Cooking Right Every Month

I love giving magazines subscriptions as gifts. There's something out there for just about every interest (August is entering a phase where the 14 different dog magazines have him mesmerized for a relatively long time - about 30 seconds). It's easy to shop for them. And if the magazine's right on, the recipient gets a delicious anticipation when he or she checks the mail (except right after the magazine arrives).

I learned how to cook, from almost no knowledge, by reading Cooking Light. I remember going to Barnes and Noble and grabbing a bunch of magazines off the rack and critiquing them all until I had narrowed them down to that title. Accessible, healthy, clear, with recipes at different skill levels and from all over the world. I liked the column that taught a new skill, with recipes, each month, and the column that explored a new cuisine. The fast recipe feature was also useful. A couple of the dessert recipes were duds, but most of the savory entries turned out well and had a lot of flavor. My first supper club met through the Cooking Light web site. It's been years since I've subscribed to this magazine, but I still think it's a good one for anyone who doesn't spend a lot of time in the kitchen but would like to do more cooking, especially if it's to eat healthier.