Food on the Tube: A review of Food Network Magazine

Food Network

I suppose it was only a matter of time before Food Network jumped into the magazine business, and I say good for them! I managed to get my hands on the premiere issue and I’m fairly impressed. I’ve read through it and I have to say that this is not just a fluff magazine trying to profit off the success and popularity of Food Network. I think the best part of the magazine is the way it involves the chefs and personalities that we know and love. Let’s face it, if it failed in integrating the Food Network stars, this magazine was going to be a flop.

The first third of the magazine, or thereabouts, is dedicated to food news, short articles, and features with the celebrity chefs. Some of the better features include a section where the Food Network stars answer questions from readers, a section where two of the chefs are pitted against each other, and one where one star is issued a challenge from the magazine. In this issue, Ingrid Hoffman and Guy Fieri face-off with competing taco recipes, and the Neely’s are challenged to rework one of their signature beef dishes (spoiler alert: they turn it into an inside-out sushi roll). There’s also a nifty behind-the-scenes look of Iron Chef America.

The rest of the magazine is all recipes. It’s good to see that they stayed true to the food and cooking. So many food magazines these days tend toward being a “lifestyle” magazine. There are a ton of recipes here – as the cover tells us, 128 in all. Impressive. More impressive is that every recipe has a large color photograph to go with it. Who doesn’t like looking at food? I’m surprised that several of the cooking magazines I subscribe to don’t do this. I also like how they break down recipes by “weeknight cooking” and “weekend cooking.”

So… how are the recipes? They look pretty good, but most come from the Food Network kitchen, so if you’re hoping for 100 recipes from your favorite stars, the Food Network website is still your best bet. I haven’t had time to make any of the recipes in the magazine, but they seem simple and hearty and the photos make them look good! The weekend recipes definitely look nicer, but they are, of course, more complicated and time consuming.

What don’t I like? Well, nothing can be perfect, and this magazine is no exception. The beginning of the magazine has a lot going on. There is so much newsy content, and the articles are all short, it almost comes off as spastic. If I subscribed, I can guarantee I would be skipping through that section quickly. Frankly, I don’t care about the latest vending machine technology or how to dress up a box of wine.

This leads me to my next complaint. I’m a food snob. I completely admit it and I don’t apologize for it. Being a hardcore foodie, I don’t think I’m the target audience for this magazine. There’s an article about boxes of wine… Really? I don’t think I will ever purchase a box of wine. Likewise, the recipes aren’t quite as gourmet as those found in Bon Appetit and other snobbier publications.

While maybe not the right magazine for me, the casual chef would be served very well by Food Network Magazine. The recipes are simple and there are lots of great tips, such as how to break down a butternut squash and how to quarter a roasted chicken. If you love the Food Network and you’re always looking for a new, easy recipe, this is probably the perfect magazine for you. If you’re interested you can sign up for a subscription on the Food Network website.

Clacked by Bob Degon
on Oct 18, 2008 @ 15:00 EST5EDT