Customer Reviews

The Martha Stewart Cooking Collection - Martha's Favorite Family Dinners

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I bought this at (yep, you guessed it) the grocery store, which was a very clever marketing concept on Martha's part. There was only one DVD left. It contained Classic recipes for chicken, beef, fish, vegetarian and other main dishes. If you think you ALREADY know how to make classic, everyday dishes such as meatloaf, think again - because Martha's variations may put a whole new twist on your usual standards. Her use of fresh herbs truly does make a difference and the glaze on her meatloaf was one I hadn't tried before. My family loved it.

There is also a section with Bloopers (yes, Martha's mistakes or mishaps while filming a scene - slips, falls, etc). There are 12 different cupcake variations and an extra section on kitchen tips (I learned plenty of new things from this section).

I have to admit that I looked at the Bloopers section first, intrigued by the idea of actually seeing Martha make mistakes.. and I only wish there were more of those. They were funny, especially the one showing Martha pulling an X-rated carrot from her garden. You'll have to buy the DVD to see the rest. It is a very short section, however.

Then I watched the DVD from start to finish and marveled at the quality of the production, as well as HOW MUCH information was packed into this DVD. From start to finish, each recipe was demonstrated clearly. I intend to use this one with my youngest child because it is a perfect introduction to some classic recipes, from roast chicken to meatloaf. They may not be made the way you are used to making them but in one case that was an advantage...the meatloaf recipe was far better than my standard version and the glaze was delicious (do be aware of your oven's peculiarities, however, and cover the top to keep the glaze from burning; uncover just long enough to brown). It would be best, of course, to use an oven thermometer and know your oven's actual temperature since 350 in one oven may not be 350 in another - those dials may be inaccurate.

But don't make the mistake of thinking this is only for beginning cooks (although it'd be a perfect housewarming gift for the college graduate who is just setting up house). There are plenty of new recipes, especially a squash casserole which I am dying to try on my vegetarian friends, after having tested it on my family and getting rave reviews. In fact, one of the nicest sections of this DVD was the Vegetarian one. Each of those recipes looked delicious.

Martha's mother is featured in some of the segments and that was a pleasant surprise. She and Martha chat as they cook and the whole atmosphere is nice and casual.

No matter what you may think of Martha Stewart, this DVD is a top-notch, quality production with tons of useful info.

The DVD can also be inserted in a computer to get a list of menus and other features.

Well, another graet DVD from the Martha empire. This time, she takes us into the more neccessary aspect of everyday life which is called "dinner". For some a dreaded word, for others, a stumper, and for some, a need for something with a different taste to it. And she has made all three cooking types happy.

There is the always present quality of digital-perfect transfer of these episodes that have been taken from her former TV series format. The color is perfect as well therefore the only sense missing is being able to smell the aroma of all that she makes.

CHICKEN:
crusty mustard chicken
chicken marsala
roast chicken
lemon chicken cutlets
chicken and dumplings
chicken chili

MEAT:
meatloaf 101 (this recipe will knock your socks off)
crock pot pot roast
lambchops
roast pork
seared beef with oranges and arugula
spicy flank steak

PASTA:
midnight pastas
spicy squash pasta
macaroni pie
tagliatelle with Bolognese ragout
spaghetti with Brooklyn clam sauce
papparfelle with mushrooms and brussels sprouts

FISH:
grilled tuna steaks
fish nuggets with tartar sauce
pan-sauteed trout
salt-baked red snapper
herbed steamed halibut
hot smoked salmon

VEGETARIAN:
stuffed peppers
back bean burger
squash casserole
wilted escarole and garlic-fried garbanzo beans
rice and beans
roasted poblano gazpacho

SPECIAL FEATURES:
Martha's bloopers
8 helpful how-to demonstrations
printable recipes and instsructions
pantry basics checklist
12 cupcake-of-the-month recipes and decorating tips

Now some of us may not try all the recipes listed, but it is a pretty good cross section of menu choices. So there is something for everyone. Enjoy an easy menu on Martha!!

How I miss the old Martha Stewart show before she had a live audience, talk show format and had to pretend to be a more tasteful version of Rachel Ray. The perfection that Martha pursued on those old shows -- covering the side of her house with metal latticework and branches, showing us the gardens and endless home decor splendor of Turkey Hill -- can now only be recaptured on the Martha Stewart dvd collections. My favorite is Martha's Favorite Family Dinners, none of which are overly complicated or too time consuming. My husband, who has no interest in cooking, actually watched the entire dvd, making requests for certain dishes. The price of the dvd was worth it for the chicken marsala and lemon chicken cutlet recipes alone. Delicious and very quick and easy to prepare. I own several Martha Stewart dvd collections but this one is my favorite and the one I refer to the most when I want a quick tasty recipe. And as a nice surprise there are some genuinely funny bloopers included.

Let me start by saying that this DVD will work in the Uk if you have a multi reigon dvd player.I live in the UK and have everyone of Martha's DVDs.It's a great dvd packed with useful information and I would highly recommend it.JUST MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE A MULTI REGION DVD PLAYER IF YOU ARE BUYING FROM THE EU.

Any Martha fan will love this DVD. I enjoyed making some of the chicken dinners loved the easy to follow DVD demos of the recipes. Hours of Martha Entertainment! If you miss her old show, you'll love this DVD.

This is a good dvd for very simple cookery. I guess i was hoping for some more inspirational recipes. This is a good dvd for someone just starting to cook as Martha keeps is simple in terms of ingredients and basic recipes. This is not for those watching carbs as there is a lot of pasta and breadcrumbs etc in the recipes. Well presented and enjoyable to watch various other cooks in the kitchen with Martha.

Martha is a knowledgeable, informative teacher. Her approach and attitude is humble and sincere. You will always learn and get something from her.

As was true of the previous Martha DVD we purchased it would *not* play in our older, non-DivX DVD player. Plays perfectly in our newer DivX compatible DVD player. The content is very nice. Super clear video and sound. Recipes are quick, simple, and look delicious. Guest chefs are terrific. Highly recommended.

Wonderful video full of solid recipes for dinner. Ideal gift for newlywed, college grad, divorced dad and especially anyone who wants to invite the neighbors, friends, coworkers over for dinner but doesn't know what to serve.
This DVD would be a great housewarming gift with a few bottles of wine for a young couple new in town.
Kathleen Lisson

This is a very good, well made dvd which is fulled of idea to prepare dinner for your family.