A look at "Christopher Kimball's Milk Street"--a new cooking magazine

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street: that is the name of the America’s Test Kitchen former host’s new magazine. And it looks just like the former Cooks Illustrated magazine he ran except the photos are in color.

His introduction says “So let’s stop doing things in the kitchen that made sense in the 19th century, but not in the 21st.” OK. He goes on to say that he is going around the world to bring us the best techniques and ingredients that he apparently thinks the cooking American public doesn’t know about.

He points out that the food of his childhood is referenced by New England’s and Northern Europe’s bland cuisine, but he went to Vietnam ten years ago and discovered spices along with new flavors and cooking tools and techniques. One reviewer noted he seemed “late to the party.” And judging from what I read even here on our recipe and food boards, I’d say that’s true! We commonly talk about spices, ethnic dishes, pots and pans used in other countries and such.

There’s a long article about “Why the French Can’t Scramble Eggs!” that features a recipe for eggs scrambled in olive oil. Another about “Whatever Happened to Grated Carrot Salad?” one on pie crust, one on salmon cooked in foil and one on “White-Cooked Chicken Gets Big Flavor from a Long, Hot Bath,” or the technique I saw the Frugal Gourmet feature more than 30 years ago. “The Trouble with Champagne Flutes” is another story about the merits of different glassware.

In the back is a section with looks at equipment including Rachael Ray’s olive oil bottle (he notes she sent him one and he is in love with it); a silicone cup to poach an egg; a silicone net to hold food (he says “This is absolutely not the kind of kitchen tool I would be likely to use, but. . . “), the Zoku iced coffee maker, and an odd brightly colored tortilla warmer that just a few weeks ago he made all manners of fun of and called ugly on his old show.

Anyway, for those interested, here is a little peek inside. His cranky side comes forth, and he seems to be oddly dismissive of the former shows and ways of cooking that he espoused (and espouses in reruns) on tv. He is evangelical about spices and herbs and food from other lands, and really you do read it and think “Where has he been?”

The magazine is $6.95; $19.95 for a six-issue one year subscription. There are 33 pages to this charter issue, which he says we should hold onto because it is "an instant collector's item." And he will change the way we cook forever.

CinNC · ‎10-05-2012

I used to be a long time subscriber to Cooks Illustrated. Then I switched to Cooks Country.

Often watch America's Test Kitchen, but as I've gotten older, I'm looking for healthier, simpler meals that take less time to prepare.

sandraskates · ‎06-26-2014

@Sooner - Where do you find this new mag? I want to take a look at it.

Lacey1 · ‎03-09-2010

Sooner, I couldn't agree more on your, 'Milk Street' review. Thick, expensive paper, no advertisements-I was hopeful when I received the first issue.

I was surprised, (and disappointed) to see him give a thumbs up to the RR oil carafe, (that he received as a gift).

I wish him well, but this magazine is not for me. I'm not interested in reading about his discovery of spices and herbs-that the rest of us have been using for awhile.

house_cat · ‎03-09-2010

I find nothing about him appealing and I don't plan to read or purchase his magazine. It seems he has made multi-millions of dollars with his earlier ventures. If he was released from the show, there's probably a good reason. In my opinion, he added nothing to it except crabbiness and sarcasm.

I'm looking forward to the new season with Julia and Bridget as the hosts.

~ house cat ~

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

@sandraskates wrote:
@Sooner - Where do you find this new mag? I want to take a look at it.

I saw it at the checkout line at Whole Foods. I flipped through it and thought there was nothing in it that interested me. Then I picked it up again and looked closer at the contents and was so surprised at what I saw I bought it.

After close examination at home (LOL!!) I decided that I really don't see what his point is. There are lots of magazine articles about spices and incorporating foreign flavors in our cooking; lots about cookware that is unusual to us; and none of the articles in it were really of interest I think to the average or even the experienced cook.

I use olive oil ever time I cook eggs (sometimes adding a little butter) and have for more than 20 years, but I don't like eggs cooked a high heat.

I was also surprised at the somewhat bitter take on things about his past success. There are some shots at his former shows and magazines in the titles of these articles and in the slant of the text. To me it says, yes, he is the way he seemed on tv--REALLY!

Snowpuppy · ‎03-09-2010

@house_cat wrote:
I find nothing about him appealing and I don't plan to read or purchase his magazine. It seems he has made multi-millions of dollars with his earlier ventures. If he was released from the show, there's probably a good reason. In my opinion, he added nothing to it except crabbiness and sarcasm.

I'm looking forward to the new season with Julia and Bridget as the hosts.

@house_cat couldn't agree more. He didn't come to terms with his compensation and left. Or was fired. I don't need to buy a magazine from a 7 figure guy with my salary.

He & RR are has beens who need to get over themselves.

sabatini · ‎06-29-2015

@Sooner, what a thorough, insightful review! I enjoyed reading it.

I'm from the Boston area, and have never been a fan of Chris K. I found him pompous and pretentious, with a phony folksy air.

I did watch ATK, though it sometimes irked me how how they could take something so simple - add a million steps to it, and make it difficult.

It also bugged me that to read their recipes online, you had to sign up & pay. One way I got around that was by reading a guy's blog:

My Year Cooking with Chris Kimball | Recipes from Cook's Illustate

I'd do a search and see if he'd posted a particular recipe I was interested in. Haha!

I don't see the magazine surviving, if only because so many magazines are falling by the wayside in this internet era.

Muddling through...

momtochloe · ‎11-03-2013

@sandraskates wrote:
@Sooner - Where do you find this new mag? I want to take a look at it.

@sandraskates if you Google the name of the magazine it will take you to his website and there is a one time only offer for a free copy of the first issue which I signed up for.

I was looking for places to purchase it and found that link and am so glad . . .

eta: I just received an email from the site and they are offering a discount (brings the total to less than $18 a year) which is good for a while so you can have a chance to look the magazine over before you subscribe which I thought was a great idea.

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

@sabatini wrote:
@Sooner, what a thorough, insightful review! I enjoyed reading it.

I'm from the Boston area, and have never been a fan of Chris K. I found him pompous and pretentious, with a phony folksy air.
I did watch ATK, though it sometimes irked me how how they could take something so simple - add a million steps to it, and make it difficult.

It also bugged me that to read their recipes online, you had to sign up & pay. One way I got around that was by reading a guy's blog:
My Year Cooking with Chris Kimball | Recipes from Cook's Illustate
I'd do a search and see if he'd posted a particular recipe I was interested in. Haha!

I don't see the magazine surviving, if only because so many magazines are falling by the wayside in this internet era.

LOL!!! Pompus, Pretentious and Phony! You got it! Yes it always irked me to to be asked to pay for the recipes and I was disappointed in PBS for letting him get away with that. How chintzy!

Thanks for the link!!!