Lucky Peach Issue 7 Is Almost Here

Lucky Peach subscribers the world over will start to find Issue 7 in their mailboxes in the coming days. The quarterly magazine isn't out in stores or Momofuku outposts yet, but the Travel issue is ready to read. And it's a big one. "What is inside?" asks the LP website, "So many words! Maybe our most words ever."

Those include, "Smart words about snake eating" from The New Yorker staff writer Philip Gourevitch, "Handwritten words about The Most Beautiful Taco Bell in the World from artist Jason Polan," travel tips from Mario Batali, and contriutions from LP vets Harold McGee and Tony Bourdain.

Del Posto's pastry chef Brooks Headley goes back to his punk roots (re: Born Against) for what McSweeney's website calls "Punk rock touring with Brooks Headley." Other highlights include "the history of curry," "an epic sub on the Jersey Shore," and "the world’s most dangerous chicken in Rio de Janeiro."

Happy reading!

Lucky Peach Issue Six Hits Shelves Today

If you subscribe to Lucky Peach, or frequent any of the Momofuku restaurants, you probably already got your hands on Issue #6: "Before and After the Apocolypse." If you don't, the magazine is available in stores today. It's broken down into two sections: pre and post-apocolypse. Editor Peter Meehan writes the topic came about after he and co-editor David Chang had a discussion about Collapse, "a feature-length interview with Michael C. Ruppert, a reporter, who chronicles how our current economic and every systems will systematically fail, and how our civilization will collapse soon after." The issue calls on Michael Pollan, Ted Nugent, and Anthony Bourdain to shed some light on the current state of the food world. There's also talk of zombies and plagues, a taste test of canned tomato sauce with Mark Ladner, and some bomb shelter essentials. Get your copy here.

Issue #5 is Around the Corner

In our humble opinion, Lucky Peach is the most exciting piece of media, print or otherwise, covering all things culinary. The brainchild of David Chang, Chris Ying, and Peter Meehan, Lucky Peach is doing for the world of food writing the same thing Chang did for New York when he opened Noodle Bar in '04.

Issue #5 is the Chinatown Issue. Momofuku's blog invites readers to "explore what happens when chinese food leaves the motherland," and on Tuesday, November 13th, you can "read up on chinese-korean noodles, the san gabriel valley, opium dens, crab rangoons and magical white balls." The fifth go 'round also features a few words from Anthony Bourdain and recipes from Mission Chinese Food chef Danny Bowien.

Catch Chang tonight on the Late Show with Jimmy Fallon.

Lucky Peach Issue 4 is Coming Next Month

The fourth installment of David Chang, Peter Meehan, and Chris Ying's food mag Lucky Peach is a month away.  McSweeney's website revealed the cover with a few details about what to expect in Issue 4, the American Food Issue. 

David Simon, creator of HBO hit series The Wire and Treme, contributes with "Salty Comforts," an article that remembers his dad via pickles and cream.  Marco Canora, Wylie Dufresne (talking about his new tasting menu?), Harold McGee and Anthony Bourdain all have a hand in the next issue which gets published July 10th.  You can order your copy now at Amazon or wait until Friday, July 13th, the date "Issue Four will be in stores and on newsstands by."  As always, it'll also be available at all the Momofuku spots.

The Copenzepi Takeover

New York Mag's Adam Platt awarded Atera four stars (out of five) last week.  That puts the restaurant at Exceptional, just one star away from the pinnacle, Ethereal category.

Atera chef Matt Lightner is an alum of Noma, Copenhagen's/The World's most fascinating restaurant since the closing of Spain's El Bulli.  Rene Redzepi is Noma's chef and he is a founding father of what is being referred to as New Nordic Cuisine.  Platt's review of Atera is another wave in the tsunami of attention being thrown in the general direction of Scandinavia.

Acme was awarded two stars by Pete Wells a few weeks ago.  The chef?  Noma vet Mads Reflund.  Frej is a pop-up at Kinfolk Studios in Williamsburg, serving a $45, five-course, Nordic influenced tasting menu three nights a week to anyone lucky enough to land a reservation.  The guys at Lucky Peach hung out with Rene in Issue #2, and in Issue #3, David Chang himself mentions the significance a stage at Noma means to an aspiring chef, and that commitment and discipline in the kitchen are just as relevant to technique and ingredients when it comes to Noma's success.

An article in The Wall Street Journal talks about "Life Beyond Noma," and discusses the culinary trend that has resulted as more and more chefs are passing through Noma's kitchen.

Higgins, Stop Eating the Chicken!

David Chang was on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon last night to have a chicken battle with Roots drummer ?uestlove.  If Chang losses, ?uestlove's chicken would go on the menu's at Momofuku's in the city and he would get a spread in the next issue of Lucky Peach.  Should Chang win, ?uestlove would have to stand outside one of the Momofuku restaurants and promote Chang's chicken and give him a shout out ever night on Late Night for a week.

Turns out Higgins, the shows announcer, is a pretty big fan of fried chicken.  Check out the clip for the winner.

It All Started with a Little Chocolate Cake

In 1981 Michel Bras patented his chocolate coulant, the word meaning "runny" in French.  Decades later, the likes of Wal-Mart, Disney World, and Betty Crocker have all created riffs on the dessert.  Issue #3 of Lucky Peach, David Changs magazine published by McSweeney's, has a wonderful article explaining the history of the cake.  The dessert, what Bras has accomplished at his restaurant in Aubrac, and his influence on Basque cuisine, are why many consider Bras one of the most crucial chefs of modern cuisine.

Entre Les Bras, a new documentary by filmmaker Paul LaCoste, explores the relationship between Michel and his oldest son, Sebastien, as Michel prepares to leave Sebastien control of the restaurant.

Lucky Peach #3 Is Out; New England Clam Chowder, the South Pole, and Celery, Oh My

The third installment of Lucky Peach is out and the pages of our copy at Digestny smell like rosemary.

The quarterly McSweeney's publication was started by David Chang, Peter Meehan, and Chris Ying.  The two previous issues are already collector's items with issue #1 selling for $155 on Amazon.

This time around it's the cooks and chef issue, get it while you can.

In other chef publications news, Thomas Keller, of Per Se and French Laundry and 11 other restaurants, has added a magazine to his resume too.  The second issue of Finesse is due out this month and focuses on his more casual affairs.

T.K.'s magazine is “a real magazine, not French Laundry propaganda,” and has contributions from Ruth Reichl and Ed Levine.