Food &Wine vs. Gourmet?

[NeroW]

Food & Wine isn't even a contender. It's a thin, unsubstantial magazine that usually seems pretty short on recipes compared to other magazines. The kind of thing you find in the doctor's office.

But Food and Wine is where I first heard about egullet. That has to make it worth something, as far as I am concerned. While I do like to read and dream about cities I have not visited and restaurants I can't afford to eat in, it can get a little tedious. Another reason why Cook's Illustrated--although not exactly on-topic here--sometimes seems to me like a better read. They are able to review products honestly without the worry of offending their advertisers. Although I don't always agree with them, nor with their our-word-is-Law! way of saying things.

I've liked some of the recipes in Cooking Light as well. They had one a few months ago for Wasabi Bloody Marys, which, although maybe obvious to some, was a revelation to me. Out came the tube of paste and vodka . . .

[Fat Guy]

As magazines increases in circulation, attract better advertisers, and retain audiences for longer and longer, there are benefits such as the ability to hire better writers, employ more and better editorial staff, and have better production values in terms of photography, layout, and printing. But there are also drawbacks. You can see these drawbacks in a magazine like Gourmet, where the audience is aging and the magazine in an attempt to go after new blood loses sight of what was making it successful in the first place. You also have a problem in terms of seriousness of content. There just aren't a million people in the United States who want to read a magazine full of serious, in-depth food discussion every month. So there has to be a lot of material targeted at a broader audience and the result is less focus, less depth, less seriousness. If you're in an extreme subculture like most of us on eGullet are, it's silly to think a near-one-million circulation magazine can satisfy your needs. You've got to look to the smaller circulation "food letter" type journals as well as to sources like eGullet, which among other things acts as an information clearinghouse for the best of what's out there in the food media.

[hjshorter]

It seems to me that the new Gourmet(Reichl's) is all about sizzle, with very little steak. IMO the old Gourmet was far superior. The new one hasn't alienated me enough yet to consider halting my subscription, but it has come close.

I agree, and I have let my subscription to Gourmet lapse, along with Bon Appetit (or Gourmet Lite). We get Cook's Illustrated, and it's OK, but sometimes I could just care less about their 5 billionth try at making the perfect potato salad, you know? Fine Cooking isn't a fascinating read, but has provided recipes that are interesting and taste good.

I'm another person who probably should like Saveur, but just can't get interested in it.

[Kim WB]

I'm a Cooking Light Fan, too. This year, they have moved to vegetable-centric recipes, with meat as the "side dish", and I really like this approach. Plus, I am not a "natural" cook, so the recipe is important to me....and their's are great, easy to follow and relatively easy to find ingredients. I hear lots of negatives on their baking recipes, but I don't bake often and when I do I don't cut calories.

I also really enjoy Eating Well, which as mentioned is a reincarnated magazine..however, I am not familiar with the former to c ompare it.

I enjoy the travel parts of Gourmet, and you can pull an interesting recipe out of there on occassion, but its not consistant enough that I look through it..it piles up on occassion, and sometimes goies into recycling without a glance.

[lizziee]

  BTW, I'm looking for any issues from 1 to 29 (PM me), to complete my collection.

Nick,

Art Culinaire has come out with The Best of Art Culinaire Issues 1-14 and Issues 15-30. They can be ordered through Art Culinaire.

[ngatti]

I agree.  I was very surprised at how appealing the recipes in Cooking Light can be.

Cooking Light has the largest subsciber base of any food/culinary mag in America.

FYI

Nick

[ngatti]

edit: Doublet

Thanks lizziee. I've heard of these, but never seen them. If I can find some back issues (1-29) It'd be great. I don't hold out much luck though. Nothing on eBay and I can't see anyone parting with their issues.

Although I have always felt that the recipes themselves were not tested. I have always felt that the food presented is absolute cutting edge.

Nick

Edited January 21, 2003 by ngatti (log)

[Jaymes]

I agree.  I was very surprised at how appealing the recipes in Cooking Light can be.

Cooking Light has the largest subsciber base of any food/culinary mag in America.

I keep thinking that I should subscribe to Cooking Light -- proving that indeed, hope does rise above experience to 'spring eternal.'

In this case it's the hope that by repeatedly looking at beautiful photos of 'lite' food preparations, I might eventually be actually interested in them....

Edited January 21, 2003 by Jaymes (log)

[torakris]

I am divided on Cooking Light, they have some great issues and some that are really bad. I picked up 20 back issues on Ebay for $4.00 and am currently going through them ripping out pages that I like. There are issues from about 1993 up to 2002 and it is very interesting to see the changes (first great praise for magarine and then their sudden drop of it).

I actually like the magazine because of their fitness sections, but again I also read Shape, Self, and Fitness.

I still have to wait and see where the new Eating Well is going to go, but in general I prefer them over Cooking light.

