CREATIVE

WRITING

EVERYONE GATHERS IN THE KITCHEN

As I continue to build out the magazine shop, especially when looking for titles to carry on the regular, I strive to create a balance of topics. Erotic, literature journals, sports, music, etc. The more I dig in and scour distributor lists, the more I realize that no other topic has seen such a revival as the culinary magazine. 

Whether they choose to lean in towards the hospitality/restaurant side of things or more homegrown, people have much to say and print about food–particularly how food ~brings us together~.  Some titles that are top of mind:

  • Cake Zine

  • Off Menu

  • Synonym

  • Swill 

  • Serviette

  • Full

  • Filler

Many of these have more of a zine-like quality and feel more like the first foray into starting a print magazine versus a studied, well-funded glossy. That is to say, in my mind, they feel more earnest, a bit uneven content-wise, and clearly made by those most passionate (not necessarily a well-honed editorial team). This is complete conjecture and my biased opinion, of course.

But with that sense, that these are more recent additions to the indie magazine scene, one has to wonder (a la Carrie Bradshaw), why now? Why are so many of us feeling drawn into the kitchen for an escape? Some to the point where they are willing to invest thousands of dollars to produce a magazine with minimal return?

We’re in the midst of a second wave of the Indie Magazine Renaissance. The last time I remember this surge was the early aughts where we saw (now mainstay) titles begin: The Gentlewoman (2010), Kinfolk (2011), Apartamento (2008), Cereal (2012), Little White Lies (2005), etc. They presented lives unlike the readers, whether of glamour or those who followed more artistic pursuits; they gave permission to truly disconnect from reality, if just for a page or five.

Both of these Indie Magazine waves are occurring around tumultuous times (at least through the U.S. lens), when people crave distraction, a reason to selfishly pull oneself away into a private moment for no clear direct benefit. While the magazines of the early-mid aughts tapped into a more aspirational escape–one that I can’t personally feel was relatable for the masses, these culinary magazines of late do quite the opposite.

Nothing is more grounded than the humble kitchen, nothing more personable than a recipe you can make yourself. Food, eating and making it, is truly one of the rare human experiences common across cultures. Even I, who grew up on canned stew and still love a good goulash (9/10 times that’s what I’m making for dinner), can still connect with stories of cooking in the kitchen, hosting friends, and the memories that are baked into any certain smell or taste. It’s sensual. It’s grounded. It’s in your pantry.

As ~the world~, or at least the country I live in, feels more chaotic, emotionally trying, and unpredictable, it’s no surprise that this grounded approach to magazines and zines has taken purchase. Safety, comfort, and certainty are sought closer to home. They’re found in the kinds of restaurants where you’re a regular and the kitchen that you own. They’re found in making our worlds smaller. Comfort is bringing the pleasure from page to reality.

But then again, maybe I’m just full of shit.