Gone, but not forgotten.
I was the last Test Kitchen Director and Senior Food Editor at Fine Cooking Magazine until the publication was sold on June 1, 2020. I remember the day vividly. Three months into the pandemic, we were all working from home when we received word of the closure mid-morning. Pens down. Stop whatever you’re doing and pack everything up. We had only a week to return (masked) to the office and clear out. Though sudden, the shutdown of Fine Cooking Magazine was not a complete surprise to the staff since the publisher had been trying to rid itself of the publication for years.
Fine Cooking was an amazing, reliable resource for so many people because every recipe was tested and cross-tested multiple times, to assure that it would work for any cook at any level. Here’s a clip from a promotional video created for advertisers in which I clearly describe the magazine’s true mission as a teaching publication:
Sadly, last week, the Fine Cooking website at FineCooking.com — the last connection, resource, and lifeline for loyal subscribers, with its vast archive of information — drew its final breath. The old web domain was pointed to another publication, and 25 years of incredible, invaluable content, and subscriber recipe “boxes” were gone. Just like that.
You can see the outpouring of emotion from subscribers and other members of the Fine Cooking Community group on Facebook, which launched after the magazine was sold in 2020. Loyal subscribers, alumni, and fans simply cannot let go of their beloved magazine. Reading comments from the group members, I agree wholeheartedly.
Working at Fine Cooking was not always easy. That said, I got to work at what I thought (and still think) was the most incredible culinary publication since Gourmet Magazine. So, I’m going to periodically post recipes (mine and others), along with anecdotes and memories, as an ongoing homage to Fine Cooking Magazine, and a reminder to myself that nothing lasts forever.
Since the weather is just beginning to cool down, I thought it would be great to start with something irresistibly warming and delicious. I developed a recipe called “Chocolate Stout Chili,” which was published in the February/March 2018 edition. Click the link above, or the page image below to open a PDF of the recipe in a new tab.
Let me know if you try the recipe, or if you have any fond memories of this issue in particular. I’m always open to comments and conversation!
Since the Fine Cooking website was shut down, you can email me@chefdianaandrews.com for the recipe. Also, consider joining the Fine Cooking Community group on Facebook!
—Chef Diana
Giving credit where credit is due:
Food Styling by Ronne Day
Photography by Scott Philips
Chef Diana Andrews 
So sad Diana, but many fond memories I know.
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I am really disgusted that Meredith had the audacity to cancel Fine Cooking Magazine and switch my paid subscription to food and wine magazine. How many other people did they do this to why were we notify the fine cooking was going to be eliminated
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Hi Cindi, I feel your pain! At least you can join the Fine Cooking Community group on Facebook and get access to all the issues through their resources. And commiserate with other unhappy former FC subscribers…
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And ZINIO just recently removed all Fine Cooking Content from their website. I don’t take many magazine subscriptions – this one and ATK are the only ones.
You can also go to ARCHIVE,org an on-line NFP Internet Library and find some of the issues. They converted my subscription to F&W too – when it runs out I will definitely not be renewing it. In the last issue for March – there was not one recipe that didn’t use some weird ingredient you’d have to get off the internet. They act like everyone has access to ASIAN, MEDITERREAN OR other obscure shops. So very sad – but at least I have my old issues to comfort. I will never get another subscription if I see that Meredith is the publisher – they are so out of touch with reality. (:
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Hi Chris, I totally agree and appreciate your thoughts. Have you joined the Fine Cooking Community Facebook group? There, you’ll find like-minded people (including me) who share their cooking experiences from the archival recipes of Fine Cooking Magazine. You’ll also have access to an online library of all Fine Cooking issues. I must admit, this does bring a bit of comfort. Hope to see you there, and thank you for reading!
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Diana, thanks for this post and your efforts to remind people about this outstanding magazine. I had every issue from Volume 1 and recently donated them to a cooking program run by our county food bank. Not just recipes, Fine Cooking made readers better cooks by explaining concepts and techniques and suggesting ways to make dishes your own with the ingredients you have on hand. You can be proud of what you did there.
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Thanks so much, Anne. Although I’ve done some really interesting work since departing from the magazine, I still can’t get it out of my heart…
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Fine Cooking was an excellent magazine, a reference manual, a cooking school, and a thriving community. They hosted a forum, Cookstalk, where professional and home cooks shared results from the magazines recipes, learning techniques, and sharing their lives. Thank you for continuing to carry the torch.
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Thank you, Karen! The magazine certainly had some insightful moments! Sharing and building community is what it’s all about, isn’t it?
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I absolutely loved the magazine and website and would use their recipes constantly. There was never a bad recipe.
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Hi Josie, I completely agree with you. There was something new to explore on every page.
