Martha - November 2019 by Lawrence Ambrocio

MARTHA STEWART

New American Classics

INSPIRING IDEAS FOR AN EXTRA-SPECIAL THANKSGIVING SIMPLE & STUNNING HOLIDAY TABLES GET ON UP! (OR GET DOWN) PIES AT AMAZING HEIGHTS KITCHEN SMARTS PREP WITH EASE

Plus

MARTHA’S FAVORITE HOUS EP LANTS NOVEMBER 2019 $4.99 USA (CAN $5.99) MARTHASTEWART.COM

Martha’s November GENTLE REMINDERS, HELPFUL TIPS, AND IMPORTANT DATES

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Let’s keep in touch! Follow me all month long on Instagram and Twitter. @marthastewart48 @marthastewart

Friday

Saturday

Plant vegetables in greenhouse

Check and refill bird feeders

DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME ENDS

Continue planting fall bulbs

ELECTION DAY

Book signing for Cookie Perfection at Williams-Sonoma Columbus Circle, in NYC

Order heritage turkeys for Thanksgiving

Prepare coops for winter

Roast Brussels sprouts (see page 76)

Cardio and core

Weight training

Vote! Chef Pierre Schaedelin’s birthday Weight training

New York Times TimesTalk with Questlove, in NYC

Plant trees

VETERANS DAY

Stack firewood

Organize wine cellar

Start forcing narcissi

Host friends for dinner

Appear at MetroCooking DC event, in Washington, D.C.

Cardio and core

Weight training

Begin fall pruning

Weight training

Yoga

Go antiquing

Present at first annual Marvin Hamlisch International Music Awards, at Queens College in NYC

Deep-clean oven

Polish silver

Bring houseplants in from greenhouse to decorate

Make and freeze pastry for baking

Appear at the USA Today Paradise Coast Wine & Food Experience, in Naples, Florida

Weight training

Yoga

Cardio and core

Weight training

Finalize Thanksgiving menu; make shopping lists

Start wrapping shrubs and boxwood in burlap

Set out Thanksgiving tableware

Bake pies (see page 100)

THANKSGIVING

Take a walk on the farm with Jude and Truman, then make sandwiches from Thanksgiving leftovers

Horseback ride

Weight training

Yoga

“To get a head start on Thanksgiving prep, I’ll make pastry shells for pies the week before, and then cover them tightly in plastic wrap and freeze them in their plates. Later, I just add the fillings and bake.” —Martha 2

NOVEMBER 2019

Celebrate with family and friends

GET ROLLING Hover your phone’s camera over this smart code to see how to make Martha’s pâte-brisée crust.

JOHNNY MILLER

Weight training

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NOVEMBER 2019

Contents 86 FIELD DAY

Decorate for fall with chic dried-botanical arrangements. Our striking ideas are simple to re-create.

92 SWEET HOME ALABAMA

For beloved chef Scott Peacock, Thanksgiving is a celebration of close friends and classic southern flavors.

106 PLANTS THAT ENCHANT

Martha’s favorite specimens in her Bedford home, plus a green-thumb guide to caring for your own.

112 CHARACTER CHRISTOPHER TESTANI (PIE); HELEN NORMAN (ROOM)

STUDY

Designer Lauren Liess’s new book, Down to Earth, showcases her rustic-meetsmodern aesthetic. She takes us on a charming home tour.

100

The Height of Greatness How low—or high— can you go? With these spectacular pies, the sky’s the limit.

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

YOUR FUTURE LOOKS ROSY BECAUSE YOU’RE WORTH IT.™

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NOVEMBER 2019

Contents

17 A Room for Recipes 17 Our founder invites us into her new cookbook library.

EVERYDAY FOOD

GOOD THINGS 27 Table games for the youngest guests, next-level leftover ideas, a furniture makeover, and more.

Perfecting: Surf’s Up 71 This delicious shrimp scampi will earn you a spot at the captain’s table.

60 GOOD LIVING The Well-Kept Home: Ready to Revel 39 Fourteen kitchen tips that’ll streamline holiday cooking. American Made: Waxing Poetic 44 Upstate New York candlemakers pour their hearts into lovely beeswax pillars.

NOVEMBER 2019

Tastemaker: The Curator 46 Cool essentials from style savant Amanda Brooks. Beauty: Hydrate Yourself 52 Cold air, don’t care: how to keep your face well-moisturized all winter.

Counter Intelligence: Power Players 54 Creamy multitasking makeup, effortless eyeliner, and a feel-good facial-massage tool. Health & Wellness: Feeling Hormonal? 56 These chemicals affect mood, meta bolism, and mental sharpness. Learn to keep them calibrated. Change Makers: Standing Tall 60 More trees mean cleaner air for all. We salute the eco orgs planting the seeds. Ask Martha 66 All your pressing questions answered.

Sip & Repeat: Good Libations 74 Our food editors’ favorite specialoccasion cocktails. Healthy Appetite: Budding Genius 76 Brussels sprouts have a right to brag: They pack vitamin C, omega-3s, and fiber. What’s for Dinner? Pot Luck 80 Speedy stews that taste like they simmered for hours. Kitchen Wisdom: Can You Dig It? 82 We’ve unearthed the top sweet potatoes, and easy ways to enjoy them.

Departments

Martha’s Month 2 Editor’s Letter 12 Out & About 14 The Workbook 118 Recipe Index 118 Collecting 128

| ON THE COVER |

PIE HIGH This pumpkin beauty’s angular crust gives it serious star power— and it’s surprisingly easy to make from just buttered sheets of phyllo. Photograph by Christopher Testani. Styling by Tanya Graff. Recipe by Greg Lofts. Antique 19th-century American blown-glass salver, wellbourne robinson.com.

NOE DEWIT T (LIBR ARY); NGOC MINH NGO (TREES); LENNART WEIBULL (PASTA); COURTESY OF MANUFACTURER (WATCH)

FROM MARTHA

EDITOR’S LETTER

| LIVING IN MY LIFE |

Here, just a handful of our ideas that I’m inspired by this month.

Yes, I need to slow my roll here, but I want to make all the pies in this feature—just not all on Thanksgiving. (Christmas is coming!) Page 100.

Present Perfect 2

A LOT OF EFFORT goes into Thanksgiving—and for good

reason; it’s a time to come together and celebrate. Over the years, however, I’ve refined my approach to enjoy this holiday even more. I used to tackle it by traveling, making last-minute lists, turbo-shopping, and ultimately delegating too little and taking on too much. (My pie-to-people ratio was comical.) I’d cook, bake, and stir the day into a blur, and when I finally sat down to dinner, I felt happy and relieved, yet also a little what-just-happened? I realized I was missing out on the whole “relaxing with family” part. The truth is, I (like so many of our loyal readers and Martha fans) love all the chopping, stirring, blending, whirring, setting, and arranging, just as much as indulging in the fruits of it all. So the answer isn’t to skip out, but to share the preparation with family and spread it out over time (see how Martha does it on her calendar, page 2). This issue offers a blueprint to striking that balance, and a path to having an extra-special holiday from start to finish. You’ll find that chef Scott Peacock’s southern-inflected Thanksgiving spread is the menu to crib from this year. We also have pies galore (hold me back!), smart kitchen strategies for making entertaining easy, and simple yet stunning décor for your table and home. It’s even more to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving!

Elizabeth Graves, Editor in Chief @ ebgraves elizabeth@marthastewart.com

You can set and forget these gorgeous dried arrangements with no worries about wilting. Page 86.

Good Things has great ideas for kids’ tables and keeping even your youngest guests entertained. Page 27.

Speaking of smart strategies, “Ready to Revel” will help you prep your kitchen for streamlined cooking, baking, and cleanup. Page 39.

Celebrated chef Scott Peacock shares his incredible menu— which wouldn’t be complete without his sublime biscuits. Page 92.

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NOVEMBER 2019

PORTRAIT BY PERRY HAGOPIAN

CHRISTOPHER TESTANI (PIE); RYAN LIEBE (ARR ANGEMENT); KIRSTEN FR ANCIS (PL ACE SET TING, KITCHEN ITEMS); CON POULOS (BISCUITS)

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Out & About

WHERE TO GO, WHAT TO SEE, AND HOW TO ENJOY FALL TO THE FULLEST

| ON THE ROAD |

| WHY NOT? |

PEEP A LEAF

Grand Openings Now on exhibit: four fabulous new and renovated museums.

When cooler temps send a golden ripple across treetops, a drive on the Great River Road— a 10-state National Scenic Byway hugging the Mississippi River— becomes a glorious getaway (experiencemississippiriver.com). Pull over at Pere Marquette State Park, in Grafton, Illinois, to stretch your legs on a Technicolor hike. Or take in one of these seasonal vistas. Trees lining this 469-mile Appalachian attraction go scarlet in succession, highest-elevation first. Cruise past a cascade of sunset tones. blueridgeparkway.org

LOGAN CANYON SCENIC BYWAY

CONNECTICUT RIVER VALLEY

This northern-Utah path shows off the varied terrain of Cache Valley, from limestone formations to rolling farmland, and peaks at an overlook of bright-turquoise Bear Lake. visitutah.com

Protected natural zones along this winding waterway (visible from Routes 154, 82, and 434) stay vivid well into November. ctrivervalley.com

| SECRET SOURCE |

Cattails Woodwork “The handmade French rolling pins have a tapered shape that allows for easy maneuvering over dough. They’re almost identical to ones Martha brought back from Paris years ago.” —Living deputy food editor Greg Lofts From $46 each, cattails woodwork.myshopify.com.

| ON OUR BOOKSHELF |

In Bibliostyle (Clarkson Potter), New Yorker writer Sadie Stein cites a quote inspired by Cicero: “A room without books is like a body without a soul.” The spaces she and photographer Nina Freudenberger captured— including those of Tatter textile-library founder Jordana Munk Martin and writers Jonathan Safran Foer and Larry McMurtry—are as soulful as they come, and stacked with ideas for your own shelves. Florist Amy Merrick’s On Flowers (Artisan) is full of the lush, poetic arrangements and pictures that made her an early Instagram star. She teaches how to cut blooms to the proper height, make roses last, and let tulips be unruly, while sharing snippets from her world travels. Olive, Again (Random House), the sequel to Elizabeth Strout’s 2009 Pulitzer-winning novel, takes you back to Crosby, Maine. For blunt, lovable Mrs. Kitteridge and her neighbors, everyday outings—a car ride, a baby shower—are ripe with joy, and heartbreak.

NOVEMBER 2019

moma.org

Burke Museum Washington State’s richest collection of natural and cultural artifacts (nearly 16 million objects) outgrew its old spot. At the new Seattle site, you can watch paleontologists etch away at dinosaur fossils. burkemuseum.org

Norton Museum of Art Study a luminous O’Keeffe at this West Palm Beach, Florida, destination, now housed in a Norman Foster–designed building surrounded by sculpture gardens. norton.org

Ruby City Abstract oil paintings, a sheer-fabric installation, and more mark the inaugural show at this contemporaryart center in San Antonio, Texas. rubycity.org

COURTESY OF ILLINOIS OFFICE OF TOURISM (GREAT RIVER ROAD); COURTESY OF PUBLISHERS (BOOKS)

BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY

Museum of Modern Art Holy Picasso! New York’s modern mecca just reopened with an additional 40,000 square feet of space, including two new free-of-charge streetlevel galleries.

HOW DO YOU SAY,

“ THANKS FOR BEING MY FURRY BFF”?

ALL NATURAL

REAL CHICKEN

From MARTHA TEACH AND INSPIRE

SHELF LIFE To warm up the room, Martha decorated the mantel with vintage pottery and placed a jade plant on an antique wooden pedestal.

A Room for Recipes Martha bought herself a copy of Joy of Cooking as a newlywed, and has collected cookbooks from all over the world ever since. She recently created a personal library to house them all in one spot. Take a first look at the new space, and the sauce-splattered volumes she reaches for regularly.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY NOE DEWITT

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

lthough there are many sites online where you can find delicious recipes (including ours, of course), I believe that having a wide range of cookbooks is essential, both for inspiration and as an invaluable and practical resource. While I do keep duplicates of my most referenced books on shelves in my main kitchen, I recently decided to create a bright and beautiful library for my volumes, in the dining room of the Maple Avenue house on my farm in Bedford. This is my place to dream up new dishes and flip through old favorites, like my 1961 first edition of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, by Julia Child, Simone Beck, and Louisette Bertholle (which can now fetch upwards of $700); South Wind Through the Kitchen, by the famous English food writer Elizabeth David; The Art of Fine Baking, by Paula Peck; and the venerable Larousse Gastronomique. With the help of a designer from California Closets, I designated areas for simple adjustable shelves, which are handy

NOVEMBER 2019

for oversize books. Then I organized titles by type of cuisine: I have a section devoted to Italian food, for instance, while my pastry books fill another. I furnished the space like a formal, well-lit reading room in an old public library. A large dining table for hosting lunches and dinners doubles as a work surface where I can spread out multiple books, papers, and photos. Standing lamps provide ample illumination, and an antique mirror over the fireplace helps reflect more light when day fades into evening. Translucent window shades protect the books from direct sun exposure. I also added several begonias and topiaries to bring life into the room; they seem to love the north and east light. I’m delighted with the results. Being surrounded by all these recipes just might inspire me to get started on another cookbook. Stay tuned for what it will be!

THOMAS LOOF (PORTR AIT)

PAGE TURNERS Martha loves to try recipes and techniques from new cookbooks; here she leafs through Baking at République, by Margarita Manzke. Below: She worked with California Closets to design floor-to-ceiling shelves in a black finish.

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“I cherish my oldest cookbooks. They have provided so many unforgettable meals for my family and me.”

WORTH NOTING Clockwise from top: The new library brims with hundreds of books. Held together with tape, Martha’s well-loved copy of the classic Mastering the Art of French Cooking contains handwritten recipes she’s tucked inside over the years. An inscription inside her copy of The Gourmet Cookbook.

NOVEMBER 2019

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Good THINGS FRESH IDEAS TO ELEVATE THE EVERYDAY

| EASY ENTERTAINING |

FARM TO TABLETOP Here’s an idea that’s green in more ways than one: Bypass the florist and pick up a centerpiece in the produce section. Look for colorful root vegetables and bulbs with lush leaves on top, and display them in clear vessels of water to keep them crisp. That way, they can headline your holiday table or sideboard today, and make an encore appearance—chopped and cooked—in dinner tomorrow. TEXT BY ELENI N. GAGE

PHOTOGRAPHS BY KIRSTEN FRANCIS

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

FRINGED SKIRTS

Snip a yard of fringe trim from the crafts store into seven-inch pieces, poke a hole at each end with an awl, wrap them around rolled-up napkins, and secure with screwback brass clasps. THE DETAILS: Joyce Trimming fauxsuede fringe trim, 2", $4 a yd., joycetrim .com. Pacific Trimming screw-in rivets, 6 mm, $1 each, pacifictrimming.com.

SHELL CELLARS

Gather small sticks that lie flat, and hot-glue two walnut halves onto each. Fill them with salt and pepper, and place them around your table—one for every two people. THE DETAILS: ArtsShopCo large walnutshell halves, $5 for 4, artsshopco.etsy.com.

STARRING ROLLS Forgo the usual communal basket, and treat all your VIPs to personal bread boards. Add a ramekin of butter, so they can lay it on as thick as they like. THE DETAILS: JK Adams maple round bar board, $9, jkadams.com.

CHIC CIRCLES

A leather washer used in bike repairs is the thing of beauty here. Just attach a leather cord to the ring using a lanyard hitch, and knot the loose ends around a napkin.

THE DETAILS: Twin Leather Designs W-9 leather washer, 40¢, twinleather designs.com. Bead Landing latigo cording, in Toffee, $8.50 for 3 yd., michaels.com.

| DIY DÉCOR |

Natural Settings 28

NOVEMBER 2019

The only thing we love as much as upholding favorite holiday traditions is starting beautiful new ones. Each of these ideas strikes a nice balance between rustic and refined, is simple enough for casual crafters to pull off, and will make your Thanksgiving table look so lovely, you’ll happily give Nana’s silver napkin rings a breather—at least till next month.

w e n r u Try o iatella ” a t a r r Stracc u

fB o t r a e “ The H

BURRATA The fresh, delicate, milky flavor of BelGioioso Burrata starts with the freshest Wisconsin milk. Made to order just hours after milking, Fresh Mozzarella is crafted by hand and filled with a rich stracciatella, its special creamy filling. Try this artisanal Fresh Mozzarella as an appetizer or add to your next flatbread or caprese salad for an extra creamy, fresh flavor.

For recipe inspiration

belgioioso.com/Burrata

Look for us in the deli specialty cheese case.

1 | Check Mates Turn a linen runner into Activity Alley with fabric paint and game stencils. Paint or number wooden rounds for the pieces. THE DETAILS: The Stencilsmith game-board stencil, 10", $13.50; and tic-tac-toe stencil, 10", $16, thestencil smith.com. ArtMinds wooden disks, 1" and 1.5", from $2 for 6; and Martha Stewart Crafts multisurface satin acrylic craft paint, in Ink Blue, $2.50 for 2 oz., michaels.com. Jacquard Textile Colors fabric paint, in Brown, $4.75 for 2.25 oz., dickblick.com.

2 | Action Figures Top kids’ napkins with wooden dolls (aka protoLegos) wearing acorntop berets and ribbon scarves, and set out markers so they can fill in the details.

THE DETAILS: ArtMinds Mom & Dad dolls, $2 for a pair, michaels.com. Linge Particulier linen napkins, in Brown Gingham, $15 each, shopthemansion.com.

3 | Better Letters Make “place cards” from alphabet tiles that kids can swap, spell with, and take home as souvenirs.

THE DETAILS: ArtMinds wooden alphabet tiles, $6 for 60, michaels.com.

| HOLIDAY FUN |

4 | Bead Brigade Fill bowls with necklace- or bracelet-making supplies for junior jewelers. THE DETAILS: Factory Direct Craft assorted round wooden beads, $5.75 for 45, factorydirectcraft.com. Creatology wooden alphabet beads, $7.50 for 150; and Bead Landing faux-suede cording, $7.50 for 12 2-yd. bundles, michaels.com.

