Clarkson-Potter published "The Best of Martha Stewart Living Halloween" and this is a "Best of" that actually is. One of MSL's strong points are their seasonal or themed issues - and Halloween is masterful. It shows Martha's own sense of humor (on the cover she's wearing demon-red contacts) and the projects inside are first-rate.
The first part of the book is called "Tricking" and has pumpkin and other spooky lighting, face-painting and making a spookhouse. Martha is particularly true to her suburban childhood there, recalling sound effects of banging two shoes together for eerie, distant footsteps, or blowing bubbles in a dish of water to simulate hungry gurgling half-dead creatures wakening from the swamp. Her humor - and memories continue in the second half of the book, "Treating" called "Ghoulish Supper" where she features "Eyeball Highballs" - martinis with ice cubes filled with radishes and or olives, cut to look like eyeballs, or "Pina Ghouladas," with corn syrup "blood" on the rims. She also has the irresistible "Spiderweb Sundate" and grotesque "Ladies Fingers" homemade pretzels with almond "nails". (They can also be made into "Man Toes," complete with rosemary needles for knuckle hair).
All in all, this book is a lot of fun, and the techniques for vegetable carving, decorating lampshades, working with crepe paper, among others, are ones that will stand you in good stead during any season, not just Halloween.
By Sukey Pett
