more.

– Maple cutting boards. I use plastic only. I agree that wood is nicer, but I think plastic is safer.

– Mini kitchen torch. I don’t have one and have had success just using my broiler when needed.

– Pump-style salad spinner. I had one and chucked it when we moved 10 years ago. It just took up too much room. I also hated washing it. So now I soak my greens in a colander in the sink, then let them sit in the colander over the open sink to drain and pat them dry with a towel.

– Mandoline. I don’t have one and toy with buying one. I am afraid I’ll slice off some bodily appendages with it. I do have a slicing attachment for my Cuisinart which I use for large amounts of slicing.

All right readers, what are your thoughts on this list? My personal list of top ten essentials would be: plastic cutting boards, chef knife, small paring knife, rubber scraper, handheld cheese grater, tongs, silpats, nonstick pans, Oxo veg peeler, and measuring spoons/cups, including glass liquid measuring cups which I use to boil water in the microwave.

As part of Kevin Sharkey’s kitchen remodel IRS write-off (am I cynical? Why, yes!) several months ago, Living did a big feature on his kitchen and how “Martha” (meaning MSLO I think) helped him redo it. Included in this was a list of kitchen essentials. I went through that list on my blog and a … Read more →

The person who was scheduled to make the pick for next Monday is MIA, so I will step in and make another pick so that we can keep to the previously arranged schedule from here on out.

So, I’ll pick the Chess Tart on the last page of April Martha Stewart Living. Let me know if you need the recipe.

The person who was scheduled to make the pick for next Monday is MIA, so I will step in and make another pick so that we can keep to the previously arranged schedule from here on out. So, I’ll pick the Chess Tart on the last page of April Martha Stewart Living. Let me know … Read more →

I wasn’t excited about this recipe, then I saw Martha and Sarah Carey make it on tv and thought I would give it a try. I did a major cheat though – I used boneless, skinless breasts. But it actually worked out.

You brown the chicken (I did this quickly) then cook onion and garlic. Add tomatoes (I used canned whole tomatoes) and vinegar and cook in the oven. I did my stovetop cooking in a skillet and transferred to a glass baking dish.

The orzo was easy – cook some diced carrot then add the orzo and water and boil.

A few criticisms. First of all, there was not enough sauce. If you’re serving something like this with plain orzo, you’ve got to have enough sauce to cover the orzo. I would add more tomato and a little more vinegar to increase the amount of sauce. And I would add some seasonings to the orzo which was dull and boring. Other than that, the basic idea of this recipe is a nice one and it was relatively quick to whip up.

I wasn’t excited about this recipe, then I saw Martha and Sarah Carey make it on tv and thought I would give it a try. I did a major cheat though – I used boneless, skinless breasts. But it actually worked out. You brown the chicken (I did this quickly) then cook onion and garlic. … Read more →

This week’s Martha Mondays was chosen by yours truly. I picked Pane Integrale, the no knead bread in April Living. I’ve never made no knead bread, but I’ve read a lot about it. My mom got the Jim Lahey cookbook that is about this for Christmas and I’ve looked through it. I’ve always been deterred by a few things. First of all, the bread always looks so dark, almost burnt, that it never appealed to me. Secondly, the timing is hard to manage. The bread has to rise about 14-20 hours total which means you can’t quite start it at dinner time one day, you’ve got to start it late at night if you want it to be ready for dinner the next day.

The recipe in April Living was pretty simple. You mix the ingredients together (nothing unusual here) and you put it in a bowl and let it sit out for 12-18 hours. It’s supposed to double. Mine did not double but it got bigger. Then you knead it once, let it sit in a towel for a couple more hours, then dump it in a preheated Dutch oven and put it in your preheated oven.

I admit I fudged the timing a bit and mine sat for longer than it was supposed to at the different stages, but that was the only way I could get it done (I had a hellacious week last week – a kidney stone AND a burst ovarian cyst in one week – more than anyone can handle really, so it is simply a miracle I made this at all).

I admit it was pretty easy to make. I took it out of the oven before it got as brown as the photos in the magazine.

It was hard to slice because the crust was really hard. I thought it looked nice, but honestly I wasn’t wowed by this. It tasted like bread. That’s it. Nothing exciting. Now maybe if I borrowed my mom’s cookbook and explored some of the interesting variations there I would be more excited, but this was not worth the effort as far as I was concerned. I’m glad I got to try it because I’ve always wanted to make this, so Martha gets points for including it.

If you made it, how did it turn out for you?

This week’s Martha Mondays was chosen by yours truly. I picked Pane Integrale, the no knead bread in April Living. I’ve never made no knead bread, but I’ve read a lot about it. My mom got the Jim Lahey cookbook that is about this for Christmas and I’ve looked through it. I’ve always been deterred … Read more →

Yesterday Teen Martha turned 18. I can hardly believe it since it seems like yesterday I was in the hospital as a new parent.  I thought I would share some of our quirky birthday traditions.

