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By David Chang - Lucky Peach, Issue 7
Lucky Peach #7 , the TRAVEL issue, is about going places—and sometimes getting lost. ANTHONY BOURDAIN talks Deliverance , Apocalypse Now , and Southern Comfort . HAROLD MCGEE schools us about the (possibly) harmful substances that travel from plastic to-go containers and into our food. ROY CHOI waxes poetic on “the Aloha spirit.” JASON POLAN visits the most beautiful Taco Bell in the world. And it wouldn’t be a travel issue without travel tips how to avoid traveler’s diarrhea ( BENJAMIN WOLFE ), the ins and outs of street food ( RICK BAYLESS ), and all about traveling with kids ( NAOMI DUGUID ). Ultimately, we learn that getting lost means finding good stuff in places we least expect chicken tamales at a gay cantina in Mérida; the world’s most dangerous chicken in Rio de Janeiro; an epic sub on the Jersey Shore. the history of curry—the world’s best traveled dish—from bunny chow to fish-head curry, along with recipes too.Travel tips from AZIZ ANSARI , JONATHAN GOLD , MARIO BATALI , and morePunk rock touring with BROOKS HEADLEYOn the road with ANDY RICKEREating camel with ANISSA HELOUCocktail recipes straight from the minibarDispatches from Crete, Tartarstan, North KoreaNew fiction by JACK PENDARVISHawaiian recipes from ROY CHOI and CHRISTINA TOSI
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First published May 14, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 22, 2013
This was one of the more enjoyable issues to read since the magazine's inception. Though light on recipes (especially vegetarian-friendly recipes), for once it felt like every written piece hit the topic spot-on-- perhaps with the exception of the trying-too-hard-to-be-weird fiction piece by Jack Pendarvis. Granted, the topic of travel is a broad one, but the editors did a great job of choosing a variety: travelogues, memoirs, tours through hidden culinary gems, quests for traditional fare in a world catered to comforting tourists, travel advice pieces, and so on. Particularly notable were Greg Larson's unsettling recounting of his guided tour through North Korea, Harold McGee's (of course!) chemistry piece on cooking with plastics, Adam Gollner's rather poetic memoir of Crete and the persistence of a tradition of abundance in a time of crisis, and Jack Carneal's reflection on the culinary importance of getting lost.
When I read this issue, I had just come back from my own vacation in Europe, and much of the feel of the issue reflected my personal approach to travel: go somewhere new, walk around, get lost, eat good food, never eat at the same place twice. Ask, try, stumble blindly into new places, and taste with an open mind. It felt like an issue written just for me, and provided some insight on where to travel next.
Moreover, THERE IS A RECIPE FOR MOCHI. I had never thought to make my own mochi before, but you'd better believe I will now.
When I read this issue, I had just come back from my own vacation in Europe, and much of the feel of the issue reflected my personal approach to travel: go somewhere new, walk around, get lost, eat good food, never eat at the same place twice. Ask, try, stumble blindly into new places, and taste with an open mind. It felt like an issue written just for me, and provided some insight on where to travel next.
Moreover, THERE IS A RECIPE FOR MOCHI. I had never thought to make my own mochi before, but you'd better believe I will now.
May 14, 2014
Each of these issues have merit. The first thing that I found when I opened this book about a year after I bought it was a bookmark from the cookbook store. This was one of the last purchases made there. This issue was on travel, something I would like to do more.
There was a good piece by Naomi Duguid on travelling with kids that I wished I had read a long time ago. I was always nervous to travel with kids even though my friend Joe assured me that it was not a big deal.
There is a butter mochi recipe from an article on Hawaii that I want to try. It looks like a blondie made with rice flour and contains coconut milk and evaporated milk. Variations appear to be endless. Looking forward to this one.
Harold McGee writes about plastic in our food and makes the case that we are looking at the wrong risks. Adam Gollner writes about Crete. I loved his book on fruit hunting and it seems that his style can manage travelogues quite nicely.
A short piece on cooking at the Hotel California is engaging and challenges the notion of superstar chefs and females in the kitchen.
An article on curry and a piece written from the perspective of a gay couple round out the pieces that really grabbed my attention. All in all, a good issue with less filler than normal. But also, not as much emphasis on food.
There was a good piece by Naomi Duguid on travelling with kids that I wished I had read a long time ago. I was always nervous to travel with kids even though my friend Joe assured me that it was not a big deal.
