DIGEST: Gourmet magazine

[bourdain]

YIKES!

Oh. man. I got some serious ballbusting to do...

[tighe]

YIKES!

Oh. man. I got some serious ballbusting to do...

I feel better already, knowing that someone will personnally be flipping Monsieur Ripert shit for this one. To me this cover completely contradicts the adage that "all publicity is good publicity."

[bigwino]

It only gets worse past the cover.

[pattimw]

It only gets worse past the cover.

I will agree with that.

[tighe]

It only gets worse past the cover.

It my world view, it is nearly impossible to get worse than that cover, I blush every time I see it. It's so bad, I can't even find humor in it. That said, for the few cities I know anything about, their choices are generally inane at best, insane at worst.

[tommy]

I coudn't believe the cover either.    Unbelievable.

i did a triple take on that one. i think i probably just shook my head and muttered "that's pretty corny" under my breathe. i'll have to have a look inside though.

[bloviatrix]

My copy hasn't arrived yet. I want to see what I'm missing.

[Rail Paul]

I know it hasn't been summarised here yet, but Gourmet's Restaurant Issue which just arrived is embarassing in any number of ways, not least of which is the cover.  Say it ain't so Eric....

My copy arrived today, so I'll try to get a summary up tonight or tomorrow.

Based on the buzz here, it may not be a pleasant task...

[Basilgirl]

Eeeewwwww. Got my copy yesterday. Eeeewww. And usually Gourmet's covers are so...nice.

[Rail Paul]

Here's the October 2003 summary Chefs as a Rock Band on the cover.

Review: London. Guy Dimond visits Fifteen, Jamie Oliver's new place. Enjoys the scottish scallops in yuzu lime juice with coconut and shiso. Rich carpaccio of scottish beef, and a wild rabbit with sage. Enjoyed most of what he tried.

Roadfood: New Haven Pizza. NH has long been known for its excellent pizza. The Sterns try out Modern Apizza, and felt it was the best. Frank Pepe had ocean sweet clams, and Sally's had a meaty "works" pizza. The sweet clam pizza at The Spot was excellent. The text suggested they tried four different types of pizza in four places over a few day period. The sacrifices people go through for art...

Color Codes: What Does Your Cabinet Color Say About You? Next...

Goods to Go: Truffle shavers. Wusthof swivel peelers, Sumeet Asian grinders, spray bottles, and a Turkish coffee grinder for powdery spices. The grinder looked very interesting

Drinks: Gary Regan provides an overview of New Orleans sours, finds ingredients don't need to be precise. Good explanation of the interaction of tastes.

House Wines: Chefs help make their own wines. All of the comments were very complimentary.

---Brian Duncan, Bin 36, Chicago. His Blend III (white) IV (red) for $58 list, $25 retail

---Emeril Lagasse, Emeril's, New Orleans, Classic Red '00, $13, Classic White '01 both from Fetzer

---Bruno Marini, Federalist, Boston. Cuvee Federalist '01 $65 from Newton Vineyards, described as very rich

---David Rosoff, Opaline, LA. Opalima '01, $18.75 per half liter from Steve Clifton

Wine Notes keyed to menus:

Laurent Gras menu: Chapoutier Condrieu '01 or a Muscat de Beaumes de Venise Ch St.-Sauveur. Cuisine goes well with Viognier

Barbara Lynch menu: Eroica, a 2002 Columbia Valley Reis, also liked the Beneserre's Sangiovese '02 with short ribs or other full bodied foods

Cauliflower the cabbage flower

Fritters from Rockenwanger in Santa Monica, Cauli bistecche from Lucca in Boca Raton, and Cauli Maque Choux from Magnolia Grill. Wonderful pictures of the flower and the dishes. They speculate cauli may be the next hop vegetable, joing the fruit mangosteen.