Edited January 21, 2003 by torakris (log)

[lizziee]

Nick,

I usually don't follow the Art Culinaire recipes from beginning to end, particularly as a home cook. Two dishes that I have found particularly successful are the artichoke ravioli and the uni with scrambled eggs. Generally, however, I will use bits and pieces of a recipe. Also, the presentation of a dish is so extraordinary that I try and adapt some of these.

[swissmiss]

Cooking Light has the largest subsciber base of any food/culinary mag in America.

I thought it was Taste of Home. I've tried locating the article that said that on Google but couldn't. Anyone else?

[helenas]

In was in NYT

[swissmiss]

Thanks Helena. That's what I thought, but for some reason it wasn't coming up in my search. I may have printed it at the time of publication. A bit of searching through my office may locate the actual article.

Edited because I did find the article: "Taste of Home also claims the highest circulation of any food magazine, about 4.5 million, which is more than Bon Appetit, Food & Wine and Gourmet combined." It was published in the March 22, 2002 issue of the NYT.

Edited January 21, 2003 by swissmiss (log)

[Fat Guy]

Cooking Light has the largest subsciber base of any food/culinary mag in America.

By a lot.

It's something like 1.6 million circulation for Cooking Light versus around 950,000 each for Gourmet and Food & Wine. Bon Appetit is the only other food magazine in Cooking Light's league, at something like 1.3 million.

[ngatti]

Nick,

I usually don't follow the Art Culinaire recipes from beginning to end, particularly as a home cook. Two dishes that I have found particularly successful are the artichoke ravioli and the uni with scrambled eggs. Generally, however, I will use bits and pieces of a recipe. Also, the presentation of a dish is so extraordinary that I try and adapt some of these.

absolutely lizziee! I find the mag essential. I just rarely attempt to cook from it.

Nick

[fresh_a]

Although I read pretty much every food magazine and website I can sink my teeth into, I'm still waiting for the ultimate food magazine, for true fanatics like us...

[Liza]

Nick et al,

You can order The Best of Art Culinaire issues 1-15 and 15-30 - they're two large hard-bound collections with photos and recipes. If there's anything you're looking for, I have both collections.

Liza

[lizziee]

The Best Of Art Culinaire

P.O. Box 9628

Morristown, New Jersey 07963

Tel# 973-993-5500

Fax# 973-993-8779

www.getartc.com

Each book is $38.00

[ngatti]

Thanks all. The hardbound collection will have to do as I continue to search out individual issues.

Nick

[Ron Johnson]

I will flip through an issue of Gourmet or Food & Wine if I am at the home of a subscriber or my dentist's office. However, I don't think I can say which is better. They seem awfully similar and similarly awful.

I take Saveur and Food Arts. I like Saveur because it is not just a collection of recipes delves somewhat into the culture behind the food.

[MsRamsey]

Edited because I did find the article: "Taste of Home also claims the highest circulation of any food magazine, about 4.5 million, which is more than Bon Appetit, Food & Wine and Gourmet combined." It was published in the March 22, 2002 issue of the NYT.

How's that work? I've never seen this magazine in any store or heard of it. Is it a freebie to doctor's offices or something?

[Fat Guy]

Although I read pretty much every food magazine and website I can sink my teeth into, I'm still waiting for the ultimate food magazine, for true fanatics like us...

If someone came up with the money, we'd create such a magazine.

[chantrelle]

I just got my last free F&W mag (some credit card special dealy) and it seems to have gotten progressively less interesting in the last year. I used to get excited when it came in the mail, the last few months my reaction has been "hmm, wonder if this will be worth reading?"

I don't get gourmet...they haven't sent me a "free" offer

[gknl]

Edited because I did find the article: "Taste of Home also claims the highest circulation of any food magazine, about 4.5 million, which is more than Bon Appetit, Food & Wine and Gourmet combined." It was published in the March 22, 2002 issue of the NYT.

How's that work? I've never seen this magazine in any store or heard of it. Is it a freebie to doctor's offices or something?

Word of mouth, mostly. Pretty amazing, huh? My non-foodie cousin who likes to cook gave me a subscription once. Not my aesthetic, but I can see the attraction. My non-almost-anti-foodie girlfriend who likes to eat discovered them and loves their stuff so now I have the 1996-2000 and 2002 recipe annuals.

I have a free subscription to Food and Wine which I enjoy flipping through, but I doubt I'll continue it if I have to pay for it. I really dislike Gourmet now. The content is okay, but I hate the fashion-mag layout and having to fight through all the ads to read the articles. I think I like Bon Appetite the best, but it's nothing I'm passionate about. Besides, who has time to read anything besides egullet?

[Fat Guy]

I can't figure out why Taste of Home never shows up on the lists of top-100 circulation magazines, for example:

http://www.infoplease.com/ipea/A0301522.html

What could be going on there?