Martha - October 2020 by Lawrence Ambrocio

MARTHA STEWART

IN FALL GLORY

101

Ways to Celebrate the Season in Full HALLOWEEN FUN FOR ALL

Clever DIY Ideas for Your Home

PRETTY PATCH A glorious tumble of pumpkins and gourds at Martha’s farm.

OCTOBER 2020 $4.99 USA (CAN $5.99) MARTHASTEWART.COM

ONE-POT DINNER PLANS

Flexibility Is Key to Your Health YOGA POSES THAT WILL PAY YOUR BODY BACK AS YOU AGE

Standing Forward Bend: Stand straight up, with your feet slightly apart. Bring your arms straight up, fingers pointing at the sky. Slowly bend forward at the waist, opening your arms to the side and then down, bringing them together on your calves. Stretch to reach your ankles or place palms flat on the ground if it feels comfortable. Hug your legs closer to increase the stretch on your lower back and hamstrings.

Standing Split Pose: Stand straight up with your feet together. Shift your weight onto your right foot. While keeping your back straight, bend forward and raise your left leg behind you. Keep the leg straight or with a slight bend. As you pivot forward, keep your shoulders square and try touching your fingers to the floor. Lean further into your hands slowly, if it feels comfortable. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds before returning to standing. Repeat on opposite side.

Upward Dog: Lie face-down on a mat with legs straight and tops of your feet on the mat. Place hands on the mat, halfway up your ribcage. Inhale, press hands down, and slowly lift your upper body off the mat as you exhale. Draw shoulders back and press the tops of your feet into the mat. Slowly ease into the stretch. Your knees may lift off the mat. Upward Dog stretches your chest and abdominal muscles.

Tree Pose: Stand with feet together and palms in prayer position at the heart. Slowly raise one foot and rest it on the inside of the opposite calf or thigh. For an added challenge, raise arms above your head and stretch hands toward the ceiling. Hold for 10 to 20 seconds. Repeat with the other leg. Tree Pose is good for stretching your hips, knees and shoulders.

As we age, we often lose flexibility. It can make stretching harder—but also more important. “It’s funny how simple yoga poses can change your life,” says Janice Lennard, a yoga and Pilates instructor based in Rancho Mirage, Calif. “You hold your body straighter and move more easily, and it puts your mind in a happy place.” A 2019 analysis of nearly two dozen studies found that older adults who practice yoga report better balance and flexibility, and even improved mental health and sleep. As a lifelong yogi, Janice knows that a flexible body is just as important as having flexibility in your Medicare plan. Blue Cross Blue Shield Companies offer a number of Medicare options that support her health journey, so Janice can have a say in how she lives and cares for herself. Support your own health and flexibility by incorporating these four yoga poses into your morning routine:

Scan the QR code to visit BenefitOfBlue.com and discover Medicare options for every lifestyle and budget from Blue Cross Blue Shield Companies.

Brought to you by Blue Cross Blue Shield Companies, independent licensees of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA). The Martha Stewart Living name is a trademark owned by Meredith Corporation and in no way affiliated with BCBSA. Please consult with your healthcare team before starting a new fitness program. Source: International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Activity

Coverage you trust when it matters most. That’s the Benefit of Blue.SM

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Martha’s October Tuesday

Wednesday

She Has a New Book! “As a lifelong baker, I’ve always really enjoyed making cakes. This volume has more than 100 delicious recipes, including many of my favorites!” —Martha

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Dig up potatoes

Get flu shot

Pick and preserve the last of summer’s tomatoes

Cardio and core

Weight training

Go for a nature walk with Jude and Truman

Cut dahlias for arrangements

Harvest apples

Repot agaves

Bathe cats and trim their nails

Move tropical plants indoors

Horseback ride

Weight training

Yoga

Cardio and core

Weight training

Take dogs for a long walk

COLUMBUS DAY

Martha Stewart’s Cake Perfection hits bookstores (for a sneak peek, see page 78)

Prepare chicken coops for winter

Friend Emeril Lagasse’s birthday

Bake saffron shortbread (see page 75)

Hike with Jude and Truman

Cardio and core

Weight training

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ DAY

Plant trees (see page 13) Weight training

Yoga

Horseback ride

Friend Laurence Booth-Clibborn’s birthday

Swap out summer linens for winter bedding

Move citrus trees indoors

Take drone photos of fall foliage

Plant springblooming bulbs around farm

Decorate house for Halloween

Weight training

Yoga

Cardio and core

Weight training

Carve pumpkins with Jude and Truman

Rake and collect fall leaves for compost

Plant garlic

Bake spiced snacking cake (see page 80)

Pick quinces; make jam

Clean gutters

HALLOWEEN

Weight training

Yoga

Cardio and core

Weight training

| INSPIRING FALL READS | Uprooted (Timber Press) tells through essays and photography how gardener and writer Page Dickey broke ground on a new plot (and new chapter) in Connecticut. In Life in the Studio (Artisan), ceramist Frances Palmer shares just-roll-up-your-sleeves advice on throwing pottery, growing dahlias, cooking her tried-and-true recipes, and everything in between. Sean Scherer’s Kabinett & Kammer (Vendome) is a visual feast for collectors, full of ideas for displaying beloved objects.

OCTOBER 2020

COURTESY OF PUBLISHERS

GENTLE REMINDERS, HELPFUL TIPS, AND IMPORTANT DATES

CLEANSING, REINVENTED GENTLY CLEANSE & REMOVE MAKEUP IN 1 STEP

Sensitive Skin

Hydrating

Mattifying

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 LIFT OIL AND IMPURITIES  CLEANSE WITHOUT RINSING  REMOVE MAKEUP WITHOUT RUBBING NO SULFATES OR PARABENS

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OCTOBER 2020

Contents THE PARTY

Martha’s latest book features more than 100 incredible, encore-worthy cakes. Step right up for the first slice.

84 EXTRA

TERRESTRIAL

These pumpkin displays, teeming with textural plants and skittering critters, are totally out of this world.

90 GOING THEIR OWN WAY

A wildly creative couple are building a life in the desert, one beautiful, handmade detail at a time.

98 AUTUMN AGLOW

Planted to the hilt with diverse perennials and annuals, a lush Vermont garden comes newly alive in fall.

OCTOBER 2020

Finest Threads Organic saffron flourishes on a California farm— and inspires five fragrant recipes.

GENTL AND HYERS (PEARS); KELLY BROWN (DESERT); SETH SMOOT (COSTUME); COURTESY OF MANUFACTURER (VETIVER); CHRIS CHURCHILL (BATHROOM); CON POULOS (SOUP)

78 LIFE OF

20 FROM MARTHA Deep Roots 13 Our founder has been on a quest to plant more trees on her farm, for both their beauty and ecological benefits.

GOOD THINGS

56 46

EVERYDAY FOOD

17 Kids’ costumes and ingenious candy carriers, wickedgood cocktails, eyepopping Halloween décor, and more.

In Season: Core Values 53 Why stop at an apple a day? Here are three ways to enjoy every variety. What’s for Dinner? La Vida Vegetarian 56 Meatless Monday meets taco Tuesday in these fresh spins on Mexican dishes.

GOOD LIVING The Well-Kept Home: Personal Projects 23 Our home editor updated her kitchen, and out-DIY’d herself. Gardening: Fall Flair 26 Beautyberry shrubs turn heads this time of year. Learn about the varieties and their needs. American Made: Early Risers 28 A Maine artist crafts ceramic dishware in a painterly palette.

Tastemaker: The Yogi 32 Self-care essentials from a wellness champion.

Potluck: One Big Family 58 A vibrant new cookbook features recipes (and wisdom) from 16 African grandmas.

Change Makers: Cast Your Ballot 34 A smart guide to voting, and helping others do so, too.

Easy Entertaining: Tour de France 60 For a taste of Alsace at home, simmer this sausage-androot-vegetable stew.

Beauty: Love Your Neck 38 Quick steps to a smoother, firmer décolletage.

Departments

Health & Wellness: Well Prepared 40 Organizing your medical info is easy— and more important than ever. Ask Martha 46 All your pressing questions answered.

Martha’s Month 2 Editor’s Letter 6 Out & About 8 The Workbook 104 Recipe Index 104 Remembering 112

| ON THE COVER |

ORANGE CRUSH Heirloom pumpkins and prickly fruits strike a pose at Martha’s Bedford home. For more get-in-the-spirit ideas, see page 84. Photograph by Ngoc Minh Ngo. Created by Naomi deMañana.

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

EDITOR’S LETTER

| LIVING IN MY LIFE |

Silver Linings Playbook

Our new column, Potluck, invites talented chefs and foodies we admire to share cooking lessons from their own lives. Page 58.

ONE THING IS CERTAIN: A lot feels uncertain right now. As I write

to you in August, I’m wishing for a crystal ball to tell me what October might bring. This is the fourth issue the Living team has published from our home offices (and dining-room tables), and I’ve learned from the previous three that so much can happen between when I type this note and when you read it. The pandemic numbers are rising in the country, and the toll is staggering. Challenges fill the news daily, and the September back-to-school situation isn’t looking the least bit familiar. I’m hoping things will be better when this reaches you. We are living through profoundly trying times. And yet these days I do find comfort in the things I can make better, like creating new (and smoother) routines, reorganizing longvexing spots (the front hall closet), taking time for fresh air and exercise, and planning good meals with family. The home front, where this all starts, also happens to be the place we celebrate at Living each month. On these pages, you’ll get new recipes; fun Halloween ideas; practical tips; mouthwatering cakes from Martha’s new book, Cake Perfection; and features on creative people who have forged the work and life they’ve always wanted. I hope these stories leave you inspired to think about all we can do right now, not what we can’t. Our home editor, Lorna Aragon, took this time to improve her kitchen, using fresh coats of paint, fabric, and items she already owned. Luckily for us, her photographer husband, Charles Maraia, was there to capture all the details. This year has undoubtedly dealt us an interesting hand, but the upside is we get to choose how to throw our cards down. Be safe, be well, and keep playing!

Elizabeth Graves, Editor in Chief

Our home editor took her shelter-in-place time to spruce up fleamarket finds she had, including this old medical cabinet. Page 23.

Apple picking might be the outdoor “sport” we can really get behind this season. “Core Values” offers scrumptious ideas for your haul. Page 53.

In “Finest Threads,” contributing editor Hannah Milman takes us to Peace and Plenty Farm. The prolific saffron plant she gave me continues to delight us. Page 70.

Editor at large Naomi deMañana got Martha’s farm into the Halloween spirit. It’s equal parts stunning and spooky. Page 84.

Email me at elizabeth@marthastewart.com Follow me on @ ebgraves

For all subscription inquiries, call 800-999-6518.

OCTOBER 2020

PORTRAIT BY PERRY HAGOPIAN

KHADIJA M. FAR AH & JENNIFER MAY (POTLUCK); CHARLES MAR AIA (CABINET); CON POULOS (APPLE CRUMBLE); GENTL AND HYERS (SAFFRON); NGOC MINH NGO (PUMPKINS)

Here, just a handful of our ideas that I’m excited about this month.

REFLECTIONS ON HOME

Connect with a designer in our stores or virtually, and shop anytime online at mgbwhome.com.

Out & About

WHERE TO GO, WHAT TO SEE, AND HOW TO SPILL SOME FUN INTO YOUR FALL

| ON THE ROAD |

| WHY NOT? |

GRAPE ESCAPES

Get All Dressed Up Hit one of these costume jackpots and let your Halloween flag fly.

A very good vino poured in a verdant setting is transporting— even at a winery just outside of a city. Take in the endless rolling hills of Barboursville Vineyards (shown), a half hour from Charlottesville, Virginia, with a bottle of the estate’s flagship Octagon red blend and a plate of the restaurant’s fresh tagliatelle (bbvwine.com). Here, three more spots for a getaway in a glass. ALBUQUERQUE Gruet Winery makes quite a splash in this desert town. Its much-lauded bubbly sparkles to life on machinery imported from Champagne, France; watch the process on a tour (with an advance reservation). gruetwinery.com

GENEVA, N.Y. Book the weekend Tasting Table experience to sample Ravines Wine Cellars classics in élevage— directly from the cask or barrel— and enjoy them paired with seasonal bites like braised-beef sliders. ravineswine.com

WESTMINSTER, MD. Kick back under the pavilion at Old Westminster Winery, and order a punchy Pinot Gris and wood-fired pizza to your table by simply sending a text message. oldwestminster.com

Funky Monkey Like the city it calls home, this New Orleans stalwart is always ready to party. Peruse its rotating selection of polka dots, tropical prints, and tie-dyes, and pull together a rocking retro look in a flash. funkymonkeynola.com

Lucy in Disguise With Diamonds This Austin, Texas, institution is frighteningly well-stocked: Live out your rhinestone-cowboy or Vegas-showgirl dreams, or unearth period garb from any decade of the 1900s.

Piedmont Boutique The disco era is alive and glittery at this San Francisco storefront; it carries a zany array of customizable faux-fur, feathered, and sequined pieces. piedmontboutique .com

| ON OUR BOOKSHELF |

This month, we’re tucking into a multicourse menu of cookbooks. For starters: Old World Italian (Clarkson Potter), by Mimi Thorisson, whose dreamy Instagram feed offers glimpses into her adventures cooking and renovating a château in France. The book highlights favorite spots in her new stomping ground (the boot), and gathers recipes she’s learned firsthand from local experts. The New Rules of Cheese (Ten Speed) is turning us into veritable mongers, thanks to author Anne Saxelby’s lessons on new varieties and delicious pairings. East (Flatiron), by Guardian columnist Meera Sodha, is expanding our vegetarian repertoire with enticingly simple recipes like squash malai kari, made luxuriously rich with coconut milk and spices. And Julia Bainbridge’s Good Drinks (Ten Speed) is topped up with ideas for zero-proof sips—we’ll be mixing the salted rosemary paloma.

OCTOBER 2020

Screaming Mimi’s Slip into character at this vintage atelier in New York City. Some of its accessories hail from theatrical companies like the New York City Opera. screamingmimis.com

LUCA PASCHINA (VINEYARD); COURTESY OF PUBLISHERS (BOOKS)

lucyindisguise.com

Today, snack a little bolder.

MARTHA STEWART FOUNDER AND CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER MARTHA STEWART

EDITOR IN CHIEF ELIZABETH GRAVES Editorial General Manager Meesha Diaz Haddad Creative Director Abbey Kuster-Prokell Executive Editor Jennifer Tung EDITORIAL Copy Chief/Articles Editor Myles McDonnell Features & Garden Editor Melissa Ozawa Home Editor Lorna Aragon Senior Editor Elyse Moody Research Director Ann Sackrider Associate Editor Claire Sullivan Assistant Editor Erica Sloan FOOD & ENTERTAINING Editorial Director Sarah Carey Deputy Editor Greg Lofts Editor at Large Shira Bocar Senior Editor Lauryn Tyrell Assistant Editor Riley Wofford

ART Art Director James Maikowski Senior Designer Emma Warren Design Production Manager Judy Glasser Art/Photo Assistant Madeline Warshaw ST YLE Director Tanya Graff Editor at Large Naomi deMañana Editorial Assistant Jaclyn DeNardi PHOTO Director Ryan Mesina Editor Joanna T. García

DIGITAL Executive Editor Jennifer Cress Executive Producer, Video Karen Berner Deputy Editor Gabriella Rello Senior Food Editor Victoria Spencer Editors Alexandra Churchill, Emily Goldman, Sarah Schreiber Associate Food Editor Kelly Vaughan Senior Social Media Manager Christina Park

CONTRIBUTORS Melañio Gomez, Fritz Karch, Ryan McCallister, Hannah Milman, Michelle Shih, Alexis Stewart, Silke Stoddard

SVP, GROUP PUBLISHER DAREN MAZZUCCA Associate Publisher, Marketing Sandra Salerno Roth ADVERTISING SALES

NEW YORK Integrated Sales Directors Deborah Maresca, Susan Schwartzman, Taylor Theiss, Dina Treglia Sales Assistant Nicole DeVita MIDWEST Integrated Sales Director Brad Moore Sales Assistant Tom Russell WEST COAST Integrated Account Director Janet Yano

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DETROIT VP, Group Sales Director Wendy Rosinski DIRECT MEDIA Associate Business Development Manager Alexia Vicario Executive Assistant Jill O’Toole INTEGRATED MARKETING Director, Marketing Allison Kelly Creative Director Lisa Kim Associate Marketing Director Mara Weiss Marketing Coordinator Heather Molzon

MARTHA STEWART BRAND MANAGEMENT MARQUEE BRANDS President Michael DeVirgilio Chief Operating Officer Cory Baker President, Home Division Carolyn D’Angelo EVP, Executive Director of Design Kevin Sharkey SVP, Marketing Stella Cicarone SVP, Content Strategy Kimberly Miller-Olko VP, Culinary Director Thomas Joseph

PRODUCTION, CIRCULATION & FINANCE Production Director John Beard Production Manager Julee Evans Production Traffic Supervisor Kelsey Garin Director of Quality Joseph Kohler Color Quality Analyst Jill Hundahl Prepress Desktop Specialist Don Atkinson Consumer Marketing Manager Jennifer Watson Senior Business Manager Renée Scott Advertising Business Manager Zena Norbont General Manager, Digital Angelique Jurgill MEREDITH NATIONAL MEDIA GROUP President, Meredith Magazines Doug Olson President, Consumer Products Tom Witschi President, Chief Digital Officer Catherine Levene Chief Business & Data Officer Alysia Borsa Chief Revenue Officer Michael Brownstein Marketing & Integrated Communications Nancy Weber

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENTS Consumer Revenue Andy Wilson Corporate Sales Brian Kightlinger Direct Media Patti Follo Research Solutions Britta Cleveland Strategic Sourcing, Newsstand, Production Chuck Howell Digital Sales Marla Newman The Foundry Matt Petersen Product & Technology Justin Law VICE PRESIDENTS Finance Chris Susil Business Planning & Analysis Rob Silverstone Consumer Marketing Steve Crowe Brand Licensing Toye Cody and Sondra Newkirk Corporate Communications Jill Davison

Vice President, Group Editorial Director Liz Vaccariello Director, Editorial Operations & Finance Alexandra Brez

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Chairman Stephen M. Lacy Vice Chairman Mell Meredith Frazier

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From MARTHA TEACH AND INSPIRE

LOCAL BRANCHES Martha plants new trees every spring and fall. This dogwood, which she put in more than a decade ago, glows orangey-red this time of year.

