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Lucky Peach Issue 2
Lucky Peach is a journal of food writing, published on a quarterly basis by McSweeney’s. It is a creation of David Chang, the James Beard Award–winning chef behind the Momofuku restaurants in New York, Momofuku cookbook cowriter Peter Meehan, and Zero Point Zero Production—producers of the Travel Channel’s Emmy Award–winning Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations.
The result of this collaboration is a mélange of travelogue, essays, art, photography, and rants in a full-color, meticulously designed format. Recipes will defy the tired ingredients-and-numbered-steps formula. They’ll be laid out sensibly, inspired by the thought process that went into developing them. The aim of Lucky Peach is to give a platform to a brand of food writing that began with unorthodox authors like Bourdain, resulting in a publication that appeals to diehard foodies as well as fans of good writing and art in general.
Issue Two's theme is "The Sweet Spot," and will feature Rene Redzepi on vintage vegetables, Tajikistani apricots with Adam Gollner, a visit to Callaway Golf and Louisville Slugger, time-sensitive fermentation, banana pie with Momofuku Milk Bar chef Christina Tosi, and much, much more.
The result of this collaboration is a mélange of travelogue, essays, art, photography, and rants in a full-color, meticulously designed format. Recipes will defy the tired ingredients-and-numbered-steps formula. They’ll be laid out sensibly, inspired by the thought process that went into developing them. The aim of Lucky Peach is to give a platform to a brand of food writing that began with unorthodox authors like Bourdain, resulting in a publication that appeals to diehard foodies as well as fans of good writing and art in general.
Issue Two's theme is "The Sweet Spot," and will feature Rene Redzepi on vintage vegetables, Tajikistani apricots with Adam Gollner, a visit to Callaway Golf and Louisville Slugger, time-sensitive fermentation, banana pie with Momofuku Milk Bar chef Christina Tosi, and much, much more.
176 pages, Paperback
First published September 13, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 1, 2012
This past Monday was an especially good day for my inner food magazine critic as I had the opportunity to attend a presentation by Peter Meehan, a food writer, and David Chang, chef and owner of the restaurant Momofuku, whose most recent collaboration is Lucky Peach, a “quarterly journal of food and writing” produced by McSweeney’s.
But Lucky Peach is no ordinary cooking mag. If you’re thinking Bon Appetit, Saveur, or Cooking Light, you’re way off course. Lucky Peach is what would happen if Robert Crumb, the macabre and very graphic comic artist, and Gordon Ramsay, the testosterone-laden, macho, British chef-turned-reality-food-TV-star, were put in a jail cell together with some colored pencils and a whole pig. In fact, the cover design for the newest edition (not yet out, but graciously provided to the participants at the talk yesterday), pictures a slaughtered pig leg being decorated by a tattoo artist with a butcher’s diagram of a person. Picture an outline of the human form segmented with dotted lines and marked ‘wing’ (arms), ‘ham’ (legs), ‘breast,’ and ‘tenderloin’ (you can probably guess where that is), being etched onto a severed, but otherwise intact pig’s leg.
I first stumbled across Lucky Peach at a local bookstore where I was browsing magazines for some post-holiday culinary inspiration. While the other cooking magazines had pictures of “detoxifying” New Year’s broths, or “diet proof” macaroni and cheese recipes, Lucky Peach had a picture of a dead fish, dripping with blood, on a butcher block with cartoon flies swarming around it. The content and images inside pretty much matched the tone of the cover—comic book depictions of rotted tomatoes and articles with titles intended to make the fourteen-year-old boy in all of us snicker.
Yesterday I had the opportunity to pose the question of who they think their demographic is, and was answered with something like the following.
Meehan: “We have no idea who our demographic is, and we don’t really care.”
Chang: “We just want to make a magazine that we don’t think sucks.”
Meehan: “We don’t want to pander to anyone, we just want to write to people who share our sensibilities and like what we like.”
