I'm not old enough to have made too many recipes from Gourmet, but I remember growing up reading every issue and 'suggesting' to my mom things that looked particularly delicious. Most of them involved chocolate, of course. The pictures also tempted me to consider dishes with ingredients I refused to eat at the time- I was rather picky as a child- so I typically just ignored those and stuck to chocolate.At first, I was shocked to hear the Gourmet is closing, but once I remembered the Bon Appetit is also owned by Conde Nast and since the two magazines are basically competition for each other, closing one does make sense (good call, McKinsey!) According to the New York Times, most insiders suspected Bon Appetit since Gourmet has a 'richer history' but I think the choice makes sense. To my casual readership, Bon Appetit has done a better job at staying fresh and relevant. The layout and typography is less intimidating and also one to be a foodie without feeling over the top or being intimidated. As I've started to cook, I've attempted a few Gourmet recipes, most that I found on Epicurious so I'm glad to hear the recipes will still be available there. I hope that the editorial staff of the two magazines will bring together the best of each.
Checking out the Gourmet website for details on their imminent closure, there is still an advertisment for a subscription special which I recommend skipping because who knows what replacement magazine you'll get. On the website, I did find an interesting column written by W. Hodding Carter. [Fun fact: I am somehow related to this man, though it's because he is related to my uncle's wife so it's more that our family trees form a canopy together, and less that we're actually related.] The column details Hodding's attempts to live frugally with his family, including a month where they spent no money but eat only what they could grow or barter. Very interesting and definitely a bit motivating to be a bit more mindful of my expenditures.