DEEP ROOTS Martha is passionate about trees, for both their beauty and the vital role they play in the environment. Over the past eight years, she’s added dozens of breathtaking varieties to her Bedford farm. Learn her method for planting them—and planning for a bright future. PHOTOGRAPHS BY NGOC MINH NGO

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

LIVING LEGENDS When Martha bought her property 20 years ago, it was an open field. She’s added thousands of trees, including this weeping hornbeam, left, and an allée of pin oaks, below, which turn crimson in autumn.

I would just grow trees. I love their incredible variety. They can be tall and majestic, weeping or cone-shaped; have trunks with smooth or exfoliating barks; and produce blossoms that smell like perfume or delicious fruit or nuts. Some sprout up quickly, while others take what seems like forever to develop into proud centenarians. I wish I had the space in this column to share with you all the different seedlings I have ordered over the past eight years. It has become a near-obsession of mine to see how many babies I can grow into strong saplings, and then plant in the woods and along the roads and paths to create allées on the farm. Trees are unquestionably important to our environment, providing oxygen, cleaning drinking water, helping combat climate change, and providing habitats for wildlife, among so many other benefits. Every year, I add as many as I can. Some are native species like maples, oaks, and pines. Others have been a bit more exotic, including beeches, lindens, katsuras, ginkgos, and Camperdown elms.

OCTOBER 2020

N ANOTHER LIFE,

Each spring, I have such fun looking through tree-nursery catalogs, like those from Musser Forests, in Pennsylvania, and the wholesale nursery JLPN, in Oregon. I read all their fabulous descriptions before making my decisions. Since my farm is in Zone 5, I seek out varieties that will be hardy here, and then decide where to put them based on how large they’ll get, how much light they require, and whether they like moist or dry soil. I then grow the babies in pots for at least 12 months, and later put them in the ground, around this time of the year or in the spring. Most of the seedlings I am adding won’t reach their mature size in my lifetime, but I love to envision what they will look like decades from now. After all, I’m not planting only for myself—my motto is pour l’avenir (“for the future”). I’m doing this for my grandchildren and whoever wanders through my woodland to enjoy, as well as for our planet. I hope I have inspired you to plant a tree of your own. You’ll be rewarded for many years to come.

How to plant a container tree 1. FIND A LOCATION

PHOTOGR APHS BY JOHNNY MILLER (SAPLINGS); ILLUSTR ATIONS BY BROWN BIRD DESIGN

Check the requirements for your variety. Does it need light, or prefer shade? Will it require a moist or dry area? Then before breaking out your shovel, call 811 to make sure you won’t hit any power lines in your chosen spot.

4. PUT IT IN POSITION

Follow the guideline “bare to the flare.” The root flare, or collar (the place where the roots start to spread out from the trunk), should be flush with the soil line. Add a mixture of compost and soil to reach that height. Then place the tree in the hole, making sure it’s straight, and backfill. Lightly tamp down the soil to remove air pockets.

2. GIVE IT ROOM TO GROW

A HEALTHY START Martha orders baby, bare-root saplings in bulk, because they’re much less expensive than mature specimens. After rehydrating their roots in water for several hours, she plants each one in a pot, using a mixture of compost and potting soil, and leaves them there for a year to 18 months, so their root systems have time to develop before she moves them into the ground.

With a sharp shovel, dig a hole about twice as wide and deep as the size of the pot, and loosen the surrounding soil. Clear any large rocks; add water to the bottom.

5. MULCH AND HYDRATE

Give your newly planted tree a long drink of water. Then top with a couple of inches of mulch, leaving several inches of the space right around the trunk bare (to prevent rot). For the first few months, leave a hose running directly on the spot for about 10 minutes once a week.

3. REMOVE THE SAPLING

Loosen the edges of the container, and gently slide the tree out. Break apart the roots with your hands, or slice an X through the root ball with a knife.

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

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| CELEBRATE |

ST YLING BY KENDR A SMOOT

Pick Your Poison October is the time for summoning spirits, including the boo-zy kind. To give your home bar a macabre makeover, decant liquor into dark-as-night infinity jars, the classic apothecary vessels made from black ultraviolet glass. (They won’t give their contents eternal life, but will help them last longer.) Download our labels at marthastewart.com/poisonliquorlabels, print them on sticker paper, and get affixing and mixing. For details (eye-popping cocktail onions included), turn the page. TEXT BY LISA BUTTERWORTH

PHOTOGRAPHS BY SETH SMOOT

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

| SIP & REPEAT |

Spooky Specials

Bitter Martini Pour 2 ounces gin and ¾ ounce amaro (such as Amaro Nepèta) into a cocktail shaker of ice; shake 10 seconds. Strain into a chilled martini glass, garnish with onionolive eyeballs (use the tip of a paring knife or a small melon baller to carve a ½-inch well into one side of a large cocktail onion; insert a pimiento-stuffedolive slice; skewer), and serve.

Extra Dark & Stormy Muddle 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger with 1 teaspoon superfine sugar in a highball glass. Add ¾ ounce fresh lime juice and crushed ice. Top with 1 ounce dark rum, then 1 ounce amaro. Peel a long strip of orange zest. Using tongs, wave edge over a gas flame; roll and skewer. Stir drink; serve with burnt “rose.”

THE DETAILS (from left): Infinity Jars square glass bottle with oil spout, 250 ml, $17; long-neck glass bottle, 500 ml, $26; round glass bottle, 1 l, $27; square glass bottle with oil spout, 500 ml, $22; and glass cosmetic-style widemouth jar, 200 ml (holding onions), $22, infinityjars.com. BambooMN black bamboo knotted picks, 5.9", $8 for 100, amazon.com.

OCTOBER 2020

| PROVISIONS |

Night of the Living Dip Snackers will bug out over this decadent appetizer, especially once they taste how the leggy little garnishes make its rich flavors pop. Swirl together cream cheese, Danish blue cheese, and heavy cream with garlic, shallots, and Worcestershire, then bake and top with dates and raisins (for the bugs’ bodies) and slivered almonds and pepitas (for their appendages). Serve with moody crudités, like red endives, radishes, and purple carrots, and it’s grub time. For the recipe, see page 104.

PHOTOGR APHS BY K ATE SEARS, FOOD ST YLING BY CHRIS L ANIER, PROP ST YLING BY SUZIE MYERS (DIP AND DRINKS); ST YLING BY KENDR A SMOOT (HALLOWEEN DÉCOR)

Amaro, an herbal Italian liqueur, gives these cool cocktails a fall twist. Make it a double, for your toil and trouble.

| DIY DÉCOR |

Hocus Focus

Jeepers, creepers, get a load of these googly peepers. Our über-animated accents bring nooks and crannies around your home hilariously to life, and come together in the blink of a you-know-what. Brush dried gourds or avocado pits (for smaller versions) with craft paint, then prop a pair wherever you want to, well, keep an eye out for mischief. Give your hearth the heebie-jeebies, or create some gawking greenery by attaching them to stakes and nestling them into plants or shrubbery. They’ll be on the lookout all night long.

HOW-TO 1

CHOOSE TWO similarly sized dried gourds or avocado pits. Paint them white all over; let dry completely. USING A PENCIL and a

plate, cup, or other small circular object (like a penny) as a guide, trace a circle on the center of the bottoms of the gourds, or the sides of the pits. If using gourds, trace or draw a slightly smaller circle inside the first one. FOR AVOCADO PITS , paint the circle black. For gourds, paint the outer circle gray and the inner circle black. Let dry completely. HOT-GLUE the “eyes” onto bamboo stalks or wooden dowels; let dry completely. THE DETAILS: Martin/Kettle blemished gourds, 9", $9 each; and Chinese minibottle gourds, 3" to 4", $3 each, amishgourds.com. FolkArt Home Decor chalk paint, in assorted colors, $10 for 8 oz., michaels.com.

MORE DÉCOR Hover your smartphone camera here for additional ideas, or go to martha stewart.com/ halloween-decor.

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

| DIY STYLE |

Arm Candy Every kid knows the treats are the heroes of Halloween. These sturdy carriers are extra-worthy of that precious cargo, and turn standard costumes into the stuff of legend. And since they’re constructed from common cardboard boxes (we see you, oatmeal canister), the only trick is remembering to save a few from the recycling. For the how-tos, see page 108.

1. WITCH’S FAMILIAR A little craft magic turns a hatbox into a kitty sidekick with paperplate ears, a paper-bowl snout, and wire whiskers. Dress your sorceress in black, including hat and broom, and she’s ready to fly.

2. DOROTHY’S RAINBOW No wizardry is required— just a large cardboard box, a piece of poster board, and Roy G. Biv paints. Add a gingham dress, sparkly shoes, and pigtails, and watch your costume troubles melt like lemon drops.

3. POSH LADY’S PUP

For this girl’s BFF, bookend an oatmeal canister with paper bowls, and add a papier-mâché egg for the head, and poster board for the ears, tail, legs, and collar. A chic shift and shoes complete the ensemble.

An oatmeal canister, a papier-mâché egg for the nose, a cone for the tail, and poster board for the teeth and fins make this shark the catch of day or night. The vest and rod will reel in candy givers hook, line, and sinker.

OCTOBER 2020

ST YLING BY KENDR A SMOOT

4. ANGLER’S SURPRISE

A STEP AHEAD FOR THEIR

BEST LIFE

Good LIVING HOME, STYLE, BEAUTY, HEALTH

MUDROOM MOJO To transform the kitchen corner near the front door into a smart landing spot, Lorna added a bench she got at a tag sale, brushed it up with paint in her go-to gray (see page 25), and fitted it with Container Store bins painted to match and porcelain knobs. Shaker peg rails in the same color hug the walls above. For sources, see page 110.

| THE WELL-KEPT HOME |

Personal Projects

While sheltering in place this spring, Living home editor Lorna Aragon got right down to work—in the classic sense, of course, but also on her house. She checked off a handful of creative to-dos that had long been on her list, and DIY-ed her way to a more beautiful, functional entryway and kitchen. Come on in, and see how her two worlds collided. TEXT BY ELYSE MOODY

PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHARLES MARAIA

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

THE DETAILS: Thomas O’Brien Longacre small table lamp, $435, circalighting.com.

EMBRACE LABELS

LINE AND DINE For a crisp finish, she also trimmed nonadhesive, nonslip Solid Easy liner sheets from the Container Store to fit her drawers: If you have a spill, just wash the affected one in the sink. From $7 for 4 ft., containerstore.com.

Drawers for Days An antique dental cabinet Lorna scored for $90 at a country auction solved one of her kitchen’s biggest setbacks: It had just one drawer, by the sink, with room only for her everyday flatware. “You can find lots of old office-supply furniture with great compartments like this,” she says. After sanding off the rust, she brushed on super-glossy oil-based paint, lightly sanded it again, and gave it a second coat. The yard-sale shelf with the jars mounted above used to hold nails and screws. Lorna painted the frame to match, cleaned the jars, and filled them with spices.

OCTOBER 2020

SECRET SOURCE

The best spice jars are straight-sided and ”easy to dip a tablespoon into,” Lorna says. Specialty Bottle sells new ones that fit the bill. $1.25 each, specialtybottle.com.

PETER ARDITO (PAINT); COURTESY OF MANUFACTURERS (L ABEL MAKER, DR AWER LINERS, SPICE JAR, FABRIC SWATCHES)

Lorna tagged her spice jars with a Brother P-Touch label maker so she can tell her paprika from her cayenne in the heat of the moment. “For a cleaner look, put each one on the bottom,” she says. From $23, staples.com.

Salvaged Storage Left behind in Lorna’s basement by a previous homeowner, this cabinet was in, ahem, rustic shape before she brought it upstairs, painted it to fit right in, and gave it new nickel hardware and a job to do. Now it holds pantry goods and bowls up top, and hides appliances beneath—her toaster oven, food processor, and microwave—behind a curtain she sewed from French ticking-stripe fabric she had handy, and mounted on a nickel café rod. An adjacent laboratory table (a flashback to chemistry class!) that she found at an antiques shop and repainted offers counter space with a genius twist: Its top is totally heatproof. The cubbies underneath, intended for textbooks, stow cutting boards and rolling pins. THE DETAILS: Left: School’s In science table with book compartments (similar to shown), 24" by 60" by 30", $386, schoolsin.com. King Arthur Flour retro bread box (similar to shown), $40, shop.kingarthurflour.com. Below: Ohio Stoneware crock (similar to shown), 10 gal., $110, acehardware.com.

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NIFTY SHADES OF GRAY Most of Lorna’s furniture and woodwork is painted in Benjamin Moore Sandy Hook Gray (above left), a warm tone that closely resembles Martha Stewart Mourning Dove, the discontinued color she painted her cabinets years ago. She had Fine Paints of Europe’s Hollandlac Brilliant 98 formula matched to them, to give the dental cabinet a smooth, hard finish. The walls are Benjamin Moore Light Pewter, a paler gray (above right).

REFINED FABRICS To emulate Lorna’s cupboard curtain, try French General homedecorative fabric in (from left) St Remy Red or Septfond Hemp. From $57 a yd., frenchgeneral.com.

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

GOOD LIVING GARDENING

1 1. In spring, the leaves of Callicarpa dichotoma ‘Spring Gold’ emerge yellow, then turn a vivid green before maturing to a golden hue in fall and bursting with violet berries.

2. The compact C. japonica ‘Leucocarpa’ displays a pro‑ fusion of pale fruit, which can discolor after a freeze‑and‑ thaw cycle.

3. As its name suggests, C. japonica ‘Heavy Berry’ produces copious clusters of plum‑colored berries after its tiny but fragrant flowers bloom in summer.

4. A newer cultivar, C. dichotoma var. albafructus ‘Duet’ has an upright, rounded silhouette, with small, white‑edged leaves and tiny ivory fruit. 5. You’ll smell the graceful, sweetly scented flowers of C. dichotoma ‘Early Amethyst’ before you see it. It’s also one of the first to produce fruit, starting in late summer.

Fall Flair

Beautyberry is an easygoing shrub that truly sparkles during the cooler months. Here are some eye-catching varieties to grow at home. TEXT BY MELISSA OZAWA

OCTOBER 2020

Below: The native C. americana is a pollinator’s paradise. Birds love to nest in its arching branches and snack on the fruits, which cling, as with all beautyberries, long after the leaves fall off.

As its common name implies, Callicarpa, or beautyberry, stands out quite beautifully this time of year, when its branches pop with amethyst or pearly-white ornamental berries. “It’s an all-star plant, but not one that many people know,” says Adam Wheeler, horticultural manager at Broken Arrow Nursery, in Hamden, Connecticut. He suggests planting it in a spot with well-drained, evenly moist soil and ample light. (It grows fine in partshade, but produces more flowers and fruit in full sun.) Prune shrubs to just 18 inches high in early spring if they start to look messy. The rejuvenating haircut will lead to a tidier plant and even more berries later.

GAP PHOTOS/VISIONS (BOT TOM RIGHT)

6. Lightly dotted with delicate bright‑purple berries, the rare C. dichotoma ‘Splashy’ sports leaves that look as if they’re splattered with creamy paint.

PHOTOGRAPH BY BRYAN GARDNER

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Artist Ariela Kuh’s mugs are just the thing to rouse a sleepy morning routine. A painting major in college, Kuh rarely dabbled in three dimensions—until a friend encouraged her to take a ceramics course at the Fleisher Art Memorial, in Philadelphia, where Kuh was teaching postgrad. It was love at first touch. “There was something so direct about the utility of what I was making that I found totally enchanting,” says the Massachusetts native. But her years behind the easel were not lost on her work today: An eye for color gives her saturated line of dishware and hand-thrown vessels a unique appeal. “If you look closely at works by Canaletto or Giotto, you’ll see dashes of brilliant red,” says Kuh, describing the inspiration behind the glaze of her Cad mug (top row, middle). “It’s amazing how a little bit of a bright, juicy shade can shift an entire scene.” —Erica Sloan

When minerals in clay react with heat and a certain white glaze, they create a speckled effect (as seen on the Sparrow mug, near right). “I love that it’s a natural pattern that is different every time,” Kuh says. Clockwise from top left: Fever, Cad, Dune, Pink, and Sparrow mugs, from $40 each, ankceramics.com.

OCTOBER 2020

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRISTOPHER TESTANI

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GOOD LIVING TASTEMAKER

“I admire the designer John Patrick because he focused on making sustainability cool early on.”