NOVEMBER 2019

The Party Zone Since they’re not exactly big on small talk, gourmet canapés, or relaxing with a cocktail, the youngest of your esteemed guests may start getting antsy before the bird gets carved. To keep the potentially squirmiest seated and happy sans screens, serve up activities so tempting, adults may ask, “Exactly how strict is the age limit at the kids’ table?”

TURKEY BONE BROTH

PIE-SCREAM SUNDAE

Place the bones from your turkey (2 to 3 pounds), 1 quartered onion, 1 carrot, 1 celery stalk, 1 bay leaf, 6 parsley stems, and ½ teaspoon black peppercorns in a multicooker. Add water to cover (10 to 12 cups); cook on low 8 hours. Strain; skim fat from top. Let cool completely; refrigerate in airtight containers up to 1 week, or freeze up to 6 months.

Chop 1 slice of pie—any pie!—into bite-size pieces. In a small glass or bowl, layer them with scoops of ice cream and crushed gingersnaps (or any cookie; chocolate or vanilla wafers are tasty too) or extra bits of piecrust. Serve pronto.

| PROVISIONS |

Thanks, Again You don’t need us to tell you to slice up the extra turkey and tuck it in a roll with some cranberry sauce. But we can help you turn Thursday’s delicious leftovers into truly memorable weekend updates. Morph mashed potatoes into a mimosa-worthy breakfast, or layer pie-pan scrapple in a sublime sundae— and enjoy another grateful spread.

SHIRRED EGGS IN MASHED POTATOES Preheat oven to 375°. Divide 1 cup mashed potatoes between two 6-ounce ramekins. Crack 1 large egg into each; place in a baking dish. Fill with enough hot water to come 1 inch up sides. Cover with parchment-lined foil. Bake until egg whites are set, 20 to 25 minutes. Uncover; let stand 5 minutes. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and freshly ground pepper; serve with toast points and chopped fresh chives.

NOVEMBER 2019

TURKEY MELT WITH GRAVY MAYO Preheat broiler, with a rack in top position. Whisk together 2 tablespoons chilled gravy, 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, and ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard; season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Place 1 slice toasted sourdough sandwich bread on a baking sheet; top with 1 tablespoon cranberry sauce, ¼ cup sliced turkey, and 1 slice Swiss cheese. Spoon gravy mayo over top. Broil until puffed and golden, 2 minutes.

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Find this Asian Five Spice Turkey recipe at ifyoucare.com

The Perfect Fit for Your Healthy Lifestyle.

HOW-TO

SCOUT IT Look for a sturdy piece with lines you like. This one’s curvy turned legs are a standout feature.

SMOOTH IT Sand the table, using a rotary tool to handle the legs, then wipe it down with a tack cloth. Spray on a coat of primer; sand and wipe again.

MAKE IT SHINE Apply a coat of black lacquer spray paint. Let dry, then lightly sand and wipe it down. Follow with a second coat.

BEFORE

NOVEMBER 2019

| RESCUE & REVAMP |

A Leg Up Living home editor Lorna Aragon saw big potential in this estate-sale table’s underpinnings. The grand turnings mimic English Jacobean furniture from the late 16th and early 17th centuries, and the brass-and-glass claw feet up the ornate ante. “It looked like something Martha might have at Skylands,” says Lorna. “It just needed a little modernizing.” So she disappeared the dowdy original cherry finish with a coat of glossy black lacquer for a crisp, high-end result (bright white would have worked, too). Originally described as a “library table,” this piece and others like it can serve as spacious desks or accent or dressing tables. Make one over, and it’ll look at home in your entryway, bedroom, or reading nook, stacked with a few worthy volumes.

PETER ARDITO (BEFORE)

THE DETAILS: Dremel 4-volt lithiumion variable-speed cordless rotary tool, $50; and Rust-Oleum Specialty lacquer spray paint, in Black, $4.25, homedepot.com.

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| HOST HELPER |

Star Starter

You can’t please everyone all the time. Except at breakfast, thanks to this versatile batter, which can be tweaked to make muffins, pancakes, or doughnuts—basically any morning treat a house‑ ful of guests (or your own lucky family) can dream up. And if somebody tries to stump you by asking for waffles, whip out the iron, grease it, pour in the batter, and cook until crisp (4 to 5 minutes), leaving them wondering, “Is there nothing she can’t do?”

All-Purpose Breakfast Batter In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, ½ cup sugar, 1¼ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Add 1¼ cups room‑tem‑ perature buttermilk, 2 large eggs, 6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; stir ingredients until just combined, with a few small lumps remain‑ ing. Use immediately.

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS Line a muffin tin with baking cups. Stir 1¼ cups blueberries into batter; divide among cups. Sprinkle tops with 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake in a 375° oven until a toothpick comes out clean, 20 to 22 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes in tin, then transfer muffins to a wire rack and let cool completely.

BANANA PANCAKES Stir ¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips and ½ cup sliced bananas into batter. Spoon ¼-cup batter portions onto a greased nonstick skillet over medium heat; cook, flipping once, until golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Serve with unsalted butter, more sliced bananas, and pure maple syrup.

BAKED DOUGHNUTS Brush 2 doughnut pans with melted unsalted butter; spoon batter in. Bake in a 325° oven until tops spring back, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool slightly; flip out of pans. Brush with more butter and toss in cinnamon sugar.

NOVEMBER 2019

Make Sargento caramelized leek and prosciutto pizza

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Good LIVING HOME, STYLE, BEAUTY, HEALTH

| THE WELL-KEPT HOME |

PRETTY AND PRACTICAL In the hardworking kitchen at Martha’s Maple Avenue house in Bedford, vintage yellowware bowls hold produce for holiday menus at the ready. Above the stove, stoneware crocks corral cooking tools by type and material—a Martha secret for an efficient kitchen. A ceiling-mounted rack keeps copper pans within reach.

PHOTOGRAPH BY THOMAS LOOF

Ready to Revel Before your kitchen turns into holidaycooking headquarters, set it up for success. These organizing ideas make prepping, entertaining, and cleaning seamless—something you’ll be grateful for all season. TEXT BY ELYSE MOODY

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

Need help organizing your kitchen? Visit marthastewart .com /25kkitchen and enter to win $25,000. For details, see page 125.

Kit Out Cabinets

To double your storage in deep cabinets, add pull-out drawers. “We installed four, and they changed our lives,” says Living home editor Lorna Aragon. “You can reach things in back without having to take everything out.” At the holidays, that means grabbing the stockpot or turkey platter won’t feel like a spelunking expedition. Available in wood or metal, the sliding drawers come in a range of sizes to fit standard cabinets. Measure and mark the sides, factoring in the height of the items you’ll store; use a drill to attach the glides; and pop in your new space savers.

JUST ADD WATER Instead of buying plastic bottles or scrambling to refill pitchers, pour water into pop-top glass carafes, an idea Lorna got from a restaurant that kept an icy tub of them on its patio. She always keeps a few in her fridge, but fills up to a dozen for a dinner party, then tops off the empties as needed and chills them again. They’re sturdy and tight-sealing, so you can store them on their sides. THE DETAILS: Specialty Bottle Giara clear glass swing-top bottles, 1 liter, $3.50 each, specialtybottle.com.

THE DETAILS: Hampton Bay unfinished pull-out plywood drawers (similar to shown), 25.86" by 4.33", $64 each, homedepot.com. THE DETAILS: Pelican Elite cooler, 30 qt., $225, pelican.com.

Reach for the Top There’s a time and a place for plastic wrap, but let’s be real: In the heat of the moment, it’s more likely to stick to itself (and drive you nuts) than to the rim of that salad bowl. These eco-friendly universal silicon lids spare you the struggle. They form an instant seal on glass, ceramic, and plastic vessels, and boast soft colors, dishwashersafe construction, and a compact, nesting design. THE DETAILS: Food52 Five Two airtight silicone lids, $40 for 5, food52.com.

NOVEMBER 2019

STAY SHARP Nix the wood block and free up some counter space. These drawer inserts come in a few sizes and have slots for all your essential blades. THE DETAILS: Williams-Sonoma in-drawer 7-slot knife organizer, in Maple, $30, williams-sonoma.com.

KIRSTEN FR ANCIS (DR AWERS, INSERTS); PETER ARDITO (LIDS, BOT TLES); COURTESY OF PELICAN (COOLER)

WIN $25K

Cool It Now Your 20-pound bird doesn’t need to take up a whole shelf—nor do bottles of seltzer or sparkly. Call on a 30-quart cooler, and put it in the pantry or garage. “My husband, a photographer, uses Pelican cases for his equipment,” says Lorna. “But they’re an undiscovered source for coolers. They’re the sturdiest I’ve ever seen— you’ll have one for life.”

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Set up a waste-minimizing system that anticipates your every move.

RECYCLE RIGHT Take five minutes (we swear) to install Simple Human’s smoothrolling under-cabinet recycling station, and you’ll never line up empties by the sink again. The black larger bin is built for bottles and cans (crush them to fit more); the blue one holds more paper bags than a Trader Joe’s checkout counter. THE DETAILS: Simple Human incabinet pull-out recycler can, 35 liters, $80, simplehuman.com.

Stack and Store Our food editors use restaurantstyle pint and quart con tainers for food prep, meal transport, leftovers— you name it. Buy a pack and put them to work: “Get a head start on cleaning and chopping ingredients, and put them in tubs grouped by recipe in the fridge,” says Living food and entertaining director Sarah Carey. “This way, when you start cooking, everything is together and at hand.”

Stage Your Cooking Essentials

THE DETAILS: Pottery Barn white marble lazy Susan, $70, potterybarn.com.

CONCEAL COMPOST Sweeping peels, seeds, and other scraps into the compact YukChuk container is a breeze: The clever lid hinges outward for easy access, then clamps down tight to sequester the smell. It mounts French cleat–style to the inside of a cabinet door, so it’s a cinch to lift off and empty, and you can run it through the dishwasher’s hot cycle to get it squeaky-clean. THE DETAILS: YukChuk under-counter kitchen compost bin, $28, amazon.com.

NOVEMBER 2019

What do you reach for most at the stove? We’re guessing salt and pepper grinders, and olive oil. To shift into high gear for the holidays, borrow this idea from Living creative director Abbey Kuster-Prokell: Arrange them on a small lazy Susan, along with pinch bowls of salt and pepper—for singlehanded sprinkling—and fancier finishing salts. Premix salt and pepper in a bowl, too (you’ll thank us when prepping your bird). Then nestle in a crock of utensils, and take your mini mise en place for a spin. Below, our food editors share three more ways to game your kitchen for go time.

THE DETAILS: DuraHome food-storage containers with lids, $18 for a 44-piece mixedsize set, amazon.com.

“Stow appliances you won’t need, like your toaster or blender,” says deputy food editor Greg Lofts.

“Go through your fridge, freezer, and pantry to toss anything that’s expired and combine anything open that you have multiples of,” says Sarah.

“If there’s space between your upper cabinets and the ceiling, use it to park extra-large platters and bowls,” says Greg.

KIRSTEN FR ANCIS (L A Z Y SUSAN); PETER ARDITO (COMPOST BIN, STOR AGE CONTAINERS); COURTESY OF SIMPLE HUMAN (RECYCLING BIN)

Get Ahead of Garbage

The good in you can live on. Your story doesn’t have to end with you – pass along the gift of life. Sign up online as an organ, eye, and tissue donor.

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Waxing Poetic GREENTREE HOME CANDLE, Treadwell, New York

When these two married artists collaborate, creative sparks fly. Trained as a painter, Jenifer Green had an epiphany in 2000 after seeing her woodworker husband, Don, craft a set of maple and cherry candleholders for his home line. We can’t put just any tapers in them, she thought, and set out to make her own from a material as beautiful and natural as hardwood. She found it in beeswax, “a renewable resource with a slow, clean burn.” Today, the Catskillsbased couple work in tandem: Jenifer sources striking objects—bamboo from her sister’s Hawaiian town, her mom’s apothecary bottles—and Don casts them in silicone molds. She hand-fills them with the wax, and together they help set the world aglow. —Erica Sloan

Greentree Home candles come in 20 colors, and their wicks are pure cotton. THE DETAILS (from left): Twig taper, in Black, $28 for 2; Josee squat pillar, in Terra Cotta, $32; Twig taper, in Sage, $28 for 2; Josee medium pillar, in Antique, $32; and Josee tall pillar, in Natural, $30, greentree homecandle.com.

MARTHA S T E WA R T

ST YLING BY TANYA GR AFF

American Made

NOVEMBER 2019

PHOTOGRAPH BY JOHNNY FOGG

The Curator Amanda Brooks

Owner of Cutter Brooks, Chipping Norton, England

After carving a chic swath through New York City’s style world— she was creative director for Tuleh and consulted for Chanel and Tory Burch before rising to the role of Barneys fashion director— Brooks jumped across the pond for more pastoral pursuits, choosing to settle into a quiet and charming English farmhouse. Since then, she’s penned two books, including Farm From Home (Blue Rider Press), and enchanted Instagram followers with shots of her bucolic life: a newborn lamb, a favorite mare, and perfectly imperfectly set tables. Last year she opened Cutter Brooks (her maiden and married names), a shop in Stow-on-theWold, so that we, too, can have a piece of the dream. “I want to support people who have the courage to start businesses and share their creativity,” says Brooks, who blends English housewares with patchwork jeans and Italian smocked nightgowns. Whether she’s gardening or off to Morocco, the mom of two mixes it up every day. “I love clothes too much to have a uniform,” she says. “I’m an American girl next door with a bohemian streak. And now there’s some English farmwife thrown in.” —Melissa Ozawa

NOVEMBER 2019

“For Thanksgiving, I make everyone at the table say what they are grateful for. At first it really made my English friends and family cringe, but now they love it.”

11 12 WIN THIS For a chance to win this item, go to win .marthastewart.com on November 7. For details, see page 125.

SAM PELLY (PORTR AIT); COURTESY OF MANUFACTURERS (WATCH, SHOE, DRESS, MUG, PL ATE, WINE, CAMER A, MAGIMIX); PETER ARDITO (OTHERS)

Her Essentials

Style mantra: “I love Diane Von Furstenberg’s philosophy: Personal style is accepting who you are.”

1 | True Botanicals Renew Pure Radiance Oil “I take a bath every night and put this on afterward. It feels so nourishing.” $110 for 1 oz., truebotanicals.com.

2 | Cartier Tank Louis watch “It was a gift from my father when he died. I never take it off.” Price upon request, cartier.com. 3 | Sea NY Mari dolman midi dress “I would wear this with black suede laceup boots in the daytime, or satin mules in the evening.” $295, sea-ny.com.

4 | Essie Nail Polish, in Fishnet Stockings “It’s the only color I wear.” $9, essie.com.

5 | Embryolisse LaitCrème Concentré “The perfect way to moisturize before applying makeup, it absorbs quickly and isn’t greasy or shiny.” $28, embryolisse.com. 6 | Dreyer’s English, by Benjamin Dreyer “I’m a grammar nerd and keep a copy on my nightstand.” Random House, $25, indiebound.org.

7 | La Roche-Posay Effaclar BB Blur cream “It works like foundation without looking caked on.” $30 for 1 oz., larocheposay.us. 8 | Bang & Olufson Beoplay H9 headphones “The sound is great. When I travel, I listen

to mixes made by my friend Randall Poster, Wes Anderson’s music supervisor.” In Limited-Editon Pine, $500, bang-olufson .com. 9 | Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir “I prefer a glass of this to a cocktail.” $41, clos19.com. 10 | God Speed the Plough cider mug “Everything about it is so charming.” $87, cutterbrooks.com. 11 | Astier de Villatte Simple wineglass “The special glass mix makes them very hard to break.” From $90, suefisherking.com. 12 | Astier de Villatte Splash cologne “It smells fresh, like orange blossom.” $110 for 50 ml, johnderian.com. 13 | American Apparel jersey crossback bra “This fits me so well.” $14, american apparel.com. 14 | Mira Santo Clerkenwell Blue dinner plate “I use these every day for serving my whole family.” $95, brookfarm generalstore.com. 15 | Le Monde Beryl velvet Venetian mules “I have six pairs and wear them day or night—all year round.” In Rust, $365, lemondeberyl.com. 16 | Leica Q camera “I carry it with me whenever I travel; the photos on my website were taken with it.” $4,250, us.leicacamera.com. 17 | Magimix 5200XL “It’s super for making short-crust pastry, wild-garlic pesto, and banana smoothies.” $500, magimix home.com.

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Hydrate Yourself

Cold air doesn’t have to leave your skin parched until March. Instead of weathering the usual wintertime complexion woes (dullness, irritation, tightness), sidestep them altogether with these tips from top dermatologists. Make four easy tweaks to your existing routine, and soak it up. TEXT BY CLAIRE SULLIVAN

NOVEMBER 2019

FOR DRY SKIN

WASH GENTLY High-lathering soaps can strip skin of moisture. Pick a cream or an oil-based cleanser, says Patricia Wexler; leave it on for a few minutes before rinsing.

Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Cloud Cream Cleanser has nourishing coconut oil and a frothy whipped texture that helps your face feel supple, not tight, after use. $28, peter thomasroth.com.

Extra-arid? A rich oilbased formula, such as BeautyCounter Countertime Lipid Defense Cleansing Oil, binds to impurities, so you can rinse them off without impairing skin. $49, beautycounter.com.

Hyaluronic-acid molecules, which can hold up to a thousand times their weight in water, are the MVPs in Sonya Kenkare’s pick, CeraVe Moisturizing Cream. $10, target.com.

La Roche Posay Lipikar Balm AP+ is Meghan Feely’s sensitive-skin choice; it boasts a who’s who of skin soothers, including shea butter and H2O-attracting glycerin. $20, laroche-posay.us.

