Each holiday season, we find ourselves at the crossroads of indulgence and thoughtful reflection. It’s a time of celebration—entertaining, baking, presents and parties. It’s also a time to see out the old year and look forward to the new one. Perhaps to make resolutions for the new year or to think about how we can make the world a better one.
Our new Winter issue embraces all of it. You can find our latest issue all around town and if you subscribe, it is on it’s way to you in the mail. Fingers crossed that it won’t be delayed too much this year. You can also read the digital issue flipbook here.
As you read the articles in this issue, you might find yourself thinking about the climate crisis and ways to reduce our carbon emissions along with baking the beautiful pear cake by Pascale Beale pictured on the cover. If you make the Coq au Vin recipe for a dinner party (and I hope you do), you might find yourself talking about reducing waste (composting is a great topic of conversation). This winter, as you are driving through the Santa Ynez Valley, you might look at the bare grapevines on the hillsides and see a new kind of beauty in them after reading Adam McHugh’s article, “Life in the Vines: Dormancy.”
As you are shopping for gifts this time of year, I encourage you to take a look at our Holiday Gift Guide with 12 thoughtfully chosen gift ideas.
As I get ready for the New Year, my resolution for this new year is not very ambitious. It’s not very original. And I hope it won’t be very difficult. It’s simply to express more gratitude. I will start by voicing my appreciation for the writers and everyone who contributed to this issue. Their dedication and creativity are what make this magazine unique, and I could not be more proud of the work they do.
I also want to thank the advertisers who make this and every issue possible. Some of them have been with us for years, and I consider them true kindred spirits and partners in this endeavor. And, of course, I am incredibly grateful to you—our readers. It is our readers who keep us going and provide the inspiration for all of our work.
A print magazine is one of those things that requires the hands of many to create. In addition to our writers, editors, photographers, advertisers and readers, we rely on the paper mill, the printer and the freight company to get the magazine from concept to what you hold in your hand. Due to supply chain disruptions, we had to switch to another type of paper for the cover. Hopefully our next issue will be back on our signature paper and, in the meantime, I am more grateful than ever to the people who work behind the scenes to create this magazine.
So as you read the pages of our Winter issue, I hope you find what you need—some sweet recipes, some thought-provoking articles, gift ideas, places to go, food to try and the opportunity to reflect on what is important to you.
Cheers and Happy New Year.
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Terrific Winter issue! I'm going to check out The Larder. I found your reflections on home cooking prompting conversation lovely. However, cooking since my mom passed away has been about dealing with loss and making meals for my husband - I haven't had much appetite myself but find the smells and touch of preparing food for him very comforting. We live in my childhood home so I use a lot of her and my step dad's pans and their old stove. One thing I found odd in your issue was the Apples to Zucchini gift - when I clicked onto their site, there was a photo of children taking a cooking class in masks. This seems very wrong to me. Children learning about nurturing themselves and feeding others with half their face covered is the opposite of healthy. Honestly I find the damage done to children in 2021 by masking them far worse than carbon emissions.
The new issue looks beautiful. Plus: coq au vin, one of my faves.