Hoffman Launches Taste of the South Magazine

Business Wire, August 31, 2004

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- There's more to Southern cooking than fried chicken and gravy-laden mashed potatoes. That's the philosophy behind Hoffman Media's October launch of Taste of the South, a magazine dedicated to providing quick, easy-to-prepare recipes for flavorful, Southern-style dishes.

"Perhaps no other area of the U.S. has a cuisine as rich in tradition as the South," said president and publisher Phyllis Hoffman. "There's just something about coming together over food that brings us closer to the people we care about. Friendships are formed and families grow closer, whether it's a simple meal for two or a large family get-together.

"Readers of our Southern Lady and TeaTime magazines are familiar with the quality of our publications; they will find the same attention to detail and beautiful photography as Taste of the South presents the best of more conventional Southern fare, along with new twists on old favorites for cooks in and out of our region."

Lorna Reeves, the magazine's editor, notes that the magazine is targeted toward cooks who aren't looking for a haute cuisine experience with every meal. "The emphasis will be on simple and delicious. The ingredients are simple - probably what the cook already has in his or her pantry - and the dishes will be easy and quick to prepare."

Taste of the South, which will be available from bookstore and supermarket retailers beginning mid October of this year, will be a quarterly publication. Each issue of the 68- to 100-page, four-color magazine will feature a minimum of 50 recipes for favorite traditional and not-so-traditional Southern dishes. Accompanying the recipes will be how-to features, such as articles that instruct readers on how to select the region's wonderful in-season produce; profiles of the South's most notable chefs, as well as their favorite recipes, and advice on kitchen techniques; recipes submitted by readers that have proven to be family favorites; pantry basics that provide insight on the different products available to the Southern at-home-chef.

Hoffman Media, LLC, based in Birmingham, Ala., is a leading special-interest publishing company formed in 1983. Hoffman, with $12 million in annual revenue, also publishes Southern Lady magazine, TeaTime, Just CrossStitch, Sew Beautiful and Sampler & Antique Needlework Quarterly. The company also operates ancillary businesses serving the needlework industry.