Gourmet 2004

[Susan in FL]

The cover of Gourmet magazine this month looks like it's Martha Stewart's magazine! ... Or a Target ad.

[Pickles]

It's very CARVEL to me!

Edited January 1, 2004 by Bux (log)

[beans]

Is this what you're talking about? It's very CARVEL to me!

?

Carvel as in:

"caravel (also carvel)

noun historical a small, fast Spanish or Portuguese ship of the 15th–17th centuries."

(Oxford Dictionary)

The cover of Gourmet magazine this month looks like it's Martha Stewart's magazine!  ... Or a Target ad.

I was thinking the same thing as I was got a looksy at my mother's copy. Yeah, it is sort of Martha green. Perhaps festive and bright for the dreary upcoming, dead of Winter month of January?

But if it were a Target ad, it would be done in fire engine red! Althought it could be argued that it is rather Isaac Mizrahi-ish too.

[fresco]

I'm still at a loss about who Gourmet thinks its readers are. The "What's Next" spread, for instance, includes a bunch of stuff that seems dated already, including a piece on the Slow Food movement, heralding it as the next big thing.

Could be wrong, but I'd think that people who are educated, affluent and care enough about food to subscribe to a magazine would have heard about Slow Food quite a while ago.

What's equally puzzling is Ruth Reichl's editors note, in which she says that she and others at the magazine were dismissive when journalists persisted in calling and asking about food trends, but were shocked to discover in the course of some reader research that readers actually shared this intense interest in food trends.

I think the staff at Gourmet should get out a little more.

[JPW]

Beans,

Actually I believe CARVEL was meant to refer to the chain of IceCream stores. Mainly seen them around the northeast. Was one of the few culinary pleasures of my grad school time in the dead mill town of Binghamton NY

[John Whiting]

Artifical food coloring featured on the cover of Gourmet is the back of beyond. When such a magazine ricochets violently from one sort of puplic persona to another, I want to know what orders the owners have been giving the editors. Many editors have taken to concealing their serious content somewhere in the back pages, hoping that their loyal readers will still find it but that it will escape the notice of their illiterate publishers.

Edited December 31, 2003 by John Whiting (log)

[Susan in FL]

Is this what you're talking about?  It's very CARVEL to me! 

Yes that's the one. LOL, Carvel... I haven't thought about that for so long. Does it still exist?

JPW, same here. It was back in the day.

I've had some of the same thoughts about Gourmet myself, and stopped subscribing for a while. I recently ordered a year, to try again.

[richw]

I used to enjoy reading Gourmet, but it gets worse and worse with each new issue.

[alacarte]

I want to know what orders the owners have been giving the editors. Many editors have taken to concealing their serious content somewhere in the back pages, hoping that their loyal readers will still find it but that it will escape the notice of their illiterate publishers.

I'm always curious what the publishers/owners are telling the editors at every magazine, and how much credence those demands receive.

I always thought that Gourmet was a publication with the luxury of editorial independence, though.

[Raynickben]

I too allowed my Gourmet subscription to lapse. So many better publicatons out there now.

Long live Cookie Puss.

[beans]

Beans,

Actually I believe CARVEL was meant to refer to the chain of IceCream stores. Mainly seen them around the northeast. Was one of the few culinary pleasures of my grad school time in the dead mill town of Binghamton NY

Ah.... That explains it! (We didn't have those in Alaska.) Yes, it is very ice cream store like!

[tommy]

Artifical food coloring featured on the cover of Gourmet is the back of beyond.

i'm confused. i was under the impression that cupcakes and the like have artificial coloring pretty much all of the time.

[cjs]

very artificial, very unappealing, very here comes the easter bunny

[fresco]

This is three or four covers in a row that have been panned on eGullet. I don't think this crowd '"gets" what Reichl is up to. The question is, does someone?

[tommy]

slamming the cover seems a bit like shooting fish in a barrel, while taking issue with content actually involves reading and thought.

edit: i stand corrected about my thoughts on whether or not ruth decides on the cover. i'm told by an expert there's a very good chance that she probably does. i can't imagine what was going through her head, what with putting out a festive cover reminiscent of Easter.

Edited December 31, 2003 by tommy (log)

[fresco]

She's the editor. While others may have input, I'd be surprised if a cover went out the door that she had not had a major hand in developing, and which she had not approved.

Edit to add: didn't see your addendum before posting.

[SWoodyWhite]

Has anyone seen any of RRs specials for FoodTV? Her taste in covers matches her taste in apparel.

[Pickles]

Beans,

Actually I believe CARVEL was meant to refer to the chain of IceCream stores.

You are correctamundo. Garish colors, etc. I posted a picture which was edited out-- as you can see in my post.

[hjshorter]

I'm probably going to be considered a rube or something...but I thought the cover was cute. Better than another picture of a city that we don't have the time or money to visit, or a dish I would never cook. And who cares about RR's dress sense?

Edit: yes, most colors used by pastry chefs are artificial.

Edited January 3, 2004 by hjshorter (log)

[bloviatrix]

I'm probably going to be considered a rube or something...but I thought the cover was cute.  Better than another picture of a city that we don't have the time or money to visit, or a dish I would never cook.  And who cares about RR's dress sense?

Edit: yes, most colors used by pastry chefs are artificial.

If it makes you feel better, I liked the cover the as well. I thought it was fun - those cupcakes would be a total hit at a kids party. I even think adults would be psyched to see them. Plus, green is my favorite color.

Edited January 4, 2004 by bloviatrix (log)

[Suzanne F]

I'm probably going to be considered a rube or something...but I thought the cover was cute.  Better than another picture of a city that we don't have the time or money to visit, or a dish I would never cook.  And who cares about RR's dress sense?

Edit: yes, most colors used by pastry chefs are artificial.

If it makes you feel better, I liked the cover the as well. I thought it was fun - those cupcakes would be a total hit at a kids party. I even think adults would be psyched to see them. Plus, green is my favorite color.

But ladies, does it really say GOURMET to you? To me, it says Ladies' Home Journal. Besides, I needed sunglasses to look at it for more than a few seconds.

[laurenmilan]

I'm still at a loss about who Gourmet thinks its readers are. The "What's Next" spread, for instance, includes a bunch of stuff that seems dated already, including a piece on the Slow Food movement, heralding it as the next big thing.

Could be wrong, but I'd think that people who are educated, affluent and care enough about food to subscribe to a magazine would have heard about Slow Food quite a while ago.

Just read the issue, it sounds more like what will be hitting the mass markets in 2004, not what the culinary community (including enthusiastic amateurs) regard as "new trends".

We've known about French Laundry's donuts, the "new retro" style, the "faux blue-collar" thing, and most of the other items under "What's Next" for quite some time. And well, Slow Food has been around for what, 5-10 years now?

[Jinmyo]

Gourmet magazine is completely irrelevant to anything except advertizing. It does that well.

[claire797]

I loved the cover and think Ruth is doing a great job. The magazine gets better and better.

[Susan in FL]

I loved the cover and think Ruth is doing a great job.  The magazine gets better and better.

Ouch.