A New Beginning
On why I am starting a Newsletter and what you'll find here
Perhaps it has been the cold days that we’ve been having in Boston lately but I began the year re-energized for new projects. I have sat on my desk chair for hours writing down (yes, I am one of those odd ones that still prefer pen and paper to the Notes app) lists of TO-DO things and brainstorming ideas for the coming months. Normally I would have procastinated by now but me sending this out is a proof that I am already taking some action (tap tap on my own back).
1. Why this, why now
Some of you may know that I actually have a blog out there. It’s called Canela Limón Chile and I started it about 4 years ago while living in Thailand as a way to build a writing habit and to share my research on food and ingredients. I would write in Spanish, as of my two native languages (Catalan and Spanish) it was the one that would crosss the most borders and reach the most people. The problem was that it mostly reached Chileans that kept on asking how to find certain ingredients in their country.
Insted of starting out an import-export busniness with the South American country or changing the name of the website to Canela Limón Tamarindo to avoid further confusion I answered to those messages politely and kept on building content on different gastronomies there, even if almost nobody was reading my articles.
It was quite heartbraking, if I am honest. I put many hours on research, I interviewed people, I took photos and learned the craft from scratch to end up posting things that weren’t reaching anyone. And when I traveled and talked about my blog, everyone seemed a bit disapointed when I mentioned it was not in English. Still, the thought of translating everything was daunting, it still is.
The idea of keeping it in Spanish, in my native language, was solid. “I express myself better and my writing is more fluent” I would tell myself. But by not changing anything about it, guess what? Nothing changed. My photography improved a lot, though. I took several courses during the pandemic when traveling (and therefore researching new gastronomies) was imposible. And I think my writing also improved after finishing a Master’s Degree in Food Journalism and Communications last year. But I was still not reaching new audiences.
So a couple of months after moving to Boston I decided I needed to start writing in English as well. My Instagram acount is now bilingual and as I am not translating the blog (yet) I thought I could start writing somewhere new.
I also felt that I had no space for longer reflections (the Instagram algorithm is a monster that feeds on fast pace) and some of you have been asking me to share recipies or to give some photography tips. So here we are!
2. What you’ll find here
This will be a space to talk food but also creation and what it means for me to be a Spaniard that has a tendency to move country every 3 years…
I would love for this to be a safe space to talk and discuss about different topics and for everyone to feel welcome to have their saying.
Food is often the angle how I see the world because through food you can explain almost everything that is. This is why I’d like to discuss it from every point of view: historial, cultural, political, nutricional, recreational and also emotional.
Some thoughts on what you’ll find in the coming newsletters are:
Recipies with curated photos
I am not a chef and this is why I have never shared the recipies of the dishes I post on Instagram (also, on Canela Limón Chile I purposely didn’t share exact quantities because the same dish can be interpreted in many ways) but there are some “family recipies” that I am confident about and I think you may like.
Food Photography tips and ideas
I can share some insight on how to take better photos with notes on lighting, composition and color theory. And you don’t need a professional camera, a phone is just fine!
Travel & Restaurant guides
I am fortunate enough to have traveled extensely and so I have learned a thing or two on where to find the best food and which places to avoid.
What I am Listening & Reading
Recommendations or my thoughts on podcasts and books.
Essays and Food Writing
I would like to share with you an essay once a month about whatever I am researching (the history of an ingredient, my thoughts about food news, a chronicle on trying something new…)
3. How often
My goal is to post two or three newsletters a month. This could increment to once a week (4 posts/month) if I find you are really interested on certain topics.
One essay
One recipe
One travel/photography/eating tip or guide
4. I need your feedback
I would love for this to be interactive! Let me know what you would love to read here or the things you would find most helpful. I can create specific posts to meet your needs :)
Also, and as a closing note, I think I may be obsessed with squirrels. There are many where I live now and I love seeing them on the trees, jumping around and chasing one another other. This one is a regular now and comes often to the tree in front of my window to save nuts in a little nest. For the cold (and colder) winter.
Thank you so much for being here and welcome to this cozy spot of the Internet!