This isย Slow Cooked, a collection of weekly musings, ongoing projects (like this one), and the media Iโm consuming; delivered to your inbox every Monday.
This past week, Naomi and I shared WAIT. WHAT?! with the world.
With it came a lot of firsts.
It was the first time we created something in a field outside our expertise.
It began as a conversation between a filmmaker (๐๐ฝโโ๏ธ) and graphic designer (Naomi) that led to the simple yet compelling idea of sharing our take on salsa roja and designing an experience around.
In a few weeks, we took it from concept to a fully realised idea, while tackling everything in-between. From finding the right ingredients to workshopping the recipe to finding the right bottle before creating a graphic identity for the salsa, designing packaging labels, making stickers and postcards, creating a series of photos, videos, andย so much more.
To then communicating that very idea in several fun ways; trying to find an audience for the project, and in doing so, imparting it with the relevance that we thought it ought to have.
Before actually delivering on that promise โ cooking 25 jars worth of salsa, bottling it, packaging it along with postcards and stickers, and working out the logistics of delivering it to multiple locations in a limited time.
All while not compromising on the original idea.
It is also the first time I cooked 25 jars worth of anything, let alone salsa. Which in itself felt like a monumental challenge until I got underway.
Food has always brought me a lot of joy. And ever since I discovered a passion for cooking in my college years, cooking for others always meant a lot more to me than when I do it for myself.
It takes me back to my ten-year-old self that wanted to be a chef.
Moving back to Mumbai after college was not easy. And for a while there, I found myself compromising on well, myself. So it felt good to get back to doing what I love. Including being able to share the food I made with others, most for the first time (including my grandmother!). It is a special feeling.
It also means sharing a part of myself that I havenโt before.
So thank you to those who took a chance on us and ordered โ it means the world to me.
With this project, we wanted to show that salsa can be so much more thanย justย salsa. And in doing so, we hope to have created an experience around it. To my friends in faraway places, I wish this is something we could be sharing with you too.
A few of the remaining 25 bottles (of the limited run of 50 bottles) are still up for grabs for the upcoming weekend. For the full experience, click the button below to order now (available in Mumbai only)!
To learn more about the project, click here.
Or check out the content Naomi and I have been posting about it on Instagram.
Lastly, it's been a lot of fun collaborating with Naomi on this and bringing our weirdest ideas to life. Sheโs a creative force.
And a big thank you to Maithili for helping us throughout the project but especially helping us get through the final few days of shipping this project out. Sheโs the best!
Thank you
If you made it this far, I appreciate you taking the time out of your day to do so.
With Slow Cooked, I'm trying to build a community of sorts. So, it would mean a lot to me if you'd share this with others who you think would be interested in it too! Every little helps.
Feel free to reply to this e-mail with your thoughts and feedback. Or just to say hello! Iโd love to hear from you.
Talk soon,
Vihan Shah