Subjects:  1. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    2. Do-It-Yourself    3. Home Improvement / Construction    4. House & Home    5. Housekeeping    6. Reference    7. House & Home / Cleaning & Caretaking   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (46)

If there were more stars to give - I WOULD!
This cookbook is the best in my collection - and I have a lot!! The instructions are clear and the pictures are great!

Horrible!
I tried her honey-acorn pie and it came out HORRIBLE!!! I had to re-bake the pie for more than 50 minutes and the pie filling is tasteless andtoo salty....her recipes are too tedious and never seem to produce good results...and I'm somebody who bakes a lot. Now, Julia Child on the other hand has some WONDERFUL recipes that NEVER fail!

Best one yet!
I have a lot of Martha's books and DVD's, but this book is by far the best one for baking, it has everything and anything you could want.I have made many recipes from this book already, and purchased another one for a gift. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Baking    2. Baking - Confectionery    3. Cooking    4. Cooking / Wine    5. Methods - Baking    6. Reference    7. Cookery dishes & courses    8. Cooking / Baking   

Editorial Review

Lauren Bacall gets cranky when Barefoot Contessa, an East Hampton specialty food store/institution for more than 20 years, is sold out of Indonesian Ginger Chicken. She can now thank her lucky stars that exuberant owner Ina Garten has written Read more

Reviews (192)

Great Book
This book has some great recipes, very easy and yet the food tastes very sophisticated.The BBQ chicken and potato salad are the best I've ever had.The only negative is that there aren't many beef or pork options and seems a bit more female oriented but overall a good buy.

A classic!
This book has it all--so beautiful, great recipes and Ina's friendly voice. I love cookbooks with photos and this is one of the best! All the recipes that I have tried are wonderful. This is one of my favorite books to give as a gift.

Beautiful cookbook/Easy to use
This book is beautiful to look at; the full-size photos of the dish, the thick, glossy pages, and the additional notes next to the recipes make this a useful addition to any cook's collection.(It would make a perfect gift, too!)Yes, the recipes do call for extra-large eggs but, so what?! Buy a dozen!!I also especially liked the source lists at the end of the book.The recipes I've made all came out really well; there is something for everyone here. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Barefoot Contessa (Store)    2. Cookery    3. Cooking    4. Cooking / Wine    5. Entertaining - Party Planning    6. General    7. Cooking / Entertaining    8. General cookery   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (72)

This is a terrific recipe book...
Gorgeous photos, as most of the previous reviewers have indicated and if you take your time, they can look this way for you too!I have used this recipe book for many occasions/events...Granted, I really enjoy cooking, but have primarily used this book as my source for hosting wedding showers, personal cocktail parties and private family affairs.Most of the individual recipes are easy to prepare and, together, the recipes can be used to offer a substantial meal for many people.Their beautiful presentation absolutely makes for a professional, elegant appearance.A drawback....a lot of the recipes have to be prepared or assembled "day of" or "minute of", which makes it extraordinarily difficult to get multiple plates of food out at the same time, unless you have multiple people helping ...Overall, would recommend for purchase....

Beautiful but not perfect
We come to expect Martha's books to be perfection. Although this book comes close, and the recipes are certainly gorgeous and inspiring, the layout of the book is a little complicated and smacks of being thrown together in a hurry.
very happy with this purchase.
this book is full of great ideas as well as a building blocks section - very helpful when coming up with your own variations. Presented very well with two silk ribbon page markers - one for the photo in the beautiful photo section and one for the recipe in the recipe section. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Appetizers    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Courses & Dishes - Appetizers    5. General    6. Cookery dishes & courses    7. Cooking / Appetizers   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (7)

GREAT book!!!
I absolutely LOOOOVE this book. Not only is it beautiful, but the ideas are very easily implemented.
Shallow book like the author
There are better Christmas books on decorating and entertaining.

