Easy Foolproof Slow Roasted Standing Rib Roast - Prime Rib for a New Years splurge!

A Standing Rib Roast can strike terror into the heart of even the most seasoned cook. Part of it is not wanting to ruin such an expensive cut of beef....part of it is just not undertaking the roasting process very often, and being fearful of the task.

It's really quite simple, and is ridiculously easy if you keep the overall plan in mind ...Sear on the stovetop till a perfect brown.....roast long, low, and slow.....watch your meat thermometer....slice and serve.

A big Rib Roast is certainly a splurge in all but a carte blance food budget, but they are often on sale near holidays. Even at full price per pound, you can serve six for less than two prime rib restaurant dinners would cost.

MrMartha likes simple sides -- perfectly cooked green beans, with some crisped bits of fresh leg of pork (thank you Gale), silky mashed potatoes with butter, and really good rolls. Horseradish Sour Cream is traditional as sauce on the side. A simple salad and low key dessert are all you need to make a flawless special occasion dinner....or to make any dinner a special occasion.

Read More for full directions on the roasting process, and step by step photos.

The concept -- is to brown the outside of the roast first, this is neccessary because roasting at the low temperature will never crisp the exterior.
The long slow roasting period at low temperature gradually warms the roast, and leaves it perfectly juicy with a wonderful balance of textures.
There is no need to let the roast rest, it will serve perfectly direct from the oven. The roast will also hold perfectly for an hour or more in the oven at 150 to 175 degrees.


These directions are for a 3 rib, 5 pound roast, which has had the meat sliced from the bone plate, and then reattached with string -- most butchers do this, or will if asked. Sometimes this is called "Golden Lion Style" . MrMartha prefers the roast cooked just past medium rare, with a slight ring of darker color on the perimeter, with a lovely but warm pink center. If you prefer a rarer roast, it is also easily acheived.

You will need a roasting pan with rack, heavy dutch oven, meat thermometers (MrMartha prefers using both a regular and an instant read), vegetable oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder if desired.


Remove the beef from refrigeration about 2-3 hours before you plan to begin roasting, approx 20 - 30 min per pound, depending how warm your kitchen is.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Dry the roast with paper towels to remove any surface moisture.

Sear the roast on all sides in 1/8" of oil heated to hot but not smoking. Use the sides of the dutch oven to brace the roast as needed, and be very careful not to splash oil as you reposition the roast. Allow the roast time to turn a deep rich color, and make sure you have given attention to all parts of the roast.


Position the roast on the rack in the roasting pan, seating it with the bones down. Sprinkle liberally with salt, freshly ground pepper, and a little garlic powder if desired. Insert regular meat thermometer diagonally into the center of the roast, being careful not to go all the way to the bone. Make sure it is at an angle that you will be able to see through your oven window.

Place the roast into the oven, and immediately lower oven temperature to 225 degrees.
Allow 20-30 minutes per pound or fraction of a pound roasting time. Watch your thermomenter, and remove from oven when the roast is 125 degrees for very rare, 130 for rare, and 137 for medium rare.


MrMartha prefers to build in a little extra time, feeling it is better to hold the roast at serving temperature, rather than to hold the guests waiting to be served.....so calculate how long your roast should take, and then add an extra hour of time.

When the roast reaches the proper temperature, just remove it from the oven for a few minutes while the oven cools, and then return it, uncovered to the oven now set for 150 to 175 degrees. It will hold perfectly for an hour or more.

There is no need to allow the roast a long rest before carving, though five minutes or so is not a bad thing. Remove the roast to a carving board, snip the strings, and separate the bone section from the meat, slice the roast to your preference. (MrMartha likes a three quarter inch thickness) Use your longest sharpest knife, and make long strokes for the most beautiful slices. Place on warmed platter to serve.

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A Thanksgiving Appetizer Surprise....MrMartha's Cheese Turkeys!

MrMartha was trying to come up with a fantastic and unexpected little appetizer tidbit to take along to a Thanksgiving gathering. Being that MrMartha was not cooking and serving the full dinner, it seemed appropriate to lavish a little attention on the process, and come up with something fun. In 60s cocktail speak, what would be called a "clever hors' d oeuvre" -- which one would nibble with a "smart cocktail".

