Farewell to Gourmet

Gourmet cover photograph by Roland Bello. Food styling by Susan Spungen.

So I was happily perusing photographer Nicole Hill's blog when I came upon the news that Gourmet magazine is getting the ax. I've been despondent ever since. Not that I'm a gourmet cook, but I read this magazine and salivate over the beautiful photographs on a monthly basis. It made me feel like I could cook the recipes if I wanted to. Or I could just read about the food and pretend that I had just eaten a good meal, even though usually I look at the current issue while snarfing a sandwich made with questionable lunch meat.  

If it weren't for Gourmet, I would not know about photographers like John Kernick, Ditte Isager, and Romulo Yanes, whose photographs have served as my inspiration for many a shoot. I also would not know Jane and Michael Stern, a foodie couple who travel the nation in search of a good meal (my idea of the perfect retirement). Every time I read their Road Food column I want to hop in the car and drive to some far-away locale to have lunch in a diner where a waitress named Ronda will take my order. 

And what would I do without editor Ruth Reichl's letters? It was because of this magazine that I read all of Reichl's books, which also inspired me to find a source for local, organic produce. (See my blog page listed as "All Season's Market.") You know what the worst thing is? It took me a year to decide to treat myself to a subscription, and now it's gone kaput. I only have ten issues to my name. If only I were not such a tightwad, I would have subscribed sooner. 

Conde Nast, the publisher of Gourmet, also put the kabosh on some bride magazines (not a big loss, if you ask me) and Cookie, a parenting magazine with some cool pictures, but totally unrealistic ideas for children. Take, for example, one issue where a toddler modeled a sports jacket that cost somewhere in the neighborhood of two hundred dollars. Yeah, right. Like I'm going to spend that much money on clothing for a person who has no bladder control and could spew his dinner all over his designer outfit with nary a thought to the cleaning bill. Somehow, I think parents will survive without this publication. 

But Gourmet is a big blow. According to Time.com, Conde Nast decided to toss Gourmet due to advertising losses. Seems that rivals like Rachael Ray and The Food Network attract more non-food advertising. And though Gourmet has won three National Magazine Awards, it's expensive to produce. With a recession on, even big guys like Conde Nast pay attention to the bottom line and make cuts where it makes the most sense. I get it. I really do. But I don't like it. 

The thing that bothers me most is the idea that the recession has affected everything, even my favorite magazine--a magazine that's been around for nearly seventy years, mind you. If a publication like that can get the boot, anyone and anything's fair game in this messed-up economy. Along with a sense of stability, the recession has now stolen my sense of fantasy. (I guess a lot of people can say that, but for different reasons.) I escaped to Gourmet to get away from thoughts about the recession. Sure, it's known as a "luxury magazine," geared more for those who love to travel and eat good food, and who have the means to do so. Though I'm not in that category, I still loved pretending I was. But apparently even the wealthy have stopped buying frivolous things like well-designed, well-written magazines. Now we're all about practicality. Soups instead of steak, and tater-tot casserole instead of cassoulet. These things are not new to me. Gourmet, on the other hand, was. 

The only thing that consoles me is the thought that I still have Martha Stewart. 

For now, anyway.

Comments

[allison]

I am sad that I never got around to subscribing to Gourmet. I did, however, get Cookie for a year; and, while the designer clothing was indeed laughable, the kid-friendly recipes were very good. I loved their "Sneak It It" series to get kids to eat stuff they might otherwise avoid.
The good news is that much of the magazine's contents (and imagery!) is still available online (including recipes).
Not as good as a printed page, but not a complete vacuum.

[kayla]

never read it but it sounds amazing:) YES, you still have Martha!