The Bitten Word

Gourmet's Going, But We're Not Saying Goodbye

 

When we heard that Gourmet would cease publication this month, we happened to be in Stowe, Vermont, celebrating Zach's mother's birthday by eating ourselves silly.  We sought out local diners, ate an amazing farm-to-table restaurants, and generally just tasted everything we could get our hands on, be it Dutch-style pancakes, horseradish-studded local cheese, or maple-laced Manhattans. It was just the sort of trip that the magazine might have recommended.

With the news came a wave of emotions: sadness, disappointment and a small dose of anger. Mostly, we're sad for for the loss of the magazine as a cultural institution and a leading voice in the food world.

Friends and readers often ask which is our favorite food magazine. Though we have some pangs of guilt in choosing, we have said many times that Gourmet was our favorite magazine subscription.

We applauded the magazine's focus on social justice issues (April's "Politics of the Plate: The Price of Tomatoes" is a must-read) and culinary travel/lesser known chefs (October's issue profiles Louisville, Kentucky, chef Edward Lee and his restaurant 610 Magnolia). But really, we subscribed to the magazine because of the delicious food. Highlighted by mouth-watering photography, Gourmet's recipes always got us excited about the possibilities of the kitchen and the promise of deliciousness.

And of course, we are Ruth Reichl fans (you. must. read. her. books.), though we're not certain if we loved Gourmet or Reichl first. 

But, it seems, we're not done yet.  November's issue has yet to arrive. We expect it will this week. We, like many of you, will no doubt savor every page. And, if you've saved all your issues like we have, you'll haul out all your November back-issues and put them to work with the new issue as you're planning Thanksgiving.

So this is by no means a goodbye or farewell to the magazine. We'll no doubt be cooking with Gourmet for many years to come, through their vast trove of past magazines and wonderful cookbooks. Instead of saying goodbye, we hope to celebrate the legacy of this great magazine.  Here are our five favorite Gourmet dishes that we've made for The Bitten Word. Give one a try, in homage to our favorite food magazine.

• Crusty Buttermilk Biscuits
• Caramelized-Onion and Gorgonzola Grilled Pizza
• Fennel-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Fennel Wedges
• Pork Tenderloin with Tomato-Peach Compote
• Fresh Corn Pancakes

Do you have a favorite recipe from the magazine?  Need to vent about the end of Gourmet? Let us know in the comments.

 

Corn on the Cob with Mint-Feta Butter

Gourmet (August 2009)

Think of this as a last hurrah of summer.

Sweet corn is still lurking around this part of the country.  Sure, it's not in the abundance that we had a month ago, but it's still available at the farmers market.

If, like us, you've binged on corn this summer, exhausting your repertoire of corn dishes, you may need a way to liven up the remaining kernels of summer.

Baked Chicken Meatballs with Peperonata

Gourmet (August 2009)

The Bitten Word is back from the beach!

We're shaking the sand from our suitcases and gingerly applying aloe lotion to our sun-kissed skin. While we were away, though, something happened. Labor Day came and went. There's a slight nip in the air, and we swear we saw the faintest hint of color on the leaves this morning.

Fall is just around the corner.  And our thoughts are already turning to heartier fare, which is why we're so glad we bookmarked these Baked Chicken Meatballs with Peperonata from last month's Gourmet.

Boozy Ice Pops

Fine Cooking (August/September 2009) & Gourmet (July 2009)

 

Nothing makes us more nostalgic for long, lazy childhood summers than the idea of a Popsicle. Opening the freezer and seeing a Technicolor array of bright, sugary ice pops is one of life's great pleasures. Unwrapping a Popsicle and then eating it -- while your tongue slowly turns unnatural hues of blue, green or red -- is one of the most refreshing and most quintessentially summer things there is.

This summer, we've been making our own ice pops, but with one great twist that's decidedly un-childlike: booze!

Whether you're a bourbon girl, a Bloody Mary guy or more of a margarita person, if you're looking for one last summer hurrah this weekend, look no further than these boozy ice pops.

Italian Parsley and Raw Beet Salad

Gourmet (September 2009)

We're total suckers for beets. We love 'em. Mixed with bright citrus flavors, they're heavenly. Matched with a good goat cheese, they're mouthwatering. We've paired them with country ham and cornbread, with green beans and mustard and as the focal point of a fancy little appetizer.

But there's one problem we always encounter, a daunting, sigh-inducing hurdle that makes cooking with beets feel like a big undertaking: Ya gotta roast 'em.

Beets taste amazing, but these root vegetables are so dense and hearty that you have to roast them in the oven for a long time to make them palatable. (It's the same reason you don't serve raw potatoes.)