Travels Section

York Maine: Carla's Bakery & Cafe. Ann Beattie wrotes of a woman's effort to create a warm place in an often cold land. Brownies, chocolate chip cookies, dream bar recipes are offered. Carla and her husband built the place from scratch and the love is reciprocated by their neighbors.

[i don't usually comment on ads, but... The Sigrid Olsen line of women's clothes features real women in their ads, not size 2, 19 year old models. This month's selection includes Ana Sortun (Oleana) and Lydia Shire (Excelsior) with comfortable, elegant looking clothing.]

Charlotte North Carolina: The United House of Prayer for all People was founded by Daddy Grace, a celebrated evangelist of the 1920s and 1930s. Daddy believed people hear the Gospel better on a full stomach, so his chapels provided chicken, grits, muffins, collards, etc. Still do. By 1920, Daddy owned a string of grocery stores, chapels, hotels and beauty parlors, providing work and skills training for thousands of people living in an inhospitable and segregated society. His kitchens still feed people, and good chicken and catfish isn't far away.

Ashland Oregon. Just outside the town limits, Charlene and Vernon Rollins host the New Sammy's Cowboy Bistro with its improbable mixture of fine wine, fresh foods, and great lifestyle. Before they were 40, they had worked with Jermiah Tower, built the new Boonville Hotel and watched its meteoric crash. Now, in rural Oregon, they've built another gem. One time neighbors included Leonard Lake and Charles Ng, notorious characters from the past.

Rapid City South Dakota. Ed Levine writes about MJ Adams. Once a celebrated chef at Seasons in Brooklyn, she moved to South Dakota. Her Corn Exchange is described as the "best restaurant between Minneapolis and Denver" with its selections of Maytag cheeses, buffalo frittata, and other foods of the Plains. When her first place burned to the ground, neighbors helped her build its replacement.

Note to single guys: She's looking for husband #3. Being a French bakery chef is very desirable.

Tucson AZ: All across America, towns are voting PF Chang's and the Macaroni Grill the best food in town. In response, Tucson restaurateurs formed an alliance to invite school kids and their parents to dinner. Fine dining, tablecloths, napkins, courses, nothing in a box, and no drive up. The restos also formed an alliance to help with purchasing. The article was picked up, and a version of it appears in today's NY Times.

Lexington Kentucky: Bluegrass to Bluefin. When Toyota moved into town two decades ago, sushi was unheard of. In response, Toyota executives supported a new sushi restaurant, and eventually the "hard boots" came by. Tachibana brought sushi to the land of burgoo and bourbon, and has been joined by the Nagasaki Inn and others. Equestrian boots join slip ons in the lobby of the pristine restaurant.

Dallas Texas: A photo essay which looks like it tries to name as many chefs who play in rock bands as it can. Next...

Tasting menus: Shaba Narayan states the case against tasting menus. They're complex, many small steps, hostage to the clock. Often they're as much cef work as a whole entree. When two people left a table for 8 at Daniel to go to the rest room, the kitchen froze. As they were setting an item for 8 which would die in three minutes, they waited, and waited, and as the couple returned, the meal emerged.

Batali notes that the thinner end of a cut may be used for a tasting menu, while the thicker and better center would be used for an entree.

Profile: Moscow's restaurant Tsar

Arkady Novikov owns Veranda and 52 other restaurants in Russia. He serves sushi, argentine beef, tapas and burgers in his far flung empire. Veranda would fit in fine in Marais or Tribeca, with large windows, helpful staff, and fine food.

Novikov's first job was flipping burgers at McDonald's #1 in Moscow. He started a fish restaurant after he noticed the absence of fresh fish in Moscow. Now he owns the biggest importer of fresh fish.

Atkins: Does it Work

Well, you won't find out from this article. However, this isn't deprivation, it's pretty good.

