Whats the best cooking magazine for serious cooks?
Instead of (or even better, in addition to) I’d suggest one of the books by the Editor’s of Cook’s Illustrated. They are often compilations of the best recipies from the magazine, plus a whole lot more. The Best Recipe has never let me astray.
I like “Cook’s Illustrated,” but mostly as a primer in how to best prepare traditional foods. They take a dish and then vary aspects of its preparation to see how to best prepare the dish. While frequently helpful, the process is still dependent upon the personal tastes of the author and tasters. You might also consider “Fine Cooking” by the Taunton Press. It doesn’t stick as closely to traditional dishes so is overall more interesting and just as informative in providing detailed information about preparing various dishes. All of Taunton’s publications are great. As a caveat to my opinion – I do know Jan and Paul Roman who started the Taunton Press. Nevertheless, I would probably think that “Fine Cooking” is the best cooking magazine even if I did not know Jan and Paul.
Ya know, i’ve recently read this magazine, Cook’s Illustrated. Definitely check it out! It’s THE magazine for serious cooks. Nothing else even comes close for recipes, reviews and technique. It only comes out 6 times a year though. I think they make you pay for online access, but the hardcopy version is fantastic. You can’t go wrong.
I just bought three gift subscriptions to Cook’s Illustrated. Well, two gift subscriptions and one for me. It seemed a fair ratio. The problem with most cooking magazines is that they’re more about food porn and gorgeous softly focused pictures and less about actual cooking. And now, they’re as much about things completely unrelated to food, as actual food. Cook’s Illustrated is the exact opposite. If she’s interested in collections of recipes rather than collections of techniques, you might also have a gander at the publications of the Taste of Home group. American homestyle cooking, they feature no advertisements, cheesy pictures and lots and lots of recipes. I subscribe to Light & Tasty and appreciate the short, informative articles, and the nutritional information included with the recipes.
