There has been talk in the past few months that several staff members of Every Day with Rachael Ray were being hired by another company to fill up slots for a competing magazine. Now it looks like those rumors might be true.

Portfolio is reporting that Hearst and Scripps are going to team up with Food Network to create a new food and lifestyle magazine based on the network. This is still in the planning stages, so it's not clear what TV personalities (if any) will be involved and what format/frequency the magazine would take, though obviously Rachael Ray won't be involved.

So...would you read a Food Network magazine, or do you think the network has changed so much that it wouldn't have anything you'd be interested in?

Meatpaper is the self-proclaimed "journal of meat culture," and judging from what's up at their site, they're correct.

The site is filled with several articles on the "arts and ideas about meat," including pieces about the dry-aging room at New York's Master Purveyors, pig slaughter in Italy, why Filipinos eat Spam, and getting over the guilt of eating meat. There are also links to various food blogs.

The site itself says that they "like metaphors more than marinating tips," which I take as an indication that they're going to be talking about the world of food and not recipes and kitchen advice. They're taking subscriptions now, so you might want to check it out.

This month's Everyday Food magazine has an article about the five essential pots and pans that should be in every kitchen. They definitely picked out the right things, too. If you are missing one of these, or perhaps haven't gotten around to breaking in your kitchen after moving out of the dorms, you will be able to cook most things if you pick up all five items. On the list are:

• 10-inch nonstick skillet - Nonsticks are great because they don't requite much cleanup, but stick to anodized aluminum brands, like Analon and Calphalon, if you want to avoid potentially toxic PFOAs. Use it for scrambling eggs and searing delicate meats, like seafood.
• 12-inch skillet - The best choice for sauteing because you'll have lots of room to work, large skillets will allow for higher surface heat and better searing. Make sure that it balances well on your stove and isn't off balance by a too-heavy handle.
• Large saucepan - A 3 or 4-quart saucepan is the most versatile kitchen pot because it can be used for sauces, small batches of soups or pasta for one for a quick  lunch. Don't get an aluminum one (unless its anodized) because its reactivity with utensils and metal cooking implements can quickly lend an unwelcome taste to your sauces.
• Large pot - Stocks, soups and stews can all be made in a big 8 or 10-quart pot, but the most common use for a pot like this is to make pasta. Lots of pasta.
• Dutch oven - These can work both in the oven and on the stove top. They retain heat better than most other cookware, too, so they're ideal for slow cooking and making soups or chili. Look for enameled cast iron, anodized aluminum or stainless steel with a copper/aluminum base.

Perusing the latest issue of Cook's Country, a publication I quite enjoy, I was astounded when I came to the "When Things Go Wrong in the Kitchen" section at the back of the magazine. It is intended to be funny, but what it really shows is that people need to learn when to throw things away. No matter how thrifty you are or how closely you need to watch your wallet, sometimes it is simply best to throw away your mistake and start over from scratch. A good time to consider this action is when food is burnt, bad or if you have been eating leftovers for more than a couple of days.

Witness the following incidents, all harvested from the kitchen disaster stories in Cook's Country:

• A woman wanted to make homemade noodles the way her grandmother did. The recipe looked like it would not make enough, so she added to it until it was several times the original size. She and her husband ate noodles for more than two weeks and it was years before they wanted to eat them again.

Hungry is a new online food magazine written by four guys who are foodies. Not in the sometimes-elitist sense that we don't really approve of here at Slashfood, but the sense that they love good food and everything associated with it - even if it comes from a fast food joint. In other words, they’re our kind of guys. Though still in a relatively early stage, Hungry is off to a great start, with interesting chef interviews, available as podcasts, and other articles. Some of the features include food history, recipes and events. The magazine is based in Chicago, so though they have covered the likes of the McArabia Sandwich, much of the coverage will be based in the greater Chicago area. We look forward to seeing more from Hungry in the future.