Expensive to Buy, Expensive to Use

As a family cook, I have to admit to trying practically every cookbook I've ever gotten my hands on, including recipes on boxes, in newspapers, or in magazines. I used to frantically write them off the television, as well, including those of Martha Stewart.

Finally, I got a copy of her hardback signature cookbook. A hefty book, and at a hefty price. BUT... I finally had it!

Then I began paging hungrily through it, looking for something good to eat. Then, I started over again - looking for something recognizable to eat!

Upon the third look through, I realized that Martha's cookbook, though lovely, was definitely NOT for the faint-hearted. Some of the ingredients in recipes were harder to find sources for than illegal substances! The recipe steps, though well written in and of themselves, read like ballet dancing. Clearly, this is not for the beginner!

Martha's kitchens are much more well stocked with items of food and seasonings than most average people's local grocery superstore. Also, it is much more difficult to prepare these dishes in a tiny, standard kitchen with the normal number of hands involved in preparation (two for most) than it must be in a huge, studio kitchen that has everything under the sun, and 'artists' for the food. The recipes are elegant, high-class cuisine, and indeed, if you have the skill and knowledge to prepare any one of them properly, you will have food that is, indeed, a work of art.

Also taken into consideration when burdening poor Martha with more critical press, is the fact that this book doesn't even pretend to attempt a nutritional analyses of any of the recipes presented in it. This is a standard practice which is undertaken in many of today's cooking books and periodicals, and Martha should probably have done a little bit more with it.

This book is a beautiful addition to a library of any gourmet cookbooks, or 'high life' entertainment libraries. As a general item of use and interest, however, it is too advanced, and too specialized to do many normal household cooks any good.