These little gems have a very retro feel to them....in one sense they seem to have stepped out of Better Homes and Gardens circa 1967, but at the same time, they are guaranteed to be unexpected and totally charming.

The recipe is simple and tasty, the wafers can be baked more simply as rounds -- but forming the little turkeys, and seeing the looks on peoples faces as they examine them, is more than worth the little bit of extra work in preparation.

Read more for the recipe, and to see just how simple the process really is.

Cheese Wafer Turkeys

3/4 cup Butter
1-2 cups Grated Cheese (see note)
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp Dry Mustard (prepared dijon or brown mustard can be substituted)
1 tsp Salt
Dashes of Tabasco or Hot Sauce

Note about Cheese. Traditionally these are made with sharp cheddar cheese, you can get a different result by using a swiss or a pepper cheese, or Parmesan always works too.
Grate the cheese a couple hours ahead, spread on a sheet and leave to air dry for a few hours.
Use the lesser cheese amount for a firmer "shortbread" cracker.
Use more cheese to get a softer texture.

In a food processor, place the flour and half the cheese, process in small short bursts, until cheese is very finely chopped. Add the rest of the cheese and continue to process until incorporated. Add the rest of the ingredients, including the butter, and process till well combined.

For Wafers, form into logs with half dollar width, wrap in waxed paper and chill or freeze-- until slicing before baking.

For Turkeys, place dough into cookie press with "camel" disc, and make 2 dozen camel forms. Switch to "wreath" disc, and press out a dozen wreath forms. CAREFULLY lift up one half of each wreath form, and place against camel to form tail feathers.

Sprinkle before baking with grated Parmesan Cheese, Kosher Salt, cracked pepper, finely crushed parsley, or herbs. Use just one, or a combination.

Bake on a very VERY lightly greased baking sheet at 375 degrees, until lightly browned -- may be baked longer, until darker brown and crispy, if that is what you prefer.

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Adventures in Homemade Pectin

Contrary to popular conception (which MrMartha most heartily encourages), not everything MrMartha does is a raving success (at least not the first time).

An example of MrMartha
"learning by doing" -- and not quite succeeding the first time around --happened with a certain, now infamous, chocolate mousse filled cake.
The fact that one cannot rush the final assembly process resulted in near disaster.
The importance of inter-step refrigeration was learned as MrMartha watched the whole cake structure slide into a precarious angle -- While being transported by car.
Quick action involving a fast food chopstick from the glovebox saved it. Luckily, it still tasted wonderful, even if it will be forever known by the guests attending that dinner party as The Leaning Tower of Cake.

Please pardon MrMartha, as he has digressed off topic.

The most recent learning experiment has been with homemade pectin.
MrMartha loves to preserve, and there is just nothing like homemade jam from perfect fruit....so why wouldn't it be even better (and less expensive) with homemade pectin? A noble thought AND a quest.

MrMartha has only one word for you. Unpredictability.

The pectin extraction process is both easy and somewhat miraculous, with a tiny bit of high school chemistry thrown in. Unlike packaged commercial pectin, however, you cant be quite sure how it will behave, and how your recipe will work. The main thing seems to come down to how long to boil in order for it to jell, but not to turn into something in between a rubber ball, and the worlds firmest aspic.

Read More for some details of MrMartha's exciting adventures with pectin, and you too may want to learn the delights of this archaic but fascinating process.


The extraction process is very simple:

Cut up your desired quantity of unripe green apples,
Place in a large kettle with just enough water to barely cover.

Cook slowly for several hours, till the mixture disintegrates into a watery applesauce mess, with skins and seeds floating in it. MrMartha has been cooking the mixture for about 4-5 hours, stirring occasionally but regularly, with good result.

Strain the resulting mass into cloth lined colander set over a clean bucket or tub.
Add a bit of lemon juice to keep from darkening.
Let the pulp drain overnight, but do not squeeze or press on the solids.

Check the pectin for jell by putting a Tablespoon full of the liquid into a cup of rubbing alcohol.
The resulting mixture should mound up and stay on the end of a fork when pulled up out of the alcohol. Discard your test sample.

If it seems too loose, boil it down by 20% or so, to reduce volume.

