This is one of the most fun books to pass around when your friends are over. It's great for humorus wedding gifts, showers and the like. Martha may not be quite the tower of perfection she once was, but sometimes it's fun to kick at (in this case, a formerly 'hot') dog when she's down. No harm done - lots of fun.

Uhh....it's almost TOO well done!!! The subtlety, the sarcasm. Martha herself would be proud of the ideas and craft concepts presented. You will find yourself laughing out loud. Fits perfectly on my coffee table next to my real "Living" magazines. HAHAHAHAHAHA

A friend bought this book for me as a joke because i like Martha Stewart so much. it is incredibly funny!its just like her magazine and books. id reccomend this book to anyone who either thinks martha is too much or loves her! id rate this book 5 "ha ha's"

I adore Martha, her style, her books, and her website... but I have to be honest about this one. I throw dinner parties up at school all the time and so I was thrilled to have a dinner party with these recipies. True- you can use one or two recipies for a quick easy side (think desserts here) but I made the delicious asian noodle meal and not only did it take an hour of prep time for julienning veg and other things, but when my guests arrived, not only was I not finished preparing, but I wasnt even close. It ended up taking my guests pitching in... fun but not what I had planned. It took four of us almost 2 hours to make it . It was so delicious, and also so impossible to make unless you have TONS of spare time and are planning on taking at least 2 hours to make .
Just so I am clear- DELICIOUS FOOD THAT TAKES TONS OF TIME (at least that is if you arent a professional chef)

These are the cards from the back of the magazine for a few years, all gathered as menus designed to make dinner for four in about an hour. The turkey and green chile burritos are good, and the coffee custard is outstanding; they are from Menu 7, andthe whole thing is great. The citrus marinated pork chops are also delicious. If you like cookies, the Oatmeal Lace cookies are fabulously rich and sweet. My favorite is the Mocha Shortbread Wedges recipe--has to be the easiest dessert ever, not too sweet, and really quick and easy.

I first stumbled across this little cookbook in a used book store in the middle of nowhere. Everyone in the family had $5. to spend and boy did I get my money's worth...and so did my family for that matter because every recipe is a gem. It is now my standard gift to newer cooks who are setting up house and entertaining - the listing of what to do in which order is great for the less experienced and some of the combinations of foods are unusual but always work - I tried another Martha book and was disappointed - this one is a keeper!

What can we say? This is a very good cookbook, but not for the average cook on an "everyday" budget. But then, of course, Martha's tv shows are not for us either. Anyways, there are many good recipes, and I like Martha's shows and have her other books. But, in my opinion, her Comfort Foods Cookbook was her finest hour.

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.

Yes, I'm reviewing a Martha Stewart cookbook. Martha Stewart as a person, has received a ton of criticism, some founded and some not. Though not a diehard fan, I can appreciate her do-it-yourself approach to good living. I now have two Martha Stewart cookbooks.

This particular cookbook is the recipe compendium of all Martha Stewart Living issues for 2001, plus a few recipes from her special topic issues (weddings, baby, kids). If you have every issue of the magazine, you'll not need this cookbook. For the rest of you, read on.

Chapters represent each month's issue, and along with the featured recipes for the month, include recipes from the regular columns: Dessert of the Month, Good Things, What To Have For Dinner, and Fit to Eat.

Browsing through this cookbook is like walking through a buffet. You'll find a varied assortment of dishes that will please just about everyone; from the basics like "Spaghetti and Tomato Sauce 101" to more elaborate meals like "Beef Rendang with Broccoli". Regardless of the recipe, I found each recipe clearly written and easy to follow.

My first experience with this cookbook was not something simple and safe. Oh no, I had to pick something that required time, patience, and steady nerves. I selected to make "Alma Etheridge Wilson's Roanoke Sixteen-Layer Chocolate Fudge Cake". If you ever see this cookbook, a slice of this particular cake appears on the cover.

Making this cake also required breaking in my new KitchenAid stand mixer. The sweat broke out on my forehead with the thought. What had I gotten myself into?

The only secret to this fun (yes, I said fun) cake is to follow the directions. No matter how much you want to, do not over bake it. Each layer is so thin that it will dry out or burn before you know it. The only thing missing from this recipe is an estimated time of completion. I made the mistake of starting the cake after dinner and didn't finish until sometime after midnight. The results were worth it. A delicious and gorgeous cake that had everyone wondering how I did it.

Another recipe that was a knockout was for "French Onion Soup". I've never had it, never wanted to try it, and turned my nose up at it if offered. I'm not a major fan of onions. I selected this particular recipe because my fiance said he liked it and I wanted to add another "new food/dish I've tried" to my growing list. For anyone who has never had French Onion Soup, unless you are allergic to onions or cheese, you must try this recipe! For those who love French Onion Soup but were afraid to make it thinking it might be too difficult, try this recipe.

The hardest thing about this recipe is having patience to not stir the onions too often while waiting for them to caramelize. I made this over the weekend and after my first taste, wanted the whole pot for myself. This is one of those recipes that are so simple, whether you make your own beef broth or use canned, you'll want to make it often.

I have to say that I went into this cookbook ready to find all sorts of faults with it and I couldn't. Well, I did run into a few silly editing mistakes. Small things like in the index, Pork is shown as a sub-category for Poppy-Seed. It was frustrating initially looking for a recipe using pork until I noticed the mistake.