The most beautiful christmas book!
I can see this book is not new. It is to me, and I find is very inpirational! I use it every year for Christmas, for getting the house ready, for baking, for decorating and setting the tables, for ideas on how to use my plates, bowls and dishes in different ways, for altering things I already own into new settings - Read more

Subjects:  1. Christmas cookery    2. Christmas decorations    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Crafts & Hobbies    5. Entertaining    6. Entertaining - General    7. Hobbies/Crafts    8. Holiday - Christmas/Hanukkah    9. Seasonal    10. Crafts & Hobbies / Seasonal   

Reviews (4)

My first Martha Stewart book
I have used many of these projects and loved it.The ribbon trays I have given as gifts were well received, and once I got the glass cut, were just gorgeous.I found baskets on sale one day, and they just all came together, not as expensive as I thought.I think the ribbon cost the most, but still, a really great gift for not a lot of money in my case. Recipes, of course, and things like candlemaking are showcased here.So glad I bought it!

I liked it
This book taught me the best way to wrap gifts.

poo
I am usually a Martha fan but I see these books of hers as an attempt to just suck more money out of us. Almost everything in this book can be found in past issues of her magazine. If I would have known that I would havewent to the library and decided what was best myself.I believe all of herbooks are this way---I mean samples from her show and magazine. Nothing newor surprising. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Christmas cards    2. Christmas cookery    3. Christmas decorations    4. Cooking    5. Crafts & Hobbies    6. Crafts / Hobbies    7. Hobbies/Crafts    8. Seasonal    9. Christmas books    10. Crafts & Hobbies / Seasonal    11. Handicrafts   

Reviews (30)

Stylish Storage and Organization Solutions
This is not your average 'get organized' book. While the pictures wow you, the text (unlike in many decor books) is incredibly helpful and a must read for any Martha fan. It should be noted that this is a compilation of the best of Martha's ideas from her "Living" magazine. Rather than clip pages, Martha has gathered the best of the best together in one beautiful book.
Good Things for Organizing (Good Things with Martha Stewart Living)
Great book - inspired organizationat tips.Would buy again or give as a gift.

martha never fails to impress
Although we can all aspire to Martha's level, few of us will ever get there. Dispite this fact the information in Good Things for Organising there are definately simple, easy suggestions to put in place in your home and work life almost immediately.
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Subjects:  1. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    2. Do-It-Yourself    3. General    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. House & Home    6. House cleaning    7. Storage in the home    8. DIY    9. House & Home / General    10. Household hints   

Reviews (5)

Clever Ideas
This book is full of clever ideas and shortcuts. I only hope that I will remember to look them up when I can make use of one of them. As you look through it you will constantly think -- Why didn't I think of that? I never buy the magazine, so these were all new to me.Even if you have seen these tips before, it might be valuable to buy this book anyway as a convenience.You are probably more apt to use these shortcuts if they are compiled into one book rather than spread through a dozen magazines. I hope Martha comes out with more books like this one.

Lots of pictures and short tips
I read a copy fo this book from the library,but I liked it.I am a photo person ,so anything with pictures works for me.This books has lots of pretty pictures and tons of tips,mostof which are no-cost tips. I love MARTHA STEWART !!

Great, useful, and not at all cheesy.
A great book with very practical and inexpensive ideas for all kinds of homekeeping. I am not as type-A as Martha, but you've got to hand it to her - her books are useful, inspiring and usually quite practical (unless it's a craft project - I mean, PLEASE, like I am going to make my own acorn placesetting things). I only rate it 4 stars because I wish there had been more ideas in the book - her books tend to leave you wanting more ideas since what is presented is usually quite good.
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Subjects:  1. Cleaning & Caretaking - Household Hints    2. Decorating - General    3. Do-It-Yourself    4. General    5. Home Improvement / Construction    6. Home economics    7. House & Home    8. House & Home / General   

Reviews (10)

You can make that cake on the cover.
I bought this book because the cover looked like the ultimate challenge.
wonderful...
This is a wonderful cookbook.I have several others that I use to make dishes, but I can always count on Martha's recipes to be the best.I have yet to make an average or bad dish using one of her recipes.They always come out great.The book has good pictures and a wide skill range for the recipes- from easy to difficult.It's packed with lots of recipes and side hints to help with anything from picking ingredients to preparations.The deserts are particularly wonderful.I love to bake and all of the deserts come out great- apple sauce cake, lemon bluberrry pound cake, coconut patties to name a few.Highly recommended.

