PAGING GOOD FOOD L.A.-BASED BON APPETIT TEMPTS READERS WITH IMAGINATIVE RECIPES.Byline: Natilie Haughton Food Editor Bon Appetit's test kitchen - devoid of glitz glitz Informal n. Ostentatious showiness; flashiness: "a garish barrage of show-biz glitz" Peter G. Davis. tr.v. , granite and glamour - is buzzing with activity. In preparation for an upcoming spring issue, sweet and savory scents - from creations like a pear tart and Korean barbecue - are wafting down the hallway on the 10th floor of the high-rise building high-rise building Multistory building taller than the maximum height people are willing to walk up, thus requiring vertical mechanical transportation. The introduction of safe passenger elevators made practical the erection of buildings more than four or five stories tall. on Wilshire Boulevard Wilshire Boulevard is one of the principal east-west arterial roads in Los Angeles, California, United States. It was named for H. Gaylord Wilshire (1861-1927), an Ohio native who made and lost fortunes in real estate, farming, and gold mining. where the magazine is based. A trio of full-time cooks tests dozen of recipes each week for senior editors to sample and critique. Typically, 85 to 115 are published each month. Out of this unpretentious, simple white kitchen - a larger, overgrown overgrown said of a part that has not been kept trimmed. overgrown hoof overgrown hooves put unusual stresses on bones and tendons and allow for distortion of the wall and sole. version of what you might find in a typical home - come all those fabulous, chic creations photographed and splashed across the slick pages of Bon Appetit. These are the same recipes that are so popular with consumers and have made the publication one of the best-known upscale food magazines in the country. Watching over it all and overseeing the magazine staff of 45 (including editorial, art and production) is Studio City resident Barbara Fairchild, Bon Appetit's newly appointed editor in chief. As executive editor for the last 14 years, Fairchild has helped to guide and build the magazine into what it is today. Her new title doesn't necessarily mean there will be big changes in the months ahead. ``Bon Appetit is a hugely successful magazine, and I would be an idiot to try to change it dramatically from what it is now,'' Fairchild says. With a circulation of 1.3 million, Bon Appetit is larger than either Gourmet or Food and Wine, each with a circulation of 850,000 plus. Bon Appetit was started in Chicago by a couple of retired ad salesmen who had an affinity for wine and food. It was first published in 1955 as a promotional magazine and distributed free at liquor stores. Eventually the magazine was acquired by Pillsbury. Bud Knapp, owner of Architectural Digest Architectural Digest is a glossy American monthly magazine. Its principle subject is interior design, not -- as the name of the magazine might suggest -- architecture more generally. The magazine is published by Condé Nast Publications and was founded in 1920 [1]. at the time, purchased the magazine in 1975, and it became Los Angeles-based. That's when its more contemporary formula and design began and the magazine started to grow into one of America's largest-circulation monthly epicurean magazines. It was acquired by Conde Nast Publications Inc. in 1993. Fairchild, who took over in July after the death of editor in chief William Garry, credits the magazine's success to its being accessible, reader-friendly and relevant. ``What makes us different from other food magazines is we don't talk down to the reader. Our tone is lively and fun. We want to put out a magazine that people can use in their everyday lives as well as when they entertain - and we also want to be a practical travel guide to restaurants and destinations around the world. ``We've never been a magazine that's trendy. We set the trends - we don't follow them.'' Travel and restaurant editorial focuses on favorite reader destinations including New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , New Orleans New Orleans (ôr`lēənz –lənz, ôrlēnz`), city (2006 pop. 187,525), coextensive with Orleans parish, SE La., between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain, 107 mi (172 km) by water from the river mouth; founded and San Francisco. The magazine homes in on the hottest, newest possibilities in these cities and reminds that the