Ruth Reichl in 1999 (AJC archive)
In this week’s Sunday Column I consider the singular Tweeting style of former Gourmet magazine editor Ruth Reichl.
Tweets Show Poetic Taste
Over the past few weeks, the food Twitterati have been paying rapt attention to a new voice belonging to one “Ruth Bourdain” (@ruthbourdain). This is not a real person but a mash-up of Ruth Reichl — the former New York Times restaurant critic and editor of now-shuttered Gourmet magazine — and Anthony Bourdain, the book author and “No Reservations” host. Even the freaky avatar frames Bourdain’s perma-scowl in Reichl’s flowing dark hair.
Essentially this poster takes Reichl’s spare, evocative, upbeat snippets of yumminess (posted as @ruthreichl) and frames them in Bourdain’s profane sarcasm. Reichl tweets, “Good night. Hot kimchi, slicked with chiles. Smoky, sweet grilled beef in crisp lettuce. Sake. Slow stroll home down electric streets.”
“Ruth Bourdain” counters: “Bad night. Hot kimchi slicked w/chiles = …