Reflecting on 2021 and plans for 2022
Dear reader, I hope you had a wonderful break! The period from Christmas eve to the new year really is like such a strange limbo, and it feels as though I’m emerging from a cave to type this newsletter.
This Christmas was such a special one - it’s the only Christmas Wex and I have spent alone as a couple and we spent it lazing in the sun (summer in Daylesford is just the best) and doing lots of eating.
The highlight of our Christmas dinner was a whole lamb shoulder, which I salted a day in advance, then roasted low and slow, basting ever so often with its own juices. Glazed the roast in honey as it rested because I have a sweet tooth, and also because everything looks better when glazed. Sides were gigantic Yorkshire puddings, gravy, minted peas, and roasted veggies.
We were far too full to have dessert, so I only baked it the next day - it was a blackberry shiso cobbler with soft cheesecake. By soft cheesecake, I mean barely-set Basque cheesecake… the gooey creamy middle that everyone fights for. This is a recipe that’s going into my next cookbook, so you could say that I managed to get some work done in the past few days 😛
And now for 2021 reflections!
It’s not easy to recall exactly what went on in the year, because so much of it felt like 2020. Both years saw me settling into a new town, COVID, running Singapore Noodles, not being able to travel, and getting into the swing of the freelance life.
Two big things happened this year. Starting the Singapore Noodles membership is the first! I guess it is only human to feel vulnerable whenever you ask for money in exchange for something that you create, especially when you pour a lot of yourself into it. But after getting past the fear of failure, of nobody signing up, or of what people would think, I’m glad I did it because Singapore Noodles is more sustainable now. It is officially a business! Not some side hustle or passion project. There’s a lot more clarity in terms of what it is and where it’s headed.
Having Singapore Noodles be a business also helped/ helps me set boundaries, something I’m not very good at - now that there’s member-only content that people are paying for, when non-members reach out to me for free things, it is easy for me to decline without feeling like a terrible human being.
This year also saw me launching Seasonings Magazine with Hafi! Working on three editions from March to December is intense, and I’m glad Hafi and I have been able to honestly communicate through the difficulties that each of us struggled with! Because of Seasonings, 2021 was one solid year of learning. I don’t think I’ve cooked more Indian food than when I was working on the Deepavali edition!
But more than the projects that I worked on, I think 2022 offered me a kind of peace and purpose that I had not experienced in my years as a chef. Sure, there are frustrating or stressful moments, but I don’t think I’ve felt more self-actualized.
As a chef, I was so keenly aware that what I had to offer/ my potential was something outside of my job scope. It almost felt like I was living a double life. At work, I’d be a cook. And on my time off, I’d be doing all these crazy passion projects that gave me life like doing pop-ups, writing a cookbook, teaching people how to cook, putting content out on social media etc. I always felt sheepish about things like clinching a cookbook deal and kept it low-key at work, because there were so many of my colleagues who deserved it more than I did. (I’m very grateful to some who truly believed in me and were so happy for my successes all those years ago.)
Now, with Singapore Noodles as a platform, I feel like I have a space to be unabashedly myself, expressing and following my own curiosities. And how wonderful it is to know that there’s a bunch of people (you guys!) who share my passion and interest!
Someone once told me that people tend to make big life changes at the end of a decade, and it felt true for me because being a year away from the big 3-0 was the kick in my butt to start Singapore Noodles at 29. I’m not sure if Singapore Noodles will still be around in a decade’s time, but I’m really glad to be doing it now.
I have several things to look forward to in the new year:
- One last Seasonings edition to round up the subscription year
- A second cookbook on making vegetables delicious from an Asian perspective. I’m self-publishing this and, because there’s no contract to sign, honestly it still doesn’t feel real. Right now I’m doing lots of recipe testing/ writing/ shooting and the Dropbox folder is beefing up, but I’ll share about it in greater detail when things firm up more!
- An online course that will be a companion to the cookbook (thanks for doing my survey to help me plan the course structure!)
- Member spotlights on the newsletter. I’ve interacted with / met some of you, and you guys have such great perspectives and interesting backstories!
- Returning to Singapore for a visit in 2022. I am looking forward to finally spend time with family and friends, especially my baby cousin who was born last year. I would also love to organize a members’ meetup when I’m back.
As the year draws to a close, I want to thank you for being here, for your support towards this journey that I’m on, and for believing in Singapore Noodles’ mission. Happy new year!
In other news:
1. Help shape the direction of the Singapore Noodles membership with this short end-of-year survey with 3 questions!
2. I wrote a reflective piece on my changing relationship with food in the past three decades for Fu:d. You can read it here ❤️