A Month of Inside Scoop

For the month of October 2005, the staff of Cooking Light gave an inside look at the magazine. My personal favorite: "On a stick" by Tim Cebula.
Jennifer

First Up
Mary Kay Culpepper, Editor in Chief

An Average Tuesday
Jennifer Middleton Richards, Online Editor

Other Duties as Assigned
Mary Creel, Projects Editor

Variety Kills
Cindy Hatcher, Assistant Editor, Healthy Living

TGIF
Kathy Kitchens, Assitant Food Editor

On a Stick
Tim Cebula, Associate Food Editor

Monday Again!
Tiffany Vickers, Test Kitchen

I Love the Smell of Chili Mac in the Morning
Ann Taylor Pittman, Food Editor

Reading, Writing, No Arithmetic
Phillip Rhodes, Features Editor

How Cooking Light Changed my Life
Susan Roberts, Senior Copy Editor

How Cooking Light changed my life

I’m Susan Roberts, senior copy editor at Cooking Light. My main job is to read absolutely everything in the magazine (except the ads) and check for errors. I look for mistakes in grammar, punctuation, and spelling, and I make sure the copy conforms to our house style (with the help of our 347-page stylebook).

But I try to do more than that. I also try to make sure that our directions are clear, and I look for problems with logic.  This is sometimes a challenge for me because, well, I’m not much of a cook. I barely cooked at all until I turned 30, and at that point I decided it was just too embarrassing not to be able to cobble together a decent meal. I come by it honestly. I grew up on what an Italian friend of mine calls “bad Protestant food.” (Seasonings, anyone?)

A few years ago, before I worked here, I made a New Year’s resolution to take cooking more seriously and learn more about it. I celebrated the holiday by making a nice crawfish dish. In preparing the ingredients, it became clear to my very kind, understanding then-boyfriend that I thought garlic bulbs and cloves were the same thing, and I was prepared to put three bulbs’ worth of minced garlic into this dish. Luckily, he knew better and was quick to act.

You may be wondering how someone like myself can have anything to contribute to the production of a food magazine, but there is one thing I pride myself on: I ask lots of questions. I ask questions about the ingredients, and about the techniques described in our recipes. Sometimes I worry that the questions are stupid, but the food editors are very patient with me (like the boyfriend). They take the attitude that if I’m confused by something, chances are there will be other beginning cooks out there who will be confused also. And we work together to explain and clarify.

I came to Cooking Light with a lot to learn, and learn I have. Cooking is, like many other things, a talent that some people are born with. But cooking as a basic skill can be learned, with a little patience, dedication, and clear instructions. Cooking Light runs some complicated recipes, but many of our recipes are perfect for novice cooks. (Our Cooking Class column is particularly good about describing various techniques.) And if you have a question about anything in the magazine, just get in touch with us, and someone will help to answer your question. It just might not be me.

Happy cooking!
Susan Roberts
Senior Copy Editor

Lesson Learned

Let me just preface my spiel with telling you what I do. I am the editorial art intern for Cooking Light. That means I have had the privilege since July to work with the art directors, the designers, and photo crew of this outstanding magazine. I must add that I have adored every second of it – even days like today when I know I have to go straight home to hours of homework and then class tonight from seven to ten (at least I get to take a break after that and watch The OC).

Before this internship, I was told plenty of times that the most valuable things learned are usually outside of the classroom. On one hand, I believed it. It seemed like really obvious advice. Outside of the classroom is the real world and once I graduate (in May that is), that's where I will be. But on the other hand, I could not possibly imagine learning any more in one day. Every hour of my college days have been filled with either being in class, working in the design lab or studying - all with minimal hours of sleep.

But being more than half way through this internship, I am glad that I took the advice given. I have had the opportunity to do and learn an array of things. The following are just some highlights. I designed the December wine column and learned that each bottle of Champagne or fine sparkling wine contains up to 56 million bubbles. I assisted the photographer on location for the Thanksgiving holiday menu and learned that pumpkin pie is much better in August than eating it after a big Thanksgiving meal. Lastly, writing this blog has convinced me that I am on the right career path by reminding me that my artistic skills are much stronger than my writing skills. So, I pass on the advice to you – if possible, don't just stick to the books and strive for opportunities such as this one.