MOISTURIZE

MAX OPPENHEIM/GET T Y IMAGES (FACE); COURTESY OF MANUFACTURER (CER AVE); PETER ARDITO (OTHERS)

Hard water, caffeine, and some medications (decongestants, certain antibiotics) exacerbate dryness. Choose creams over lotions; they’re less watery—and less likely to evaporate, says Naissan Wesley.

EXFOLIATE Alpha- and beta-hydroxy formulas are generally less abrasive than physical scrubs. Use one once or twice a week after cleansing to remove dead cells and help your skin absorb moisturizers better.

FOR THE DRIEST SKIN

Too much friction can trigger inflammation, says Dendy Engelman. The natural beta-hydroxy acids in Indie Lee Gentle Daily Peel have a light touch. $65, indielee.com.

Reach for glycolic acid, say Wexler and Kenkare. It draws water into skin while removing dead cells. SkinCeuticals Glycolic 10 Renew Overnight also has jojoba oil, which soothes while it sloughs. $80, skinceuticals.com.

Head-to-Toe Helpers 1. SHORTEN SHOWERS

Hot water dehydrates your skin, says Feely, so dial it down and step out after 10 minutes, tops. Smooth on body lotion within three minutes of toweling off, as the formulas work by trapping existing moisture. Wesley’s go-to is Vanicream Moisturizing Skin Cream ($7, target.com). 2. GO FULL-STEAM

Close the bathroom windows and door when you shower, and put a humidifier by your bed to help replenish skin overnight, suggests Feely. 3. WEAR LAYERS

Artificial heat is as drying as cold air; instead of cranking it up, Wexler says to get cozy in sweaters and blankets. If your favorite turtleneck is wool, Kenkare advises wearing breathable cotton underneath to prevent itchiness.

OUR EXPERTS

SLEEP ON IT Treat your skin to something concentrated before bed to coax cells into regenerating and get a head start on hydrating for tomorrow, too.

Seek out ceramides, which seal in moisture, says Feely. Curél Intensive Moisture Facial Cream packs them in a silky treatment. $30, ulta.com.

Salves like Naturopathica Gotu Kola Intense Repair Balm deliver a mega dose of oils that seep into skin and nourish it. $58, naturopathica.com.

New York City dermatologist Dendy Engelman; NYC and New Jersey dermatologist Meghan Feely; Evergreen Park, Illinois, dermatologist Sonya Kenkare; Los Angeles dermatologist Naissan Wesley; NYC dermatologist Patricia Wexler.

Pass the Baton Rave Review

“I stash lotions, lip balms, and cuticle oils at my desk, in my bag, and on my nightstand—suffice it to say, my skin is dry. Vaseline All-Over Body Balm Jelly Stick has lightened my load immensely. It’s the classic formula’s first-ever reformulation, and it’s even richer than the original. I swipe it on dry patches for quick relief without greasy fingers. Pretty neat, if you ask me.” —CS $6, vaseline.com.

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

/ COUNTER INTELLIGENCE /

Power Players Creamy multitaskers, foolproof liquid eyeliner, and a sleek Chinese facial-massage tool are the aces up our sleeve this month. Keep them at your fingertips, and emerge victorious every day. TEXT BY ERICA SLOAN

IN OUR BAG

RAVE REVIEW

Feeling a little . . . overscheduled? Pare down your routine in a modern, monochromatic way—with a single cream blush that can deliver an all-over glow. Dab it on your cheeks, lids, and lips with your ring finger, and vary the intensity, says Chicago-based makeup artist Sophia Porter: “Play up one feature, while giving the others a more muted tint.” Then gently tap to blend it in and lift away any excess. The right shade will make you look fresh, not overly flushed. Warm terra-cotta or peach looks natural on skin with golden or yellow undertones; cool roses flatter pink complexions; and plums are prettiest on olive or darker ones.

101 Facial Gua Sha

“My love affair with eyeliner started in middle school (hello, Avril Lavigne), and it’s still going strong: Every day, without fail, I run one along my upper lash line. But until now, I’ve always been too chicken to try a cat eye. Enter L’Oréal Paris’s aptly named Infallible Flash Cat Eye Waterproof Brush Tip Liquid Eyeliner. Its silky for‑ mula and soft brush tip make smooth swoops a cinch—but its detachable tri‑ angular stencil is the genius stroke. Just place it, trace it, and fill it in for a flaw‑ less and subtle grown‑up flick.” —ES $10, loreal parisusa.com.

1 3

1. RMS Beauty Lip2Cheek, in Paradise, $36, rmsbeauty.com . 2. Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Blush Stick, in Dou Dou, $50, westmanatelier.com. 3. Smith & Cult Fast Flush Velvet Cream Blush, in Warm Pink, $24, smithandcult .com.

4. Nars The Multiple, in Na Pali Coast, $39, narscosmetics .com.

The latest jade and rose‑quartz facial tools—shaped into curved disks rather than rollers—aren’t new at all; they come from gua sha, an body massage technique used in Chinese medicine. These specialized stones are for a version that focuses on your face. Gliding one around the forehead, brows, cheeks, jaw, and neck releases tension and boosts circulation, says New York City– and Los Angeles–based holistic facialist Britta Plug. And it may even relieve puffiness, since gua sha can help lymphatic drainage, according to NYC dermatologist Macrene Alexiades. Start by patting a few drops of facial oil on clean skin so you feel “slip and a little grip,” says Plug (she likes Wildling Empress Oil; $79 for 1 oz., wildling.com). Hold the stone nearly flat against your skin as you gently pull from the center of your face outward, switching to the scalloped side for your jaw and brow bones. Repeat, and relax. —Claire Sullivan TRY: Skin Gym Rose-Quartz Gua Sha Crystal Sculpty Tool, $32, skingymco.com.

NOVEMBER 2019

PHOTOGRAPHS BY PETER ARDITO

ST YLING BY R ACHEL STICKLEY WITH BAREPS; ILLUSTR ATION BY BROWN BIRD DESIGN

Wing It

One and Done

Feeling Hormonal? If you’re extra-tired or moody, the answer could very well be yes. Our levels of these body-regulating chemicals shift as we age, and even the smallest dip or spike can impact our physical and mental well-being. Learn what this catchall phrase really means, and how to stay in balance.

are like molecular orchestra conductors: After being pumped out by our endocrine glands (thyroid, pituitary, ovaries, pancreas, adrenal), they travel through the body, directing nearly all our biological processes, from how fast we think to how happy we feel. When they’re in harmony, our brain, muscles, reproductive system, metabolism, and mood flow like Beethoven’s Ninth. But when even one is out of sync, it can throw off the whole concert. Consider these four common cases of hormonal dissonance, and the lifestyle and medical tips you need to fine-tune them, and feel better. 1

NONE OF MY CLOTHES FIT

Sure, you’re eating and exercising as usual. But because your metabolism starts to slow down in your 30s, you may see an uptick on the scale unless you adjust your diet and work out more to compensate, says E. Dale Abel, MD, PhD, president of the Endocrine Society and endocrinology and metabolism division director at the University of Iowa. If you keep your habits the same but put on more than a few pounds a year, there’s a small chance that you’re not producing enough thyroid hormones. Another possibility? Perimenopause, the mercurial lead-up to your final menstrual period that usually begins in your 40s. As your levels of estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone taper, “your body sees the loss as a stress and produces more cortisol,” says Betul Hatipoglu, MD, an endocrinologist at the Cleveland Clinic. “Increased cortisol tells your body not to let go of energy, so you burn fewer calories and use up fewer fat stores.” To add to the frustration, the extra weight tends to settle around your muffin—we mean, middle.

ST YLING BY LILI ABIR REGEN

TEXT BY NAOMI BARR

LET’S GIVE IT UP FOR OUR HORMONES. These chemicals

NOVEMBER 2019

PHOTOGRAPH BY YASU + JUNKO

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Lift weights! Hike! Swim! Zumba! Regular exercise boosts your metabolism by burning calories and building muscle. Small diet tweaks can also have a big impact: Findings from a Duke University School of Medicine trial published in July found that healthy, lean, or slightly overweight adults who cut only about 300 calories of any food daily—say, ordering a fried egg on wheat toast instead of a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich; or eating a cup and a half less pasta at dinner—lost 10 percent of their body weight, and had lower blood pressure and less inflammation, as well as better cholesterol and bloodsugar control. A simple blood test can detect hypothyroidism, says Angela Leung, MD, an endocrinologist and associate professor of medicine at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. If it’s to blame, a thyroidreplacement pill, like levothyroxine, should kick-start your levels, and potentially your metabolism. WHAT TO DO:

MY MIND IS . . . SUDDENLY BLANK

Brain fog isn’t a medical term, but that hardly matters to a perimenopausal woman who can’t tell you the title of the book she just read. “Your estrogen levels are fluctuating and falling, and that can interfere with your ability to concentrate,” says Hatipoglu. It can also disrupt sleep, leaving you doubly sluggish. Hypothyroidism, which is more common in older women but can occur in your 20s and 30s, may also lead to muddled thinking and mild short-term memory loss. Two more troublemakers to rule out: an iron or vitamin B12 deficiency. WHAT TO DO: Double down on efforts to sleep well, get regular aerobic exercise, and follow a Mediterranean diet (high in fish, olive oil, fruits, greens, and whole grains, and moderate on alcohol: for women, up to one drink a day, and no more than five a week). Research has found that all these habits can sharpen memory and cognition, says Hatipoglu. Medication can help clear fuzziness related to low thyroid hormones or estrogen (for more on hormone therapy, aka HT, see Rx Estrogen, right), and supplements or dietary shifts can reverse an iron or B12 deficit. Quick tip: On your daily trip to Salads, Inc., order dark greens like raw spinach (0.81 milligrams of iron per cup) and broccoli (0.66 milligrams). 3

SEX? WHAT SEX?

Exhaustion, weight gain, certain meds, and (of course) relationship problems can send your libido packing. But hormones play a part, too. Suspect number one: combination birth-control pills. “When you swallow estrogen, your liver produces sex-hormone-binding globulin, which makes testosterone unusable,” says Becky Lynn, MD, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine. “When

NOVEMBER 2019

testosterone levels drop, some women experience vaginal dryness, while others find that their desire all but disappears.” Suspect number two: naturally declining estrogen and testosterone levels during peri- and postmenopause. Good times! WHAT TO DO: Move it or lose it. Per a 2018 University of Texas at Austin study, exercise may revive sexual arousal by heightening blood flow and nerve connections to the areas that count (the other one’s your brain), and by improving body image and mood. You can also try non-oral birth control, which won’t affect your testosterone; or if you’re peri- or postmenopausal, low-dose estrogen can help with dryness.

I FEEL LIKE DR. JEKYLL AND MS. HYDE 4

Fiery rage, exhilarating joy, crushing anxiety, weepy sadness. Did we just describe your morning? Emotional swings can be tied to estrogen drops, which happen in the second half of your menstrual cycle, right after ovulation, and irregularly during peri- and postmenopause. Estrogen is linked to the brain neurotransmitters associated with mood, including serotonin. WHAT TO DO: All together now: Exercise. Research shows aerobic activity is one of Mother Nature’s best mood stabilizers, reducing irritability, anxiety, and depression while hiking up happiness. Birth-control pills can also temper menstrual-cycle swings for some women. If you have premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD, a severe version of PMS), you may want to try an SSRI antidepressant, like Sarafem, for the last two weeks of your cycle. Yo-yoing around menopause? HT may help—a small University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study published in 2018 found it prevented depressive symptoms for some women—but more research needs to be done.

Rx Estrogen: Yay or Nay? We understand if the whole concept of hormone therapy (HT) has given you whiplash. In the ’90s, a prescription was standard to fight insomnia, hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and other superfun menopausal side effects. Experts also thought it could reduce the higher risks of heart disease and bone fractures that come with losing estrogen. By the early 2000s, the tide had turned. Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) hormone-therapy trials found that taking estrogen plus progestin (for women who haven’t had a hysterectomy) made breast cancer, stroke, heart disease, and blood clots more likely, and that estrogen alone (for those who have had one) upped odds of a stroke. But then, starting in 2006, new findings began to emerge showing that HT’s benefits outweigh its risks for most healthy women under age 60. If you’re in one of the following groups, talk to your doc. The pros may make it worth your while. You’re 59 or under, healthy, and within 10 years since your final period. You hit menopause pre-40. Taking HT until at least around age 51 can help prevent bone loss, heart disease, mood disorders, dementia, sexual dysfunction, and Parkinson’s-like symptoms. You’re at high risk for osteoporosis. WHI data shows HT can cut bonefracture odds by up to 33 percent. Other studies indicate even low doses can avert bone loss.

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CHANGE MAKERS

science class, we learned that trees produce the air we breathe. But the estimated three trillion of them currently living on Earth do far more than that. They filter out pollutants, prevent erosion, and redirect stormwater from overtaxed sewers. They cool air temperatures; offer shelter from UV rays; yield fruits, nuts, and medicinal ingredients; and, according to the UN, provide homes for more than 80 percent of the planet’s land-based animals, plants, and insects. And that’s just a warm-up. More than half of the drinking water in the United States is filtered through their roots. In cities, trees reduce the prevalence of asthma (per a 2008 Columbia University study) and crime (from research analyzed by Vibrant Cities Lab), while encouraging people to socialize more and increasing real-estate values. And in Kenya, they’ve helped lift people out of poverty and starvation. Trees also make us feel good. We climb them. We hug them. We stretch out underneath their boughs. Their very presence can foster intimacy and wonder, sensations captured in the popular Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, which invites people to disconnect from the wired world, wander through woods, and breathe deeply. But the question is: Will future generations breathe as deeply? Like the oceans, trees remove carbon from the air, and we currently lose an estimated 10 billion of them a year to deforestation in the name of development and to climate change (increased temperatures, flooding, and fires). This means that they may be the secret to reversing global warming, too, states a study recently released by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. What we have to do is grow more of them. A lot more. The institute’s climate-change ecologist Thomas Crowther and his team calculate that by planting 1.2 trillion on Earth’s available open land (an area roughly the size of China and the U.S. combined), we could rid the atmosphere of two-thirds of the excess carbon already produced by human activity. IN GR ADE-SCHOOL

STANDING TALL Imagine California without its towering redwood forests, or New England without sugar maples. Trees do so much more than offer protection and awe-inspiring beauty: They’re vital to our health and the earth’s. And yet billions are felled every year. These organizations are working hard to reforest the planet—and helping people plant for the future in their own yards, too. TEXT BY LISE FUNDERBURG

NOVEMBER 2019

PHOTOGRAPH BY NGOC MINH NGO

“The nice thing about this solution is that it’s really low-tech,” Crowther said when the study was released. The key is to start now on a local level (planting native varieties in your yard, protecting the trees in your community), and also donate to nonprofits that are working to restore and expand Earth’s tree canopy on a massive scale. These are the organizations we’re rooting for.

DOMESTIC EFFORTS

oaks from volunteer-collected acorns, tend them in a nursery, and then transfer them to riverbanks and watersheds. The organization met its first million-tree milestone in 2016, and is shooting for a second one. living landsandwaters.org. PLANT 50 MILLION TREES On Earth Day 2018, the National Forest Foundation launched its campaign to do just that in U.S. forests within five years. The need for reforestation is partly due to pests such as the mountain pine beetle, which has eradicated expansive stands of trees; and the increased frequency and intensity of forest fires, which researchers calculate have become significantly more frequent since the 1980s due to climate change. Thanks to a matching grant from the U.S. Forest Service, every dollar donated equals one planted tree. nationalforests.org.

A stunning 49 percent of all forested land in the U.S. is privately owned, and more than half of that belongs to people who live on 10 acres or less. To develop or manage your own thicket, this Arbor Day Foundation program offers free tip sheets on everything arboreal, from how to thin a dense canopy to chain-saw safety. Become a member, and you’ll receive 10 free saplings to get started. arborday.org/programs/backyardwoods. GLOBAL PUSHES PHS TREE TENDERS Around Philadelphia, social PLANT A BILLION TREES Following the slogan worker Mindy Maslin is known as the “Tree “One Gift. One Tree. One Planet,” the Nature Lady.” Twenty-six years ago, she got the idea Conservancy solicits funds to support its goal to start a neighborhood-centric, community- of planting a billion trees around the world led tree-planting initiative for the Pennsyl- by 2025. Donors can target their contribution vania Horticultural Society. It was the first to one of four critical destinations where forests of its kind in the country, teaching more than have been severely degraded: The United States, 5,200 volunteers basic tree biology, care, Brazil, China, or Mexico. plantabillion.org. and pruning know-how, as well as how to THE GREEN BELT MOVEMENT Founded in 1977 identify and respond to stressors including by Kenyan professor Wangari Maathai, recipidogs, weeds, and car doors. Today, the thriving ent of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize, GBM is a program serves as a model for cities around grassroots nongovernmental organization the world that want to preserve and expand (NGO) that focuses on conservation and comtheir urban forests. phsonline.org/programs/ munity development. Early on, Maathai saw tree-tenders. the fundamental link between trees and surCASEY TREES In 2002, philanthropist Betty vival, and explained it frankly: “If you destroy Brown Casey set up this nonprofit after learn- the forest, then the river will stop flowing, ing that the canopy in Washington, D.C., once the rains will become irregular, the crops known as the City of Trees, had shrunk by will fail, and you will die of hunger and star15 percent since the 1950s. Its strategy includes vation.” To date, GBM chapters have planted planting an average of 14,000 trees a year, more than 51 million trees in Kenya. Though training volunteer stewards of all ages, pro- Maathai passed away in 2011, more than four viding continuing-education courses, and thousand affiliated community groups carry creating interactive online tools like the Tree forth her work. greenbeltmovement.org. Benefit Calculator (treebenefits.com/calculator), THE TIME FOR TREES The Arbor Day Foundation which gauges the environmental value of any started this initiative, which aims to plant 100 million trees and enlist five million tree specific, existing tree. caseytrees.org. planters by 2022, the 150th anniversary of THE MILLIONTREES PROJECT This East Moline, Illinois, program is an offshoot of a river- Arbor Day. Over their lifespan, that many cleanup nonprofit that has pulled almost 10.4 could absorb eight million tons of carbon (the million pounds of trash from local waterways equivalent of taking 6.2 million cars off the since 1998. Founder Chad Pregracke has road for a year) and remove enough air polexpanded the group’s mission to grow native lution to fill 70,000 blimps. timefortrees.org. BACK YARD WOODS

Start Planting Mindy Maslin of PHS Tree Tenders, in Philadelphia, shares her tips. 1. CHOOSE THE RIGHT TREE.

