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Ruth Reichl

Recent Activity

Mexico DF: Lunch at Quintonil

My apologies; I've been living in a whirlwind over the past few days, and I've had no time to post the promised notes on two great meals in Mexico City. But I'm sitting on a train, heading to Boston, and Amtrak's famously fussy internet has finally kicked in. So quickly - before it deserts me - here are notes on... Continue reading

Posted Sep 30, 2015 at Ruth Reichl

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Mexico City Moments

Why is this person I've never met before kissing me? Because that is how people greet each other in Mexico. One kiss, on the left check, even if you're being introduced. It took me a while to stop holding out my hand, American-style, or keep myself from turning my head for the two-cheek European kiss. It's emblematic of this country:... Continue reading

Posted Sep 27, 2015 at Ruth Reichl

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Mexico DF: Dinner at Rosetta

You know, just walking in the door at Rosetta, that you're in for a wonderful evening. There's something casually elegant about the graceful rooms in this old mansion in the Roma district. Vines twine up the wall and a sprig of mint graces every jug of water; there's an interesting - and rather feminine - sensibility at work here. With... Continue reading

Posted Sep 24, 2015 at Ruth Reichl

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Oaxacan Breakfast Every Day, Please.

The wonderful chef, Alex Ruiz, a man with a big smile and a bigger heart, invited a group of us to have breakfast at his restaurant, Guzina Oaxaca (he's taken over the space in Polanco once occupied by chef Patricia Quintana. It was, I think, the best breakfast I've ever eaten. It started with hot chocolate- not too sweet, not... Continue reading

Posted Sep 22, 2015 at Ruth Reichl

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A Few Delicious Moments in New York

Summer lingers in the city. The weather's wonderful, and I’ve been wandering the streets, stopping in to meet friends. Here are a few of the most delicious things I’ve eaten over the past few days. Riding the crosstown bus the other day, I got a text from Lisa and Hiro; they had just sat down at the bar at Le... Continue reading

Posted Sep 19, 2015 at Ruth Reichl

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Pumpkins? Already?

The apples were eclipsing the peaches and tomatoes at the farmers market this weekend, but there were still peaches - even apricots - so it was hard to be too unhappy about the changing seasons. Then I spotted the first of the pumpkins. "Go away!" I wanted to shout at them. I'm not ready to wake up in the dark... Continue reading

Posted Sep 18, 2015 at Ruth Reichl

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Chinese Banquet 2.0

Jowett Yu, the Taiwan-born, Canadian-trained, Hong Kong chef is a man of the world. Raised partly in rural Yilan province (where his grandmother grew her own rice, pickled her own vegetables and made her own wine), he was always fascinated by food. After getting a university degree in history, he followed his heart to culinary school in Vancouver and then... Continue reading

Posted Sep 17, 2015 at Ruth Reichl

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Here Kitty Kitty

For those who've asked, some pictures of ZaZa and Cielo: This is ZaZa in her favorite pose. And this is Mikkel, in the middle of the winter shoot, trying to get Cielo to turn around. As you can see, it was all extremely glamorous.... Continue reading

Posted Sep 16, 2015 at Ruth Reichl

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Great Balls of Squid!

(Dinner for one in Soho - to remind you what 1980 felt like.) There’s a faint orange glint to the trees - if you stare really hard, you’ll see it - and the air is turning cooler. Night comes on more quickly now, and the city streets seem quieter. On evenings like this I like to stroll through lower Manhattan,... Continue reading

Posted Sep 15, 2015 at Ruth Reichl

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A few weeks ago I put up an ad from a vintage Gourmet, touting a book of buckwheat recipes from the ancient Birkett mill. The mill, established in 1798, continues to grind today, and it is still putting out Wolff’s buckwheat flour. I was unable to locate a copy of the book, but today a copy arrived in the mail.... Continue reading

Posted Sep 14, 2015 at Ruth Reichl

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A Fine Day to Cook

The sky is gray, the air damp; clouds loom. It's a day to stay inside and cook. After the silly recipes of the past few days, here's one that sounds like a project worth investing time in. (I have no Tilsit on hand, so I'll probably substitute a pungent Gouda.) I imagine serving this with roasted tomato soup, and perhaps... Continue reading

Posted Sep 13, 2015 at Ruth Reichl

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A Cake to Conjure With

I'm trying to think who would want to create this cake, from the January 1975 issue of Gourmet, and suffering a total failure of imagination. The same person, I suppose, who'd want to make this Filet of Beef en Gelee. Should you, however, be that person, here's the recipe for the cake. Roll up your sleeves; it's going to take... Continue reading

