FROM THE EDITOR
Kind. Here we go again. The word kind has almost become its own brand. When thinking of the coverline, I looked at other words, but they all seemed like poncy variations. Kind is what it says. But was it too cliched to use kind now that’s it been co-opted by the liberal left? Do we need new cliches? Am I overthinking this?
Kind has been a word to lean into this year. Goodness has grown from it. It’s a decent descriptor to aspire to. Apparently, you can kill with kindness but what a way to go! This year, more than any other, kind has been the bedrock for social stability and well-being.
But so many people this year have been struggling — to make the rent or to put food on the table. It’s our issue, collectively. A recent story on the current affairs show Sunday revealed that one in five New Zealand children — more than 160,000 kids — live in households without access to either enough food, or enough healthy food.
In Aotearoa, as many as 60,000 children under 5 are going hungry. The one meal they might get at kohanga reo or daycare might be the only one they get that day. That is devastating and a disgrace.
So, this week, we thought we’ll pay in kind.
Our Taste Of Kindness issue celebrates summer food (break out the barbie and crack a cold one) and it’s also much more than that, because six magnificent artists have created works just for Canvas. Not just to look at in these pages and online — they can be yours to treasure and hang on your wall. Plus, you’ll be helping. You can buy limited-edition prints of these beauties and our charity partner, Auckland City Mission, will use the funds to feed families through its network of food banks. We also have a giveaway, so you can go into the draw to win one of the six artworks. And we decided to have the whole magazine illustrated — or give the photographs a treatment to make them look illustrated. Our photo bylines are all drawn — my 15-year-old son Isaac did mine. Thanks darling. And I’d like to give special thanks to Guy Body, Rob Cox and Paul Slater for their fine work.
There are beautiful summer food-themed essays by Greg Bruce, Joanna Wane and Simon Wilson. Plus there four pages of recipes by Annabel Langbein. We also found a cafe called Kind, which Juliette Sivertsen has reviewed.
Don’t wait — dig in.
Nga mihi nui