Pick a variety suited to your climate (like a native species), but also aim for one with maximum capac‑ ity to store carbon, offer habitat, and lower temperatures via shade. To find one, plug in your zip code at arborday.org/shopping/trees/ treewizard/GetZip.com. If you live on a street with overhead wires, go for smaller flowering types, like cherry and redbud. If you have space, go big. In the Northeast, that means linden, ginkgo, maple, hackberry, or oak. 2. SEEK A HEALTHY SPECIMEN.

It should have no signs of major wounding, root death, or girdling (roots wrapped tightly around the trunk). Before digging, call 811, which connects you to your local call center to see if you have any underground utilities to avoid. Then follow the instructions on the plant tag for the best location and the hole’s proper depth and width. Make sure the beginning of the trunk’s root flare remains above ground, and that the refilled dirt is tamped down enough to eliminate air pockets that can dry out the roots. Last, check that the trunk is straight from different vantage points. 3. MIND YOUR SAPLING. Most trees

take two to three years to estab‑ lish, so tend them regularly, water‑ ing, pruning, and staking them if they’ll be exposed to strong winds. And mulch: “It’s like chicken soup for trees,” Maslin says. The ideal formula is 3-3-3: “three inches high, three inches away from the trunk— otherwise you’ll bury the root flare—and three feet out, at least.” Mulch retains moisture, delivers nutrients into the soil, and prevents what Maslin calls “Weedwacker disease”—when string trimmers come too close to the trunk and strip off protective bark. “That’s a whole bunch of benefits for five dollars,” she says, referring to the average cost of a two‑cubic‑foot bag.

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

Get a ﬂu shot and all your ﬂu season essentials at Rite Aid.* No cost with most insurance.** No appointment needed. *Vaccines available while supplies last. Age restrictions apply in some states. **See pharmacist for details.

Ask Martha

Do I really need a roasting rack to cook my turkey? —Angie Eisenson, Newcastle, Wash.

What you actually need is elevation, to create a channel that allows hot air to circulate underneath your bird, ensuring even roasting all around. A rack offers that, and keeps your turkey from sitting in its drippings (which prevents the skin from crisping up). But if you don’t have a rack, a few thick slices of any bread will do: Just place them snugly between turkey and pan, tucking in the edges to avoid burning. (As the bird cooks, its drippings will make the bread toasty, not soggy.) Or put down a bed of halved onions and oranges, and the turkey’s juices will take on a subtle citrus flavor— a tasty base for homemade gravy.

DO A SHEET MASK

A BETTER BIRD Hover your phone’s camera here to watch Martha demonstrate this roasting method, plus three more turkey techniques.

NOVEMBER 2019

PHOTOGRAPH BY CON POULOS

ST YLING BY TANYA GR AFF

To keep your turkey succulent, drape it with cheesecloth soaked in a mixture of equal parts butter and white wine or citrus juice before sliding it into the oven. When it’s done, let it rest on a cooling rack or cutting board, then remove the cloth when you’re ready to slice.

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Why does my cat scrape the floor and push food beneath her bowl after eating—and how can I stop this behavior?

Which clothes should I iron, and which do I steam? —Andrew Ritchie, Ottawa, Ont.

IRON: The original

dewrinkler takes more time and effort, but it reigns supreme for restoring pleats and giving linen or cotton pieces and dress pants a crisp finish. For the smoothest results, iron when fabric is still slightly damp, says Gwen Whiting, co-founder of fabric-care company The Laundress. (If it’s dry, mist it lightly.) When pressing a lined item, place a clean cotton cloth atop it first,

to keep the seams in the liner from showing through. STEAM: Employ this gentler

method on silk, cashmere, wool, velvet, and corduroy— all of which have a natural pile that can be crushed by an iron, says Whiting. “Steaming can also refresh items between washes by clearing away allergens and bacteria,” she adds.

SPICES

ORANGE PEEL

COFFEE

| TEST-KITCHEN TIP |

Pack a Dollop To take your holiday desserts to the next level, top them with an infused whipped cream. All you need is a few ingredients: Add warming spices to enhance apple pie; an orange peel as a bright complement to pumpkin; or coffee beans to bring out the sweet nuttiness of pecan. 1. Stir 2 crushed cinnamon sticks, 8 whole cloves, and 12 black

peppercorns; the peel of 1 orange; or ½ cup coffee beans into 1 cup heavy cream. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours. For more intense flavor, chill the orange variation for up to 8 hours, and the others for up to 1 day. 2. Strain cream through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding solids. 3. Beat cream to stiff peaks, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons

confectioners’ sugar to sweeten, if desired.

NOVEMBER 2019

It may be an instinct inherited from her wild feline ancestors. “Cats are predators that are also prey,” says Liz Stelow, DVM, a behavior clinician at University of California Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. “Feral ones bury leftover food to avoid being tracked down from its smell.” Your domestic kitty is just doing what comes naturally, even in the absence of any threat. To break the habit, cut the size of each meal, so she finishes in one sitting— or, if you’re serving kibble, disperse portions in various feeders. “That’s less likely to trigger the covering behavior,” says Stelow, “and it requires a form of ‘hunting,’ which many cats find exciting.”

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, 9th floor, New York, NY 10281. Please include your full name, address, and daytime phone number. Letters and messages become the property of Meredith Corp. and may be published, broadcast, 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.

BRYAN GARDNER (STEAMER), GET T Y IMAGES (WHIPPED CREAM), PETER ARDITO (INFUSIONS)

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We’ve got answers to questions like

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Everyday FOOD

Red-pepper flakes and fresh parsley add zip to the seafood, which simmers in butter, garlic, lemon juice, and white wine.

FOOD ST YLING BY GREG LOF TS; PROP ST YLING BY SAR AH VASIL

COOK, NOURISH, ENJOY

| PERFECTING |

Surf’s Up If you’ve only ordered shrimp scampi in restaurants, prepare to be shell-shocked. It’s amazingly easy to make, and our recipe, which includes a quick stock to intensify the sauce, guarantees jumbo flavor. TEXT BY GREG LOFTS RECIPES BY SARAH CAREY

PHOTOGRAPHS BY LENNART WEIBULL

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

Ingredients 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined, shells reserved 1 clove garlic, plus 4 teaspoons minced Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil Pinch of red-pepper flakes

Prep the Stock

Place shrimp shells and whole garlic clove in a small saucepan and add 1¼ cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, 5 minutes. Strain stock, discarding solids, and set aside. (Making stock is not standard for scampi, but it enhances the taste of the seafood.)

Cook the Shrimp

In a bowl, toss shrimp with 1 teaspoon minced garlic and ½ teaspoon salt; this gives them a rich flavor base. Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Add oil and shrimp; cook until they begin to curl. Turn and cook until just opaque, about 2 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.

1/2 cup dry white wine 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more for serving (optional) 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (from 1 bunch) Serves 4.

Swirl the Sauce

Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 1 tablespoon garlic and red-pepper flakes to skillet; cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add wine, increase heat to high, and boil until reduced to about 2 tablespoons, 2 to 3 minutes. Add ¼ cup shrimp stock and lemon juice; boil 30 seconds, then remove from heat. Stir in butter to form an emulsified sauce. Return shrimp to skillet; toss to coat. Season with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice. Top with parsley.

HOW TO SERVE IT Enjoy our scampi in one of these delicious combinations. TOSS IT WITH PASTA Cook 8 ounces thin spaghetti until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain. Before returning shrimp to skillet in step 3, stir in noodles, then shrimp and ½ cup pasta water. Toss in another tablespoon of softened unsalted butter; season per step 3.

SPOON IT OVER POLENTA Bring 2½ cups each chicken stock and water to a boil. Whisk in 2/3 cup instant polenta. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 7 minutes. Stir in ¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; season with salt and pepper.

BAKE IT WITH BREAD Toss 2 cups coarsely torn rustic bread with 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. Toast on a baking sheet at 450° until golden, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle over cooked shrimp and sauce in a baking dish; bake 5 minutes more.

Scampi Riffs Try one of these twists on the classic.

1. Caper and Tomato

Add 2 teaspoons drained capers, 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes, and an additional 1 tablespoon olive oil when sautéing the garlic in step 3; cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes, then proceed with recipe.

2. Mustard and Thyme In step 3, replace the pepper flakes with 2 teaspoons country-style Dijon mustard and 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme, and the wine with dry vermouth. Omit the parsley.

2 72

NOVEMBER 2019

the tastes that shape E V ERY JA R OF BER TOL L I SAU CE ®

The deliciously sweet Tuscan ﬂavor of plump, sun-kissed, vine-ripened tomatoes added to freshly minced garlic and cooked lightly with olive oil is what shapes Bertolli . And that’s truly the Tuscan Difference. ®

| SIP & REPEAT |

GOOD LIBATIONS Uncorking a bottle of wine is just fine, but Thanksgiving aperitifs signal a celebratory meal. From light and fruity to smooth and strong, our food editors’ twists on classic cocktails shake things up in the best possible way. TEXT BY GREG LOFTS 1. RILEY’S ITALIAN CORPSE REVIVER

2. SHIRA’S PERNODBOURBON SPRITZ

3. LAURYN’S MIRTOAND-TONIC

4. SARAH’S GARIBALDI

5. GREG’S VENETIAN SPRITZ

Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice; add 1½ ounces Strega, ½ ounce dry vermouth, ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice, and 3 to 4 dashes Angostura bitters. Shake vigorously until outside of shaker is very cold, about 15 seconds; strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a fresh bay leaf; serve.

Place 1 large ice cube in a rocks glass, or fill halfway with ice. Add ½ ounce each Pernod and bourbon, 2 to 3 dashes Angos‑ tura bitters, and 3 ounces chilled club soda. Stir once and garnish with a lemon twist; serve.

To a highball glass filled with crushed ice, add 2 ounces mirto and 3 ounces chilled tonic water. Wave a rosemary sprig over a flame just until fragrant and charred in places, a few seconds. Stir into glass; serve.

Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice; add 2 ounces Cam‑ pari, 1 ounce fresh orange juice, and 2 to 3 dashes orange bit‑ ters, such as Regan’s. Shake vigorously until outside of shaker is very cold, about 15 seconds; strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with an orange twist; serve.

To a wineglass halffilled with ice, add 2 ounces Don Ciccio & Figli Cerasum (a cherry aperitivo). Top with 4 ounces chilled prosecco brut and 2 ounces chilled club soda. Stir once and garnish with a grape‑ fruit wheel and a green olive; serve.

“Strega, a minty, citrusy herbal Italian liqueur, perks up the appetite, and the floral taste makes everyone smile.” —assistant food editor Riley Wofford

“Tonic and crushed ice freshen up mirto, a Medi terranean liqueur with notes of allspice, juniper, and pine that’s tradition ally served neat as a digestif.” —senior food editor Lauryn Tyrell

“Seltzer and a lemony twist temper the intense anise flavor of Pernod and the horsepower of bourbon.” —food editor at large Shira Bocar

NOVEMBER 2019

“I love how the straight forward bitterness of Campari balances the sweetness of OJ in this easy drinker.” —food and entertaining director Sarah Carey

FOOD ST YLING BY GREG LOF TS; PROP ST YLING BY SAR AH VASIL

“This is like a grownup Shirley Temple, bursting with sweettart cherries and warming spices.” —deputy food editor Greg Lofts

| HEALTHY APPETITE |

Budding Genius

The game-changing glaze on these sprouts has honey and chopped chipotle for sweetness and smoky heat, plus soy sauce for umami.

Nutritionally speaking, Brussels sprouts are famous overachievers. One cooked cup contains four grams of fiber and a day’s worth of vitamin C—and they’re a top source of folate, a nutrient essential to healthy pregnancies. Give them a caramelized crunch for your Thanksgiving table, or go beyond the buffet and work them into a savory vegetable-based pancake or a delicious dip. TEXT BY CLAIRE SULLIVAN RECIPES BY SHIRA BOCAR

A Dynamic Sidekick

Spicy Roasted Brussels Sprouts Enjoy these solo, or turn the page to try them in tacos. 1 tablespoon chopped chipotle in adobo, plus 1 tablespoon sauce 2 tablespoons honey 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Stir to-

gether chipotle and sauce, honey, soy sauce, lime juice, and garlic. 2. Toss sprouts with oil, season

with salt, and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast until crisp-tender and bright green, about 25 minutes. Brush both sides of sprouts with glaze, then continue roasting until crisp and golden, about 10 minutes more. Serve. ACTIVE/TOTAL TIME:

NOVEMBER 2019

35 MIN. | SERVES: 4

FOOD ST YLING BY GREG LOF TS; PROP ST YLING BY SAR AH VASIL

1 clove garlic, minced

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this is the good stuff

A Vegetarian Main

A Gluten-Free Pancake

An App With Assets

Brussels-Sprout Tacos

Crispy BrusselsSprout Rösti

Warm Brussels-Sprout Dip

Roasted buds are a vitamin-andmineral-rich stand-in for chicken or beef.

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving Kosher salt 8 corn tortillas (each 6 inches) 1 avocado Spicy Roasted Brussels Sprouts (see recipe, previous page)

1/4 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, chopped

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves In a small bowl, combine onion with lime juice; season with salt. Toast tortillas over a gas flame until lightly charred, or blister under the broiler. Stack on a plate and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Mash avocado; season with salt. Spread tortillas with avocado; top with sprouts, pickled onion, peanuts, and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges. ACTIVE/TOTAL TIME:

10 MIN. | SERVES: 4

For fast shredding, use the slicing attachment on a food processor.

Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt, fish roe, and fresh herbs as a starter, or top with an egg for brunch or dinner. 1 pound russet potatoes (about 2), peeled and grated 4 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed and finely shredded Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Using a

clean kitchen towel, squeeze excess moisture from potatoes. In a bowl, toss potatoes and sprouts with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. 2. In a 10-inch ovenproof nonstick

skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium. Add potato mixture and spread evenly; flatten gently with a spatula and cook until bottom is golden, 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Run a spatula around edges to loosen; invert rösti onto a plate. 3. Slide back into skillet, cooked-

side up; drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon oil around edges of skillet. Bake until cooked through and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes. Cut into wedges; serve. ACTIVE TIME: 15 MIN.

SERVES:

| TOTAL TIME: 40 MIN.

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for dish 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 pinches red-pepper flakes

Big on Benefits “Brussels sprouts provide almost the same amount of blood-sugarstabilizing fiber as greens like broccoli and string beans, but they’re a better source of plant protein, with about four grams per cup,” says Los Angeles dietitian Cordialis Msora-Kasago. They also deliver omega-3 fatty acids and bone-boosting manganese.

1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and finely shredded

Kosher salt Finely grated zest of 1 lemon 8 ounces Neufchâtel cheese, room temperature 1 cup Greek yogurt 4 ounces mozzarella, grated (1 cup) 1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated ( 1/4 cup) Crudités, for serving

1. Preheat oven to 425°; brush a shal-

low 1½-quart baking dish with oil. In a large skillet, heat oil with garlic and a pinch of red-pepper flakes over medium until garlic begins to sizzle. Add sprouts; season with salt and cook, stirring, until tender and bright green, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in lemon zest. 2. Combine Neufchâtel, yogurt,

mozzarella, and 3 tablespoons Parmigiano. Stir in sprouts; season with salt and another pinch of redpepper flakes. Transfer to baking dish; sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon Parmigiano. Bake until golden and bubbly, 15 to 18 minutes. Serve with crudités. ACTIVE TIME: SERVES:

NOVEMBER 2019

30 MIN. | TOTAL TIME: 55 MIN. 6 TO 8

| WHAT’S FOR DINNER? |

Pot Luck

Our satisfying stews are ready in an hour or less—and about half that time is hands-off simmering. We simply fast-tracked low-and-slow classics, like congee and this Caribbeanstyle dish with cod and squash, by using bold ingredients and lean proteins. Set your timer, and take a seat.

FOOD ST YLING BY GREG LOF TS; PROP ST YLING BY SAR AH VASIL

TEXT BY CLAIRE SULLIVAN RECIPES BY GREG LOFTS

NOVEMBER 2019

Caribbean Fish-and-Pumpkin Stew

Black-Bean and Sweet-Potato Stew

Chicken-and-Mushroom Congee

Quick Pork Goulash

Caribbean Fish-and-Pumpkin Stew

Black-Bean and Sweet-Potato Stew

Butternut or acorn squash can be used in place of calabaza.

To make this recipe vegan, omit the cheddar.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 cans (each 15.5 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed

2 shallots, cut into thin rings (1 cup)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

1 white onion, chopped (2 cups)

1 teaspoon minced Scotch bonnet or serrano pepper

1 large poblano pepper, ribs and seeds removed, chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Kosher salt

1 pound calabaza squash, peeled and cut into ¾-inch pieces

2 cloves garlic, minced (2 teaspoons)

1 cup tomato sauce

1 tablespoon minced chipotle in adobo

1¼ pounds skinless cod fillet, cut into 1¼-inch pieces 1 can (13.5 ounces) light coconut milk 4 cups packed baby spinach (5 ounces) Cooked rice (optional) and lime wedges, for serving

1. Heat oil in a pot over medium-high. Add shallots, thyme, and chile pepper; season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are golden brown in places, about 4 minutes. Add squash, tomato sauce, and 1½ cups water; bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until squash is tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Meanwhile, season fish with salt and pepper.

2. Stir coconut milk and fish into stew. Cook at a bare simmer, stirring occasionally, until fish is just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add spinach and simmer, gently stirring, until wilted and darkened slightly, about 1 minute. Spoon stew over rice; serve with lime wedges.

