Issues with the May issue

[BlueMoose]

I was very disappointed in the May issue. I don't currently have a subscription & if I had had time to look through this one in the store I wouldn't have bought it. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/frown.gif Oh well, I thought April was better than usual!

[buddie]

i really liked this issue except for the tofu section.

i find that most of the salads can be made vegetarian. i usually omit fish from pastas and salads and sometimes omit the chicken also.

obviously we can't do that with a main chicken dish but you could with things like stuffed peppers

[RunnerKim]

I've just received my May issue and only had a just for a quick look through. I thought I'd comment about the chicken thigh section (even though I know this thread is about vegetarian options).

I wouldn't agree that chicken breast (white meat) are nutritionally better than thighs (dark meat). I haven't yet read the article but I was excited to see the recipes because I read that there's great nutrients in dark meat - here's an excerpt from Liz Applegate, PhD, nutritionist for Runner's World magazine (go to the nutrition link and Best and Worst Food Pairings at http://www.runnersworld.com )

Dark-meat chicken and
White-meat chicken


First place: Dark-meat chicken
Second place: White-meat chicken

You probably thought I'd pick white meat. After all, white meat has less fat. Let me explain. Dark meat's deeper color comes from a special protein called myoglobin. Myoglobin contains iron, an important nutrient for runners. Dark meat also packs more than twice the amount of zinc, or nearly 20 percent of your needs. Most runners tend to skimp on this mineral, which is vital for a healthy immune system. Zinc from chicken and other meats is also absorbed better by your body than zinc from beans, grains and other vegetable sources. With chicken, a little zinc goes a long way.

True, dark meat has more fat than white meat-about 9 grams in a 3-ounce serving. But don't fear this extra fat. Much of it is the cholesterol-lowering, monounsaturated type.

Kim

[emilycat]

Phoebe,

You know, I hadn't really thought of altering the recipes using beans, seitan, tofu, etc. -- Gosh, how uncreative am I? I'll have to re-examine my complaint http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[Karen M]

I was bummed because there was only one recipe using beef. I just restocked my freezer with a quarter of a steer!

[makedah]

I'm equally lukewarm on both April and May. I really enjoyed Jan/Feb and March.

[KValley]

I haven't had the chance to give more than a cursory glance at the May issue (although I made a recipe the other night based on BB reviews). But I wanted to make a couple of comments, one peeve and one praise.

THe peeve is the overwhelming amount of desserts in the average CL issue. I don't make dessert all that often- usually only when we have dinner guests or for special occasions; then I stick with my repertoire of tried and true crowd pleasers -which I must admit is growing, thanks to CL- but gosh, do they have to publish SO MANY? I'd rather see more space devoted to...

Meatless main dishes and meatless dishes that are not pasta based THis is my praise. I think CL is doing a markedly better job with meatless main and grain dishes. I'm not a big fan of pasta and I am so glad to see them expanding THEIR repertoire! But there is room for improvement (or would be if there were fewer desserts http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif)

That's my rant for the day.... Julie

BTW-Kim- thanks for the information on white/dark chicken. We eat A LOT of poultry - both chick breasts and thights -and I never knew there was such a difference in nutritional content.

[Terrytx]

I love the May issue. I'm one of the ones that leave out the seafood or chicken in salads also. We grill alot, so I will enjoy trying the recipes in this issue. I have more check marks by the ones I want to try than the last few issues put together.

[lindrusso]

I'm not trying to be critical, but I guess I just don't understand complaints about not liking one issue or another. It's obvious from the diverse responses on this thread that no way can everyone be pleased every time. What one person turns their nose up at, another person is thrilled about!

I'm actually somewhat relieved when they have an issue that is less interesting to me - there's no way I'd EVER have time to try everything if I thought every issue was "to die for"! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[emilycat]

lindrusso,

That's a really good point -- I am always amazed at the ability CL has for appealing to such a huge readership, all of whom have diverse tastes -- maybe I should hold my tongue next time before I start spouting off http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[Luiza]

KValley, is it possible? Somebody else that doesn't care much for pasta?!? After the number of eyebrows I made raise with this comment, I thought I was unique.

