Lucky Peach - Major new cooking magazine

[outRIAAge]

If you can imagine Cook's Illustrated magazine, cast free from its dedication to boring American mainstream, blown out to 150 ad-free pages, with each issue entirely dedicated to one recipe, you have Lucky Peach magazine. It's the brainchild of David Chang of Manhattan Momofuku fame.

I just got my first issue, which is all about pho. If they are trying to become the world authority on pho, they've succeeded. Ever heard of Pho Cuon? Neither had I. It's handheld pho in fresh spring roll form, wrapped in a sheet of rice noodle. There's a long article by Charles Phan of the Slanted Door in San Francisco (here's my review of his fantastic Vietnamese Home Cooking).

Along the way, they deconstruct Hoisin Sauce. I make my own oyster sauce from oysters (only Lee Kum Kee seems to include oysters, and not very many), and I've tried for years to find a recipe for Hoisin sauce, but all the ones I found include Hoisin Sauce as one of the ingredients, go figure.

Sound good so far? The magazine is the perfect antidote to Rachael Ray and her yummo can-openers. Now for the sticker-shock, which is severe: $90/year for four issues. It's well worth it. If you jump now, they may still have their offer of two subscriptions for $28 going, which qualifies as a major steal.

Best of all, though, is to dip your toes in by signing up for their free, regular newsletter, which always seems to come with the entire magazine attached.

 

[jennyema]

Lucky Peach isn't new .

I've been reading it for years. I find the issues sort of hit or miss, especially recently. IMO it was better when it first came out.

But the Pho issue looks really interesting, so I'll probably get it.

I also thing Michael Chang has gotten a bit overextended these days ... though his take on food is reallyinteresting.

 

[Silversage]

+1 Jenny.

It's not presenting itself as a cooking magazine, but as a food & lifestyle magazine. It's more about chefs just shooting the breeze about 'cheffiness'. In the 5 years it's been around, I've only picked up a couple issues that seems interesting, and each time tossed it aside.

 

[jennyema]

DAVID Chang! Sorry!

 

[outRIAAge]

(Michael Chang was always overextended, being a little squirt. Lots of fun to watch, though. His one moment of glory was the French Open in 1989, if I remember correctly

But your thought about David Chang getting too diluted is spot on. Here's Pete Wells' recent damning with faint praise.

It is indeed five years old, which surprised me. I've only been reading it for two. But a lifestyle magazine? There's nothing in it that isn't purely about food.

Anyway, I highly recommend it, and the free newsletter is a great way to see if you like it.

 

[jennyema]

But your thought about David Chang getting too diluted is spot on. Here's Pete Wells' recent damning with faint praise.

Interesting review. The whole Korean-Italian fusion concept is fascinating to me, but I doubt that I'll be rushing to Nishi any time soon !

 

[GotGarlic]

If you can imagine Cook's Illustrated magazine, cast free from its dedication to boring American mainstream, blown out to 150 ad-free pages, with each issue entirely dedicated to one recipe, you have Lucky Peach magazine. It's the brainchild of David Chang of Manhattan Momofuku fame.

I just got my first issue, which is all about pho. If they are trying to become the world authority on pho, they've succeeded. Ever heard of Pho Cuon? Neither had I. It's handheld pho in fresh spring roll form, wrapped in a sheet of rice noodle. There's a long article by Charles Phan of the Slanted Door in San Francisco (here's my review of his fantastic Vietnamese Home Cooking).

Along the way, they deconstruct Hoisin Sauce. I make my own oyster sauce from oysters (only Lee Kum Kee seems to include oysters, and not very many), and I've tried for years to find a recipe for Hoisin sauce, but all the ones I found include Hoisin Sauce as one of the ingredients, go figure.

Sound good so far? The magazine is the perfect antidote to Rachael Ray and her yummo can-openers. Now for the sticker-shock, which is severe: $90/year for four issues. It's well worth it. If you jump now, they may still have their offer of two subscriptions for $28 going, which qualifies as a major steal.

Best of all, though, is to dip your toes in by signing up for their free, regular newsletter, which always seems to come with the entire magazine attached.

Gotta say, this constant slamming doesn't make me want to trust your opinion of this magazine - especially since it's $90 a year.

I've been a subscriber to Cooks Illustrated for probably 15+ years. They do quite a bit of non-mainstream American food. As for Rachael Ray? I've outgrown her, but I learned a lot from her many years ago when I was first getting into cooking. She does fill a niche. Maybe you're confusing her with Sandra Lee. Rachael cooks with mostly fresh ingredients, except for tomato and bean products, which I think most of us buy.