Six years ago, when I finally gave in and subscribed to Martha Stewart Living, it felt like a revelation. No longer would I be forced to "accidentally" stumble upon her TV show and halfheartedly make fun of it whenever someone else walked into the room -- I would indulge in my fascination with crafts, cooking and gardening in the open, without shame. Last year, tired of the repetitive recipes and annoying Martha-knows-best attitude, I started subscribing to Gourmet. But now even that magazine -- with its ritzy travel sections and fluffy "Famous Food in the Movies!" articles -- feels too shiny and pretty for me. (Although there was an amusing uproar earlier this year over a cover photo of a cake topped with cupcakes. Responses included: "Five months have gone by, and your January cover is still causing controversy!" and "I canceled my subscription to Gourmet because of that polka-dot cake on the January cover!" Oh, readers of Gourmet. Will you ever cease to amuse me? No, no you will not.)

But now I've graduated. I've entered the unpretty, unglamorous world of Cook's Illustrated and there is no going back. It is all about the science of cooking, about finding the absolute best way of cooking an acorn squash or roasting a chicken. No shimmering tableware. No cobblestoned streets in France. Instead, the founder and editor wears a bow tie and looks like a weak-willed high school chemistry teacher. I love it. The best part of all is that it doesn't make you want to buy anything except the necessary ingredients. There are no ads and no sumptuous photo spreads to tempt you. Just good, old-fashioned food nerdery.