What's the number one food magazine in America? I'll give you a hint: it's not Gourmet, Bon Appétit, or Saveur. You can't buy it on the newsstands, and most urbanites have never even heard of it.
It's called Taste of Home [1], and it has as many readers as People or Time [2]. This ad-free publication relies on recipes submitted from readers around the country, tested by Taste of Home's home economists. Talk about a virtual community: these folks have been sharing recipes with like-minded strangers for decades.
Reiman Publications, founded in 1965 in Wisconsin, publishes Taste of Home and twelve other ad-free periodicals aimed at rural tastes. Reiman's website quotes a reader who says, “Reading your magazines is like visiting with people across the country for relaxing conversations among friends.”
Judging from the recipes, the subject of heart healthy cooking doesn't come up much. I picked up a copy of Taste of Homes' Celebrations Cookbook [3], and found the fat practically dripping off the pages with dishes like Double Sausage Stromboli, Taco Pan Pizza, and Baked Cheddar Bacon Spread. There's even a dip for gingersnaps, made of cream cheese, confectioner's sugar, and Cool Whip.
Sure, dishes taste great when they're swimming in butter, cream, and cheese; how could they not? To be fair, there are a few recipes I could see actually making, such as Keilbasa Bean Soup or Roasted Root Vegetables.
And now I know what to make in that Tupperware gelatin mold I just inherited: Cinnamon Gelatin Salad, which calls for cherry gelatin, apples, pecans and red-hot candies. That is, if Matt will let me. He leafed through the book, laughing and groaning, but the people who compiled these recipes would have the same reaction to the cookbooks we use, with their quinoa tabbouleh and black soybean risotto recipes.
Has a copy of Taste of Home ever found its way to your kitchen counter? Would you try these recipes even though they're loaded with fats and sugars? I have to admit, some of them sound really good. Just not so good for you.