Dill magazine, which urges its readers to “journey deep into the cuisines of Asia,” is one of the handsomest print publications to arise in Chicago in quite some time. The inaugural issue, devoted to noodles, appeared last month. Its 130 pages contain ten articles and 26 recipes, printed on heavy stock, with an elegant cover shot of nine nests of noodles in different colors and sizes. It looks substantial enough to rate a permanent place on a cookbook shelf—which was what founder Shayne Chammavanijakul had in mind from the start.
Chammavanijakul relied heavily on a network of family and friends to fund the magazine and provide introductions to many of its contributors—and to Tippy Jeng, who served as editorial coordinator and helped her navigate the world of printers and event hosts. But the vision for Dill is entirely her own.
Sula says that Chammavanijakul and Jeng were nothing but professional and competent, and he’s already accepted another assignment for the second issue.
Dill held several special events over the summer, and Chammavanijakul says she’s been talking with possible collaborators for dinners and cooking demonstrations. Issue two is already under way; Chammavanijakul won’t say what the theme is, but she promises that it will include reporting from Asia, and that it will be available next February. In the meantime, bonus recipes and a glossary of ingredients are available as free “premium content” on the magazine’s website.
