Favorite Food Magazine

[Choirgirl21]

My mom gave me a subscription to Bon Appetit for a few years and I enjoyed having it, but when it ran out at the end of last year I was feeling a bit uninspired by it so I didn't renew. Recently I've found myself leafing through old copies looking for dinner ideas and I realized that I do like getting a magazine each month to give me new ideas in addition to the cookbooks I already have.

So I'm wondering, which one should I get?

Food & Wine seems like the better choice for me since I love wine so much but while I always pick up the Thanksgiving issue, I haven't loved the other ones I've gotten here and there. Considered Cook's Illustrated too, which I like for the techniques and product reviews, but the recipes aren't quite what I'm looking for. I don't know, maybe I should just go back to Bon Appetit? I just want something that will give me ideas for things I can make, preferably with seasonal ingredients, that aren't a tremendous amount of work but are a bit beyond your basic recipe or have some sort of twist.

[leleboo]

We have threads on Bon Appetit (which you're already over),Cooking Light, Cook's Illustrated, DC Magazine, Flavor, Gourmet (defunct, alas), Northern Virginia Magazine, and Saveur in the News and Media Forum. Surprisingly, we don't have one just on Food and Wine. I happen to enjoy it, but I don't think it's overall as useful as Cook's Illustrated, at least in terms of really teaching technique.

If I had to pick one just from that list, that I don't get now, it'd be Saveur, probably. I do miss Gourmet.

[goodeats]

I might be flamed, but if you are just looking for ideas for recipes, why not get the Martha Stewart Food magazine, or the Rachel Ray one or even Real Simple?

Real Simple gave me great recipe ideas, and it even has a handy shopping list in the back to boot. There won't be new techniques or anything fancy, but they certainly have plenty of ideas.

Plus, the above-mentioned usually do seasonal foods and have great food photographers.

[kwhitney]

I second Saveur. A beautiful magazine with very good reporting.

[Pat]

I second Saveur. A beautiful magazine with very good reporting.

I've let all of my magazine subscriptions of all types lapse, but if I were to subscribe to one cooking magazine again, it would be Saveur. That said, I've been surprised at positive changes in Cooking Light in recent times. I didn't used to like it but have been finding more and more in it when I see/buy individual copies. That's actually gone up in my estimation as Bon Appetit has gone down some.

[Skipper10]

My mom gave me a subscription to Bon Appetit for a few years and I enjoyed having it, but when it ran out at the end of last year I was feeling a bit uninspired by it so I didn't renew. Recently I've found myself leafing through old copies looking for dinner ideas and I realized that I do like getting a magazine each month to give me new ideas in addition to the cookbooks I already have.

So I'm wondering, which one should I get?

Food & Wine seems like the better choice for me since I love wine so much but while I always pick up the Thanksgiving issue, I haven't loved the other ones I've gotten here and there. Considered Cook's Illustrated too, which I like for the techniques and product reviews, but the recipes aren't quite what I'm looking for. I don't know, maybe I should just go back to Bon Appetit? I just want something that will give me ideas for things I can make, preferably with seasonal ingredients, that aren't a tremendous amount of work but are a bit beyond your basic recipe or have some sort of twist.

Have you looked at Fine Cooking? They have serious website issues, their IT people are the worse of the worst, and some of their photographers will never win Pulitzer, but recipes published in the magazine are consistently good. You can tell that the people who write and test recipes not only know, but love what they are doing. The subscription is a bit pricey, but if you search long enough you can find a subscription for peanuts on Cheap Magazines or another similar website. You can also pick up a copy at a discount price at Costco. I like Saveur (and its extraordinary editor) a lot too, but Fine Cooking has more recipes, and more varied recipes, as they have no travel essays and travel pictures.

Skipper

[levjn]

I second Fine Cooking - they really do have some great recipes - and they tend to be a bit more seasonal with their issues. I've picked up a few of their "special editions" and those I often like even better than the magazine. (For some reason, Lowes - yes the Home Improvement Store - always has these special editions... go figure!)

I also really love Cooking Light... and have been a subscriber for 7+ years. Again - they are seasonal and really have a lot of simple "week night" dinner ideas. The other plus is not only are most of the recipes pretty tasty, but they leave you a bit more guilt free... for me that's a bonus because it balances those times when I go out to eat, particularly on weekends, and splurge!

One other magazine not mentioned above, that I let lapse this year, but really enjoyed, is Eating Well. You can pick up a copy at Whole Foods - it seems to be more food centric than Cooking Light, which calls themselves a "lifestyle" magazine.

Martha Stewart's Everyday food (the little one) also has a lot of simple meals... the ones I'd tried when I subscribed were pretty tasty too.