2 3

The Yogi Adriene Mishler

Founder, Yoga With Adriene, Austin, Texas

In 2012, a young actress sporting hand-me-down leggings and bangs she’d cut herself began filming and uploading yoga videos online. The Texas–born, hatha–trained Mishler was hardly the first to do so, but her warm, approachable, even goofy manner stood out. She offered a free alternative to expensive classes— no judgment, no distracting chatter. “I just wanted to help my friends and family feel good,” she says. Today, more than eight million YouTube subscribers salute the sun in hundreds of sessions: Some are tailored to nurses, gardeners, or the brokenhearted; others target lower-back pain or stress. Most are shot in her serene dining room, a space she shares with towering houseplants and Benji, her blue-heeler-mix pup. Whether traveling the world to teach workshops or walking in her hometown, Mishler wears clothing from independent designers. “I like things that are timeless and well-made,” she says. Her mission—to provide as much free, high-quality yoga to as many people as possible—remains equally unfussy. “The hardest part is just showing up. But you’ll come away with a sliver of love, forgiveness, and acceptance for yourself,” says Mishler, who opens each class the same way: “Hop into something comfy, and let’s get started.” —Melissa Ozawa

OCTOBER 2020

6 “I love this mat, but when I’m on the road, I carry the lightweight Jade Voyager. It’s awesome for travel.”

COURTESY OF Y WA (PORTR AIT); GET T Y IMAGES (HYDR ANGEA); PETER ARDITO (SALT, MINER AL WATER); COURTESY OF MANUFACTURERS (OTHERS)

“I was never afraid to do things my own way, which I learned from my mom, a MexicanAmerican woman who worked her way up to become head of the theater department at her university.”

Her Essentials

1 | Devotions, by Mary Oliver “I keep this book by my bedside and read from it often. Every poem feels like a treat.” Penguin Press, $30, indiebound.org. 2 | Miranda Bennett silk-noil scrunchie “She does the most beautiful, missiondriven work for women and the earth. I wear her tunic dresses, too.” $28, shopmiranda bennett.com.

4 | Dr. Teal’s Pure Epsom salts “To unwind, I take long walks with Benji and soak in a hot bath with this.” $4 for 4 lb., target.com.

3 | Organic by John Patrick Bias long slipdress, in Salvia “One of my staples. It’s great for layering and travel—I dress it up with heels, or down with sneakers or boots.” $189, organicbyjohn patrick.com.

5 | Moleskine Classic pocket notebook “I carry a black one with me at all times.” $16, staples.com. 6 | MAC Cosmetics matte lipstick, in Red Rock “I stick to natural lips most days, but go with red ones on Christmas and whenever I’m in Mexico City.” $19, maccosmetics .com.

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16 15 “I make a latte with this, almond milk, and a little bit of honey in the Vitamix.”

7 | OPI nail polish, in Tiramisu for Two “Since I do so much shooting, I make sure to have color on my fingers and toes.” $11, opi.com.

8 | Vetiver Skin Studio vetiver body oil “It’s so pure; I just love the consistency and the smell.” $42, vetiverskinstudio .com. 9 | Mark’s Tous Les Jours ballpoint pens “They’re the most colorful things on my desk.” $4.50 each, may day-press.com. 10 | Manduka Pro yoga mat, in Midnight “I use this or the Pro Lite at home.” $120, manduka.com. 11 | Hydrangeas “I don’t have a lot on my walls, but I get a pop of color from bookshelves, beautiful rugs, and flowers.” 12 | Kati Von Lehman Speckled vase “I love to keep fresh flowers in this vessel; it’s a treasure.” $170, kati-vonlehman .com. 13 | Topo-Chico mineral water “There’s something about taking a cold bottle on a hot walk.” From $2, topo chicousa.net. 14 | Kalon Stump “I’m a big fan of this sustainable company. This piece is decorative, but I use it for triceps dips and one-legged squats. It makes me feel so artist-chic!” From $85, kalon studios.com. 15 | Adidas Ultraboost 20 SB sneakers “Comfortable and supportive, they’re my go-to for my daily run.” $180, adidas.com. 16 | Matcha Love Organic “It’s my afternoon pick-me-up.” $17 for 0.7 oz., matchalove.com.

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

MARTHA ST E WA RT

CHANGE MAKERS

in our country, vote: Every marked ballot helps realize the ideals of our democracy. As we head toward the next general election, however, U.S. voters face critical decisions and unexpected challenges. The presidential race will be the headliner, but we’re also determining 11 governorships, 33 Senate seats, and all 435 spots in the House of Representatives. Mayoral contests are taking place in more than 20 of the nation’s largest cities, and because this is a census year, many of the officials we elect will be instrumental in decisions (such as redrawing congressional districts) that we’ll live with for the next 10 years. On top of it all, we’re grappling with how and where to vote safely during a pandemic. No question, the stakes are high. “This is one of the most consequential elections for our generation,” says Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, a group working on legislation to expand voteby-mail options. “We tend to focus on the top of the ballot and not think about the power and significance of electoral contests farther down,” adds Kat Calvin, founder of Spread the Vote, a grassroots nonprofit aiming to increase voter participation by providing one-on-one assistance to eligible people (volunteers help secure voter IDs and offer rides to the polls). “But between Covid and Black Lives Matter, people are starting to realize local elections matter. For example, your mayor appoints your police chief.” Here’s how to make your vote count. IF YOU WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

On November 3, Americans get to exercise one of the greatest privileges of living in this country—and nonpartisan groups are hard at work making the process as smooth as possible during a pandemic. They spell out how to vote by mail before your state’s deadline, what you need to know before heading to the polls, and ways to ensure everyone has their say. TEXT BY LISE FUNDERBURG

OCTOBER 2020

BEFORE ELECTION DAY As soon as possible, confirm that your registration is upto-date, advises Crystal Carson, VP of communications at When We All Vote, a nonpartisan nonprofit headlined by Tom Hanks, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Janelle Monáe, and Michelle Obama with the mission of increasing voter participation by closing the race CHECK YOUR VOTING STATUS.

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRIS SIMPSON

ST YLING BY SUZIE MYERS

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and age gaps. You can do this in just a minute through the group’s site, whenweallvote.org. For state guidelines—like whether you’ll need to present an ID when you sign in (36 states require one), go to usvotefoundation.org. RESEARCH YOUR CANDIDATES. “There’s a lot of misinformation out there,” says Virginia Kase, CEO of the 100-year-old League of Women Voters. “Make sure your sources are reputable.” Go directly to candidates’ sites, she suggests, and bone up on proposed legislation, which you’ll find on the websites of your local board of elections or secretary of state. At the league’s site vote411.org, you can search for voting guides, new polling locations in your area, and a checklist that walks first-timers through the process. CONSIDER VOTING BY MAIL . Fears of Covid-19 exposure might deter some from waiting in long lines, especially indoors, so anything that reduces congestion on November 3 can help increase participation. “If people can vote by mail or vote early, we strongly encourage them to do that,” says Kase. (Visit usvote foundation.org to find out whether you can, and if so, by what date your mail-in ballot must be postmarked.) The sooner, the better, says Calvin. “Boards of elections are going to be overwhelmed,” she explains, and states with recently expanded vote-by-mail options are still working out the kinks. “We saw a lot of cases in the primaries where thousands of people did not get their ballots in time.” R ALLY YOUR COMMUNIT Y. Orgs like When We All Vote enlist celebrities to leverage their platforms, sharing information and drumming up excitement. “But what we know from our research is that the people you know are the most influential in your life,” says Carson. With that in mind, the group offers online training to help people organize

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their friends and families into “Voting Squads,” galvanize the youth vote by starting a chapter of My School Votes, and host virtual registration events, like this spring’s “#CouchParty,” where DJ D-Nice performed a live set for volunteers while they texted eligible folks (19,000 people started the registration process while he spun). “If you get three people to the polls, and they get three people,” says Calvin, “then we’re all at the polls.”

ON ELECTION DAY If you have to vote in person, expect to wait. Bring a face mask and hand sanitizer, a book, a charged phone, water and snacks, a filled-out ballot if your state allows it (to speed your actual voting), and the hotline number 866-OURVOTE, in case you encounter problems. Two helpful facts: If you’re in line when the polls close, you’ll still be let in, as long as you don’t leave your spot. Second, if your name doesn’t show up on the voter register, you can ask for a provisional ballot. Afterward, don’t expect instant results, Calvin says: “It takes a lot of time to count absentee ballots. We’re used to knowing who the next president is before the polls close in Alaska, but it’s going to be a very different election this year.” WORK THE POLLS. We’re facing a nationwide shortage of the helpers who sign you in and escort you to the booths. “It’s not always the most glamorous job,” says Benjamin Hovland, chairman of the Election Assistance Commission (eac.gov), but it’s vital. “There’s a high correlation between a reduced number of poll workers and a reduced number of polling places”—which means much longer lines. Case in point: In Milwaukee, primary polling locations plummeted from 180 in 2018 to just five this year, partly from fear of Covid-19 exposure. (“Most workers are elderly ladies, PREPARE TO BE PATIENT.

SERVICE DOGS CHANGE LIVES

The percentage of U.S. eligible voters—that’s 100 million people— who did not participate in the 2016 general election. If that number doesn’t decrease, we will continue to rank among the lowest of the world’s most highly developed democracies in voter participation (in 2016, we were 26th of 32).

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the nicest on the planet,” says Calvin. “We need them to stay home.”) Each state has dif ferent requirements. Visit work elections.com to learn about training, which takes just a few hours (some states do it online), minimum-age requirements (16 in some states), and pay (never exorbitant). Clarke believes this is the most significant role a person can play in this election—in fact, North Carolina calls its poll workers “democracy heroes.” “If you have the time and the ability to serve,” she says, “we need that next generation to raise their hands.” BE A WATCHDOG. Volunteer with Election Protection’s nonpartisan poll-monitoring program at 866 ourvote.org. With guidance from legal professionals, you’ll serve as voters’ first line of defense against suppression tactics, confusing laws, and other election irregularities.

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The skin beneath your chin may be out of sight and out of mind, but a simple, consistent care routine can go a long way (and you don’t need a slew of new products). With a few lifestyle adjustments (lift up that phone!) and smart formulas, you’ll feel positively swanlike. TEXT BY CLAIRE SULLIVAN

OCTOBER 2020

L AR A JADE/TRUNK ARCHIVE (WOMAN); COURTESY OF MANUFACTURERS (OTHERS)

Love Your Neck

Everyday Care Dry skin equals dull skin, and not just on your face, says Chicago dermatologist Sonya Kenkare. Smooth your usual facial moisturizer down past your collarbone, and then keep this area soft and even in tone with these two steps.

NOURISH IT

PROTECT IT

To prevent fine lines and discoloration, antioxidants are essential. The most powerful forms, like vitamin C, help brighten all skin tones and fend off potential damage from sun exposure. Beverly Hills dermatologist Ava Shamban likes Instytutum Anti-Wrinkle Brightening C-Erum, which pairs powerful free-radical-foragers with soothing squalane ($98, instytutum.com).

You might skip your neck and chest most days, but don’t: They heal slowly from sunburns, and over time that can lead to spots, wrinkles, and sagging, says Shamban. She likes Isdin Eryfotona Actinica Ultralight Emulsion SPF 50+ for face and chest; the silky liquid rubs in clear and contains planktonderived enzymes to repair existing damage from UV light ($55, isdin.com/us).

Mind Your Posture

“The repetitive act of curling your neck over a screen can create horizontal wrinkles,” says Shamban. Position your computer at eye level, and get in the habit of holding your phone parallel to your chest (rather than at your waist) to avoid developing what derms call “necklace lines.”

Targeted Treatments The skin cells on your décolletage turn over more slowly than those on your face, Shamban says. Nighttime is when they naturally regenerate, so consider applying one of these serums before bed to let the benefits really sink in.

FIRM UP

GET EVEN

“Peptides promote the production of collagen, hyaluronic acid, and elastin,” says Bernardsville, New Jersey, dermatologist Meghan Feely. Get them from No7 Laboratories Firming Booster Serum ($42, us.no7beauty.com). Glide the applicator from neck to jawline.

Rest Easy

For fading dark spots, use the potent Revision Skincare C+ Correcting Complex 30% ($160, revisionskincare.com). Then prevent discoloration with kojic acid, found in La Roche-Posay Mela-D Pigment Control Concentrated Serum ($40, laroche-posay.us).

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“Retinols are best for softening wrinkles,” says Kenkare, who likes RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle night cream ($25, rocskincare.com). They exfoliate the skin, which increases cell turnover, stimulates collagen output, and also helps prevent breakouts.

Sleeping on your side can exacerbate fine lines down the center of your chest, per Shamban. You could switch to drifting off on your back, or, if that sounds like a nightmare, she recommends applying a reusable self-adhesive silicone patch, like the one by Dermaclara Beauty ($30 for up to 30 uses, dermaclara.com).

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

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N AN EMERGENCY,

sharing crucial health facts with medical professionals (stat!) can help them make swift, informed decisions that could save your life—or a loved one’s. But just-in-case isn’t the only reason to put your records in order. Studies show that people who actively keep track of their personal health information are more likely to eat well and exercise regularly; to have standout test results, such as lower BMI, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels; and to report positive medical experiences, including better communication with their doctors and better health outcomes. “The more complete a story you can tell about your health or that of your child, the more likely you’ll get the best possible care from a doctor,” says Natasha Burgert, MD, a pediatrician in Overland Park, Kansas, and national spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics. Try these tactics to pin down all your details.

PUT DOCS ON SPEED DIAL

Well Prepared Organization is power. Take time to whip your medical information into shape now, and set yourself and your family up for a healthier future. TEXT BY NAOMI BARR

OCTOBER 2020

If you can’t remember the name of the endocrinologist who checked your thyroid levels three years ago, join the club. “When you don’t see a doctor very often, it’s easy to forget her name, even for a fellow practitioner like me,” says Burgert. Make a list of your providers’ names, specialties, and phone numbers, and post it on a pinboard in your kitchen or office, or store it on your phone. “I keep mine under the contact ‘Doctors,’” she says. “Then, in the notes section, I list each one individually.” She suggests putting pediatricians

PHOTOGRAPH BY YASU + JUNKO

ST YLING BY ELIZABETH PRESS

under kids’ names (as in “Jill’s Doctors”). If you use your provider’s or hospital system’s patient portal, add the website, and store usernames and passwords in a password manager. 2

TAKE DOWN YOUR FAMILY HISTORY

It’s not an arduous project, we promise. Just call your parents, grandparents, and siblings and ask for details you don’t know offhand, such as cases of cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and conditions diagnosed at a young age; then put them in a document. A simple typed-up list works fine, or try the U.S. surgeon general’s free My Family Health Portrait tool (get it at phgkb.cdc.gov). AncestryHealth also offers one to its subscribers (ancestry.com). Store it along with your personal health records (more on those in a minute) in a way that’s easy for you to access and share, be it paper or digital. If you prefer the former, Burgert recommends a three-ring binder with dividers, which is much easier to keep in chronological order and bring to an appointment than loose file folders. To go digital, try a cloud-based file-sharing program, such as Google Drive, says Davis Liu, MD, a Sacramento, California–based family physician and chief clinical officer of the telemedicine service Lemonaid Health. If you’re managing a loved one’s care, organizing her info in a cloud-based version is particularly useful, he adds.

FILL IN YOUR DETAILS

Include everything you’d tell a new doctor or want a loved one to know in case of an emergency. If all your providers use the same patient portal, it may contain everything you need; if they use different ones, and you have an iPhone, “consider using the Apple Health app,” suggests Liu. For participating doctors’ offices and health-care systems, it consolidates electronic health records into one user-friendly location. Make sure to record your significant current or past conditions, how they were or are being treated, doctor visits, and any surgeries or accidents that required medical attention, says Dara Richardson-Heron, MD, chief patient officer at the pharmaceutical company Pfizer. If you had an appendectomy in your teens but don’t remember exactly when, that’s fine—just note that you had one. Request copies of results from scans, blood or urine tests, screenings, and any hospital-discharge summaries from your doctors’ offices. (These are especially handy to have if you switch providers. Potential fees vary by state; electronic versions tend to cost less.) Make a list of your current prescription medications, including the dosage, how often you take it, and the reason you’re on it, since some can be prescribed for more than one purpose, says Kathryn Boling, MD, a

VACCINE

SCREENINGS

DOCTOR VISITS

A Quick Guide to Key Appointments APPOINTMENT

WHAT IT’S FOR

Wellness Exam

To have your primary-care provider check your vitals, do pelvic and breast exams, schedule screenings, and chat about your health (blood work isn’t always included); aka “well-woman exam.”

Annually.

To clean teeth and prevent cavities, gingivitis (gum inflammation), and periodontitis (gum disease).

Once or twice a year; people who have tooth decay or other issues may need to go more often.

Pap & HPV Tests

To prevent cervical cancer from developing or catch it early on, when it’s typically curable.

Get a Pap every three years from ages 21 to 29; shift to every five and add an HPV test from 30 to 65.* Abnormal results call for more frequent testing.

Mammogram

To detect breast cancer in advance. While it’s not a perfect screening tool, this low-dose X-ray can accurately detect about 87 percent of cases.

Guidelines differ, so ask your doc which is best for you: If at average risk, you can get one annually from 45 to 54, then switch to every two years;** or possibly wait and go every other year from 50 to 74.***

ColorectalCancer Test

To look for precancerous polyps, which can be removed, or colon or rectal cancers, which are easiest to treat when found as soon as possible.

