This has to be the best peice of writting i've ever read. http://www.cjr.org/issues/2003/5/foodporn-oneill.asp
Thanks for posting this, Cape Chef. She has some intruguing insights. I grew up far from NYC, but in a home where the Sunday New York Times, with its Sunday magazine neatly tucked inside, arrived promptly with every Tuesday's mail. My mom and I practicallly fought over those food pages. The photography was tantalizing! It's part of my food history. I still remember a few recipes from mom's repertoire that came from that paper. My favorite was Chicken San Juan. (Does anyone have the recipe? it's long-lost. It had rice and eggplant, among other goodies.)