I got a free subscription to Food and Wine this year (I think through an Amazon purchase or something?) and have to say that I enjoy paging through - but the couple things I've made, I wasn't bowled over. They do offer a lot of food and wine pairings - but I'm not ambitious enough to buy all the ingredients, make the dish AND go search for the "paired" wine... Incidently, the Rachael Ray magazine also features suggested pairings for everything in their index, if that's something you're specifically looking for... I can't remember exactly, but I think it will just say "Shiraz", etc. not a specific one. Often Cooking Light will have a wine/beer suggestion - but it's not a standard thing.

Seeing all the thumbs up for Saveur, I'm going to have to check it out myself! Thanks everyone!

[Skipper10]

I second Fine Cooking - they really do have some great recipes - and they tend to be a bit more seasonal with their issues. I've picked up a few of their "special editions" and those I often like even better than the magazine. (For some reason, Lowes - yes the Home Improvement Store - always has these special editions... go figure!)

I also really love Cooking Light... and have been a subscriber for 7+ years. Again - they are seasonal and really have a lot of simple "week night" dinner ideas. The other plus is not only are most of the recipes pretty tasty, but they leave you a bit more guilt free... for me that's a bonus because it balances those times when I go out to eat, particularly on weekends, and splurge!

One other magazine not mentioned above, that I let lapse this year, but really enjoyed, is Eating Well. You can pick up a copy at Whole Foods - it seems to be more food centric than Cooking Light, which calls themselves a "lifestyle" magazine.

Martha Stewart's Everyday food (the little one) also has a lot of simple meals... the ones I'd tried when I subscribed were pretty tasty too.

I got a free subscription to Food and Wine this year (I think through an Amazon purchase or something?) and have to say that I enjoy paging through - but the couple things I've made, I wasn't bowled over. They do offer a lot of food and wine pairings - but I'm not ambitious enough to buy all the ingredients, make the dish AND go search for the "paired" wine... Incidently, the Rachael Ray magazine also features suggested pairings for everything in their index, if that's something you're specifically looking for... I can't remember exactly, but I think it will just say "Shiraz", etc. not a specific one. Often Cooking Light will have a wine/beer suggestion - but it's not a standard thing.

Seeing all the thumbs up for Saveur, I'm going to have to check it out myself! Thanks everyone!

Fine Cooking has been around since 1994. So periodically they gather almost everything that they have published on a particular subject, such us Grilling, Chocolate, Appetizers, to name a few. and publish a special edition. Some of those collections are quite good, while others are boring to the long time subscribers. Their Holiday edition, which may or may not be part of your subscription, is usually superb. The by-monthly magazines have to be removed off the stands at a certain time, but special editions can be displayed until they are sold out. It could be the reason you see them at Lowes.

I enjoy Cooking Light recipes too, but instead of subscribing I just buy a book at the end of the year.

Skipper

[Pat]

I second Fine Cooking - they really do have some great recipes - and they tend to be a bit more seasonal with their issues. I've picked up a few of their "special editions" and those I often like even better than the magazine. (For some reason, Lowes - yes the Home Improvement Store - always has these special editions... go figure!)

....

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One other magazine not mentioned above, that I let lapse this year, but really enjoyed, is Eating Well. You can pick up a copy at Whole Foods - it seems to be more food centric than Cooking Light, which calls themselves a "lifestyle" magazine.

Taunton, the publisher of Fine Cooking, also publishes a lot of home improvement, woodworking, gardening, etc., magazines, so Lowe's may carry the cooking special editions as part of some general agreement to carry their publications.

I don't care as much for Eating Well as I used to before they ceased publication and then were resurrected a few years (?) later. I used to subscribe way back when (early 90s, I guess), but there's something about the magazine that's almost too clinical for me now. I wish I liked it more, but I do buy copies once in a while. I don't care for frivolous cooking magazines and tv shows, so it's odd to say I find it too serious now, but I do .

[goldenticket]

I'm with the Saveur votes; though I'm not as big a fan as I used to be, the quality of the content does seem to have improved lately.

I also subscribe to Vegetarian Times and like the layout, the recipes, and the other articles - a 5 ingredient recipe section, health-related information, etc.

I subscribed to Cook's Illustrated and I was kind of bored by it. If you're into the technique, science, chemistry, etc., you may really like it. I guess I want a little more 'fluff' in my magazine reading

[22209]

It's not as pretty as most of the others that have been mentioned, but I am on my 6th year of Cuisine at Home subscriptions because the recipes are so consistently GOOD. They are not extravagant, but they are interesting dishes with innovative flavor mixing, and whenever I pick out a new dish I am 95% sure I will like the result.

