Economy has more people cooking at home
#11
  Re: (...)
This AP story ran in the Sunday paper here. It made me think about some of the discussion here about the changes to our beloved CAH publication. It says cooking magazines are doing well in these economic times.

I edited this post to include the story in case people were worried about following a link....

Recession stirs up at-home cooking in weak economy
Recession Stirs Up At-Home Cooking In Weak Economy
BETSY VERECKEY, AP Business Writer

Story Created: Mar 31, 2009 at 5:41 PM EDT
Story Updated: Mar 31, 2009 at 5:41 PM EDT
Americans have some catching up to do in the kitchen.
Take Eric Bonetti. The public relations worker from Fairfax, Va., spent the past few years working up to a four-night-a-week dining out habit. Now, like many Americans, he's trying to save money on food. The problem is, he lost touch with his inner chef.
So, he recently bartered his way into private cooking lessons, and now he's making sumptuous meals of turkey pot pie and chocolate souffle for half the cost.
"With the changing economy, it just seemed smarter to make dinner myself," says Bonetti, who traded writing and editing services for one series of classes and paid $80 for another.
Across the country, the recession is giving extra sizzle to cooking at home. But this isn't Mom's meatloaf or macaroni and cheese. People who grew accustomed to dining out every night still want to eat in style. Besides cooking lessons, they are poring over food magazines, snatching up cookbooks and replacing their dingy pots and pans in hopes of creating gourmet meals on the cheap.
Interest in cooking had already been growing, thanks in part to the appeal of reality cooking programs and the proliferation of celebrity chefs. An average of 2.9 million people watched the fifth season of Bravo's "Top Chef," up from 1.1 million when the show debuted in 2006, according to Nielsen Ratings.
Several major grocery stores say they've seen sales increase because people like Bonetti are cooking more and eating out less. And enrollment has spiked at New York's Institute of Culinary Education, which offers some 1,700 courses a year. Revenue is up 15 percent from a year ago.
The courses can cost hundreds of dollars — seemingly a tough sell at a time when so many people are scrutinizing nonessential expenses. But the school's president, Rick Smilow, says the investment pays off in the long run.
"Some of the classes are the same price as going to a nice restaurant. Plus, they have take-home value," he says.
Bonetti resorted to private tutoring because all the classes in his area were sold out, and he wanted to learn how to make Indian and French food. Other schools offer classes on how to make tapas, paella, pizza and lobster as well as cake decoration skills.
He's hardly alone in cutting back on eating out. Restaurant visits by parties including kids fell 3 percent in 2008 from the previous year, according to market researcher NPD Group. Visits by those 18 to 24 — the most lucrative restaurant market — dropped by 8 percent.
Elementary school teacher Anna Eller took free cooking classes at a Williams-Sonoma store in Tulsa, Okla., after cutting back from eating out several times a week to about once a month.
Eller, who's trying to save money to go back to school and buy a house, also watches the Food Network when she's on the treadmill. Her father bought her a crockpot after she complained how expensive it was to buy dinner every night.
"I got a cookbook on crockpot recipes," she says. "It's great. It cooks my food all day while I'm working. It smells good when I get home, and I'm not grumpy anymore."
There's much greater interest in cookbooks, too, particularly those about slow cookers, value meals, canning and preserving, says Mary Davis, a spokeswoman for book retailer Borders Group Inc. The number of cookbooks sold in the past year rose 9 percent, according to Nielsen BookScan.
Money saved by eating in has given some the means and justification to invest in kitchen tools.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer, says sales of housewares, including cooking and dining items and small appliances, were strong in February.
High-end kitchen retailer Sur La Table says sales at its established stores have risen 4.9 percent this year. The company recently sent an e-mail advertising a set of three Chicago Metallic pans priced at $24.99, down from the usual $55, and sold almost 600 sets in one day, spokeswoman Susanna Linse says.
Food Web sites — which offer tens of thousands of recipes, most of them free — also are seeing more traffic.
At Conde Nast's culinary site, Epicurious.com, traffic in January was up 10 percent over a year ago to 4.4 million from 4 million visitors a year earlier.
Editor-in-chief Tanya Wenman Steel says Epicurious' efforts to draw readers with weekly menu planners and recipes to feed families for less have paid off.
"Whenever we wrote a post about cooking for your family for less, we got a large number of comments," she says.
Cooking magazines generally are doing well even as softer advertising revenue has inflicted pain elsewhere in publishing.
Saveur, a food, wine and travel magazine published by Bonnier Corp., saw subscription sales rise 11 percent in March from the same month a year ago. Food Network Magazine, which launched late last year, hopes to boost circulation to 600,000 by October, up from the 300,000 of its first issue.
"Bon Appetit" executive editor Victoria von Biel says circulation is at an all-time high of 1.4 million. The magazine's January issue offered ideas on how to eat better for less, including how to host an inexpensive dinner party and how to cook a week's worth of dinners for under $100.
"Times are tough. Even our affluent readers are going home and nesting a little bit at the moment," she says.
Samir A. Husni, a journalism professor at the University of Mississippi whose focus is consumer magazines, estimates that there are between 70 and 90 new titles that appear every year, from magazines devoted entirely to cheese and others just about chicken.
"There's a big hunger out there, no pun intended, for do-it-yourself cooking," Husni says. "If you can't go to the restaurant, what better way is there to bring it to your home?"
Reply
#12
  Re: Economy has more people cooking at home by HomeCulinarian (This AP story ran in...)
Interesting article. A few observations:
  • As the article said: this is certainly a good opportunity for magazines about cooking, since people are rediscovering not only the taste of home cooking, but also the savings possible through it.
  • Even so, let's hope the magazines don't all "dumb down" their recipes for the influx of newer cooks, nor "cheapen down" their recipes by, for example, turning into "101 Favourite Cheeseburgers."
  • The article mentioned "softer advertising revenue." This should be an ideal time for publications such as Cuisine at Home to gain a little more of an edge over their competitors, IF they stick to their guns and do not allow advertising to creep in.
  • If people other than the Mr. Bonetti, from the article, are encountering sold-out classes at cooking schools and seeking tutoring, instead, this could also be an ideal time for individuals who are already skilled in cooking (and able to pass those skills on to others) to get some extra income by offering cooking lessons.

