Gourmet for the 21st Century

[Swisskaese]

I grew up on Gourmet magazine. My parents having been buying it since they got married in 1963. So, I have seen the incredible evolution from when my parents and their friends formed a Gourmet dinner club to prepare the latest recipes and feel like that had brought culture to small town Alabama to the bolder, riskier "this isn't my parents magazine anymore" image.

I am happy that you are taking risks by publishing articles, such as the Lobster article. Keep up the good work.

With that said, how do you try to balance some of the old with the new?

BTW - I loved looking at the magazine as a child and driving 100 - 200 miles roundtrip (they were dedicated!) with my parents to try and find the exact ingredients for the Gourmet dinner club. Gourmet was a huge influence on my foodie lifestyle.

[Ruth Reichl]

I grew up on Gourmet magazine. My parents having been buying it since they got married in 1963. So, I have seen the incredible evolution from when my parents and their friends formed a Gourmet dinner club to prepare the latest recipes and feel like that had brought culture to small town Alabama to the bolder, riskier "this isn't my parents magazine anymore" image.

I am happy that you are taking risks by publishing articles, such as the Lobster article. Keep up the good work.

With that said, how do you try to balance some of the old with the new?

BTW - I loved looking at the magazine as a child and driving 100 - 200 miles roundtrip (they were dedicated!) with my parents to try and find the exact ingredients for the Gourmet dinner club. Gourmet was a huge influence on my foodie lifestyle.

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Balance is easy. Zanne Stewart, who's the Executive Food Editor, has been here more than 30 years. Kempy Minifie's been here almost thirty. My assistant, Robin, has been here almost 25. The staff here has the DNA of the magazine in their bones, and they're the barometer. When I came, they all wanted the magazine to change, to stretch, to be more than it had been.

You pretty much have to change just to stay the same. If we were putting out the same magazine that Mr. McAusland started 65 years ago, it would be absurd.

My basic feeling is that you put out the best magazine you can, the one you most want to read, and hope that other people will want to read it too. Otherwise you're stuck doing it by formula, trying to second guess a public, relying on focus groups. And what you end up with is just dull.