> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://achronicvoice.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Magazine Review: Lucky Peach’s Last Issue, Ever - URL: https://achronicvoice.com/magazine-review-lucky-peach/ - Published: 2017-10-26T12:49:20.000Z - Updated: 2026-02-08T16:39:06.000Z - Author: Sheryl Chan - Tags: Books & Magazines, Reviews, Home & Lifestyle, Creativity, Diet & Nutrition ## Lucky Peach’s Grand Finalé [Lucky Peach](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/food/wp/2017/03/16/the-mysterious-demise-of-lucky-peach-magazine-and-its-uncertain-future/) is an interesting magazine that does a fantastic job of blending food, lifestyle and prose together. Thus I was surprised to discover that this was going to be their last issue ever! For their grand finalé, they have put together the 'best of' over the years, and is worth a read. I'll let their words and pictures do most of the talking for this review. And since it is a chronic illness blog after all, I'll also highlight the posts that have a health aspect to them! *\*Disclaimer: This article is meant for educational purposes, and is based on my personal experiences as a patient. *I am not a doctor, and nothing in this article should be substituted for medical advice.* Please consult your own doctor before changing or adding *any* new treatment protocols. This post may also contain affiliate links. It will cost you nothing to click on them. I will get a small referral fee from purchases you make, which helps with the maintenance of this blog. Read our* [***Privacy Policy***](https://achronicvoice.com/privacy-policy/)*page for more information. Thank you!* ## The Gorgeous & Colourful Graphics of Lucky Peach Magazine This is pretty much Lucky Peach's signature graphic style over the years! ![Things were drawn. Lucky Peach’s last issue ever magazine review.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fe/94/fe943d06-f105-4c71-af52-25403dcbb0b8/content/images/2025/08/lucky-peach-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1.jpg) ![Colourful graphics. Lucky Peach’s last issue ever magazine review.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fe/94/fe943d06-f105-4c71-af52-25403dcbb0b8/content/images/2025/08/lucky-peach-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1.jpg) ## Left Behind: A Field Guide to Post-Rapture Rot ![LeftPork buns from Momofuku, covered with mould spores.](https://cdn.achronicvoice.com/lucky-peach-3.jpg) Pork buns from [Momofuku](https://momofuku.com/), covered with mould spores ![Radishes in a pot from Noma and Prune-stuffed gnocchi from No. 9 Park covered with mould and yeast.](https://cdn.achronicvoice.com/lucky-peach-4.jpg) Radishes in a pot from [Noma](http://noma.dk/), and Prune-stuffed gnocchi from No. 9 Park covered with mould and yeast This is one of my favourite article in this issue. It was fascinating to see popular foods from good eateries becoming rotten, and I enjoyed reading about the type of mould or yeast inhabiting each dish. It talks about the conditions necessary for growth, and how some of them are more familiar to us than we realise. For example, [penicillium](https://www.adelaide.edu.au/mycology/fungal-descriptions-and-antifungal-susceptibility/hyphomycetes-conidial-moulds/penicillium), a bread loving mould: "also provides us with delicious cheese (the fuzz on the outside of Brie and the blue veins on the inside of blue cheese), and spurred the antibiotic revolution in medicine". If you've ever seen those blue-green mould on your bread, it's probably penicillium. [Fusarium](https://www.adelaide.edu.au/mycology/fungal-descriptions-and-antifungal-susceptibility/hyphomycetes-conidial-moulds/fusarium) moulds have a more complicated relationship with humans. Some species produce potent [mycotoxins](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mycotoxins), or give you toenail infections. Yet some species are beneficial; lovers of fake-meat mycoprotein Quorn are eating the guts of [*Fusarium venenatum*](http://blogs.uoregon.edu/bi432/files/2014/10/quorn-fusarium-1c4jakx.pdf), and the rinds of many [washed-rind cheeses](http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/06/cheese-101-washed-rind.html) are held together by [*Fusarium domesticum*](http://microbialfoods.org/microbe-guide-fusarium-domesticum/). ## Not the Best Looking Recipes ![Braised cold celery hearts victor recipe](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fe/94/fe943d06-f105-4c71-af52-25403dcbb0b8/content/images/2025/08/lucky-peach-5-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1.jpg) Braised