Federal guidelines recommend starting at 45 or 50.** Follow-up depends on the test you choose; for a colonoscopy, plan on one every 10 years through age 75.

Flu Vaccine

To protect you from this season’s strains. Flu viruses mutate very quickly, so new vaccines may be designed each year to target them.

Every October. Schedule it during that month, and it can help protect you through peak flu season until the virus peters out, around the following April or May.

Dental Exam

HOW OFTEN

*Per the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Cancer Society. **Per the American Cancer Society. ***Per the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Note: These recommendations are for women at average risk, meaning they have no personal or family health history of the disease and no known genetic risk factors.

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

family-medicine physician with Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore. Be sure to note any allergies and your symptoms, notes Liu. Last but not least, log your vitamins and supplements, since some can interact with prescription drugs. What’s not necessary: detailed notes from every doctor visit going back years—and, surprisingly, your blood type. “If you need blood, they’re not going to just take your word for it; they’ll check your type or give you O-negative, the universal donor,” says Boling.

Great taste. Heart * Healthy.

CARRY AN EMERGENCY CARD 4

“It can be just a small typed-up sheet listing your name, date of birth, medical conditions, surgeries and the ballpark age you had them, allergies to medications, emergency contacts, and main doctors and their phone numbers,” says Liu. (Do the same for kids, adding their immunization history and height and weight.) Tuck it in a wallet or backpack—which a Good Samaritan or first responder might check before a phone— and update as needed. If you have an iPhone, fill out and enable the “Medical ID” section on the Health app, too; it can be accessed without keying in your passcode. 5

STAY ON SCHEDULE

To manage preventive visits—like seeing your primary-care provider or getting a mammogram—as easily as your health records, book them during the month of your birthday, suggests Boling, who got the tip from a patient: “It’s a great idea because it works.” For tests you need less frequently, such as a Pap or colonoscopy, do as Burgert does, and always book the next one before you leave the office, even if it’s a few years off: “That way my future appointment is in their system, and I don’t have to worry.” Arrange to see your dentist early in the year; if your insurance covers two annual visits, you can go back if needed before December. And set your phone to remind you every October 1 to get a flu shot; flu season typically starts later in the month, and the vaccine can take about two weeks to become fully effective. For a guide to key appointments, tear out our handy chart on the previous page, and take charge of your well-being, one checkup at a time.

OCTOBER 2020

What a Diary Can Do for You Keeping a journal is useful for anyone who wants to eat or exercise more mindfully. When you’re dealing with a chronic health condition, such as migraines or diabetes, jotting down what you feel daily can bring even bigger benefits. Log your symptoms, moods, diet, and physical activity, then share your journal with your doctor at your next appointment— it can help guide your treatment. Your notes could also uncover patterns you may be able to address even before that visit, such as a food or activity that triggers a headache. Pro tip: When writing, ask yourself what you’ve done or felt “since waking up today.” Researchers have found that study respondents are more accurate and detailed when given that prompt, as opposed to “during the last 24 hours.”

Love breakfast with

all of your heart.

*Three grams of soluble fiber daily from whole grain oat foods, like Honey Nut Cheerios™ cereal, in a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease. Honey Nut Cheerios cereal provides .75 grams per serving.

Ask Martha

How can I remove stains from a granite countertop? —Lenita Mendes, Brampton, Ont.

Since natural stone is porous, moisture that pools on it for more than a few minutes—a bit of olive oil under the bottle, an errant coffee spill— can seep in. A sealant will prevent this, but it wears down over time. “If you notice that short-term contact with water darkens your stone, that’s the best indicator that you need to reseal,” says Mark Meriaux, technical manager at the Natural Stone Institute, in Oberlin, Ohio. Here’s a strategy for removing even deep-set discolorations. For an oil stain, wipe with grease-lifting dishwashing soap, such as Dawn. For other types (food, coffee, tea), grab a hydrogenperoxide-based cleaning spray, like Lysol with Hydrogen Peroxide: Oxygen Splash. Though gentler “safe-for-stone” options are ideal for regular cleaning, this works best on dark marks. CLEAN THE AREA

Mix a poultice paste of baking soda and water (for oil-based stains), or baking soda and peroxide (for others), until it’s thick as peanut butter. Spread it over the spot, cover with plastic wrap that you’ve poked a few holes in, and secure with masking tape. Let stand for 24 hours. TREAT IT

Pull off the plastic, and clear the white residue with a wooden or plastic scraper. Then rinse the surface with distilled water and polish with a cloth. REMOVE AND BUFF

OCTOBER 2020

PHOTOGRAPH BY KATE SEARS

I want to adopt an older shelter cat. Any advice?

When is a balance transfer a good idea?

—Jess Stewart, York, Pa.

—Amari Sandsman, Charleston, W.Va.

First, congratulate your‑ self for making a life‑ saving decision; senior rescues are at greatest risk of being euthanized, says Kate Hurley, director of the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program. Then take these steps to add a new family member: FIND A GOOD SHELTER Search for one with positive reviews and an open‑adoption or adopters‑welcome policy. These facilities will gladly take a cat back if the fit isn’t right. MEET YOUR MATCH Is your ideal feline active and adventurous, or shy and reserved? Does he love affection, or alone time? The shelter staff can offer insight into their residents’ personalities. And remember: Adult cats are already socialized. “You’re finding a pet whose vibe already suits yours,” says Hurley. “It’s like dat‑ ing, versus raising a child.” WELCOME HIM HOME Changes of scenery can be jarring to older cats, so place Whiskers in a small room with his litter box to start, and let him explore at his own pace. This will allow for a smoother adjustment.

What’s the best way to clean hard-water marks off my glass shower doors? —Celia Monnasis, Kissimmee, Fla.

Showers can be a cleaner’s archnemesis, thanks to the triple threat of moisture, high heat, and residue from soaps and shampoos, says Saudia Davis, CEO of GreenHouse Eco-Cleaning, in Brooklyn. Perhaps worst of all, minerals in water can deposit cloudy buildup on glass surfaces, even in well-ventilated bathrooms where squeegeeing is second nature. To remove the film, Davis suggests this powerful one-two punch: Put baking soda or Bon Ami powder cleanser on a microfiber cloth, moisten with an equal mixture of water and distilled white vinegar, and smear it all over the doors. Spray with more of the vinegar solution until lightly saturated, let stand for five minutes, then wipe away with a soft scrubber (avoid steel wool, which can scratch glass). To restore shine, spritz with rubbing alcohol and polish with a clean cloth.

This strategic way to manage debt entails moving a credit-card balance to another card—ideally one with a lengthy zero-percent intro-APR period, like the U.S. Bank Visa Platinum (20 months) or the Citi Diamond Preferred (18 months). “Then you can work toward paying it off without the total compounding in the meantime,” says Steven Dashiell, creditcards expert at Finder .com. Switchovers usually involve a fee of 3 to 5 percent of the balance, so make sure you have enough debt that the amount you’ll save in interest exceeds the fee, but not so much that you can’t pay it off within the interest-free window. To see if the move makes sense for you, enter your numbers into the balancetransfer calculator at Finder.com.

| TEST-KITCHEN TIP |

Golden Opportunity To crank up the crunch on fried chicken or fish, replace regular breadcrumbs with panko. This Japanese type starts with crustless white bread that is air-dried, then processed into tiny slivers—as opposed to traditional store-bought varieties, which are made with many kinds of bread ground into finer bits. “Panko has a lighter texture, so it soaks up less oil while cooking,” says assistant food editor Riley Wofford, who also rolls it into meatballs for a softer bite. What’s not to loaf? 48

OCTOBER 2020

CHRIS CHURCHILL (BATHROOM); CAVAN IMAGES/GET T Y IMAGES (CAT)

GOOD LIVING ASK MARTHA

*Valid for purchases 8/1/20-12/31/20. Limit 1 refund up to $19.99 per family, address, or household. Visit tryabsorbx.com for details.

H-PRO

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M E A T- R

ICH

—Charles Matthias, Lowell, Mass.

Meat-Rich Wet Food for Your Dog’s Wild Side • High-quality meat is the first ingredient • Protein-rich formulas support each life stage and breed-size need

| TIME-SAVING TIP |

Put Down the Peeler All squash skins are edible, and full of fiber and vitamin A to boot. But some are far more palatable than others, says Riley. Delicatas, honeynuts, and acorns, for example, have thin skins that soften readily when cooked. Consider size, too: Big squashes tend to have tough exteriors, but their pint-size versions have chewable ones. If you find miniature butternuts or kabochas, grab a few, and enjoy them in their entirety. GOURD IDEAS To get our favorite acorn‑ squash recipes, hover your phone’s camera here, or go to marthastewart.com/ acornsquash.

LET US HELP YOU! E-mail your questions to Ask.Martha@meredith.com, or send them to Ask Martha, c/o Letters Department, Martha Stewart Living, 225 Liberty Street, New York, NY 10281. Please include your full name, address, and day‑ time phone number. Letters and messages become the property of Meredith Corp. and may be published, broad‑ cast, edited, or otherwise used in any of its media. By submitting your questions to Ask Martha, you are agreeing to let us use your name and hometown in connection with our publication of your questions.

OCTOBER 2020

The telltale signs: She spirals into a barking frenzy immediately upon your departure, or perhaps you return to find she’s clawed through the carpet. Because such canines experience large emotional swings, try to avoid anything that encourages them, says Rolan Tripp, DVM, founder of the Animal Behavior Network. When you get home, stay calm, rather than matching Willow’s ecstatic greeting, and don’t engage with her until she settles down. And when you leave, make your exit nonchalant, rather than investing a lot of emotional juice right before shutting the door. Each morning, take your pup on a walk to help her expend some energy, and leave her breakfast in a food puzzle, like the Wobbler ($15, petco.com). She’ll have to move it around to get the kibble out— which will provide a key mental distraction in those critical few minutes after you’ve slipped out. MIKKEL VANG

HIG

I think my dog has separation anxiety. How can I help her?

Reporting by Erica Sloan

HIG

H-PRO

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M E A T- R

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More MEAT for your dog’s wild side

Satisfy your dog’s natural instinct with meat-rich, high-protein BLUE Wilderness.™ Inspired by the diet of wolves, Wilderness is made with more of the meat your dog loves and features high-quality, healthy ingredients.

Love them like family. Feed them like family.®

MEAT-RICH ~ HIGH-PROTEIN Available Wherever You Buy Pet Food

Everyday FOOD

Stayman Winesap

Whether in the orchard or the pro‑ duce section, reach for fruit that feels firm and heavy for its size, with no bruises or soft spots. In addition to the varieties shown here, our food editors love Cosmic Crisps, Goldrushes, Brae‑ burns, and Cameos.

COOK, NOURISH, ENJOY

Black Twig Rome

Macoun

Cortland

Mutsu

Granny Smith

McIntosh

Suncrisp

FOOD ST YLING BY SAR AH CAREY; PROP ST YLING BY TANYA GR AFF

Empire

Golden Russet | IN SEASON |

Core Values

With apples at their peak from now through November, there’s more on the market than Gala and Golden Delicious: You can find a barrel’s worth of colorful, sweet-to-tart varieties that add juicy flavor to salads, oatmeal, and crumbles. Pluck a few recipes, and share the bounty. TEXT BY CLAIRE SULLIVAN RECIPES BY SHIRA BOCAR

PHOTOGRAPH BY JUSTIN WALKER

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

EVERYDAY FOOD

3 | Stir them into breakfast

Spiced Apple Oatmeal We suggest using Empire or Brae‑ burn for this recipe.

Combine 1 cored and chopped apple, 2 tablespoons each unsalted butter and pure maple syrup, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 3 tablespoons water in a saucepan. Heat over medium-high until simmering. Cover; cook until apples are tender, 5 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup apple mixture for garnish. Add 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats and 2 cups water to pan. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until oats are creamy, about 5 minutes. Serve with reserved apple mixture, chopped toasted pecans, and more maple syrup, if desired. ACTIVE TIME:

1 | Call on them for crunch

2 | Bake a classic dessert

Kale-and-Apple Salad

Apple Crumble

Suncrisps bring pops of sweetness.

Serve it with vanilla ice cream or Greek yogurt.

In a bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons apple-cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon each Dijon mustard and honey, and 1 minced garlic clove. Whisk in 5 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil in a stream until emulsified; season with salt and pepper. In a bowl, toss 1 bunch stemmed and sliced lacinato kale, 1 cored and sliced apple, 1 sliced celery stalk, and 1/4 cup celery leaves with dressing; top with 3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Preheat oven to 375°. Brush a 2-quart baking dish with unsalted butter. Toss 3 pounds peeled, cored, and chopped apples (like Mutsu), 6 tablespoons granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons each unbleached all-purpose flour and fresh lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt; transfer to dish. In a bowl, beat 1 stick softened butter with 1/2 cup packed brown sugar until fluffy. Mix in 1 cup flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt until large pieces form. Scatter over filling. Bake until center is bubbling, about 1 hour; if top darkens, tent with foil. Let cool 20 minutes; serve.

ACTIVE/TOTAL TIME:

15 MIN. | SERVES: 4

ACTIVE TIME: 25

OCTOBER 2020

15 MIN. | TOTAL TIME: 25 MIN.

ST YLING BY STEVE PEARCE

SERVES:

MIN. | TOTAL TIME: 1 HR. 45 MIN. | SERVES: 6

PHOTOGRAPHS BY CON POULOS

Find Your Quiet Place with MyLife.

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Access on the web at my.life DOWNLOAD MYLIFE™ FOR FREE Hover your phone’s camera over this smart code to download now. © 2020 MyLife™. Apple and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries and regions. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. © 2018 Google LLC. All rights reserved. Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC.

Traditional suizas are stuffed and rolled; we layer the corn tortillas flat. Tomatoes, radishes, and lettuce balance the creaminess with crunch.

LA VIDA VEGETARIAN

For fresh twists on favorite Mexican dishes, go meatless. Bake zucchini and poblanos in a bubbly enchilada skillet, or embolden rice and beans with sizzling mushrooms, scallions, and sweet red pepper. Trust us, your produce knows how to party. TEXT BY CLAIRE SULLIVAN RECIPES BY GREG LOFTS AND LAURYN TYRELL

OCTOBER 2020

PHOTOGRAPHS BY CON POULOS

ST YLING BY STEVE PEARCE

| WHAT’S FOR DINNER? |

Tofu-Tomatillo Stew

Vegetable and Black-Bean Fried Rice

Vegetarian Enchiladas Suizas

Crispy Sweet-Potato Cemitas

1 pound tomatillos, quartered (about 3 cups)

Vegetable and Black-Bean Fried Rice ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 white onion, quartered, 1 quarter chopped

2 large eggs, beaten

3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

2 cups sliced cremini- or shiitake-mushroom caps (5 ounces)

1 cup packed fresh cilantro, plus more leaves for serving

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 jalapeño, halved (seeds removed for less heat, if desired)

¼ cup sliced scallions, plus more sliced green tops for serving

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

¼ cup finely chopped cilantro stems, plus ¼ cup chopped leaves

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 red bell pepper, chopped (11/2 cups)

2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

2 tablespoons hot sauce, such as Cholula, plus more for serving

1 can (15 ounces) white hominy, drained and rinsed

3 cups cooked white rice (preferably day-old)

16 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into 1-inch cubes 2 tablespoons taco seasoning Lime wedges and flour or corn tortillas, blistered, for serving

1. Preheat broiler. In a blender, combine tomatillos, whole onion quarters, garlic, cilantro, jalapeño, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper; purée until smooth. Transfer to a medium saucepan; simmer over medium heat until darkened slightly, about 10 minutes. Stir in broth and hominy; simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes more. Season to taste. 2. Meanwhile, pat tofu dry; toss on a rimmed baking sheet with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and taco seasoning. Broil, stirring a few times, until a golden-brown crust forms on tofu in places, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve stew topped with tofu, cilantro leaves, and chopped onion (optional), with lime wedges and tortillas. ACTIVE TIME:

20 MIN. | TOTAL TIME: 45 MIN. | SERVES: 4

Vegetarian Enchiladas Suizas 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 large poblano, ribs and seeds removed, thinly sliced (11/2 cups) 1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced (1¼ cups) Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 1 medium zucchini, cut into a 1/2-inch dice (11/2 cups) 11/2 cups green salsa (from a 16.7-ounce jar), such as La Costeña 6 corn tortillas (each 6 inches) 5 ounces low-moisture mozzarella, cut into a 1/2-inch dice

1/3 cup Mexican crema or sour cream Shredded iceberg lettuce, sliced radishes, and halved cherry tomatoes, for serving

1. Preheat oven to 375˚. Heat a medium (10-inch) ovenproof skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium. Add oil, poblano, and 1 cup onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add zucchini; continue cooking until vegetables are tender and golden in places, 10 to 12 minutes more. Remove from heat; transfer mixture to a large plate. Pour 1 cup salsa into skillet. Working one at a time, dip tortillas in salsa, turning to evenly coat both sides; transfer to plate with vegetables. 2. Layer tortillas and vegetables evenly in skillet. Top evenly with mozzarella, crema, and remaining ½ cup salsa. Bake until bubbly and browning in places, 20 to 22 minutes. Serve with lettuce, radishes, tomatoes, and remaining ¼ cup onion. ACTIVE TIME:

25 MIN. | TOTAL TIME: 50 MIN. | SERVES: 4

1 can (15.5 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed Diced avocado and lightly crushed tortilla chips, for serving