classics (restaurants) are still there and still great. ``We talk about chefs and restaurants of the moment in the mix of things, but readers are more interested in cooking and entertaining,'' Fairchild says. That's why the test kitchen is so important. ``We don't do things with a lot of ingredients or a lot of exotic ingredients - 99.9 percent of recipe ingredients can be found in a well-stocked supermarket so readers don't have to go to another market or the Internet to search for them,'' Fairchild says. ``The ideal recipe has three ingredients, takes five minutes to make and tastes like Wolfgang Puck made it in your kitchen,'' she jokes. ``Everyone wants quick and easy and sophisticated recipes. Everyone wants convenience, but convenience with quality.'' In most instances, she points out, the recipes are tested only once. ``If a recipe fails after a second test, we kill it.'' The most popular column in the magazine continues to be RSVP (ReSerVation Protocol) A communications protocol that signals a router to reserve bandwidth for real time transmission. RSVP is designed to clear a path for audio and video traffic, eliminating annoying skips and hesitations. (favorite restaurant recipes), as it has been for many years. It receives more reader mail/recipe requests than any other, Fairchild says. The magazine asks the restaurant chef for the reader-requested recipe and then the kitchen troubleshoots and tests it. In the RSVP column, any recipe too complicated to use in the magazine is forwarded, untested, to the person who made the request. Too Busy to Cook? - a column in which consumers share their personal timesaving recipes - ranks second in popularity among readers, says Fairchild. And the favorite non-recipe column is Ask Bon Appetit, where food experts answer recipe, ingredient, technique and equipment inquiries from readers. Fairchild shares four of her favorite recipes from the magazine. Give them a whirl for some delicious eating. ROAST TURKEY WITH HERB RUB AND SHIITAKE MUSHROOM Noun 1. shiitake mushroom - edible east Asian mushroom having a golden or dark brown to blackish cap and an inedible stipe Chinese black mushroom, golden oak mushroom, Lentinus edodes, Oriental black mushroom, shiitake GRAVY TURKEY: 3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary OR 1 1/2 tablespoons dried 3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme OR 1 1/2 teaspoons dried 3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon tarragon (târ`əgŏn), perennial aromatic Old World herb (Artemisia dracunculus) of the family Asteraceae (aster family), of the same genus as wormwood and sagebrush. OR 1 1/2 teaspoons dried 1 tablespoon ground pepper 2 teaspoons salt 1 (20- to 21-pound) turkey, neck and giblets gib·lets pl.n. The edible heart, liver, or gizzard of a fowl. [From Middle English gibelet, from Old French, game stew, perhaps alteration of *giberet, from gibier, reserved Fresh herb sprigs 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, melted 4 cups canned low-salt chicken broth GRAVY: 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup dry sherry 3 tablespoons butter 12 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chopped, fresh rosemary OR 2 teaspoons dried 4 cups (about) canned low-salt chicken broth 1/3 cup whipping cream 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme OR 1 teaspoon dried 2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon OR 1 teaspoon dried For Turkey: Mix first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Pat turkey dry with paper towels and place on a rack set in a large roasting pan. If not stuffing turkey, place herb sprigs in main cavity. If stuffing turkey, spoon stuffing into main cavity. Tie legs together loosely to hold shape of turkey. Brush turkey with oil. Rub herb mix all over turkey. Place turkey neck and giblets in roasting pan. (Can be prepared a day ahead if turkey is NOT stuffed. Cover and refrigerate re·frig·er·ate tr.v. re·frig·er·at·ed, re·frig·er·at·ing, re·frig·er·ates 1. To cool or chill (a substance). 2. To preserve (food) by chilling. . Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before roasting.) Position rack in lowest third of oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Drizzle melted butter all over turkey. Pour 2 cups broth into pan. Roast turkey 45 minutes. Remove turkey from oven and cover breast with foil. