Food News: SIFT From King Arthur Flour

Think it's the demise of print media?  Not so fast, say the people at King Arthur Flour.  The proof is SIFT, their gorgeous and inspiring new food magazine.

A salute to all things baking, SIFT is a large format (9 by 11 inches), 109-page magazine and a satisfying return to the pleasure of being able to hold in-hand something glossy, substantial, and readable.

Sixty-plus recipes are spread among fourteen feature articles with titles like "Of the Season," "Classic Cakes," "Braving Bread from Scratch," and "Special Diet: Gluten Free Grows Up." There's "Sandwich Cities" which showcases (recipes included) four classic sandwiches made in their hometowns:  a Chicago Italian beef sandwich, Shrimp Scampi Po-Boy from New Orleans, a Philadelphia roast pork sandwich, and Torta Cubano from Los Angeles. 

"Spring Celebration Breads" includes international holiday favorites (we've got their recipe for hot cross buns).  There's also a traditional Lebanese feast with recipes for Pomegranate Punch, Baked Kibbeh with Tahini Sauce, Vegetarian Cabbage Rolls, and of course -- SIFT is from King Arthur Flour, after all -- one for Pita Bread.  And there are lots and lots of baking tips, like how to assemble a layer cake or make your own gluten-free flour blend.

If you're not a baker, you might want to take a look at SIFT for its non-baking recipes and lifestyle-type articles about food pros and producers, as the piece in this issue about Vermonters making maple sugar (after all, Vermont is King Arthur Flour's home).  But gauge your expectations as SIFT's clear purpose is to inspire and engage with home bakers. It also replaces a previous King Arthur publication called Baking Sheet.

SIFT will be published three times a year, $12.95 per issue, and you can find it for sale at most of the country's major supermarkets (Costco, Whole Foods, Stop & Shop, Wegmans, Kings, Safeway, Kroger, and dozens more) as well as Barnes & Noble and Target.  Issues are being sold individually, not on a subscription basis.

Or you can order it from King Arthur's website where you'll also find early reviews and recipe fixes from the company's community of serious bakers.  Some of these early readers found a few errors and the company is providing errata and a telephone help line.  Although this first issue had a few proofreading bumps, I'm still optimistic for SIFT's future based on the appeal and editorial ambition of this first issue combined with the long-standing commitment to quality that we know from the folks at King Arthur Flour. 

I'm looking forward to the remaining 2015 issues, one coming in late summer featuring fall cooking, and the other, a holiday issue at year-end. 

See our links to two recipes from the premiere Spring 2015 issue:  in time for Easter -- Easy Hot Cross Buns, and for anytime, Gluten-Free Pizza Crust.

Happy spring baking!