Another Goodie From Martha!!
Love her or hate her, the woman has some GREAT recipes!! Everything from basic to show-stopper!!You will be so amazed at the results.Altho some pictures of the recipes look like you need to be a professional baker or trained at the Culinary Institute, they are actually easy.I have yet to make a recipe here that people do not ask for the recipe. A great addition to a cookbook collection.Many of Martha's highly requested recipes included. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. General    5. Reference   

Editorial Review

Nobody knows the holidays like Martha Stewart, and here she gives you all the information you need to have a spectacular Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Eve. Martha and her crew provide you with a hearty Thanksgiving feast featuring Quail with Brussels Sprouts and Shallots, Garlic Roast Potatoes, and Roast Fennel. Later she offers up a tasty but simple family breakfast for Christmas morning and a sumptuous Christmas dinner centered around a Loin of Venison with Red-Currant Bordelaise and Roast Capon with Wild Rice Sourdough Stuffing. The lower-key New Year's Eve dinner of five dishes may be more appealing to kitchen novices. Read more

Reviews (2)

Cookie Recipes are Perfect
My wife and I use the recipes in this magazine every Christmas.They come out perfect every time.

Looking for a way to make your holidays more elegant?
This offering from Martha Stewart provides a new, more elegant way to celebrate the holidays. The menus she presents are a refreshing departure from the traditional "turkey and dressing". Her decorating ideas are absolutely exquisite (a fact that did not go unnoticed by our guests). My friends and I enjoyed making the decorations and preparing the meal as much as our guests enjoyed looking at the decorations and eating! I only wish she had provided more decorating ideas. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Entertaining    4. Holiday - General    5. Holiday cookery    6. Holiday decorations    7. Reference    8. Seasonal    9. Cooking / Seasonal   

Editorial Review

Avowed Martha Stewart fans--and the rest of us, too--have cause to applaud. Read more

Reviews (33)

Mixed Results from Recipes
I have had mixed results from this cookbook. Fruitcake Lovers Unite!
I love fruitcake and I have sampled so many recipes that my friends call me Dr. Fruitcake! Martha Stewart's recipe is the greatest! It's more than just fruit and nuts loaded with rum. It has body, and character. No holiday table should be without this recipe and several others featured in this fine book. This Is Not Very Good Cookbook- Too Hard
I prefer the How to Be a Domestic Goddess: Baking and the Art of Comfort Cooking, Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook, The Low-Carb Comfort Food Cookbook. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Entertaining - General    5. General    6. Reference    7. Tablesetting    8. Cooking / General    9. General cookery   

Editorial Review

With more than 1,600 recipes,there's something for every palate in this handsomely-designed and sturdy cookbook by the author of 11 best-selling books on cooking, entertaining, gardening and home improvement. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Not much of a cookbook
Like other reviewers, I agree: the recipes are definitely "hit or miss."Don't rely on recipes from this book to impress (although they certainly "sound" impressive).
I LOVE IT!!
This is a GREAT cookbook - maybe the reviews about wrong recipes are right, but I have made quite a few and they're all absolutely delicious.
A Complete Waste
Did anyone bother to check any of the recipes in this book? I think not. Not only are some of the ingredients difficult to get a hold of, the end product is a disaster. How difficult is it to compile recipes that have actually been made? Not very. But apparently it's much easier to just make them up. Like many have posted here, it is not the occasional recipe but a substantial proportion of them. I think Martha owes us all a hefty refund, if not for the time, money and effort wasted, as least for the book! For now, this one goes in the fire kindling pile. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Entertaining    5. Entertaining - General    6. General    7. Cooking / General    8. General cookery   

Reviews (5)

Great Cookbook with Great Results!
Great cookbook with well written instructions.Practical recipes for the most part.
Good recipes, beautiful photos, but NOT quick!
The photos in this book are really gorgeous and the recipes do work.However -- there is NO WAY one person could make any of the full menus in just an hour!I would say that each individual dish takes at least an hour -- doing a whole Martha menu is a major undertaking.Another problem -- many of the ingredients are hard to find (even in the sophisticated greater Boston area!) and she relies heavily on fresh herbs in practically every recipe, which is just not practical for me. Not only is fresh sorrel unavailable in any store I know of, but evensorrel SEEDS, so you can grow your own sorrel, are hard to find!

come on martha
i purchased this book based on the on-site reviews. although it must have worked for some, not this cook.i enjoy the kitchena lot and consider myself pretty good at it--- just a bit bored and restless with my current menus.this was just way too stuffy. or perhaps the new phrase is "way too martha".yick.the menus are dated and boring.oh well, i tried. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Menus    5. Methods - Quick & Easy    6. Quick and easy cookery    7. Cooking / Quick & Easy   

