New York Times writer R.W. Apple passed away yesterday. Of the myriad food writers, Mr. Apple was the one I most hoped to emulate. (His writings on South East Asia inspired much of my eating on a trip there last fall, including my ill-fated attempt to eat hairy crab.) A great joy always came through in his food articles, and he had the ability to find something wondrous and new in any experience or dish. I describe myself as a "food enthusiast" because I feel that best captures what I hope to be, always, when it comes to eating. If ever there was a food enthusiast, it was R.W. Apple. His ability to share that enthusiasm and passion will be sorely missed.
Here's an amazing New York Times page for R.W. Apple. It includes links to 1753 articles, the New Yorker profile about him, remembrances of him, and the last article he filed, right before going into the hospital, "A list of 10 restaurants abroad that would be worth boarding a plane to visit."