So when we came across this Italian Parsley and Beet Salad in the September Gourmet, we were immediately intrigued for one major reason: raw beets.

Fresh Corn Pancakes

Gourmet (July 2009)

"Hello. Our names are Clay and Zach, and we're addicted to corn."

This time of year, we see ears of fresh sweet corn everywhere we turn -- tumbling out of crates at the farmers market, piled high at the grocery store, shoveled at us in our CSA share.

We're addicts, and we're in the midst a full-on binge. 

At our house, we're eating corn in succotash or salads, and we're chomping a healthy amount of it right off the cob, boiled or on the grill. 

And now we've found a delicious way to bring corn to the breakfast table.

Leftovers | Interesting Stuff from July Food Mags

We're far from finished posting about what we've cooked from July food magazines.  But in between dishes here's a look at some non-recipe items featured in the last month's food mags.

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Gourmet

Attention, Bloody Mary fans:  You're going to want to pay attention.

Last summer, our friends Drew and Ralph introduced us to their favorite Bloody Mary mix, with the adorable name Zing Zang.  And it was love at first sip.

Zing Zang isn't your ordinary, mild mix that needs to be spiced up. It's fantastic as is, though we still spice ours up a bit. When it comes to bloodies, we love to tinker, adding a dash of this, a smidge of that. We were thrilled to see the mix featured in Gourmet. If you want to try it but can't find it in your area, you can order some from the company's website.

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Martha Stewart Living

Interested in u-pick fruits and vegetables but uncertain where to go in your area? Martha features PickYourOwn.org, where you can find nationwide listings of farms that offer u-pick options.  The site is also stocked with canning and preserving tips if you want to try your hand at food preservation this year.

Sometimes we're suckers for packaging. That's one reason that Maldon sea salt jumped off the pages. Its classic looking packaging is a adorable, like something you might find in your great-grandmother's pantry. Which might be possible, since the company, based is England, has been making sea salt for more than 200 years. If you can't find it in your local supermarket, you can always order it online. We're eager to try it!

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Cook's Illustrated

Cook's has an "Essential Kitchen Equipment" feature with "The 39 must haves in our kitchen that we recommend for yours." Though we're not 100% on board for everything on the list, we loved reading their recommendations.  Portions of the list are available on their website.

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And Just Because We Love It . . .

For Christmas last year, our friend Katie sent us an awesome package from Nashville's famed Loveless Cafe.  The package included some of the smokiest bacon we've ever tasted and some amazing grits. But our standout favorite was the Loveless Maple Syrup which is beyond delicious. We loved this syrup so much that we've been rationing it for the past seven months, only using it for very special meals.  Well, we're sad to report that this weekend we finished off the syrup. We're definitely going to have to order some more or pick some up the next time we're in Nashville. 

Find The Leftovers from previous months here.

Thyme-Rubbed Lamb Loin Chops

Gourmet (July 2009)

A couple years ago, we read an interview with a chef -- forgive us, we can't for the life of us remember who it was -- discussing which one ingredient was the most important in the kitchen. Whoever it was responded without hesitation (and of course we're paraphrasing): "Thyme. It's the single ingredient I couldn't live without. I use it as a foundation in just about every dish."

At the time, we found that surprising: The flavor of thyme isn't bold or even really immediately identifiable. It's not, say, rosemary or oregano or garlic.

Today, though, we're converts. Whenever we're cooking meat, especially things like pork or chicken -- we immediately reach for the thyme. It's got this great subtle, herbal quality that just elevates any dish.

While we think thyme makes a terrific flavor base for lots of foods, there may be no better pairing than a nice grilled lamb chop.

Pork Tenderloin with Tomato-Peach Compote

Gourmet (July 2009)

There's an age-old debate about whether tomatoes are fruit or vegetables.  By botanical definition, a tomato is a fruit, but to cooks (and the Supreme Court!), it certainly walks and talks like a vegetable.

We're not going to wade into the debate.

All we know is that tomatoes taste unexpectedly delicious with peaches. 

Chicken Breasts with Zucchini Pappardelle

Gourmet (July 2009)

Ladies and gentlemen, start your vegetable engines!

Summer vegetables in our region are coming into their prime season, with tomatoes now appearing at the market  along with mounting piles of plentiful cucumbers, squash and zucchini.

It's happened at our house, for sure. 

Our CSA kicked in big time this week.  Last week, we decided to forgo our share because we had several nights of plans that kept us from cooking at home and we didn't want to let our veggies go to waste.

So this week we were able to get a double share.  And we brought home quite a haul!