¼ cup quinoa, rinsed Fresh cilantro and shredded cheddar, for serving

1. In a food processor or blender, purée half of beans with ½ cup water. Heat oil in a pot over medium-high. Add onion and poblano; season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion turns golden in places, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and chipotle; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. 2. Add sweet potato, whole and puréed beans, and 3 cups water; bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in quinoa. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until reduced to the consistency of a thick stew and sweet potato is tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Season with salt; serve with cilantro and cheddar. ACTIVE TIME:

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

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

Chicken-and-Mushroom Congee

Quick Pork Goulash

Use short-grain rice, such as arborio, for a creamier porridge. Long-grain rice, like basmati or jasmine, yields a thinner texture.

Serve over cooked egg noodles tossed with butter, if desired.

1½ pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (4 to 5) 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

¾ cup white rice

1¼ pounds pork tenderloin, cut into 1½-inch pieces Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped (2 cups)

1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and halved lengthwise

2 red bell peppers, ribs and seeds removed, chopped

4 scallions, white and light-green parts separated from dark-green tops

4 carrots, peeled and cut on the bias into 1½-inch pieces

Kosher salt 6 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and cut into ½-inch slices Sesame oil and chili sauce, such as sambal oelek, for serving

1. In a pot, bring chicken, broth, rice, half of ginger, scallion white and light-green parts, 1½ teaspoons salt, and 4 cups water to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; partially cover and simmer, stirring a few times, until chicken is just cooked through, about 20 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate.

1 tablespoon sweet paprika (preferably Hungarian) 3 tablespoons tomato paste 2½ cups low-sodium chicken broth Sour cream and chopped fresh dill, for serving

1. Season pork with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pot over medium-high. Add pork and cook, stirring a few times, until browned in places and almost cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

2. Increase heat to medium and stir in mushrooms; boil, uncovered, until rice breaks down and mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, remove skin and bones from chicken; shred meat into bite-size pieces. Remove ginger and scallions from congee; discard. Thinly slice scallion tops; julienne remaining half of ginger. Stir chicken meat and any accumulated juices into congee. Serve topped with scallion tops, ginger, sesame oil, and chili sauce.

2. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pot. Add onion, bell peppers, and carrots; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are golden in places, 7 to 9 minutes. Stir in paprika and tomato paste; cook 30 seconds. Stir in broth; boil until reduced to the consistency of a thin gravy and carrots are tender, 12 to 14 minutes. Return pork and any accumulated juices to pot; simmer until pork is just cooked through, about 1 minute. Serve, topped with sour cream and dill.

ACTIVE TIME:

30 MIN. | TOTAL TIME: 1 HR. | SERVES: 4

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

ACTIVE TIME:

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces (2 cups)

| KITCHEN WISDOM |

Can You Dig It?

You can find sweet potatoes in colors as diverse as the leaves right now, with burgundy skins, flame-orange centers, or eggplant-purple interiors and exteriors. Each has unique qualities to match, such as earthy flavor or creamy texture. Always go for medium-size ones that feel firm in your hand, and store them in a cool, dry place for up to a month. TEXT BY CLAIRE SULLIVAN

3. HOT POTATOES Hover your phone’s camera here to get our favorite recipes for Thanksgiving sides with spuds.

1. 4.

GET TO THE ROOT You may see orange-fleshed sweet potatoes mislabeled as yams, but they’re completely different vegetables. The latter have rough, bumpy skins and far drier, white flesh.

1 | PURPLE

A high concentration of antho cyanins (antioxidants that fight inflammation) gives these dark beauties their inky color. They have a rich, buttery taste, so try them in your favorite mashedpotato recipe to add some intrigue to the side spread.

NOVEMBER 2019

2 | GARNET, JEWEL, AND BEAUREGARD

The orangefleshed varieties you usually see piled up at the store are also the most versatile. Enjoy them interchangeably in marshmallow topped casseroles; roasted with olive oil, salt, and pepper; or sliced into wedges for oven fries.

3 | WHITE

4 | JAPANESE

The mildest of this bunch (but far from bland), they have a firm bite similar to that of russets. Swap them in when you want to branch out from your usual spud game: We love them boiled and tossed in potato salad, or roasted on steak night.

Their dense texture and intense sweetness make these extra delicious when baked: Roasting them brings out their subtle nuttiness, and a bit of butter or sour cream softens them up. (Unlike their purple peers, they’re— surprise!—pale yellow inside.)

ST YLING BY SAR AH VASIL

One Pan. Six Friends. Zero Fuss. ®

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Recipes at ReynoldsKitchens.com/holidays

HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF

Life’s Simple Pleasures With the help of Depend® Fit-Flex®, event planner and avid traveler Greer Morrison doesn’t let incontinence stop her from enjoying every moment. Read on for her story and get inspired.

Working Hard As an event planner in New York City, Greer Morrison doesn’t have time to worry about leakage. Before ﬁnding Depend, she was always looking for the nearest bathroom while setting up a venue. Now, she can be on top of her game while she’s at work. “Depend is part of my workday toolkit,” she says. “It helps me to be mindful and present while I am working, rather than wondering if I am leaking or showing.”

“I put Depend in an overnight bag whenever I travel.”

Being Social Greer loves being around people, whether she’s going out dancing or grabbing brunch with friends. “I don’t want to worry about anything detracting from me enjoying my life,” she says. “Depend Fit-Flex really does contour to my body—sometimes, I don’t even remember that I’m wearing it.”

Seeing the Sights For Greer, travel is a major part of getting the most out of life. “My friends and I like to make a plan every year to visit new places,” she says, whether it be a weekend on Long Island or a trip to Berlin. “We love to get up and go.” Including Depend as one of her packing essentials makes for a stress-free travel experience. “I put Depend in an overnight bag whenever I travel. It’s like second nature to me now,” she says.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW YOU CAN BE THERE FOR LIFE’S SMALL MOMENTS, VISIT DEPEND.COM.

November

“The power of finding beauty in the humblest things makes home happy and life lovely.” —Louisa May Alcott, Jack and Jill: A Village Story

PHOTOGRAPH BY CON POULOS

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

Outward Bound Feeling expansive? Use extra-sticky tape, like the bowl tape florists use, to secure reusable dry floral foam to the bottom of an urn or footed compote. (A flower frog with pins works too.) Then stick in stems here and there, so larger leaves contrast with smaller and wispier bits. Insert darker elements, like these scabiosa seedpods, for a dash of drama. THE DETAILS: Dried flowers (throughout story), available at dried decor.com, bloomist.com, and save-on-crafts.com. Frances Palmer terracotta footed bowl, $950, francespalmerpottery.com.

Get wind of some welcome news: When you’re decorating for fall gatherings, nothing looks fresher than dried botanicals, especially when they’ve been preserved and tinted in chic colors. Take your pick at the flower shop or crafts store—these sprigs, sprays, and pods look delicate, but they’ll give your home lasting style. PHOTOGRAPHS BY RYAN LIEBE

TEXT BY PETRA GUGLIELMETTI

CREATED BY NAOMI DEMAÑANA

FI E LD

day Waves of Grain Equal parts farmhouse tradition and #ombré obsession, this whirl of a wreath ripples from rust to beige to gold to blond. Wire small singlecolor bundles onto a circular metal form, working from bottom to top (light to dark). For an abundant, untamed look, tuck in longer straws and fronds, and finish with a thin velvet ribbon. THE DETAILS: M&J Trimming velvet ribbon (#02416), 5/8", $1.75 a yd., mjtrim.com.

These centerpieces can reach skyward without blocking anyone’s view, thanks to grasses like bunny tail and timothy that are tall, thin, and airy enough for conversation to flow right through.

Grassroots Movement So maybe you didn’t have time to traipse through a meadow to forage fodder for your tabletop. This setup is the next best thing. The key to its breezy but modern feel is to stick mostly to one variety per vase (the mashup of white stoneware also stands out nicely on a rust tablecloth), and line them up loosely. The spare palette will work all winter; for a change of scenery, just swap out the vessels. THE DETAILS: West Elm Pure White ceramic bottle (second from far left), $29; Pure White ceramic egg vase (second from right), $12; and Frayed Edged napkins, in Belgian Flax, $19 for 4, westelm.com. Frances Palmer Sam white earthenware pot (far right), $550, frances palmerpottery.com. Food52 Bodega stackable glasses, from $30 for 12, food52.com. Crate & Barrel Jett flatware, $70 for a 5-piece setting, crateandbarrel.com. CB2 Crisp Matte White dinner plates, $8 each, cb2.com. RH Singular side chairs, in Brown Oak Drift, $235 each, rh.com. M&J Trimming velvet ribbon (#02416), 1/4" , $1 a yd., mjtrim.com.

Rattlesnake grass

Scabiosa seedpod

Stem Subjects Bleached or dyed dried botanicals offer all the texture and personality of live foliage, with the bonus of unexpected hues. Yes, you can find them in hot pink, emerald green, and electric blue. But we’re partial to a neutral, more natural approach.

Flax grass

Italian ruscus

Umbrella fern

Bunny tail

Ostrich fern

Asparagus fern

Cecropia leaf

Little rattlesnake grass

Shining Through Stage a laser-free light show, one where candles flicker through ferns to cast a gentle glow. Dot hot glue along the dried leaf’s spine, then gently press it around the exterior of a glass hurricane. Shown here (from left): asparagus fern, umbrella fern, and Italian ruscus. The cloudlike beauty in the background is frosted explosion grass.

ART DIRECTION BY ABBEY KUSTER-PROKELL

THE DETAILS: Frances Palmer white earthenware five-spout flat tulipière (far left), $850, francespalmerpottery.com.

Scott Peacock’s favorite spot in his nearly 200-year-old house is this yellow second-floor sitting room. “That’s the original calcimine paint on those walls,” he says. Come Thanksgiving, he moves his dining table here and sets it with antique china and glassware, and napkins dyed with his own homegrown indigo. Opposite: His bird is infused with fresh bay leaves and citrus, and served with a cranberrysatsuma relish. “Heritage-breed turkeys have a distinct flavor, so the preparation can be simple,” he says.

SWEET HOME ALABAMA

c In his gently restored historic house in the tiny town of Marion (pop. 3,600), beloved southern chef and resident biscuit guru Scott Peacock hosts a Thanksgiving feast deeply rooted in regional flavors—and seasoned with lasting friendships. PHOTOGRAPHS BY CON POULOS

TEXT BY CATHERINE HONG

a child-size Pilgrim hat. “I felt like it was a signal,” he says, “telling me there would be special gatherings in the house.” And true enough, it’s here that Peacock, arguably the country’s most renowned master of classic southern cuisine, has reclaimed his love of Thanksgiving. He’s invited an intimate group of out-of-town friends and “Marionettes,” the people who welcomed him to the community, and created a menu that brims with ingredients grown right in his backyard—from the white lammas wheat used for his buttermilk biscuits to the persimmons sweetening the chicories salad. And he’s moved his antique dining table to the upstairs sitting room to bask in the warm light and those lovely cracked yellow plaster walls, which he’s in no hurry to fix. “There’s a beauty in their history,” he says. “It’s a room for time-traveling.” It’s that respect for the past and Peacock’s willingness to take the slow, patient path that his lucky guests taste in every dish. “His biscuits are like nothing else,” says friend Ethel Waite, reaching for seconds. “Nobody but Scott makes them like that anymore.” ✦ Left: Peacock and his dog, Buddy. “I found him right here in Marion,” he says. “I went out one morning to water the rice, and I found him watering my rice.” Below: The chef’s collection of English ironstone and Old Paris porcelain.

VER THE YEARS, Scott Peacock’s relationship

with Thanksgiving has had its highs and lows, its sweet bites and burnt edges. As a boy growing up in the small town of Hartford, Alabama, he says, “I was obsessed with Thanksgiving. It was my absolute favorite holiday.” But during the two decades he spent running professional kitchens, including the acclaimed Watershed restaurant in Decatur, Georgia, the James Beard Award–winning chef lost some of his appetite for it. “There were years where roasting a turkey was the last thing I wanted to do,” he admits. Sometimes he joined other people’s holiday tables, and sometimes he and his dear friend (and legendary southern chef) Edna Lewis would pass the day quietly in the apartment they shared. After Lewis’s death, he would often travel over the long weekend. “Thanksgiving can be stressful,” says the soft-spoken chef. “Especially when, like me, you’re an introvert at heart.” But Peacock’s views shifted about a decade ago, when he retired from Watershed and, seeking a peaceful retreat in Alabama’s Black Belt region (named for its rich soil), bought a soundly built but slightly crumbling house in Marion. One of the first objects he found in the 1830 dwelling—which was still stuffed with the belongings of the family that had lived there for more than a century—was

✦

BAYOU LA BATRE SHRIMP-AND-SAUSAGE GRAVY WITH CRUSTY BUTTERMILK BISCUITS AND QUICK-PICKLED CRUDITÉS

A starter of spicy, savory shrimpand-sausage gravy in individual cups is served alongside quick pickles and Peacock’s warm biscuits, which guests break in half to spoon the sauce over. These biscuits have become so legendary that he hosts small group workshops on how to make them (visit chefscott peacock.com for details). For all the recipes, see page 118.

Peacock presents a bright, zesty salad of roasted chicories, persimmons, and herbs on one of his prized antique feather-edged platters.

✦

PERSIMMONS AND ROASTED CHICORIES WITH SHALLOT VINAIGRETTE ✦

✦

CORNBREAD DRESSING

✦ Left: The dressing gets its flavor from celery, onions, sage, and roasted pecans that get stirred into the cornbread mixture before it bakes. Above: Peacock’s guests sit down to the table.

✦ Above: Friends Chris Joiner and Ethel Waite tuck into the turkey. Right: Sweet potatoes get a slather of ham-and-ginger butter, “pimiento” mac and cheese is flecked with roasted red peppers, and a casserole of green beans, mushrooms, and chestnuts rounds out the offerings.

THE SIDES ✦

“You have to have a pie at Thanksgiving!” says Peacock, who folded buckwheat flour into the streusel topping of this pear-filled glory. Opposite: “I love having lots of different bites and flavors for dessert,” he says. “It invites you to linger.” Along with tipples of Alabama

whiskey and other cordials, he offers a mosaic of cornmealshortbread cookies, satsumas and kumquats, store-bought nut brittle and praline-coated chocolate truffles, and brandied figs.

✦

ART DIRECTION BY ABBEY KUSTER-PROKELL; FOOD ST YLING BY GREG LOF TS; PROP ST YLING BY TANYA GR AFF

SPICED PEAR PIE WITH BUCKWHEAT CRUMBLE

✦

BROWN SUGAR–CORNMEAL SHORTBREAD COOKIES AND BR ANDIED FIGS ✦

THE HEIGHT OF GREATNESS Lemon-Cranberry Meringue Pie For all the recipes, see page 122.

RISING TO THE OCCASION “Meringue is like sweet, soft air,” Greg says. It also gives this show‑ stopper its fluffy, bouffant look, while bal‑ ancing the tart lemon filling (which is topped with cranberry gelée for another pop of flavor). A big plus: The lemon layer is whisked to‑ gether in a saucepan, then chills and sets right in the crust—no temper‑ ing, straining, or other shenanigans required. THE DETAILS: Antique 19th‑ century Swedish cream‑ ware plate with lattice rim, wellbournerobinson.com.

When she goes LOW, he goes HIGH—with holiday pies, that is. Our editorial director of food and entertaining, SARAH CAREY, flat-out prefers creations that are small in stature yet big on flavor, while deputy editor GREG LOFTS turns up the volume—and the drama. But here’s where the two see eye-to-eye: On the Thanksgiving dessert table, variety is the spice of life. 100

PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRISTOPHER TESTANI | TEXT BY MICHELLE SHIH RECIPES BY SARAH CAREY AND GREG LOFTS

Cherry-Cheese Strudel Pie

IN THE SHALLOW Anyone who goes right for the pie the morning after Thanksgiving should try this strudel‑ inspired confection (the extra‑large oval of it ensures leftovers). “Blind‑bake the puff‑ pastry crust really well, so the bottom is airy, light, and crisp,” Sarah says. Scoring gives the edge a rustic braided look, and a mix of cream cheese, ricotta, and egg, marbled with a swirl of cherry sauce, bakes into a tangy filling. To serve, slice down the center and cut it into rectangles. THE DETAILS (fabric throughout): White vintage European sheets, elsiegreen.com. Vintage dyed damask linens, marstonhouse.com.

TALL, DARK, AND HANDSOME Greg believes in the slow reveal. Whole, this pie looks like an innocent chocolate mousse. Cut into it, and guests will gasp at the va‑va‑voom triple layers. The make‑ahead icebox method is also a godsend when your oven is busy roasting a turkey. You bake the crushed‑cookie crust, but after that you just create two mousses—one dark chocolate, one milk—and an espresso whipped cream. Fill and chill, then dust with cocoa powder before serving. Take a bite and you, too, can join the mile‑high club.

Mile-High TripleChocolate-Espresso Mousse Pie

MORE TO LOVE Hover your phone’s camera here for a hit parade of additional holIday pie recipes.

Butterscotch Pie With Pecan-Shortbread Crust

REGALLY BLONDE If you like pecan pie, but find it too intense to eat more than a few bites, behold Sarah’s butterscotch tart. The press‑in crust has ground nuts for a tender pecan‑sandy texture; the filling, however, is a creamy pudding, made with brown sugar, milk, and egg yolks. And who says pies have to be round? A rectangular fluted tart pan gives this stunner a graphic look (enhanced by candied‑nut X’s), and makes it a snap to cut into small servings—so family and friends can try every option on the dessert table.

103

HIGH AND TIGHT “I love pumpkin‑pie filling,” says Greg, explaining the impetus for this extra‑deep‑dish dessert, which also graces our cover. Sprinkling in Chinese five‑spice powder may seem unorthodox, but two of its components (cinnamon and clove) are already found in traditional pumpkin‑pie spice. The Iron Throne–esque crust is delightfully easy to create— just brush butter onto sheets of phyllo and layer them at angles in the pan. Finish with freshly whipped cream, and you have the finest dessert in the seven kingdoms.