Hurray for us! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/cool.gif

[tobykitty]

I have to agree with lindrusso. I know that not every issue is going to be filled with recipes that I want to try and that just gives me time to catch up on the recipes from previous issues that I do want to try.

Personally, I don't care for vegetarian meals all that much. I was highly disappointed in April's issues because all of those lasagnas were vegetarian. I love all of the dessert recipes because I love to bake. I think CL is doing a good job of giving us a mix of recipes that appeal to all of us.

[chefandi]

See I was going to say that there were several made with tofu which is something that I am not familiar with. I think that it is hard to please everyone but the magazine does a pretty good job of having a variety of foods.

[Jen]

I was actually really pleased with this issue - I haven't looked through it completely, but at first glance I saw lots of dishes I'd like to make. There also seemed to be several that would work well for lunches. Not to be critical, but I was never that thrilled with the old vegetarian columnist (Deborah Madison, I think?). Maybe her meals appealed more to "real" vegetarians, but as a meat eater who likes to eat meat-free a few times a week, I never found many of her recipes that appealed to me. Many of them had "wierd" ingredients that my husband wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole (trust me, I've tried!). I saw several recipes in this month's vegetarian article that appealed to me - almost all of them! This will help us a lot with our no-meat dinners!

[emilycat]

I love CL, and I hate to complain, but has anyone else found the May issue to be very vegetarian-unfriendly? I thought an unusually large amount of the main dishes this issue were meat-focused -- I know it's difficult to please everyone, and I can't have my way every month (although I do eat the seafood dishes, so at least those aren't ruled out), but I just felt like whining. Sorry; thanks for listening!

[Ohioan]

Emily - Actually, I thought the May issue was much better than usual: several tofu dishes, and a bunch of chicken and fish dishes that would adapt well to tofu substitution -- or beans. The April issue was almost useless; I didn't mark a single recipe from it (although that may have been more because of the gooey-creamy nature of most of the recipes). But I've already copied out almost a dozen recipes from the May issue into my MasterCook.

Cheers,
Phoebe

[This message has been edited by Ohioan (edited 04-27-2001).]

[greysangel]

and see I was going to complain because of all the seafood!

My hubby is not a seafood eater so I have my seafood when we go out.

This issue was a little disappointing, but I'm going to try the chix thigh recipes using breasts for better nutritional value and keep my chin up!

JeAnne

[Wendy w]

Although I am not a "true" vegetarian, I do eat a lot of meatless meals, and I thought that there were quite a few good vegetarian recipes in the May issue. When I went through it, I thought that the bb vegetarians would be very happy.

Phoebe and Emilycat: I have just ordered the Bean Bible because of your praises. Can't wait to get it!

[This message has been edited by Wendy w (edited 04-27-2001).]

[adb]

I with you TobyKitty on the April issue. I was thinking about making one of the lasagnes and just adding some chicken to it.

I agree what appeals to one will not appeal to another. Living in NH, I can't imagine finding cactus let alone cooking with it! But I have learned a lot from some of the articles on speciality ingredients - love pomegrantes now from an article a while back.

[judyf]

Unlike the April issue, I loved the May CL. I'm not a veg and am not a fan of tofu ( but I will try the mousse). I think athat CL does a good job trying to please everybody and for the price, so what if I only make one or two recipies from an issue now and than. It gives me a chance to remake the ones from before.

[makedah]

KValley & Luiza

You are not alone... I don't care much for pasta, either. I like it only with tomato sauce and meat, as in spaghetti w/meat balls or meat sauce, lasagna and stuffed shells. I had a great spinach lasagna once, though. No pasta salads, no mac n cheese.

[lindrusso]

Originally posted by emilycat:
maybe I should hold my tongue next time before I start spouting off http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Well, now, that wouldn't be any fun, now would it??? http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif