Suzie The Foodie

Food Writer, Photographer and Product Reviewer

Follow Suzie the Foodie

Facebooktwitterpinterestinstagramby feather
  • Home
  • Contact
  • Recipes
  • Product Reviews
  • Older Posts
  • Instant Pot
You are here: Home / Food Network / Magazine Recipe Review: May 2010 Food Network Magazine

Magazine Recipe Review: May 2010 Food Network Magazine

May 18, 2010 by Suzie the Foodie 5 Comments


Food Network's Almost-Famous Orange Milkshake

Almost-Famous Orange Milkshake
I have been buying The Food Network Magazine off and on since it came out around a year ago. How I love hanging out with TV foodies I feel I know so well. Here in Canada we are in the season of repeats so I am looking elsewhere for inspiration. Last week I decided I did not just want to read the magazine, I wanted to put it through my test kitchen. I choose three different recipes with three different techniques for making food: Almost-Famous Orange Milkshake (AKA Orange Julius), Pickled Garlic Vegetables and Shrimp with Green Sauce. Let’s start with the good news first.
Food Network's Almost-Famous Orange Milkshake
The fake-out Orange Julius was very tasty. I did not grow up in malls religiously drinking this drink so I can not attest to the authenticity 100% but I thought it was very close. This recipe is tasty and easy to make and was definitely the best recipe I tested. It was very similar to a recipe test I did last year using an Alton Brown recipe. His version used fresh orange juice that he freezes instead of relying on concentrate. My only complaint of the magazine version is that it is too sweet. I think Alton Brown’s recipe proved that you do not need to have that much sugar. Still, it was quite delicious, refreshing and similar to the classic drink.
Food Network's Pickled Garlic Vegetables
I also tried the Garlic Pickled Vegetables. Woah! Crazy strong! Not just with the vinegary flavour but they taste so much like the white wine I used, I was not expecting that. I did not know if I was going to like this one so I did not spend $4 on fennel or look in to buying garlic scrapes (?) and just stuck with carrots and radishes. The radishes loose their colour completely and are hard to differentiate from the garlic cloves.
There are not a lot of food memories I have of my mom in the kitchen but as soon as I started to brew the pickling mixture, I was back in her kitchen. How she loves pickles! I do too, I am crazy about bold flavours but this did not impress me that much. It is something different to try but I probably will not make it again.

Shrimp with Green Sauce

Last and definitely least was the Shrimp With Green Sauce. From the photo, I was convinced that I was going to love this dish. Shrimp and garlic, what is not to like? I wanted this to be more of a main dish so I added some tortellini. When it comes to cooking, I stuck to the recipe.
I found this dish flavourless and boring. I am a stickler for realistic representation of food photos and theirs for this dish was phenomenal. That bold and deep green created by the parsley is what I wanted when I made this dish. Which is why I was so disappointed when I read that you add the green sauce and warmed through. As soon as this happened, that mermaid green colour disappeared. I can understand needing to cook the brandy and the wine but by cooking the parsley and the garlic, all that fresh and bold flavour disappeared. This would have worked much better as raw sauce. It was so bland and boring I had to cover it with Parmesan to make it have any flavour at all.
Despite some of the disappointments, I have to admit that I still love this magazine. My favourite part of the magazine (and this sounds weird) is that their recipe index is visual, it is done with photos as well as text. For someone like me, this makes navigating through the magazine effortless. It is pure genius. Their Copy That! section where the Orange Julius recipe is found is something I always look forward to. I made their version of the Olive Garden’s Salad and Breadsticks and was blown away. I love the idea of making a beloved restaurant recipe at home and feel this is a risky choice for them which I approve of entirely.
Despite the disappointments, I probably will be picking up a copy The Food Network Magazine again in the very near future. I feel I know the people in the magazine quite well so it is like coming home when I go through it. I love the photographs, the plethora of recipes to choose from and information about food in general. I just hope the next time I put them through my test kitchen there are less disappointments.
Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Share

Filed Under: Food Network, magazine, recipe review

Comments

  1. Debra She Who Seeks says

    May 18, 2010 at 12:52 pm

    Too bad! Those recipes held such promise.

    Reply
  2. AvaDJ says

    May 18, 2010 at 1:34 pm

    We love the Orange Julius knock off, yes sweet, but a nice treat once in awhile. Thanks to your inspiration, I picked up a copy of the magazine and will probably continue to do so, it’s a fun foodie read. Too bad about the shrimp recipe, it does look really nice, just might need a little more ooompf!

    Reply
  3. Tammy says

    May 18, 2010 at 1:48 pm

    I’m a subscriber, and I’ll probably remain one for a long time. I love this magazine. As much for the visuals as for the recipes. I often read recipes more than I actually try them out, so I don’t actually test like you have!

    My favorite part is the “weeknight cooking” recipes. Quick and easy ideas.

    Reply
  4. leel says

    May 18, 2010 at 2:35 pm

    i might have to try that olive garden slad and breadsticks recipe! that’s my only reasonfor going to east side marios now 🙂

    thanks for suchgreat reviews! I always earn something!

    Reply
  5. Tia says

    May 19, 2010 at 2:04 pm

    great review Suzie! I’m from Vancouver and pick this mag up too… usually @ costco.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Product Review: President’s Choice Ascolana Fried Olives Stuffed with Cheese

Product Review: President’s Choice Ascolana Fried Olives Stuffed with Cheese

Sweet! First 2022 Holiday President's Choice Insider's Report product review is up! Olives and cheese? Yes please!

Search Suzie the Foodie

I Am Alive!

I Am Alive!

It has been over a decade and my time as Suzie The Foodie is over! Thanks for all the love and support and remember, do not NOT feed the trolls. ~ Suzie The Foodie

Save $25 On A Magical Butter Kit!

Save $25 On A Magical Butter Kit!

Not only can you save $25 on a Magical Butter Kit with this coupon you help support me and my site when you purchase one!

Want a big discount on your purchase? Use the coupon code "SUZIE” when you check out!

Instant Pot Spicy Peanut Soup with Sweet Potato And Kale

Instant Pot Spicy Peanut Soup with Sweet Potato And Kale

Super fast and delicious soup made in the Instant Pot and saved my bacon!

My WordPress Guru

Special thanks to my WordPress Guru and long-time friend Mike D. Without your help, this website would not have been possible.

Copyright © 2023 · Metro Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in