Profile: Nicolas Guardado at Jaleo

A young man from El Salvador, working mops and salads, joins Jaleo in DC after jobs elsewhere. Chef Jose Andres sends him and two others to a finishing school for Hispanic chefs. There he learns the French technique, and innovation. He had been trained by formula, no changes were possible. Cook it exactly as we tell you. Now he can create and understands the "why" of what he does so well

After working with salsa pincipales, he masters salsa veloute, salsa bechamel, salsa espagnole, etc. Now he has the tools to cook anywhere in the world...

Bostonian

Barbara Lynch swears her way into high regard in Boston kitchens. Now the chef at No 9 Park, owner of the Butcher Shop, and the Oyster Bar, she knows foods. Her gnocchi is made with pate a choux, and puffs up like a souffle. Her short ribs are meaty and tender

Laurent Gras at Fifth Floor

After 12 years with Ducasse, his Waldorf Astoria Peacock Alley won high regard. Now in SF, his Pistachio sea bass with crab salad has won many admirers. He's always experimenting, finding new flavors.

Old Vienna

Goulash soup with calves liver, Huth, Horvath, and a place called Stomach ("Chez panisse in Vienna"). Kaseland has a hundred Alpine cheeses, and Meinl has the world's best coffee.

Kitchen Warriors

With a half million Chinese people, this may be the best. Juon Yuan and Green Village, neighbors in a Chinese strip mall. The LA basin towns of Monterey Park, Alhambra, and Rosemead are largely Chinese, with a huge range of food establishments. At Juon Yuan the clam and melon soup is like velvet, and the chicken and chesnuts are sublime.

Gourmet Every Day

Seared Sccallops with brussells sprouts

Potato parmesan puffs

Blade steak with mushrooms

deep fried portabella, rolled in rye bread crumbs

Last Touch

penne alla gorgonzola (sage, whole milk, parmigiano)

blue cheese butter with port (over baked potatoes)

Links to follow

Edited September 25, 2003 by Rail Paul (log)

[ferdlisky]

Just got my copy.

Holy crap.

What is it with making chefs dress up and do stupid stuff? Bon Appetit did something similar in their September issue, but at least they didn't put it on the cover...

[tighe]

Just got my copy.

Holy crap.

What is it with making chefs dress up and do stupid stuff? Bon Appetit did something similar in their September issue, but at least they didn't put it on the cover...

The better question as far as I'm concerned is what is up with already phenomenally successful chefs agreeing to dress up and do stupid things?!?!?

[Janedujour]

Eeeewwwww. Got my copy yesterday. Eeeewww. And usually Gourmet's covers are so...nice.

I felt the same way when I saw Britney Spears on "Rolling Stone"..."what in the hell..?

Didn't someone try this idea with dogs playing poker?

[laurenmilan]

When I got this issue, I honestly was wondering if I was the only one that thought the rock-star attitude towards chefs was obnoxious.

It's bad enough that these prima donnas get to play at cooking, with their increasingly irrelevant cooking styles (foam, anyone?). It is bad enough that one got to perform a culinary "Emperor's New Clothes" in the restaurant. But for Gourmet to further enable this attitude...

[megc]

I don't read Gourmet too often (I'm more of a Cook's Illustrated and Food and Wine kind of gal), but did check out this last issue (It's so thick! And what an unusual cover). Has Gourmet always resembled a fashion magazine inside? All those ads for clothes and jewelry, and such. I was unprepared for so many non food-related ads.

[megc]

I don't read Gourmet too often (I'm more of a Cook's Illustrated and Food and Wine kind of gal), but did check out this last issue (It's so thick! And what an unusual cover). Has Gourmet always resembled a fashion magazine inside? All those ads for clothes and jewelry, and such. I was unprepared for so many non food-related ads.

[slbunge]

After 15 years, we let our subscription to Gourmet lapse shortly after Ruth Reichl took over. I was furious about the changes being made to turn it into a fashion magazine and a vehicle to advertise fancy cooking gadget sellers by displaying their use in prominently in the 'tips and techniques' section. I particularly remember a bit discussing how Williams-Sonoma and other manufacturers produce tablespoon measures that are different from the US government standard. It went on to say that Gourmet uses the Williams-Sonoma tablespoon as the basis for all recipes. Ick!

