Preview David Chang’s New Food Journal, ‘Lucky Peach’

Earlier this year Momofuku’s David Chang announced that he was going to launch a quarterly food journal / iPad app called Lucky Peach. The journal, which will be published by McSweeney’s, is a creative venture between Chang, Peter Meehan, co-author of the Momofuku cookbook, and Zero Point Zero Production, the producers of the Emmy Award–winning show, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations.

According to the description on McSweeney’s website, the journal will mix multiple mediums “to create a publication that appeals to diehard foodies as well as fans of good writing and art in general.” Furthermore, “each issue will explore a single topic through a mélange of travelogue, essays, art, photography, and rants in a full-color, meticulously designed format. Recipes will defy the tired ingredients-and-numbered-steps formula. They’ll be laid out sensibly, inspired by the thought process that went into developing them.” So, that said, expect great writing, creative recipe formats, whimsical illustrations, and, of course, colorful language à la Chang.

The first issue—coming out on June 14th—is going to be entirely devoted to ramen. It’s going to feature an instant-ramen taste test, ramen-themed artwork, explain what MSG exactly is, and explore “the culinary possibilities of instant ramen,” just to name a few. But that’s not all, Lucky Peach‘s iPad app companion, which is slated to release in the coming weeks, is going to have videos and more interactive content, so be sure to download it when it comes out!

And now, as promised, here’s a NEW teaser from the first issue—a vignette featuring Chang, Bourdain and Dufresne (owner/chef of wd~50):

Scene: Café de la Concha, 1 Mira Concha, San Sebastián, Spain.

It is nighttime, and DAVID CHANG, TONY BOURDAIN, and WYLIE DUFRESNE are gathered around a table. A January storm rages outside and keeps the café nearly empty. The three Americans—in town to speak at a conference—are catching up over hard cider and pintxos, and talking, at CHANG’s behest, about culinary mediocrity back in their homeland.

TONY: So what about all these kids rolling out of culinary school now, with their $80,000 in debt? They’re totally jacked there.

DAVID: We’re all their f–king problem. We’re sort of a catalyst for them.

TONY: We’re inspiring generations of kids to go to culinary school.

DAVID: Could you have achieved your career without having gone to culinary school?

WYLIE: Sure. Of course I could have. I went to college, too.

DAVID: But now, what percentage of kids going to culinary school are actually going to contribute to a real kitchen? Like a two-Michelin-star, one-Michelin-star, whatever, a real f–king kitchen. Zero.

TONY: Man, that’s such a dark worldview. I just spoke to a kid today who came up to me and said, “You came up to the Culinary Institute of America five years ago and gave a commencement address.” I have no recollection of meeting this person. She asked me then, “What should I do after school?” And I said, “Do what I didn’t do. Acknowledge the fact that you’re not going to make any money at all, you’re not going to get paid for two years, and go work for the best. I would suggest Spain, some place like Mugaritz.” She’s at Mugaritz now. Come on, man, that’s a f–king awesome start.

DAVID: And if you didn’t talk to her, she’d probably—

TONY: Oh no, don’t do that. My point is that there are actually people who come rolling out of culinary school—maybe it’s a tiny, tiny number, but probably proportionally more than during my time—who don’t see the Hilton as a fantastic gig, or a cruise ship or a country club, and understand that if they wanna be great, if they want to be really good, then they have to start looking at places like Mugaritz or Arzak.

WYLIE: I disagree with that. I think unfortunately there is more of a mediocritizing of the average culinary-school graduate now than there was way back when. I think to a certain extent schools are selling them a bill of goods. “Come to culinary school, go through our program, and in six to eight months you could be the chef of this or that.” Not “Come to our schools and we’ll give you the absolute basics so you can go out into the world and work for pennies.” But that’s the truth. Today it’s, “You could end up on TV.”

TONY: F–k, you’re right. So we’re part of the problem.

DAVID: We’re part of the problem.

TONY: We suck. We are destroying what we love.

WYLIE: You more than me.

Head over to McSweeney’s for more previews, details and/or to pre-order Lucky Peach.

On a side note, Chang came out with a line of sauces called “Momofuku Cooking Sauces” earlier this week and they’re being exclusively sold on Williams-Sonoma’s website. Grab one (or the whole set!) here.

[photo of David Chang: Gabriel Stabile]

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