It was a packed house for mid-week literary lunch at Spinster Sisters, Santa Rosa, with author Ruth Reichl, former editor of Gourmet magazine and best-selling author of culinary memoirs Tender at the Bone and Comfort Me with Apples.
Ruth is currently on book tour (a rare beast in itself, these days) making her fiction debut with a story (naturally) set at an iconic food magazine in New York called “Delicious.”
Delicious! is a novel of sisters, family ties, and a young woman who must find the courage to let go of the past in order to embrace her own true gifts.
Executive Chef at The Spinster Sisters (401 South A Street), Liza Hinman worked at Gourmet Magazine herself prior to embarking upon her culinary career. Having her former editor in the house, across the country, in Sonoma, was a full circle celebration for the chef, who most certainly stepped up to the mark to make sure lunch was outstanding.
Ruth spoke candidly in between courses, recounting the impact of the suddent demise of Gourmet Magazine, the country's beloved food and wine publication of choice, from 1941 to 2009.
Chef Liza's Roasted Nantes Carrot Soup with Cilantro Creme Fraiche and Harrisa Oil caused a stir of quiet satisfaction amongst a chatty, packed house. Delicious indeed.
Condé Nast had cited a decline in advertising revenue and a shifting focus amongst food enthusiasts as reason to axe what many viewed an institution in monthly magazines. Gourmet had been the first of its kind and endured over half a century of publication.
Tucking into a marvelous Mezze Plate: Franco's Merguez Sausage, English Pea and Fava Hummus, Farro Salad with Favas, French Breakfast Radish, Sugar Snap Peas, Yogurt, Mint, Marinated Baby Beets and Caraway Flatbread, lunch guests listened with considerable interest to Ruth's appreciation of the new wave food reporting, largely online.
"There hasn't been a mainstream publication to replace Gourmet," she said. Magazines, in her educated ideal, must be willing to take risks, to give readers what they don't know they want, rather than what they think they want.
Ruth is a big fan of indie publications such as Lucky Peach and CherryBombe, magazines that push the boundaries of great food writing and photography. "Writers are coming out of the woodwork trying to write for them," she said. Modern Farmer is another of her top picks for the food culture scene of today.
Oh, and do check out her recommendation for the Italian issue of the new Swedish mag, Fool.
Last, but not least, dessert of the day was this delightful Pistachio Meringue with Honey Poached Apricots and Pistachio Cream.
Ruth shared some funny stories of encounters within the tech world of today, where there are lots of strange ideas about not being bothered with taking the time to eat real food. "To miss out on biting into a fresh peach," she wondered. Sad in the extreme.
Given that her whole life's work has been devoted to sharing the pleasures of good food, Ruth has a pretty straightforward philosophy and that is to continue to teach the unquantifiable value of sitting together at table, to take the time to talk and to listen and to savor. "It's heartbreaking to think that there are so many young people who have no idea what it is like to sit at the table and enjoy a meal with family and friends," she said.
The Spinster Sisters luncheon with Ruth Reichl was a collaboration with The Book Passage. How refreshing not to have to drive across the county and given its successful sell-out, Sonoma County book lovers may look forward to lots more literary lunches at this popular restaurant in months to come.
When booking, if you plan to attend one of these (generally sell-out) events with friends (and reserve individually), do be sure to request who you'd like to be seated with and print out a copy of your receipt to bring along with you.
Comments