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over high. When it shimmers, add eggs and cook, undisturbed, 10 seconds. Stir with a spatula until just set, about 30 seconds; transfer to a plate. 2. Add 2 tablespoons oil and mushrooms to skillet; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, scallions, cilantro stems, and bell pepper; season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes more. Stir in hot sauce and rice. Spread mixture in a single layer and let cook, undisturbed, until underside crisps slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in beans; cook until warm, about 1 minute. Fold in eggs and cilantro leaves; season to taste. Serve with avocado, scallion greens, tortilla chips, and more hot sauce. ACTIVE TIME:

25 MIN. | TOTAL TIME: 30 MIN. | SERVES: 4

Crispy Sweet-Potato Cemitas 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

¾ cup sour cream 2 teaspoons chopped chipotle in adobo, plus 2 teaspoons sauce Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 1 pound sweet potatoes, scrubbed and sliced into ¼-inch rounds 1¼ cups panko breadcrumbs

1/2 red onion, sliced (1 cup) 1 teaspoon grated lime zest, plus 3 tablespoons fresh juice 2 cups shredded green cabbage (from 1/2 head) 1 can (15 ounces) vegetarian refried beans, warmed Toasted hamburger buns or toasted brioche buns and pickled vegetables, for serving

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Drizzle a rimmed baking sheet with oil. Whisk together sour cream and chipotle and sauce; season with salt. Transfer 2/3 cup mixture to another bowl; set aside. Toss sweet potatoes with remaining mixture. In a shallow dish, toss panko with oil; season to taste. Coat both sides of potatoes in panko, pressing to adhere; transfer to baking sheet. Roast, flipping once, until golden and crisp, 30 to 35 minutes. 2. Toss onion with lime zest and juice. Let stand 10 minutes, then stir in cabbage; season to taste. Spread beans over bottoms of buns. Top with cabbage and sweet-potato rounds. Spread reserved sour-cream mixture over top halves of buns; serve with pickles. ACTIVE TIME:

30 MIN. | TOTAL TIME: 55 MIN. | SERVES: 4

Tofu-Tomatillo Stew

P R O M OTI O N

PLASTIC MAILING WRAP IS RECYCLABLE

D O N ’T TR AS H IT

R ECYCLE IT Th e pl asti c mai li n g wr ap

containing your favorite Meredith magazine is recyclable everywhere #4 plastic is accepted. Scan the smart code to visit PlasticFilmRecycling.org for collection locations near you.

| POTLUCK |

One Big Family

Crack open the new book In Bibi’s Kitchen, and you’ll be off on a culinary tour of eight African countries that were once the backbone of the spice trade. Your expert guides: 16 bibis, or grandmothers, who share recipes that have lasted generations. Here, try a bite. TEXT BY CLAIRE SULLIVAN

Turshen and Hassan also helm Equity at the Table, a database that spotlights female, LGBTQ, and Black food-industry professionals (equityatthetable.com).

Hassan and Julia Turshen brought unique strengths to their latest project. Hassan, a Somalian–born, Seattle–raised chef, interviewed their subjects, researched their home countries, and tested countless recipes. (She’s also preserved her own heritage through Basbaas, a line of small-batch hot sauces and chutneys.) Turshen, a New York native and food writer, meticulously translated their techniques into easy-to-follow steps for home cooks. In Bibi’s Kitchen (Ten Speed) is organized by country, with Q&As throughout. “In creating it, we’ve come to understand that we have more in common than what separates us,” they say. “We also found over and over again that no matter where we go, women are the ones sustaining their families and communities, and food is the main tool of that literal and figurative sustenance.” One taste of this Somalian dish, and you’ll feel nurtured, too.

JUST ADD LOVE Bibi Ma Halima, who was raised in Somalia and lives in Minnesota, remembers learning to make beef suqaar from her own mother, and now she’s teaching her children. “Her recipe uses all of my favorites,” says food and entertaining director Sarah Carey. “Warming cumin and turmeric build layers of spice, and a hit of lime and cilantro rounds it out with freshness.”

OCTOBER 2020

Suqaar is a quick meat-andvegetable stir-fry. Serve it as Ma Halima does, with plain rice or pilaf, chopped lettuce, and lemon wedges to squeeze on top. 2 tablespoons canola oil 1½ pounds boneless beef chuck or other stew meat, cut into bite-size pieces 1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped Kosher salt 2 large carrots, thinly sliced 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 tablespoon ground turmeric 1 small green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice Large handful of cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

Warm oil in a large skillet (preferably cast iron) or other heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add beef and onion, and sprinkle with a large pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beef is browned in spots and onion is beginning to become tender, about 10 minutes. Add carrots and sprinkle cumin and turmeric over everything, along with another large pinch of salt. Stir in 1/4 cup water, cover, and cook until carrots are beginning to get tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in bell pepper, cover again, and cook until carrots and pepper are just barely tender, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat, stir in lime juice, and season to taste. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve immediately. Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container and rewarmed in a skillet set over low heat.

REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM IN BIBI’S KITCHEN, BY HAWA HASSAN WITH JULIA TURSHEN, COPYRIGHT 2020. PHOTOGR APHS BY KHADIJA M. FAR AH & JENNIFER MAY. PUBLISHED BY TEN SPEED PRESS, A DIVISION OF PENGUIN R ANDOM HOUSE, LLC.

FRIENDS AND COLLABORATORS Hawa

Ma Halima’s Beef Suqaar

DO THE DIP You can dunk the cheese toast into the stew for softer bites, or enjoy its crunch on the side.

A quick mustard sauce does double duty. Layer it on the cheese toasts, and swirl a spoonful into your bowl for a creamy kick.

TOUR DE FRANCE Every province in the country has its own take on potèe, a rustic meat-and-vegetable stew. Our cozy Alsatian-inspired version simmers in one pot instead of several, and shifts into high gear when teamed up with tasty accoutrements and a crisp sip. TEXT BY CLAIRE SULLIVAN RECIPES BY GREG LOFTS

OCTOBER 2020

PHOTOGRAPHS BY CON POULOS

ST YLING BY STEVE PEARCE

| EASY ENTERTAINING |

I'm as obsessed with the planet

| THE MAIN EVENT |

Potée Savoyard You can sub in other hearty root vegetables like parsnips, fennel, or sweet potato.

The Menu Potée Savoyard Creamy Mustard Sauce Alpine Cheese Toasts Sparkling hard cider, lambic-style beer, or mead

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 large onion, halved lengthwise (root end and skin left intact)

6 pork sausages, preferably fennel or sweet Italian (11/4 pounds) 2 slices bone-in pork shoulder, fat cap intact (1 pound); or 1 pound boneless pork shoulder (do not trim excess fat), cut into large pieces Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 large, meaty smoked ham hock (or 2 smaller hocks) 6 parsley sprigs, plus more leaves for serving (optional) 4 thyme sprigs 1 bay leaf 1 pound small golden potatoes (golf-ball size), peeled

4 carrots (8 ounces), peeled and diagonally cut into

Traditional lambic comes in a 750-milliliter bottle that feels more celebratory than a six-pack.

2-inch pieces (11/2 cups)

3 celery stalks (6 ounces), strings removed, diagonally cut into 2-inch pieces (11/2 cups) 12 ounces pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled and cut into 11/2-inch pieces (11/2 cups)

1/2 small head Savoy cabbage (12 ounces), core removed, quartered lengthwise 2 leeks, white and pale-green parts only, cut into ¾-inch rings, thoroughly washed and drained (11/4 cups) Creamy Mustard Sauce and Alpine Cheese Toasts (see recipes, below), for serving

1. Heat a Dutch oven or other

large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high. Swirl in oil. Add onion, cut-sides down, and sausages; cook, turning sausages a few times, until browned in places, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer sausages (but not onion) to a plate. 2. Season pork shoulder gener-

ously with salt and pepper; add to pot with ham hock and 3 quarts water. Bundle parsley, thyme,

pumpkin, cabbage, leeks, and browned sausages to pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to mediumlow and simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are just tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Meanwhile, shred pork and any meat on hock into bite-size pieces, discarding skin, bones, and excess fat. Return meat and any accumulated juices to pot; season to taste. Serve with parsley leaves, mustard sauce, and cheese toasts. ACTIVE TIME: 55 MIN. | TOTAL TIME: 2 HR. 30 MIN. | SERVES: 6

—deputy food editor Greg Lofts

Greg likes to pair his potée with a crisp, dry cider; lambicstyle beer (a subtly fruity Belgian sip); or mead (a bev brewed with honey). “They all have a semisweet, subtle tartness that cuts through the richness of the stew,” he says.

OCTOBER 2020

3. Add potatoes, carrots, celery,

“I love setting this one-pot stew right on the dinner table, so friends and family can ladle out their favorite vegetables and pieces of meat.”

FRESH POURS

and bay leaf with twine and add to pot. Bring to a boil, skimming impurities from surface. Reduce heat to low; simmer, covered, until pork is tender, about 1 hour, 15 minutes. Transfer pork and ham to plate with sausages; discard herb bundle and onion. Skim impurities and excess fat from surface of broth.

| ON THE SIDE |

Creamy Mustard Sauce Whisk together 1/3 cup each Dijon mustard and mayonnaise and 2 tablespoons water until smooth. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. The sauce can be made up to 5 days ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container.

Alpine Cheese Toasts Slather lightly toasted rustic bread slices with a layer of the mustard sauce (above). Top with thin slices of Beaufort, raclette, Gruyère, or other Alpine melting cheese. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly, 1 to 2 minutes, and serve immediately. Prep 2 per person.

P R O M OT I O N

Your spirit will soon be heading northbound.

A train tour in West Virginia is a guaranteed mood lifter. Hop aboard and see what an explosion of fall color does for your outlook. From the scenic New River Gorge to the forests of Cheat Mountain, autumn feels downright heavenly in West Virginia.

WVtourism.com

October

“Your life is already artful—waiting, just waiting, for you to make it art.” —Toni Morrison

PHOTOGRAPH BY JOHN DOLAN

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

LOVE’S LABOR When Melinda Price and Simon Avery established their farm in 2017, there were only a handful of other saffron growers in the entire country. Opposite: The delicate stigmas of autumn-blooming Crocus sativus are removed by hand, then cured (or dried) into saffron.

finest threads

A culinary treasure for millennia, saffron is worth nearly its weight in gold. It has also been a thrilling challenge for a couple looking to turn over a new leaf. They planted their first crop in Kelseyville, California, three years ago, and today they’re the largest organic commercial growers of the spice in the country. Welcome to Peace and Plenty Farm.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY GENTL AND HYERS | TEXT BY KEVIN WEST | RECIPES BY SHIRA BOCAR | PRODUCED BY HANNAH MILMAN

daydreamed of being an organic farmer 30 years ago in a very incongruous setting: while posing in the salons of Paris couturier Hubert de Givenchy, where she worked as a model. From there, she followed a circuitous path, becoming a public-school teacher, a caterer, a single mother, and a tech worker in San Francisco. Then in 2016, Price and her nowhusband, Simon Avery, a former ornithologist, started to cast about for a high-value specialty crop—like wasabi, mushrooms, or hops—that would allow them to realize her longtime dream, and make a living. “It takes a lot of carrots to pay the mortgage,” she jokes. One day, a voice spoke to them through the ether, and what it said, of all things, was “Saffron.” The pair lived in Northern California, and “Simon was in the car listening to NPR,” recalls Price. A newscaster was reporting from the University of Vermont about a plan to introduce saffron as a cash crop for New England’s struggling small farmers. Or reintroduce it, really, since the source of “red gold,” the autumnblooming Crocus sativus plant, was brought to America in the 18th century by Amish and Mennonite immigrants from western Europe. (Today, Iran is the spice’s top global producer, and saffron is integral to Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine; a few strands lend its distinct earthy flavor and hue to dishes like paella, risotto alla Milanese, tagine, and tahdig.) Avery told Price what he’d heard, and soon after she booked a plane ticket to attend a weekend workshop in Vermont. While there, she wound up buying 7,000 bulb-like corms for fall delivery. “We had to commit,” she says. “Saffron ticked all the boxes.” What the pair didn’t have was a farm. An intense real-estate search a few hours north of San Francisco led them to seven acres in Lake County, where they ELINDA PRICE FIRST

A NEW DAWN Left, from top: Even with help in the fields, by midNovember, Price and Avery are exhausted from the harvest. Price pinches off a flower at its base. Opposite: When the couple, bottom, first saw the farm, the barn had a “Peace and Plenty” Amish quilt-block pattern on it. They repainted it in the colors of the saffron crocus, and established their farm’s name, too. They incorporate saffron into all kinds of classic dishes; it adds a vegetal, almost tomatoey taste to chicken-noodle soup.

SAFFRON CHICKENNOODLE SOUP For all the recipes in this story, see page 104.

spent the summer digging beds together, Avery fulltime and Price on nights and weekends, while still doing her day job. Saffron crocuses yield a limited crop the first season, and that October they produced 25 grams of kitchen-ready threads, enough to fill a tea tin. It wasn’t much, but luckily saffron is measured by the pinch, not the pound. Price put her first harvest to homespun use, enjoying it in rustic everyday dishes— like scalloped potatoes, chicken soup, and shortbread— that inspired our recipes on these pages. The couple now farm some 500,000 corms, which produce up to two kilograms, or about 4.4 pounds, of saffron per year. With such lucrative potential yields (one gram of their organic saffron costs $54), why don’t more farmers grow it? “The labor!” says Price. “It is so time-consuming.” Every flower is picked by hand before sunrise by the couple and a seasonal crew of interns and local volunteers, and every rust-colored stigma has to be plucked out that same day, she explains. Over the monthlong harvest, each corm rapidly pushes up as many as 18 flowers. “You can spend the morning clearing a field, look back, and it’s purple again!” she says. Next, the stigmas are cured (dried), which primes them to develop their signature flavor over the following eight months—just in time to get ready for the next round of planting, and another new beginning.

GOLDEN POTATO GRATIN

REAPED REWARDS Clockwise from top left: The caramelized onions in this gooey potato gratin draw out the sweet warmth of the spice. Crocus flowers just after picking. Neighbors show up every year to help separate the orangey-red stigmas from the flowers. These vibrant strands will soon be laid out to cure.

GOLDEN STATE A quick brush of saffron water and a sprinkle of sugar before baking give this buttery shortbread its crackled top. Paired with a saffron-infused latte, it’s a satisfying afternoon pick-me-up for the farmers during harvest season.

SAFFRON SHORTBREAD

SAFFRON LATTE

PURE AND SIMPLE

ART DIRECTION BY JAMES MAIKOWSKI; FOOD ST YLING BY FR ANCES BOSWELL; PROP ST YLING BY AYESHA PATEL (FOOD)

Price loves to steep saffron in water for a soothing tea. To extract the flavor, she pulverizes a few threads in warm water and lets them bloom for a couple of minutes. You can also soak threads in cold water overnight in the refrigerator. To find Peace and Plenty saffron and learn how to grow a pot of your own at home, visit peaceplentyfarm.com.

SWEET SYNERGY The spice brings an unexpected floral essence to pears poached in dry white wine, vanilla, orange, cinnamon, and a pinch of saffron. They are served with a lightly sweetened saffron whipped cream. The dessert enlists the fruit because it’s also grown on Peace and Plenty Farm and ripens at the same time as the saffron harvest, as do the area’s walnut crops.

POACHED PEARS WITH SAFFRON WHIPPED CREAM

GET THE SCOOP To watch a video on how to core pears for this recipe, simply hover your smartphone over this code—no special app needed—or go to marthastewart.com/coringpears.

LIFE OF THE PARTY Not all desserts inspire a whole room to sing, but Martha’s latest cookbook, CAKE PERFECTION, offers more than 100 stunning reasons to strike up a celebration. Here’s a sneak peek at six confections on our wish list. PHOTOGRAPHS BY LENNART WEIBULL TEXT BY CLAIRE SULLIVAN

NAKED-FRUIT CHIFFON CAKE

Compose a Masterpiece When you layer airy chiffon cake with lightly sweetened whipped cream, a few tumbles of fresh fruit are all it takes to create a dessert fit for a Roman banquet. A warm berry sauce simmered down from blackberries, sugar, and lemon juice gets spooned on top; then halved figs, plums, and Seckel pears, along with Concord grapes and more blackberries, complete the striking still life.

Make Them Flip The ruby finish on this beauty comes courtesy of thinly sliced ripe plums, which caramelize in the bottom of a skillet with brown sugar and butter. Shingle the rounds tightly in the skillet (they’ll shrink in the oven as they cook), then pour a light, vanilla-scented batter on top and bake until the cake springs back when pressed. Give it 20 minutes, and it’s ready for its reveal.

EXPERT TIP

For a flawless finish, place a slightly larger plate on top of the skillet, turn it over, and gently lift off the pan. Tuck in any plums that have stuck to the bottom of the skillet while baking.

PLUM UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE For all the recipes in this story, see page 105.

Play Nice With Spice Specks of fragrant cinnamon and cardamom enliven this snacking cake, which is meant to be eaten any time of day. As the batter bakes, whip up a tangy glaze of confectioners’ sugar, whole milk, and lemon zest and juice, plus flecks of scraped vanilla-bean seeds to enhance the warm vibe. Spread it all the way to the corners of the pan with an offset spatula, and let it sink in for 30 minutes before declaring the whole thing up for grabs.