Place the pectin into clean jars or freezer containers and refrigerate or freeze till needed.


More information about the science, and additional detailed instructions can be found at these two great links:
Organic Gardening, homemade pectin article

Wildflowers & Weeds, homemade pectin article

MrMartha's follow up post, which will be published soon, will cover how the homemade pectin behaves -- and what MrMartha is discovering are the keys to its successful use. Check back if you want to learn more....plan to go pick some green apples next spring, and try it yourself!

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MrMartha's AWESOME Raspberry Thumbprint Butter Cookies

This is one of MrMartha's most popular holiday cookies....friends wait all year to savor these incredible morsels. The dough recipe is only 4 ingredients, and while they take a little time to shape and finish, they are well worth the effort.

The keys to success:
** USE ONLY real butter -- these cookies are so simple, that using good real butter is critical to making the best cookie.
** Use strained or seedless raspberry jam -- you don't want a bunch of seeds ruining the look of the finished cookie.
** If the first batch of cookies seems to spread too much during baking, pop the cookies into the fridge or freezer for a few minutes, on their baking sheets, before they go into the oven -- and lower your oven temperature 25 degrees.
** The recipe doubles easily (or even triples if you have a heavy duty mixer with large bowl) -- so make lots!
** MrMartha likes these to have a strong almond flavor, so usually doubles the almond extract amount of the original recipe.

Read More for the easy Recipe, additional photos, and detailed preparation and baking directions.

RECIPE:

2/3 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Butter, softened
1 teaspoon Almond Extract (or more to taste)
2 Cups All Purpose Flour

Raspberry Jam for filling, and melted White Chocolate or simple glaze for topping.

Cream together Sugar and Butter with the Almond Extract, at medium speed, till light and fluffy - a couple of minutes.
Stir in flour with mixer on low speed, until well combined, with uniform texture -- do not overmix.

To prepare in advance for baking later:
On a waxed paper lined baking sheet, pat the dough out until it is uniform thickness of approximately 3/4".
Use a bench scraper, spatula edge, or knife to score the dough into 3/4" squares, so that you end up with uniform cubes of dough.
Place the whole sheet into the freezer until solidly frozen. Transfer the dough cubes to ziplock bags, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To complete the cookies:
Thaw the frozen dough until it softens and is pliable.
Take each cube of dough and roll between palms into a ball shape.
Arrange the balls on an ungreased baking sheet with approx 2" spacing between the balls of dough.
Use your thumb, index finger, or some sort of blunt, round end tool, to make an indentation in the top of each cookie.

Place approx 1/2 cup of Raspberry jam into a small ziplock bag, and seal. Cut a small corner off the bag, and squeeze a small dollop of jam into the imprint of each cookie. It doesn't take much -- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon per cookie. If you have any concerns about how much jam to use, bake a couple of test cookies with varied amounts of jam.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. The cookies should barely color with just a tinge of golden tone, they should not have much color, and they should not be overbaked.

Allow to cool slightly on the sheet, and then transfer to waxed paper or wire racks to cool.

Melt 1/2 bag of white chocolate chips, slowly (30 second increments in the microwave), stirring between each heating until just smooth. Place the melted chocolate in another ziplock bag, cut off a tiny corner, and add a squiggle of the white chocolate to the top of each cookie.
If you prefer, a simple powdered sugar glaze can be drizzled on instead.

Store the cookies in airtight containers, stacked in single layers with waxed paper in between each layer. These will keep perfectly and taste just baked for about 10 days. They are certainly still good after a couple weeks...if there are any left!!

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Conception Classique de Mode de la Semaine

MrMartha offers up some vintage fashion confections with a double shot of pink today.

The mid fifites were really the apex of giant ballgowns, and these two sumptuous designs certainly illustrate that particular point in all of its voluminous lushness.

The strapless gown with the twisted bodice detailing is reminiscent of many gowns worn in sophisticated 50's comedies, but something about it just screams "There's No Business Like Show Business" and the image of Ethel Merman shoehorned into it.

The gown with the off the shoulder ruched detailing is strongly reminiscent of something Audrey Hepburn could have worn in "Roman Holiday" and every inch the princess she would have been!