[Choirgirl21]

Thanks for all of the feedback! I think I will start by picking up the latest issues of a few of the more heavily recommended ones and see if one jumps out at me. I have glanced over Saveur once or twice but have never bought one - Balducci's is the only place where I've seen a much larger selection of cooking magazines at the checkouts and I am usually in a hurry b/c I stop there before my weekly meeting.

[goodeats]

Speaking of supporting local, I would like to pipe up about Flavor Magazine. I have really enjoyed learning more about the farms and businesses throughout the commonwealth and it's nice that our very own zoramargolis contributes monthly.

It's no Saveur, but I am intrigued by the peach crisp recipe featured in this month's issue, as well as the tomato-based ones. Interesting article in this month's issue is about raising humane veal (and that taught me about different dairy cow breeds).

[zoramargolis]

Speaking of supporting local, I would like to pipe up about Flavor Magazine. I have really enjoyed learning more about the farms and businesses throughout the commonwealth and it's nice that our very own zoramargolis contributes monthly.

It's no Saveur, but I am intrigued by the peach crisp recipe featured in this month's issue, as well as the tomato-based ones. Interesting article in this month's issue is about raising humane veal (and that taught me about different dairy cow breeds).

Thanks for the shout-out. Flavor is actually a bi-monthly. The current issue (August-September) may be the last one that is a freebie. If you click on the link above, you can subscribe. While not exactly a cooking magazine, there are good recipes in every issue. And while the magazine started out with a Virginia "Piedmont" focus, it has since broadened and deepend it's coverage to "the capitol foodshed" which encompasses, VA, DC, MD, and parts of W.VA and PA.

[thistle]

Can I say how much I miss Gourmet? We've moved around alot & I have a ton of books & magazines that far exceed our weight limit, but I've managed to hang onto the holiday issues (T'giving, Xmas) from the mid 90s to the end. I reread them over & over. I did subscribe to Saveur for about 4-5 years, off & on, & pick up Food & Wine intermittently at the store, but I just miss Gourmet-the photos, the restaurant reviews (even if it is just NY & LA), essays (I can't remember if I discovered Laurie Colwin through Gourmet or if it was the other way around). Now, so much is available online, but it can't replace Gourmet...I still love print

[wineitup]

I'll 2nd Flavor magazine for local stuff.

I've had some good luck with Cooking Light and Food & WIne.

I'm not a big fan of Cooks Illustrated or Saveur. Cooks is kind of boring, although all the engineers i know that like to cook love it (no offense to any engineers out there). I think my opinion of Saveur is more based on their editor, who I've seen on a few shows and think he is a pretentious dork.

[Tujague]

I gave up on Bon Appetit when my subscription ran out a few months ago (this would have happened sooner, but when Gourmet shut down, they extended my other subscription). The September restaurants issue pretty much confirms my decision. The only D.C. restaurants featured are Jose Andres's group (in a feature article). No disrespect to the chef, but if Jaleo et al. are the only new local places that can get their attention (didn't that story write itself years ago?), they've definitely sunk to total hackdom. (Need further evidence? Good Stuff is on their list of ten best burgers, not Ray's Hellburger).

[JPW]

The talk about Flavor reminded me of one of my favorite food mags (actually a collection of food mags) - Edible Communities

Around us there are Edible Chesapeake and Edible Blue Ridge. I read the latter all the time as I am often out around central VA.

[zoramargolis]

The talk about Flavor reminded me of one of my favorite food mags (actually a collection of food mags) - Edible Communities

Around us there are Edible Chesapeake and Edible Blue Ridge. I read the latter all the time as I am often out around central VA.

Edible Chesapeake is no longer--the woman who'd bought the franchise sold it back. The stated reason was so that she could "spend more time with her family" which is a familiar refrain in DC. The real reason, I suspect, is because most of the advertisers' dollars moved over to Flavor, once that got going.

[Choirgirl21]

Edible Chesapeake is no longer--the woman who'd bought the franchise sold it back. The stated reason was so that she could "spend more time with her family" which is a familiar refrain in DC. The real reason, I suspect, is because most of the advertisers' dollars moved over to Flavor, once that got going.

Yeah, I was really upset when they discontinued it. I was going to try to write an article on Black Ankle for it shortly beforehand, not that I expect it would have been accepted as I'm not a journalist. Anyway, I wasn't aware of Flavor - I will definitely get a subscription to that.

I intended on picking up a copy of Saveur at Balducci's today, but they didn't have it. Instead I found a single row of issues of Fine Cooking . So far, I think it looks pretty good. I haven't read much, but flipped through to get a feel and it seems to me already like there are a lot more general technique tips worked into the articles and recipes (sort of like you'd expect from CI, but very scaled down).

