Food Network Magazine: Take It or Leave It?

(Image courtesy of the Food Network)

I was provided with product samples at no cost. I do not accept monetary compensation for writing about these products or about my experiences while using them. All opinions expressed are my own.

Back in the beginning of November, my friend Eudora sent me an email telling me about the new Food Network Magazine. If I acted quickly, I could have the premiere issue sent to me at no cost. Given the fact I don't have a cable package that allows me to watch the Food Network whenever I please, I thought "subscribing" to the magazine was a suitable alternative... especially since my less-than-ecstatic feelings about the Food Network's website redesign have caused me to visit their site less and less.

Due to high demand, the magazine took longer to reach me than the folks at the magazine anticipated. (I received two "it's on its way" cards in the mail, assuring me that they hadn't forgotten about me or my desire to check out their magazine.) When it finally arrived, I waited nearly a month to flip through its pages with any seriousness since I wasn't in any urgent need of the recipes or ideas contained within the magazine. The magazine landed in a pile of magazines I had been saving to read while on my two-week vacation from work; thus, the reasoning behind my very belated review of the inaugural issue.

Right away, I was impressed that you're given three different ways to find what you're looking for. There is a traditional Table of Contents at the front of the magazine, along with a list of recipes sorted by the celebrity chef who developed it, and a recipe index that gives not only the name of the recipe, but also a thumbnail picture of the finished dish. Already, the magazine is organized better than the website!

Of the given recipes, I am more than likely to try to following:

• Broccoli Chowder with Cheddar Toasts
• Caribbean Rice and Peas
  
• Chicken with Apple Onion and Cider Sauce
• Dressed-Up Bacon Mac and Cheese
  
• Garlicky Bok Choy
• Maple Lager Chicken Ridge

Of the features, I was really interested in the "behind-the-scenes look" of a taping of an episode of Iron Chef America, broken down by descriptions of what happens, when it happens. Apparently, it is true that all Iron Chefs and challengers receive a potential list of "secret ingredients" for each battle well in advance of taping so they have sufficient time to develop and practice their recipes. They won't know the actual secret ingredient for their battle until it's revealed at taping. In addition to the 250 ingredients stocked in the pantry, each chef is allowed to spend up to $500 on "wish-list items" that aren't in the pantry. Hmm... What you don't get a sense for by watching the show on television is the fact that each chef has a full hour to present their dishes to the judges. That all amounts to quite a day for all involved!

After reading the premiere issue of the Food Network Magazine, will I be setting aside a portion of my hard-earned money to pay for a full subscription? Probably not. Will I ever read future issues of the magazine, say, while browsing through the offerings at my local newsstand? Perhaps. But if I allowed the premiere issue to sit on my desk for nearly a month, and then nothing in the issue compelled me to get up off my couch and into the kitchen once I finally did read it, chances are I'll leave it before I take it.

Has anyone else read the first issue of the Food Network Magazine? What did you think?

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