“Lost” Gourmet recipes are published

When Gourmet magazine announced in October of 2009 that its upcoming November issue would be its last, long-time subscribers were both shocked and saddened by the news. Shifting tastes and declining advertising revenue were a double whammy from which the magazine could not recover. Although the Gourmet name lives on through the Epicurious website and a few special-interest publications, readers still mourn the loss of the magazine, which stood apart from others in its genre. 

Because the magazine’s demise was so sudden, there was a cache of mostly-written articles and recipes that were to be published in the upcoming months. The December issue in particular was nearly completed, boasting a 12-recipe Christmas feast that only an ambitious cook would tackle. Until recently, most people assumed that all of the unfinished material for this issue had been tossed into the dustbin. However, some enterprising soul had the forethought to hit “print” before the material was lost forever, and now Epicurious has published the recipes from the “lost” December 2009 issue – including the 12-recipe meal. 

The folders containing this unfinished symphony of food eventually landed on the desk of Epicurious writer David Tamarkin. The folders languished in his desk drawers for a couple of years, but earlier this fall he passed them along to Epicurious editor Anna Stockwell, who took a fresh look at the recipes and articles contained therein. The Christmas feast’s recipes had all been tested and re-tested, so they were essentially ready to go. Featuring dishes like a garlicky  prime rib roast,  lemony haricot verts, a  watercress-persimmon salad, and  porcini popovers, the menu hearkens back to what made Gourmet stand out from its peers – a willingness to assemble a grand, complicated meal that would challenge even dedicated cooks.