Gourmet magazine refuses to die

The defunct magazine gets a second, make that third, life as it makes its way back onto newsstands.

Tue, Aug 31 2010 at 8:29 AM EST

First, I told you that “Gourmet” magazine was going to be no more. Last year, Conde Nast decided to quit publishing the respected food and wine magazine. Then, the announcement was made earlier this year that “Gourmet” would return in digital format as an iPad app called Gourmet Live.

Now, according to The New York Times, “Gourmet” will be seen on newsstands once again — a third life — but it will appear much less frequently than the original.

The publisher said this morning that it will produce three “special edition” magazines built around recipes that were published in Gourmet before its demise last year. The first, called Gourmet Quick Kitchen, is made up of 81 fast recipes, freshened up with new photography, kitchen hints and menus that suggest wine pairings. Edited by one old Gourmet hand, Kempe Minifie, along with Catherine Kelley, the 128-page magazine goes on sale at some newsstands and at the Condé Nast store on Sept. 7 for $10.99.

While “Gourmet” wasn’t a magazine that soley focused on sustainable foods, it did focus on cooking from fresh ingredients, and it was easy to use organic or local ingredients in many of its dishes. I’m looking forward to the first edition of “Gourmet Quick” that will have more than 80 all-time favorite dishes, including kid-friendly ones. The roasted tomato tart on the cover looks delicious and will be great for using up end-of-the-season tomatoes.