Martha, the Cartoon!

Yes, you heard right, folks. Martha will soon be animated! In a surprising announcement on Twitter earlier this week, Martha Stewart revealed that the television department at her company is developing a new cartoon geared to kids between the ages of 5 and 11 with an animated version of herself as the star. This further broadens her audience, ensuring a new generation becomes very familiar with the name Martha Stewart.

Details at this point are mimimal, but I imagine the show will have an instructional component: how to help mom in the kitchen, how to enjoy your veggies at dinner time, how to make your bed, fun craft projects, etc. Martha did say that the cartoon will be animated with the help of Red Digital Cinema Company, which provides one of the highest resolutions in digital animation. No word yet on whether Martha will be doing the vocals for her avatar, shown below.

Martha Stewart or Wilma Flintstone? "It's a Good Thing!"

John Barricelli's Book

John Barricelli, co-host of Everyday Food and Everyday Baking on PBS, has been a Martha Stewart staffer since the mid-1990s, working primarily in the kitchens of the television studio and contributing food ideas to Martha's many magazines as an editor. In recent years, John has opened his own bakery: The SoNo Baking Company and Cafe in South Norwalk, Connecticut. Offering an incredible array of breads, cakes, pastries and pies, the bakery has been a huge success, offering onsite dining as well as catering services.

Those of us who have watched John on Martha Stewart Living, Everyday Food, Everyday Baking and The Martha Stewart Show, or who have visited his bakery, will understand how exciting it is to finally have a cookbook containing his best-loved recipes from his bakery: The SnoNo Bakery Cookbook: The Best Sweet and Savory Recipes for Every Occasion.

We'll have to wait awhile, though; the 288-page hardcover book won't be released until March, 2010. We can also look forward to a personal foreword by Martha Stewart in the book!

Cookie & Cupcake Companions

After I discovered that Martha Stewart would be releasing a companion book to her much-loved and best-selling "Cookies" book called "Cupcakes," I decided to embark on a little literary journey through Bookland to see if perhaps there were other cupcake and cookie companion books by the same author. There was nothing that really satisfied my hunt until I discovered these delightful books by Christabel Martin, simply and aptly titled "Cookies" and "Cupcakes." To me, they represent fancier, loftier versions of Martha's down-to-earth books of the same names. There is something strikingly French about these books and they are beautifully designed to be as attractive as possible. The best things about them, however, is that they are more than affordable (only $8.99 each at Barnes & Noble, which is a steal for a brand new hardcover book!) and that the recipes are easy, unique and delicious! I'm dying to try the baklava cupcakes and the mango cakes with lime syrup. Or maybe the chocolate coated quince cookies or the sinister looking chocolate shortbread... Anyhow, I wholeheartedly recommend these books to you!

The covers are linen-covered hard-back with beautiful photography by Brett Stevens.

The photographs are artful and beautiful, enticing the reader to reach in and have a sample.

The books were designed by Reuban Crossman and Melanie Ngapo. Intermingled with the recipes and food photography are beautiful 'lifestyle moments' like the one above that set the context and give the reader a thoughtful pause.

The Cupcakes book is divided into three distinct categories: Family Favorites, Sweet Afternoons and Dressed to Impress, which contains the most elaborate and fanciful concoctions!Pistachio and cardamom cupcakes, overseen by a porcelaine onlooker.

Another lovely lifestyle moment in the Cupcakes book.

Nigella Lawson Bit Me!

"For us northern Europeans, sun starvation for much of the year means the constant craving for warmth," she says in her luscious English accent. "A taste of anything red," she notes, "instantly conjures the decadence of an August heat wave. A taste of raspberry, and I'm there in an instant! And chillies are crucial to the palette when recreating the heat of summer. The spice brings food to incendiary life."

I fell in love with Nigella Lawson the moment she spoke those words, lounging on a white chaise, sipping some fruity concoction called "slut-red raspberries steeped in chardonnay." Not the most heterosexual of men, I still happily concede that I find Ms. Lawson - an English food writer and television hostess - utterly sensual and attractive, something that is not lost on her legions of followers. In fact, her sensual delivery and presentation is intrinsically linked to her entire persona. The full lips, the buxom figure, the languorous vowels of her posh, Highgate accent, the bouncy brown locks and the insistent use of her hands while preparing even the stickiest of foods make her irresistible to any foodie who is even remotely human.

Her upperclass upbringing in London and the ivy-league education it afforded her combined to make Nigella Lawson one of the most respected and articulate food writers of our time - her feminine wiles aside. The author of seven cookbooks, including the indespensible classic "How to Eat," Nigella creates visual and edible delights on the pages, which are filled with food philosophy and a roster of easy and delicious recipes to accompany the sumptuous photography.

