[1]Condé Nast Publications announced yesterday that they would cease monthly publication of Gourmet Magazine. Gourmet began in 1941, though Conde Nast only owned it since the 80s. A friend of mine called it the fall of the Western world a few years ago when he heard that University School planned to stop offering French -- for me, the death of Gourmet Magazine is a similarly bleak omen for America.
Gourmet had it all. It was about so much more than food. In any issue you could learn about history, culture, geography, health and current trends. And the wonderful photography! -- only National Geographic could compare. Gourmet Magazine was creative, compelling and classy. Ruth Reichl, Editor in Chief for the past ten years, deserves high praise, she managd to produce a masterpiece in a time when so many other magazine seem to fall flat.
Gourmet is the magazine I have probably read most often and most thoroughly in the past five years. Other magazines have failed to hold my interest consistently though I frequently read Time, The Economist, Antiques, The New Yorker, Art in America, Art at Auction, Vogue, W, Architectural Digest, Southern Living,Martha Stewart Living and the local museum publications.
I have the back issues, the books and there is always the recipes on Epicurious, but it just won't be the same.