SPICED SNACKING CAKE

EXPERT TIP

To make the “feath‑ ers,” pour dollops of melted chocolate onto parchment and use a 11/2 ‑inch pastry brush to lightly stroke them into shape.

Spread Your Wings Coffee infuses this soaring confection’s layers (separated by a rich mascarpone filling) as well as its whipped-cream coating. For the avian accent, melt white, milk, and dark chocolates, then stir a spoonful of milk chocolate into half of the white chocolate to create a fourth, café-au-lait color. Form the swooshes on sheet pans, let them harden in the refrigerator, and press them onto the sides in an ombré pattern that goes up, up, and away.

COFFEE FEATHER CAKE

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE-DATE CAKE

Have a Date Night

MARCUS NILSSON (DATE CAKE)

A purée of bourbon and plump Medjools suffuses this divinely intense dessert; it gets swirled into both the batter and the caramel glaze. Bittersweet chocolate (look for 70 percent cacao), Dutch-process cocoa powder, and a dash of ground cinnamon also level up the flourless base. Run the caramel through a sieve so it’s super-silky, then pour it on top, using an offset spatula to coax it over the edges. Finish with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt and whipped cream.

Hit a High Note Everyone will scream for this twist on soft-serve dunked in a chocolate shell. To fashion these cupcake flourishes, divide a batch of buttercream frosting in two, stir creamy peanut butter and a pinch of kosher salt into one half, then scoop them into separate pastry bags. Snip the ends, wedge them both into yet another pastry bag, and squeeze gently as you form two-inch-tall swirls. Chill the frosted cakes while you make a semisweet-chocolate glaze; after it cools to room temperature, carefully dunk them. Chill 10 more minutes, and cue the nostalgia trip.

EXPERT TIP

Don’t worry if your frosting looks soupy— just increase the speed of the mixer and beat for three minutes more before transferring it into pastry bags.

SOFT-SERVE PEANUT-BUTTER CUPCAKES

Reprinted from Martha Stewart’s Cake Perfection: 100+ Recipes for the Sweet Classic, From Simple to Stunning, by the editors of Martha Stewart Living, to be published October 13, 2020, by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Copyright 2020 by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, LP. Photographs copyright 2020 by Lennart Weibull. Photograph of flourless chocolate‑date cake copyright 2020 by Marcus Nilsson.

NEO NOIR Let your entry table moonlight as a gothic still life, with a warty Hubbard squash as its subject. It’s flanked by inky eggplants, figs, and an acorn squash, and an underworldly arrangement of oxblood birds-of-paradise, chile peppers, dahlias, calla lilies, and fiddlehead ferns you’d swear were tentacles. Ethically sourced preserved scorpions add a final pinch of venom. THE DETAILS: Preserved scorpions, from $10 each, bicbugs.com. E. R. Butler Ted Muehling Collection Biedermeier 0205 candlestick, and 0206 candlestick, both in Oxidized Bronze, store.erbutler .com. Wet Vessels by Aviva Rowley vase, wetvessels.com.

PA R A NOR M A L PEACH Tropical cuttings turn a pile of unsuspecting heirloom pumpkins into a Halloween hothouse. Lobster-claw heliconia and giant paper moths flit above deeply ribbed Musquée de Provence, along with just-turned foliage from the yard. Mingling in the shadows (and crawling with ants) are prickly durian and lychee fruits, knobby Black Futsus, and a potted heuchera plant. THE DETAILS: Vidogo Death’s Head Hawk Moth paper decals, $15 each, vidogo.etsy.com.

LOOK LIKE SURREAL ART (HELLO, DALÍ!). BUT DARE TO STARE, AND SPINE-TINGLING DETAILS—FROM ALIEN FLOWERS TO REPTILIAN TEXTURES—EMERGE. THE EFFECT IS SO PRETTY, IT’S SCARY. Photographs by NGOC MINH NGO TEXT BY PETRA GUGLIELMETTI | CREATED BY NAOMI DEMAÑANA

A NATOMIC ACIDS Specimens resembling claws and brains give this fresh table runner real shriek-chic. The lifelike lineup, from left: a blister gourd, prickly chayote, eel-esque Autumn Wing gourds, Buddha’s-hand (aka the most Thing-like citrus ever), and cerebral celosia blooms. Bigger squashes hollowed out with an electric drill stand in for vases: Spider mums scuttle out of a Porcelain Doll pumpkin, Mayo Bule

gourds sprout gloriosa lilies and milkweed pods, and spaghetti squashes hold rattlesnake ginger and dyed reed grass. Don’t mind the moths, lizard, or green lobster-claw heliconia creeping onto your plate. They won’t bite . . . or will they? THE DETAILS: Assorted preserved moths, from $8 each, bicbugs.com; theevolutionstore .com. Collecta bearded-dragon toy, $13, amazon.com. Open Kitchen by Williams-Sonoma matte coupe dinner plates, in White, $29 for 4, williamssonoma.com. West Elm frayededge napkins, in Platinum (similar to shown), $20 for 4, westelm.com.

It’s truly a jungle out here. To re-create this snake-gourd-infested set, drill a hole in a big pumpkin, like a Blue Lakota, and stick in a datura branch full of pods. (If you have small kids or pets, choose a different type of branch, since datura is toxic if eaten.) Dangle fuzzy amaranth from the limbs, and stud the base with a ridge of spotted begonia leaves (tucking them into smaller drilled holes). Then place gourds and squashes below—Blue Hubbard, apple gourds, and flat, stackable Jarrahdales—as a breeding ground for larger-than-life lotus pods (also stuck into drilled holes) and a crew of cold-blooded residents. THE DETAILS: Papo green praying-mantis toys, $8 each; Lwingflyer toy insects, $12 for 5; and SafariLTD American bullfrog toys, $9.50 each; amazon.com. SafariLTD iguana baby toy, $8, store.safariltd.com.

ART DIRECTION BY ABBEY KUSTER-PROKELL

G OTCH A! GR EEN

OMINOUS OR A NGE Brighten your front steps with a tumble of pumpkins that beckons passersby to come slither. This ombré array includes (from top) peachy Porcelain Doll, mottled Kakai, and blood-orange Cinderella Rouge varieties, plus greendappled Lakota winter squashes. Then scale up the spookiness with pincushion protea—sea-urchin-y blooms that will last all season— and camouflaged rubber snakes, bugs, and lizards. THE DETAILS: Wild Republic rubber albinopython toys, $9 each; Paialco yellow rubber snake toys, $8 each; and SafariLTD bearded-dragon toy, $13, amazon .com. SafariLTD albino Burmese-python toy, $11; and corn-snake toys (similar to shown), $12 each, store.safariltd.com.

GOING THEIR OWN WAY After an otherwise unremarkable ranch house in the California desert won them over with its incredible views, a creative couple threw on the brakes and put their plans to tour the West in their RV on hold. Now it’s parked out front while they update the home by hand. The work-in-progress highlights their remarkable talents, as well as the blazingly beautiful landscape. PHOTOGRAPHS BY KELLY BROWN | TEXT BY DAN SHAW

Shelf Life The kitchen in Kelly Brown and Bryce Ehrecke’s Joshua Tree, California, home features ledges, counters, and a tabletop that Ehrecke made from western maple. They found the vintage Bauhaus-style chairs at a thrift shop in nearby Palm Springs, and turned a basket from a local swap meet into a light fixture. On the top level are Heather Rosenman pottery vases from OK, in Los Angeles, and two Elise McLauchlan wooden sculptures. Below, the rattan carafe and La Soufflerie water glasses are from Nickey Kehoe, the dishware is by Heath Ceramics, and the Stagg kettle is from Fellow, in San Francisco. The large basket is from Lost & Found in L.A., and the wooden stool is by their friend and local artist Dan John Anderson.

Bench Warmer The couple’s Australian cattle dog, Sunny, hangs out on the convertible seating-slash-guestbed Ehrecke built into their trailer’s living room. They bought the light fixtures at a local hardware store and refinished the bases with Rust-Oleum spray paint in Champagne Bronze. The jute rug is from IKEA, and the stool is by Dan John Anderson.

Easy Riders Brown and Ehrecke feel grounded in the Southern California desert because they met there eight years ago, when she was on a solo camping trip and he was on a road trip from Canada to Mexico. They’ve surrounded their vintage Spartan Royal Mansion RV with potted cacti instead of planting them in the ground, so even their landscaping can move around easily.

mobile homes built by the Spartan Aircraft Company beginning in the 1940s did not exactly live up to their manufacturer’s name—they weren’t spartan at all. They were luxury RVs, advertised as “spacious, gracious, functional,” and the vintage model that Kelly Brown and Bryce Ehrecke have refurbished and parked in the California High Desert fits that description to a T. With its walls and ceiling still sheathed in the original birch-plywood paneling, which evokes the designs of Charles and Ray Eames, the trailer has a classic midcentury-modern aesthetic. “Spartans have got really nice interior design in their bones,” says Ehrecke. Brown and Ehrecke live most of the year on Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, where they run a natural-building company called Cré (the Irish word for clay). He uses age-old methods to build homes from sand, clay, and straw, while Brown, a photographer, documents their projects, designs their website, plans workshops, and does some plastering herself. In the winter of 2018, they bought their used 31-by-8-foot Spartan Royal Mansion (for just $11,000) from a California RV dealer, with the idea that they’d travel to campgrounds as an annual winter getaway. But while they restored it at a friend’s house in nearby Joshua Tree, they fell in love with the locale. They started looking at real estate for fun, and the following winter ended up buying a prosaic 1980s ranch house on a one-acre plot, because they couldn’t resist the land and views. So far, they’ve done a broad-strokes makeover of the place: Ehrecke coated the house’s interior walls in earthen plaster he mixed from local sand, clay, and fine-chopped straw (which appears as little gold flecks), then crafted custom built-ins for the kitchen and overhauled the bathroom and bedroom to make them feel organic. Everything’s in the same soft desert palette as the trailer, since “whatever we are designing, we try to match it to the landscape as much as we can,” says Brown. “It brings us a real sense of calm.” Meanwhile, they continue to hang out and entertain in the Spartan, which is outfitted with a fully functioning mini kitchen and inviting nooks. One day, the couple will use it as guest quarters, but they’re in no hurry at all. Says Ehrecke, “There’s plenty of room in there for us and our dog.” HE GLEAMING ALUMINUM

Trailer Made From top: The platform storage bed, with covers from I Love Linen, was custom-built by Ehrecke. A coat of Behr Sleek White paint refreshed the worn plywood cabinets; the Dixie stove is the original, the rug is from The Citizenry, and the barstools were designed and made by their friend Jøna Maaryn of Cast + Crew. Brown wove the fabric for the orange pillows and had a local seamstress sew them up; the striped cushion is from Juneday, the green one is from Bloomist, and the other two are from local shop Acme 5 Lifestyle.

Earthen Wares To give the house’s interior walls a look that blends seamlessly into their surroundings, Ehrecke refinished them in a thin coat of naturally colored plaster that he mixed up from one part local clay and three parts sand from the yard. He used a rusty pink, left—which gets its color from red clay—in the kitchen, and a combination with white clay in the bathroom and primary bedroom. This is a technique similar to those he uses when building the cob houses that the couple’s company, Cré, specializes in.

Sleep Style Ehrecke gave the bedroom walls a skim coat of earthen plaster to smooth them and add soft texture. An I Love Linen duvet and shag pillows from Bloomist cover the bed, which is backed by simple wall-mounted linen curtains. The light fixture above is made from a basket they bought at a swap meet; the planter is from a thrift shop. Ehrecke cast the nightstand out of a mixture of cement, sand, and rocks from the yard.

Natural Gifts Ehrecke transformed an old wooden dough trough from a San Diego antiques store into a sink, with a Trustmi brass faucet Brown bought on Amazon. The wastepaper basket and mirror are from a swap meet; the lights are the same hardware-store finds they spray-painted bronze and used in the trailer. Brown wove the towel herself out of cotton and linen.

Rock Steady

ART DIRECTION BY JOANNA GARCÍA; ST YLING BY LORNA AR AGON

When it’s warm in the evening, the pair entertain by a firepit assembled from stones they found around the yard. The mix of concrete, sand, and loose rocks Ehrecke used to cast the stools and benches is also locally sourced. When the weather turns cool, guests can gather in the trailer, which has seating for three at the kitchen bar and five on the livingroom benches. Opposite: The property’s 360-degree views guarantee spectacular sunrises and sunsets.

AUTUMN

AGLOW

To keep a Vermont garden vibrating with color year-round, a landscape designer took a layered planting approach, packing beds with waves of diverse annuals and perennials. Over the years, she and the property’s adventurous, hands-on owner have forged a friendship that also continues to grow and bloom. PHOTOGRAPHS BY CLAIRE TAKACS | TEXT BY MONICA MICHAEL WILLIS

DIVINE LINES To soften the edges of the natural pond near Rita Ramirez and Tom Bodett’s home, garden designer Helen O’Donnell added sprays of tall, seethrough grasses and loose perennials, such as feathery orange flame grass (Miscanthus sinensis ‘Purpurascens’); fanning golden Molinia caerulea ‘Windspiel’; and Physocarpus ‘Summer Wine’, a ninebark with deep-burgundy foliage.

VIBRANT VISTAS Set just beyond a trio of honey locusts, the property’s wisteria-covered pergola overlooks Putney Mountain. It was built by Ramirez’s husband, Tom Bodett, who recently founded Hatch Space, a nonprofit woodworking cooperative in Brattleboro, Vermont. “Rita gets full credit for the wisteria,” says O’Donnell of Ramirez’s two-pronged pruning approach (she cuts back heavily in fall, and again in early spring). “Her regimen gets it to bloom every summer, which is a very big deal in Vermont.” The couple’s neighbor, Jared Flynn, one of only a few master dry-stone wallers in the U.S., created the wall and garden pathways using Goshen and Ashfield stone that was quarried in Massachusetts.

F GARDENS ARE A REFLECTION of the people who nurture

so I reached out to Helen.” They gave O’Donnell complete freethem, the vivid, carefree plantings covering Rita dom, save for one major request: Ramirez wanted the garden to Ramirez’s property mirror the friendship she’s cul- be a revolving door of color from season to season. tivated with her landscape designer, Helen O’Donnell. O’Donnell, “The house was plopped in the middle of a giant hayfield,” says the co-owner of Bunker Farm, a family-run operation that O’Donnell, who had to loosen the soil, which had become comincludes a nursery of hard-to-source annuals and perennials, pacted, with a pickax before beginning work on the site. To lives just down the road in Dummerston, Vermont, and has anchor it to the land, she surrounded it with robust shrubs like overseen this plot’s breezy, naturalistic look for eight years. hydrangeas, burgundy ‘Summer Wine’ ninebark, purple smoke Though largely self-taught, O’Donnell steeped herself in the bush, and ‘Miss Kim’ lilacs. She installed drifts of tall grasses, classics several years ago by interning at venerable British gar- such as Molinia caerulea ‘Windspiel’, and perennials in various dens like Hidcote and Great Dixter, the East Sussex estate of the heights, textures, and colors. O’Donnell also grows about 90 renowned late gardener and author Christopher Lloyd. At Great percent of her annuals from seed. It’s a win-win for both women: Dixter, O’Donnell met famed horticulturist Fergus Garrett, the Ramirez gets plants other people have never seen, and O’Donnell property’s current director, and learned to grow unusual plants can trial new varieties in real time. “Layering annuals and from seed. Back home, her passion for Britain’s exuberant, perennials helps us extend the season. When one plant crashes, densely packed arts-and-crafts style never waned: “My beds it doesn’t wipe out the bed,” O’Donnell notes. have been full to the brim with perennials planted shoulder-toAs the garden evolves, so does the women’s bond. Ramirez shoulder, stems crossed, and annuals intermingled, no soil in still clears her schedule every Wednesday to dig in the dirt with sight, ever since,” she laughs. O’Donnell, and friend Laurie Merrigan, a local gardener, often This voluptuous look struck a chord with Ramirez, a social joins them to plant, water, and weed. Certain moments still wow worker who had lived in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest with the spirited pair, like when the autumn flame grass goes orange her husband, author and NPR humorist Tom Bodett, before they in tandem with the distant maples. “I still take chances here, settled on 50 acres in Dummerston in 2003. “We installed a because I know that anything that doesn’t work can be fixed,” geothermal saltwater pool and two natural ponds in 2013,” she says O’Donnell. “It’s a special thing when someone really trusts says. “But we needed to visually connect the water to the house, you to make their garden great.”

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LIVELY LAYERS “To me, gardens look best when they’re full and dynamic all season, with tiers of plantings,” says O’Donnell. In the garden bed along the front driveway, fall unfolds with purple-hued crab apple; Actea ‘Hillside Black Beauty’, with its black foliage and spires of violet seed heads; tall bursts of hot-pink Cleome; burgundy blooms of Sedum ‘Matrona’; fuchsia-pompon ‘Diva’ dahlias; and low-growing ‘Heavy Metal’ switchgrass. Though its flowers have faded, the foliage of the ‘Fuji Pink’ balloon flower turns bright golden yellow in autumn.

SMALL SURPRISES Near right: O’Donnell blends Gaura lindheimeri ‘The Bride’ with grasses and other perennials in the garden’s meadowlike borders. The delicate white flowers add subtle sparkle in the fall, she says. Far right: Fallflowering ‘Quick Fire’ hydrangeas ground the front porch: “The leaves are sturdy and coarse, and they bloom white, fade to pink, then turn a darker, rusty red in late autumn,” O’Donnell says.

