Welcome to Twirlable Pasta!

the debut issue

Hi and welcome to the debut letter from Twirlable Pasta!

Starting this newsletter has been a long time coming. I've always loved sharing creative projects—whether through writing or through performing. Over a decade ago, I had a food blog, which, more than anything, was a dessert blog reflecting my early-20s proclivity for cupcakes (...). More recently in 2020, I sent out a series of email "dispatches" to friends and family originally meant to chronicle a year spent in Lebanon, but whose subject matter inevitably shifted once the pandemic took me to unexpected places.

February still counts as the top of the year for me. My birthday falls early in the month, and each year between January 1 and February 9, I give myself permission to slowly ponder where this new journey around the sun might take me—weighing how much unfinished business I need to tackle, and imagining which new beginnings I can look towards.

Instead of a resolution, I like coming up with a succinct new-year motto, each year trying to build upon the previous one.

One time, it was: "Work deeply."

In the midst of the pandemic, I settled on the very necessary: "Be flexible."

And once the world opened up a little more, my commitment to "tune in" got my 2022 going.

This year, it's: "Be self-inspired."

I recently crossed some significant milestones (Moved! Finished a PhD! Got married!...you know, just a few minor housekeeping items checked off the list.) Having now spent well over a few decades on this planet, I've been taking stock of past interests and passing thoughts, some forgotten due to that specific type of amnesia that results from our ever-shifting priorities. These musings are recorded in various notebooks, jotted down on scraps of paper, and typed into iPhone "Notes"—and also come in the form of pictures on my phone's camera roll.

This self-reflection found me stumbling upon one of these annual "maxims" of mine:

"Feed myself and feed others."

I wrote down this phrase at a time when I recognized nourishment to be my top priority. Outlining and expanding on this metaphor, I kept these "guidelines" pinned on my wall for the remainder of the year.

So! Fast forward to today, in this year of sourcing inspiration from, well, me, this theme of "feeding myself and feeding others" is in large part the premise for this newsletter.

Twirlable Pasta will take the form of a biweekly letter sharing stories, memories, or musings that either center on food or use food to segue into other subject areas. It'll undoubtedly feature my extemporizations on favorite eats.

But it's not just about food. For me, writing this newsletter is an excuse to document moments in time that may otherwise become lost or forgotten, and might as well be shared and collectively experienced. It's therefore also a place to build community. One component I'm looking forward to featuring here: profiles of people in my various circles who we can get to know through prompts about food, nourishment, and creative sustenance.

A couple quick disclaimers: "Food newsletters" often evoke trendy think pieces or recipes fresh off the press. I'm neither an aspiring food journalist nor am I a recipe developer. However, don't be surprised if a recipe makes it your way, and be on the lookout for relevant book, media, or other food-related recommendations.

In this era of our social media timelines being stuffed with enraging news beyond our control, mashed up unceremoniously with cute animal videos...interspersed with ads creepily identifying things we already have or convincing us they're what we need, I'm hoping this newsletter serves as an antidote to that chaotic fragmentation and incessant doom-scrolling. I'm hoping it might be a bright spot in your (also probably stuffed) inbox.

And finally, regarding the most obvious element of the title: Twirlable Pasta not only highlights a more general obsession in my life, but also stresses my partiality for a specific type of pasta. (Are you with me on this preference? If not, you're still allowed to stay...) It's a metaphor for simple pleasures, passions, minor (or major) obsessions. It's also an excuse to explore creativity and unexpected inspiration, to relish meaningful memories, and an opportunity to learn about other creative people.

My birthday—let the record auspiciously show—was spent eating twirlable pasta. I was in London for my cousin's wedding that weekend....which meant I could (just barely) squeeze in a lunch at one of my favorite London spots, Padella. Between the three of us, we shared no less than three fresh tagliarini (read: twirlable pasta) dishes: one with Dorset crab and lemon (pictured above), another in a slow-roasted tomato sauce, and yet another with chili and breadcrumbs. With an additional order of their signature "pici cacio e pepe," the twirlable inauguration of this new year was complete.

So here I am sending out this debut newsletter at the top of the new year—or, at least, my new year.

Thank you all for choosing to join me on this new experimental journey (and if you're my mom, for doing so on more than one email address!).

Please share this newsletter with anyone you think might be interested.

Have a wonderful week, and until soon,

Insia

---