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June/July 2010 issue of Fine Cooking No. 105
Very disappointed in Fine Cookings new direction under Laurie Buckle. The most recent issue is so far removed from the target market of the past. If you go back and look at years past, you will see that this June/July issue is very different. Too many meat focused recipes, not enough emphasis on seasonal fruits & vegetables. The magazine doesn't speak to me anymore.
I could go on and on about how disappointed I am. Does anyone else agree? If you've been a long time subscriber how do you like the magazine today?
Fine Cooking has become a magazine I will probably quit subscribing to if it continues this course.
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Disaffected subscribers.. (post #69971, reply #1 of 17)
Hi anonymous--
There was some discussion of the perceived change in emphasis, starting with the issue re-design with #97. Unfortunately, most of the people who were dissatisfied with the magazine redesign are also (and even more so) dissatisfied with the website redesign, so they have moved to a different forum.
Have you tried any of the recipes from the newer issues? The greens article in 105 seems to be right up your alley-- the bok choy recipe is really good.
pie
Dissatisfied w/Fine Cooking's new direction (post #69971, reply #4 of 17)
My feeling about having an ariticle on "eat your greens" this time of year is way out of the ball park. Most of us have had to subsist on greens, root veggies, squash all winter long. Greens to me is a winter dish. I'm so looking forward to the bounty of spring/summer. This magazine is out of touch!
Thank you for your comment.
Greens galore... (post #69971, reply #8 of 17)
Interesting-- my CSA is going to start in a couple of weeks and it will be greens, greens, and more greens for the first month or so-- that greens article is spot on for me. Where are you? I also liked the cherry article, but we will not get good local cherries for many weeks.
pie
I let my longtime (post #69971, reply #2 of 17)
I let my longtime subscription lapse after the redesign. I have perceived Buckle's vision for the book to be more about style and design elements than on substance, and I find the new typeface very difficult to read, it makes using the magazine a chore.
I bought this most recent issue on impulse one day. And I think the content has improved somewhat--I can even read the pages on white background, but trying to follow the instructions on a page with black type on a full bleed photo, or lengthy passages of type reversed against a black background just annoys the heck out of me, so won't be resubscribing any time soon.
Fine Cooking's professional caliber for both the magazine and the website/forum has really slipped. There's nothing that really differentiates it any more. So I'm waiting for this cycle to run its course and new blood to come in and revive the brand.
Meanwhile I have 10 years of back issues to reacquaint myself with.
Back Issues (post #69971, reply #3 of 17)
I am so fortunate that a friend filled in the gaps of my back issues and I have the first 100 to fall back on. I think of her often. :)
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help to provide free mammograms for women in need
. (post #69971, reply #6 of 17)
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Dissatisfied w/Fine Cooking's new direction (post #69971, reply #5 of 17)
You've articulated my feeling about Lauie Buckle very well: all style & design, no substance!
Fine Cooking has become a "pretty face" like it's competitors - Bon Appetitie, Food & Wine & good riddence to Gourmet. All these I stopped subscribing to long ago.
I've been disappointed in the new editor's vision for this magazine but #105 pushed me to react! It's absolutely of no value to me. I looked at it and there isn't anything I want to make. So uninspiring!!!! I won't be renewing my subscription either.
I too have 10+ years of bound back issues which I will be reacquainting myself with.
Thank you for your comments. I was wondering if I'm the only one who is so unhappy with this new editor.
Oh, hardly. When the new (post #69971, reply #7 of 17)
Oh, hardly. When the new design was rolled out there was an uprising of feeling about how it lacked substance, hard to read, BIG photos to take up pages without any substance, and on and on. Then recent issues seem to have improved some. I let my subscription lapse. It is "way too expensive for the benefit now. I am liking Bon Appetit very much, and Martha's Everyday Food for really quick, good, easy cooking ideas EVERY issue.
I'm assuming you aren't in (post #69971, reply #9 of 17)
I'm assuming you aren't in the US where the greens are now coming to market? Young and tender. I also assume you don't use a grill in summertime, which it is in the US. I too have at least one mag a year that doesn't 'speak' to me, but all the others do.