Viewed together the designs have stepped right out of another Audrey Hepburn movie, "Funny Face" -- and the fabulous Think Pink montage which ends with models in giant pink ballgowns twirling around amid confetti to song lyrics:
"Go out dancing, but just remember one thing....
you can get a little wink
if you got a little pink
In your swing....."

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Baking Incredible Holiday Cookies... without losing your mind....Just Dough It

Is it the same for you every holiday season....you wish you had baked some awesome cookies, but you just didn't get around to it?
How nice it would be to take a lovely tray of indulgent delights into the office, or effortlessly produce a plate of flawless little confections when a friend stops for a cup of coffee. (or a demitasse of espresso as the case may be.)

Are you that person who never quite gets around to that concentrated flurry of baking....despite all your good intentions?
Well, Are You?

It's ok, MrMartha understands, and would like to provide some simple tips....so you CAN be that other person -- who does bake!

MrMartha has a rather checkered, if proud, history of baking nearly 1000 cookies each holiday season...and not just any cookies mind you, but artful little tidbits -- that always inspire a careful once over with the eyes, before being popped into the mouth. MrMartha doesn't expect you to bake 1000 cookies....well not this year anyway....

But truth be told, it will be very simple for you to have 4 or 5 varieties of very nice cookies on hand through the holiday season, and they ship beautifully --MrMartha packs and ships plates of cookies perfectly all over the country, and the recipients are just thrilled. Plus, it's always so nice to give or share something that we have put ourselves into.


THE OVERALL PLAN:
MrMartha will be posting favorite cookie dough recipes a couple times a week through the holidays.

Take one or two nights a week, and give yourself a half hour after dinner to put together a batch or two of dough, portion it, and then get it into the freezer.

Pick a Saturday or Sunday a week or two before Christmas, or take one of those vacation days you still need to use, invite a friend over to assist, and bake all of your premade doughs production line style. Separation between the dough prep and the baking makes the whole process so SO much simpler and easier....and is certainly time saving as well as sanity saving.

TO DO IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS:
Get your basic supplies on hand....
Grocery stores will be having pre thanksgiving sales on most baking staples, so make sure you have at least 10 lbs of Flour and Sugar, Several pounds of butter (MrMartha does prefer to bake with real butter...not just for flavor, but for texture -- but you can always use have butter and half good margarine or high quality shortening.)
Get some good Vanilla, and make sure Baking Powder and Soda, are in stock.
Watch for Chocolate (white and semisweet) Chips, and nuts on sale, and stock up when you see excellent prices. Its best not to skimp on the chocolate, but any of the good national brands work fine.
You may also want to have some Almond Extract, Raspberry Jam, Cocoa Power.

KEEP CHECKING BACK.....MrMartha will walk you through this and you will astound yourself!

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A Solution For The Green Tomato Conundrum

Have you been looking longingly at all the green tomatoes remaining on your plants, knowing they will never ripen, but wishing they didn't have to be sacrificed to an upcoming frost?

Go pick them now, and make MrMartha's Green Tomato Salsa!

It's easy to prepare, incredibly tasty, uses just a few simple ingredients, -- and if you don't want to process and preserve your salsa for long term keeping, it also stores beautifully in the refrigerator for several weeks....if it lasts that long!
This salsa is wonderful just as it is. Enjoy it with chips--over burritos--stirred into a Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole, or added to just about any Mexican recipe.
For an extra treat with chips or as a condiment, dice a couple of ripe red tomatoes and finely chop some fresh cilantro. Stir both into the green salsa for a fresh and complex taste that everyone will rave about.

MrMartha actually makes this salsa twice during tomato season. Once during midseason with green tomatoes culled from the plants to encourage the remaining fruits to ripen more quickly, and again at the end of the growing season, to utilize all the remaining green fruit which will not end up ripening on the plants.

Read More for the simple recipe, and additional 'How To' photos.....then enjoy buen tomate verde!

MrMartha's Green Tomato Salsa

Note -- This recipe makes a salsa that is somewhere on the milder side of medium hot. MrMartha figures it's easier to add additional heat later on, than to be stuck with a huge vat of salsa that makes smoke come out of your ears....Taste the cooked salsa and add additional heat to your preference.

