My favorite used to be Gourmet Magazine. I really miss Ruth Reichl. My favorite now is Saveur. I also have to admit that I cut out a lot of the recipes in Southern Living, even though I'm from New England.

I still receive Bon Appetit, but it's a little on the basic side for me as far as content. I think it's aiming itself at a younger crowd.

I've subscribed to Cooking Light over the years but it's not really a foodie publication - more of a lifestyle magazine. Eating Well and Vegetarian times are, IMO, in the same league. Can't comment on Healthy Cooking - have never seen that one.

I also subscribe to Food and Wine. A more serious approach to cuisine, without the caveats of living longer by eliminating all of the bad stuff that the above try to find substitutes for lol.

Everyday Food is kind of a Reader's Digest Martha Stewart Publication.

I guess it depends on where you are with your your palate, your culinary skills, your eating mates, how much time you want to spend in the kitchen, etc...

seagrass

Of all those, I would probably get Bon Appetit if for no other reason than the rsvp column and the celebrity cook page.
I got it for 15 years until the internet showed up and some of my favorite columnists moved on to other things. I haven't read it in a few years though.

I buy Cooking Light a few times a year off the shelf and am usually happy with some of the recipes and articles. For me, when they get it right they are great, some of my all time favorites comes out of there, but sometimes they get it soooo wrong, lol!

I like Eating Well but I go to their Web site instead. They are also somewhat spotty, IMHO. Vegetarian Times I got for years, I liked the articles far more than most of the recipes. After a while they started to repeat themselves so I just look at my old saved copies now from time to time.

Everyday Food is fine for recipes too, nice photos. Kinda bland for content, IMHO.

If it were me I'd pick Bon Appetit or Fine Cooking just to branch out or oggle.

Like Seagrass, one of my favorites is Saveur. However, I also like Cooking Light and use many of their recipes.

Out of that list, I'd probably go with Fine Cooking but as has been mentioned, it depends on the time you want to spend, the complexity of the cooking you want to do, the type of dishes your household enjoys.

Annie

Of those, I choose Bon Appetit.

Hey, here is a tip on cooking, food and wine magazines. If you live in more that a one-light town, there is probably a place that sells used magazines for $0.50-$2.00 an issue. I go to mine and pick up an armful of old magazines on whatever topic I'm interested in. Cooking titles included. Recipes don't go bad, after all, and the older ones are refreshingly free of all the low fat low sodium low cholesterol low cruelty low impact low child labor stuff. I like old cookbooks too.

La Cucina Italiana - gorgeous photos ... always inspiring

Norfy, I forgot about La Cucina Italiana. I have a friend whose daughter works for them.

I'd go for Bon Appetite and/or Fine cooking

Or else I'd just make a donation to the computer fund directly, that way all my $ goes to the kids LOL

I would choose Bon Appetit.....or do as jessie says....just give a donation....and buy a cookbook for your self!
Linda C

Thanks, Everyone, I really appreciate your input! I knew I could count on finding my answer here.

So, Bon Appetit it is!

I'll be checking book stores, yard sales, church rummage sales and such for good deals on the others that may have good recipes and hints.

Seagrass, I know what you mean about Southern Living. A couple of years ago I bought it at Thanksgiving for a pumpkin bread recipe. Searched until I found the pans that I could make the little pumpkin shaped cakes.

When I had guests for dinner I had several selections for dessert, including the beautiful little pumpkins. Nobody selected the pumpkins for dessert. I was heartbroken that they didn't even try my pretty pumpkins. I guess I will have to find a killer apple cake recipe with caramel sauce to get some use out of the pans. My son will scarf those down. He loves caramel.

Thanks again,
Betty

Too late to vote but I'll add my thoughts anyhow!

Fine Coooking would be my choice on that list because it devotes itself to cooking. I also enjoy Cooking Light and Eating well now and again. Whenever I'm feeling a tad guilty!

I find Bon Appetit and Food and Wine devote too much to entertaining and to advertisements.

Not on the list but another I enjoy is Cuisine at Home. Simple but good and again not tons of advertising and entertaining ideas.

I guess I will have to find a killer apple cake recipe with caramel sauce to get some use out of the pans.

Betty, one of those cakes was just posted and is getting rave reviews. It is on my menu for this weekend. Link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ruthanna's apple cake with caramel frosting

Seagrass, you are hilarious! I hope your friends don't find out you've clipped recipes from Southern Living! I thought it was okay to like foods from other areas and the ones in SL are more than likely not necessarily from people who've always lived in the south.

