Culinary Culture

Though for some the term "gourmet" may still conjure images of pristine white tablecloths, swanky silver platters and Michelin-starred dining, this interpretation has been stripped of its highfalutin' connotations in recent decades.

The term is linked to Gourmet magazine -- an iconic publication that Condé Nast debatably considered outdated when it shut down operations in October 2009. According to the New York Times, the magazine after its inception in 1941 "thrived on a rush of postwar aspiration and became a touchstone for readers who wanted lives filled with dinner parties, reservations at important restaurants and exotic but comfortable travel."

Aspirational it may have been, but the magazine also sparked interest in home cooking beyond the Betty Crocker-inspired casual casseroles, and brought "gourmet" into the home, achievable by care paid to quality ingredients and careful cooking by the homemaker. How could a focus on seasonal produce and cooking one's own meals be considered elite?

With the increasing popularity of the Food...