Well, there’s pandering, and then there’s its opposite, self-gratification (I think there’s a word for that…), and Chang and Meehan are certainly not pandering. To suggest that they aren’t trying to fill a certain niche, which I’ll grant may not have been predefined, is either ignorant or arrogant, and I can’t decide which is more likely the case.
To Lucky Peach’s credit, the magazine, in typical McSweeney fashion (and I mean that as a compliment), is original, visually stimulating, and fun to read, and Meehan and Chang are no Bevis and Butthead. The two are charming and intelligent, if in a teenaged, stick-it-to-the-man sort of way, and their combined passion for food and writing is certainly entertaining. The recipes, admittedly not intended to be reproduced by most of their readers, are at least interesting to imagine, and the writing is very sharp, but the angst-y humor eventually becomes trite, the way a joke isn’t funny after the second or third time you hear it.
I may be religious, but I’m no Polly-Anna, and I can tell a frat party from a dinner party when I see one. If Lucky Peach is to retain a regular spot on the back of my toilet it’s going to have to imagine a broader audience than it currently does. I love food and I love writing, but I don’t love being the bystander to someone else’s inside joke, especially not for $12 a pop. Trying to imagine who might read their magazine, and that we might get tired of Meehan and Chang’s pubescent humor is not so much pandering as, well, just not being so self-impressed. Then again, maybe there are enough 14 year-old-boys out there who love gourmet food and witty writing that Lucky Peach won’t need anybody else’s readership.
originally posted on my blog, gastromomica.com
But Lucky Peach is no ordinary cooking mag. If you’re thinking Bon Appetit, Saveur, or Cooking Light, you’re way off course. Lucky Peach is what would happen if Robert Crumb, the macabre and very graphic comic artist, and Gordon Ramsay, the testosterone-laden, macho, British chef-turned-reality-food-TV-star, were put in a jail cell together with some colored pencils and a whole pig. In fact, the cover design for the newest edition (not yet out, but graciously provided to the participants at the talk yesterday), pictures a slaughtered pig leg being decorated by a tattoo artist with a butcher’s diagram of a person. Picture an outline of the human form segmented with dotted lines and marked ‘wing’ (arms), ‘ham’ (legs), ‘breast,’ and ‘tenderloin’ (you can probably guess where that is), being etched onto a severed, but otherwise intact pig’s leg.
I first stumbled across Lucky Peach at a local bookstore where I was browsing magazines for some post-holiday culinary inspiration. While the other cooking magazines had pictures of “detoxifying” New Year’s broths, or “diet proof” macaroni and cheese recipes, Lucky Peach had a picture of a dead fish, dripping with blood, on a butcher block with cartoon flies swarming around it. The content and images inside pretty much matched the tone of the cover—comic book depictions of rotted tomatoes and articles with titles intended to make the fourteen-year-old boy in all of us snicker.
Yesterday I had the opportunity to pose the question of who they think their demographic is, and was answered with something like the following.
Meehan: “We have no idea who our demographic is, and we don’t really care.”
Chang: “We just want to make a magazine that we don’t think sucks.”
Meehan: “We don’t want to pander to anyone, we just want to write to people who share our sensibilities and like what we like.”
Well, there’s pandering, and then there’s its opposite, self-gratification (I think there’s a word for that…), and Chang and Meehan are certainly not pandering. To suggest that they aren’t trying to fill a certain niche, which I’ll grant may not have been predefined, is either ignorant or arrogant, and I can’t decide which is more likely the case.
To Lucky Peach’s credit, the magazine, in typical McSweeney fashion (and I mean that as a compliment), is original, visually stimulating, and fun to read, and Meehan and Chang are no Bevis and Butthead. The two are charming and intelligent, if in a teenaged, stick-it-to-the-man sort of way, and their combined passion for food and writing is certainly entertaining. The recipes, admittedly not intended to be reproduced by most of their readers, are at least interesting to imagine, and the writing is very sharp, but the angst-y humor eventually becomes trite, the way a joke isn’t funny after the second or third time you hear it.