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Return turkey to oven; roast unstuffed turkey 1 hour (roast stuffed turkey 1 hour 30 minutes). Remove foil from turkey; pour remaining 2 cups broth into pan. Continue roasting turkey until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180 degrees F or until juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced with skewer, basting baste 1 tr.v. bast·ed, bast·ing, bastes To sew loosely with large running stitches so as to hold together temporarily. occasionally with pan juices, about 1 hour 40 minutes longer. Transfer turkey to a platter; tent with foil. Let stand 30 minutes. Reserve liquid in pan for gravy. Meanwhile, prepare gravy: Mix flour and sherry in a small bowl until smooth paste forms. Melt butter in a heavy, large saucepan over medium- high heat. Add mushrooms and rosemary and saute sau·té tr.v. sau·téed, sau·té·ing, sau·tés To fry lightly in fat in a shallow open pan. n. A dish of food so prepared. until mushrooms begin to soften, about 3 minutes. (Can be made 3 hours ahead. Cover flour paste tightly. Let paste and mushrooms stand at room temperature.) Discard turkey neck and giblets from pan juices in roasting pan. Transfer pan juices to a large glass measuring cup. Spoon off fat. Add enough chicken broth to measure 5 cups; add to saucepan with mushrooms. Add flour paste and whisk until smooth. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Boil until thickened thick·en tr. & intr.v. thick·ened, thick·en·ing, thick·ens 1. To make or become thick or thicker: Thicken the sauce with cornstarch. The crowd thickened near the doorway. 2. to light gravy, about 10 minutes. Mix in cream, thyme and tarragon. Season with salt and pepper
From Bon Appetit, November 1994. GRILLED PORK FAJITAS fajitas Noun, pl a Mexican dish of soft tortillas wrapped around fried strips of meat or vegetables [Mexican Spanish] WITH CHILES CHIPOTLES (35-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes, undrained 4 chipotle chi·pot·le n. A ripe jalapeño pepper that has been dried and smoked for use in cooking. [American Spanish, from Nahuatl xipotli.] Noun 1. chiles (packed in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon salt 5 green onions, thickly sliced 1 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro 1 (2 1/2- to 3-pound) boneless Bone´less a. 1. Without bones. Adj. 1. boneless - being without a bone or bones; "jellyfish are boneless" pork loin loin (loin) the part of the back between the thorax and pelvis. loin n. The part of the body on either side of the spinal column between the ribs and the pelvis. , trimmed 1/4 cup olive oil 4 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 2 teaspoons ground cumin cumin or cummin (both: kŭm`ĭn), low annual herb (Cuminum cyminum) of the family Umbelliferae (parsley family), long cultivated in the Old World for the aromatic seedlike fruits. 2 large garlic cloves, mashed 2 large ripe avocados 6 to 8 flour tortillas Combine tomatoes and juice, chiles and sauce and salt in a heavy medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer until thick, stirring occasionally, and breaking up tomatoes and chiles using a wooden spoon, about 40 minutes. Add green onions and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in cilantro. Cool sauce to room temperature. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead and refrigerated re·frig·er·ate tr.v. re·frig·er·at·ed, re·frig·er·at·ing, re·frig·er·ates 1. To cool or chill (a substance). 2. To preserve (food) by chilling. . Bring to room temperature before using.) Discard thin strip of fatty meat from 1 side of pork Noun 1. side of pork - dressed half of a hog carcass side of meat, side - a lengthwise dressed half of an animal's carcass used for food side of bacon, flitch - salted and cured abdominal wall of a side of pork pork belly - side of fresh pork . Slice pork into 18 to 24 (1/4-inch) pieces. Blend oil, 3 tablespoons lime juice, cumin and garlic in a small bowl. Dip each slice of pork into mixture, then transfer pork to a medium bowl. Pour any remaining mixture over pork. Let stand, at room temperature, 1 hour, stirring twice. Prepare barbecue grill with very hot coals. Position rack 6 inches from coals. Arrange pork on rack and grill until lightly browned and no pink remains, about 3 minutes per side. Peel, seed and coarsely mash avocados. Stir in remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice. Heat tortillas on grill or in a low-temperature oven. To assemble each fajita fa·ji·ta n. A dish consisting of strips of marinated meat, poultry, or vegetables that are grilled over an open fire and served in a tortilla, usually with spicy condiments. Often used in the plural. , spoon about 1/4 cup avocado down center of each tortilla. Arrange 3 pork slices atop avocado. Cover with 1 to 2 tablespoons sauce. Fold up bottom of tortilla slightly and then fold in sides. Serve fajitas immediately. Makes 6 to 8 servings. NOTE: Available at Latin-American markets. Fresh or canned green jalapenos can be substituted. Do not use dried chipotle chiles. From Bon Appetit, July 1985. GIANT CHOCOLATE-TOFFEE COOKIES 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 pound bittersweet bittersweet, name for two unrelated plants, belonging to different families, both fall-fruiting woody vines sometimes cultivated for their decorative scarlet berries. (NOT unsweetened) OR semisweet sem·i·sweet adj. Having a small amount of sweetening: semisweet chocolate. Adj. 1. semisweet - having a taste that is a mixture of bitterness and sweetness bittersweet chocolate, chopped 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter 1 3/4 cups packed brown sugar 4 large eggs 1 tablespoon vanilla 5 (1.4-ounce) chocolate-covered English toffee bars (such as Heath), coarsely chopped 1 cup toasted chopped walnuts Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl; whisk to blend. Stir chocolate and butter in top of a double boiler set over simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from water. Cool mixture to lukewarm. Using an electric mixer, beat brown sugar and eggs in a bowl until thick, about 5 minutes. Beat in chocolate mixture and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture, then toffee and nuts. Chill batter until firm, about 45 minutes. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper. Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto sheets, spacing 2 1/2 inches apart. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven just until tops are dry and cracked but cookies are still soft to touch, about 15 minutes. Cool on sheets. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.) Makes about 18. From Bon Appetit, March 2000. FUDGY PEANUT BROWNIES 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter 1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar 3 large eggs 1 1/2 tablespoons instant coffee granules Granules Small packets of reactive chemicals stored within cells. Mentioned in: Allergic Rhinitis, Allergies 1 tablespoon vanilla 2/3 cup all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 (10-ounce) package peanut butter chips 1/2 cup chopped salted peanuts Butter and flour a 9-inch square metal baking pan. Combine butter, semisweet chocolate chips and unsweetened chocolate in a heavy medium saucepan. Stir over low heat until chocolate mixture is melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Whisk sugar, eggs, instant coffee granules and vanilla together in a large bowl until just combined. Add warm chocolate mixture; whisk to combine. Cool to room temperature. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk into chocolate mixture. Mix in peanut butter chips and peanuts. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven until tester inserted into center comes out with some moist crumbs still attached, about 35 minutes (do not overbake). Cool completely. Cut into 9 or more squares. (Brownies can be prepared 1 day ahead. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.) Makes 9 or more. From Bon Appetit, August 2000. SPOTLIGHT ON ... Barbara Fairchild Profession: Editor in chief, Bon Appetit. Hometown: Kew Gardens, N.Y.; moved to Studio City when she was 9 and has lived in Southern California ever since. Background: Fairchild, who has a degree in journalism from California State University, Northridge CSUN offers a variety of programs leading to bachelor's degrees in 61 fields and master's degrees in 42 fields. The university has over 150,000 alumni. It's also home to a summer musical theater/theater program known as TADW (TeenAge Drama Workshop) that leads teenagers through an , began her magazine career as an editorial assistant for Carte Blanche CARTE BLANCHE. The signature of an individual or more, on a while. paper, with a sufficient space left above it to write a note or other writing. 