The recipe can easily be cut in half if you have a lesser quantity of green tomatoes available. You could also use Tomatillos instead of green tomatoes.

10 Cups cored, coarsely chopped, green tomatoes (approx 5 lbs)
4 Cups chopped onions
2-3 Cups chopped peppers
(Mr Martha uses a combination of Jalapeno with some Red Bell Pepper for color. If you are using milder chili peppers like Anaheims, or including chopped bell peppers, use the larger quantity. MrMartha prefers to remove the seeds and inner ribs from the Jalapeno's to decrease heat a bit, but that is up to you).
1 Cup white vinegar
1/2 Cup bottled lemon juice
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp salt

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan or dutch oven, and slowly bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer slowly for about 20 minutes -- or until all components are soft, but still retaining texture.

Remove a bit of the salsa, cool slightly, and taste for desired level of heat....
If needed, add your choice (or combination of ) cayenne pepper, cumin, chipotle chili power, or additional bottled hot sauce -- to taste.

Ladle the hot salsa into clean hot prepared canning jars, wipe the rims and set the lids.
Process in boiling water canning bath for 20 minutes (pints) or 35 minutes (quarts)
Remove from the water bath and allow to cool, check the seals.

If you prefer not to process for long term keeping, store jars in the refrigerator and use within a few weeks.

MrMartha likes to use both pint and quart jars....The pints make wonderful gifts -- and the quarts are best for home, because it disappears so quickly!

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Celebrating a Centennial Birthday...with Paper Dolls

MrMartha went to a Hundredth Birthday Party the other week....but it wasn't what you might think.

Two of MrMartha's dearest friends since 7th grade are twins -- and they both just turned Fifty!

They had requested no gifts at their party, but MrMartha had to do something cute and unexpected to commemorate the event....so the thinking cap went on....and the answer was PAPER DOLLS!

Not just any paper dolls, mind you, but a snapshot in time of the twins. Circa 1971-72 when MrMartha first met them. Both of the dolls are wearing McMurray Jr High PE uniforms, and their extra outfits, while not specific replicas of the twins clothing of the time (MrMartha's memory is not THAT exact), captured the spirit of the era. MrMartha was actually channeling Jan and Marsha's Brady Bunch outfits.

Lesa and Heidi have been wonderful friends for nearly 38 years, and it was really fun to figure out a little project that would remind them of our shared history, as well as allow others at their party who may not have known them for as long -- or may not really know them together as sisters -- to learn a bit more about them and their history.

MrMartha framed one copy of the paper dolls to have on display at the party, put personalized copies for the birthday girls into commemorative folios, and then printed enough extra copies so that other party guests could take one as a souvenir of the occasion.

This is a super idea that is easily replicated, and could be a marvelous and unexpected gift for just about anyone celebrating a milestone birthday, graduation, wedding shower, etc....by taking a specific point in their life and history and turning it into a fun vignette.

The essence of paper dolls is their charm. Simplified shapes, and cute caricatures are much more fun than exact portraits or excessive detail.

There are lots of resources online for templates and ideas.....One that MrMartha investigated before starting this project is a wonderful archive of vintage Betsy McCall paper dolls which have that same fun 'snapshot of a moment in time' aspect that MrMartha was trying to capture. (really worth a look even if you aren't contemplating this project)

Read More to find out how (relatively) simple it is to create your own version of this idea.


The simplest way to achieve a great result, if you are not an awesome freehand artist (and MrMartha is certainly not!) is a combination of scanning and tracing (and rescanning and retracing), combined with a simple graphics program like Microsoft Paint. Find some templates or ideas you like online, or scan some vintage photos of your subject, and print them out. Then, trace the outlines and simplify, while you adjust and add aspects specific to the one you are aiming to evoke. This process takes a little time, and probably a few trys, but you will soon come up with something you like. Use tracing paper, a light board, or just tape the paper layers to a window. Scan your initial design, print it out, and then continue to adjust and retrace as needed until you are happy with it.

The completed original doll and costumes can be colored with markers, watercolors, etc, before your final scan, or you can rescan it in black and white and then use your graphics program to add color. Use the graphics program as well to add headlines and additional text. A short paragraph about the honoree describing some history, or bit of triva that may not generally be known, is a nice addition.