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What a lovely post, Diana.
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I was on the digital team that built the original FineCooking.com and I remember working with the editorial team to migrate all of the magazine recipes to the website, shoot their first test kitchen videos, and create a massive ingredient database of articles and information culled from decades worth of magazines. To think that’s all gone in a poof is so sad! RIP Fine Cooking.
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Had no idea … every Thanksgiving I’d go to the link for the wild mushroom soup recipe …. And just went to find recipe POOF it’s gone 😞
Appreciate your beautiful reflection.
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Thank you, Christine. I’m still getting over this myself.
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Thank you Diana. What a shame that the Fine Cooking website was disabled. Fine Cooking was my “go to” resource. I told everyone the magazine stating Fine Cooking can make anyone a good cook.
I’m glad to have the magazines and an archive USB.
Why did the publisher abandoned loyal subscribers. What a shame
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Hi Nikko, Thanks so much for praising the magazine. I miss it very much. I guess the publisher had their reasons, and I wish I had an answer, but I don’t. I agree…what a shame.
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Nikko, I only have indexes from 1994 to 2014. Do you have indexes from the last years? Does anyone have a compiled index with the years put together?
thanks,
Susan
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Hi Susan, More than likely, the Fine Cooking Community Facebook Group has a compiled index. You can join the group at any time. Thanks for reading my blog!
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Any way to get a copy of the index?
1994-2014
We have all the magazines and I use to use fine cooking website as a index to find issue.
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Loved Fine Cooking – have every issue!
Is there a Recipe Index that lists all your recipes in all your issues anywhere that can be printed?
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Hi Bob, Fine Cooking was a great publication! Go to FB and join the Fine Cooking Community Group. There, you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for. Thanks for your comment!
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I subscribed years ago, but got tired of storing/recycling magazines, so I stopped. Last night I was cleaning out my bookshelf and found a few of these I had saved and am SO glad I did! I had not heard publication ended until I checked my bookmarks to see if I had the recipes I use. How very sad.
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Hi Kelly, The original print publication officially ended in June 2020, and the website was discontinued just a few months ago. I agree, all very sad. If you’re interested in finding archival Fine Cooking recipes, I suggest joining the Fine Cooking Community group on Facebook. See you there! Diana
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Looking for the pumpkin swirl mini cheesecake. I cannot find Fine Cooking magazine or the recipe.
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Hi Sally, The original print publication of Fine Cooking Magazine officially shut down in June 2020. The website was discontinued just a few months back. If you’re interested in finding archival Fine Cooking recipes, I suggest joining the Fine Cooking Community group on Facebook. Thanks so much for reading, Diana
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add me to the chorus- thanks for all the years- I’ve every magazine, but no index or way to search for recipes-there are a number of favorites that I can’t find now without a very long search issue by issue! it was bad enough when Gourmet went under.
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Hi Tom, I totally get it! I think I’ll always miss Fine Cooking and, of course, Gourmet. Another sad situation. If you’re interested in finding archival Fine Cooking recipes, I suggest joining the Fine Cooking Community group on Facebook. Thanks so much for reading, Diana
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How sad such great info and recipes all just disappeared. I have spent the past half hour going through back issues looking for a recipe after clicking a bookmark I had and getting the dreaded 404 error message. I realized something was amiss and now know what it was. Back to the floor and my pile of FC magazines. Woe is me.
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Hi Mommo, If you’re interested in finding archival Fine Cooking recipes, I suggest joining the Fine Cooking Community group on Facebook. Thanks so much for reading, Diana
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Thanks. I saw there was a Facebook group but I don’t have a Facebook account. I’ll have my kids look. I’m the meantime, I’ll keep going through my magazines. So many things I have bookmarked. It’s actually kinda fun to go through and recall recipes and what I wanted then for. So many good ones.
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Yes, I definitely agree. So many great recipes, over 25 years worth! Let me know if you’re looking for something specific. I can try to help if possible.
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It’s moments like this time of year that I really miss Fine Cooking Magazine! It was my tried and true resource for fabulous recipes. I am mourning the loss of it, as there is not another publication like it. I will check out the Facebook group. Thanks for mentioning it!
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Can the online site be resurrected? Who controls the rights to the all of the Fine Cooking recipes that were on the site? I am aware that you can still purchase CDs with multiple years of recipes on eBay, but having a searchable database is/was unbeatable. I too have many years of FC, and thought the magazine was so good that I gifted subscriptions to my daughters.
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Hi Ron, Fine Cooking is now owned by Dotdash/Meredith. The link is now pointed toward Food & Wine. Not sure if you’re a member of the Fine Cooking Community group on Facebook, but you should check it out since they’ve developed their own recipe database. And yes, the magazine was wonderful…I miss being in the test kitchens practically every day.