2. In the course of business, it not unfrequently occurs that for the sake of convenience, signatures in blank are magazine in Los Angeles and worked her way through the ranks to senior editor. In 1978, she became an editorial assistant at Bon Appetit. Since that time she has worked in various capacities at the magazine and was promoted to executive editor 14 years ago. In July she became editor in chief. Does she cook?: She loves to cook - mostly on weekends. Unfortunately her work and travel schedules don't allow her time to cook very often. Personal cooking style: Sophisticated, casual. She cooks mostly from the magazine. Most popular dishes she makes: Goat Cheese, Artichoke artichoke, name for two different plants of the family Asteraceae (aster family), both having edible parts. The French, or globe, artichoke (Cynara scolymus and Smoked Ham Strata; Roasted Turkey With Herb Rub and Shiitake Mushroom Gravy (which she makes at Thanksgiving). Favorite foods: Almost anything Italian; French Bistro; chocolate. Favorite junk food junk food n. Any of various prepackaged snack foods high in calories but low in nutritional value. junk food : Butterfinger candy bars. Secret food passion: Caviar. Favorite thing to cook and eat: Almost anything with pasta. Favorite kitchen gadget: Oxo vegetable peeler. Worst kitchen disaster: She put too much cream in a potato gratin gra·tin n. A top crust consisting of browned crumbs and butter, often with grated cheese. [French, from obsolete grater, to scratch, scrape, from Old French; see grate1.] . It overflowed in the oven and set off the smoke alarm. She opened all the windows and doors to air out the kitchen and the gratin baked just fine. Pet peeve: People with no sense of humor Noun 1. sense of humor - the trait of appreciating (and being able to express) the humorous; "she didn't appreciate my humor"; "you can't survive in the army without a sense of humor" sense of humour, humor, humour . Favorite cookbook: ``Mastering the Art of French Cooking Mastering the Art of French Cooking is a two-volume French cookbook written by the American Julia Child and the Frenchwomen Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle for the American market and published by Knopf in 1961 (Volume 1) and 1970 (Volume 2). ,'' Vol. 1, by Julia Child, Simone Beck and Louise Bertholle. Most reader-requested recipes from Bon Appetit: A chocolate cake decorated with ribbons of white chocolate; almost any pumpkin cheesecake. Ideal vacation: Two weeks at a Tuscan villa. Favorite restaurants:off! Spago Beverly Hills; Restaurant Daniel in New York; French Laundry in Napa Valley; Da Delfina, in the countryside outside of Florence, Italy; Taillevent, Paris. If she couldn't be the editor of a food and entertaining magazine, what would she be?: She'd like to be involved with running a movie studio or a television network. If she could dine with anyone (current or in history) who would it be?: Franklin Roosevelt because he knew how to mix a great martini; Leonardo Da Vinci Leonardo da Vinci (də vĭn`chē, Ital. lāōnär`dō dä vēn`chē), 1452–1519, Italian painter, sculptor, architect, musician, engineer, and scientist, b. near Vinci, a hill village in Tuscany. because he was so brilliant and ahead of his time;Carole Lombard because she was so beautiful, smart and funny and had a lot of good gossip about old Hollywood; and Paul McCartney because she's had a crush on him since she was 12. Most memorable meal: About 20 years ago at the three-star L'Auberge de L'Ill in Illhaeusern, France (in the Alsace region). They serve classic French cooking at its finest in a beautiful setting. ``It's a wonderful way to spend an afternoon.'' - Natalie Haughton CAPTION(S): 3 photos, box Photo: (1 -- cover -- color) Lena Caderham Birnbaum, left, and Selma Brown Morrow discuss a recipe creation with Bon Appetit's editor in chief Fairchild, center, in the magazines test kitchen. (2 -- color) Barbara Fairchild, Bon Appetit's editor in chief, says that the magazine succeeds because of its accessibility: ``What makes us different from other food magazines is we don't talk down to the reader. Our tone is lively and fun.'' David Crane/Staff Photographer (3 -- color) From Bon Appetit Box: Spotlight on ... Barbara Fairchild (see text) |
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