Not Malicious, just lovely and Delicious (Delicious)

Member Name: MGirl

Product:	Delicious
Date:	02/03/05 (142 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good Recipes, Cheap

Disadvantages: None

I’ve been a subscriber to Delicious Magazine since it started in January 2004. I’m young(ish), still (just) in my twenties and I was starting to get fed up with the slightly patronising mumsy tone of “Good Food”. Just because I cook, doesn’t mean I’m a member of the WI (no offence meant, after all, I made a batch of rhubarb and ginger jam today.)

What’s different about it?

Well delicious is obviously aimed at a 20 to 30 something audience. It’s the magazine for the gastro-pub generation. Don’t let that put you off, what I mean is that it features non-fussy yet impressive recipes and it’s a bit no nonsense. For example, at the moment, they’re running a meat series where (a la Whittingstall) they run through the various cuts of meat from an animal and suggest ways to check the meat is fresh, signs of good meat and vitally, how to cook those long forgotten cuts.

March’s issue is dedicated to British food (you can hear Gary Rhodes swooning at the thought). It’s tricky ground on this one, as these tend to be recipes you learned off your mum (or enlightened Dad) and so think you don’t need a recipe for but in current times, it’s nice to see a foodie magazine including Lancashire Hotpot, especially as my experience of helping my mum prepare food is now a rarity.

This isn’t to say they’re not keen on going out on a limb. The fish Yorkshires in March issue look particularly interesting but I have to admit I haven’t tried them yet.

Each issue also reviews restaurants, this month particularly focusing on British Chefs. Delicious have a nice habit of not being as London centric as some of the other food press. (Yes, good food does exist outside London as do the majority of the UK population…) The thing that delicious really do well is their food articles. They’ve got Jamie Oliver on board and he’s contributed an article about his school project this month. Probably due to cost though, they tend to have slightly more unusual contributing Chefs than other food magazines. Several Chefs from Jamie’s “15” have contributed, often with Jamie’s thoughts on the dish (like “I was sceptical about banana and anchovy but now I realise it’s a taste sensation” – don’t worry, I’m joking.) Gordon Ramsay protégée Angela Hartnett regularly contributes as well as other Chefs such as Heston Blumenthal (the term “gastro-pub” has become synonymous with Heston) and John Burton. What I really like is that you’ll never see these Chefs on Ready, Steady Cook. Ok, I’m a bit of a food snob but tell me you take Nick Nairn seriously nowadays? I rest my case.

My favourite section though is by Tom Norrington-Davies. No, I’d never heard of him either. Every month he passionately eulogises on a particular seasonal food (this month Rhubarb, although I have to admit my jam recipe was from elsewhere, although I can’t claim it as a total success.) Anyone who’s passionate about seasonality goes down well with me.

Another benefit (which Good Food and Olive share) is that the majority of the recipes have a full nutritional breakdown. Let’s face it, some of us foodies have slightly wider hips than we’d like and it’s the responsible thing to give us the info and let us decide whether that steamed chocolate pudding is really the best idea…

Unfortunately it’s not widely distributed. The chances of finding Delicious in your local corner shop are slim but I’ve seen it in most WH Smiths (and Borders always have it in stock). The best way to ensure you get a copy is to subscribe. It’s well worth the cash. The subscription offer on their website only (rather naughtily) lists the “free” peppermill offer but in fact you can subscribe for £24.30 for a year if you look at a voucher in the latest magazine (the competitors do the same thing too). £24.30 compares favourably with Good Food at £28 and Olive at £27. It’s also better value for money because I always find that if I buy all 3 one month, I’ll keep several recipes from Delicious and one or two at most from the other magazines.

If you want to find out whether it’s for you before commiting yourself (but you can’t get hold of a copy), have a look at http://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk. They print most of the recipes online so you can try before you buy. Unlike Olive, you don’t have to be registered to see their recipes either.

Interestingly, Olive and Good Food (both more expensive and inferior products) are both produced by BBC Magazines. There’s something about that which rankles but that’s probably a whole licence fee debate for another review…

WOO HOO! MY NEW COPY HAS JUST ARRIVED

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