The Last Days of Gourmet Magazine

Posted on November 5, 2009 by johnsuder

On October 5, Condé Nast publications pulled the plug on Gourmet Magazine. Gourmet has been published since 1941, and was one the first U.S. Magazines to cover food, wine and “good living” on a wide scale.

While dead-tree publications like newspapers and magazine are suffering on the whole due to silly factors like “the economy” and “those internets”, it’s a damned shame to see this grand old publication fold. Photographer Kevin DeMara, who worked at Gourmet for 8 years, captured the final moments as the sad and bewildered staff packed up their lives and said goodbye to jobs they all most likely loved (I guess anyone who has a “job” these days must like it, but working at a food magazine would be a dream job for many of us).

The Gourmet brand will continue to be used by Condé Nast for book and television programming and recipes appearing on Epicurious.com.

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The Last Days of Goumet
Photos: Kevin DeMara

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Straight-forward Packaging from Brooklyn Fare

Posted on November 1, 2009 by johnsuder

brooklyn-fare

This is the kind of straight-forward, sensible design that I love. Great copywriting, clean, minimal design, limited color palette, and ONE typeface. This is a client I’d love to have. Plus, there’s this kick-ass video that presents the entire corporate identity package. Brillaint work by Mucca Design. Well-played, lads.

Brooklyn Fare from Mr. Mucca on Vimeo.

(via Eat Me Daily. Photo from Mucca Design, New York.)


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Recipe: Halloween Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Posted on October 31, 2009 by johnsuder

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Did you carve your Halloween pumpkin yet? Hope you didn’t throw away those seeds! Toasted Pumpkin Seeds are easy to make, taste great,  packed with protein and fiber (and are highly addictive!). We always prepare these while we’re carving our pumpkins (that way you only have one mess to clean up).

How to prepare Toasted Pumpkin Seeds:

When carving your pumpkin, use a large metal spoon to scrape the inside ‘pumpkin guts’ out into a large bowl or strainer. I use a strainer and run the water to separate the ‘guts’ from the seeds. The ‘guts’ are very fiberous and the seeds usually stick together in clumps. Separate the seeds and place in a large bowl.

In a large bowl, pour in olive oil until seeds are coated (but not drenched). Mix the seeds until the oil coats the seeds. Add a few pinches of kosher salt (this works much better than table salt – the granules are much larger and stick better.) Grind fresh pepper (optional) onto the seeds and mix.

Pour the seed mixture onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Spread them out as much as possible so that they cook evenly.

Sprinkle the seeds with your favorite sweet or savory seasoning. At our house, we’re big barbeque and spice fans, so we add Smoked Paprika. This adds a nice spicy, smoky flavor to the salty, peppery seeds.

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Recipe: Thai/Asian Happy Mouth Explosion Soup (Working Title)

Posted on October 13, 2009 by johnsuder

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I can’t exactly tell you the exact ratios of ingredients, because I did this all by instinct. The big “cheat” was the College Inn “Thai Coconut Curry Culinary Broth”, which *sounded* good, but in reality could be reproduced easily and with more emphasis on other flavors. I’d give it a pass (however, it’s now showing up on Big Lots shelves for a buck per 32 oz. container, so give it a go if you’re feeling crafty.) Many of these ingredients come from 2 local Indian/Asian groceries that have opened in my area recently. An abundance of fresh ingredients at great prices.

Contents:

  • Broth (cheat! 3 32 oz. containers)
  • Bok Choy ( 2 stalks, chopped)
  • Coconut Flakes (I buy these frozen. You could also add coconut milk.)
  • Chicken (about 3 frozen “tenders” I buy in bulk. Cook through, pull out and pull apart, put back in soup.)
  • Shaved Carrots (about 3)
  • Chopped Scallions (about 3 stalks)
  • Okra (frozen, about 1/2 cup)
  • Zucchini (what the hell, why not, 1/2 piece, chopped)
  • Cilantro (Fresh, chopped, about 1 cup)
  • Lime (one, halved, juiced and placed in broth)
  • Ginger (Fresh. Small knob, grated)
  • 3-5 Green Chiles (probably too many. Chopped fine)
  • Garlic (3-5 cloves, chopped)
  • Chinese Egg Noodles.

PS – I totally forgot the Curry (turned out pretty hot anyway), and don’t hate on my chipped up old soup bowl – it’s my favorite.

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Recipe: Kansas City Rib Rub and Barbeque Sauce

Posted on August 26, 2009 by johnsuder

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Learning to prepare good barbeque involves a lot of trial and error. Which cut of meat do I buy? How do I cook this thing? When do I add the sauce? Sometimes you get a set of what we call “Hall of Famers” and sometimes you wind up with something that tastes like (and resembles ) a baseball glove.

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I’ve tried a lot of store-bought sauces and rubs (last Summer, I think we tried about 15 different sauces), but it all comes down to what kind of flavor profile and style you want. Do you like your BBQ Sweet? Spicy? Dry? Dripping down your arms? Personally, I go for spicy and smoky, and I’ve been using the following recipes to rave reviews the last few months. I plan to tweak these recipes further, and I suggest you do the same. As you get comfortable with the recipe, adjust for heat and sweetness.

Kansas City Rib Rub

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 Cup, Brown Sugar
  • 1/4 Cup, Paprika (Smoked Paprika can also be used, but if you’re smoking your ribs, it might be an overkill)
  • 1 Tablespoon, Black Pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon, Chili Powder
  • 1 Tablespoon, Garlic Powder
  • 1 Tablespoon, Onion Powder
  • 1 Teaspoon, Cayenne Pepper

Combine all ingredients and store in airtight container. This mixture will coat about 2 racks of baby back ribs (depending on size).

Kansas City Barbeque Sauce

Ingredients:

1 Cup, Ketchup
1/4 Cup, Water
1/4 Cup, Vinegar
1/4 Cup, Brown Sugar
3 Tablespoons, Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons, Paprika
1 Tablespoon, Chili Powder
2 Cloves of Garlic, minced (personally, I add more..)
1 Teaspoon, Cayenne Pepper

Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan. Add the garlic, saute until almost brown. Add the remaining ingredients and reduce heat. Simmer until thickened (about 15 minutes).

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The official taster. (This session got a "thumbs up")

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