We picked it back up again after picking up a Christmas issue from he newstand and finding some good stuff. Thought things were trending back toward the old-line focus on food, food prep, entertaining, and eating while travelling.

Now, with the rock-star cover and the difficulty in finding text amidst all of the ads, we'll likely let the subscription die again.

[Rail Paul]

(It's so thick!  And what an unusual cover).  Has Gourmet always resembled a fashion magazine inside?  All those ads for clothes and jewelry, and such.  I was unprepared for so many non food-related ads.

Gourmet is part of the Conde Nast publishing empire, which sells packages of ads for its various publications. Jewelry, fashion, liquor, and upscale autos pay very well.

You can buy ad placement in various combinations of magazines, or tailor them to perceived demographics. There's a huge amount of cross selling, and many "food" articles actually have fashion (clothes by X), grooming, and styling credits. Location shots may have a subsidy from a tourist office or hotel, too.

The chefs as rock stars actually had a root in the text. Several of the featured chefs do play serious music, although I'd suggest the cover was more playful than serious. It's not like foodies think the world revolves around Emeril, or Mario, or Bourdain or anything like that, of course.

[Jinmyo]

Gourmet is part of the Conde Nast publishing empire, which sells packages of ads for its various publications. Jewelry, fashion, liquor, and upscale autos pay very well. 

You can buy ad placement in various combinations of magazines, or tailor them to perceived demographics. There's a huge amount of cross selling, and many "food" articles actually have fashion (clothes by X), grooming, and styling credits. Location shots may have a subsidy from a tourist office or hotel, too.

That states it very clearly, Paul.

I look at this stuff and find it utterly alien to my interests.

[River]

i used to get gourmet, used to get bon appetit, used to get cook's - they are all kind of BORING

-is there any cooking magazine out there worth the $$ ??

p.s. i am new hello

thanks-river

p.s.s. who ARE the chefs on that cover anyway??

Edited October 16, 2003 by River (log)

[fresco]

i used to get gourmet, used to get bon appetit, used to get cook's - they are all kind of BORING

-is there any cooking magazine out there worth the $$ ??

p.s. i am new hello 

thanks-river

p.s.s. who ARE the chefs on that cover anyway??

Saveur, occasionally. But it's hit and miss.

[River]

> Saveur, occasionally. But it's hit and miss.

thanks i'll half-heartedly look for it

river

Edited October 17, 2003 by River (log)

[bloviatrix]

I just received my November issue. They made changes to lay-out including the type-face. Haven't they done this in once already since Ruth took over?

What do you all think?

[ferdlisky]

I was a little put off. I guess they are deliberately downplaying food in the new Gourmet, but that's not why I get it. I'm thinking of unsubscribing. The vegetarian Thanksgiving was really strange. It looked like a summer party on the beach.

[Basilgirl]

I just received my November issue.  They made changes to lay-out including the type-face.  Haven't they done this in once already since Ruth took over?

What do you all think?

I don't like the new type-face at all. I don't like Gourmet much at all for anything anymore, come to think of it. Last month's cover with the rock star chefs was just too much.

This Thanksgiving issue is just boring, boring, boring. Roasted chestnuts? Yawn. Jellied cranberry sauce? I think you can get the same recipe on the back of the cranberry bag. Yawn. Creamed pearl onions? Yawn. I guess they were just trying to do a traditional American T-giving.

Last year Bon Appetit had a great Thanksgiving issue with a separate section for each course and variations, like a stuffing section with Italian, cornbread, etc. and a potato section with mashed, roasted, sweet, etc. I saved that issue.

And yes, the vegetarian menu IS strange. I, too, am thinking of unsubcribing.