When I realized that I didn’t have the September issue of Cooking Light in my already overflowing stack of past issues, I checked the Web site to see what was up. Well, turns out that the magazine has gone through a redesign and they have a nifty little video that explains it all.
When I read the words “redesign” I made that awful sucking noise you make through both of your cheeks when you see something gross. You see dear readers, redesigns on magazines can sometimes make my skin crawl. Imagine you’ve enjoyed being with a loved one for years and years and one day they get massive plastic surgery and just look fake and their attitude has completely changed; of course you still love them but boy do you miss the original. In fact, this happened to me with Fitness magazine years ago and I still haven’t recovered. This is also what happens when you love magazines too much!
Now, I had to come up with some reason to grab this from the stands immediately, which ended up being cat food, yes, I “needed” cat food! I ran through Randall’s on my way home to purchase overpriced cat food and found the September Cooking Light. I got home and the first thing I did was read it from stem to stern and then, I read it again.
As a devout reader of Cooking Light magazine my message to the editorial staff is…I completely approve! The magazine is now divided way better than the old version. The recipes listing is now in the front (similar to Food & Wine) and the recipes are sectioned off so they read so much easier, from 20 Minute Meals to Dinner Tonight (quick dinner options under an hour) that have a shopping list and a game plan for ensuring your meal gets done on time. Also, they have an Enlightened Cook section with tips and tricks and recipes you can use. They still have all of the nutrition and fitness tips you love, but now it has kitchen gadgets and other fun items for you to peruse. Finally, there is now a photo with every recipe, yes dear readers, every recipe. I applaud the staff for their efforts!
I have to test some recipes from this new issue – I earmarked about 14 – to see if they are back and in business on that end. Also, I’m interested to see how following issues will be, especially the ever-crucial holiday issues in November and December. I recycle past issues of the magazine but I never get rid of the holiday ones. Stay tuned lambs!
Love your enthusiasm, Emily!
I am in shock over what has happened to this magazine. It is now cheap looking and the recipes seem to be the same-just repackaged.
Hello anonymous, this is exactly what I was talking about when redesigns can make your skin crawl. Would love to hear more of your thoughts on this!
This used to a nice blend of quick/easy recipes and more challenging recipes. The photographs were lush and now they are just so dated looking. It used to be worth the price but now I just use the website. That's all I have to say about this. Enjoy Cooking Light but I have moved on.
ANNA
Honestly, I totally disagree with "anonymous"…My copy of Cooking Light finally arrived in the mail yesterday and I was very pleased with the redesign. I almost cancelled my subscription about three months ago because I felt like the magazine was going in a direction that I didn't particularly enjoy, but I feel that there may be hope after the redesign. I felt like their recipes the past six or so months have been way too basic. I also felt like the old photographs were cheap looking, not the new ones. I think their new style alot–clean and simple, kinda reminiscient of "Real Simple" magazine.
Is it just me though or does it seem like Cooking Light always has so many Asian salads and meat with fruit combos? Those are two things that aren't that high on my list of favorite foods, so I was happy to see a bit more variety in this month's recipes.
I bookmarked quite a few this month. Can't wait to "compare notes"!
Nicole, I have to agree with you here that my love for Cooking Light had waned recently and I couldn't pinpoint why. All I knew was that everytime I got a new issue the earmarks for recipes became less and less and this time around I finally felt excited again about the recipes and magazine content. They do tend to lean heavily towards the Asian and meat/fruit combo but maybe because it's such a healthy alternative? I agree this time around was so much better, I especially liked the recipes from the travel section that featured local, healthy recipes. Like I said I can't wait to see what they do next!
I think t his is the worst redesign ever – it looks like family circle circa 1985. I will not renew after 10 years of reading.
Anonymous,
I totally agree wil you. The redesign looks cheap – mostly because the magazine is now covered in orange-red ink. I made many of the recipes in the September issue with great results. Was hoping I would adjust to the "new look" with the October issue. The new look still disturbs me and I've flipped through the October issue three times hoping to find one recipe of interest. Odd ingredients and very complicated recipes are all I've found. Cooking Light has changed too much for me to stay a dedicated fan.
Ellen
I agree with the two Anonymouses. I was dismayed to open the September issue! The elegant layout, long articles (and costly photo shoots) are gone. The magazine is clearly trying to convince us that this is a new, fresh look, but to me it looks like trying to put a good face on choices dictated by tighter budgets (theirs and they presume ours). But macaroni and cheese? Please! For that I could go to Woman's Day or Good Housekeeping. To me eye, CL has lost its elegant graphic design along with its sophisticated approach to food. Very disappointing, after loving it for years. Fortunately, my backlog of old issues will keep me going a long time!