November is the last month that Conde Nast will publish Gourmet Magazine. The ending, its Thanksgiving issue, is bittersweet and complex – how can we be thankful when we’re losing such a beloved American icon, and, yet, Gourmet gets to go out with a bang, issuing
arguably its greatest and most-anticipated issue of the year.

Like so many other home and professional cooks, I’m mourning the loss of Gourmet. The loss of those frissons of excitement I felt when it appeared in my mailbox, loss of the relaxing moments I would spend, lazily browsing for intriguing and innovative recipes, loss of the recipes themselves, which did more to inspire me in the few months that I was a subscriber than the ocean of cooking content available in print, on the web, and on TV.

But, in addition to the personal loss, I also feel the loss of a cultural icon – an institution that has been influencing and guiding the changing tastes of professional and home kitchens for almost 70 years. Every page of Gourmet was celebratory and filled with life – it represented an America and a lifestyle that we wanted to reclaim and revive, particularly during an economic downturn that, ironically, played a fair part in Gourmet’s undoing.

Enough has been said, here and by others, on the passing of Gourmet. Now, it’s time to celebrate. All recipes on Besotted this month will come from my last 2 lovely issues of Gourmet. I also fully intend to make this Thanksgiving, like those past, a Gourmet Thanksgiving and look forward to sharing the experience.

Enjoy!