But, but, it's SUPPOSED to taste like that!
San Francisco, CA is where I live (post #69971, reply #14 of 17)
I live in San Francisco, CA and grilling isn't something I can do easily in a city. However, I do grill when I go to friends & family's houses to visit.
Greens this time of year means fresh, lovely salads. I'm so tired of the greens that have been available all winter long. Fresh, spring & summer vegetables & fruit is what I'm longing for. Thank you:)
I live just north of you in (post #69971, reply #15 of 17)
I live just north of you in Sonoma county and greens are starting to disappear from my farmers market. Like you, I'm OK with that, had my fill during the season, and like you I was surprised to see those greens on the cover of the current issue. To me it was like seeing a roast turkey on the May issue, out of synch.
I do grill though.
I am one of those dissatisfied customers (post #69971, reply #10 of 17)
I can't comment on the style or substance changes because I find the font impossible to read. I tried printing out the recipes from the website but I can't read them either. So I cancelled my subscription to both.
Why don't I get over it and put on glasses? I have a unique situation: I had LASIK in one eye to give me a close-up "reading eye." The other eye is for distance. (Amazingly, your brain learns to adapt to this situation.) I can read any and every kind of book without a problem; the Fine Cooking font wins the award for the-only-font-Marie-can't-see. Since I don't need glasses for anything but computer use and driving-and each of those cost a few hundred dollars-I can't justify getting custom bifocals to be able to read Fine Cooking's small print and safety cook in the kitchen.
Now I call your Lasik surgery (post #69971, reply #11 of 17)
Now I call your Lasik surgery the Murphy's Law of the best laid plans!! should have been a perfect solution. Even drugstore glasses wouldn't help you. Sorry 'bout that. ;o)
Marie, you've given me an (post #69971, reply #16 of 17)
Marie, you've given me an idea--I have three pairs of glasses--and yes that is expensive even with insurance. But maybe my computer glasses might help me read the infernal typeface?
Worth a try.
I too gave up printing out FC recipes from the website because they print in a light brown and light gray face and I got tired of having to reformat the whole darn thing before I could read it.
Another idea (post #69971, reply #17 of 17)
Before my eyes settled down enough to get Rx glasses, my doc suggested that I go to a drugstore and buy a pair for my left eye and a pair for my right eye, pop out one of the lens from each pair and make my own custom glasses.
I had to do that a few times as my eye healed.
So, yeah, go to a place that sells FC and cheap readers and test out a few pairs to see what you can do.
As for me, I've already had stitches due to kitchen accidents on 3 different occasions, so I'm a little scared to use glasses in the kitchens. Part of getting this "monovision" I paid good money to be given is that you have no depth perception. That and knives wouldn't mix well. (Now don't be scared to let me drive you anywhere; I have special driving glasses that give me depth perception, LOL.)
I did look at the latest issue while standing in line yesterday; it looked fabulous, although all I could do is look at the pictures and the titles. Sigh...
The "new" Fine Cooking (post #69971, reply #12 of 17)
I was a longtime subscriber, but I also let my subscription lapse when all the cosmetic changes came along and displaced good, solid, informational articles about interesting ingredients and sound techniques.
And like so many others, I got caught up in the "Siege of Taunton" when the forum was "improved." I probably stroll over here once every two or three weeks but am rapidly losing interest in even that.
The bottom line for me was the utter disregard for user preferences on the message boards, and the screechy "don't blame me" tone in which most of those messages were delivered.
Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart.
-- Washington Irving
Fish and poultry recipes (post #69971, reply #13 of 17)
Issue 104 was filled with fish recipes and featured olive oil poaching. I made the salmon patties and halibut and really liked both. Maybe an issue featuring poultry will show up, but in the mean time there is a special issue 101 Delicious Chicken recipes and if you access the "Index" from the index guy you will find many many more
As a few others stated the last two issues contained many vegetable recipes and luckily I was able to find several of the vegetables like baby artichokes at least once. Th artichoke recipes were fantastic. The greens recipes in the current issue are great especially the one with crispy salami.
I'm happy.