Rachel Cardina, Editorial Art Intern

Reading, Writing, No Arithmetic

On the way to work…
Several posts have talked about the headquarters building. I thought it might be nice to share a few pictures.

This is the path from the parking decks to the building. Occasionally, it’s littered with Canada geese, which sounds charmingly bucolic but can be quite alarming. An angry bird with a 6-foot wingspan is a bit much at 7:45 a.m., especially if you aren’t properly caffeinated yet.

The side entrance. You can see that we take our landscaping quite seriously here. This leads to...

The atrium. It defies description. Any time staff members give parents, friends, or other out-of-town visitors a tour, the atrium is always the show-stopper. “Yes, there’s a 3-story atrium with huge trees and plants growing inside it and a waterfall and a stream and it’s air conditioned, even at the height of summer (or now, when the temperature is still 80-plus degrees outside).”

At work…
My job here mostly focuses on the healthy living edit in the front half of the magazine. Here’s what I’ve been working on so far today: There’s no doubt that herbs and spices are an important part of a healthy diet. They boost flavor, contribute trace vitamins and minerals, and contain as-yet-undiscovered compounds that may help prevent diseases. But here’s the rub—the research supporting their health benefits is kind of thin. Most experiments simply involve squirting turmeric concentrate at cancer cells in a Petri dish. Can we hang a nutrition department story off the idea? Stay tuned

Reading…
Whenever someone asks me what an editor does, I usually say, “read.” While searching through medical-literature sites for information about spices, I came across new research from New Zealand that suggests fish-oil capsules can oxidize more quickly than previously thought, rendering their benefits moot. What’s more, consumers won’t be able to tell if their fish-oil is off because of the capsules’ gel coating. Ugh. I take fish-oil religiously, along with vitamin C and a multivitamin.

More reading…
Can you believe the Cheeseburger Bill thing? Earlier this week, the Senate passed a bill protecting food purveyors against weight-related lawsuits. No mention of when legislation was coming to protect the public from fat-, sugar-, and empty calorie-laden junk food. Wonder why Uncle Sam didn’t feel the same way about people who smoked cigarettes? Sadly, I imagine the answer lies with lobbyists.

Assigning stories…
Time to switch to fitness. That’s one of the great things about Cooking Light; one minute, it’s nutrition, the next it’s fitness or travel or home-décor. We were thrilled with all the responses we received from readers looking for quick morning workouts. In this case, the responses helped us weed out one of the workouts we’d originally planned. Turns out, no one wanted a low-impact morning stretching routine. Y'all are definitely "morning people." So, cardio and weights it is. I’m assigning the story to an Oregon-based fitness writer, and it’s scheduled to appear in the April issue.

One more round of reading…
Britney’s first baby photos are out. Looks like the child wasn’t born wearing cornrows or flip-flops.

–Phillip Rhodes

As the editorial intern I get to do a lot of interesting things at Cooking Light. It seems as if I learn something new every day -- whether that's a new use for ginger, what goes into editing a story, how to transfer image files on our network,  or how to master the new shredder (our last one died after I spent  a month shredding and recycling old documents in preparation for our big move).

Today, since I'm also a writer and that's one of my primary interests here, I got to interview one of my favorite yoga authors, Judith Hanson Lasater, for an article we're working on about the benefits of meditation. She said some really amazing things that I hope to be able to share with you in the magazine soon.

One of my favorite things to do here, however, is to answer the phone and help out when a reader has a question. For one thing, I usually learn something about the recipe or story in question in the process, and for another, it's so nice to hear how much you all love the magazine. It makes me proud to be working here.

I also enjoy tasting all the yummy goodies that come our way on the counter outside my desk (what a great spot!), but that's an entry for another day.

Emily Self
Editorial Intern

I Love the Smell of Chili Mac in the Morning

As an associate food editor here at Cooking Light, I am lucky enough to taste all kinds of great (and occasionally not-so-great) food, from the recipes we test to product samples that are sent to us. I’ve tasted everything from nutria (that’s right, the big rats) to spinach brownies to beautiful artisinal cheeses. But one of the best tasting experiences I had occurred a few weeks ago with an MRE. Yep, a “meal, ready-to-eat.”