Five-Spice Pumpkin Pie With Phyllo Crust

104

ART DIRECTION BY JAMES MAIKOWSKI; FOOD ST YLING BY SAR AH CAREY AND GREG LOF TS; PROP ST YLING BY TANYA GR AFF

Apple Rose Tart

LOW BLOOMS “I’ve switched to baking apple tarts instead of double‑crust or slab pies,” Sarah says. “They have more concentrated flavor, and you don’t have to wait hours for them to cool—half an hour is plenty.” Using different varieties pays off in both taste and beauty, too. A peeled Granny Smith makes a tart center; unpeeled Pink Ladies, with their thin skins, give the outer petals a delicate blush. A little grated ginger mixed with apricot jam provides a spicy‑sweet base that lets the fruit truly blossom.

SPREAD THE W E A LT H Chinese money plants (Pilea peperomioides) are unfailingly generous. “Like a good investment, they multiply,” says Martha, who often arranges them on dining tables because the leaves are shiny and bright. “Plus, they’re not fussy—they’ll grow in dim or bright light,” she adds. The prolific plants send out offshoots that can be propagated when they reach two to three inches in height. (Martha loves to give the minis to kids.) Just clip one where it emerges from the soil, and nestle it into a small pot. Keep the plants in welldrained soil, and water only when it feels dry.

106

PLANTS THAT ENCHANT

Martha has too many hobbies and passions to count, but caring for her plants, she says, is the most gratifying. She grows them in her greenhouse in Bedford (the more striking and unusual, the better) and displays them throughout her home in unique ways. Here, she shares her current favorites—from knockout orchids to sculptural succulents to bountiful begonias—along with personal stories and pointers to help your leafy lovelies flourish and thrive. PHOTOGRAPHS BY NOE DEWITT TEXT BY MELISSA OZAWA

T H E S H OW S T O P P E R With chartreuse blooms bursting from giant stalks that can reach three feet in height, this diva (Grammatophyllum scriptum var. citrinum) demands the spotlight—and is here to stay. “It’s long-lived,” says Martha. “Two months can go by, and not one petal will drop.” Her advice: Place it in bright light, and keep the growing medium (orchid bark) thoroughly moist at all times.

107

I N TO T H E W I L D Martha was drawn to the “extremely weird foliage” of this easygoing houseplant (Peperomia caperata ‘Red Ripple’), which does well in part sun or shade and can even handle a little neglect, like if you forget to water for more than a week. While the grooved purple leaves are the main attraction, this cool character does produce flowers—in the form of spaghetti-like spikes—in summer and fall.

S T R I N G T H E ORY “I’m hooked on hanging succulents, and am always looking for new ones to add to my collection,” Martha says. String of bananas (Senecio radicans) is a relatively fast-growing variety that prospers in lots of sun and cactus-blend soil. Water only when the soil is dry.

T H E C A R N I VO R E Don’t be fooled by the graceful fourto-five-inch-long “pitchers” dangling from this beauty (Nepenthes alata): They lure, trap, and devour flies, ants, and small wasps. “It’s important for them to have some water inside,” says Martha. “I taught my granddaughter, Jude, how to fill each one with about an inch.”

108

DEEP PURPLE “My aunt Clementine had quite the collection of African violets, and displayed them in cabinets and glass boxes,” recalls Martha. “She taught me how to carefully water beneath the leaves (to avoid spotting and rot), remove spent blooms with tweezers, and use manicure scissors to snip dead leaves. I still follow her advice today.” For healthy results, let the top of the soil dry out between waterings, and put them in indirect bright light, like the windowsill in Martha’s servery. This prominent placement is intentional, she says. “They’re not happy someplace where you don’t look at them all the time.”

109

THE RIPPLE EFFECT “Whenever I find a plant that is beautiful and odd, I buy it,” says Martha, who picked up this uncommon cactus (Myrtillo cactus geometrizans forma cristata, left) and rare euphorbia (Euphorbia lactea forma cristata variegata) years ago on a trip to Arizona. “I brought them home on the plane in my purse. They were smaller then,” she says with a laugh. Keep them in a sunny spot in very well-drained soil (like a cactus blend mixed with some coarse gravel), and allow it to dry out fully before watering.

SNA KE CH A RMER The literal translation of this no-fuss succulent’s name (Euphorbia caputmedusae) is “Medusa’s head”—no explanation needed. It won’t turn you to stone, but its milky sap can irritate skin, so handle it with care; if you get some on you, wash it off immediately. “This plant is extraordinary and sculptural,” says Martha, “and you can go away for a couple of weeks without worrying about it.”

T H E G O L D S TA N DA R D Much like its namesake, the rhizomatous Begonia ‘Martha Stewart’ has flair to spare. Bred by Logee’s nursery (logees.com), where Martha loves to buy her begonias, it sports foliage in shades of chartreuse, orange, and bronze, and sprouts delicate pink flowers in winter. Since the roots grow horizontally, not vertically, plant these in shallow pots. Then give them moderate light, and let the soil dry out between waterings.

110

1 | Light Them Right For a bright future, learn the lingo to optimize plant placement. FULL SUN: A minimum of six hours of

direct exposure a day; an unobstructed southor southeast-facing window is ideal. PART SUN: Bathe plants in light for four to five

hours daily. Try a window that faces east or west. SHADE: Northern exposures work well for these varieties, which need light but not strong, direct rays.

TIP

Rotate your pots every week or so to give plants even access to sun.

2 FEED WELL |

Martha’s motto: You eat; your plants need to eat too. Fertilize them during the growing season, which for most starts in March and ends in November. Fish emulsion is a great all-purpose option; just add some to your watering can once a month. Yes, it can smell a little, but the odor dissipates within a few hours.

3 | Quench

Their Thirst

But don’t kill them with kindness. Many houseplants suffer from too much watering, not too little. Test for dampness by sticking your finger into the soil up to your first knuckle. If it’s dry, water using the same method experts recommend for gardens and yards: Rather than sprinkling a few drops every day, which keeps roots closer to the surface, pour long, less frequent drinks, so they grow deeply. If you can, move pots to your sink or tub, and use a long-spouted can to direct the stream to the soil until excess water flows out of the drainage hole. Plan to do this more often in winter, when homes are filled with dry heat, than in more-humid summertime.

A GREEN-THUMB GUIDE Every plant has its own needs, preferences, and personality quirks—these are living things we’re talking about, after all. But there are five good practices that apply to most. Follow our general-care advice, and ask your nursery (and keep those tags) for tips on specific varieties.

ART DIRECTION BY ABBEY KUSTER-PROKELL; ST YLING BY TANYA GR AFF

4 | GROOM WITH CARE Keeping plants tidy is about more than aesthetics—it helps them stay healthy, too. Wipe down foliage as needed to remove dirt and grime, which prevent photosynthesis. Snip dead or yellowing leaves, which can harbor disease and pests. And hydrate the air, too, especially in winter, since dehydrated plants can attract invaders like spider mites. Try this unplugged “humidifier”: Fill a metal or plastic tray a few inches deep with pebbles, then add water and put your plants on top. Refill when the liquid evaporates.

5 | Repot

and Revive

There are two signs that a plant has outgrown its home: Its roots are busting out of the drainage hole in its pot, or it wilts shortly after being watered. To move it to more spacious digs, choose a slightly larger container, and cover the drainage hole—loosely, so water can escape but soil can’t— with a pottery shard or flat stone. Place a scoop or two of organic potting soil in the bottom. (All-purpose blends work for most, but a cactus mix is best for succulents, while bark is ideal for orchids.) Carefully remove the plant from its old vessel, and gently tease out the roots to encourage them to spread. Then lower it into the new pot. The top of the root ball should sit about an inch below the rim. Fill in with more soil, tamp it down lightly, and water thoroughly.

C O N S I D E R T H E S E C O N TA I N E R S

Before buying a pot, make sure it has a drainage hole, and don’t forget to choose a tray or saucer to put under it, so you don’t ruin your furniture. Beyond those basics, feel free to choose by style. Here’s what you need to know about the three most common kinds: TERRA-COTTA: You can nab pieces made from this material

for a few dollars at the hardware store, or spend hundreds on frostproof imported Impruneta clay versions from artisans in Italy. Since it’s untreated, it’s porous, so these containers dry out faster than sealed ones and are great for succulents. Don’t worry if white streaks or powder appear on their exteriors; these are harmless mineral deposits. (One of Martha’s favorites is Guy Wolff Pottery.) CERAMIC OR GLAZED CLAY: Available in a rainbow of colors, these pots have been sealed, so they hold moisture well and make excellent homes for thirsty ferns or selaginellas.

CACHEPOT: These vessels, typically made from porcelain or china, are purely decorative. They have no holes, so keep your plant in a smaller pot with drainage (like the plastic one it came in from the nursery) and tuck it inside. To water, pull out the inner pot and let it drain before putting it back in.

CHARACTER STUDY In her new book, Down to Earth: Laid-Back Interiors for Modern Living, designer LAUREN LIESS shares how she imbues any space with warmth and energy. She walks us through an arts-and-crafts charmer in Washington, D.C., that she renovated into an action-packed family home. PHOTOGRAPHS BY HELEN NORMAN

112

A HAPPY HANGOUT

The light-filled den that was added onto the home’s first floor gets its lived-in look from a vintage rug laid on the reverse, an antique Chinese table, and lamps made by local potter Lindsey Augustine. The chandelier is by Visual Comfort. The leather sofas from Liess’s line will only improve with age; she also designs textiles and pottery (laurenliess.com). Opposite: Liess preserved the original oak mantel in the living room. The wallpaper is Sanderson Woodland Toile, in Ivory and Charcoal.

down-to-earth home is one that takes the best from the past and incorporates the conveniences and ease of modern living. This historic American foursquare in Washington, D.C., was originally built in 1918. It’s a truly special place, with three floors of amazing woodwork and arts-and-crafts details. The owners loved those features, but are also drawn to midcentury furniture and prefer a contemporary vibe. They wanted a feeling of openness and plenty of room for themselves and their four little boys. I felt like I understood exactly what this family was looking for. During the renovation, I was pregnant with my fifth child, my daughter Aurora, while my client was pregnant with her fourth son—and we had the exact same due date. Like most turn-of-thecentury homes, this one didn’t have a family room or a true master suite. So I worked with Shawn Buehler of Bennett Frank McCarthy Architects, in Silver Spring, Maryland; and Impact Remodeling and Construction, in Washington, D.C., to design a spacious twostory addition that would give them both. Then I set about creating interiors that would combine arts-and-crafts and midcentury sentiments, and be toddler-proof, all in keeping with the family’s aesthetic. Now that the work is done and the babies have arrived (on their due date!), I get lots of sweet photos of all the boys playing on the furniture. Nothing makes me happier than seeing them really live in and enjoy the house, and make it their own noisy, happy, loved space. Y IDEA OF A

KEY INGREDIENTS

Above: To keep the new kitchen feeling original to the old house, Liess paired quartersawn white-oak cabinets (which echo the living-room mantel) with practical soapstone countertops and an extra-deep angled apronfront sink. The lighting is by Rejuvenation, and the backsplash tile is from the Tile Shop. Left: Personal objects that inspired Liess during the project included old keys, a handmade carving, hellebores, an antique etching, and a framed finger painting that her 4-year-old daughter, Gisele, made when she was 11/2.

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ALL TOGETHER NOW

Painting the doors and windows throughout the house in Benjamin Moore Black helped unify the original rooms and the addition. Salt chairs from Design Within Reach and vintage-style cantilevered host chairs from Noir surround a vintage oiled-oak dining table; the light overhead is an antique.

PERSONAL STATEMENTS

Left: A vintage bench and runner, plus Indian art and mementos, line the wide hallway leading into the new master suite. Below: Its bathroom has a best-of-bothworlds clawfoot tub inside the shower. “This setup has a really relaxed vibe,” Liess says. “No one has to worry about water splashing.” The floors are black penny-round tile, and the walls are subway tiles with pencil-thin grout, all from the Tile Shop. Bottom left: The brassand-marble washstand and all the brass fixtures and hardware are by Waterworks.

Excerpted from the new book Down to Earth: Laid-Back Interiors for Modern Living, by Lauren Liess, published by Abrams. Text copyright © 2019 Lauren Liess. Illustrations/ photographs copyright © 2019 Helen Norman.

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ARTFUL ANGLES

The master bedroom has deeply sloped ceilings with white-oak beams. To fill the space over the Noir traditional black spool bed, Liess framed and hung more pieces from the owners’ vintage Indian-art collection, including Air India in-flight menus saved from family trips taken in the ’70s and ’80s. The graphic navy-andwhite Jaipur kilim and woven leather chair from Bobo Intriguing Objects bring in pattern and texture.

The Workbook | RECIPES FROM THIS ISSUE |

SWEET HOME ALABAMA PAGE 92

Cranberry-Satsuma Relish 1 pound satsuma mandarins (3 to 5) 1½ cups sugar 1 cup full-bodied red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon 1¼ pounds fresh cranberries, rinsed and drained; or frozen cranberries (6 cups) Kosher salt 1. Finely grate zest of satsumas

medium-high heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Stir in cranberries and ¼ teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring constantly, until some of cranberries begin to burst and collapse, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in satsuma zest, flesh, and juices; cook 1 minute more. (Relish should be chunky and not too broken down, with some cranberries still intact.) Let cool completely in pan, stirring a few times, before serving or refrigerating in an airtight container up to 1 week. ACTIVE TIME: 25 MIN.

| TOTAL TIME: 30 MIN.,

PLUS COOLING | MAKES: 5 CUPS

Roasted Heritage Turkey If you don’t want to make your own stock, skip step 1 and use low-sodium chicken broth instead in the roasting pan and for the gravy.

into a bowl. Peel and section fruits, removing as much stringy membrane as possible, then seed and coarsely chop flesh; transfer with any juices to bowl.

1 heritage turkey (14 to 16 pounds; available at heritagefoods.com), room temperature, neck and giblets separated, patted dry

2. Combine sugar and wine in

1 carrot, cut into 2-inch pieces

a large nonreactive saucepan. Bring to a vigorous simmer over

3 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces

1 medium onion, cut into 8 wedges 26 fresh bay leaves Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 4 satsuma mandarins, halved, plus 1½ cups fresh juice (from 4 to 6 more) 1½ sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1/3 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc 3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour 1. Place turkey neck and giblets, carrot, three 2-inch pieces of celery, 4 onion wedges, 1 bay leaf, and 6 cups water in a saucepan; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer 1 hour. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl (you should have about 4 cups). If desired, pull meat from neck, chop giblets into bite-size pieces, and reserve for gravy (discard other solids). 2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to

425˚. In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons salt and ¾ teaspoon pepper. Season both cavities of turkey with half of salt mixture. Stuff

large cavity with 3 satsuma halves, half of remaining celery, and 5 bay leaves. Tie legs together with kitchen twine. Stuff small cavity with 1 satsuma half. Rub 4 tablespoons butter evenly all over skin, then season with remaining salt mixture. Tuck wings under turkey. 3. In a saucepan, stir together satsuma juice and 4 tablespoons butter. Cook over medium heat until butter melts and mixture is warm; remove from heat. Cut a 17-by-68-inch piece of cheesecloth; fold in half to form an approximately 17-by-34-inch rectangle. Submerge in satsuma-butter mixture, then lift out, allowing excess to drip back into pan (do not wring; cloth should be very wet). Reserve remaining satsuma-butter mixture. 4. Starting at opening of large

cavity where drumsticks and breast meet, drape one short end of cloth over turkey, pressing and stretching as necessary to adhere snugly to skin (about half of cloth should be overhang, extending beyond neck cavity). Place remaining 20 bay leaves over turkey in

Recipe Index Scott Peacock’s QuickPickled Crudités 119

Quick Pork Goulash recipe card

DESSERTS

OTHER

Slow-Baked Sweet Potatoes 120

Roasted Heritage Turkey 118

Apple Rose Tart 125

All-Purpose Breakfast Batter 36

Blueberry Muffins 36

Spicy Roasted Brussels Sprouts 76

Shirred Eggs in Mashed Potatoes 32

Crispy Brussels-Sprout Rösti 78

Warm Brussels-Sprout Dip 78

Shrimp Scampi 72

STARTERS, SALADS & SIDES Bayou La Batre Shrimpand-Sausage Gravy 119

Green-Bean Casserole With Chestnuts and Buttered Breadcrumbs 121 Persimmons and Roasted Chicories With Shallot Vinaigrette 120

MAINS Banana Pancakes 36 Black-Bean and SweetPotato Stew recipe card

Deep-Dish Pâte Brisée 121

Greg’s Venetian Spritz 74

Lemon-Cranberry Meringue Pie 122

Sugared Pecans 125

Caper-and-Tomato Shrimp Scampi 72

Riley’s Italian Corpse Reviver 74

Scott Peacock’s Crusty Buttermilk Biscuits 119

Caribbean Fish-andPumpkin Stew recipe card

Sarah’s Garibaldi 74

NOVEMBER 2019

Cranberry-Satsuma Relish 118 Infused Whipped Cream 68

Scott Peacock’s Cornbread Dressing 120

Mustard-and-Thyme Shrimp Scampi 72

Cherry-Cheese Strudel Pie 122

Baked Doughnuts 36 Country Ham–Ginger Butter 120

BEVERAGES

Lauryn’s Mirto-and-Tonic 74

Chicken-and-Mushroom Congee recipe card

Butterscotch Pie With Pecan-Shortbread Crust 124

Five-Spice Pumpkin Pie With Phyllo Crust 125

Brussels-Sprout Tacos 78

“Pimiento” Mac and Cheese 120

118

Turkey Melt With Gravy Mayo 32

Brown Sugar–Cornmeal Shortbread Cookies 122

Shira’s Pernod-Bourbon Spritz 74

Mile-High TripleChocolate-Espresso Mousse Pie 124 Pie-Scream Sundae 32 Scott Peacock’s Brandied Figs 122 Spiced Pear Pie With Buckwheat Crumble 121

Turkey Bone Broth 32

an evenly spaced single layer. Lift excess cheesecloth up and over turkey to fold in half again and secure bay leaves in place, pressing and stretching to adhere snugly. Rub remaining 4 tablespoons butter evenly over cheesecloth. (Turkey can be prepared to this point and refrigerated, uncovered, up to 1 day ahead; remove 2 hours before roasting.)

