Thursday, April 13, 2006
It Takes a Host of Brownies To Do What Martha Does
I remember when Martha Stewart published her first cookbook. I was working as a pastry chef in Virginia. It was the talk among us kitchen folk. We were professionals who made fantasy food for a living and here was a woman who recognized our chosen craft.
It has been interesting to watch the rise of Martha. The truth of her method is that the average homemaker really needs a host of brownies to get the job done. Brownies are tiny pixy like men who dress much like Robin Hood, but all in brown. According to wikipedia.org they customarily inhabit houses and aid in the daily housework. They do not like to be seen and will only work at night, perhaps in exchange for small gifts or food. They usually abandon the house if their gifts are called payments, or if they are offered gifts of clothes. The character Dobby from the Harry Potter books was based on the folklore of the Brownie.
My grandmother used to read me tales of a specific Brownie’s adventure in England. My brother once rubbed some brown ink on the bottom of my Barbie and pranced her all over my grandmother’s Damask tablecloth when I left it out overnight. This is something a Brownie would do to teach lazy kids a lesson. Neither he nor I will ever do that again. Grandma was pissed.
Today’s Lunch
Salad: shredded lettuce and cabbage, peas, Daikon radish, Parmesan, chopped apple, and toasted walnuts topped with Sweet Red Pepper dressing.
I’ll skip the wash and chop instructions. My only trick here is to take frozen peas and thaw them in hot water.
It has been interesting to watch the rise of Martha. The truth of her method is that the average homemaker really needs a host of brownies to get the job done. Brownies are tiny pixy like men who dress much like Robin Hood, but all in brown. According to wikipedia.org they customarily inhabit houses and aid in the daily housework. They do not like to be seen and will only work at night, perhaps in exchange for small gifts or food. They usually abandon the house if their gifts are called payments, or if they are offered gifts of clothes. The character Dobby from the Harry Potter books was based on the folklore of the Brownie.
My grandmother used to read me tales of a specific Brownie’s adventure in England. My brother once rubbed some brown ink on the bottom of my Barbie and pranced her all over my grandmother’s Damask tablecloth when I left it out overnight. This is something a Brownie would do to teach lazy kids a lesson. Neither he nor I will ever do that again. Grandma was pissed.
Today’s Lunch
Salad: shredded lettuce and cabbage, peas, Daikon radish, Parmesan, chopped apple, and toasted walnuts topped with Sweet Red Pepper dressing.
I’ll skip the wash and chop instructions. My only trick here is to take frozen peas and thaw them in hot water.
