Re-launching Noon: taking a second chance at Substack (plus strawberry ice cream)

Or how I failed once, but now want to learn the art of consistency and strengthen my writing muscle. Welcome me back?

I joined substack I believe, in 2020. I mostly just read

From the Desk of Alicia Kennedy

and the

Vittles

(still among the best), and although I was often tickled by the idea of launching my own publication, I didn’t think it was the right time. I was deep in the process of writing Pomegranates & Artichokes then, and I thought a new newsletter project was something I should do after I’ve written my book. Soon enough though it was spring 2023, my book was coming out and I had to promote it. I thought well, this sounds like a good moment to publish this Substack publication, finally.

It was not. 

I did my homework, studied the platform and tried to plan things. I had a little strategy too, to start with free posts and later paid posts. Some of you were quite generous and signed up as paid subscribers right away. Others started paying within a few weeks. But planning things has never been my forté, and if you put me under the stress of publishing my first, much awaited baby book, with many little moving pieces to plan IRL promotions in 2 countries and many online ones all over the world, my “plans” are the first thing that fly out of the window. 

I stopped posting. First because I had just fallen off the track. Then, weeks turned into months, and I just couldn’t pick it back up. Words, together with the will to do anything new, or anything at all, had abandoned me. I felt unmotivated, drained and eternally too exhausted to think I would ever have anything more to say, let alone write. Later I learned it was called burnout. I canceled the paid subscription (not as soon as I should’ve done) and thought myself defeated at the game of Substack. For the one element you apparently need to win here is consistency, and the only consistent element of my life then was exhaustion, with a hefty touch of depression.

Now more than a year has passed since my first attempt here and it finally seems — knocking on wood — my burnout days are finally behind me. I’m taking walks, hanging my clothes nicely off hangers — as opposed to making a huge pile on a chest of drawers to pick out from, I cook a little and even go to the gym sometimes. I have learned a valuable lesson in taking care of my body, my food and my sleep, and I’m blessed with a few happy things in life, oh do they help us thrive. And I also find myself wanting to give this Substack thing a new try.

The reasons are mostly the same as before. I desire a little space of my own in which to write, and that space has long ceased to be social media. I have a strong urge to leave social media altogether, but for now that’s not wise. I want to be in direct contact with my audience and not be at the mercy of the algorithm that shadowbans me for speaking my mind. I want to practice my writing muscle and above all perhaps, I want a different rhythm. 

A rhythm to create and consume creative material that is not immediate and expirable, as more than a decade of facebook and instagram has taught us, but to take time, to write, to create, to sit on it and then send it to the world knowing its lifespan won’t be just 20 minutes. I want to read work made with the same thought. I want to give my time to what people create. I want to learn to have patience. The patience of long reads, and the patience of writing. I want to learn to hate scrolling aimlessly, then stop it.

And I have a plan, again.

For the moment, Noon will be published fortnightly on Fridays at noon EST, and it’ll be free.

These free articles are mostly writings as I had announced in the beginning, the perspective of an immigrant woman from Iran, living in Italy, in a fat body and in a non conventional family life. Don’t expect dolce vita from me, and don’t expect nostalgic musing on a long, lost Persia from me either. Instead expect snippets of life. It’s my idea that representation of different bodies, different origins and different lifestyles is so scarce in the food and travel sphere, and that’s what I hope to bring to the table. Perhaps there will be occasional recipes as well (like now! At the bottom), and of course announcements of events, dinners and cooking classes.

Eventually there will be exclusive writing for paid subscribers as well, but these fortnightly essays will always remain free. This is my space to practice patience and freedom, and yours to get to know me, to see whether you like what you’re reading, and to share your views with me, hopefully.

I have plans for the future paid posts as well, but I would love you to tell me what you want from me. What do you think I can give you that that’d be worth not just your time, but also monetary support? Please let me know. At the moment I’m preparing city guides, link roundups, Q&A with people in food, travel, publishing and beyond, and of course, exclusive recipes. But nothing would be as valuable as your suggestions here.

Let’s celebrate this relaunch with something sweet

I am, to be quite honest, a little proud of myself for not throwing the towel completely, as I know I would’ve once done, but going forward instead of admitting total defeat, bringing in a little more discipline, but at the same time being kind with myself for not having made it at Substack at the first go, and hopefully also from now on. So here’s some easy strawberry ice cream for you, from someone who doesn’t have an ice cream machine and hates difficult ice cream recipes. 

Makes 6-8 portions as cups

• 500g strawberries, chopped

• 200g condensed milk

• Juice of a lemon

• 250g single cream

• 3 tablespoons sugar

In a baking tray freeze the strawberries for at least 4 hours, possibly overnight. Mix the frozen strawberries with the condensed milk and lemon juice in a food processor. You may need to help with a spatula a few times until smooth. Put this mix back in the same trey and put it back in the freezer while you proceed.  

Whip the cream with the sugar until firm. Then take out the tray of strawberry mix out of the freezer and very gently mix the cream in with the help of a rubber spatula. When the mixture is smooth, put it back in the freezer for at least 2-3 hours or overnight.  

This is a type of gelato that actually freezes and becomes quite hard. So you need to leave it at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving. Or 15-20 minutes in the fridge. Use a spoon to make a scoop or use an ice cream scooper to serve in cups. Serve immediately.