SAVEUR

There are all kinds of periodicals out there that cater to the “foodies” amongst us, but my absolute favorite has to be Saveur Magazine.

Food and Wine is overstuffed with advertisements and seems to be aimed at the “Let’s Spend Big Bucks and Entertain A Whole Lot” audience. Gourmet goes for the, well, gourmet market...a little too Fancy-Pants for my taste. Chef’s Illustrated is excellent, but its focus is the ins and outs of the Test Kitchen. Lotta detail there. And Bon Appetit is OK...but for celebrating the sheer joy and variety of eating Good Stuff, you can’t beat Saveur.

The latest issue - October 2006 - arrived in our mailbox a couple of days ago. Here are a few of the things I saw in the space of just three pages:

• An article about finding familiar food while backpacking in exotic places (page 17). What caught my eye was the mention of banana pancakes.


• A squib about the 29th annual Turkey Testicle Festival, to be held October 14 in Byron, Illinois. Oh, those wacky Midwestern folk! (page 18)
  


• A recipe for Shit on a Shingle [sic]. Most people are aware of, if not familiar with, this Mess Hall Staple, chipped beef on toast, commonly known by the felicitous abbreviation “S.O.S.” But Saveur is nothing if not authentic. Find me one other foodie rag that will print a recipe that incorporates “shit” in its title. (Page 20)
  


• On the same page, there’s a mention of the late Joe Carcione, whose birthday is October 31. Carcione became famous as The Greengrocer in the 1970’s - but for us, there’s another connection: he was the cousin of our good friend Laura Belle’s father.
  

Add some excellent writing, sparkling photography and design, mouthwatering recipes, and not too much Foodie Pretension, and you’ve got a winner.