Ruth Reichl returns to Chicago on April 24 with a new book, “Save Me the Plums,” a memoir of her 10 years as the editor-in-chief of Gourmet. The magazine closed suddenly in 2009 after 68 years, a casualty of the Great Recession. Reichl spoke by phone in advance of her local book tour event, organized by The Book Cellar, the independent bookstore and cafe in Lincoln Square.
The writer shared behind-the-scenes stories about the book — including the fight over recipes — and what happened the last time she smoked marijuana.
Reporter’s note: Full disclosure, I was a Gourmet Chicago correspondent, plus a fixer and host on the magazine’s television series “Gourmet’s Diary of a Foodie” on PBS.
The following has been edited for length and clarity.
Q: What is the meaning behind the title “Save Me the Plums”?
A: The title is taken from a poem by William Carlos Williams called “This Is Just To Say,” which is not only my favorite poem, but one that is very well known by many food people. You say the word “plum” to a food person, and instantly they’ll go, “I have eaten the plums that were in the icebox.” It’s become a meme on Twitter, where people will often paraphrase it for other things.
But beyond that, William Carlos Williams really exemplifies, in so many ways, everything I was trying to do with Gourmet magazine. He was a physician who spent a lot of time working with poor people. He was also a very ahead-of-his-time poet who was friends with Ezra Pound, (Ernest) Hemingway and all those people who went to Europe to be artists. So for me, he really exemplifies practicality and avant-garde sensibility. He was really excited about the life of the mind in literature. All of those things, I was trying to put into Gourmet when I took it over.
My father was also a book designer, and he not only designed the autobiography of William Carlos Williams, he won an AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts) 50 Books | 50 covers award for it, which I’ve only just found out.
And then the job at Gourmet. It was a plum job. That’s the other meaning. I have a very hard time coming up with titles. Every book I’ve ever written has had about 20 titles before it got to the real one. This was no exception. When I thought of it, it was suddenly “that’s it!”
Q: Why did they close Gourmet?
A: Honestly, I don’t understand it. At the point that they closed Gourmet, we had the highest circulation in the history of the magazine. But there’s no question we were really desperate for ads in the last 18 months. Part of it was the strategy for advertising in Gourmet, which had always been luxury goods. As my former publisher explains in the book, “We’re going to get hit harder than anyone else.”
I knew from the first day that I went to Gourmet that I was going to write about it. From the first day there, I started printing out three or four emails every night before I left.
I was always certain it would all be over. Not that I thought they would close the magazine, but I really did I think I would get fired at some point, so I was trying very hard to keep a record. Every time I had a conversation with S.I. Newhouse (the late billionaire publisher of Gourmet), I went home and wrote it down.
Q: Why are there so few recipes in the book? I miss them, but I’m happy to see you adding some of the ones that didn’t make it on your website.
A: It was not my choice. Nobody has told me that they miss the recipes. I miss the recipes. It was a fierce fight with my editor. She said she thought that they stopped the flow, so we thought we would weave in the ones that we felt were absolutely necessary. I think she was right.
Q: Will there be anywhere we can see you cooking online, maybe YouTube?
A: Nope. I don’t have the facilities to go and make that. I guess I could have my son shoot. He is a film director. I’d never thought about that. This is a very good idea. I may get Nick to make a little documentary of me cooking a recipe or two. (Mutual laughter ensued.)
Q: Now that the book has been out, what’s surprised you from readers?
A: If you look at the comments on The New York Times book review, I am surprised that there are still so many people who absolutely hated what I did with the magazine. I sort of thought they had gone away, but they are still very vocal. They are the people who loved the old Gourmet and absolutely hated what we did. I thought they’d gotten over it. They obviously haven’t. They are still, 20 years later, furious about what we did to the magazine. It’s fascinating to me. They must hate modern food media.
My editor just called to tell me I hit the Times’ best-seller list, so I’m very chuffed about that.
Q: Given your Berkeley background, I’ve always wondered about your experiences with marijuana and food, especially now with the legalization movement.
A: Given my Berkeley background, it will probably shock you that I don’t do well on marijuana. I freak out on it. I’m the only person I think I know who’s my age, in my group, who never dropped acid. I was around a lot of people who did and saw a lot of bad trips. The few times I did smoke dope, I would eat until I was miserable, and that was when I had a good time with marijuana.
My husband, who has all kinds of chronic pain issues, smokes a lot of dope, does a lot of various CBD oils and stuff. When we were in California, he went to one of those MedMen places, where they have curated marijuana. They have ones they say will put you to sleep and mellow you out. They promised me “it will not freak you out in any way.” I tell you, I took one toke of this thing, and I was completely freaked out. (More laughter ensued.)
Q: Oh, boy. So, what’s next in terms of books?
A: I have two books left on this contract, but they are both novels. Then I have another nonfiction book that I want to write that has nothing to do with me; it’s not a memoir. At this moment, I would say I’m probably not going to write any more memoirs. I mean, I am 71 years old. How far can I take this?
Ruth Reichl in conversation with Louisa Chu
6-8 p.m. Wednesday, April 24
210 Design House, 210 W. Illinois St., 773-293-2665
Tickets include a copy of “Save Me the Plums,” tastings of recipes in Reichl’s 2015 book “My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes That Saved My Life,” wine, plus a meet-and-greet. $56 (ticket for one, including one book) and $85 (ticket for two, including one book).
lchu@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @louisachu
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