WOW!!! December issue

[Jessica]

I usually have to wait until the 29th or 30th for my issue, but December was in the mail today and it looks amazing. The Mexican recipes in particular look good, as do the chocolate winners, and I am excited by all the appetizer choices because that is my assignment for my next club dinner.

Best of all, there is a low-fat version of our traditional holiday treat: peppermint ice cream.

Happy Holidays :)

[aggie94]

Jessica,

Out of curiosity, what Mexican dishes are in the cooking class for December? Our supper club meets this Saturday, and our theme is Mexican. Most of the dishes are already decided on (entree, side, dessert), but we'd still be interested in a fabulous salad or appetizer recipe, if there is one. Would you mind sharing the names? Pretty please?? :D I'm sure I won't get my December issue anytime soon.

Thanks!

[Jessica]

Sure

Rustic Jicama Appetizer with Red Chile and Lime

Salsa de Molcajete

Roasted-Poblano Guacamole with Garlic and Parsley

Ceviche de Camaron

Mango-Lime Ice

Pollo Abodabo con Papas (red chile-crusted chicken with crusty potatoes)

Filetes de Pescado a la Veracruzana (fish fillets braised with tomatoes, capers, olives and herbs)

Tacos de Bistec con Chiles Torreados (seared steak tacos with blistered serranos and browned onions)

Corn tortillas

[luckylori]

I still haven't gotten my November issue!!

[Jessica]

Sure

Rustic Jicama Appetizer with Red Chile and Lime

Salsa de Molcajete

Roasted-Poblano Guacamole with Garlic and Parsley

Ceviche de Camaron

Mango-Lime Ice

Pollo Abodabo con Papas (red chile-crusted chicken with crusty potatoes)

Filetes de Pescado a la Veracruzana (fish fillets braised with tomatoes, capers, olives and herbs)

Tacos de Bistec con Chiles Torreados (seared steak tacos with blistered serranos and browned onions)

Corn tortillas

[Gail]

Let me put in a "thumbs up" plug for the guacamole, one of the goodies we got to taste-test in Birmingham back in June. Heap good stuff!

Although the jicama was slightly more controversial, I liked that one, too!

[Varaile]

I received my Dec CL today also! :D :eek: :D I thought many of the Super Fast suppers looked very good.

What a treat tonight - DH is out of town so I get to curl up with the magazine and play on the BB! :p

I hope the rest of you get your magazine shortly!

[lindrusso]

Mmmmm....the Mexican recipes do indeed sound good! I usually get my copy a few days after the first sightings, so it should be here any day now.

I'm very interested in the appetizers in the December issue.

With the exception of some bruschetta recipes (and a few others), I find it hard to whip up a good, low-fat appetizer. Maybe I just have specific cravings that appetizers fulfill for me??? I must look to them to fill some primal, loaded-with-fat need for me!! Whatever it is, I'm rarely satisfied with light appetizers! Weird.....

[Jessica]

I know what you mean, lindrusso. I'd rather have one or two high-fat nibbles than a stack of celery sticks dipped in salsa.

[makedah]

I got mine today. It was completely unexpected.

[BethH]

Ditto Gail on the guacamole recipe! We thought this was fabulous when we tasted it at CL! :p

[Ralph]

Originally posted by lindrusso
I'm very interested in the appetizers in the December issue.


The appetizers include Curried Crab Cakes, Mini Frittatas w/Ham & Cheese, & Asian Party Mix from the "Holiday Cookbook" section.

They've also got recipes for the Roasted-Poblano Guacamole mentioned above and the Jicama & Shrimp Ceviche that Jessica mentioned.

[Laura B]

My issue just came today. I am looking forward to sitting down with it. I think the cover is beautiful! Since I moved across town, my issue has not been coming until the 20-something of the month. It was a pleasure to find it early!