[Choirgirl21]

So where do you all buy your Saveur? Or do you all have subscriptions? I have now looked at Balducci's, Whole Foods, any other random grocery store I go into, and Border's with no luck. Although honestly, at the issue price I am paying with each magazine I buy to check it out I could have just bought a subscription or two. But I like to be methodical and do my research.

Since I couldn't find Saveur, I picked up Eating Well instead today. At first glance, doesn't look as promising, but I figured I should give it a chance since it was also recommended to me by a fellow wine lover.

I continue to like Fine Cooking though and the fact that it's bimonthly appeals as well. Not that I have to narrow down to one choice, there's room for more than one magazine subscription in my life.

[grover]

I would like to introduce "The Art of Eating" magazine by Edward Behr. It is published 4 times a year. It is a bit pricy ($48 per year) so I purchase back-issues some times. This magazine is about the best food and wine in the world. I would like to share the thoughts if anybody already experienced this magazine.

[Skipper10]

I would like to introduce "The Art of Eating" magazine by Edward Behr. It is published 4 times a year. It is a bit pricy ($48 per year) so I purchase back-issues some times. This magazine is about the best food and wine in the world. I would like to share the thoughts if anybody already experienced this magazine.

Grover,

I am so glad to hear from you. You've never answered my email, (although, knowing my email skills, chances are it never went out,) I have a whole bunch of friends who would love to have a guided tour of an Asian grocery store of your choosing and a lunch afterwards. Please name 2 or 3 dates if you are available. Hope all is well. Skipper

[grover]

Skipper10,

I never got your emails. I will PM you later.

[yfunk3]

Just got my first issue of Saveur in the mail yesterday and can't wait to "dig into" it, as it were.

Would it be horribly gluttonous of me to read it while solo dining in a restaurant?

[DanCole42]

The only paper magazine on any topic I currently have a subscription to is Cook's Illustrated.

[Choirgirl21]

And the winner is...

Fine Cooking!

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I really liked this magazine from beginning to end. I only recently found a copy of Saveur so I may order a subscription to that one as well if I like it, but for now, I am definitely subscribing to Fine Cooking.

It's not as pretty as most of the others that have been mentioned, but I am on my 6th year of Cuisine at Home subscriptions because the recipes are so consistently GOOD. They are not extravagant, but they are interesting dishes with innovative flavor mixing, and whenever I pick out a new dish I am 95% sure I will like the result.

I somehow overlooked this earlier. I've never heard of/seen it. Have you ever seen it in stores around here?

Thanks for the shout-out. Flavor is actually a bi-monthly. The current issue (August-September) may be the last one that is a freebie. If you click on the link above, you can subscribe. While not exactly a cooking magazine, there are good recipes in every issue. And while the magazine started out with a Virginia "Piedmont" focus, it has since broadened and deepend it's coverage to "the capitol foodshed" which encompasses, VA, DC, MD, and parts of W.VA and PA.

And crap, I totally forgot about this too. So perhaps I will be getting 3 subscriptions...yikes!

[zoramargolis]

Thanks for the shout-out. Flavor is actually a bi-monthly. The current issue (August-September) may be the last one that is a freebie. If you click on the link above, you can subscribe. While not exactly a cooking magazine, there are good recipes in every issue. And while the magazine started out with a Virginia "Piedmont" focus, it has since broadened and deepend it's coverage to "the capitol foodshed" which encompasses, VA, DC, MD, and parts of W.VA and PA.

A couple of days ago, the editor of Flavor let me know that they will be adding news stand sales, so the next issue will be November -December: there will be no issue for October. Flavor is going great guns, happy to say. Look for my article about local charcuterie.

[zoramargolis]

A couple of days ago, the editor of Flavor let me know that they will be adding news stand sales, so the next issue will be November -December: there will be no issue for October. Flavor is going great guns, happy to say. Look for my article about local charcuterie.

The November/December issue of Flavor just came out, and unfortunately my article about local charcuterie got bumped to the next issue because of space problems. The magazine will now cost $5.95 per issue, or you can subscribe for $19.95 a year (+$4.95 S&H) at www.flavormags.com.

[LauraB]

This reminds me that I subscribed to Flavor Magazine quite some time ago and have never received an issue. Guess I need to contact them.

[flavoreditor]

This reminds me that I subscribed to Flavor Magazine quite some time ago and have never received an issue. Guess I need to contact them.

Did you reach someone at the office (540-987-9299)?

If not, e-mail me at editor [at] flavormags.com and I'll get it resolved.