Cookbooks by Omnistaff

I recall Martha saying in an interview once that one of her greatest rewards as an employer is seeing her staff grow and develop, and that she encourages them to start their own enterprises and projects. It seems that guidance has paid off for a number of Martha's food editors, many of whom now have their own cookbooks and independent businesses.

Below are a few cookbooks by Omnimedia food staff that you may want to check out.

John Barricelli, a food editor at Martha Stewart Living, host of Everyday Baking and co-host of Everyday Food, has a new coming out in March. It is a compilation of some of his most beloved recipes from his bakery (the SoNo Baking Company and Cafe) in Norwalk, Connecticut. I'm really looking forward to this book. It has a foreword by Martha.

Matt Lee and Ted Lee, writers of the wine column in Martha Stewart Living magazine, devote most of their time to the traditions and flavours of Southern cooking. Their new book "Simple, Fresh, Southern" is a collection of time-honoured Southern classics with a modern twist.

Lucinda Scala Quinn, ediorial director for food at Martha Stewart Living and co-host of the Everyday Food program on PBS, has written a fantastic new book about a topic that concerns many moms out there: feeding men and boys! Dealing with the ravenous appetites of the male stomach, the book humorously (but effectively) compiles strategies and survival techniques to get the boys fed and full each night on a reasonable budget, while not foresaking nutrition and good health. My friend Kenn recently attended one of Lucinda's promo lectures for the book. Please take some time to read his account here. "Mad Hungry" is not Lucinda's only cookbook. She has also written two excellent books about Jamaican cookery and a book on Italian cooking at home.

Susan Spungen, former editorial director for food at Martha Stewart Living, is currently a freelance cook and food writer, working primarily for film and television. (She was the creator of all that delicious food on screen in the hit film "Julie & Julia" last summer!) Her cookbook, simply titled "Recipes," has a foreword by Martha Stewart and is a collection of some of her finest creations. I always loved Susan's work at the magazine. I found it simple, fresh and beautiful.