I may be religious, but I’m no Polly-Anna, and I can tell a frat party from a dinner party when I see one. If Lucky Peach is to retain a regular spot on the back of my toilet it’s going to have to imagine a broader audience than it currently does. I love food and I love writing, but I don’t love being the bystander to someone else’s inside joke, especially not for $12 a pop. Trying to imagine who might read their magazine, and that we might get tired of Meehan and Chang’s pubescent humor is not so much pandering as, well, just not being so self-impressed. Then again, maybe there are enough 14 year-old-boys out there who love gourmet food and witty writing that Lucky Peach won’t need anybody else’s readership.
originally posted on my blog, gastromomica.com
December 20, 2011
I wish I had heard about Lucky Peach when I could still get my hands on the first issue. The second issue was good with some real stand out moments, but from what I've heard it wasn't as soon as that first cohesive issue about ramen.
This issue "The Sweet Spot" was less cohesive. It could cover any "sweet spots" in our lives from the perfect amount of time kimchi should ferment, to how long you should age a great steak, to the year when Ferran Adria changed the face of food, to the most succulent tastes of first love/lust and apricots.
I liked a few of the articles while others fell short. The section on apricots was both fascinating nostalgic. The section on ike jime was informative and I loved the great pictures describing whether food improves the longer it sits in the fridge (kimchi improves, white wine does not). I also loved a few of the recipes in the magazine, particularly the recipe for Arnold Palmer cake from Milk Bar.
I'm glad I asked my parents to get me a subscription for next year to this magazine. It only comes out once every 4 months, but I suggest going to a local bookstore to purchase this current issue. It's full of great information, great pictures, and some cute fun anecdotes. I'm looking forward to reading the other issues.
This issue "The Sweet Spot" was less cohesive. It could cover any "sweet spots" in our lives from the perfect amount of time kimchi should ferment, to how long you should age a great steak, to the year when Ferran Adria changed the face of food, to the most succulent tastes of first love/lust and apricots.
I liked a few of the articles while others fell short. The section on apricots was both fascinating nostalgic. The section on ike jime was informative and I loved the great pictures describing whether food improves the longer it sits in the fridge (kimchi improves, white wine does not). I also loved a few of the recipes in the magazine, particularly the recipe for Arnold Palmer cake from Milk Bar.
I'm glad I asked my parents to get me a subscription for next year to this magazine. It only comes out once every 4 months, but I suggest going to a local bookstore to purchase this current issue. It's full of great information, great pictures, and some cute fun anecdotes. I'm looking forward to reading the other issues.
March 12, 2012
great article inside: the ripeness and the rot by michael ames
December 17, 2011
Another wonderful issue full of good food and good ideas from people who really care about good food. I particularly enjoyed the piece on personal and professional peaks and the psychology behind the idea that you will have some point in your life at which you will be better than you will ever be again, and it will end. That was extremely fascinating to me, and Michael Ames wrote it well.
As always, David Chang and Peter Meehan are hilarious, and Harold McGee never fails to impress with his biological insight (I'm a scientist. I can't help that it excites me more than poetic descriptions ever could). The article on the insular cortex was equally appealing to me, though it was pretty basic neuroscience for my tastes and it sadly did not teach me anything I didn't already know-- I don't hold that against the author, as he presents the information well for neuro-noobs. I'm really looking forward to trying out Christina Tosi's recipes, since I love making desserts, but I kind of wish that there were more recipes I *could* try out. Whereas the first issue was packed with accesible ideas, this issue seems to focus on dishes that take professional ingredients, instruments, or techniques; it creates a barrier for entry that I'm not sure I have the confidence to push.
Regardless, I enjoyed the issue wholeheartedly. I think I enjoy Lucky Peach more for the thoughtful conversations about food than for the food itself, and this second issue did not fail on that front. Not to mention those amazing fruit stickers.... I foresee some grocery store mischief in my near future.
