The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook

Book excerpt: Ten years ago, Martha Stewart made cooking a primary focus of her bold new magazine, Martha Stewart Living. Over the decade, each issue has been a treasure of culinary information and inspiration, bringing the pleasures of cooking and entertaining--in impeccable style--to millions of devoted readers, from novice cooks to professional caterers. At last all of Martha's favorite magazine recipes have been gathered in a single volume. The Martha Stewart Cookbook is a compendium of the best of the best from the food pages of every issue. But more than a mere collection, this specially designed volume is a major step in Martha's mission to keep home cooking traditions alive. The Martha Stewart Cookbook is filled with recipes--1200 in all--for every kind of cook and every occasion. Some recipes invite you to stretch your cooking knowledge and expertise while others provide inspiration--and instruction--for what to have for dinner. Organized, in trademark style, for maximum practicality and ease of use, this major general-purpose cookbook features nineteen classically arranged chapters, from Basics, Breakfast, and Hors d:Oeuvres to Meat, Poultry, Fish and Shellfish and Desserts. In between there are Salads, Soups, Vegetables and whole chapters devoted to Vegetarian Main Courses and Potatoes. Throughout, there are basic classes--cooking 101s--for making food that should be in every cook's repertoire: macaroni and cheese, omelets, roast turkey, fried chicken and mashed potatoes. Specialty dishes are here, too, whether the occasion calls for a casual cocktail party, dinner with the in-laws, or a sit down luncheon for a bride-to-be. Cooking tips and techniques, pantry and equipment glossaries plus a guide to finding unusual ingredients make the kitchen tested recipes accessible to home cooks everywhere. An ideal reference, The Martha Stewart Cookbook belongs on every kitchen counter in America. Martha Stewart is the author of thirteen best-selling original books on food, entertaining, gardening, and home restoration, is the chairman and chief executive officer of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. She lives in Connecticut, Maine, and on Long Island.