Keep in mind, the doll isn't meant to be a perfect portrait of the one it commemorates, but it should capture a sense of them, and have some whimsey. Do an image search for "vintage paper dolls" and also for "Betty and Veronica" or other comic book type drawings, and look at how those artists simplify facial features. Try to capture the general shape of the persons face, and things like upturned or long nose, etc -- but the overall love put into the project is a lot more important than an exact likeness!

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MrMartha's Mid Century Design Primer

MrMartha has been transforming some very uninspired mid century spaces into something he hopes is going to be quite special.
As the new house was quite literally a blank canvas -- wimpy dead white walls with bad paint job, semi neglected tile work, badly chosen replacement light fixtures, and really zero percent creativity evident -- in anything done during the past 30 years.

Just how to bring the space back to a vibrancy, how to show off the mid century bones (and bells and whistles) that attracted MrMartha to the residence in the first place, has required some real thought. MrMartha will share photos of how the new place is coming together soon...but for now, lets focus on general mid century design trends.

The idea of MidCentury design seems to sort of congeal into a lump in most peoples minds (or at least those who think about it), fusing things that were actually popular within a span of about 30 years. The broad term refers to design between the late forties and the mid seventies.

(MrMartha's definition of mid century does not include the styles of Moderne or Art Deco, while they happened in "mid century" in terms of the calendar, they really are separate, stand alone styles.)
The apex of classic mid century design to MrMartha is circa 1962-65 -- but still has to include many, many icons that were designed much earlier, or still to come in the future.

Just like the fashions of 1955 were radically different than those just 10 years later in the late 60s, what was considered shockingly modern decor around 1953 would have seemed comical and frumpy by 1966. Times, trends, fashion, technology, and sophistication all changed radically in that turbulent period, and interior trends reflected it all....and, as with anything involving fashion, it did so in both tasteful, and very tacky ways.

To map out a design plan for a "current take" on the best of mid century, is walking a fine line in some very wide shoes. Things designed only a few years apart can seem very divergent and clashing when displayed together....but objects from the earliest years of mid century design (let's call that Post Moderne) really can co-exist with the height of 60s mod, and everything in between can be combined, if they are selected with care and sensitivity.

For MrMartha's own piece of mind, in trying to assemble the right formula of objects, MrMartha made some arbitrary divisions to determine what the identifiable trends and styles were, within the overall style umbrella of the full era.

Read More to learn more about MrMartha's take on the evolution of the styles, and some great photos of period interiors.



50's Modern: Took traditional furniture forms and stripped off some of their fussiness -- sofas lost arms, design details got simpler, fabrics were nubby tweeds and brightly printed barkcloth. Objects often took their shapes from an organic base, and nontraditional materials like Fiberglass began to find their way into the living space.

The buzz word for the most severe version of this look is "Atomic" decor -- though some call it Kitsch, if the decor focuses on the more outre' aspects of the aesthetic -- or Retro if it combines styles and trends from across all of mid century design.
And, just as Tomorrowland at Disneyland seemed outdated and arcane soon after it was built, so did many aspects of 50s Modern. For an easy timeline of this trend, think about the evolution of the Ricardo's couches during the 'I Love Lucy' series.

(yes, that is Liz Taylor)

60's Modern: This is the classic "Danish Modern" aesthetic. Simple spare and thin forms, design decisions often outweighing considerations of comfort.

Pendent lights in bullet or globe shapes were often seen. Boomerangs, jet wings, and that ultimate "Century 21 Worlds Fair" icon, Seattle's Space Needle, were all inspirations for furniture and objects -- designed for, and representing, the projected speed of life in the Jet Age, as things sped towards a future that was still expected to be just like the Jetsons.
This particular look is illustrated well in the office sets of "MadMen" which capture the whole idea of it with breathtaking correctness.


60's Contemporary: Consider this sort of the filtered down vernacular of "High 60's Modern". that doesn't mean it was bad, but a lot of this look did disintegrate to that lowest common denominator "Levitz" look.
The best examples of this style were quite wonderful...MrMartha likes to refer to this style as "Haute 60's".


