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Gourmet Magazine Always Made Me Look Good
When I met my husband, he lived in Los Angeles and I lived in New York. Whenever he traveled east to visit me, he'd invariably arrive at my apartment after 10 p.m., so I had plenty of time to kill. I spent it finding recipes, trying them out and realizing that my short but highly focused time in the kitchen was worth an hour of deep-tissue massage therapy.A light dinner to celebrate his arrival may have consisted of asparagus wrapped in prosciutto, a Nicoise salad and some pasta with peppercorns and parmigiano-reggiano. And everything was always good and pretty because the recipes came from the always reliable Gourmet magazine.
In the obits following the magazine's unceremonious death this week, all I read was about how sophisticated its pages were and how its editors may have missed the mark by catering to the culinary elite.
Please.
I suck as a cook and, though I appreciate and pay New York prices for good food, I'd never regard myself as part of that "elite" readership. I barely read the magazine's features and I couldn't deal with any recipe requiring a food processor.
The appeal for me was that I could count on several dishes that made me immediately hungry and that I could cook that same night because they were so doable and the ingredients so easily obtainable.
More importantly, I could always count on the final product to taste and look good.
Simple and easy, with a wow factor, that was Gourmet for me.
So I'm pretty devastated with the news of its demise, and now more than ever I treasure the folders of recipes I've collected through the last decade.
So long, Gourmet. I hope to find you again in books and on the Web.
In the meantime, thank you for the egg and smoked salmon sandwiches with capers that are always a hit at brunch.
And the jam-lacquered chicken wings so beloved by my stepkids.
And the garlic potatoes that made dinner for ten such a breeze.
And the ricotta cheese tart that I could eat by myself.
And all the delicious memories.
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Mia Navarro
Mia Navarro is a New York Times reporter based in New York, where she covers the environment. She is also the author of Green Wedding.... moreRelated Articles
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Comments (4)
daballofire
6:34PM Oct 7th 2009
Two stories about how the Food Network TV and their web site wiped out the elitist and intellectually fake foodie mag Gourmet? No one cares. We are just surprised it took so long to die is all. Gourmet was like socialism finally croaking.
But I am glad a lefty from NY tried to cook at least once or twice and I didn't have to eat it - if it wasn't cooked to 160 Degrees :-)
Never forget that if Gourmet was great, or even good, or even filled a small, itsy, bitsy, tiny niche - it wouldn't have died. You can't fix a bad business model with fear, pride and ego.
But I am glad a lefty from NY tried to cook at least once or twice and I didn't have to eat it - if it wasn't cooked to 160 Degrees :-)
Never forget that if Gourmet was great, or even good, or even filled a small, itsy, bitsy, tiny niche - it wouldn't have died. You can't fix a bad business model with fear, pride and ego.
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Master Shake
2:38AM Oct 8th 2009
It amazes me how Americans turn absolutely everything into an argument over their black and white world of "liberal" vs "conservative." Grow up.
Second, the death of this magazine is just another symptom of your failing economy. Most Americans are now trying to save money. That means not spending on magazines, and not spending on fine foods. Fewer Americans have time to cook, anyway. They are living on fast food and trying to make ends meet. WHY? Because you keep voting for the same two corrupt political parties, and bickering among yourselves as to which ass hat is better.
Second, the death of this magazine is just another symptom of your failing economy. Most Americans are now trying to save money. That means not spending on magazines, and not spending on fine foods. Fewer Americans have time to cook, anyway. They are living on fast food and trying to make ends meet. WHY? Because you keep voting for the same two corrupt political parties, and bickering among yourselves as to which ass hat is better.
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(3) Charles Queen
7:49PM Oct 7th 2009
Actually it is a very good magazine.I have been a subscriber of it since the early 80's and I still get it
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(3) porsche874
10:37AM Oct 9th 2009
That is some pretty harsh commentary there, but honestly Gourmet is an incredible magazine, and like all things, it does have its share of flaws. I don't think Gourmet Magazine has pretended to be anything other than what it is, clearly stated on the cover of every issue: The Magazine of Good Living. I agree with Mia Navarro, one of the great things about Gourmet was the presentation of these simple, yet sophisticated recipes in each issue. Every month upon receiving the latest issue in the mail, I quickly browse through the magazine to get an idea of the recipes and make out my grocery list for the following week. Living abroad, I have an international subscription and Gourmet has helped me to stay up to date with American food trends and most importantly the flavors of home. I am quite saddened by its departure, but in an optimistic approach, I saved all my old Gourmet magazine and I am looking forward to reading them again and again for years to come.
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