Setting the Table: Vol. 11
Print fairs, playlist for Spring & 100 reasons to keep going...
Every Thursday, I'm setting the table for your weekend…a little collection of reads, recipes, fun things, and whatever else caught my eye this week. It's the moment before the chaos when you get to decide what kind of experience you want. NOT a to-do list…just really sweet possibilities.
Happy Thursday, friends!
I’m writing this from the kitchen, still buzzing from last weekend in Chicago with my girl Sals...a proper city guide is coming soon, I promise. For now, just know: we ate well, we laughed hard, and I also managed to sneak in a fun interview for Between Bowls in between bites of deep dish pizza and a Michelin gem. More on all of that soon.
In the meantime…I officially hit 100 subscribers this week!! One hundred of you dear souls said yes to a Sunday essay and a Thursday list of things I’m loving. I genuinely did not expect to feel as moved by that number as I did. You guys are awesome, and I love you!
Pull up a chair.
THE GRAZING PLATE
(quick bites, short reads, things to nibble on)
The IFDPA Print Fair opens tonight at the Park Armory & Yas and I will be there for VIP night, champagne in hand, and the first looks at some of the most beautiful printed work being made right now. If you're a New Yorker and you haven't been to this fair before...it's one of those events that reminds you that you live in one of the greatest cities in the world. The whole weekend is stacked with events and tours, but the one I'm most excited about is Saturday morning's studio tour at LES Printshop. Breakfast bites by yours truly. If that's not reason enough to show up, I don't know what to tell you. All the details are right here.
THE UTENSILS
(tools, recipes, the things that help you do the work)
Why I Cook I published this on Sunday, and it's the most honest thing I've written about this second life I'm living. What drove me out of a career I was good at. What pulled me into a kitchen. What I'm still reaching for. If you're new here and want to understand what this whole thing is actually about — start here.
Mornings with Jess — I've been posting a new reel series on Instagram. Thirty seconds or less. Early mornings, mise en place, the dance before service…before most of New York is even awake. Little glimpses into my world as a private chef. Come find me @thefreckledfork.
THE VESSELS
(what holds us, what gives our chaos shape and space)
Spring Equinox: A Playlist — this is what's been playing in my kitchen at 7am while I'm dancing between the stove and the prep table before the rest of the world has even opened its eyes. Olivia Dean to ease in, SZA and Yaya Bey to find the groove, Tyler and Tame Impala for when the burners are all going, and then Q-Tip, Nas, Ciara and Missy to remind you that you are THAT girl. Hit play. Open a window. Move your body. Spring is here whether you're ready or not.
THE GLASSWARE
(the bubbles, the refreshment, what quenches)
Your Clout is a Depreciating Asset: Hanna Horvath (I know, right!?) over at Your Brain on Money wrote something I keep returning to. She argues that status has become its own asset class …something you build, invest in, leverage, and watch depreciate in real time. And the kind that actually makes us happy? Being known and respected by the people right in front of us. That’s the one our current system is worst at delivering. As someone actively building in public, this one hit close.
THE DESSERT PLATE
(the sweet stuff, pure joy, no justification needed)
The Invention of Summer — The latest from Cake Zine and it made me want to throw every window open…except for the fact that it’s still freakin’ 40-degrees this week. It is exactly the antidote to this almost-spring, almost-not energy we're all living in right now. I am literally counting the days until the freakin’ temps are over 65. Come on, big mama!
ONE LAST THING
You are what you love…and more times than not, it’s directly correlated with your WHY. So what’s your why?
See you at the Armory tonight.
xo, Jess