[tammy/MN]

has anyone ever made homemade tortillas before? CL makes it look so easy that i'm even thinking of trying it.:eek:

i ran across the wasabi peas in my local, small, grocery store & thought they were spoiled. i thought they had mold growing on them, so i'm glad after ready my CL mag, that they cleared that up. btw, what else would you use them for?

can't wait to try the cin-french toast bake.

tammy

[Gail]

Originally posted by tammy/MN
has anyone ever made homemade tortillas before? CL makes it look so easy that i'm even thinking of trying it.:eek:

tammy

I'm working at a disadvantage, the December CL not having made it here yet-- so I can't comment upon CL's recipe or method. Yes, I've made tortillas before, and though I'm not sure if we're dealing with flour or corn varieties here, I will say that the taste of the homemade cannot be beat!

[KelLeg]

Originally posted by Gail
Let me put in a "thumbs up" plug for the guacamole, one of the goodies we got to taste-test in Birmingham back in June. Heap good stuff!


Ok, I'm a bit new. I have to know...how do you get to be a taste tester at CL????

Also, I'm so excited to hear that there is a peppermint ice cream recipe in there. I was going to try to lighten it myself this year. Last Xmas, I made a light Oreo cookie crust and added peppermint ice cream to it for an ice cream pie. I was hoping to lighten a bit. I'm glad they did it for me!

[Gail]

Originally posted by KelLeg


Ok, I'm a bit new. I have to know...how do you get to be a taste tester at CL????



Earlier this year, a group of readers here on the board thought it might be fun to arrange a get-together. Along the way, Maelynn picked up on the messages and was gracious enough to arrange what became known as the "CL Weekend" or "Weekend with CL," which was held in early June. A group of us flew to Birmingham (at our own expense, obviously) where we are able to tour CL's lovely headquarters and take part in a number of activities, taste-testing among them, and finally meet some of the people we've grown to know so well.

If you run a search, you'll find some old threads pertaining to the event-- and a bulletin board in the drop-down menu devoted exclusively to the weekend.

[KelLeg]

Gail--that sounds like a dream! I've always wanted to check out Cooking Light. How fun! I will look up the old threads. Thanks.

[AzAnne]

After reading this thread I can't wait for the Dec. issue. DH an I love mexican food, and usually cook at least 1 mex. meal a week.

As far a homemade tortillas.. when I was growing up my girlfriends mother would make them every day and they were the best! She tired on numerous occasions to teach us how, but the never looked the same. I have attempted to make my own and failed miserably, luckly there's a restaurant that makes them fresh daily. Have a feeling that they aren't low fat.

Dang, now I want some green corn tamales:D

[jjsooner73]

My December CL arrived today in suburban Dallas.
Woohoo! Mexican is my favorite, so I am looking forward to those recipes.

[AD]

I got mine yesterday and was not too impressed. The pictures and recipes did not seem to fit for December or Christmas. I agreed entirely with a comment published in the first few pages from a reader who had been disappointed with all the ethnic and exotic recipes throughout the entire year.

I do still enjoy CL and I'm happy with many of its recipes; I am just ready for more traditional and familiar foods. From this month, the sweet potato bundt cake sounded pretty good.

[Beth]

Well, just to flip the coin and look at the other side, I think one of the better things and more exciting things about CL lately has been the ethnic and athnic influenced foods. I've been cooking the familiar long enough to have it down and usually to have lightened it along the way if I'm going to. I like seeing new twists on classics, but it's usually the different things I get really excited about. Just shows why they do some of both. :)

[SandyM]

I'm with you, Beth. I'm of the camp that you can't please everyone, and I think CL does a pretty good job of balancing. Do we want to see meatloaf and mashed potatoes, or lasagne every month?

I was a little upset when I read the letter written by the person complaining about the emphasis on ethnic recipes. What I don't understand is why people just can't turn the page? I've said this before - I don't buy CL to find out what kind of shampoo to use. I move on to the articles and recipes that I am interested in, and leave the rest to those that are. Voila! :D

[greysangel]

I love the variety of recipes that CL publishes...including the ethnic sections. Some months, I admit to not really diving in...other months I'm all over it! I read somewhere once that there were really only so many recipes out there and everything else is a variation of the same combination of things...to some extent I believe this to be kinda true :D There are PLENTY of magazines, websites etc. that focus on comfort foods and casseroles. There are also PLENTY of magazines and websites that focus on gourmet/entertaining. What I love about CL is that it combines the best of all worlds while also maintaining a healthy approach which is part of their motto.