For a quick mental snapshot of the style, picture Laura and Rob Petrie's ranch house in New Rochelle, from the original "Dick VanDyke Show". For the upper end luxe version of this look, Betsy and Don Draper's redecorated living room on "Madmen" hits the mid century nail right on it's vintage head.


Hollywood Post-Regency: Ah, now MrMartha is getting a bit arcane. The current rage for the generic decorating term "Hollywood Regency" which originally referred to a 1940s based theme, is at present, so all encompassing in its reach, it may as well be called 'black hat' -- it really be nearly anything (do an ebay search). There was a mid century offshoot of the original purer style. It took higher end designer furniture, often very sculptural, and added that trademark hollywood glitz.


Playing with scale was a hallmark of this vein of midcenturia, large sculptural clocks, gold and metallic details, swag lights that managed to be simultaneously whimsical and grave. This is mid century design gone over the top....either in a very good way.....or in a 'bad accident but I have to stare" way.
An offshoot of this style would be the big trophy homes in Palm Springs by architects like John Lautner with their amazing interiors.


70's Modern: MrMartha, having lived through this era with great disdain, finds it far too painful to discuss. For everything you need to know about 1970's decorating....watch an episode of "That Seventies Show" in syndication ---they nailed it!

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What is -- Tomato Pulp Fiction?

The Category: Violent Vegetable Films for $800
The Answer: Name of Tarantino's sauciest movie.

MrMartha has had a summer of voluptuous ripeness,
blushing orbs peeking out from their lacy corsets,
low hangers waiting to be firmly grasped .....
STOP THAT TRAIN OF THOUGHT !! -- MrMartha is talking about Tomatoes!

Upcoming tomato posts in the next few days:
Home Canning Tomatoes, step by step.
Green Tomato Salsa -- and you.
An unconventional Jalapeno and Tomato Jelly.
--- Keep Checking Back.


MrMartha got a call from his uncle the other day, asking about Tomato pulp....a viewer had enquired about it, regarding Uncle's youtube video on homemade tomato sauce (also featuring MrMartha's lovely and talented Aunt).
Turns out, there is a lot of superstition and myth surrounding the interior of any given tomato.

The specific Question: Why peel and seed tomatoes when cooking?

The Myths -- seeds are bad to ingest, the interior gel around the seeds can make you ill when cooked, the seeds are exceptionally bitter, and the ever popular -- any Italian cook would rather die than serve a seedy sauce.

The Bottom Line -- you never HAVE to peel or seed tomatoes to cook with them, you can use them exactly as they are after removing the tough core.

The Reasons FOR peeling and seeding:

They make a much smoother and richer sauce if the seeds (or most of the seeds) and watery pulp are removed.

The skins will contract during cooking and become rather tough threads and shreds, so it is really advisable to take a couple moments and peel the tomatoes after a quick dip in boiling water.
Then, cut them in half and use your thumb to release the seed and gel sacs inside. If the tomatoes are very ripe, just give each half a quick squeeze over the sink to get the job done.

Less liquid -- by pulling out the seeds and the more liquid part of the interior, you are putting more concentrated tomato flavor into your recipe, and will not need to cook it as long if the extra watery liquid has been removed.

All of the myths can have some level of truth in them, but a lot depends on the specific variety of tomato.

When you NEVER want to peel and seed tomatoes is when you are making a very quick and simple, fresh tomato sauce....in which case you would chop the whole cored tomato, and cook it till it barely warms through and softens, while releasing just a part of its juices....its the ultimate in simple tomato essence, but really needs a light touch and exceptionally good ripe tomatoes.

View Uncle's video:


Dont forget to click 'Read More' to see The Tomato Gallery.




A group of Midsummer tomatoes, fully vine ripened, with one beautiful fruit topping out at a pound on the scale!

A jumbo tomato on the vine....MrMartha has big hands -- though it's hard to tell in this shot!

The row of potted tomato plants on MrMartha's deck...languishing in almost 14 hours of daily sun during July.

One days harvest in early August, enough for a week of salads, and canning up four quarts of goodness!

Rocky the dog, guarding the crop against a couple of clever gourmet crows, and a single pesky squirrel who had a thing for green cherry tomatoes!

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