Food For Thought.
Week three of my no-cooking streak continues. We head to Menorca next Saturday so I'm conceding until we return and with it my penchant for autumnal fare (pumpkins, roast chicken, more butter). Entirely related is my creative exhaustion. I think about writing and all that comes out is a Google search for 'cottagecore cardigan'.
Yesterday I (late to the party) ventured to Margate and ate seafood in the sun – mackerel topped with peppers at Dory's, fish tacos and trout toastadas at Dive – swam in the sea and mixed my drinks which felt very apparent as we ran for the train just as the sky turned from pink and lilac to a deep midnight blue.
As we eek out the last sips of summer (keep pouring that rosé until the bitter end, my friends), and the dregs of creativity before my holiday, instead of musing once more on why I'm not cooking or simply giving a blow-by-blow description of my day by the seaside, enjoy this recipe-not-recipe for miso sweetcorn and a bumper Leftovers section.
Recipes-not-recipes™️
The thing about not cooking is that it also means you’re not buying groceries, so this came out of a fridge raid one sunny lunchtime, where I discovered some fresh corn and half an avocado.
You’ll need:
1 corn on the cob, de-cobbed (is that the technical term? Basically take the kernels off with a knife)
1/4 block of crumbled feta
Tahini (whisked with some water, olive oil salt and lemon juice)
Parsley/coriander/herb of choice
1 1/2 tsp miso
1 tsp butter
Heat up the butter and miso in a pan and add a little water so you can mix it together. Add the corn and fry until cooked, adding some pepper and a little salt. Serve an stir through the feta then top with tahini. I had mine with a chickpea salad with avo and some more parsley, stirred through with a mustard honey dressing. Was that the shortest recipe-not-recipe you’ve ever read?
Leftovers.
I finished Sally Rooney's latest novel with mixed feelings. Then read this article on how the book has become a brand. DM me if you'd like to discuss the email correspondence as a literary device.
Sure it's cliché to say food is community, but here's an article about from Grub Street on how friendships affect our taste.
The almost seasonal shift means a return to Mosa Wild's 2019 EP, Talking In Circles. * immediately searches gigs in London *
On days when writer's block hits, I wish I could just illustrate everything my meals and thoughts on food, like Maggie Cowles did.
One day I’ll make this lamb-stuffed giant conchiglie by Ottolenghi.