The best we can hope for is to please a majority of people most of the time...you can never please everyone all of the time.

If you don't like it, skip it!

JeAnne

[Molli526]

Originally posted by greysangel
I love the variety of recipes that CL publishes...including the ethnic sections. Some months, I admit to not really diving in...other months I'm all over it! I read somewhere once that there were really only so many recipes out there and everything else is a variation of the same combination of things...to some extent I believe this to be kinda true :D There are PLENTY of magazines, websites etc. that focus on comfort foods and casseroles. There are also PLENTY of magazines and websites that focus on gourmet/entertaining. What I love about CL is that it combines the best of all worlds while also maintaining a healthy approach which is part of their motto.

The best we can hope for is to please a majority of people most of the time...you can never please everyone all of the time.

If you don't like it, skip it!

JeAnne


Applause, Clapping

[RebeccaT]

I completely agree with those who believe that the variety is a good thing. However, I must confess that while I love to read the ethnic recipes and learn about a type of cuisine I am not that familiar with (I LOVED the French cooking segment!) I rarely try the recipes. I tend to actually make the recipes that look simple and quick, and unfortunately many of the cooking class recipes are neither. But they do inspire me!

I got the December issue over the weekend. In addition to many that others have mentioned, I am really excited about the Pear, Walnut, and Blue Cheese salad with Cranberry vinigarette - it will be perfect with the Pork Tenderloin with Cranberry-Port sauce that I am making for my holiday dinner party!

[Julia1Pin]

I am of the school that loves the ethnic classes every month, even though I rarely get around to making any of them. I received the magazine and read the article yesterday. The reader wrote that most of the ingrediants, like cactus, were very difficult to find. I figured this person MUST live in a tiny village in the mid-west. NOT!!! they live in Los Angeles. It is not difficult to find any ingrediant in Los Angeles (especially Spanish or Mexican ingrediants). I just thought that that was funny.

By the way, I like the holiday section, but Jews do not only eat Latkes (Potato Pancakes) during Hanukah! there were 2 or 3 Latke recipes, and that was it. No rugalach, no kugel (not necessarily hanukah but Jewish), nothing else.

[Jewel]

I haven't received my December issue yet here in Seattle, but I have to agree with JeAnne and SandyM that the whole purpose of CL is to show that ALL types of foods can be lightened to some degree, in order to make them healthier! I'm not one to dive right into French or Middle Eastern cooking, but I'm proud that CL isn't afraid to dive in...most would think that 'light' cooking would be only '500 Ways With Chicken' or something along that line. At least they show us that if we decide to branch off into those types of foods, we can do it without sacrificing our health or our hips! :D

If CL did nothing but casseroles, comfort foods, and nine different lasagna recipes each year, others would be griping about how there is no variety. Through our CL education over the years, we all pretty much know the tricks to lightening most American dishes: lowfat evap milk subbing for heavy cream, drained applesauce subbing for shortening or oil...but how many of us would know how to lighten French food? :eek: At least CL has the guts to set up the test kitchens and try it! ;)

[mame]

I guess I am in the minority here. I got my december issue yesterday and read the whole thing--and nothing really stood out to me. I have been getting them only for a little over a year now, but this is by far my least favorite issue. Fewer photos. Way, way too much comfort foods. Perhaps it is just me--but it seems that if you want to make ham, turkey, etc--that is what taste of home is for--it takes a lot more creativity to come up with other possible main dishes. Particularly meatless. I was very very disapointed that there were like no meatless choices--they even went as far as to cut the vegetarian column this month. :( I hope that is not permanent. So far they have cut many of the columns I orginally liked--especially the cooking for two one. Last december's issue was much better IMO. Plus, again, many of the recipes did not seem as light as they could be.