Chicagoist Grills: Epicurious Editor-in-Chief Tanya Steel

By L. Stolpman in Food on Nov 25, 2008 5:45PM

We were fortunate to have the opportunity to ask Epicurious.com's Editor-in-Chief, Tanya Steel, some questions about the website and the upcoming holidays. Epicurious incorporates content from Gourmet, Bon Appetit and Self magazines as well as original content. Since coming to the site in the summer of 2005, Steel has broadened the website to include a bevy of food knowledge in addition to one of its greatest appeals: tried and true recipes that can be re-created at home. Prior to joining Epicurious, Steel ran the New York arm of Bon Appetit. She has written for numerous publications including the New York Times and Food and Wine magazine and received the James Beard Foundation Journalism Award for Magazine Restaurant Review or Critique in 2003.

Chicagoist: Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Have you noticed an increase in traffic on Epicurious.com as people prepare for the Thanksgiving Holiday and the cooking that goes along with it?

Tanya Steel: Our highest traffic day of the year has traditionally been the day before Thanksgiving and last year we had 6 million unique visitors in November, which was record setting at the time for us. I expect that number to be up dramatically this year as more people cook Thanksgiving instead of going to restaurants or away on vacation this week.

C: Aside from instruction and recipes on how to prepare the turkey, what recipe searches seem to be the most popular right now with respect to the holiday?

TS: We are seeing the usual interest in turkey, stuffing, etc., as well as a ton of interest in pumpkin pie, butternut squash, etc. We also thousands of views of specific Thanksgiving videos we created like how to brine, carve, truss a turkey, how to make pie crusts, lattice crusts, etc.

Some of the most popular recipes this year include those from our Inexpensive Thanksgiving menu, coming in at under $80 for eight people. Specifically, Roast Turkey with Oranges, Bay Leaves, Red Onions, and Pan Gravy has been a hit.

Also, classic recipes like those from this First Timer’s menu by Rick Rodgers are very popular.

C: We recall when deep-frying turkeys became popular, smoked turkeys were big for a while, and then brining turkeys became a big rage. There definitely seem to be some fads or trends with turkey preparations. Have you noticed any new trends in how people are looking to prepare that perfect bird for their table?

TS: We are seeing deep-frying and smoking dying off. But brining is still extremely popular and that makes sense as it's very easy to do, very inexpensive technique and really adds flavor and moisture. One technique that has become more popular is rubs and glazes. There is a maple-glazed turkey on Epicurious.com that is sensational and makes the skin crispy and sweet. Yum! (That recipe is here).

C: What method will you use to prepare your own turkey and what recipes will be showing up at your thanksgiving dinner?

TS: You can take a peek into my recipe box (it's public--just search on tsteel in the "find members" section in our community area) but I will make Butternut Squash Soup with Cider Cream, Roast Turkey with Sage and Sherried Cider Giblet Gravy, Winter Fruit and Nut Stuffing, Fresh Green Peas and Sugar Snap Peas in Sesame Dressing, Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Shallots, Cloverleaf Rolls, Pumpkin Pie with Spiced Whipped Cream. My sister is making two of the sides, thank goodness.

C: You've successfully moved from the print media world into the world of online media. What drew you to Epicurious.com enough to leave a very successful position with Bon Appétit and into the intangible world of online media? What are the largest differences in how you do your job between print and online media?

TS: I spent 20 years in print, working at Mademoiselle, Food & Wine and Bon Appétit, among other magazines and the differences are dramatic. It took a while to realize how more immediate, personal and intimate online media can be. Because I have a profile on the site, write in the blog, answer questions in the forums, write to other users on their profile pages, appear on television, (and now have a cookbook called “Real Food for Healthy Kids”) many of our users feel like they know me and I am a friend. What's so rewarding for me is that I do feel that we are all friends, as we share a passion for good food and for feeding and taking care of others. I think what drew me to Epicurious was the potential to help improve even further a beloved web site, and to help make it more than just a fantastic recipe database--to make it a comprehensive site for anyone who loves food.

C: We know that Epicurious tests its recipes. What factors are you looking for in a recipe: simplicity and the ability to recreate it at home? taste? How do you balance these things?

TS: Yes, all of our editorial recipes have been tested numerous times. We look for all different types of qualities when seeking recipes besides those that come from Gourmet, Bon Appétit and Self. Sometimes we seek basic recipes, or iconic recipes, or dishes that are obscure but doable. Whatever type of recipes we put on the site, they all share some qualities: they can all be done in a home kitchen by a person who may not know much about cooking, they use good quality ingredients, and they are written simply and carefully so that nothing is left to chance.

C: We attended Wine.Dine.Donate with Epicurious and we're curious about the other activities Epicurious has in the works.

TS: You betcha. We just finished a tailgating recipe contest and the three winners will be flown down to Tampa during Superbowl weekend to compete for the grand prize at Taste of the NFL. We will give a large donation to Feeding America at the event (formerly known as America's Second Harvest). As your readers might know, we have taken up the cause of helping to aid the 25 million of Americans who live in hunger insecure homes. Next year we will also have our Farmers Market tour where we hit cities across America and spend time at the farmers markets meeting our Epicurious fans and introducing newcomers to the site (and giving away recipes, food samples and coupons).
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Let us know if you try any of the recipes included here and if you need help choosing a turkey, check out the site's Taste Test of Six Supermarket Turkeys. Happy Thanksgiving!

(Ed. Note: Full disclosure: Laura's photos have shown up on Epicurious from time to time.)