Sweet thing lands spot on "Martha"

Before landing a coveted spot on "The Martha Stewart Show" this week, Seattle baker Jennifer Shea told a little lie — a white lie, a toasted-marshmallow-frosting lie.

The owner of Wallingford's Trophy Cupcakes and Party had flown to New York to hand-deliver her Snickerdoodle- and peanut-butter-and-jelly-flavored cupcakes to Martha's studio, but producers were interested in the seasonal Candied Yam Cupcake featured on Shea's Web site because of its toasted marshmallow frosting. Martha had never seen such frosting before. Did Shea have it on a different-flavored cake?

Shea said absolutely, we have another flavor — then got busy inventing one.

On Thursday, she'll teach Martha how to make Chocolate Graham Cracker Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow Meringue on Martha's daytime talk show (2 p.m., KING-TV). Shea's husband and a couple of friends will tag along for moral support as she meets the woman she considers a longtime mentor.

"I can't even wrap my brain around it," Shea said. "I'm just trying to remember that she's a normal person." Except that she's not. Martha Stewart terrifies me! ...

SOME BRITISH DUDE you've probably never heard of (because he's not Richard Branson or that guy from "The Bachelor") won NBC's "Celebrity Apprentice" last week, on which the celebrities were even less famous than on "Dancing with the Stars." But the real winner was Seattle artist Maeve Harris, whose paintings appeared in seven locations on the show's set — including a huge abstract in The Donald's boardroom that was right behind everyone as they got fired. Harris says she's really happy about the exposure, but doesn't always have time to catch the show. "I have five children," she said, "so when I can, I do." ...

IN THIS WORLD, nothing is certain but kimchi and taxes. Which is why chef Tom Hurley at Madrona's French-Korean fusion restaurant, Coupage, is offering a "tax relief menu" of signature starters for $10.99. (House-made kimchi is on the menu.) Or if you prefer to drown your sorrows, choose from three specialty cocktails: Tax Shelter, Federal Reserve or Death & Taxes. Tequila! ...

MARINERS OPENING DAY: Mariners: 1, Mother Nature: 0. If the Mariners lost and the sun came out, then: the opposite. But it's officially baseball season, so we all win! ...

CELEBRITY SIGHTINGS ROUNDUP: Musician Josh Kelley (aka Mr. Katherine Heigl) eating truffle fries with his band at Qube in Belltown ... J.R. Ewing, I mean Larry Hagman, of "Dallas" fame at the Sorrento Hotel ... Jennifer Hudson walking into Pacific Place carrying shopping bags and looking glamorous ... Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman, in town to see daughter Lucy perform at Intiman, at the Alexis Hotel. They like tea and Diet Coke.

Pamela Sitt: 206-464-2376 or psitt@seattletimes.com