Just think of the places where you could post notices to get people interested in such a service:
  • On supermarket bulletin boards
  • At places where engaged couples or newlyweds go: florists, gown and tux shops, etc.
  • In the windows of stores that sell cookware (could also be a bonus for the store, with people buying cookware not just to cook, but also to learn how to cook)
  • Churches, playgrounds, or other places where families who may need to learning cooking (versus McD's or take-out) gather
If blueberry muffins have blueberries in them, what do vegan muffins have?
Reply
#13
  Re: Re: Economy has more people cooking at home by labradors (Interesting article....)
Interesting article, HomeCulinarian and good comments, Labradors. It gives me faith that our magazine will continue to be successful and not have to "dummy down" or resort to advertising. TDhank you for the info!
Reply
#14
  Re: Re: Economy has more people cooking at home by coco hernandez (Interesting article,...)
Well this sure has me thinking...since folks are not hiring personal chefs, maybe they'll hire a chef to come and teach them how to cook instead. I'm off to make a flyer
Reply
#15
  Re: Re: Economy has more people cooking at home by DFen911 (Well this sure has m...)
Quote:

Well this sure has me thinking...since folks are not hiring personal chefs, maybe they'll hire a chef to come and teach them how to cook instead. I'm off to make a flyer




Or for their kids, Denise. My husband (who was the oldest child) used to start dinner or even make a whole meal when his mom was working. He was only around 13 at the time.
Maryann

"Drink your tea slowly and reverently..."
Reply
#16
  Re: Economy has more people cooking at home by HomeCulinarian (This AP story ran in...)
Great Article. I hope if anyone at C@H sees it - pays attention to the point made of still wanting to eat restaurant/quality meals at home. Not just the how to do it for less...you get the less automatically by making your own meals at home.

It drives me nuts to pay $22 or more for a chicken dish I can make just as well - or better at home, let alone a good steak out. I won't pay outrageous prices for sirloin steak out. I'd rather pay half as much and get a nice quality ribeye and make it myself.

When we eat out it is usually for something I don't make myself or just easy - chinese, red robin bugers - good family restaurant, or pizza. Rarely fancy/expensive. We just don't eat out very often.

I was floored yesterday when I saw a FULL SIZE window advertisement at our local Papa Murphy's take and bake pizza place advertising they take Food Stamps!

Sorry - digressing.

Thanks for sharing the article. I enjoyed reading it.
Erin
Mom to three wonderful 7th graders!
The time is flying by.
Reply
#17
  Re: Re: Economy has more people cooking at home by DFen911 (Well this sure has m...)
Denise -- think about making presentations to clubs or teaching an adult class at your community college or adult education facility. Or even a church group. Different service clubs are always looking for new speakers - such as Rotary and the like. You could put together a 30 minute talk/demonstration. Now the trick is for you to get paid for for your time by giving lessons.
Reply
#18
  Re: Re: Economy has more people cooking at home by HomeCulinarian (Denise -- think abou...)
I agree, Denise. You may have found a niche previously unrealized. I think Jeanette hit the nail on the head....do a few demos for free, and get some cooking lessons scheduled....pretty cheap advertising. Once the word gets out, you'll probably have more to do than you wished for!

Thanks for sharing Jeanette. This was a great article. I agree with all the Labs and Erin said as well.

This hits a nerve with me though. My mom has been bugging me to do a demo for one of her clubs. She's always going on and on about her daughter "the gourmet cook". It's embarrassing and exaggerated. I just don't feel I have what it takes. Yes, I am a teacher and yes, I do cook pretty good, but to cook in front of a bunch of people would be too intimidating. I just don't feel qualified. Now after I get certified, definitely, but I'm not a pro by any description.
Daphne
Keep your mind wide open.
Reply
#19
  Re: Re: Economy has more people cooking at home by Gourmet_Mom (I agree, Denise. Yo...)
We go out to dinner about 1/month. Which means I'm cooking the rest of the time. Every six weeks or so, we'll order in some ribs or chinese. Don't you love it when you take a survey and they ask, how many times do you cook/week?

I put down 6. I guess there are some days we eat leftovers.

Sally
Reply
#20
  Re: Re: Economy has more people cooking at home by lxxf (We go out to dinner ...)
[blockquote]Quote:

Don't you love it when you take a survey and they ask, how many times do you cook/week?

I put down 6. I guess there are some days we eat leftovers.[blockquote]Quote:



ROFLOL! Too true!
Daphne
Keep your mind wide open.
Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)