John, over the years I have subscribed to a gajillion cooking magazines including Gourmet, Bon Appetit, Saveur, and most of the ones mentioned and you see on the newstand. They were in pristine condition, full of sticky notes where I planned to try a recipe, but essentially unused. Habitat for Humanity got most of them, since they seem to be a convenient place that will accept old magazines.

I still subscribe to several, look at them, mentally plan recipes I will try but find myself drawn to the T&T recipes here, regardless of what part of the country they are from.

Betty, you are fortunate that your family will eat whatever you prepare, I was lucky in that respect also. I was amazed at the picky eaters among the group of outstanding cooks who contribute to this forum. I hope you are pleased with your selection and I think you will be.

jude

Too late for the vote, but I'll put in my $.02:

Of those magazines listed, I like Fine Cooking the best. It's a Taunton publication, and I find their publications to be top notch (Fine Woodworking, Fine Homebuilding). Bon Appetit is pretty good, too.

But if I were to subscribe to just one cooking magazine, it's one that isn't on that list: I really like Cooks Illustrated. It appeals to the techie/scientific side of me, giving rational explanations for a recipe rather than just giving a recipe. The only drawback to CI in my opinion is that they seem to be a little heavy handed with the salt.

I put the order in the mail when I went out to run errands this morning, but I may just slip by Barnes & Noble and check out Fine Cooking.

At the time I mailed the order I was restraining myself because I had just trained myself to stop subscribing to magazines. I ordered Guidepost for Hubby, Daughter and myself and would only allow myself ONE cooking magazine. PERIOD. Bon Appetit was the top choice here at the time.

But....now......I'm tempted.

Jessy, thanks for posting the link to Ruthanna's apple cake with caramel icing. I was going to bake a carrot cake for a function at church tomorrow night, but I'm going to try the apple cake instead.

Thanks again for sharing your favorites.

Betty

I used to love Bon Appetit and really looked forward to every new issue. But since they brought on a new editor this year, I find myself more and more disappointed with every issue. I'm so put off by it that I won't be renewing my subscription when it runs out next month.

I've been thinking of switching over to Saveur or Fine Cooking, or maybe both, since they both have fewer than 12 issues/year.

I like the Cook's magazine. I think it's put out by America's Test Kitchen. I like the science and investigation in it.

I do get Everyday Food, but when it runs out next month I won't be renewing it. I like its compact design, I always keep an issue in my purse for browsing while waiting somewhere.

Fine Cooking intrigues me. I've never read a copy, but with the emails that come to my inbox, it's generally the Fine Cooking recipe that interests me and I save. I'll have to pick up a copy of the magazine and check it out.

None of the above - just send a donation.

I know this is too late. Nevertheless, I thought I was share this. Recently the guys at The Bitten Word were asked by a young college student which ONE food magazine would they subscribe to, if they could only have one. They responded "Everyday Food."

Here is a link that might be useful: The Bitten Word

Thought I would share an update....

I made Ruthanna's apple cake with caramel icing to take to our church function. Only change was- I put chopped pecans in the cake, too. Everybody liked it. The icing is RICH!

One guy came by and kept raving about how good it was and how much he loved it until I gave him the leftovers.(ok, I saved a piece for me to bring home. Shhh...)

Alfred (Hubby) loved it, but said he liked his cake best without icing. I'm going to try LindaC's apple cake with the cake gravy on the side next.

Our son loved it, too. He is happy he got his caramel fix. He said it was even better with bottled caramel sauce drizzled over his piece. Yes he did! (I tried a bite. Wasn't bad.)

I sneaked in Walmart without son after church today to grab a couple of things on his Christmas list and found a Fine Cooking magazine in my basket at the checkout counter. :)

Jude, My best successes have been with the T&T recipes I've found here.

My guys will eat anything that doesn't eat them first! Feeding them is the easy part. The hardest part is filling them up for longer than an hour! Especially our son who is 17, 6'2" and is on the track team. Runs off everything he eats and is ALWAYS hungry!

Momj47, I MUST read something all of the time! I can't take my laptop everywhere with me, but I NEVER leave home without a book or magazine.

A donation would have been nice, but this was a perfect excuse I MEAN opportunity to expand my horizons in the culinary world AND help my Grandson's school. Win/Win.
Hubby will be happy if I get a few good recipes from the subscription. See the part above about not filling them up!

Thanks again, everyone. Don't know when I've had so much fun buying magazines.

Betty