Covers

     Choosing a the cover image for Gourmet must have involved arguments and tough choices.  The cover is what moves a magazine from the rack to the cashier.  Asian imagery featured in nine, out of 815, issues of Gourmet.  Half the images dealt with Asian food, and half with immigration and tourism.  In case you were wondering, turkeys and Christmas cookies dominate the cover count. (Images are included for review purposes only, and are copyright Conde Nast.)


The first cover with Asian content.  Henry Stahlhut painted "India" and illustrations for "Curry Hot, Curry Cold" for the August, 1949 issue.

Five years later, for the January, 1984 cover, these Chinese twins were photographed in Manhattan's Little Italy, not far from Chinatown.

In April, 1989, "Taipei is brought to life in the color and symbolism of its shrines, such as the Buddhist temple Lung Shan, a monument of the Chin'ing dynasty built more than two centuries ago." Inside, Fred Ferretti toured the island of "cultural, culinary and geographical surprises."

May, 1989 featured "Chinese style steamed shrimp and scallions," a quick recipe included in the monthly column, "In Short Order."

April, 1991, "The emerald geometry of rice fields," was featured, hinting at Anthony Weller's "Gourmet Holidays: Bali."

March, 1992, Jumbo Floating Restaurant, off Aberdeen, a familiar Hong Kong Site, accompanied Fred Ferretti's column, "A Gourmet at Large."

April, 2003, Song An's photograph, "Red, hot and beautiful," fronted "China Bold," Fushia Dunlop's piece on new interpretations of Sichuanese cooking.

June, 2006, harked back to Trader Vic's Asian-influenced-Polynesian-themed "Tiki" fare.

May, 2008, Grilled shrimp drizzled with Japanese dressing was the bait for "Learning Japanese," in the Cooking Vacations  issue.