Constellations No. 1

Hello Friends,

Welcome to the first installment of Constellations! I am so glad you’re here.
Today's newsletter arrives in your inbox on the eve of the vernal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. Tomorrow, the span of the day will match that of the night. The sun will perch over the equator as we wait in anticipation of the great promise of spring: growth, renewal and the blossoming of the season ahead.

In northern Michigan, where I have lived for over a year, The Great Melt has begun. I grew up in this state, but it has been exhilarating to reacquaint myself with four clearly-delineated seasons. Spring is a big deal here; as it is true in many places where one piles on multiple layers of wool through months of sub-freezing temperatures and gale force winds, it is understandably the cause of cheer and celebration.

Being on the brink of a seasonal shift has brought to mind a spring tradition that became an important part of my life 15 years ago - my friend Jenna’s annual Seder dinner. This week I spent some time reflecting on why the meal has come to mean so much to me. Head over to my site to read my essay, "A Meal for the Precipice of Spring."

Keep on scrolling for details on two great events coming up at the end of the month, and other updates from my studio. Constellations No. 2 will be out in June. In the meantime, if you want to share your thoughts or questions, send me a note - I'd love to hear from you!

Until next time, 
Lindsay
 

Watercolor and ink on paper. Made after Jenna's 11th Seder, 2018.

WHY WE COOK TURNS 1!

It's hard to believe my book, Why We Cook: Women on Food, Identity, and Connection has been out for a year! Recently, I had the chance to reflect on the journey for a lovely piece in Martha Stewart. In the past year, I've been fortunate to share in truly wonderful virtual conversations with contributors from the book who continue to inspire me with their work, activism and vision. 

To keep the celebration going, I’m happy to share two upcoming *in-person* events in San Francisco and Napa! If you’re in the Bay Area, I hope you’ll join me for one or both conversations. I am absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to celebrate the book back where it all began.

UPCOMING BOOK EVENTS

THURSDAY MARCH 31, 6:30 pm PT at OMNIVORE BOOKS, SAN FRANCISCO  
Join me for a conversation with contributor Leticia Landa, Deputy Director of La Cocina. Omnivore Books holds a very special place in my heart because Celia Sack (owner, rare books expert and all around wonderful human) was one of the first people I interviewed for the book in 2018. Get all the details HERE. 

 FRIDAY APRIL 1, 4:00-7:00 pm PT at BAY GRAPE, NAPA 
An afternoon celebrating women in food, wine and art! Sounds dreamy, doesn't it? To make all the dreamier, I’ll be joined in conversation by Why We Cook contributors and wine professionals Maryam Ahmed, Elaine Chukan Brown and Stevie Stacionis. Tickets for the afternoon include conversation and community, tasty bites from chef Andreya Nightingale of Mortar Pestle Cooking, a flight of Raft wines from winemaker Jennifer Reichardt, and the opportunity to purchase a signed copy of Why We Cook. Proceeds from the event benefit the Bâtonnage Forum for women in wine. Get your tickets HERE!

#FLOWERSFORUKRAINE

Since the outset of Russia’s war on Ukraine in late February, artists, chefs, writers and creatives all over the world have been raising money for humanitarian aid. I joined these efforts the week of Feb 28th by auctioning a new painting each day of the week on Instagram to raise money for World Central Kitchen and Unicef. The series I painted - Sunyashniki - is named in honor of  Ukraine’s national flower, the sunflower, now a ubiquitous symbol of resistance against Russian aggression. I am so grateful to you all for supporting my fundraising campaign! Because of you, I was able to donate more than $1200 in support of the two organizations. 

Prints of my Sunyashniki paintings are now available in my shop. 100% of the proceeds from these print sales will continue to go to WCK and Unicef indefinitely.

A BRIGHT LIGHT

If you are as big a fan of David Byrne’s music as I am, you’ll enjoy this piece by Frank Rose on Byrne's visual art practice from the New York Times in January. Byrne’s intuitive process, which seems to extend across all spokes of his practice, is refreshingly free of self-doubt.

GOODBYE WINTER
One last backward glance at winter before we catapult into spring: one of my favorite glimmers of the season, skating across a crystalline lake at moonrise.