Love Is In The Air
Let me first start off by saying that I really love my audience that tunes in every week to read my Substack. You guys are really awesome. From the comments you leave to the emails I receive, I sometimes have to shake my head and pinch myself that people actually reach out just to chat or tell me to keep up the good work. In a world where it is much easier to get criticized than praised, I do not take it for granted and want to reiterate how much all your kind words mean to me. They mean A LOT!
I have been writing this newsletter for nearly a year and it has grown into something I never thought it could be. A place where I write about the food landscape we live in, but also a place where I can have fun, be myself + possibly open a world of food that people may not have access to. I started Food For Thought as a way to write with abandon + create a space where my writing “samples” would live. Honestly, I needed a place that I could send literary agents + editors to when they requested my writing samples, but it’s become much deeper than that.
Somehow this unsuspecting woman from New York has created a community that is excited to see her eat foods from their cultures. I have gotten emails from all over the world telling me that they can’t wait till I get to X country because that is where they are from. How cool is that?!?! I have even had folks ask if they can come and eat with me when I get to a certain country they are interested in. I am not the first person in New York to attempt to eat through 190+ countries, there have been others, but I do hope I’m the first that can illuminate these meals + cultures through a different lens. My hope is to bridge the gaps in our differences and highlight immigrant contributions through cuisine without creating a political divide.
Turning It Up A Notch
So we are a month out to this newsletter’s anniversary and I’m excited to say that I’m launching paid subscriptions + it is TERRIFYING!
I want to continue to expand the kind of work I produce on this platform and believe it is crucial + only possible with the support of paid subscriptions. I value your time in reading my newsletters and I would only hope that folks value the time it takes to produce them. What may only take a subscriber five minutes to read really is about a week or more worth of work for each post.
In addition to all the research + writing that each week requires I want to create more content + fun opportunities for this community which will require even more of my time.
Paid Subbies ($5/a month or $35/a year)
What paid subscriptions will include:
Every Eating A-Z in NYC newsletter [Every single cuisine + restaurant!]
New updates on my cookbook [Things are coming together!]
Think pieces on food systems + our food landscape
More recipes [I cook A LOT + have so many to share!]
Exclusive giveaways [Monthly giveaways of food goodies!]
Meet + Eat [If you live in NYC lets all Meet + Eat! A fun way to meet new folks + eat good food]
My new Burnt Podcast [A lil’ podcast where food folks + the like discuss their epic failures + mishaps in the kitchen. Let’s normalize non-perfection in the kitchen!]
Free Subbies ($0, Zilch, Nada)
What free subscriptions will include:
Every other Eating A-Z in NYC newsletter
Occasional recipes and think pieces on food systems + our food landscape
Paid subscriptions will kick off a month from today Monday, November 1st + will be a part of a week-long celebration of Food For Thought turning One.
Free subscriptions will be released on Mondays, while paid subscriptions will be released on Fridays. Either subscription will still be greatly appreciated + I still hope to hear from everyone/anyone who loves food or just wants to say “hello”!
Cook. Eat. Repeat.
Natalie
CONGRATULATIONS!