cold celery hearts victor recipe ![Close up of the uh...deliciousness](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fe/94/fe943d06-f105-4c71-af52-25403dcbb0b8/content/images/2025/08/lucky-peach-6-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1.jpg) Close up of the uh...deliciousness There were some recipes listed at the back of the magazine, printed on black coloured paper with a nostalgic tint to them. This made the food look particularly unappetising, especially this 'Braised Cold Celery Hearts Victor' dish. I really can't tell if it's meant to make a statement, or if it's sarcasm. ![10 minute chocolate mug cake recipe](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fe/94/fe943d06-f105-4c71-af52-25403dcbb0b8/content/images/2025/08/lucky-peach-7-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1.jpg) 10 minute chocolate mug cake recipe This recipe looked the most enticing of the lot. And two minutes for a nice warm chocolate cake? I'm in! ## Stag Penises: Prized Tonic in Chinese Medicine ![Dick soup](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fe/94/fe943d06-f105-4c71-af52-25403dcbb0b8/content/images/2025/08/lucky-peach-8-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1.jpg) Dick soup Apparently penises have magical properties in Chinese medicinal terms. Consuming them is supposed to increase your [yang energy](https://sg.euyansangclinic.com/health-articles/natural-rhythm-of-yin-yang-in-our-body). [Stag penises are prized in particular](https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2016-11-22/chinese-medicine-market-for-deer-penises-and-antlers/8044046), and are prescribed for impotence and fertility. Fuchsia talks about receiving some of these for gifts as a chef, the trauma of it, and what she made with them. Read Related Posts: - [Floatation Therapy: Did It do Anything for My Chronic Pain?](https://achronicvoice.com/floatation-therapy-chronic-pain/) - [Resources & Therapies for Pain After Major Knee Surgery](https://achronicvoice.com/therapies-for-pain-after-major-knee-surgery/) - [The Causes & Dangers of Malabsorption & An Easy Way to Get Your Nutrients](https://achronicvoice.com/causes-dangers-malabsorption-get-nutrients/) - [The Annoying Thing About Living with Antiphospholipid Syndrome (My Personal Experiences)](https://achronicvoice.com/living-with-antiphospholipid-syndrome/) - [November 2017: Discovering the Importance of Gut Health & Rediscovering Old Friendships](https://achronicvoice.com/discovering-gut-health-old-friendships-november-2017/) ## A Pilgrimage to All His Favourite Food Places ![A last meal in the holy city essay. Lucky Peach’s last issue ever magazine review.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fe/94/fe943d06-f105-4c71-af52-25403dcbb0b8/content/images/2025/08/lucky-peach-9-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1.jpg) ![A last meal in the holy city essay. Lucky Peach’s last issue ever magazine review.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fe/94/fe943d06-f105-4c71-af52-25403dcbb0b8/content/images/2025/08/lucky-peach-10-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1.jpg) A sad departure for one of Lucky Peach’s correspondents in his adopted home city. I’m guessing this is New Orleans after googling some of the food places. It’s a funny yet poignant four page essay on how he said goodbye, by visiting and eating at all his favourite food places there in one day. Talk about indigestion; it reminds me of that time a friend and I went to Billy Bombers' in our youth, and ordered as much as we could to meet the criteria for a major discount. I learned what gluttony meant from that incident, and just how distressing it really can be 😉 ## Some Food for Thought ![The problem with authenticity, an essay](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fe/94/fe943d06-f105-4c71-af52-25403dcbb0b8/content/images/2025/08/lucky-peach-12-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1.jpg) The problem with authenticity, an essay This was one of my favourite essays that explores the definition of authenticity in food. I guess the concept does spill over into all aspects of life as well. The author shares some thoughts on the 'impurity' of fusion, what delicious food is to him, and more interesting thoughts (it spans 10 pages!). It ends with the statement, "Inauthentic in execution, yet, in the final analysis, spiritually authentic. Whatever that is." ## An Interview with Renown Pastry Chef, Claudia Fleming ![Life and how it happens to a