As I mentioned earlier, I subscribe to a plethora of foodie magazines. I have trimmed the number over the years, as some failed to keep my interest or (as in the case of Gourmet) ceased publication. Here’s the current roster.
Bon Appétit. I’ve subscribed to this one longer than any other periodical. My interest in it has waxed and waned over the years. Since Gourmet folded in 2009, Bon Appétit has incorporated some of the soft-focus photography features and articles characteristic of its former Condé Nast genre-mate. Sometimes it lapses a little far into the trendy, e.g., the “cleansing” articles in January.
Cooking Light. I started subscribing when I was in grad school, when a friend introduced me to it. The recipes are middle of the road, tasty, and healthy. The nutrition advice is relatively sound compared to other magazines.
Saveur. I think this would be my desert-island subscription. I’ve subscribed since the pilot issue. It couples cuisine with culture, rather than just highlighting recipes from a particular place. One year its top 100 highlighted our favorite Vietnamese restaurant in Greensboro.
Fine Cooking. I like the step-by-step instructions and the food science articles. It also tends away from the trendy.
Cook’s Illustrated. Again, this publication focuses on the science of cooking and baking. Definitely a periodical for the obsessive-compulsive.
Sunset. While this isn’t strictly a food publication, Sunset has helped orient us to our home on the Left Coast and the culinary opportunities therein. I used to subscribe to Southern Living when we lived in Dallas and Greensboro for the same reason.
Milk Street. This is the only individual-driven publication I subscribe to. Christopher Kimball left Cook’s Illustrated in 2015 to form his own magazine-cum-store in Boston. The concept is similar to his old magazine, but the dishes are more international.
Taste of Home. This looks like the polka-dotted sheep of the lot. My mother gives me a gift subscription every year. I appreciate the baking recipes. To the editors’ credit, it has become a little more cosmopolitan than it was years ago. (Disclosure: A distant cousin used to edit it many years ago).
I’ll pick up random issues of other magazines (e.g., Food and Wine) if they have something interesting inside; otherwise, I stick to what I have.
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