5 Ways to Help You Mourn the Loss of Gourmet

October 5, 8:50 PMDC Books ExaminerJennifer Willson

Previous

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the DC Books Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Photo: TheKitchn.com

It’s a rough day for all you foodies out there. Conde Nast just announced that after 68 years of food, food and more glorious food, Gourmet Magazine will be closing up shop. That means good bye to adventurous recipes and far fetched ingredients, but it also means au revoir to so much more. Because as Splendid Table host Lynne Rossetto Kasper noted, “food is far more than recipes. Food is stories…food is about people…politics…history.”

So now that Gourmet is gone, where are you going to get your fill of delicious reading? Well, the good news is Bon Appetit is still on the racks. But if that’s not enough, here are 5 ways to satisfy your culinary cravings.

1. Culinary Mysteries
Think one part Agatha Christie, one part Martha Stewart. Yep, there is a whole genre out there devoted to murder-mystery writing with a culinary bent. Take award-winning author Susan Wittig Albert, who pens the China Bayles series. China is an herb shop proprietor and ex-lawyer who happens to cook her way through every murder and mishap in her small Texas town. Look for witty titles (Thyme of Death) and even recipes.

2. Chocolat, by Joanne Harris
How could you not drool over this delectable story of tempting sweets in a tiny French town during Lent? Harris weaves a magical story that is just as irresistible as main character Vianne’s unworldly chocolates.

3. Midnight’s Children, by Salman Rushdie
Talk about food being more than just recipes. This fantasy is ripe with historical and cultural commentary. But amidst all the complex symbolism, don’t lose sight of Saleem and his extraordinary sense of smell—that nose that helps him craft the world’s most amazing pickles and chutneys. It’s Rushdie’s nod to the importance of food in both cultural and personal identity.

4. Anthony Bourdain
Although this sharp-tongued chef doesn’t hide the fact that he hates “foodies,” his approach to food writing can’t be missed. Whether you want to see the underbelly of the restaurant scene or taste the best street food from around the world, Bourdain has a unique take.

5. Julia Child
When all else fails, fall back on Julia. You just can’t go wrong with the mother of gourmet American cooking!