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POWER PLAYERS Above: Though O’Donnell inherited many of the plants in this bed from Siena McFarland, the talented gardener who tended the space before her, she reshaped the plot and wove in pink and purple tender perennials and annuals for color. Those include red-leaved ‘Mahogany Splendor’ hibiscus, magenta ‘Fascination’ dahlias with almost-black foliage, and ‘Benary’s Giant’ zinnias, a 19th-century German heirloom that can grow up to five feet tall. Far left: “Euphorbia oblongata only gets about a foot high, but its tiny flowers and limey-green leaves lend great color and texture all season,” she says. Near left: The dwarf shrub Deutzia gracilis ‘Nikko’ enchants from April, when it has small white buds, to October, when its foliage turns burgundy.

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HOME-FRONT HARMONY A few years after moving onto their property, the couple reclad the exterior of the all-white Federal-style house with cedar clapboard and painted the trim reddish-maroon. They later built on a porch that overlooks one of the ponds and the views beyond. At the water’s edge, O’Donnell incorporated self-seeding white Gaura and purple Verbena bonariensis among the grasses. “Sometimes you have to be ruthless with self-seeders,” she admits, and remove some of them when they start to take over an area. “A gardener’s responsibility is to find the equilibrium and not let nature totally take over; we have to rein it in, and then manage it.”

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The Workbook | RECIPES, HOW-TOS, AND SOURCES FROM THIS ISSUE |

Recipe Index STARTERS, SALADS & SIDES Alpine Cheese Toasts 62 Golden Potato Gratin 104 Kale-andApple Salad 54 Saffron Shortbread 105 Warm Blackand-Blue Cheese Dip 104 MAINS Crispy Sweet-Potato Cemitas recipe card Ma Halima’s Beef Suqaar 58 Potée Savoyard 62 Saffron ChickenNoodle Soup 104 Spiced Apple Oatmeal 54 Tofu-Tomatillo Stew recipe card Vegetable and BlackBean Fried Rice recipe card Vegetarian Enchiladas Suizas recipe card BEVERAGES Bitter Martini 18 Extra Dark and Stormy 18 Saffron Latte 105

GOOD THINGS

FINEST THREADS

PAGE 18

PAGE 70

DESSERTS Apple Crumble 54 Coffee Feather Cake 107 Flourless ChocolateDate Cake 107 Naked-Fruit Chiffon Cake 105 Plum UpsideDown Cake 106 Poached Pears With Saffron Whipped Cream 105 Soft-Serve Peanut-Butter Cupcakes 108 Spiced Snacking Cake 106 OTHER Creamy Mustard Sauce 62 Saffron Whipped Cream 105 SwissMeringue Buttercream 108 Whipped Cream 106

Warm Black-and-Blue Cheese Dip 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature 3 ounces Danish blue cheese, crumbled ( ¾ cup) 2 shallots, chopped 1 clove garlic, chopped

1/3 cup heavy cream ½ teaspoon Worcestershire Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

3 celery stalks, 2 cut into thirds, 1 thinly sliced ( ½ cup)

Medjool dates, raisins, pepitas, and sliced or slivered almonds, for decorating

4 carrots, 2 cut into thirds, 2 peeled and thinly sliced (1¼ cups)

Crackers and crudités, such as red endives, radishes, and purple baby carrots, for serving

Preheat oven to 325°. Place both cheeses, shallots, garlic, cream, Worcestershire, ½ teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in the bowl of a food processor; blend until smooth, scraping down bowl as needed. Transfer to an 8-inch gratin dish or other shallow baking dish. Bake until heated through and lightly browned in places, 20 to 25 minutes (if heated through but not browned, broil 30 to 60 seconds). Decorate with edible insects (use dates and raisins for bodies, and pepitas and almonds for appendages), and serve warm, with crackers and crudités. | TOTAL TIME: 40 MIN.

3. Meanwhile, cook egg noodles in a pot of salted boiling water according to package directions; drain. Shred or cut some of reserved chicken to yield 3 cups of bite-size pieces (save extra for salads or sandwiches) and add to broth with noodles; season to taste. Simmer until heated through, about 2 minutes; serve with parsley leaves. ACTIVE TIME: 45 MIN. | TOTAL TIME: 4 HR. 40 MIN. | SERVES: 6

1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds), cut into 8 pieces (with backbone) 2 leeks, cut into thirds, well washed

SERVES: 6 TO 8

OCTOBER 2020

The broth can be made up to three days in advance. Refrigerate separately from the chicken, then remove any accumulated fat from the top with a spoon before finishing soup.

sauce

ACTIVE TIME: 20 MIN.

104

Saffron Chicken-Noodle Soup

through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot; discard solids, including bones. (You should have about 7 cups broth.) Skim fat. Add sliced carrots and celery; bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 25 minutes.

4 flat-leaf parsley sprigs, plus small whole leaves for serving 1 dried bay leaf 2 pinches saffron, crushed ( ¼ teaspoon)

½ teaspoon black peppercorns Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 4 ounces egg noodles

1. Place chicken; leek, celery, and carrot thirds; parsley sprigs; bay leaf; saffron; peppercorns; and 1 tablespoon salt in a large pot. Add enough water to cover completely (about 14 cups). Bring to a boil, then skim foam from surface, reduce heat to low, and gently simmer until chicken is cooked through, 25 minutes.

2. Remove chicken; continue

simmering broth while you discard skin and remove meat from bones. Cover meat and refrigerate; return bones to pot and simmer 2½ to 3 hours more. Strain broth

Golden Potato Gratin Use a mandoline to cut thin, even potato slices. 2 cups heavy cream Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 1 pinch saffron, crushed ( 1/8 teaspoon)

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus more, softened, for dish 1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced (2¼ cups) 2 pounds Yukon Gold or German Butterball potatoes (4 to 6 medium) 3 ounces Gruyère, grated (1 cup) 1. In a saucepan, heat cream,

1 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon

pepper, saffron, and nutmeg over medium until bubbling around edges. Remove from heat; let stand 20 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, heat butter in a

medium skillet over medium until bubbling. Add onion, season generously with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking until deep golden brown, about 15 minutes. (If mixture is becoming too dark, add water, 1 teaspoon at a time, and scrape up any browned bits; you should have about ½ cup caramelized onion.) 3. Preheat oven to 300°. Brush a 2-quart baking dish with butter. Peel and thinly slice potatoes 1/8 inch thick. Shingle half of potatoes in bottom of dish. Top with caramelized onion and half of cheese. Shingle remaining potatoes over top. Pour cream mixture over potatoes, and top with remaining cheese. Bake until potatoes are fork-tender and top is bubbling and golden, about 1 hour, 25 minutes. Let stand at least 15 minutes before serving. | TOTAL TIME: 2 HR. 15 MIN. | SERVES: 6 TO 8

1 tablespoon granulated sugar 1. Preheat oven to 325°. Place saf-

fron in a small bowl; add hot water and let stand 20 minutes. Brush an 8-inch round cake pan with butter. In a bowl, beat butter with confectioners’ sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add ½ teaspoon saffron water and vanilla; beat until combined, scraping down sides as needed. Add flour and salt; beat until just combined. 2. Pat dough evenly into prepared

pan; refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes. Crimp edges with a fork. Cut into 8 wedges with a sharp knife, and dock all over with a skewer or fork. Brush remaining saffron water over top; sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake until firm and golden around edges, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool slightly in pan on a wire rack, then turn out of pan, reslice wedges with a serrated knife, and let cool completely. Shortbread can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week. ACTIVE TIME: 20 MIN. | TOTAL TIME: 1 HR. 20 MIN., PLUS COOLING | SERVES: 8

ACTIVE TIME: 20 MIN.

Saffron Latte ¾ cup whole milk 3 to 4 saffron threads, crushed

¼ cup espresso (double shot) In a small saucepan, heat milk and saffron over medium-low until hot and just bubbling around edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk until thick and foamy. Pour espresso into a mug, top with saffron milk, and serve. ACTIVE TIME: 5 MIN. SERVES: 1

Saffron Shortbread 1 pinch saffron, crushed ( 1/8 teaspoon) 1 tablespoon hot water 1 stick unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan 6 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap, until cold, at least 2 hours and up to 3 days. Serve pears whole or halved in shallow bowls, with syrup and saffron whipped cream.

½ teaspoon kosher salt

| TOTAL TIME: 10 MIN.

ACTIVE TIME: 25 MIN. | TOTAL TIME: 3 HR. 15 MIN. | SERVES: 4

Saffron Whipped Cream 1 cup heavy cream

Poached Pears With Saffron Whipped Cream 4 firm but ripe Bosc pears (about 2 pounds), stems intact, peeled 2 cups dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc

¼ cup sugar ¼ cup fresh orange juice, plus 4 strips peeled zest (from 2 oranges) 1 cinnamon stick 1 pinch saffron, crushed ( 1/8 teaspoon)

1 pinch saffron, crushed ( 1/8 teaspoon) 1 to 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar (or to taste)

In a small saucepan, heat 1/4 cup cream and saffron over medium until just barely bubbling around edges. Remove from heat and transfer to a large mixing bowl; add remaining ¾ cup cream. Refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes. Add sugar and beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. ACTIVE TIME: 10 MIN.

| TOTAL TIME: 40 MIN.

MAKES: ABOUT 2 CUPS

½ vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped, or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or paste Saffron Whipped Cream (recipe follows), for serving

1. Core pears from bottoms, using

a small melon baller or measuring spoon to scoop out seeds. Cut a round of parchment to fit inside a medium saucepan. Place pears in pan along with wine, sugar, orange juice and zest, cinnamon, saffron, and enough water to mostly cover pears (about 3 cups). Add vanilla seeds, then pod. Cover with parchment round.

CIRCLE GAME To watch a video on making the parchment round for this recipe, hover your smartphone camera here, or go to marthastewart.com/ parchmentround.

LIFE OF THE PARTY PAGE 78

2. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, turning pears occasionally to keep them covered with liquid, until tender (easily pierced with the tip of a knife) but not falling apart, 12 to 15 minutes, depending on ripeness and size. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pears to a large bowl; cover with parchment round from pan. 3. Remove and discard vanilla

pod and cinnamon. Bring poaching liquid to a boil and cook until reduced to a thin syrup, 25 to 30 minutes (you should have 1 to 1½ cups). Pour over pears and

Naked-Fruit Chiffon Cake Unsalted butter, softened, for pans 1¾ cups cake flour (not self-rising)

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

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The Workbook 1¼ cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar

4. With a serrated knife, trim

1 cup granulated sugar

1¾ teaspoons baking powder

tops of cake layers to level; split each in half horizontally to form a total of 4 layers. Place one layer, bottom-side down, on a serving platter. Spread 1½ cups whipped cream evenly over top. Repeat process with remaining cake layers, spreading 1½ cups whipped cream between each layer and leaving top layer uncovered. (For stability, insert a wooden dowel or skewer into center of cake, trimmed so dowel is just shorter than top of cake.) Spread remaining 1½ cups whipped cream over top of cake in decorative swirls. Garnish with fruit, scattering it on top of cake and around perimeter of platter. Drizzle with blackberry coulis and serve immediately.

2 large eggs, separated, room temperature

¾ teaspoon kosher salt 1/3 cup safflower oil 6 large egg yolks, plus 8 large whites, room temperature

2/3 cup whole milk, room temperature 2 teaspoons lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons fresh juice 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar 2 cups fresh blackberries, plus more for serving Whipped Cream (recipe follows) and seasonal fruit, such as Seckel pears, figs, plums, and Concord grapes, for serving 1. Preheat oven to 325°. Butter

two 9-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment; butter parchment. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, ¾ cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together oil, egg yolks, milk, lemon zest, and vanilla seeds. Whisk yolk mixture into flour mixture. 2. Beat egg whites on high speed

until frothy. Add cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Gradually add ½ cup sugar, beating until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 5 minutes. Whisk one-third of mixture into batter. With a rubber spatula, gently fold in remaining eggwhite mixture. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake until golden and tops spring back when lightly touched, about 30 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack; let cool 10 minutes. Turn cakes out upside-down onto rack and let cool completely. 3. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring berries, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons water to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking up berries with the back of a spoon. Pass mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on solids to release all juices. Let cool completely.

MAKES: ONE 9-INCH LAYER CAKE

Whipped Cream 3 cups heavy cream 1 cup sugar

¼ teaspoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on low speed until sugar has dissolved, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high and beat to firm peaks, about 3 minutes more. MAKES: ABOUT 6 CUPS

2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ cup buttermilk, room temperature

1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, melt 4 tablespoons butter with brown sugar over low heat. Using a fork, mix together until smooth. Remove from heat. 2. Place plum halves, cut-sides

down, on a work surface; cut into

¼-inch-thick slices. Transfer each slice to skillet, forming concentric circles beginning at outer edge and ending in center, overlapping slices as you go around. 3. In the bowl of a stand mixer,

beat remaining 1 stick butter with granulated sugar on mediumhigh speed until light and fluffy. In a small bowl, beat egg yolks and vanilla; add to butter mixture. In another small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture to butter mixture in three additions, alternating with buttermilk and beginning and ending with flour mixture; beat until just combined. Transfer batter to a wide bowl. whites on medium-high until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Stir one-third of whites into batter. Gently fold in remaining whites until incorporated. Pour batter over plums in skillet, spreading with an offset spatula to cover evenly.

Plum Upside-Down Cake When forming concentric circles of plum slices in the pan, shingle them as closely as possible—they’ll shrink while they bake. 1½ sticks ( ¾ cup) unsalted butter, softened 5 to 7 plums (depending on size), halved and pitted

OCTOBER 2020

1½ cups unbleached allpurpose flour

4. In a clean mixer bowl, beat egg

¾ cup packed light-brown sugar

106

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

5. Bake until top is browned and springs back when lightly pressed in center, and a tester comes out clean, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer skillet to a wire rack; let cool 20 minutes. Turn out cake onto a serving plate and let cool completely before serving. SERVES: 8

Spiced Snacking Cake ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons safflower oil, and more for pan 2¼ cups unbleached allpurpose flour 1½ cups granulated sugar 1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon baking powder

¾ teaspoon kosher salt ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom 1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk, room temperature

¾ cup sour cream 2¼ teaspoons pure vanilla extract 4½ tablespoons whole milk, room temperature

¾ cup confectioners’ sugar 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped 1½ teaspoons to 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest, plus 1 to 3 tablespoons fresh juice

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Brush a

9-by-13-inch baking pan with oil. Line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides; brush parchment. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom. 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg and yolk, sour cream, oil, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons milk until combined. Add egg mixture to flour mixture; stir until smooth (batter will be thick). Transfer to prepared pan, smoothing top with an offset spatula. Bake until lightly golden and top of cake springs back when lightly pressed, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let cool 30 minutes. Using overhangs, transfer cake from pan to rack; let cool completely. 3. In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners’ sugar, remaining 1½ tablespoons milk, vanilla

seeds, 1½ teaspoons lemon zest (or up to 1 tablespoon, for a zesty bite), and 1 tablespoon lemon juice until smooth and pourable. (If glaze is too thick, add up to remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice.) Pour over top of cake, spreading to edges with offset spatula. Allow to set before slicing, about 30 minutes. Cake can be refrigerated, wrapped in plastic, up to 3 days; return to room temperature before serving. SERVES: 12 TO 16

1. Cake: Preheat oven to 325°. In a

large bowl, whisk together flour, ¾ cup granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add coffee, oil, egg yolks, and vanilla; whisk until smooth. Beat egg whites on medium speed until frothy, about 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high and gradually add remaining ¾ cup granulated sugar; beat until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 5 minutes. Gently fold one-third of whites into batter, then fold in remaining whites. 2. Divide batter evenly among

three ungreased 8-inch round pans, smoothing tops with an offset spatula. Bake until lightly golden and tops spring back when gently pressed, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer pans to wire racks; let cool 15 minutes. Run a small offset spatula around edges and turn out cakes, upside-down, onto racks; let cool completely. With a serrated knife, split each cake in half horizontally (making 6 layers).

Coffee Feather Cake CAKE

2¼ cups cake flour (not selfrising) 1½ cups granulated sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon kosher salt

¾ cup strongly brewed coffee, room temperature

½ cup safflower oil 6 large eggs, separated, room temperature 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract FILLING

1 cup mascarpone Pinch of kosher salt

½ cup heavy cream ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar FEATHERS

1 ounce dark chocolate, chopped ( ¼ cup) 1 ounce milk chocolate, chopped ( ¼ cup) 2 ounces white chocolate, chopped ( ½ cup) COFFEE WHIPPED CREAM

½ cup granulated sugar Pinch of kosher salt 1½ cups heavy cream

¼ cup strongly brewed coffee, plus more to taste, room temperature

medium-high and beat to stiff peaks, about 3 minutes. (For a stronger coffee flavor, whisk in another 1 to 2 tablespoons coffee.) 6. Anchor one cake layer, bottom-

side down, on an 8-inch board with a dab of whipped cream. Spread ¾ cup mascarpone filling evenly over layer, then top with a second cake layer. Spread evenly with ¾ cup whipped cream, then repeat process, alternating filling and whipped cream between layers, and ending with sixth and final cake layer, bottom-side up. Spread a thin layer of whipped cream over cake to form a crumb coat; refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes. Spread all but 1/4 cup of remaining whipped cream over top and sides of cake. Create a layering effect with chocolate feathers by attaching them, at a slight angle, to side of cake with dabs of remaining whipped cream to anchor. MAKES: ONE 8-INCH LAYER CAKE

3. Filling: Beat mascarpone with salt on low speed until combined. With mixer running, slowly add cream. Increase speed to medium; gradually add confectioners’ sugar and beat to medium peaks. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to use.