As for who would enjoy this cookbook? Just about anybody looking for recipes they can be successful using, for anyone looking for a variety of recipes to suite family and friends, for those who enjoy good cooking. The few mistakes I found were easy to overlook but still tarnish the shine of this cookbook. Not bad Martha, not bad.

I used this book for a lavish party at my home and the results were terrible. Save your money!

As a neighbor of Martha Stewart's in the charming town of Westport, Connecticut, I have had the pleasure of being invited into her home several times. Granted, that ended around the time she became so well-known, but Martha is a truly wonderful woman who is an encyclopedia of entertainment know-how. Fortunately for the rest of the world, this book is *the* next best thing to having Martha in the kitchen and at the party with you. Creative recipies, table settings, and other ideas which help to enhance the environment of any party- large or small.

I feel that this book should be a part anyone's home library who can appreciate the fine art of entertaining and wishes to take their gatherings and functions to the next level.

This book is a staple in my kitchen. Do I cook all the upscale, gourmet recipes? I'd love to say yes, but in all honesty I haven't the time! I *have* tried the sugar cookies, and they went over well with my three little boys! The reason I love this book is that I can read a bit, look at the lovely pictures, and gain fresh inspiration to make my little home a lovelier place. Also, for any Martha-phile, this book is a good place to peek inside Martha's life and hear her thoughts for more than just a five minute segment on her show.

There are better Christmas books on decorating and entertaining.

I loved the 'feel' of this book, very festive. The presentation is beautiful.
What disappointed me a little was that there was no pattern for the gingerbread mansion that was featured in the book, which was the main reason I bought it. It's a little too easy for me to just be told to 'use your imagination' and 'the possibilities are endless'. I expected more!
Other than that, it is a very nice addition to my book collection with timeless ideas and inspirations, or just to browse through when christmas season comes around.

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 -
I do own a few of her C-mas books, this is by far the best one. If you celebrate this holiday - or just want to arrange a beautiful winter feast, you will not be sorry to own this book!(I use it as gifts for friends, and have already bought three..)

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 have went to the library and decided what was best myself.I believe all of her books are this way---I mean samples from her show and magazine. Nothing new or surprising.

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!

This book taught me the best way to wrap gifts.

I gave a small dinner party for neighbors and nothing turned out. Our best friends also became ill.

I've had this book for a number of years and everytime I have company or want to spoil my husband I pull out this MS classic. I have the whole meal planned, take the xeroxed pages shopping, and I have a great dinner. No guessing what side dish goes with what. I truly appreciate the planning that went into this edition and the recipes are excellent.

This is my favorite Martha Stewart book - and I have several. The menus are original but yet not over the top. I have actually tried and used the recipes - and have been asked for them - which to me is the ultimate compliment. The pictures are great - this is a book you will actually use - instead of just reading and putting back into your cookbook library. Buy this book, you won't be disappointed.

You know this going in, but there arent' as many really neat "new" things as the last books. More biscotti, and a lot of good uses for the endless bags of cranberries in the back of my freezer. I'll start on those for Christmas about November 1, I think. If you like Martha, this is the fifth in the series, but there wasn't anything besides the cranberry stuff that really "grabbed" me. Still, it's great to continue your collection.

Martha's Holiday book this really touched my heart. My mom has always grown Amaryllis and Christmas Cactus, chapters 4 & 5 really were a delightful surprise. I now know the Christmas Cactus the I have is called "White Christmas". When I told my mom about the charts, she was so interested in the book (she lives in Ohio and we live in Fl.) that I am immediately sending her one for Christmas. My son is a personal chef - so we all love to cook and I love to decorate. The pictures are great as usual, but I think I like the charts about the topic in each chapter. They are beautiful and informative. It was great to see the different types of pine cones and citrus. The best part is that even if you don't use these ideas during the holidays - the things you have learned will be useful all year and will be great to share with friends and family.
Some items may have been in Martha Stewart Living - that's great that the special ideas have been put in this holiday book to keep and treasure. (I don't keep every magazine - I will treasure this book).Thanks again to Martha!!!!

This book is a great companion to the two previous Christmas / Holiday Books from Martha Stewart Living. With signature style and grace, she presents us with beautiful crafts to make to decorate our homes and give as gifts. Martha has definately done it again!!!

The recipes are time intensive and many are tasteless. Health food does not deservice the bad rap.

At the recommendation of my grandmother, I purchased this book for help in preparing recipes prepared with soy. I was diagnosed with many allergies and I can no longer eat dairy products, corn, mushrooms, etc. (that's only the beginning, the list goes on!). I knew about tofu but I didn't know what to do with it. Using this book as a guide, I prepared a spinach lasagne following the ingredience for spinach ravoli (pg. 35). It was delicious, if I don't say so myself! I would definitely recommend this cookbook. I like using it as a guide to help with new ideas in food preparation. Bona Petite!

I loved this book. I've been a vegetarian for years, and have had to live with the scorn of my food-snob friends, many of whom wouldn't come to my house for dinner parties. So I cooked a feast of Ginsberg's recipes and impressed them all-finally. The Chinese food is especially tasty, although the biscotti was terrific. I brought it to work and everyone ate it up.