In the good old....

Well, most people call Memorial Day weekend the “unofficial” start of summer. As far as I was concerned it WAS the start of summer. What miserable weather…. And it isn’t even June!! Maybe it’s my advancing age, but when it gets that hot, my brain goes numb. All I want to do is sit inside and wait for nightfall..Hence the creative juices sort of clog up..and, I tend to get cranky

Really alert readers will remember that I reported that the Bon Appétit magazine has started a “make over” after the long time editor “decided” to retire. Ahem. Anyway the new guy has had columns about making changes, etc. So you can imagine my surprise when the June issue showed up with a grinning Gwyneth Paltrow holding a bowl of pasta on the cover (large Gwyneth, small bowl) . Oh, I’m sorry Mr. Postman, you delivered a copy of People Magazine by mistake. I don’t remember seeing a person (except maybe the New Chefs issue of F&W) EVER on the cover of a foodie publication! And also on the cover in bold letters was “EASY SUMMER RECIPES from Food’s Newest Face”. My, oh my. The newest face indeed. And you know what? She’s a cookbook author. Not a chef, a cookbook author. On the cover of a food magazine. And it apparently didn’t go unnoticed as the “new guy” editor Adam Rapoport made note of it in his “editor’s letter”, entitled “We’re Getting Personal”. He spends more or less the whole thing justifying putting movie stars on a food magazine…”I realize putting a movie star on the cover of a food magazine isn’t typical”… really? Like never before. And not only that, there is a multi-page article on her complete with pictures entitled “The Girl Can Cook” along with bites like “is there anything Gwyneth Paltrow can’t do?”. Oh, the author of that article is the same Adam Rapoport.

I know I’m old, conservative, and always stay between the lines, but somehow a food magazine should be about the food, not “Food’s newest face”. Of course I always say that food should be enjoyed with people but the other way around just isn’t right. Just a guess, buy maybe the magazines days are dwindling or they'll find a new editor. Conde Nast imploding?

ouch!

And for readers in St. Louis or those with access to Sauce Magazine, there’s a scathing review of a place called Catch 22 Seafood Lounge in Belleville, IL..a couple of samples:

“An energy drink on beverage menu? Not many people dropping a C note for a fine dining experience order a couple of Red Bulls to enhance their evening”

“Forget pairing interesting sides to complement different proteins. Forget imaginative plating. Forget seasonal. Forget locavore…..In short, the food is underwhelming”

And finally: “How do you aspire to high-end dining when so little attention is paid to the details? How do you become a destination restaurant when the most basic cook can make the same meals more creatively?”

How many more days to fall?

In this weather you have to carefully choose your outfit to

DFD