What didn't make the cut for Feb 2012

We thought we‘d take a slightly different approach for what didn’t make the cut - more like conversation between Jacqui and me.  Please chime in with your thoughts too!

• Ali: Jess Brown’s dolls featured on p. 32 were in a word, lovely.  Check them out at: http://jessbrowndesign.com  Right?  Love.  Their sweet little faces made me instantly want one and no, it’s not weird for a 37 year-old woman to want a doll - ok, it is.  I don’t even have a daughter to use as an excuse to get one in the house.  Brown apparently sells them to Bergdorf Goodman and Land of Nod and they too can be yours for a cool $180.  You know I’m always up for a challenge and I thought really how hard can they be to make. Martha kindly provides a link to instructions on how to make your own doll at: http://www.marthastewart.com/873632/dolls-you-can-make?mag=/rag-doll#/165086.  None of Martha’s were nearly as cute (and the fact that I don’t own a sewing machine wasn’t helpful either) so I gave this whole project a pass.  Jacq, are you willing to shell out a buck eighty for one of these little beauties??  I think Ellie really deserves one.
• Jacqui: No doubt, but $180?  Do you think they'll end up selling them at Marshalls? No?  Then I'm afraid Ellie is out of luck.  

• Ali: So Laduree: The Sweet Recipes is on Martha’s radar (p. 4).  If you’ve ever been to Paris or if you even remotely have a sweet tooth you’ve no doubt heard of this place. It’s the macaron mecca.  Check out their website: http://www.laduree.fr/.   So, when we went to Paris, visiting Laduree was on my list until I saw the line and then it was off my list.  I'm ashamed to say I’ve never tasted one.  I have a friend who is Laduree-mad  and I thought I’d buy her this cookbook for her upcoming birthday.  Nice, no?  So as suggested, like a sheep, I go to bn.com where it’s supposed to be $40.  No.  This book is $130.  It can’t be - so I go to amazon (I heart amazon) and there are 3 new copies available from $225.00 and 1 used for $415.75.  Huh?  Perhaps Martha was referring to Laduree’s Savory Recipes that was recently released.  Would you want that instead? Martha, you shouldn’t mess with a girl's sweet tooth.
• Jacqui: Sooooo disappointed about the book!  We were just talking about Laduree macarons at work, as the macarons seem to have become the new cupcake of D.C., and I actually did wait on the line to pay my ridiculous 40 Euro for a few pastries last fall when I was in Paris for a work trip.  But, since I really only wanted to get the book to make the macarons, I decided to try the trusty internet for the recipe.  Jackpot!  I found several Laduree macaron recipes.  I didn't get to them in February, too busy burning oranges, but March appears to be a slightly slower month project wise, so maybe then.....  

• Ali: On p. 52 Martha suggests if you’re a heavy garlic user mince a few cloves ahead of time and store them in a jar.  I’m confused.   Is this joke?  Because it did make me laugh.  Freshly minced garlic I get.  Mincing a whole bunch of it to store in jar, I don’t.  Does she think we have nothing better to do?  Alternatively, you can do what any sensible person does (read: what I do) and for a couple of bucks you can get a jar of pre-minced garlic from your local grocery store.
• Jacqui: Or the frozen garlic (they have herbs too) from Trader Joes.  It's great and so nice to have in the freezer when I'm in the middle of a recipe and realize I ran out of fresh.

• Ali: A dresser does double duty (p. 54 and here’s a link to the project on her website: http://www.marthastewart.com/875213/maximize-kids-dresser-storage).  I have one word for this project: no.  Actually, I have two words: hell. no.  I’m constantly trying to put clutter away in drawers, closets and toy buckets.  I don’t want to build something to display more stuff AND ruin a perfectly respectable dresser.  Maybe, I’m a minimalist at heart (quiet, Ben).
• Jacqui:  We're unanimous on this one. I just don't get it.  It looks almost like it has side drawers that someone forgot to close.  My husband already leaves his dresser drawers open so I don't think I need any more to look at.  These CD cases might look cute attached inside a closet door (might make a good shoe rack for kids actually) but I just don't like the dresser idea.

• Ali: Candy boxes (p. 95 and 143, http://www.marthastewart.com/271713/embellished-heart-candy-box).  If you look at her instructions, she wants you to make these heart boxes.  Wha... wha... what???  There’s a place called Michael’s, kids.  That’s where we buy tchotchke like this.  AND likely with a 40% off coupon - because you probably don’t even want to pay $2.99 - never mind spending countless hours making these dust collectors.   Learn from my mistake - I now have a tissue paper heart and I'll be gutted when I chuck it away, because with it go about 5 hours of my life.  Go to Michael’s.

• Jacqui: Spicy cauliflower, bok choy, and shrimp stir-fry with coconut, page 68.  http://www.wholeliving.com/155079/spicy-cauliflower-bok-choy-and-shrimp-stir-fry-coconut.  I actually made this and it was delicious.  Neither me nor by husband are crazy about bok choy or, really cauliflower, but I would definitely make this again (really I have to because I have a HUGE bottle of fish sauce now).  I used some thin noodles instead of rice and it nicely sopped up the sauce.  So, why didn't it make the cut.  Honestly, I just ran out of time.  Cut me some slack though, I'll get better as we get used to this blog thing.
  Ali: Slacker. 

These are the recipes that didn’t make the cut:

1. Rack of lamb with mustard sauce (p. 64.5) - We don’t eat lamb.  Poor little lambs.
2. Roasted fennel and artichoke hearts (p. 64.5) - Not huge on fennel - vegetables shouldn't taste like licorice.  That's just wrong.
3. Plateau de fruits de mer with two sauces (p. 64.5) Sounds perfect for a night of seduction.  We have toddlers.   
4. Tofu (p. 76) - Love tofu... but it needs to come in a Chinese take-out carton - be deep fried and be dripping in some ridiculous sauce.