Editorial Review

Since 1990, Sara Foster has been delighting the patrons of her two NorthCarolina gourmet takeout food stores with refined yet unpretentious fare thatreflects her Southern upbringing and years as a professional cook on the EastCoast. Read more

Reviews (32)

Just as good as Fosters!
As a student at Duke University, my friends and I went to Fosters for brunch EVERY Sunday.The breakfast specials - pancakes, omlets, and the "special" - were always, without fail, incredible.If we made it there later in the day, the soups, breads, and salads were always a hit.
Very Good Collection of Comfort Restaurant Food
`The Foster's Market Cookbook' by Sara Foster, with Sarah Belk King, I bought in my `buy everything I saw on the Food Network' phase, especially after I saw Sarah Foster demonstrate her killer sticky bun recipe on the Food Network's `In Martha's Kitchen' show. This was also in my sticky bun-baking period, before I gave it up as too much work and went back to straight breads.
Fabulous cookbook!
I just received Sara Foster's cookbook for my birthday and I have already made several of the recipes and each one turned out fantastic! One thing I loved immediately about this cookbook is the number of recipes! You certainly get your bang for your buck with this book. There are such an array of recipes from appetizers to soups (lots of really good soup recipes), to vinigarettes, to dressings, to entrees and desserts, any cook cannot be disappointed with this book.
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Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Foster's Market    5. Reference    6. Seasonal    7. Cooking / General   

Reviews (3)

Great little Christmas book
After Martha Stewart went to prison, I guessed that perhaps the price of her books would go down due to lack of demand for them.
Martha the great
If the cookie crumbles, Martha will make pie crust crumbs out of it, just as she is doing in prison (COUGH).Her recipes are wonderful, her holiday spirit contagious...what can you say about a woman who bakes with Elmo and Miss Piggy for her Christmas specials?
This book MUST be in your cookbook collection!
I have read this newly-published cookbook from cover to cover today and I LOVE IT!It's not surprising Martha Stewart could put together a collection of recipes representing the Christmas holiday.Some cookbooks only focus on Christmas cookies or only Thanksgiving, but this cookbook highlights sophisticated recipes from drinks (I hadn't seen a Ramos Gin Fizz in a cookbook ever!) to entrees and of course, desserts.Sure, there are only so many things you can do with cranberries, chestnuts, hazelnuts, and pumpkins, but these are not tired, redone recipes just so she could publish yet another cookbook.This book is polished, much like the format of her h'ors d'oeuvres book.Beautiful photographs, great recipes.Anyone who loves cooking during the Christmas holidays, and not just bake cookies, will definitely love this cookbook! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Christmas cookery    2. Christmas cooking    3. Cooking    4. Cooking / Wine    5. Food Science    6. Holiday - Christmas/Hanukkah    7. Holiday - General    8. Cooking / Holiday   

Reviews (5)

A waste of time
"Try The $50 Dinner Party" by Sally Sampson.Sally's book is super and we used for a very elegant party at our large beautiful home.

Awesome Book - pick it up
This is one of my favorite books on entertaining.I love all of Martha's stuff and this one is one of my favorites.Anyone considering entertaining on any scale should pick this up and read it!!

Terrific book filled with "good things"!
In spite of Martha Stewart's recent troubles, her legacy continues with this splendid book. It is fresh, intelligent and packed full of great tips and ideas for the entertainer who wants to make a splash without spending a fortune. The thing I like about Martha Stewart's approach is her emphasis on simple abundance--the notion that you can achieve good results through creativity and ingenuity. I think those who want to criticize Ms. Stewart should consider how many people she has inspired through this approach to good living! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Entertaining    4. Entertaining - General    5. Menus    6. Party decorations    7. Table setting and decoration    8. Tablesetting    9. Cooking / Entertaining    10. General cookery   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (7)

I did my best but the guests hated the Hors D'Oeuvres
The guests hated the finger food and I would think there are better books on the subject.I am terrified to visit the golf & tennis club after the dinner debacle.Maybe Martha's finger food was well received in Nutley, NJ but in Short Hills it was another story.