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I am sadden by the closed of fine Cooking. I learned about the closing from my daughter yesterday. She asked me to make apple crisp for Thanksgiving. I asked her to go to finecooking.com. She searched and said it no longer existed. I woke up this morning and started searching and came across your article.
What a loss, I’ve used fine Cooking for year. I’m glad I still have my magazines dating as far back as 2010 and a few annual books.
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Oy, I didn’t realize they had abandoned the website too!
Such a bummer.
I have at least 12 years’ worth of the physical magazine saved on my shelves, but who wants to page through all that to find something? Luckily I had printed out some of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes, so I had those on hand to use this year. (Butternut squash, leek, and goat cheese galette is my favorite side that I make every year.)
Fine Cooking was my monthly food porn, my source for new, sophisticated cooking ideas, and (along with NYTimes Cooking) my go-to website for looking up recipes.
Tragic loss.
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Fine Cooking was by far my best source for reliably excellent recipes and I still have dozens of well loved print issues, some going back to the late 1990s. The website was an invaluable resource I turned to all the time and I was floored when it simply vanished, along with my recipe box and years of archived issues. Food & Wine doesn’t even come close to being an acceptable alternative. When the switch was made I had feared for the worst and took screenshots of a lot of my favorite recipes, but many others are lost…though hopefully not forever. I am so happy to find your site and I guess I’m going to have to grit my teeth and rejoin Facebook so I can link up with the FC group.
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So unbelievable that such a good magazine is gone. I hate the magazine I’m getting shoved into my mailbox. I need to get that discontinued. Food and Wine is no comparison whatsoever. I just wish I could wrangle a few more of those nice red magazine holders Taunton sold for the mag🤷🏻♀️🙁
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I demanded a refund, and was told I would receive it.
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Fine cooking was a great magazine and I am sorry to read that it has folded up and shut down. There is truth in the saying when one door closes another opens. Good luck in your blog I will follow you.
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Hi Daniel, I appreciate your support. I truly do! I hope you enjoy my posts.
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I was a long-time subscriber to FC and other TP pubs. Left us high and dry. Will never give TP another dime.
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I feel your pain! At least you can join the Fine Cooking Community group on Facebook and get access to all the issues through their resources. And commiserate with other unhappy former FC subscribers…
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What happened to all the data on the website? Can it be purchased?
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Hi Christine, the data from the former FC website seems to have been absorbed by Food & Wine, but maybe it will be used by other DotDash-Meredith publications as well – no idea! Luckily, you can join the Fine Cooking Community group on Facebook and get access to all the issues through their resources. And commiserate with other former FC subscribers…
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The online site was part of the subscription fee, and it’s a shame that we were not notified that the fine cooking was ending publications. I contacted them and requested a refund. My subscription was paid through December January 2023.
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Yes, it’s a shame! I hope you get your refund.
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Fine Cooking was a beautiful magazine. I was so disappointed when Taunton sold it. After Meredith had their way with it and FC was kaput for good and the subscriptions were transferred to “another magazine” I was bereft. (As an aside and to add to my irritation, my last subscription was a gift from my mother and I never received the “other” magazine. Customer Service said they had no record of my subscription. Argh.) FC’s website was so helpful; I loved the calculator that allowed you to “build something” like a meatloaf with what you had on hand. Fortunately, I did save most of my old issues, including the “special” editions, such as “Soups”, “Cookies”, “Breakfast, Brunch”, etc. I’ll treasure these old issues. Thank you, Diana, for writing this article, for allowing us to commiserate, and for pointing us to the Community. I’ll check them out!
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Thank so much, Jeanette! I hope you were able to join FCC.
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Like everyone above me, I miss the Fine Cooking Magazine so much. Here’s hoping that enterprising chefs will unite to create a new magazine equal to it’s standard. Knowing that a test kitchen was behind every recipe gave me so much confidence and peace when introducing a new recipe to family and friends for the first time. If a new magazine ever launches, please post it here … or put me on an email list. (I don’t participate in Facebook, etc.)
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I’m shocked, I just went to look for a recipe on the website and its gone, as a Professional Chef of 35 plus years I can say that the magazine was the absolute best, I made many many dishes straight from the magazine and never had one fail, it was the go to reference for the Pro’s Pro. I’m lucky I kept every copy and can now reference them manually but still I can’t believe it’s gone. What a shame.
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Many of my go-to recipes are from Fine Cooking. I regularly make the vegetable soup with chick peas, squash and kale and the Maple glazed carrots are a favourite at family holiday dinners. Thankfully, I bought the magazines.
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Fine Cooking Magazine was a great resource. I’m happy to hear you have all the back issues!
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