Credit: Tod Martens

I’ve really enjoyed reading “Dear Darkness” (Knopf, $26.95) — the latest collection of poetry from Emory professor Kevin Young (left). The book is a meditation on the death of his father, but within it are odes to the Southern foods of his Louisiana family. I think it’s some of the best food writing out there. Here’s my story that was published in the print edition of the AJC on Oct. 4.

In 1996, The New Yorker ran a large photo and a short profile of the young poets of the Dark Room Collective — a Boston-based group of African-American writers that had formed nearly a decade earlier at Harvard for readings, study, discussion and mentoring. The profile claimed this group “could well turn out to be as important to American letters as the Harlem Renaissance.”

Two of these poets are certainly well on their way toward creating an Atlanta Renaissance.

Standing on the far left in the photo are Natasha Trethewey, who went on to win the 2007 Pulitzer Prize in …

Continue reading Kevin Young, poet and Emory University professor, writes movingly about food »

The New York Times is reporting that Gourmet Magazine  – the 68-year-old food and lifestyle publication — will shut down. Publisher Condé Nast decided to pull the plug on the classic and much loved periodical because of drastically shrinking ad pages. Gourmet’s editor in chief is food world bigwig Ruth Reichl. Condé Nast will continue to publish Bon Appétit, its other food title.

I have to admit that I’ve switched my loyalties in recent years from Gourmet to Bon Appétit, which has started seeming more relevant to the ways I like to cook at home and eat out. Still, I’m sorry to see Gourmet shut down. Reichl did an amazing job turning that magazine around when she left the New York Times in the 1990’s to take it over. Specifically, she brought in great writers who gave it a literary feel. For many years there, Gourmet felt important.

Did you read Gourmet? Will you miss it?

Continue reading Gourmet Magazine to shut down »

Ted Allen (left), the television food and wine maven, will be coming to town for the Taste of Atlanta next weekend with Robert Mondavi Winery as a “brand ambassador” to open diplomatic drinking relations with us’n’s here in Georgia.

If you have a good food or wine question for this esteemed host of “Food Detectives” and “Chopped” on the Food Network, you can submit it online and then perhaps get picked to join him for a small-group seminar. This will involve face time as well as yummy things to put in the piehole. Here’s how the press release is worded:

California wine country is heading southeast to Atlanta with the Robert Mondavi Discover Wine Tour. Ted Allen, Robert Mondavi Private Selection Brand Ambassador, will be joining the tour to encourage foodies to submit food and wine questions at www.discover-wine.com to win the ultimate epicurean experience with him on Friday, October 9. Along with a panel of judges, Ted will go through contestants’ submitted foodie …

Continue reading I think this sounds like free food… »

…because it was a repeat of last week’s Penn & Teller episode. Of course, I could really cement my reputation as an unreliable narrator and recap it again, lying all the way. Ron cooks a paella that makes the judges weep with gratitude! Mattin returns! Teller talks!

See you next week.

Continue reading No “Top Chef” recap this week… »