Tuesday, January 18, 2011

They Know Their Audience

I haven't really been cooking much of interest lately, with the exception of the tea-smoking fiasco, so I don't have a lot of luscious pictures to share with you. Dinner has mainly consisted of some worthy but unremarkable roast chickens and other similarly satisfying but relatively boring offerings. So, instead, I'll show you my Christmas presents.

My Beloved and several of my friends know their audience - they buy me cooking-related items. My Beloved subscribed to The Art of Eating for me, a quarterly periodical which features well written and illustrated articles of interest to the food-obsessed. I expressed an interest in this magazine because Molly Wizenberg told me as we were up to our elbows in cracked crab on Christmas Eve that she had prepared an article to appear in an upcoming issue. I'm looking very much forward to that article but the ones in this issue were terrific, too.

First, the one about the lovely woman with the wonderful name of Soyoung Scanlan who makes artisanal cheese in Sonoma County, California. I need to find her Andante cheeses to try, for sure. Then, other articles on topics as various as Madeira wine, hunting and eating the kill, paprika and non-vintage brut champagnes, to name just a few. There are also restaurant and book reviews, and sources for wonderful ingredients - but no ads whatsoever. The $50 subscription rate is high, but it covers the cost of writing and publishing without resorting to carrying advertisements.

I devoured my first issue cover to cover and relished every delicious bite.

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6 Comments:

Blogger Greg said...

You made out good for Christmas!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011  
Blogger cookiecrumb said...

Yeah, I know some serious foodies who love that one.
I guess I should take a look.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011  
Blogger kudzu said...

Andante cheeses are pretty hard to come by in Marin (except in restaurants) but Oliver's carries them and a trip to their closest branches is not too difficult. I tasted her cheeses the first year she was in production and was hooked.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011  
Blogger cookiecrumb said...

We bought scads of Andante at the Sunday farmers market in Marin. They haven't showed up in a while!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011  
Blogger Zoomie said...

Greg, I made out like a bandit! :-)

Cookiecrumb, I can send you an older copy if you'd like to see it before subscribing.

Kudzu, thanks for the source tips. I'll get over your way soon and try them out. The article was highly complimentary.

Cookiecrumb, I gather from the article that she no longer sells at the farmer's markets as her whole output now goes to restaurants and smaller groceries.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011  
Blogger cookiecrumb said...

Aw, thanks, Zoomie. I think I can just skim one at the bookstore. You're a doll.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011  

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