There is a butter mochi recipe from an article on Hawaii that I want to try. It looks like a blondie made with rice flour and contains coconut milk and evaporated milk. Variations appear to be endless. Looking forward to this one.
Harold McGee writes about plastic in our food and makes the case that we are looking at the wrong risks. Adam Gollner writes about Crete. I loved his book on fruit hunting and it seems that his style can manage travelogues quite nicely.
A short piece on cooking at the Hotel California is engaging and challenges the notion of superstar chefs and females in the kitchen.
An article on curry and a piece written from the perspective of a gay couple round out the pieces that really grabbed my attention. All in all, a good issue with less filler than normal. But also, not as much emphasis on food.
November 22, 2013
At first, not my favorite issue of Lucky Peach.
The "travel" theme wore thin as the first handful of stories too closely resembled each other, following the classic travel trope with a culinary twist: writer goes to foreign place, has unique foreign experiences, and eats unique foreign foods. The end. I mean, it's interesting if you're the one that got to go there, but after reading 6 stories about different writer's very similar experiences, it got old.
But then I hit the middle-end of the issue, and things started to get better. The piece about KFC in China is fantastic -- as an outsider, it gives you a frame of reference to understand the "foreign experience" instead of just a longwinded play-by-play, like the previous pieces. Joy Wang's history of curry is also fantastic. If you read nothing else in this issue, at least read this piece. What a fantastic way to look at a food that seems to be commonplace all over the world.
I would have given this issue only a 2/5 stars, but it redeemed itself in the second half. On to the next issue!
The "travel" theme wore thin as the first handful of stories too closely resembled each other, following the classic travel trope with a culinary twist: writer goes to foreign place, has unique foreign experiences, and eats unique foreign foods. The end. I mean, it's interesting if you're the one that got to go there, but after reading 6 stories about different writer's very similar experiences, it got old.
But then I hit the middle-end of the issue, and things started to get better. The piece about KFC in China is fantastic -- as an outsider, it gives you a frame of reference to understand the "foreign experience" instead of just a longwinded play-by-play, like the previous pieces. Joy Wang's history of curry is also fantastic. If you read nothing else in this issue, at least read this piece. What a fantastic way to look at a food that seems to be commonplace all over the world.
I would have given this issue only a 2/5 stars, but it redeemed itself in the second half. On to the next issue!
September 2, 2013
4.5 stars - In some ways the "Travel" theme seemed a little to safe and obvious for Lucky Peach. Thankfully, they approach in what is fast becoming their trademark Lucky Peach style. This ain't your rich aunt's Condé Nast Traveler. Not your cousin's Sunset either. And definitely not your AAA-club approved periodical.
My favorite articles were Greg Larson's "Traveling in the North Country" about an officially-santioned tour in North Korea and Joy Y. Wang's "We Are The World, We Are The Curry" which in a nice twist of travel and food, focuses on the historic spread of curry, the ultimate food traveler.
I also had a great surprise to discover that I knew one of the authors. The details in the story suddenly gelled in my brain and a light went off. It was all I could do to not wake up the wife to tell her...and that was the wisest choice of all. That's my travel tip for you: don't wake up a sleeping spouse to tell her about what you read in Lucky Peach.
My favorite articles were Greg Larson's "Traveling in the North Country" about an officially-santioned tour in North Korea and Joy Y. Wang's "We Are The World, We Are The Curry" which in a nice twist of travel and food, focuses on the historic spread of curry, the ultimate food traveler.
I also had a great surprise to discover that I knew one of the authors. The details in the story suddenly gelled in my brain and a light went off. It was all I could do to not wake up the wife to tell her...and that was the wisest choice of all. That's my travel tip for you: don't wake up a sleeping spouse to tell her about what you read in Lucky Peach.
October 9, 2013
Every article was an exploration of a different locale but from a different perspective. Whether a local delicacy or a historical account of a small region, this magazine continues to be my favorite collection of food writing.
October 12, 2013
Alright issue, some articles were notably worse than others. Highlights: Adam Gollner's "Crete," Harry Leeds' "Bahetle," Jack Carneal's "Lost in Place," and Joy Y. Wang's "We Are The World, We Are The Curry."
December 6, 2013
It was so fun to go around the world with others and see how food differs.
June 3, 2013
Some awesome travel tips inside. As well as the usual excellent foodie pieces. Really good.
June 13, 2013
Nada que ver con los anteriores... Ultimo que compro.
October 20, 2013
The recipes in this one are fantastic!
September 26, 2015
A particularly good issue!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews