• by Gaetano Pollice , October 2, 2008

Sadly, the debut issue of Food Network Magazine doesn’t tout “Paula Deen’s 137 creative ways to use government cheese!” on its premiere cover. The announcement by Hearst Corporation and Food Network that they will test-launch the new magazine — set to hit newsstands this month with a trial run of 300,000 copies and a follow-up in January — might seem to come at an odd time, what with Wall Street pushing up more daisies than House and Garden (also dead). But the drain on consumers’ checking accounts may very well benefit the magazine’s launch. In fact, more than one-third of consumers are dining out less frequently compared to last year, according to food-service consultancy Technomic. So what better time then to launch a do-it-yourself cooking magazine?

The magazine aims to build upon the on-air content with material that complements the print format, says Food Network Magazine editor-in-chief Maile Carpenter, who also served as executive editor of Every Day With Rachael Ray. Beyond recipes, the magazine will cover kitchen gadgets, cookbooks and restaurants. Also expect to see the channel’s stars (the first issue features more than 20 of them), including Deen, Ina Garten and Alton Brown. “We’re connecting Food Network viewers to their favorite stars in new ways,” Carpenter says. “The magazine is sort of like a VIP pass. We’re behind the scenes of the shows, we’re in the stars’ home kitchens, we’re on the road visiting their favorite places.”

Hearst expects to appeal to Food Network’s existing advertisers, targeting an audience of 25- to 54-year-old food lovers. The company also points out that although it cancelled the food-featuring Quick & Simple earlier this year, this particular glossy is its first food-specific magazine. “While other categories are suffering, there’s still growth in the packaged goods and food advertising category, one in which Hearst already has a lot of existing business,” points out Alexandra Carlin, Hearst’s director of public relations.

We’d still like to see what Deen could do with government cheese, but they might be saving that idea for an episode of Iron Chef America.