As a going away present, my colleagues at my last job offered me a subscription to Cuisine Actuelle.
I've never been one to really read cooking magazines (I just Google recipes or try to find some info in my Joy of Cooking) and besides waiting rooms I don't really read womens' magazines, so I really didn't know what to expect.
The positive: the recipes presented are very representative of what French friends offer at their place but I would never think to make (cake aux olives, quiche, tomates farcis...). I'm also learning new vocabulary reading the instructions and trying out new ingredients/products that I don't normally buy. Each issue has a variety of entrées, main dishes, desserts, punch/cocktails, plus an article on some kind of food (August explained goat cheese) and how to choose it, store it, prepare it... The recipes are relatively easy and don't seem to require any particular expertise or equipment (so far at least) and the only problem is the prep/cooking time they list which I find is always way under estimated.
The negative: while there are a lot of pages dedicated to recipes, at least 1/3 of the magazine promotes specific products, tools, or food items. Having worked in communication, I know that these are just suck-up-to-press-relations-for-our-advertisers pages. They are also really easy, because the food industry sends them samples and pictures and little blurbs already written, and when the journalists don't feel creative, they can just throw in the copy from the press release and label it "Our pick of the month" when they actually didn't pick anything. There's a page on planning your picnic, and it's practically an ad for packaged sandwich meat and all the different sauces you can buy (American, Mexican, chili ketchup, lemon mayo, bernaise, échalotte...). They even give a thumbs up to the boxed salad McDonalds is now offering. I thought the magazine was about cooking.... They showcase a lot of gadgets you can buy, but never comparing them or presenting a cheap, middle of the line, and pro version to help you choose. Again, it really smells of "Quick, what was that mixer that sent us a press release?"
Each issue includes some recipes on pre-perforated cardboard that you can rip out and put in your recipe box. While these are handy, the two recipes that really looked interesting to me in the August issue were on the regular paper, not the card stock. I haven't decided yet if I'll just rip out the pages or start a magazine pile somewhere in the kitchen.
Since I've never been really interested in cooking French food at home, I think Cuisine Actuelle will let me try making a quiche and a cake aux pignons at my own speed. The next time my in-laws or picky French eaters come over, I'll definitely find a recipe to use instead of trying to convince them that deviled eggs or sweet and sour sauce are good.
I'll see what the next issues bring, but I have a feeling I'll keep my year's worth of magazines but not re-subscribe. It seems to be the kind of magazine that's nice to have around, but that you don't necessarily want to spend money on.
Anyone else subscribe to Cuisine Actuelle? What about Elle à table? I have a feeling it's better, but I've never read one. Any other cooking magazines of mention?
1 comment:
I get "Vie pratique gourmand" whenever it grabs my eye while in line at the supermarket. It's where I found the best pancake recipe (in the cheese special though, not the crepe one, oddly enough), and there was one about "les cakes" that was good too that I bring out for aperos.
I like that it has a two week menu guide in the middle, not that I ever use it, but it's nice to see it all planned out like that. Like most people, I usually end up cooking the same 5 or 6 things, but there's just so many recipes, it always inspires me to try something new, that usually gets worked in to my regular rotation.
It has articles too, which seem to have good practical information, but I usually just buy it because certain recipes caught my eye.
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