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A New Love: Jacques Pépin's Fast Food
Talking Him Into It - Feeding The Guy
Another Change, and Two Summer Shortcakes
« Resolution Party | Main | Jan Magazines: Overview - Cont. »
Gourmet:
Like:
I love looking back at the recipes and topics of the past 65 years (this is their anniversary issue, so their theme was the favorite dish of each year). I also really liked the letters from readers throughout the years (some very funny ones from the '40s, '50s and '60s), and their two part travel pieces - it's great to see what a place was like when they first wrote about it in the early '40s right next to a description of what it's like now (the islands of the Dalmatian Coast and the city of Hangzhou, China are calling to me).
Don't Like:
I'm not crazy about the fact that such an extreme focus on one idea leaves no room for anything else in this issue. I usually love the essays in Gourmet, but this issue doesn't have any stories, essays or features - it's kind of like one long, if interesting, cookbook.
Yum:
Lots and lots of recipes in this issue that I want to try: German Apple Pancakes 1952 (maybe a nice new version of an old favorite of mine), Steak Au Poivre (with cognac/cream sauce) 1955, Butterscotch Chiffon Pie 1956, Bulgarian Potatoes 1959, Maccheroni Quattro Formaggi Villa D'Este (Macaroni with Four Cheeses) 1970, Pozole Rojo 1999, and Carrot Ginger Dressing 2001 are all at the top of my list . Hopefully I'll be able to get to at least half of them.
Bon Appétit
Like:
The way they've turned the "Best of the Year" part of the issue into a section that doesn't dominate the magazine works well. The Starters section has great things like muddlers for mojitos, notes on food podcasts, and resources for finding environmentally friendly fish. The article about sake is also very interesting. And my absolute favorite part of this month's issue is the story "Top Destination: Ho Chi Minh City", an absolutely intoxicating trip through Saigon's streets and food. (A friend from high-school has offered to put me up in Saigon and show me around if I can get there - anyone want to buy me the ticket?)
Don't Like:
I'm not so hot on the Bon Vivant section this month, which is not surprising, since the house wares are usually out of my price range anyway. The things I'm especially iffy about are the clutch with Swarovski crystal bananas on it (not cute), and the hideous silver ballet slippers with crystals cupcakes on them (definitely not cute). The "Splurge of the Month", however - Dosa teacups - are beautiful. I also was a little disappointed in the "Opposites Attract" home decor article; the pictures were beautiful, but the information in the article wasn't all that special or innovative (sorry Ms. Gunn and Ms. Buckle). Maybe if I didn't live in a big urban area...
Yum:
Lots of things to go "yum" about: Tagliatelle with Mushrooms, Peas, and Truffle Oil (from North in Scottsdale) looks great and not too hard, the Lady in White drink looks yummy, even if I'm not usually into trends, the lobster rolls look wonderful (though if I bought live lobsters I'd just eat them plain), and the Green Tea Cheesecake looks so good that I'm going to go out and buy a springform pan just so I can make it.
Martha Stewart Living
This is also an anniversary year for Martha's magazine - the 15th - and because she has so many different kinds of topics in each issue, the strategy of picking favorites from the past 15 years has worked out so well that this is one of the best issues of this magazine that I've ever read.
Like:
I like wallet guides (I won't use the tip calculator, but the conversion chart will be very helpful on my fridge); the ceramic pots to keep kindling in are a nice idea and might make good presents for my parents; candied flowers to decorate cakes are beautiful (though I've been doing this for years without Martha's help); and the dot-painted china is adorable and a good way to turn mismatched china into a set.
Don't Like:
For some reason I'm often not so hot on the desserts featured in the "Dessert of the Month", and this months Praline Napoleons are no exception - the praline crisp on the top layer just looks so hard that I can't image one could cut into the dessert and eat it without squishing everything. I'm also not so hot about the "Warm Up With Chicken Soup" feature, since it just seems to be covering ground that many cooks already know and anyone can find in any cookbook. I'm also put-off by the "Memories Page by Page" article about scrapbooks - frankly I can't think of a better way to lose all my free time, money and sanity than trying to make a scrapbook like these.
Yum:
Almost everything looks delicious. The "Easy Appetizer" of baked goat cheese looks mouthwatering, Baby Artichokes en Papillote look like a wonderful twist on one of my favorite vegetables, and the twelve cakes in "A Year of Cakes" make me want to lock myself in the kitchen and become a baker. I'm not exactly about to make a cake a month, but I'll definitely keep all these recipes and use them whenever I have occasion to bake a cake. I think the first one I'll do is the Darkest Chocolate Crêpe Cake, because it just looks so good.
Saveur, Everyday Food and Cook's Illustrated tomorrow...
Posted by georgia to Reviews on January 5, 2006 12:12 PM | permalink | Email this post
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