Food writer John Thorne's website may seem like it's circa 1998, but don't let that deter you. You'll still find plenty of delicious information on cookbooks and, um, cookbooks, and, okay, still more cookbooks. Dig a little deeper and you'll uncover photo-illustrated galleries of breakfasts and midnight snacks. Still, that's not why we're here. Focus. We're in search of the subscription page for Thorne's legendary newsletter, "Simple Cooking," which is published five times per year. That's not enough, but it'll have to do. At least for five days, you'll come back from your mailbox with eight single-spaced pages packed with reviews of obscure cookbooks, tall tales from the fictional No-Name Diner, and plenty of top-shelf food writing. Recent subjects include: pistachios, casseroles, Greek salads, and the award-winning article "Pepper Pot Hot."

Harold Check