A note of gratitude, from yours truly:
When I settled into my Bed-Stuy apartment, I was already leaning into my creativity. It’s been over a year since I have been making reels on instagram and tik tok. I am coming up on a one year anniversary of this newsletter. I’m proud of myself for arriving at the keyboard weekly to figure out something to say. The recipes are approachable sometimes and at times more like “quiet luxury.” The pieces I write can either be quite vulnerable or witty and sharp. I insist on having fun. My primary objective is to enjoy the work I do and to grow a collection. Here’s what it takes to make this all happen.
Above is a receipt from one of my many trips to the grocery store. If you’re a longtime subscriber you know that I do not like to waste. I refrain from going overboard or committing to too much. I like to make one recipe at a time. The first round of testing is to see if it works. There’s some attention to detail, but it’s checking for flavor. The second round is nailing timing, measurements and method. The final round is a cross test to see if the recipe works in its final cut. When I released the Tahini Volcano Cake recipe, I made the recipe four times before I got the result I was happy with. This year I have collected my receipts (finally) to help with my taxes in 2025. Organization and consistency provide a structure for me to do my best work.
Here is how I organize my thoughts when it comes to recipes (yes, it’s color coded). I have a database in sheet form. I don’t always make the dishes I put on the spreadsheet. I can revisit the sheet when inspiration is dry. A previous thought can have “new legs” after marinating. I have seen the quality in my own work improve when I arrive creatively disciplined. Recently, I’ve implemented a “kitchen schedule.” A way to organize my days of cooking, shooting and testing recipes. It allows me the shop accordingly. My pre existing format was shopping, cooking, shooting, and testing all that day. Honey, it’s depleting my resources and I’m choosing a smarter route.
First, my paid subscribers. Thank you for seeing my potential early on and your support has lit a fire under my ass to keep showing up on a weekly basis. To my subscribers, thank you for your comments, your sharing, your time in opening and reading my weekly posts. I remain humbled at the opportunity I have to write and share what I make. The feeling I have from mastering a dish to putting it on here is rewarding. With the anniversary of Chez Chez Robert on
, I’m going to a paid only subscription base. I will not apologize, I loved bringing this to you for free, trust me. The stakes feel higher now in a proportionate way. I have a robust archive of recipes and stories and I want to honor my work moving forward. To strike the right balance on this platform, I’ve lowered the price of entry. $5.00 gets you a monthly subscription, but wait there's more, $50.00 gets you a yearly subscription, (quick math) that's $10.00 less if you get the full package with two months free. Lastly, the founders membership to my page is now set at $200.00.I’ve failed so many times at creative pursuits. The failure to me was not that it didn’t pan out, it was that I never gave it time to blossom. I feel different about what I’m doing now. Maybe it’s the Transcendental Meditation, maybe it’s the Artist’s Way or maybe I’m more confident in myself than ever before. I signed a ballot in favor of myself and I cannot go back. In the rearview mirror is disappointment and fear. My dream is to creatively thrive, entertain, and nourish others. The pavement is before me and I’m laying the ground and driving the car too. I don’t know where I’m headed with this, but I feel this is a necessary step. Thank you.
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