July 25, 2011

Dear Taste of Home Field Editors,

I'm extraordinarily delighted to share some fantastic news with you: One of my favorite people in publishing, Jeanne Ambrose, has been named editor of Taste of Home. She began Monday, June 20. Jeanne is an industry veteran widely known in food publishing circles and an all-around groovy person. Her most recent project before starting here was to edit and manage every aspect of a MasterChef newsstand special, the first such publication from the popular television show to appear on American shelves (look for it on newsstands now!). She has been a contributing food editor at Organic Gardening magazine and a contributing writer and editor for many national magazines. Jeanne also co-authored a book with her daughter, Lindsey, called Heartbreak Recovery Kitchen: Recipes and Remedies for Mending and Moving On. Her previous staff positions include editor of Heart-Healthy Living magazine, as well as food and nutrition editor at Better Homes and Gardens magazine. She's super-smart, super-funny and a super-talented cook. You'll be hearing a lot from her in the days, months and years to come. Please feel free to drop her a note of welcome at jeanne_ambrose@rd.com. I know she'd love hearing from all you wonderful folks.

Best,
Christian Millman
Executive Editor
Taste of Home

FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD!

Jeanne Ambrose

With that kind intro, I’ll say a quick hello. Not quite sure how it happened, but food means everything to me. I lean toward the healthy, but my favorite food is mashed potatoes, preferably laced with garlic. And I have a weakness for ice cream. And chocolate. And garden-fresh tomatoes, which of course lead tobacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches.

And blueberries. Right now I’m taking advantage of in-season berries. Love to toss them in salads with toasted walnuts and a bit of feta cheese.

I’m also stashing blueberries in the freezer for year-round use. You know the trick of freezing clean, dry blueberries in a single layer on a cookie sheet, right? When they’re frozen, just roll them into a freezer bag or container and seal tight. Then scoop out a handful for anytime snacking, or toss into the blender to make a smoothie or a slushy berry margarita like this one.

Can’t wait to find out what’s cooking in your kitchens. We’re quite hungry for recipes and stories for our “Sunday Dinner” feature. Tell us about your Sunday dinner traditions and recipes. Or send us a note about a neighbor, friend or relative who cooks up fabulous Sunday dinners.

Happy eating.
Jeanne

WANT A BIGGER TASTE?

Our Field Editors are the secret ingredient that makes Taste of Home such a success. We’d love to expand your involvement by sharing even more of your delicious opinions. We’re exploring ideas with potential sponsors for product testing and reviews. Want to be among the first to check out new products (or even review some old favorites)?  Drop us an email at fieldeditors@tasteofhome.com with “Product Testing” in the subject line. We’ll be back in touch in 6-8 weeks with more information. Join in and share your tasty opinions!

TAKE A TASTY TRIP TO CALIFORNIA

For a sneak peek at California wine-making, as well as visits to local farms lush with artichokes, apricots, garlic and more, get ready for Taste of Home’s Slice of California tour.

Travelers on the five-day, food-inspired journey will explore the flavors of the northern Santa Clara Valley and gorgeous Monterey Peninsula. Two departures are planned: Sept. 18-22 and Sept. 25-29.

Along the way, celebrity chefs of the region will offer cooking demos and serve favorite dishes. Tour participants also will enjoy delicious, made-from-scratch recipes from Taste of Home every day.

Other highlights include:

*Cannery Row, perfect for a stroll along the coastal Recreation Trail and browsing oceanfront shops.

*Ocean Mist Farms, the Artichoke Center of the World and home to the country’s largest artichoke growers.

*A 100-acre apricot farm where world-renowned Blenheim apricots are harvested and dried.

*Apple orchards and berry patches.

*Gilroy, home of the Garlic Festival and Garlic World. Tempt your taste buds with garlic-flavored olives, dips, sauces, jellies and more.

*Capitola, an intimate village with breathtaking views and eclectic boutiques, galleries and eateries.

*Fortino Winery, where you’ll have the opportunity to sip wine among ancient oaks and redwoods.

As part of our Taste of Home family, Field Editors receive a discount of $200 per person. Visit countrytours.com for details. To receive your discount on this exciting tour or any 2011 WWCT tour, mention promotion code FE09.

DO YOU “LIKE” US ON FACEBOOK YET?

If you’re an active member of Facebook, be sure to “Like” the Taste of Home page for a wide variety of cooking and recipe fun. Throughout each day we post fun questions and delicious recipes. Like us today and join the fun! facebook.com/TasteofHome

ONLINE FIELD EDITOR FORUM

Below are some recent discussion topics you can get involved with in our private Field Editor Forum.

“Has anyone ever tried making their own homemade graham crackers?” Go to topic.

“It's almost county fair time here in PA. I want to preserve something different this year. Does anyone have any attention-getting things they preserve?” Go to topic.

One Field Editor opens cafe/chocolate shop AND gets accepted into an Iron Chef competition. Read her exciting news.

Take a look at our new Field Editor Forum today and start a discussion of your own or reply to an existing conversation!

Please note: If you click any of the links above and get an error message on our site, make sure you’re logged in to our site (you need to be logged in for the site to recognize you). If you’re logged in and you still get an error, email Erik your screen name and he’ll make sure your TasteofHome.com account has been granted access to the private Field Editor Forum. Erik’s email is: erik_bergstrom@rd.com.

MOVING?

Please remember that, if you are moving, you must do two things:

1. Contact our subscription department to make your change of address. Call 800-344-6913 or email rpsubcustomercare@custhelp.com.

2. Send your new address to Editorial Assistant Jane Stasik to keep your newsletters coming. Thanks!

Would love to hear from you,

Jeanne Ambrose, Editor, Taste of Home

Erik Bergstrom, Web Community Manager