Bayou La Batre Shrimpand-Sausage Gravy

5. Place remaining onion, celery,

Pinch of dried thyme

and satsuma halves, cut-sides down, in a large roasting pan in a single layer; line with a roasting rack. Transfer turkey to rack; pour 1 cup stock into pan. Roast turkey 1 hour (if bottom becomes dry and begins to blacken, add more stock to pan, ¼ cup at a time). Reduce temperature to 350˚ and continue roasting, basting occasionally with reserved satsumabutter mixture, until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh (nearest but not touching bone) registers 165˚, 1 hour, 15 minutes to 1 hour, 45 minutes more. Transfer turkey to a carving board or platter; let stand at least 20 minutes. 6. Meanwhile, remove rack, onion, celery, and satsumas from roasting pan. Tilt pan and skim excess fat from drippings with a spoon (or pour drippings into a fat separator, then back into pan, discarding excess fat). Place pan across 2 burners; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add wine; boil until mostly evaporated, about 1 minute. Add all but ½ cup remaining stock to pan; bring to a boil. Whisk remaining ½ cup stock with flour. Slowly add flour mixture to pan, whisking constantly. Continue boiling until thickened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then strain gravy through a finemesh sieve into a bowl. Stir in reserved neck meat and giblets, if desired. Remove and discard cheesecloth, carve turkey, and serve with gravy. ACTIVE TIME: 50 MIN. | TOTAL TIME: 4 HR. 45 MIN. | SERVES: 10 TO 12

1 clove garlic, minced Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 small onion, finely diced (1 cup) 1 medium shallot, finely diced ( 1/3 cup)

par tially cooked, 1 to 2 minutes, depending on size. Stir in cream; simmer until shrimp are just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes more, depending on size. 2. Remove from heat, season to

taste, and stir in parsley and scallion just before serving. Spoon over hot split biscuits, and serve with spoons to scoop up the gravy. ACTIVE TIME: 35 MIN.

| TOTAL TIME: 50 MIN.

SERVES: 10 TO 12

¼ teaspoon Aleppo-style pepper flakes

½ cup chopped tomato (from 1 medium) 4 ounces smoked link sausage, such as Conecuh, cut into ½-inch pieces (1 heaping cup) 1 cup shrimp stock (for recipe, see page 72, step 1), low-sodium chicken broth, or water 1 pound medium shrimp (31 to 36 a pound), preferably wild Gulf, peeled and deveined, shells reserved for stock

¼ to ½ cup heavy cream 2 tablespoons torn or coarsely chopped fresh parsley leaves 1 scallion, thinly sliced Scott Peacock’s Crusty Buttermilk Biscuits (recipe follows), for serving 1. Sprinkle garlic with a pinch

of salt; mash into a paste with the side of a knife. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, season with salt and black pepper, and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add shallot, thyme, Aleppo pepper, and garlic; reduce heat to mediumlow and cook, stirring often, until shallot turns translucent, 3 to 4 minutes (if onion starts to brown, reduce heat further). Add tomato and a generous pinch of salt; increase heat to medium. Cook, stirring frequently, until tomato breaks down, about 3 minutes. Add sausage; cook 2 minutes more. Stir in stock, increase heat to medium-high, and boil until liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Stir in shrimp and simmer until

Scott Peacock’s Crusty Buttermilk Biscuits Peacock prefers to make his own baking powder by combining two parts cream of tartar with one part baking soda. You can substitute five cups of unbleached all-purpose flour (preferably King Arthur organic) for the wheat and cake flours.

3 cups wheat flour, such as Anson Mills Colonial Style Artisan (available at anson mills.com) 2 cups cake flour, such as Anson Mills White Lammas, plus more for dusting 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1 stick plus 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 2 cups best-quality buttermilk 1. Preheat oven to 500˚. In a large

bowl, whisk together both flours, baking powder, and salt until thoroughly combined. Using your fingers, quickly work in butter, rubbing between your fingers to flatten as you go. (Roughly half of butter should have the consistency of very coarse meal; the rest should be in largish flattened pieces.) Make a well in mixture; pour in buttermilk. Stir quickly just until dough is well moistened and just beginning to form a mass. (It will be very wet and sticky.) 2. Turn out dough onto a generously floured board or biscuit

marble; sprinkle just enough flour over it to make it easy to handle. Knead quickly, without applying too much pressure as you fold. (The goal is to develop structure quickly without deflating.) Once it forms a cohesive dough, move to side of board; scrape up kneading flour. 3. Sprinkle a fresh, light dusting

of flour on board. (Do not flour top of biscuit dough.) Flouring only hands and rolling pin as needed, roll out dough approximately ½ inch thick. With a floured fork, pierce all the way through at ½-inch intervals. Using a 1¾-inch round cutter, stamp out biscuits (without rotating cutter); place them on parchmentlined baking sheets, almost touching. Gather and reroll scraps; punch out and place more rounds. Bake until biscuits are puffed slightly and brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve warm. ACTIVE TIME: 20 MIN.

| TOTAL TIME: 45 MIN.

MAKES: ABOUT 35

Scott Peacock’s QuickPickled Crudités Whole or halved bite-size vegetables, such as baby carrots and fennel, blanched and peeled purple pearl onions, and Japanese turnips, can be used in place of the larger sliced vegetables.

½ cup distilled white vinegar ½ cup hot water 3 tablespoons sugar Kosher salt 2 cups thinly sliced mixed vegetables, such as turnips, carrots, Chioggia beets, fennel, and red onion

In a nonreactive bowl, stir together vinegar, hot water, sugar, and 2 teaspoons salt until salt and sugar have dissolved. Pack vegetables into a nonreactive container, such as a canning jar. Pour vinegar mixture over vegetables. Let cool completely, about 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 1 week. Drain and serve. ACTIVE TIME: 15 MIN.

| TOTAL TIME: 1 HR.

15 MIN., PLUS COOLING | SERVES: 10 TO 12

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

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The Workbook

4. Arrange chicories on a serving

The vinaigrette can be made up to three days ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container; return it to room temperature before serving.

platter; drizzle with remaining vinaigrette. Spoon fruit mixture evenly over chicories and serve immediately.

1 small clove garlic, minced Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 1 small shallot, finely chopped ( ¼ cup) Pinch of sugar

ACTIVE TIME: 30 MIN.

| TOTAL TIME: 1 HR.

SERVES: 10 TO 12

Scott Peacock’s Cornbread Dressing

3 tablespoons sherry vinegar

1 bunch fresh sage, stems removed

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 cup pecan halves

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil 4 pounds mixed chicories, such as speckled radicchio, Treviso, and endive (6 to 8 heads, depending on size), washed, trimmed, and quartered lengthwise, or cut into sixths if large (not patted dry) 4 thyme sprigs 3 Fuyu persimmons, halved and sliced into thin wedges (2 cups) 11/2 cups pomegranate arils (from 2 large) 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup oil-cured black olives, pitted and torn into 1/2 -inch pieces

¼ cup lightly packed fresh mint leaves, torn if large

¼ cup lightly packed fresh parsley leaves, torn 1. Sprinkle garlic with a pinch

of salt; mash into a paste with the side of a knife. Transfer to a nonreactive bowl with shallot, sugar, vinegar, ¾ teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper; let stand 10 minutes. Whisk in mustard, then ½ cup oil. Season with salt and pepper. 2. Preheat oven to 375˚. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss chicories with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and thyme; season with salt and pepper and spread in a single layer. 3. Roast, turning once halfway

through, until chicories are crisptender and charred in places, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly. Meanwhile, combine persimmons, pomegranate arils, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Add olives, herbs, and half of vinaigrette.

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Toss to combine; season with salt and pepper.

Persimmons and Roasted Chicories With Shallot Vinaigrette

NOVEMBER 2019

1 stick plus 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, and more, softened, for brushing 2¼ cups fine white or yellow cornmeal 11/2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 3 cups best-quality buttermilk 8 large eggs, 5 beaten 3 cups coarsely chopped celery stalks (from 4 to 5), plus ¼ cup pale, tender inner leaves for serving 3 cups coarsely chopped onions (from 2) Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 4 cups turkey stock or low-sodium chicken broth, warmed

buttermilk and 3 whole eggs. Add to cornmeal mixture, whisking until smooth. 4. Carefully remove skillet from

oven, swirling to coat bottom and sides. Pour hot butter into batter; whisk to combine. Transfer batter to skillet and bake until set and golden on top, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in pan 5 minutes, then flip out onto a wire rack; let cool completely. Break cornbread into bite-size pieces and spread them evenly on a rimmed baking sheet. Reduce oven temperature to 250˚ and bake until dry and crisp, about 30 minutes. 5. Increase oven temperature to 325˚. Brush a 3-quart baking dish with butter. Melt 1 stick butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add celery and onions; season with 2 teaspoons salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and translucent but not developing any color, about 15 minutes. Stir in crumbled sage; cook 30 seconds. Let cool slightly. 6. In a large bowl, combine

cornbread and vegetable mixture. Add 5 beaten eggs, stock, and pecans, stirring to combine. Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter and stir into cornbread mixture.

1. Preheat oven to 200°. Arrange

7. Transfer mixture to prepared

sage in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until leaves darken, shrink slightly, and feel crisp, about 30 minutes. Let cool completely. Crumble 4 teaspoons’ worth of leaves; reserve the rest for another use (stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 month).

dish; bake 50 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 425˚; continue baking until dressing is set and top is browned, 10 to 12 minutes more. Serve warm, garnished with celery leaves.

2. Increase oven temperature to 350˚. Arrange pecans in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet; toast until fragrant and slightly darkened, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool slightly, then coarsely chop.

Slow-Baked Sweet Potatoes

3. Increase oven temperature to

400˚. Place 3 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet (preferably cast iron); heat in oven until it melts and starts to sizzle, 3 to 4 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together cornmeal, salt, and baking soda to combine. In another bowl, whisk together

ACTIVE TIME: 40 MIN.

| TOTAL TIME: 3 HR.

40 MIN., PLUS COOLING | SERVES: 10 TO 12

12 medium sweet potatoes, preferably orange-fleshed Beauregard, washed and dried

2 tablespoons lard or shortening Country Ham–Ginger Butter (recipe follows), for serving Flaky sea salt, such as Jacobsen, for serving 1. Preheat oven to 325˚. Rub each

potato all over with a scant ½ teaspoon lard. Cut parchment squares just large enough to wrap around each potato individually.

Wrap potatoes, twisting ends in opposite directions to form a tight seal. Transfer to a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. 2. Bake until potatoes are very

soft and collapsing, about 1½ hours. Leave wrapped in parchment until ready to serve, then split each lengthwise, dollop with ham-ginger butter, and sprinkle with salt. ACTIVE TIME: 20 MIN.

| TOTAL TIME: 1 HR.

50 MIN. | SERVES: 12

Country Ham–Ginger Butter For the best flavor, make this a day ahead and refrigerate in an airtight container (any extra can be stored for up to a week). Return to room temperature before serving. 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger (from a 1-inch piece) 3 tablespoons finely minced country ham 1 teaspoon honey Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Stir together butter, ginger, ham, and honey; season with ¼ teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. ACTIVE/TOTAL TIME: 10 MIN. MAKES: ABOUT 1 CUP

“Pimiento” Mac and Cheese Unsalted butter, softened, for brushing 1 red bell pepper 8 ounces elbow macaroni (2 cups) Kosher salt 11 ounces extra-sharp cheddar, 5 ounces cut into 1/2 -inch cubes (11/2 cups), 6 ounces coarsely grated (1¾ cups) 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon unbleached all-purpose flour 11/2 teaspoons ground mustard

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

2/3 cup sour cream 2 large eggs

1/3 cup grated onion (from 1) 1 cup half and half 1 cup heavy cream 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1. Preheat oven to 350˚. Generously

brush a 2½-to-3-quart baking dish with butter. Char red pepper over a gas flame on high (or, if you don’t have a gas stove, on a rimmed baking sheet directly under the broiler) until blackened all over, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; cover with plastic wrap and let stand 10 minutes. Rub charred skin with a paper towel to remove. Peel, seed, and stem pepper, then cut into ½-inch pieces. 2. Cook macaroni in a pot of gen-

erously salted boiling water until al dente, about 2 minutes less than package instructions. Drain well; transfer to prepared baking dish. Mix in cubed cheese and ½ cup roasted red pepper (reserve remainder for another use). 3. In a large bowl, whisk together

flour, 1½ teaspoons salt, mustard, cayenne, and nutmeg. Whisk in sour cream and eggs until smooth, then onion, half and half, cream, and Worcestershire until thoroughly combined. Pour over macaroni mixture; gently shake dish to blend. Sprinkle grated cheese evenly over top.

trumpet, sliced (4 cups); plus 2 trumpet mushrooms, thinly sliced lengthwise (optional) 1 onion, finely chopped (2 cups)

¼ cup unbleached allpurpose flour Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg Extra-virgin olive oil, for tossing (optional) 1. Preheat oven to 350˚. Generously brush a 3-quart baking dish with butter. Prepare a bowl of salted ice water. Cook green beans in a large pot of generously salted boiling water until crisptender and dark green, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain; immediately transfer to ice water until thoroughly chilled. Drain and pat dry. Halve beans on the bias and transfer to prepared dish.

2. In a bowl, toss breadcrumbs with chestnuts to combine. Melt 6 tablespoons butter; drizzle evenly over breadcrumb mixture, tossing until evenly absorbed. Toss in parsley; season with salt and pepper.

4. Bake until set around edges

3. In a small saucepan, heat milk

but still loose in center, 25 to 30 minutes (do not overbake; mixture will continue setting as it cools). Let cool on a wire rack until set but still warm, 10 to 20 minutes. Serve.

and cream over medium-low until scalding and bubbles emerge along edges of pan. Remove from heat; cover to keep warm.

ACTIVE TIME: 40 MIN.

| TOTAL TIME: 1 HR.

5 MIN., PLUS COOLING | SERVES: 10 TO 12

Green-Bean Casserole With Chestnuts and Buttered Breadcrumbs 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for brushing Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 2 pounds green beans, trimmed 3 cups coarse fresh breadcrumbs 6 ounces peeled roasted chestnuts, coarsely chopped (1¼ cups)

½ cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley leaves 1½ cups whole milk 1½ cups heavy cream 1 clove garlic, minced 10 ounces mixed mushrooms, such as cremini, oyster, and

4. Sprinkle garlic with a pinch of

salt; mash into a paste with the side of a knife. In a large straightsided skillet, melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add mixed mushrooms; season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and beginning to brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Add onion, season with salt, and cook, stirring often, until onion is translucent but not browning, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic; cook 1 minute more. Sprinkle flour evenly over mixture and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Slowly add milk mixture, stirring, and bring to a simmer. Cook until thickened slightly, about 3 minutes. Stir in nutmeg; season with salt and pepper. Pour mixture evenly over green beans in dish. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture evenly over top. 5. Bake until bubbly along edges and crisp golden brown on top, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile,

toss sliced trumpet mushrooms with enough oil to lightly coat, season with salt and pepper, and arrange in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until tender and golden brown along edges, about 30 minutes. Top casserole with roasted mushrooms; serve warm. ACTIVE TIME: 1 HR. | TOTAL TIME: 2 HR. 10 MIN. | SERVES: 10 TO 12

Spiced Pear Pie With Buckwheat Crumble CRUST

Deep-Dish Pâte Brisée (recipe follows) Unbleached all-purpose flour, for dusting STREUSEL TOPPING

¾ cup unbleached allpurpose flour 3 tablespoons buckwheat flour

1/3 cup sugar ¼ teaspoon kosher salt ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon, preferably Ceylon

¼ teaspoon ground cardamom 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces FILLING

4 pounds Bartlett pears (about 8), peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch wedges 3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon kosher salt ¼ cup sugar ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon, preferably Ceylon 1 teaspoon finely grated Meyer-lemon zest, plus 3 tablespoons fresh juice

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper 3 tablespoons cane syrup, such as Steen’s or Lyle’s 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger (from a 1-inch piece)

and forefinger to make a uniform edge, then crimp with fingertips. Mark indentations with the tines of a fork for a more decorative edge, if desired. Refrigerate until firm, 30 minutes. 2. Line dough with parchment. Fill

with dried beans or pie weights; bake until crust is firm and dry, about 25 minutes. Carefully remove beans and parchment; bake until golden on bottom, 5 to 10 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely. (Cooled crust can be loosely covered with plastic wrap and stored at room temperature up to 1 day.) 3. Streusel topping: Whisk together both flours, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom in a bowl. Add butter and massage in with your fingers until thoroughly combined. Press topping into bottom of bowl; cover and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.

4. Filling: Place pears in a steamer

basket set over a pot of simmering water. Cover and steam until tender but still holding their shape, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet; let cool to warm room temperature, about 15 minutes. In a large bowl, stir together flour, salt, sugar, cinnamon, lemon zest, and pepper. Stir in cane syrup, lemon juice, and ginger to form a loose paste. Add cooled pears and raisins, tossing to evenly coat. Transfer filling to crust, mounding mixture in center. Break topping into bite-size pieces and sprinkle evenly over filling. 5. Bake until filling is bubbly, pears are tender, and topping turns golden brown, 55 to 65 minutes. Transfer to wire rack; let cool completely, at least 4 hours or, loosely covered, up to 1 day. ACTIVE TIME: 40 MIN.

| TOTAL TIME: 2 HR.

