Real Simple = Real Bad?

I have a problem with Real Simple. For one thing, they've gotten way to woman's magaziney with their content. I don't need "morning make-up solutions" or "6 great new ways to do your hair." I don't care what the folks at Real Simple think I should be wearing this fall. There are far more fashionable magazines to get fashion and beauty tips, and I don't need Real Simple to tell me how to do crunches (um, hello? That's why I get Shape.)

But the biggest problem is that the quality of the recipes varies so widely. Last night, I made a recipe from Nov. '09's Real Simple that turned out perfectly. It's listed in their section, "Weeknight Meals," under the subsection "One Pot." Aptly named Roasted Chicken and Carrots with Olives and Lemons, this recipe is truly wonderful! See the end of the article for the recipe reprinted. I highly suggest you try it if you like chicken. It was an easy, no-brainer recipe that even novice cooks could get right. Plus, if you and your spouse don't like the same parts of chicken (for instance, I like white and Alex likes dark), since you're cooking a whole bird, you're both happy.

Heartened by my recent success, I cooked another Real Simple recipe tonight. This was only two pages away from the Roasted Chicken that was so fabulous. But unfortunately, "Steak with Crispy Potatoes and Pistachio Pesto" was not a winner. The steak was good, but I'd be surprised if all of a sudden I couldn't cook a sirloin steak and make it amazing. The crispy potatoes were good. But the two items that were the most work, namely the pistachio pesto and the broccoli rabe, disappointed greatly. The pesto required me to shell a number of pistachios, and while the pesto tasted nice, it was completely overpowered by the steak. This would be much better on a delicate fish, such as halibut. The broccoli rabe required a special trip to Metropolitan Market, where I learned it is pronounced "Rah-Bay. And, it was inedible. I cooked it EXACTLY like the recipe suggested and it came out nothing like it. Maybe broccoli rabe is just no good? Seems strange, considering I like leafy green vegetables like Swiss chard, bok choy, chinese broccoli, and kale. But it wasn't just me. My husband looked incredibly relieved when I declared the broccoli rabe disgusting and threw it in the trash. So, Real Simple approved this recipe that contained two good elements but added one element that was unnecessary and another that was inedible.

That's why I subscribe to Good Housekeeping, despite the fact that the magazine is very dorky and is overly geared towards moms. (By the way, don't moms have their own mom-related magazines? Why does the fact that I want to excel at "housekeeping," including cooking, mean I need to learn about how to resolve fights between kindergartners?) GH has this excellent policy of testing out all their recipes in their test kitchen three times before they'll publish them (oh how I'd love that job!) And so, only one time out of probably 50 or so recipes from GH I've tried has the recipe gone wrong.

Real Simple has great fonts, photography, and some interesting ideas about stain removal and alternative uses for everyday objects. Just don't count 100% on loving dinner if you use their recipes.

Recipe I LOVE (+ my notes):
Roasted chicken and carrots with olives and lemons
1 3 1/2 to 4 lb chicken, cut into pieces (can get them pre-pieced at grocery)
2 lbs carrots, cut into 2 in. pieces (halved lengthwise if thick)
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
4 bay leaves
1 lemon, cut into wedges
2 tbsp olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 tsp paprika

Heat oven to 425. On a large rimmed baking sheet (such as a jelly roll pan), toss chicken, carrots, olives, bay leaves, lemon, oil, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Arrange in a single layer and sprinkle the chicken with the paprika.

Roast, tossing the vegetables once, until the chicken is cooked through and the carrots are tender, about 45 min.

Serve with crispy Caesar salad, if desired.