Posted Sep 12, 2015 at Ruth Reichl

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A Truly Ridiculous Recipe

I'm not sure I even need to editorialize about this recipe, which says a great deal about what the notion of "gourmet cooking" was when it was printed, in January 1975. I imagine Gourmet readers, with a great deal of time on their hands, spending hours making these fussy little hors d'oeuvres. Every single step is time-consuming. It gives me... Continue reading

Posted Sep 11, 2015 at Ruth Reichl

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A Recipe for a Cool Fall Day

It's hard to believe that Gourmet ever published a recipe for blood sausage, especially one that casually begins, "For every four cups pork blood...." Perhaps in 1951 the average American could go next door and borrow a few pints of blood from the neighboring farmer? Here, for your delectation, is the recipe. And if you're in the mood for those... Continue reading

Posted Sep 10, 2015 at Ruth Reichl

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Good Sauce, Fancy Booze

From 1983 - an unusual green sauce, requiring all manner of interesting herbs And a stunningly expensive bottle of booze (and remember, this is 1983 dollars). Continue reading

Posted Sep 9, 2015 at Ruth Reichl

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Stir-Fried Potatoes - and More

A couple of fascinating recipes from the February, 1984 issue of Gourmet. Although they're from a winter issue, they could not be more timely. If you're going to make these stir-fried potatoes from the much-lamented Auntie Yuan restaurant, what better time to try them than right now, when new potatoes fill the markets? As for zucchini - well, if you... Continue reading

Posted Sep 8, 2015 at Ruth Reichl

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Vintage Popcorn

File this under: Everything old is new again. From a 1984 issue of Gourmet, a whole slew of fascinating suggestions for gourmet popcorn. Do not miss the bacon-Cheddar version! Continue reading

Posted Sep 7, 2015 at Ruth Reichl

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Farm to Table Squared

This might be the most delicious chicken I've ever eaten. If you want to taste it too, you need to go to Fish & Game, Zak Pelaccio's ur-local restaurant in Hudson, New York. It's a beautiful restaurant, a former blacksmith shop that's all dark wood and local craftsmanship, with an open kitchen and the scent of wood-smoke wafting through the... Continue reading

Posted Sep 6, 2015 at Ruth Reichl

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Three Swell Recipes

The January 1977 issue of Gourmet has three recipes I can't wait to try. Two are for unusual pancakes. The first, from an article by Fanny Todd Mitchell on the pleasures of Auvergne, are for buckwheat pancakes. They're served as dessert, usually with jam or honey, but I imagine them with slices of ripe peaches and a dollop of sour... Continue reading

Posted Sep 5, 2015 at Ruth Reichl

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Today's vintage recipe - don't you love this photo? - is from the January 1985 issue of Gourmet. Although it's a winter issue, it's perfect for the current season, when markets are filled with just-picked peppers, young eggplants, scallions and garlic. I'll be making this for Labor Day lunch, using fresh red peppers and tomatoes in place of the jars... Continue reading

Posted Sep 4, 2015 at Ruth Reichl

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About Chiles...

This is from the January, 1985 issue of Gourmet - one of those issues that's filled with fantastic food and intriguing articles. Trolling through I found a wonderful photo of a young Jacques Pepin, some souffle recipes I can hardly wait to try, an ode to parsley, an article on young American cheesemakers. And part one of the series on... Continue reading

Posted Sep 3, 2015 at Ruth Reichl

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The World Expands: 1978

These ads, from a 1978 issue of Gourmet, prove that everything old is new again. The anglo-American palette was widening its horizons, and “exotic” products entered the ad market. In the current age of coconut craziness, the idea that it was being "introduced" is extremely enlightening. What can you do with coconut cream? The world is wide: Trout coco amandine,... Continue reading

Posted Sep 2, 2015 at Ruth Reichl

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The Mutton Chop of Fish

What, you might ask, is this? No, this little fantasy is not dessert. And yes, that fish is real. This improbable confection on the cover of a 1952 issue of Gourmet Magazine is filets de sole Joinville. I like to imagine America's bravest cooks eagerly devouring this recipe, running out to buy the (extremely long) list of ingredients, and then... Continue reading

Posted Sep 1, 2015 at Ruth Reichl

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A Note from Pappy

Found this ad in the September, 1960 issue of Gourmet. What stopped me was the picture - it looked so much like the label on my bottle of Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve Bourbon. Then I saw the name. But I pass it on because it's difficult to imagine anyone writing ad copy like this today. This is, I believe,... Continue reading

Posted Aug 31, 2015 at Ruth Reichl

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Vintage Vegetables

Sitting here staring at a huge pile of vegetables from the farmers market, trying to figure out what to cook. Trolling through a pile of old Gourmet Magazines, I came upon a couple of interesting old recipes. These are retro classics,far richer than anything a modern cook is likely to come up with. Both intrigue me: the braised cucumbers, because... Continue reading

Posted Aug 30, 2015 at Ruth Reichl

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