Can't wait for the next one!
As always, David Chang and Peter Meehan are hilarious, and Harold McGee never fails to impress with his biological insight (I'm a scientist. I can't help that it excites me more than poetic descriptions ever could). The article on the insular cortex was equally appealing to me, though it was pretty basic neuroscience for my tastes and it sadly did not teach me anything I didn't already know-- I don't hold that against the author, as he presents the information well for neuro-noobs. I'm really looking forward to trying out Christina Tosi's recipes, since I love making desserts, but I kind of wish that there were more recipes I *could* try out. Whereas the first issue was packed with accesible ideas, this issue seems to focus on dishes that take professional ingredients, instruments, or techniques; it creates a barrier for entry that I'm not sure I have the confidence to push.
Regardless, I enjoyed the issue wholeheartedly. I think I enjoy Lucky Peach more for the thoughtful conversations about food than for the food itself, and this second issue did not fail on that front. Not to mention those amazing fruit stickers.... I foresee some grocery store mischief in my near future.
Can't wait for the next one!
January 3, 2012
Big disappointment after debut issue. The vagueness of having the theme being "the sweet spot" certainly was enough to provide a lack of continuity throughout. Can't help but think they and, more importantly, the reader would have been better served had they just ditched the need for a theme whatsoever. The ramen issue was so good, I can see why they may have thought the need to continue, but this really was a flop, especially comparatively.
I will say that the highlights here, for me, was anything with David Chang. He's clearly the most fun element going here. And, personally, though I'd self-identify as a fan of the dude, Anthony Bourdain's piece was laboriously pointless.
Food and good writing are a natural match for me, but there was too little of one or the other in nearly every piece contained within. You start pretty high with stories of Chang and accomplices eating, drinking and cooking in Copenhagen before trudging through some unreadable pap about a mountain biker reaching her career "sweet spot," that seemed as forced as it sounds, and the completely relevant, but not horribly interesting, science of cooking bit from Harold McGee.
As I've bought a subscription, I'm hoping for a rebound next quarter, allowing for a bit of a 'sophomore slump' here. Otherwise, well...I guess I have more money and less competition for my reading time.
I will say that the highlights here, for me, was anything with David Chang. He's clearly the most fun element going here. And, personally, though I'd self-identify as a fan of the dude, Anthony Bourdain's piece was laboriously pointless.
Food and good writing are a natural match for me, but there was too little of one or the other in nearly every piece contained within. You start pretty high with stories of Chang and accomplices eating, drinking and cooking in Copenhagen before trudging through some unreadable pap about a mountain biker reaching her career "sweet spot," that seemed as forced as it sounds, and the completely relevant, but not horribly interesting, science of cooking bit from Harold McGee.
As I've bought a subscription, I'm hoping for a rebound next quarter, allowing for a bit of a 'sophomore slump' here. Otherwise, well...I guess I have more money and less competition for my reading time.
February 1, 2013
The theme to the second Lucky Peach, "the sweet spot," is a much more complicated theme that plays out in different ways. It serves as a nice counterpoint to the first volume's encyclopedic all-encompassing view into one meal (ramen).
The most important thing that I learned was that Mikkeller has an actual physical location...in Copenhagen. Why has no one shared this information with me until now?!? Is it wrong to plan a trip to Europe, so that you can go drink in a specific bar?
I appreciated the piece discussing the sweet spot for humans. I certainly struggle to remain in the sweet spot...or push myself into a new one.
Other highlights include the stickers and illustrations, the volume ending excerpts from Russell Chatham, and the opportunity to dive into the passions of the various contributors.
That's the thing. Lucky Peach isn't really about food. It's about passion, which incidentally happens to be about food. (Grantland is like this too...just with sports.)
One final note: our last big orange cat chewed up part of the second issue (really chewing the plastic bag it came in). My wife kindly arrived home one day with a second non-cat-chewed copy. This is a good thing because the first couple issues seem to be quite pricy on the internets!
