Cooking Magazine Junkie

I respond to cooking magazines the way that editors hope that women will respond to fashion magazines. I see them as hope, fantasy, and the answer to life's deep questions sandwiched between two delicate paper covers. Just as some women know that the lipstick advertised on page 23 will turn their lives around, I know that if only I had that fabulous Le Creuset Large Dutch Oven or the KitchenAid Professional Mixer, my life would be perfect. I'd have a healthy, homemade dinner on the table every night, my kids would like vegetables, my peers would acclaim me as the best cook ever, I'd entertain regularly, and I'd be a perfect size 6.

I love the days my subscriptions arrive. I carefully set the magazines aside until I have an uninterrupted hour to browse in peace. I salivate over the cover, and then I flip through all the pages looking at the scantily adorned fruits and veggies, and the tastefully enrobed meats. When I've had my fill of pictures, I start back at the front and read the mag cover to cover. I flag recipes I'm particularly interested in with sticky tabs. Then I put the magazine on my desk near my favorite bathroom, available for quick review when I need privacy. When the next magazine comes, I rotate the old mag into the carefully ordered storage box. Open my office closet and you'll find 5 years of date-ordered magazines, sorted by title, with an extra box of random titles I've collected.

Over the years I've subscribed to about a dozen different magazines. I've pared my current subscriptions down to 4, one of which I still get because I can't figure out how to unsubscribe. Here are brief reviews of some of my favorite and some of the most popular cooking magazines. If you're interested in subscribing to any of these, please use the link provided: it will help support the site and keep me writing! Although I provide the links, please know that I'm offering my honest opinions of these magazines.

Fine Cooking Magazine: My absolute favorite cooking magazine. Although the recipes are sophisticated, they're also very manageable. Every recipe I've ever made from this magazine has worked perfectly in terms of flavor, cooking times and techniques. Also has great reviews of equipment. This magazine is written by people who are passionate about cooking, but understand how people actually cook. It's neither too chi-chi nor too impressed with itself. I get so excited when this one arrives, and I have a hard time choosing what to make first. I make something out of every issue, often again and again.

Eating Well Magazine: A great magazine for those of us who are trying to eat better. In their terms, "better" means more produce, more whole grains, locally grown, etc. The best thing about "Eating Well" is that it shows multiple ways to use unfamiliar but available ingredients, like whole grains or specialty produce. For example, this past month featured a ton of heart-healthy recipes, made-over burgers, peas, and shrimp. I also like their attitude towards real food - it's better to use a small amount of great bleu cheese than a large amount of fat-free cheese. It's a healthy and balanced approach to cooking that I enjoy. However, the magazine can be a bit hit-and-miss for me. Some months, there is nothing I want to make, and some months I want to make everything. It's good enough that I keep my subscription, but I ignore about 2 issues a year.

Cook's Illustrated: I'm keeping my subscription to this one, but I find it pretty annoying. I learn a lot reading it, but the process of recipe creating is outlined in excruciating detail. There are always some great tips. When I read the long-winded test processes, I learn interesting things about cooking and technique, but it can be like reading a text book at times. It's sort of the "Consumer Reports" of food magazines. Given their elaborate testing procedures, I've had mixed success with the recipes. About 40% of the recipes are a disappointment, even when I am careful to follow the directions exactly.

Food and Wine Magazine: I have a current subscription to this one, but that's only because I haven't figured out how to cancel it. This magazine is food porn - gorgeous but unreal and unsatisfying. Although it's well written, most of the recipes are overly complex. They don't integrate well with real life, often requiring trips to 2 or 3 specialty stores. The recipes are definitely entertainment-oriented, not aimed for family life. The magazine is appropriately named: it's pretty equally divided between food & booze. That means that 50% of the magazine is totally wasted on me because I don't drink. The recipes I've prepared from this magazine have worked well, but it's rare that I want to make anything. The recipes are just too complex.

Cooking Light Magazine: I subscribed to Cooking Light for years. It's a satisfyingly plump magazine, with around 100 recipes per issue. The magazine is oriented to real life: the recipes are streamlined, often appealing to families, and use readily available ingredients. I don't like the reliance on low-fat and non-fat ingredients to achieve the "Light" part of the title. There is always a recipe makeover, which shows how to lighten up a classic heavy recipe. The makeover teaches some good techniques. Generally a good magazine, but it gets repetitive after a few years. It's a good one to look through at 6 PM when you need dinner on the table at 7:30. Lots of recipes you can make from your pantry and freezer. The annual recipe collections are a great alternative to the magazine.

Gourmet Magazine: I keep trying to like this magazine, but I just don't. It's more snobbish that Food and Wine. It covers food, wine, and travel, all the parts of the "Gourmet" lifestyle. I think the target customer for this magazine is the urban professional without kids. The recipes are complex and use hard-to-find ingredients. Definitely not the magazine to browse to find something to make for dinner tonight. I subscribed to this one for only 6 months.