My husband, Patrick, had visited his family in south Mississippi, where hurricane Katrina did lots of damage. FEMA was there handing out supplies—notably cases of MREs. Patrick brought some back to Birmingham for us to keep in our emergency kit. But, of course I had to sneak one to work for us to try.

The directions were actually fairly complicated. And pretty funny, too—at one point, you’re instructed to rest the food on an incline, placing it on a “rock or something.” So how many food editors does it take to figure out an MRE? Apparently, two—Tim Cebula and myself. And how long does it take said editors to actually understand the directions? Embarrassingly long. But we wanted to do a run-through so we’d know what we were doing before we called all the tasters together.

At the appropriate time, we gathered the food staff and a few other people—there were eight of us total—and delved into the MRE. The amount of food you get is impressive. This particular meal included instant coffee, hot chocolate mix, wheat bread with jalapeño cheese spread, the entrée (chili mac), and a large mint–chocolate chip cookie. What impressed me even more, though, were the small details: a book of water-resistant matches, lots of napkins, a little bottle of Tabasco, and two pieces of gum.

So how’d it taste? Not bad. Really, it was all pretty decent. And the nutritional stats weren’t bad, either. The whole meal came in at 1050 calories (35% from fat). That’s pretty good for a ready-to-eat meal. But what was so great about the whole experience was watching seven other adults giddy with excitement over trying out an MRE, expressing lots of oohs and ahhs over every new piece of food we pulled from the pack. That’s just the way we are here—we relish every opportunity to try a new food or product, no matter what it is.

Ann Taylor Pittman
Associate Food Editor

Monday Again!

It's Monday again!! I don't know if there is a person on earth who doesn't have that feeling for a moment, but for most it is a negative impulse. I have worked here at Cooking Light for about 4 1/2 years and truthfully, I still get excited about coming to work. Even when I am coming back from a long luscious vacation (which are becoming more and more rare) I am jazzed to get back to my kitchen, my coworkers and this building. I know it seems silly to be attached to an office building but this one is spectacular from the first time you see it to the 100th. It has a Frank Lloyd Wright Falling Water quality that hightlights every season. Birmingham is usually as hot as the sun itself, but today it was about 45 degrees and it makes this building even more amazing. You can watch the seasons change from this place and it adds to a really fantastic work environment.

As for work, today is a paperwork day in the test kitchen. Monday is about the only day we can get stuff done at our desks. Most of us edit recipes on Monday. Mike Wilson, our grocery guru, is shopping for our ingredients. That's a blog to come I am sure! Today I am working on the Cooking Light Ship Shape cruise. It is my "baby" I guess. We sail from Miami in two weeks (Nov. 6) and it is crunch time! I am trying desperately to organize packing of our culinary utensils. It is not my strongest point. I can get all my clothes in a small duffle bag but I can't work out the geometry of pots and pans in a plastic bin. It's an art form I think.

There is so much that goes on here in the test kitchen! Rest assured, it is NEVER boring. We are always working on something different than the day before. I have been through culinary school like most of my collegues (the others are Home Economists or Registered Dieticians) and I learn something new about cooking every week without fail. It is great! Each of us seems to excel in a different area and that's nice. I can look to Kathryn if I am working on a dough that is just not coming out right, Jan answers all my cake questions, Mike is the grill king, Kelly can tell you how to make any food brown and beautiful, and the list goes on and on. Now if I could just find the one that can pack my stuff!!! Well, I guess that means it is back to Monday for me!

Tiffany Vickers
Test Kitchen

On a stick

I'm not from these parts. Six months ago, after taking a job at Cooking Light, I left my native Massachusetts for Birmingham, Alabama. People here often ask me if I've experienced culture shock. I tell them I haven't. And honestly, they seem a little disappointed.

