Ruth Reichl on Gourmet Magazine's Heyday and the Evolution of Food Journalism

Ruth Reichl, who considers herself a writer with Berkeley-hippie sensibilities, initially turned down an offer to be Gourmet magazine’s editor-in-chief, a corporate gig. But Reichl ultimately said yes to the job, in which she highlighted some of the world’s most exclusive restaurants and wielded tremendous influence. In her memoir, “Save Me The Plums,” Reichl describes lavish company trips and meals, her role in the magazine’s most groundbreaking and controversial stories, and Gourmet’s final collapse in 2009, at the end of a golden era of print journalism. Reichl joins us in the studio to discuss the book and the current state of food journalism. What do you want in food journalism — reviews and recipes or something more? Share your thoughts.