The birthday child gets to choose the birthday meal and dessert. This has resulted in things like pumpkin pie, Italian Dippers (modeled after a school lunch item!), fettucine, crab cakes, hamburgers, baked apples, Caesar salad, corn, cookie cake, brownie pizza, etc. I have also created many themed birthday cakes – a nail polish bottle, a Barbie, bowling pins and ball, a hockey rink cake, a spaghetti and meatballs cake (with an April Fool’s Day birthday, what else would you expect?) an Elmo cake, and many more.

I have two special dinner plates that say Happy Birthday on them and the birthday child gets to choose one to use. They always choose the red one when I hope they will choose the blue one! I also have special birthday dessert plates. Each is a different color and has different graphics of cakes and cupcakes on them.

We stopped having family parties when baby #2 came along and celebrate with just the immediate family. We usually have a party for friends though, which has included bowling, rollerblading, a makeover party, a Barbie party, and having a reptile guy come to the house with his cadre of live specimens.

We normally do gifts after dinner and then do cake with candles and singing.

This year we’ve had some breaks with tradition. Dude Martha was invited to go to a Sabres hockey game on his actual birthday, so we celebrated the day before. Teen Martha requested a Coldstone Creamery ice cream cake this year (the first time in 18 years I have not made a cake – or pie- for her birthday). In the past, we’ve been on vacation during birthdays which meant stuffing gifts into my luggage and making birthday strawberry pie in a condo.

What do you do to make your children’s birthdays special?

Yesterday Teen Martha turned 18. I can hardly believe it since it seems like yesterday I was in the hospital as a new parent.  I thought I would share some of our quirky birthday traditions. The birthday child gets to choose the birthday meal and dessert. This has resulted in things like pumpkin pie, Italian … Read more →

I’ve got a thing for mango. Firstly, it reminds me of Hawaii, so that’s an automatic point. Secondly, it is sweet and smooth and citrusy but not tart, so I love it. Obviously, I had to try the Mahi-Mahi with mango relish from April Living. Cut up one mango and one small peeled cucumber. Mix with the juice of one lime and some chopped basil and salt and pepper. Let that sit awhile and grill your fish. Serve with the relish on top and ENJOY. Usually I end up adding lemon juice to any fish, but this did not need it at all. And Mr. MarthaAndMe, who generally is not a cucumber fan, didn’t even notice the cukes. The mango takes center stage and it is just divine with the fish. I’m definitely going to be making this one again and again. I could almost hear the waves on the Hawaiian beach….

I’ve got a thing for mango. Firstly, it reminds me of Hawaii, so that’s an automatic point. Secondly, it is sweet and smooth and citrusy but not tart, so I love it. Obviously, I had to try the Mahi-Mahi with mango relish from April Living. Cut up one mango and one small peeled cucumber. Mix … Read more →

Someone please help. I’m being held hostage by Martha’s double chocolate brownies, from April Living. OMG these are SO good. They’re evil. Melt 8 oz bittersweet chocolate with a stick of butter (I did it in the microwave, heck on that double boiler insanity). Then whisk in 1 1/2 cups sugar and 3 eggs. Fold in 1/2 cup and 2 tbsp flour and 1/4 cup cocoa and 1/2 tsp salt. That’s it! Bake at 350 for 20 minutes and then prepare to get out the fat pants. This is deep, rich, moist, crunchy at the edges and simply heaven.

Someone please help. I’m being held hostage by Martha’s double chocolate brownies, from April Living. OMG these are SO good. They’re evil. Melt 8 oz bittersweet chocolate with a stick of butter (I did it in the microwave, heck on that double boiler insanity). Then whisk in 1 1/2 cups sugar and 3 eggs. Fold … Read more →

Martha's rice pudding

When I was in high school, I worked in a Greek ice cream shop. One side was a chocolate shop and the other was an ice cream shop. The ice cream shop also sold homemade (actually made at home by the owner’s wife) rice pudding which was delicious. I’ve never tried to make it though, so when I saw that Martha had a recipe for honey rice pudding in April Living, I decided to give it a go. The recipe called for arborio rice, which seemed sort of odd to me. I know my grandmother never used arborio rice in hers. I went with it though. The recipe is simple – 3 1/2 cups milk (I mixed skim milk and some heavy cream), 1/2 cup arborio rice, 1/2 tsp salt, and a tsp of vanilla with 2 tbsp sugar (I added more since I decided I didn’t want to add honey to this). That’s it. Martha says to cook 20-25 minutes. Mine took MUCH longer – about 45 minutes to get the right consistency. I sprinkled cinnamon sugar on top when serving (you have to do this – it makes it taste even better).

After I made this, I called my mom and got my grandmother’s recipe and made it for comparison. Don’t tell anyone, but Martha’s is much, much better! My grandmother’s recipe involves egg and gets baked in a water bath.  It tastes very eggy, not nearly as creamy and it just more complicated. Martha’s method is straightforward and totally fab. In fact, it all disappeared within 12 hours. So now I’ll be making some more since there is rioting.

When I was in high school, I worked in a Greek ice cream shop. One side was a chocolate shop and the other was an ice cream shop. The ice cream shop also sold homemade (actually made at home by the owner’s wife) rice pudding which was delicious. I’ve never tried to make it though, … Read more →