For a profile in today’s New York Times, dining scribe Julia Moskin grilled out with Adam Rapoport, the dapper former GQ style editor who’s taking over the editor’s spot at Bon Appétit. For those worried that a jet-setting fashion guy – he would be spotted on runways in Milan and Paris and hits the links Justin Timberlake – would sacrifice pure gastronomical discourse to focus on the aesthetic of a trendy food lifestyle, have no fear. Rapoport, the profile reveals, is no stranger to the kitchen, or in this case, the barbecue spit.
What, then, was the editor or Conde Nast’s last culinary publication be whipping up? Rapoport kept it simple, as he is wont to do, with lamb chops and French fries – French fries prepared, to be fair, in accordance with Joël Robuchon’s specifications. He knows the “Chef of the Century” from his time as an assistant at the publications office of the James Beard Foundation, where he worked before heading to Time Out New York to be its dining editor. He was there until 2000, when he left for GQ and switched his beat to style.
This background will help as he acclimates himself to the new gig, just as it appeared to be helping him behind the grill.
The French fries were already cooling on paper towels, proving that Mr. Rapoport, like most excellent home cooks, is not immune to the perils of timing a meal. “My idea of a good time is to stand around the grill with my friends, drinks in hand, staring at a big piece of meat and talking about it,” he said.
Also, the madeleines were “perfectly done.”
Though he clearly won’t be donning Crocs anytime soon – in the profile, he makes special mention of his St. James socks – Rapoport’s cooking chops on display Monday night should help dispel doubts among foodies about his place at the table.
nfreeman [at] observer.com | @nfreeman1234
