FoodieChat

delicious. 

Monthly $6.95 

This monthly magazine is one of FoodieChat’s favourites.  There are numerous recipes which not only look good due to the styling, but also are easy to prepare and offer a good variety. The travel features provide a run down on great places to eat and shop around the place, and delicious. has a good basket of well known chefs which write regular articles and recipes. My favourites include Nigella Lawson, Jamie Oliver, Bill Granger to name a few.

At only $6.50 an issue it is a great value read – you will also be guaranteed to get good use of the recipes, whether it be “Tuesday night cooking” (weeknights), or an internationally themed dinner party.

Australian Gourmet Traveller

Monthly $7.95

Beautiful pictures of beautiful food. This magazine has a little more on the travel side than its competitors, but without taking away from the food aspect.  There is a regular features where readers can request a recipe for a favourite dish from a favourite restaurant.  The magazine is a good balance between practical, and entertaining – that is, it’s equally pleasurable to be read with a hot chocolate snuggled under a rug, or propped up in your kitchen to help you with a course or two for your next dinner party.  A great coffee table magazine too.

Donna Hay magazine

Donna Hay’s forte is definitely her styling.  Page after page of gorgeous food, with one or two features on a themed dinner or other party.   Donna Hay has started a huge franchise encompassing books, merchandise and I’m sure she will venture into TV soon!  Every magazine is a photographic masterpiece, with food at its centre.  “Making simple special” – the recipes just jump out at you.   I personally don’t find much use in the styling section talking about cutlery, servingware and textiles, but one my friend Mel loves it.  Depends whether you’re buying it as a reading magazine or an eating magazing! I love the Donna Hay stall at various shows where you can meet her and buy back issues too. A bit pricey, but you can get a 1 year subscription (6 issues) for $40.

Top Chef – the cookbook

Yay! My favourite show has released a book on seasons 1 – 3. It’s got profiles of all the contestants, and the best of the winning recipes in there. It provides a real behind the scenes look at the show, and the work that goes behind it.  Alot of the recipes are quite involved, but you’d be surprised about how a simple recipe can also win the prize!