Welcome to our first ever themed issue. And it’s no coincidence the theme we picked, just ahead of Valentine’s Day, is food. Food on social media, food on TV, food in films, food in Playgirl magazine (with chef John Villa and the late Kerry Simon). Comfort food, wickedly seductive food, downright erotic food, transformational food… It’s the Proustian madeleine on one hand, and the whipped cream bikini in Varsity Blues on the other. It’s MasterChef and Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown. The forbidden fruit in Genesis and the poisoned apple in Snow White. The gingerbread house in Hansel and Gretel and Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. ‘Mel’s Drive-In’ of American Graffiti and the 3-Michelin-star restaurant of The Hundred Foot Journey. A family gathering around the table in Moonstruck and Bill Murray eating alone in Lost in Translation…
Playgirl sat down with cover star Gianluca Conte to chat about Italian cooking in the TikTok age, and with YouTuber Rosanna Pansino about the ever-expanding creator economy. We indulged in foodporn with the Donut Daddy from down under, caught up with NY-based foodie Brunch Boys and Algerian French chef Djamel.
Sex therapist Jamye Waxman explored aphrodisiacs (real and imaginary), Jacqueline Burt the relationship food/sexuality/sensuality in the movies we love, Zandile Blay the history of cooking shows on TV and the way they shaped our (food) culture.
Photographer Matricardi and 31-year-old model Alessio Di Leo were tasked with illustrating both meanings –literal and figurative– of the adjective ‘yummy.’ They came up with spaghetti al pomodoro for a mouthwatering dish (Italian style) and Alessio in his CK underwear for a sexy man. Buon appetito!
Instagram: @alec.d3