cook](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fe/94/fe943d06-f105-4c71-af52-25403dcbb0b8/content/images/2025/08/lucky-peach-11-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1.jpg) Life and how it happens to a cook I usually read interviews in small doses, as I find prose to be more interesting. But interviews are really good for delving into a person's mind, and learning a thing or two about life from them. To be honest, I didn't know who [Claudia Fleming](https://www.chefclaudiafleming.com/) was until I read this article. In any case, her life story of struggles and triumphs was very relatable and engrossing. Now, her husband Gerry suffers from [amyotrophic muscle disease](https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/amyotrophic-lateral-sclerosis-als) (Lou Gehrig's disease), and she talks a little about what life's like under such circumstances. This article provides a humane perspective, and makes me think we're all the same at the end of the day as human beings. Read Related Posts: - [Learn More About the Super Rare Disease — Esophageal Diverticulum](https://achronicvoice.com/rare-disease-esophageal-diverticulum/) - [Suffering with a Rare Disease, Isaac Syndrome, as Told from a Male Perspective](https://achronicvoice.com/rare-disease-isaacs-syndrome/) - [7 Reminders For Those Bad Days to Keep You Going](https://achronicvoice.com/reminders-for-bad-days/) - [Tell Me You’re Chronically Ill Without Telling Me You’re Chronically Ill (Chronic Illness Memes)](https://achronicvoice.com/chronic-illness-memes/) - [Invisible Cities Linkup: Pros & Cons of Living with Chronic Illness in Your City](https://achronicvoice.com/invisible-cities-linkup/) ## Lucky Peach’s Thoughts on MSG and Chinese Restaurant Syndrome ![Lucky Peach’s Thoughts on MSG and Chinese Restaurant Syndrome](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fe/94/fe943d06-f105-4c71-af52-25403dcbb0b8/content/images/2025/08/lucky-peach-14-1-1-1-1-1-jpg.jpg) Another health related topic, ha! I'm pretty sure [MSG (monosodium glutamate)](https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/monosodium-glutamate/faq-20058196) makes me itch, and sometimes causes heart pounding in people I know. Does it do anything to you? This article details the history of this perceived link, [umami](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2013/apr/09/umami-fifth-taste) (one of the basic tastes on our tongues), culture and even some science. ## A Comparison of Lunch Lists in New York vs San Francisco ![Lunch lists in New York vs San Francisco. Lucky Peach’s last issue ever magazine review.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fe/94/fe943d06-f105-4c71-af52-25403dcbb0b8/content/images/2025/08/lucky-peach-16-1-1-1-1-1-jpg.jpg) ![Lunch lists in New York vs San Francisco. Lucky Peach’s last issue ever magazine review.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fe/94/fe943d06-f105-4c71-af52-25403dcbb0b8/content/images/2025/08/lucky-peach-17-1-1-1-1-1-jpg.jpg) I've never lived in either city, so this was a great glimpse into lunch hour there. It sounds pretty much the same as it is here in Singapore, but it's interesting to see what types of foods people prefer there. It was also interesting to see the subtle differences in restaurant types between the two. Plus, the little sketches are cute! Read Related Posts: - [Invisible in Singapore: What’s It Like to Live Here with Chronic Illnesses?](https://achronicvoice.com/invisible-in-singapore-chronic-illnesses/) - [What’s it Like to Live with Invisible Illness in Singapore? (7 Locals Share Their Thoughts)](https://achronicvoice.com/invisible-illness-singapore-locals/) - [Top Tips for Travelling with Chronic Illness & Disability (From a Girl Who Loves to Travel)](https://achronicvoice.com/travelling-with-chronic-illness-disability/) - [Travelling New Paths with Chronic Illnesses in My Pocket](https://achronicvoice.com/travelling-new-paths-chronic-illness/) - [My Responses to “A Day in the Life” Linkup (What Does ‘Normal’ Even Mean?)](https://achronicvoice.com/a-day-in-the-life/) ## Hardcore Korean Grandmas - Haenyo Divers ![Jeju Island and the Haenyo divers](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fe/94/fe943d06-f105-4c71-af52-25403dcbb0b8/content/images/2025/08/lucky-peach-15-1-1-1-1-1-jpg.jpg) Jeju Island and the Haenyo divers These women dive in frigid waters - sometimes to depths beyond twenty metres - to retrieve morsels for sale. Some of them are even in their 60s and 70s! It was fascinating to read about their way of life, which is healthy, yet one out of necessity. None of