Wellll--
This is great if you have all the time and money to spend on Hors D'Oeuvres--I would not buy it again, but it was fun to look at.

Solid First Course Helper of a Cookbook
I've enjoyed this one so much {'ve moved on to her new Hors d'Oeuvres Handbook.However, this one has much in it, so to get this one as well and use it.Read more

Subjects:  1. Appetizers    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Courses & Dishes - Appetizers    5. Reference    6. Cooking / Appetizers    7. Soups & starters   

Reviews (1)

Martha Stewart Living Annual Recipes 2005 (Martha Stewart Living Annual Recipes)
Great Book! Can't wait to finish baking all the wonderful receipes within the book! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. General    5. Methods - General   

Reviews (15)

okay
it had a few good recipes i liked in there overall it was an okay cookbook

Consistently great pies and tarts
I've tried at least 7 pies or tarts from this book and found the crusts, contents and compliments consistently excellent.Mom will not return my copy!

I've got a long-term relationship with this book
I'm a little bit of an oddball in that I've been making pies and tarts since I was in High School, and basically learned how through this book. The basic recipes for pie and tart crusts and glazes, found at the back ofthe book with step-by-step illustrations, have become indispensablefavorites of mine.Martha is a big advocate of using a food processor toensure that chilled ingredients stay that way, ensuring a tender, flakycrust that's fast and reliable, and I couldn't agree more, especially if,like me, you're working in an unairconditioned kitchen.The recipes forpastry cream and lemon curd are superb.Rather than using specific recipesfor tarts, I usually bake one of the crusts(pate brisee, pate sucree orsucree extra or nut), use the recipe for pastry cream found in the recipefor the blackberry tart, and add my own fresh fruit and one of the glazes.Among the individual recipes, the apple raisin pie is a favorite I makeevery Thanksgiving, the Tarte Tatin is great, and I especially appreciatethe recipes using Italian Prune or Friar plums, available in late August /September, my favorite fruit for pies and tarts.I just ate a PearFrangipane tartlet this weekend, and was pleased to discover there was arecipe for it in this book, and look forward to making my own.One of myonly complaints is that the recipes seemingly all use different-sized andshaped pie and tart tins, with no easy formulas for converting recipes tofit what you're using.Also, there's no recipe for a classic pecan pie. However, this book is a classic Martha Stewart effort, with the beautifulphotographs and consistently high standards that go with that; it certainlyhas stood the test of time in my kitchen. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Courses & Dishes - Pies    4. Pies    5. Cakes, baking, icing & sugarcraft    6. Cooking / Pies   

Editorial Review

Martha Stewart's fans look to her to provide a sense of what's possible with unlimited taste and plenty of decorating funds, and certainly no one else does Christmas with such flair.Martha's Christmas feast may seem a bit over the top, with silver-leaved fruit at each place setting, crystal decanters of French dessert wines, and cake stands holding more decorations, but it photographs nicely--and, of course, the food looks great. There's also an easier New Year's Day party suggestion that will appeal to more casual party-givers. Martha's signature is the elegant simplicity of her decorative concepts, and this book's strength is its easy instructions for making wonderful wreaths, tree ornaments, and gift wrappings. The instructions for making aluminum snowflakes may alone be worth the price of the book. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

What's with the pastels?
I am a Martha Stewart fan, but this book disturbed me with its creepy pastels and white motif that pervaded the book.This sucked the Christmas spirit right out of me.I do yearn for the deep rich colors and and oldmoney feel that were the Martha of yore.Now everything is post-divorcebright minimalist.

A rehash of past magazines
If you subscribe to the magazine you will be very disappointed.Most ofthe projects are articles directly out of the past couple years' Winterissues.If you don't subscribe, you will enjoy the book.It's a scam fortrue Martha devotees.

Why is the cover so ugly?
ALl I have to say about this book is one thing:It's a shame an art-driven publisher like Clarkson Potter would allow an ugly cover like this to bear their logo.Obvious last-minute slap job of magazine scrap pieces.What a waste of money. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Christmas cookery    2. Christmas cooking    3. Christmas decorations    4. Cooking    5. Cooking / Wine    6. Handicraft    7. Holiday - Christmas/Hanukkah    8. Seasonal    9. Christmas books    10. Crafts & Hobbies / Seasonal