50 MIN., PLUS COOLING | SERVES: 10 TO 12

¼ cup golden raisins 1. Crust: Preheat oven to 375˚. Roll out dough to a 13-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Transfer to a 9-inch deep-dish pie dish. Using kitchen shears or a paring knife, trim to a 1-inch overhang. Fold overhang under itself to form a rim; pinch between thumb

Deep-Dish Pâte Brisée 1⅔ cups unbleached allpurpose flour 2 teaspoons sugar

¾ teaspoon kosher salt 1 stick plus 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 4 to 5 tablespoons ice water

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

121

The Workbook Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-size pieces remaining. Drizzle 4 tablespoons ice water over mixture; pulse until mixture holds together when pinched (dough should not be wet or sticky). If too dry, add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, and pulse. Form dough into a disk; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 1 day. | TOTAL TIME: 1 HR. 5 MIN. | MAKES: ENOUGH FOR ONE SINGLE-CRUST PIE

ACTIVE TIME: 5 MIN.

Brown Sugar–Cornmeal Shortbread Cookies 1½ cups unbleached allpurpose flour

½ cup fine yellow or white cornmeal 1 teaspoon kosher salt 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

½ cup packed light-brown sugar

2/3 cup granulated sugar 1 large egg, room temperature 1 teaspoon pure vanilla paste or extract 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, preferably Ceylon 1. Preheat oven to 300˚. Whisk together flour, cornmeal, and salt to combine. In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter with brown sugar and 1/3 cup granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla; beat until smooth. Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture, beating just until combined. Spoon a scant 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) dough into each cup of a mini muffin tin. Firmly rap tin against a counter a few times to ensure dough reaches bottom edges of each cup. Flatten tops with your fingers. 2. Bake until cookies are golden

brown and set, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in tin 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar and cinnamon. Flip cookies out of tin. Working with a few at a time, toss cookies in cinnamon sugar to evenly coat; transfer to a wire rack and let

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cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.

THE HEIGHT OF GREATNESS

| TOTAL TIME: 1 HR., PLUS COOLING | MAKES: ABOUT 35

ACTIVE TIME: 30 MIN.

PAGE 100

Scott Peacock’s Brandied Figs For full canning instructions, go to freshpreserving.com. If you start early in the morning, you can complete this recipe within a day, but you can also let the figs cool to room temperature and refrigerate them overnight between simmers. Resting the figs in sugar overnight before cooking helps draw out moisture and lessens the chance of scorching, but in a pinch you can cook them right away. 3 pounds fresh ripe figs, such as Celeste or Brown Turkey, stems intact 1½ cups sugar

¼ cup brandy, plus more if desired 1. Wash figs a few at a time by

quickly dipping them in a bowl of cool water. (Do not soak.) Place in a single layer on a kitchen towel; drain. Sprinkle ¾ cup sugar evenly in a wide nonreactive pot. Top with figs, then sprinkle with remaining ¾ cup sugar. Cover; refrigerate at least 12 hours and up to 2 days. 2. Place pot over low heat, un-

covered, and bring figs to a bare simmer. (Tilt pan from side to side or swirl a bit to help sugar dissolve, but do not stir, or fruit may get damaged.) Partially cover and simmer 10 minutes; remove from heat. Cover; let stand 4 hours. 3. Repeat step 2 twice; figs should turn translucent in final simmering stage. (If necessary, allow to simmer longer than 10 minutes in final simmer, until they do.) 4. Carefully spoon hot figs into

hot sterilized canning jars (ideally pint-size or smaller). Bring syrup to a boil, skimming any scum that rises to surface. Turn off heat; stir in brandy. Taste; add more brandy as desired. Pour hot syrup over fruit to cover. Seal and process in a hot-water bath 10 minutes. Figs can be stored in a cool, dark place up to 1 year. | TOTAL TIME: 1 HR. 10 MIN., PLUS STEEPING | MAKES: 2 QUARTS

ACTIVE TIME: 15 MIN.

Lemon-Cranberry Meringue Pie CRUST

Deep-Dish Pâte Brisée (see recipe, page 121) Unbleached all-purpose flour, for dusting LEMON FILLING

11/3 cups sugar

1/3 cup cornstarch ½ teaspoon kosher salt 4 large egg yolks (whites reserved for meringue) 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest, plus ¾ cup fresh juice 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½ -inch pieces CRANBERRY GELÉE

10 ounces fresh cranberries, rinsed and drained; or frozen cranberries (about 2½ cups)

½ cup sugar 2 tablespoons cornstarch Pinch of kosher salt MERINGUE

5 large egg whites, room temperature

¾ cup sugar ½ teaspoon cream of tartar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Crust: Preheat oven to 400˚.

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to an approximately 13-inch round. Transfer to a 9-by-2-inch fluted tart pan, or a 9-inch deep-dish pie dish. Trim flush with edges of pan. Line with parchment and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until crust is set and dry, about 25 minutes. Remove beans and parchment; continue baking until crust is golden on bottom, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely. 2. Lemon filling: Combine sugar,

cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan.

Whisk in egg yolks, lemon zest, and 11/3 cups water until smooth. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking frequently; boil 1 minute. Remove from heat; whisk in lemon juice and butter until smooth. Pour mixture into crust. Refrigerate until filling is cool and set, about 30 minutes. 3. Cranberry gelée: Combine cranberries, sugar, cornstarch, salt, and ¾ cup water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over mediumhigh heat, stirring occasionally; boil 1 minute. Press through a fine-mesh sieve (discarding solids), then pour over pudding in crust, gently spreading to edges with an offset spatula. Refrigerate until cold and set, at least 30 minutes or, loosely covered, up to 1 day. If using tart pan, remove pie from pan and transfer to a serving plate or cake stand. 4. Meringue: In the bowl of a

mixer set over (but not in) a bowl of simmering water, beat egg whites and sugar until sugar has dissolved and mixture is hot. Transfer to mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat on low speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and vanilla, increase speed to medium-high and whisk until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 8 minutes. 5. Spoon meringue onto center of pie, spreading slightly and leaving a 1-inch border between meringue and crust. Wave a kitchen torch over meringue until browned in places. Cut pie into wedges; serve. (Pie is best eaten the same day.) ACTIVE TIME: 50 MIN. | TOTAL TIME: 2 HR. 30 MIN., PLUS COOLING | SERVES: 10 TO 12

Cherry-Cheese Strudel Pie If your puff pastry comes in two sheets, stack and roll them out together to the directed dimensions. To simplify the crust prep, you can simply score a one-inch border around the oval and proceed.

14 to 17.3 ounces puff pastry, preferably all-butter 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons unbleached all-purpose flour, and more for dusting 1 large egg, beaten

½ cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling

The Workbook

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

½ cup ricotta 3/4 teaspoon finely grated orange zest 1. Preheat oven to 400°. Unfold

dough onto a flour-dusted parchment-lined baking sheet; if necessary, roll out slightly to form a rectangle, about 151/2 by 101/2 inches. Cut out a 15-by-10-inch oval. Fold oval in half crosswise from short ends, like a book (1); turn so folded side is facing you and dough resembles an arch. Working from folded side, and starting 1 inch in from either edge, cut along curve of dough, leaving ¾ inch uncut at top of arch (2). Unfold, then cross outer border sections over each other (3), lining up edges as best as possible, to create a pastry shell with a 1-inch border and twists at top and bottom (4). Dock center with a fork. Trace a scored line just inside border, into but not all the way through dough. (This will allow the sides to rise up straight.) Freeze 15 minutes. If desired, score border with a knife in a decorative pattern.

3. Meanwhile, in a small sauce-

pan, combine cherries with 1/4 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons flour, and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, then cook until juices have thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes. In a food processor, pulse cream cheese and ricotta with remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons flour, and orange zest, until smooth. Add reserved egg; pulse to combine. 4. Spread cheese filling into well

in crust. Top with cherry mixture, swirling juices in with a toothpick to create marbling. Bake until filling is set in center and puffed slightly around edges, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack; let cool 10 minutes. Using parchment, slide pie off sheet onto rack; let cool completely. Serve immediately at room temperature, or refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap, up to 2 days. | TOTAL TIME: 1 HR. 45 MIN., PLUS COOLING | SERVES: 8 ACTIVE TIME: 20 MIN.

Mile-High TripleChocolate-Espresso Mousse Pie If you are concerned about using raw eggs, buy pasteurized ones. The crust can be made a day ahead; tightly wrap the pan in plastic and store at room temperature.

CRUST

1 stick unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan A

9 ounces chocolate wafer cookies, such as Famous

1/3 cup granulated sugar ½ teaspoon kosher salt MOUSSES

2. Brush crust with some of

beaten egg (reserving rest for filling); sprinkle with sugar. Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until puffed, about 20 minutes.

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8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (11/4 cups) 8 ounces milk chocolate, chopped (11/4 cups) 6 large egg whites, plus 2 yolks, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla paste or extract

½ 1/4 11/4 1/4

teaspoon cream of tartar cup granulated sugar cups heavy cream cup confectioners’ sugar

ESPRESSO CREAM

11/4 cups heavy cream 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder

1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting 1. Crust: Preheat oven to 350˚.

Brush the bottom and sides of a 9-inch-round, 3-inch-deep springform pan with butter. Pulse cookies and granulated sugar in a food processor until finely ground. Add butter and salt, pulsing until texture resembles that of wet sand. Press mixture evenly into bottom and halfway up sides of prepared pan. Bake until crust is set and dry to the touch, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let cool completely. 2. Mousses: Melt both chocolates

in separate heatproof bowls set over (but not in) a pot of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until only pea-size lumps remain. Remove from heat; stir until chocolate is completely melted. Let cool to warm room temperature. Stir 1 egg yolk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla into each bowl just to combine. 3. In a mixer fitted with the whisk

attachment, beat egg whites on low speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar; increase speed to medium-high and beat to soft peaks. With motor running, gradually add granulated sugar and beat to stiff, glossy peaks. Stir 1 cup meringue into each chocolate mixture. Divide remaining meringue evenly between mixtures, gently folding in until no streaks remain. Whisk cream with confectioners’ sugar to soft peaks. Divide evenly between chocolate mixtures, gently folding in until no streaks remain. 4. Pour bittersweet-chocolate

mousse into crust, smoothing top with an offset spatula. Gently pour milk-chocolate mousse over bittersweet mousse, smoothing top.

5. Espresso cream: Whisk cream, espresso powder, and confectioners’ sugar to stiff peaks. Spread evenly over milk-chocolate mousse in pan, smoothing top. Refrigerate until set, at least 8 hours or, loosely covered with plastic wrap, up to 3 days. To serve, lightly dust top with cocoa, then run a thin knife around edges of pan to loosen; unlock pan and lift sides to remove. Transfer pie to a serving plate or cake stand and cut into wedges. | TOTAL TIME: 9 HR., PLUS COOLING | SERVES: 10 TO 12

ACTIVE TIME: 45 MIN.

Butterscotch Pie With Pecan-Shortbread Crust CRUST

1 cup pecan halves 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon kosher salt 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1/3 cup granulated sugar 1 large egg yolk FILLING

1 cup firmly packed darkbrown sugar 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 4 large egg yolks 12/3 cups whole milk 3 tablespoons unsalted butter Whole or coarsely chopped Sugared Pecans (recipe follows), for serving (optional) 1. Crust: Preheat oven to 375°.

Toast pecans on a rimmed baking sheet until fragrant and golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes, then finely grind in a food processor. Add flour and salt; pulse just to combine. 2. In a bowl, stir together butter and granulated sugar; stir in egg yolk. Add flour mixture and stir until mixture has the texture of fine crumbs and holds together when pressed between two fingers. Press evenly into bottom and up sides of an 81/4-by-11-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Freeze 15 minutes. Bake until set and deep golden brown, about 25 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let cool 15 minutes.

JAMES MAIKOWSKI

Carefully pierce center with knife tip to release steam. Continue baking until golden brown, about 10 minutes more. Reduce oven temperature to 375°; bake until fully cooked in center (if top is browning too quickly, tent with foil), about 5 minutes more. Let cool 15 minutes. Carefully (it will still be hot) press center in with a metal spatula to make a well.

6 ounces (1½ cups) frozen pitted sour cherries (not defrosted)

3. Filling: Meanwhile, in a sauce-

pan, whisk together brown sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk in egg yolks, then milk. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, whisking frequently. Simmer 1 minute, then remove from heat and whisk in butter. Pour filling into crust. Let cool 15 minutes. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface; refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours and up to 2 days. Remove plastic, then sides of pan; transfer pie to a serving plate. Decorate with sugared pecans, cut into squares, and serve. | TOTAL TIME: 5 HR., PLUS COOLING | SERVES: 10 TO 12

ACTIVE TIME: 30 MIN.

Sugared Pecans 48 pecan halves 2 tablespoons sugar

¼ teaspoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon whisked egg white (from 1 large egg)

Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Spread mixture into an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, stirring once, until golden brown and crunchy, about 15 minutes. Separate clumped nuts with a fork; let cool completely. Pecans can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week. | TOTAL TIME: 20 MIN., PLUS COOLING | MAKES: 1 CUP

ACTIVE TIME: 5 MIN.

12 ounces evaporated milk (1 can)

1/3 cup pure maple syrup 1 teaspoon pure vanilla paste or extract 3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon kosher salt Lightly sweetened whipped cream, for serving (optional) 1. Preheat oven to 400˚. Stir together ¼ cup sugar and ½ teaspoon five-spice powder. Brush 1 sheet of phyllo with butter (as you work, keep remaining phyllo covered with a kitchen towel); sprinkle evenly with 1½ teaspoons sugar mixture. Starting at one short end, fold in half to enclose butter and sugar mixture; brush top with more butter. Transfer to a 9-inch springform pan, butteredside down, gently pressing into bottom and sides. Repeat with remaining phyllo, butter, and sugar mixture, arranging in overlapping layers to completely and evenly cover bottom and sides of pan.

2. Bake until crust is crisp and golden, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let cool completely. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together eggs, pumpkin, milk, syrup, vanilla, flour, salt, and remaining ½ cup sugar and ½ teaspoon five-spice powder until smooth. Pour mixture into crust. 3. Bake 20 minutes. Reduce oven

Five-Spice Pumpkin Pie With Phyllo Crust You can also use a nine-inch cake pan: Line the bottoms and sides with two strips of parchment, overlapping them in an X pattern and leaving a two-inch overhang. Then use the overhanging strips to carefully lift the baked pie out of the pan. The baked crust can be wrapped and stored at room temperature for up to a day.

¾ cup sugar

temperature to 350˚ and continue baking until custard is just set in center, 40 to 50 minutes more. Transfer pan to wire rack; let cool completely. Remove pie from pan, cut into wedges, and serve with whipped cream. (Pie is best served the same day, but can also be covered and refrigerated up to 1 day.) | TOTAL TIME: 1 HR. 50 MIN., PLUS COOLING | SERVES: 10 TO 12

ACTIVE TIME: 35 MIN.

1 teaspoon five-spice powder

Apple Rose Tart

8 sheets frozen phyllo dough (each approximately 13 by 18 inches), thawed

You can also toss both apple types together before shingling, rather than separating them.

1 stick unsalted butter, melted 3 large eggs, room temperature 2½ cups pure pumpkin purée (from a 29-ounce can)

2 teaspoons unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting Deep-Dish Pâte Brisée (see recipe, page 121)

¼ teaspoon grated fresh ginger 2 Pink Lady apples (12 ounces), halved, cored, and sliced a scant 1/8 inch thick (about 2½ cups) 6 tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons apple-cider vinegar

½ teaspoon kosher salt 1 Granny Smith apple (6 ounces), peeled, halved, cored, and sliced a scant 1/8 inch thick (about 1 cup) 1. Preheat oven to 425° with a rack

in bottom position. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough 1/8 inch thick. Trim to a 12-inch round; fit into a 10-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Trim edges to 1 inch; fold under to double thickness of edge. Stir together jam and ginger; spread over dough in pan. Refrigerate 20 minutes. 2. Toss together Pink Lady apples, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1½ teaspoons flour, 1 teaspoon vinegar, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Starting from outside, tightly shingle apples over dough in pan in concentric circles, covering two-thirds of dough. In another bowl, toss together Granny Smith apple and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, ½ teaspoon flour, 1 teaspoon vinegar, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Shingle apples over dough in pan in center, leaving any excess juice and sugar in bowl. When you get to the very center, roll up a very thin slice or two to make center of “rose.” Stir a few drops of water into bowl with juice and sugar to create a glaze; set aside. 3. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven

temperature to 375° and continue baking until apples are tender and crust is golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes more, brushing with juices from bowl once during cooking and once after removing from oven. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let cool 15 minutes. Remove sides of pan and transfer tart to rack; let cool at least 15 minutes more. Serve warm or room temperature, or store, covered with parchment-lined foil, at room temperature up to 1 day. ACTIVE TIME: 35 MIN. | TOTAL TIME: 1 HR. 45 MIN., PLUS COOLING | SERVES: 8 TO 10

$25,000 SWEEPS CONTEST DETAILS NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Subject to Official Rules available online at www.marthastewart.com/25ksweeps. The $25,000 Sweepstakes begins at 12:01 a.m. CT on 8/1/19 and ends at 11:59 p.m. CT on 1/4/20. 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., E.T. 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 50309-3023. 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.

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3 tablespoons apricot jam

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

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Collecting

When ceramic jugs emblazoned with wheat, a symbol of abundance, were plunked down on tables in 19th-century farmhouses, you knew it was time to party. Every fall, families would break them out for a harvest dinner, where friends and neighbors gathered to toast what was hopefully a bumper crop. The vessels were cast in clay and fired at high temperatures for durability, and the stippled texture gave them a practical no-slip grip. Some authentic ones have screws near the rim; in days of yore, they secured lids, which kept beverages—usually freshly brewed beer and cider—effervescent all evening. (Those caps often contained lead, so they’re long gone.) Search for “antique wheat jug” online to find a field’s worth of sheaf motifs in a wash of creamy colors, many for under $100 apiece. Then fill one with flowers, and give it pride of place on your own autumn table. PHOTOGRAPH BY YASU + JUNKO | TEXT BY CLAIRE SULLIVAN | CREATED BY FRITZ KARCH

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