But I can say I've seen some new stuff. I'll start with food. Birmingham restaurants offer some truly tasty fare, and I've had several first-rate fine dining experiences here, though nothing terribly different from up North. But it's the street meat at festival kiosks where the South has it all over the North. I first tried chicken-on-a-stick at a fair in Montgomery this summer. Like a gateway drug, it led directly to alligator-on-a-stick. Loved that so much I went straight for pizza--yes, pizza--on-a-stick, which is just as ridiculous as it sounds, and worth every penny.

I haven't yet hit one of the "meat-and-three" joints in town (where mac and cheese counts as one of your three "vegetable" sides), but I bet I'll love them. I may just save that experience for my birthday. Grab some cake-on-a-stick afterward.

In the beverage department, I've been introduced to some mighty seductive concoctions down here. I've had margaritas made with peach juice. I've had them with watermelon juice. I've even had them made with bourbon. Called "bourbaritas." Heavenly. I've considered naming my first daughter after them.

And then there are the little lifestyle differences. I've learned, for instance, that an electric bill can grow to a couple hundred dollars if you have central air conditioning and like to use it to stave off the soul-sapping heat that blankets the South from June through September. Consequently, I've learned that while fans don't work as well as AC, soul-sapping heat builds character.

I've learned that in the South, when someone says "bless your heart" to you, it's not exactly a benediction. They mean, "I feel bad for you; you're kind of a ninny." Learned that one the hard way.

I've had to unlearn a few things, too. Six months ago, I was working as a sous chef at a fine dining restaurant in the Berkshires. Since moving South, I've had to kick the habit of saying "behind you" when I'm walking past people who can't see me. It's a precautionary measure in a professional kitchen, and helps prevent collisions and injuries. But in the office, well, it's just a little creepy.

Still, none of this amounts to culture shock. A few new discoveries, a handful of lessons learned. And one revelation: Everything tastes better on a stick.

Tim Cebula, associate food editor

TGIF

I love Fridays here at Cooking Light! One great/cool/fun thing is our grocery give-aways. Our test kitchens basically clean out the refrigerators to make space for the groceries for next week...it's great to get staples like bread, cheeses, eggs, yogurt, and carrots...but then there are fun/unexpected/unusual little things like tomatillos cipollinis, duck breasts, swordfish steaks...and the real fun is when you get home and experiment with it all.

This Friday is a little different than usual, though, because we're also in production for our December issue. We are making sure photos and recipes jive, checking everything right before we send off to the printer...sometimes, it gets a bit crazy...but it's fun!

Woo-hoo! It's payday!

Plus, Fridays are fun...well, because it's Friday! Tonight I'm putting my baking skills to the test (which is a scary thought!) with a chocolate cake I'm making for a friend's birthday. We have great, great chocolate desserts/souffles/cookies and the like (on our website www.cookinglight.com) for those who also suffer from a chocolate addiction.

Happy Cooking! Thanks for reading.

Have a superb weekend!

kathy kitchens
assistant food editor

As part of the healthy living staff here at Cooking Light, I'm always immersed in fun, diverse subject matter. In the span of one day, I'll research ski locations in Vermont for a travel story, learn about the latest dermatological research, and talk to readers about how they shave time off their workouts. It's this variety that recently lead to my downfall--literally--in my latest turn as CL's resident guinea pig. I was trying out some of the moves we recommend in an upcoming fitness story when a poorly-timed squat and a less-than-ideal footwear choice (polka dot stilettos aren't exactly workout-safe) sent me tumbling into a stack of moving boxes (we're moving to a new building, as you may have read). Luckily, no one saw me this time, as I’m still living down a run-in with an exercise ball back in 2003.

Others have discussed the potential for confusion that sometimes comes along with working out of season (right now I’m ushering December 2005 stories through production, editing stories for next March, and developing concepts a year ahead), but I enjoy it. Since I edit the beauty column here, I get a sneak peek at the next season’s trends. That means spring is in full bloom at my desk, where the latest light floral scents and fancy pink potions surround me. Despite the abundance of new items that arrive on a daily basis, I'm always looking for time-tested, favorite items that really do the trick. Got one to recommend? Let me know at cindy_hatcher@timeinc.com, and you may just see it in the pages of the magazine.

-Cindy Hatcher
Assistant Editor, Healthy Living