Kick Ass Cooking Mag
I think the first cooking-related magazine I ever bought was a copy of Bon Appetit at the airport on my way to...uh...somewhere...when I was maybe 14 or 15.
Anyway, I haven't subscribed to too many in the following years, nor have I purchased many off the shelves, but when I have, I've never been too impressed. I either find the recipes generic or too froufrou or just not really up my alley. Sure, the fact that I'm a vegetarian enters into it, but I prepare meat dishes on occasion for friends and family, so that's really not it either. In fact, most vegetarian magazines are worse than the gourmet-centric ones. They're overrun by granola-chicks, ads for homemade soy milk makers and stories about vegan bicycle trips. Yech.
So, I'd given up on 'em till I was offered a free subscription to Cook's Illustrated. Honestly, I relish reading this magazine -- from the novel tips and brand recommendations to the intricate recipes. It's not a magazine for everyone. It's not for (I hate this term) "foodies" who'd rather watch some schmuck on the Food Network cook than cook themselves. But it is for people who love to cook and bake and want to educate themselves about how to do it better.
I'm not a food mag aficionado, but I have to say I've never come across any magazines or books that offer such in-depth discussion of the process of cooking, not just within the final recipes themselves, but in terms of what it took to devise the ultimate recipe. I learn what each cook began with, what his trial and error process entailed, and why some things worked and some didn't. As one who's typically looked at recipes as a guide as opposed to a rule-book, this provides me with great confidence that the technique and ingredients presented in the actual recipe are necessary. Sure, improvisation is still a possibility, but I know, when I do tackle this recipe or the other, there's a reason for each step. It's not arbitrary.
So far, the few recipes I have made from the magazine turned out beautifully. I'm especially looking forward to one in the latest issue, the perfect chocolate cake. Can't wait for that one (but it'll have to come after the beach)...
Anyway, I haven't subscribed to too many in the following years, nor have I purchased many off the shelves, but when I have, I've never been too impressed. I either find the recipes generic or too froufrou or just not really up my alley. Sure, the fact that I'm a vegetarian enters into it, but I prepare meat dishes on occasion for friends and family, so that's really not it either. In fact, most vegetarian magazines are worse than the gourmet-centric ones. They're overrun by granola-chicks, ads for homemade soy milk makers and stories about vegan bicycle trips. Yech.
So, I'd given up on 'em till I was offered a free subscription to Cook's Illustrated. Honestly, I relish reading this magazine -- from the novel tips and brand recommendations to the intricate recipes. It's not a magazine for everyone. It's not for (I hate this term) "foodies" who'd rather watch some schmuck on the Food Network cook than cook themselves. But it is for people who love to cook and bake and want to educate themselves about how to do it better.
I'm not a food mag aficionado, but I have to say I've never come across any magazines or books that offer such in-depth discussion of the process of cooking, not just within the final recipes themselves, but in terms of what it took to devise the ultimate recipe. I learn what each cook began with, what his trial and error process entailed, and why some things worked and some didn't. As one who's typically looked at recipes as a guide as opposed to a rule-book, this provides me with great confidence that the technique and ingredients presented in the actual recipe are necessary. Sure, improvisation is still a possibility, but I know, when I do tackle this recipe or the other, there's a reason for each step. It's not arbitrary.
So far, the few recipes I have made from the magazine turned out beautifully. I'm especially looking forward to one in the latest issue, the perfect chocolate cake. Can't wait for that one (but it'll have to come after the beach)...
posted by Connie Sewer at 9:04 AM
0 comments
