FERVOR: Food, Spirits, Travel and More

I took some time off from watching the football playoffs this past weekend (the Giants were awful, the Steelers were great) to leaf through the December issue of Fervor, a bimonthly that's primarily a food magazine, but which separates itself from the pack by including a number of non-food articles about travel and other subjects. I'd estimate that 70% of the editorial content is about food and spirits. This particular issue has quite a few holiday-oriented articles, such as an informative piece about favorite Christmas spices (cinnamon, nutmeg and mace) and entertaining features about Champagne (the real stuff from France) and a traditional American drink that goes way back to the American Revolution and before, the alcoholic apple cider known as applejack. I found a story about the mushroom industry in and around Kennett Square, Pennsylvania of interest: these year-round indoor farms, established by Italian immigrants at the turn of the century, now produce more mushrooms than anywhere else in the world. You'll find out how to make a variety of traditional holiday punches (Wassail, Fish House Punch, Poinsettia Punch, etc.), as well as very nicely illustrated step-by-step directions how to prepare what looks like a delicious beef roast dinner. Non-food articles include tips for holiday travel, advice from a physician about getting regular check-ups and information about getting your credit report. Fervor is published in Medford, NJ and its roots in the area are obvious, as most of the writers and a majority of the ads come from southern New Jersey and Philadelphia. But the magazine clearly intends to try to become a national player. An annual subscription (six issues) to Fervor is $19.95 from the publisher; you can get a sample copy from us for $2.59.