The most important thing that I learned was that Mikkeller has an actual physical location...in Copenhagen. Why has no one shared this information with me until now?!? Is it wrong to plan a trip to Europe, so that you can go drink in a specific bar?
I appreciated the piece discussing the sweet spot for humans. I certainly struggle to remain in the sweet spot...or push myself into a new one.
Other highlights include the stickers and illustrations, the volume ending excerpts from Russell Chatham, and the opportunity to dive into the passions of the various contributors.
That's the thing. Lucky Peach isn't really about food. It's about passion, which incidentally happens to be about food. (Grantland is like this too...just with sports.)
One final note: our last big orange cat chewed up part of the second issue (really chewing the plastic bag it came in). My wife kindly arrived home one day with a second non-cat-chewed copy. This is a good thing because the first couple issues seem to be quite pricy on the internets!
December 5, 2011
I didn't enjoy this issue as much as I did the first one, though I loved Adam Leith Gollner's apricot article and found the Mitchell Davis write up on traditional Japanese knives really interesting. I also found what little there was on kimchi and ike jime intriguing, but was less interested in the how-tos and recipes than I would have been in the history and science behind them. But that's just me. There wasn't really anything else in this issue that got my attention though. I guess I'm not entirely sure what these guys are going for here. There's some really great food writing, and then there's some that's decidedly lackluster. And I feel like there's a lot of filler stuff (sorry, Anthony Bourdain) that comes across more as a private joke than anything else. Maybe they're still trying to figure out what it is they're going for as well, I don't know. I'm definitely still looking forward to seeing how the next issue takes shape though.
November 22, 2011
Lucky Peach is two things to me:
#1 It's a massively inspirational, informative, enlightening, entertaining look into the world of food and cooking.
#2 It's an amazing magazine. It's like if Vice magazine were about food, without all the tits and before Gavin left and it became a shell of itself. Actually, Vice is still pretty good, but Lucky Peach is like old Vice.
If you've any interest in modern food and food writing, it's well worth the cover price. Not only that, but it's a beautiful, high quality real paper magazine, one you'll want to keep on your shelf so you can go back and try all the recipes.
Simply awesome.
#1 It's a massively inspirational, informative, enlightening, entertaining look into the world of food and cooking.
#2 It's an amazing magazine. It's like if Vice magazine were about food, without all the tits and before Gavin left and it became a shell of itself. Actually, Vice is still pretty good, but Lucky Peach is like old Vice.
If you've any interest in modern food and food writing, it's well worth the cover price. Not only that, but it's a beautiful, high quality real paper magazine, one you'll want to keep on your shelf so you can go back and try all the recipes.
Simply awesome.
March 15, 2013
As always, Lucky Peach Issue 2 is a joy to read. I especially enjoyed the recipe for "Arnold Palmer Cake"-- it forced me to try a variety of new recipes in search for the perfect six-layer cake. Yum.
May 17, 2012
This is easily of the greatest culminations of the printed word I have found thus far in my life. Food. Bourdain's philosophies on "Road House". And cleanest way to kill seafood. Cheers David Chang. And thank you!
April 3, 2013
This was such a great idea, but I don't know how they plan to appeal to a very wide audience. Some great cooking ideas. Some ideas too crazy for me to even try. Fun articles on cooking and food. And finally, some amazing illustration and graphic design. I need a subscription...
January 9, 2012
Stickers? Chart of the epicness of rotting refrigerator food? Yep, another home run from Chang.
September 13, 2016
More of said same. Things seem a little tighter this go-round. I can't believe I bought dried apricots for $8 a pound from reading an article. There must be magic pixie dust in this thing.
December 30, 2012
This issue comes with stickers. Automatic 5 stars!
September 8, 2012
I think I will finally write a blog entry about this magazine.
Read
February 12, 2013This issue was also intersting. Gotta love the dead animal pictures.
June 22, 2015
Exceptional magazine. Exceptional.
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