5. Coffee whipped cream: Beat

granulated sugar, salt, cream, and coffee on medium-low speed until sugar has dissolved, about 1 minute. Increase speed to

2. Preheat oven to 325°. Butter a

9-inch springform pan. Line with parchment; butter parchment. Dust pan with cocoa, tapping out any excess. In a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pan of simmering water, melt butter and chocolate, whisking until smooth. Remove from heat. Whisk in 2/3 cup date purée. Let cool; whisk in egg yolks, kosher salt, and cinnamon. 3. Beat egg whites on mediumhigh speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Slowly add 1/4 cup sugar, beating until stiff, glossy peaks form. Fold onethird of whites into chocolate mixture, then fold in remaining whites. Transfer to prepared pan, smoothing top with an offset spatula. Bake until set, cracking a bit on edges, and shiny in center, about 30 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let cool completely. Run a paring knife around sides of pan; remove from pan and transfer to a cake plate.

4. In a small saucepan over

4. Feathers: Melt each chocolate

in a separate heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pan of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Mix a little melted milk chocolate into half of melted white chocolate to create a fourth color. Working in batches, spoon half-dollar-size pools of melted chocolate onto baking sheets lined with nonstick baking mats or parchment. (If chocolate hardens as you’re working, reheat over simmering water.) Using pastry brushes and short, quick strokes, brush melted chocolate into feather shapes. Refrigerate until set, at least 30 minutes.

to a simmer; cook, stirring, until almost all of liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat; cover and let cool. Purée in a food processor until smooth. (You should have about 1 cup.)

Flourless Chocolate-Date Cake 10 ounces Medjool dates, pitted

2/3 cup bourbon 1½ sticks ( ¾ cup) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan Dutch-process cocoa powder, for pan 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate (70 percent cacao), chopped 6 large eggs, separated, room temperature

¼ ½ 1¼ 1/3

teaspoon kosher salt teaspoon ground cinnamon cups sugar cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, such as Maldon

medium-high heat, bring remaining 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes. Let boil, without stirring, until deep golden brown, swirling pan to color evenly, and washing down sides with a wet pastry brush to keep crystals from forming, 10 to 11 minutes. Remove from heat; carefully pour in cream (it will spatter), stirring to combine. Stir in remaining 1/3 cup date purée. Pass caramel through a finemesh sieve; let cool until thick but pourable, about 30 minutes. 5. Pour caramel over cake, spreading with an offset spatula so it drips over sides. Sprinkle with flaky salt. Slice cake with a knife dipped in hot water, then wiped down between slices. Serve with whipped cream. SERVES: 10 TO 12

Whipped Cream (see recipe, opposite), for serving 1. In a small saucepan over medium-

low heat, bring dates and bourbon

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

107

The Workbook other half, and place in another pastry bag with no tip. Fit a third pastry bag with a large round tip, about ½ inch diameter. Snip ends off both bags of buttercream; insert them in pastry bag with tip. Squeeze gently until both buttercreams come out evenly. Pipe a swirl of buttercreams onto each cupcake, about 2 inches high. Refrigerate at least 25 minutes.

Soft-Serve Peanut-Butter Cupcakes 1½ cups sugar 1½ cups unbleached allpurpose flour

¾ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder 1½ teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon kosher salt

¾ cup buttermilk, room temperature

1/3 cup plus 4 tablespoons safflower oil

¾ cup warm water 2 large eggs, room temperature 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 5 cups Swiss-Meringue Buttercream (recipe follows)

½ cup creamy peanut butter 12 ounces semisweet chocolate (61 to 66 percent cacao), coarsely chopped 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line a

standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and ¾ teaspoon salt. Add buttermilk, 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon oil, and warm water; whisk to combine. Add eggs, one at a time, then 1 teaspoon vanilla, whisking until smooth. 2. Divide batter evenly among prepared cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake, rotating tin halfway through, until tops spring back when lightly touched and a tester comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer tin to a wire rack; let cool 10 minutes. Turn out cupcakes onto rack; let cool completely. 3. Divide buttercream in half. Stir

peanut butter and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt into one half, and place in a pastry bag with no tip. Stir remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla into

108

OCTOBER 2020

4. In a heatproof bowl set over

(not in) a pan of simmering water, melt chocolate with remaining 3 tablespoons oil, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat; let cool slightly. Transfer to a tall, wide container, such as a quart takeout container, and let cool completely. (Glaze should be smooth but not warm.) Gently dip cupcakes into glaze to coat tops completely, holding above container to allow excess glaze to drip off. Return cupcakes to refrigerator to set, about 10 minutes, before serving. Finished cupcakes can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days. MAKES: 1 DOZEN

paddle attachment and beat on low speed to remove any air bubbles, 2 minutes. Buttercream can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 week; return to room temperature and beat with paddle attachment until smooth before using. MAKES: ABOUT 5 CUPS

GOOD THINGS PAGE 20

5 large egg whites, room temperature 1¼ cups sugar Pinch of kosher salt 4 sticks (2 cups) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons and softened 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1. In the bowl of a stand mixer,

combine egg whites, sugar, and salt. Set bowl over (not in) a pot of simmering water; whisk until warm to the touch and sugar has dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes. (Test by rubbing between your fingers; it should feel completely smooth.) 2. Transfer mixture to mixer fitted

with the whisk attachment. Starting on low speed and gradually increasing to medium-high during first minute, beat to stiff, glossy peaks, 7 to 10 minutes. 3. Reduce speed to medium-low and add butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. (Don’t worry if buttercream appears curdled; it will become smooth again with continued beating.) Add vanilla; beat just until combined. Switch to

4. Make handle: Fold hatbox-lid lip in half, and hot-glue ends to hatbox interior through candy hole. Hot-glue lid to box so edges are flush. Paint assembled carrier black; let dry completely.

5. Download and print cat template. Cut out cat eyes and nose, and trace onto cereal box or poster board. Cut out, paint accordingly, and let dry. Glue in place on carrier; let dry completely. 6. Add whiskers: Using pin, poke three parallel holes on either side of snout. Slide a piece of wire through a hole on one side, then out through corresponding hole opposite; repeat for remaining wires. Bend wires slightly to look whisker-like. Use wax pencil to draw on eyebrows and mouth.

HOW-TO

Witch’s Familiar SUPPLIES

Swiss-Meringue Buttercream

hole, so bowl’s edge meets lid’s edge. Let dry completely.

Craft knife Round hatbox Paper plate Hot-glue gun Paper bowl or deep small paper plate Black chalk paint Cat template (download at marthastewart.com/treatcarriers)

THE DETAILS: CantaGreen compostable dessert plates, 6", $12 for 100; NexHex biodegradable brown paper bowls, 14 oz., $14 for 100; eBoot stem wire, 14", 26 gauge, in White, $8 for 100; Feeke Bacekounefly Halloween costume witch-hat accessory, $6; Gorlya girl’s casual fit-and-flare party dress with pockets, from $13; and Rocky Mountain Goods small broom for kids and toddlers (painted black), $16, amazon.com. FolkArt Home Decor chalk paint, in Maui Sand, $10 for 8 oz.; and Martha Stewart Family Friendly multisurface satin acrylic craft paint, in assorted colors, $2.50 for 2 oz., michaels.com. Faber-Castell polychromos pencil, in White, $2, dickblick.com.

Cereal box or poster board Pink, white, and yellow craft paint Large safety pin or other poking tool 3 pieces lightweight white wire, such as floral wire, each 14 inches White wax pencil 1. Using knife, cut lip off hatbox lid; set aside. Cut a hole (for candy) in side of hatbox, big enough for small hands to reach in. 2. Make ears: Cut plate in half. Cut a slit up center of each half to inner rim. Bend sides together to give ears a curve; hot-glue sides together where edges overlap to hold shape. Cut bottom of each ear into a curve to sit flush against side of hatbox. Hot-glue ears to hatbox, one on each side of candy hole. Let dry completely.

3. Meanwhile, make snout: Cut rim off bowl. Hot-glue bowl to top of hatbox lid at bottom, opposite candy

HOW-TO

Dorothy’s Rainbow SUPPLIES Cardboard box Craft knife Craft paint, in rainbow colors Ruler or measuring tape Poster board Hot-glue gun

1. With a pencil, draw a rainbow shape on cardboard box, as big as

PRESENTED BY

you want your treat carrier to be (ours was 24 inches across bottom, with 10-inch bases at either end); cut out with knife. Make an identical second rainbow shape by tracing the first one onto more cardboard; cut out. Paint a rainbow on one side of each cutout; let dry completely. 2. Measure the outer arch of your rainbows, and cut an 8-inch-wide strip of poster board to that length. Cut a hole (for candy), centered in middle of strip, big enough for small hands to reach in.

3. Measure length of one base of rainbows; cut two 6-inch-wide pieces of cardboard to that length. Measure inner arch of your rainbows; cut a 6-inch-wide strip of poster board to that length. 4. Hot-glue ends of one rainbow to two cardboard bases. Hot-glue shorter posterboard strip around inner arch, and longer strip around outer arch, so candy hole is at top of rainbow. Let dry completely. 5. Meanwhile, make handle: Cut out a 12-by-2½ -inch strip of poster board. Fold in half and paint both sides; let dry completely. Hot-glue ends of handle to rainbow interior through candy hole; let dry completely.

6. Hot-glue second rainbow to cardboard bases and poster-board arches. Paint exteriors of arches, bases, and handle accordingly; let dry completely. THE DETAILS: Martha Stewart Family Friendly multisurface satin acrylic craft paint, in assorted colors, $2.50 for 2 oz., michaels.com. Costumes by June Dorothy of Oz costume, from $55, costumesbyjune.etsy.com. Kidcostumes.com Dorothy’s Ruby Red shoes, $25, amazon.com.

Dog template (download at marthastewart.com/treatcarriers) Poster board or card stock Rubber ball or pom-pom Marker 1. Using knife, cut a rectangular hole (for candy) in side of oatmeal canister, about 1 inch from one end, big enough for small hands to reach in. 2. Trim rims off paper bowls. Hot-glue a trimmed bowl to each end of canister. With canister on its side and candy hole at top, hot-glue papier-mâché egg lengthwise next to hole at one end of canister to form head, so tapered end of egg sticks out past end of canister; let dry completely. Paint assembled pieces brown; let dry completely.

3. Download and print dog template. Cut out legs, ears, tail, collar, and tag; trace onto poster board. Cut out pieces, paint accordingly, and let dry. Glue legs to sides of oatmeal canister; ears to either side of wide end of egg; tail to opposite end of oatmeal canister, so it curves up; and tag to collar, then secure around “neck.”

4. Cut rubber ball or pom-pom in half; paint black if necessary, and glue to tapered end of egg; let dry completely. Use marker to draw eyes and mouth on “head.” 5. Make handle: Cut out a 12-by-2½ -inch strip of poster board. Fold in half and paint both sides; let dry completely. Glue either end to dog interior through candy hole. Let dry completely. THE DETAILS: NexHex biodegradable brown paper bowls, 14 oz., $14 for 100; and BestPysanky papier-mâché Easter egg, 4", $9.50 for 2, amazon.com. Martha Stewart Family Friendly multisurface satin acrylic craft paint, in assorted colors, $2.50 for 2 oz., michaels .com. Hucklebones Gilded Bow shift dress (similar to shown), $188, hucklebones.co.uk.

HOW-TO

Posh Lady’s Pup SUPPLIES Craft knife Cardboard oatmeal canister (bottom and top removed) or wide packing tube

HOW-TO

Angler’s Surprise

2 paper bowls

SUPPLIES

Hot-glue gun

Cardboard oatmeal canister (bottom and top removed) or wide packing tube

Papier-mâché egg Brown, black, and red craft paint

Craft knife Hot-glue gun

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

109

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The Workbook

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Papier-mâché egg Shark template (download at marthastewart.com/treatcarriers)

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Poster board Gray, white, and black craft paint Papier-mâché cone Large safety pin or other poking tool Paper-covered wire

1. Use a pencil to draw a shark mouth on canister, starting at one end, curving down about two-thirds of the way, then curving up a few inches. Cut out with knife (for candy), making sure it’s large enough for small hands to fit through.

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2. Hot-glue wide end of papier-mâché egg to end of oatmeal canister where mouth opening starts for snout; let dry completely.

America Since 1816

3. Meanwhile, download and print shark template. Cut out eyes, teeth, side fins, tail fin, and dorsal fin, and trace onto poster board. Cut out pieces, paint accordingly, and let dry completely. 4. Cut a 3-inch slit in pointy end of papier-mâché cone, and insert tail fin, curved-edge first, so that it’s centered; secure with hot glue. Hot-glue papiermâché cone to open end of canister, making sure tail fin is perpendicular to it.

For a free colour card text your name, address and email to 1-215-817-3796 www.Old-Village.com

5. Hot-glue side fins and dorsal fin to sides and top of body where papiermâché cone and canister meet. Paint assembled pieces; let dry completely. 6. Hot-glue teeth strips along inner edge of mouth opening. Glue an eye to either side of canister, a couple of inches above mouth opening; let dry completely. 7. Use pin to make a hole at center of shark’s snout. Round wire into a loop for handle; twist onto itself to secure. Tuck twisted section of wire inside mouth hole to hide it.

Get Fit While You Sit

THE DETAILS: Darice papier-mâché openbottom cone, 13¾" by 5", $10; J&J’s ToyScape fillable papier-mâché Easter egg, 5" by 3½", $11; Rapid Dominance Boonies hat, $12; and Foxfire for Kids Junior Adventure vest, $35, amazon.com. Martha Stewart Family Friendly multisurface satin acrylic craft paint, in assorted colors, $2.50 for 2 oz., michaels.com. Saveon-Crafts brown-paper-wrapped stem wires, 18 gauge, 18", $25 for 72, save-on-crafts.com.

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Sources PERSONAL PROJECTS, PAGE 23 THE DETAILS: Hickory Hardware Conquest porcelain cabinet knobs (similar to shown), 1⅜", $2.75 each, homedepot.com. Meadowbrook Creations Shaker peg rails (similar to shown), from $1.50 an inch, nhwoodworking.com. Longaberger cake basket with swinging handles (similar to shown), $98, longaberger.com. Haydenville Broomworks Shaker broom (similar to shown), $50, haydenvillebroomworks.com.

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OCTOBER 2020

$25,000 SWEEPS CONTEST DETAILS NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Subject to Official Rules available online at www .marthastewart.com/25k. The $25,000 Sweepstakes begins at 12:01 a.m. ET on 7/1/20 and ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on 1/3/21. Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, and the District of Columbia, 21 years or older. Void where prohibited. Sponsor: Meredith Corporation. Sweepstakes is offered by Meredith Corporation and may be promoted by any of Meredith’s publications in various creative executions online and in print and at additional URLs at any time during the sweepstakes.

WIN THIS CONTEST DETAILS MARTHA STEWART DAILY Official Rules NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Subject to Official Rules available at win.marthastewart.com online. There will be one Daily Giveaway Sweepstakes per day. Entries for each daily sweepstakes must be received by 11:59 p.m. ET each day. Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, and the District of Columbia, 21 years or older. One entry per email address per day. Online entry only. Void where prohibited. Sponsor: Meredith Corporation.

MARTHA STEWART LIVING (ISSN 1057-5251) is published monthly except combined in January/February and July/August by Meredith Corporation, 1716 Locust Street, Des Moines, IA 503093023. Periodicals postage paid at Des Moines, IA, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 507.1.5.2); NONPOSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: Send address changes to Martha Stewart Living, P.O. Box 37508, Boone, IA 50037-0508. (Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40021219, GST #89311617BRT.) Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Martha Stewart Living is a member of the Alliance for Audited Media. SUBSCRIBERS: If the postal authorities alert us that your magazine is undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within two years. Your bank may provide updates to the card information we have on file. You may opt out of this service at any time. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Occasionally, we make a portion of our mailing list available to carefully selected companies that offer products and services we believe you may enjoy. If you would prefer not to receive these offers and/or information, please send a note along with your address label to Martha Stewart Living, P.O. Box 37508, Boone, IA 50037-0508, or call 800-999-6518 (U.S. and Canada) toll-free. PRINTED IN THE USA.

SUBSCRIPTION HELP: Visit marthastewart.com/ myaccount; email us at mlvcustserv@cdsfulfillment .com; or call 800-999-6518. For editorial queries: Please write to Letters Department, Martha Stewart Living, 225 Liberty Street, New York, NY 10281; or email: ms.living@meredith.com. Visit our website for more information: www.marthastewart.com. © 2020 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. All projects described in this publication are for private, noncommercial use only. No rights for commercial use or exploitation are given or implied. Martha Stewart Living is a trademark registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. For syndication requests or international licensing requests or reprint and reuse permission, email syndication@meredith.com.

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B R AT I

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“I’ve always loved Halloween. I can’t remember a year when I did not dress up in a costume—like this unique and ghostly equestrienne—or a fun, prankish outfit to cover up my true identity. That’s what the holiday is for me: a time of lighthearted scariness and mystery.” —Martha PHOTOGRAPH BY DIEGO UCHITEL

October 2009

112

OCTOBER 2020

Trademarks owned by Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., Vevey, Switzerland.