the divers wanted their own daughters to become [Haenyo](http://www.businessinsider.com/photos-haenyo-korean-deep-sea-divers-2016-10/?IR=T/#by-getting-to-know-them-and-earning-their-trust-kim-was-able-to-take-intimate-close-up-portraits-of-the-women-5), as it is a pretty tough job. These ladies come back from diving and writhe with exhaustion and sleeplessness for days. You can apparently lose all your body fat within three days when diving nonstop. These women claim to be tougher than other Korean women thanks to their lifestyle, and it is a matriarchal society specific to [Jeju Island](http://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/things-do-jeju-island/index.html) in South Korea. These independent ladies "can just go out to the ocean to dive whenever they need some money". It's also sad to hear firsthand how the oceans are being destroyed. Apart from garbage, the underwater environment is definitely dwindling and becoming a wasteland. These women would know - they've been diving for decades. Read Related Posts: - [Pregnancy, Miscarriage & Women’s Health in Antiphospholipid Syndrome](https://achronicvoice.com/womens-health-in-antiphospholipid-syndrome/) - [Tips & Tools to Help Regain Independence with a Disability or Chronic Illness](https://achronicvoice.com/regain-independence-disability-chronic-illness/) - [Why ‘Easy’ Part-Time Jobs are Not That Easy for Those with Chronic Illness](https://achronicvoice.com/part-time-jobs-not-easy-chronic-illness/) - [I May be Chronically Ill, but I’m Also Chronically Resilient](https://achronicvoice.com/chronically-ill-resilient/) - [How Does Antiphospholipid Syndrome Affect The Body? (Beyond the Blood to Major Organs)](https://achronicvoice.com/how-does-antiphospholipid-syndrome-affect-the-body/) ## Magazines Make Good, Wordy Reads Too! ![Words, words, words! In Lucky Peach magazine.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fe/94/fe943d06-f105-4c71-af52-25403dcbb0b8/content/images/2025/08/lucky-peach-13-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1.jpg) Words, words, words! ## A Few Final Words About Magazines & Lucky Peach’s Last Issue I wanted to say that I really enjoy reading magazines in general. They are great for delving into a totally different realm in a short span of time. Pretty pictures are always helpful, too! Almost all the articles in the final issue of Lucky Peach are in long form, each taking me an average of 15 minutes or more to read. It really is quite like reading a book full of short stories 🙂 I hope you enjoyed this review of Lucky Peach’s final issue, and learned a thing or two about bacteria and culture (pun unintended)! ![Lucky Peach Issue 24: The Best of Lucky Peach](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fe/94/fe943d06-f105-4c71-af52-25403dcbb0b8/content/images/2025/08/lucky-peach-cover-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1.jpg) Lucky Peach Issue 24: The Best of Lucky Peach ## Sign Up for My Free Newsletter Be the first to get the latest post updates in your inbox, and unlock the comments section. You will also receive an e-book full of uplifting messages, quotes and illustrations as a token of appreciation! [Browse more membership plans here](#/portal/), or [make a one-off donation](https://ghost.achronicvoice.com/#/portal/support) instead. Sign Up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Read Related Posts: - [Book Recommendations for Spoonies (but You’re All Invited, Too!)](https://achronicvoice.com/book-recommendations-spoonies/) - [Book Review: The Narwhal Who Suffers from Chronic Migraines](https://achronicvoice.com/book-review-narwhal-migraines/) - [Useful Things to Do While on Bed Rest After Surgery: Education, Advocacy & Volunteering](https://achronicvoice.com/useful-things-to-do-while-on-bed-rest/) - [“It’s in My Blood”: Kelly Hodgkins — Riding Horses with CRPS](https://achronicvoice.com/kelly-hodgkins-riding-horses-with-crps/) - [“It’s in My Blood”: Sarah Frison — A Pastry Chef with a Stomach Disorder](https://achronicvoice.com/sarah-frison-pastry-chef-stomach-disorder/) ### Comments Archives: Comments imported from previous WordPress site. - Kathy Nov 2, 2017 That’s quite a magazine! I had never heard of it before. I think MSG makes my asthma act up. - [ Sheryl Chan ](https://achronicvoice.com/) Nov 2, 2017 It is! Actually a lot of magazines contain a wealth of interesting, well written articles, too 🙂 Yea too much MSG is definitely not good, I suppose, even though there’s no ‘hard evidence’ against it! **Start a new conversation in the Member Comments below!**