Ruth Reichl=Annoying version of Anton Ego

[arupiper]

watching her show on PBS now, she was the ed in chief of Gourmet magazine (good riddance to that). Foodies that don't cook annoy me.

[c oliver]

Why would you think that she doesn't cook:

http://www.ruthreichl.com/?ID=5

[Withnail42]

She writes and talks constantly about what she has cooked. Judging from your comment about Gourmet perhaps you didn't really read it that much, so you might not otherwise know better.

[PegS]

Yeah, it's a shame your facts are incorrect. If you really want to find out how much (or little) she cooks, you should read her autobios.

I really miss Gourmet.

[Will Owen]

Gourmet Mag was good from the beginning; Reichl made it great. Conde Nast may have made the correct decision from a marketing perspective when they killed it and kept that sappy Bon Appetit alive, but from any other rational point of view it was a major disaster. Glad she's got other gigs.

Posters who don't get their facts straight first annoy me, though in all fairness I've got some tooth-marks on my shoes, too.

[paulj]

I like this PBS show, the one visiting cooking schools in other countries.

[shallots]

This show makes me want to know more. Perhaps the brilliance is in the editing as I HAVE to go to the website for the recipes.
I don't understand the co-sponsership of Nat. Geo. But I hope the visits to different cooking schools becomes a book.

[cinnamon girl]

Good riddance to Gourmet? I want more food writing - not less.

[Chocolatechipkt]

Try reading her books -- clearly she cooks.

[bob96]

She does cook, she does write, and she was a formidable editor and force (even if her directions did not always please everyone). But there is something just a wee bit off putting about her presence: the languid, pretentious voice, maybe, or her too coy by half poses.
Maybe it's just me.

[shallots]

Bob96, my husband had a horrible reaction to her, as well.
The first cooking school show that we saw was her visit to Morocco. I was enchanted by the food and barely saw Ruth. But Mr Shallots heard her mouth and was shocked at her use of "God" in all too many sentences.
Explanation: some time ago, he was host to a number of devout North Africans and was taught in advance NOT to use any lords' names ...in vain or otherwise. So everytime she exclaimed one of her favorite phrases, to him it was blasphemy. He was very surprised that it wasn't bleeped or edited out..

[Maryld]

I agree. There is something off putting about her. I also think that she helped destroy Gourmet. It began to look like Vanity Fair with recipes. Those monthly menu articles with photos began to feature 20-something poseurs who didn't look like they ate, much less cooked. Another thing that gave me the creeps was Ruth's letters or articles where she talked about her totally dysfunctional family as though all the really nasty stuff that happened was charming and oh so funny.

[rozz01]

I just finished all three aotobios, in opposite order I'll admit. I have nothing but respect for the woman!!

[Gio]

Well, I for one like the show, but not necessarily everything she says or does. It's a travel cum indigenous cooking show after all. Sort of a female Zimmern/Bourdain with celebrities. Her interviews and interaction with the various chefs is interesting to me. One thing that impressed me was, I think, in the Loas episode. She helped cook and actually ate fire ants, silk worm larva and drank the "silk worm poop tea."

I was sad to see the demise of Gourmet magazine. My mother subscribed so I've been reading it for many years. A couple of her editorials a year were all I could stand to read, however. As Maryid mentioned above it had become a "Vanity Fair with recipes." Nevertheless, the recipes were, for the most part, pretty darn good.

[pemma]

I was sad to see Gourmet go, too. I think Reichl did make some positive changes, but Maryld, I do know what you mean about those way-to-posed gatherings of beautiful people. But, I just found that amusing. I rarely read editors' columns, but for some reason I was always interesting in reading Reichl's. The only thing that bothers me about her is her hair. She needs a new do!

[Maryld]

Amen to the new hairdo! She looks like an aging hippy.

[Divamac]

She *is* an aging hippie. And she probably would describe herself that way. She was part of the early staff of Chez Panisse when it was more of a commune than a foodie mecca.

She fell into a career by being at the right place at the right time to experience some of the most significant food highlights of the last 30 years. And it turned out she had the writing chops to report on it.

I read her books before I ever saw or heard her on TV. Her voice and mannerisms match perfectly with her personality if you've gotten to know her through her writing. I am a fan.

[bear]

Very well said. I think she's great.

[nvcook]

Ditto. I enjoy her writing and would absolutely love to spend an afternoon with her (you know, one aging ex-hippy to another).

[Will Owen]

From her writing I think she sounds like the sort of woman I used to fall for and then wish I'd not gone quite so far when her cute mannerisms turned annoying. Someone another dear person would have described as having too much personality for her own good. That said, she's a good writer and apparently a good editor as well, not a common thing, and whether she's talking about food or her own occasionally mismanaged life, I'm glad to read it. And often equally glad I'm reading it instead of hearing it live...

[nvcook]

I agree. But, I also like it when people f***k up but are honest about it. What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. I know I wouldn't be who I am now without those many past mistakes to have learned from. And, what can I say - I like me. She probably inhaled too (unlike some psuedo hip politicians). As Sam would say, "insert stupid smiley face icon now".

[shallots]

Reichl visited Blackberry Farm (not very far away from me) with Francis Dormond.
First: I've owned a farm one county away from BF for two decades and I've never found two stringed instrument players out in any of my fields.
Second: she needs to keep her hair away from food that others are going to eat.
Third: the chatter about how rich and diverse this part of the country is for eating...she should come here in February and force herself to forage.
Fourth: the only authentic accent among all the folks at BF was the gardener's.
Fifth: Black walnuts are NOT subtle flavours.
Sixth: the whole shebang didn't feel right, but maybe BF doesn't advertise their cooking school in this part of the world, possibly because we can't afford it.
Seventh: From what was blooming, it was photographed in late May or early June....lucky that they did the shoot last year, any of the three preceeding years would have found no lush green fields, but drought setting in....which isn't a good backstory for eating local.

[linus]

gosh, i can't WAIT to watch a t.v. show with nothing but bald people, flat voices, no music, poor food and bad weather.

[yumyum]

Heh.