A comparison, of course, must be drawn between Nigella and Martha, since this is a Martha Stewart blog. I don't think I can stress enough how different they really are, despite their shared love of food, their careers as food writers and television hostesses, their love of entertaining and their somewhat vain "it's-actually-about-me" approach to presentation.

First of all, Nigella has no desire to create an 'empire' of domestic goods and publications that bear her name - although she does have some. She mostly limits herself to food and entertaining: no laundry care and craft projects for her. Martha, on the other hand, is much more an executive, and therefore more calculating and strategic in her plans, not to mention more diverse in her talents.

Every Sunday now at 4:30 I find myself rivited to the television set, watching Nigella's program, Nigella Bites, on the Food Network. It's the same kind of mild obsession I experienced when I first discovered Martha's show, Martha Stewart Living, eleven or twelve years ago. I'm not a cooking-show aficionado by any means, so it's a rare event when one of them hooks me to the point of addiciton, when I cannot miss an episode under any circumstances and refuse to be interrupted for the duration of the show.

I used to think that watching Martha Stewart Living was like watching ''homemaker porn" - a term coined by Business Week writer Diane Brady - but watching Nigella Bites takes it to a whole new level. Where Martha is exacting and almost prim in her preparation and delivery methods, Nigella throws caution to the wind, sinking her hands into a canister of brown sugar and sprinkling it liberally over some sizzling hot peaches. The production of her show, too, is almost profane: uber-closeups of molten chocolate drizzling over homemade ice cream, partially melting in the afternoon sunlight streaming from her kitchen window sheers; tight shots of ravenous champagne bubbles devouring plump strawberries plunged into a sparkling glass, and almost naughty depictions of Nigella's hands squeezing the juice out of a lemon onto the crispy body of a trussed-up, roasted chicken. All the while, softly in the background, there is steamy salsa music playing, keeping the pace motivated and unpredictable.

I'm never going to abandon Martha with her endless ideas and fascinating life. But I will be making room for Nigella's rambunctious presence in my living room and kitchen from now on, thank you very much.

August Preview

Of the summer issues of Martha Stewart Living, which generally are not my favourites, the August issue stands out each year as the most impressive. This year is no exception. The August issue arrived today in my mail box and the cover alone was enough to endear it to me. The issue is devoted to the best American ideas, from coast to coast to coast. From Louisiana's fishing traditions to the best New York cocktails, from a California garden to a summer home on Lake Michigan, the editors bring us the best of the nation. I already have my favourite articles, but here is a preview!

The cover is an invitation to sit back and relax, take in the summer breezes and sample delicious summer fare.

The style section of this issue is a great one - a look at some of the classics that all wardrobes should have, based on the theme of a weekend excursion: the best bets for the country, beachside classics, etc. An article on the history of American cocktails is a thirst-quenching delight!

Make a bold statement with your own handmade necklaces. A step-by-step article on string beading shows you how.

A look at the best of American produce - and the best recipes to match!

Fishing and cooking in Louisiana!

A visit to a lakeside retreat with rustic and modern elements in Michigan.

Martha at Home Depot?

There is a rumour on the Martha beat that the Martha Stewart Everyday line, currently being phased out at Kmart, will be moving to Home Depot in late 2010. This is still just a rumour and no one has officially confirmed or denied the news. I'm waiting to hear back from a contact at MSLO to see if more light can be shed on the subject. Home Depot would be an interesting choice for the Everyday line. I can see some of the housewares fitting in nicely: the patio furniture, the garden accessories, the bath and kitchen hardware, the Colors line of paint, the furniture. Some of the soft lines, such as the table linens and bedding, seem a bit unusual for Home Depot, but nothing is beyond the realm of possibility. It could be that Home Depot, a rapidly expanding company, is broadening its focus to include more household products. We will have to wait for the confirmation, but it's an interesting first look at the possibility!

Book Signing in New Jersey

Martha will be conducting a book signing at Costco in Bridgewater, New Jersey, at 325 Promenade Blvd. on July 14th. She will be signing copies of her new Cupcakes book to Costco members attending the event. Those who arrive to wait in line will receive tickets. The Cupcakes book will be available to buy in the store and Martha will also be signing copies of the book purchased elsewhere, so bring along your copy if you already have it. She will be at the store between 5 and 7 pm and is expected to sign approximately 500 books for guests. Cupcakes is Martha's 69th book - hard to believe!