Day 130: splendid summer eating
I feel like I'm really struggling to write recently. Struggling to say anything well-thought or mildly interesting. Like I've kind of lost my way a little on the cookalong; getting more wrapped in the photos and social media. Perhaps they're my stronger points. Do I focus on them and let the writing suffer, or do I pay more attention to these blog entries and build up my confidence in writing again? (Not that I’m destined to be a great writer, but I do enjoy babbling!)
If I'm honest I find the whole writing process exhausting (exhausting, not un-enjoyable!) - including the social media posts. I second guess everything, delete everything I write at least five times and then get myself so worked up that I can't even write a basic sentence. Usually posting on Instagram a bunch of text full of errors that require continual editing throughout the day as I notice more and more mistakes. (I have so many issues with Instagram, but one thing I am grateful for is their 'Edit' button! Maybe Twitter will catch on one day [pleas]).
It is a shame to find myself in a rut like this because I love everything about this cookalong. I just need to work on ways to remove the self-pressure and focus on what I love the most. If anyone has any tips on removing self-doubt, second-guessing, overthinking - I am all ears and am grateful for your wise words! I need be more confident in what I want to write, and how I write it, and commit to it; not constantly worry if I sound like a fool.
While I work through these issues, though, I do know at least three things with fair certainty: 1) I love to cook, 2) I can cook, and 3) I love food and eating it. And that ticks most of the important boxes for a successful and rewarding cookalong, at least.
It was a double cookalong for Saturday's splendid summer eating: Nigella’s Gammon with Pineapple plus a Triple Corn Tender Cake on the side from the lovely Nicola Miller.
Nigella’s Gammon with Pineapple
‘Gammon’ and ‘pineapple’: two acceptable enough words on their own; together, my worse nightmare. I am, of course, speaking of school dinner experiences here: a pale, pink slap of salty leather with a floppy, tepid piece of pineapple plonked on top; sat there for lord knows how long in the bain-marie before hungry children arrive en masse at the canteen to be met with the disappointment of those words written on the chalkboard.
I think the problem here is eating gammon warm; I love roast pork, pork chops, pork steaks, pork shoulder when they’re hot or cold, but something about gammon or thick-cut bacon does not appeal to me when anything but cold. And I do love a whole piece of smoked gammon, cooked, cooled, sliced and in a sandwich or with mashed potato and pickles. I was, therefore, quite intrigued by the notion of cold gammon with pineapple, coriander, chilli and lime spooned over the top; Nigella’s take on the retro-classic, from Forever Summer.
It seemed such a shame to throw the now salty pineapple cooking liquor, so I have kept a litre of it in the fridge and am planning a version of rice and peas; something I’ve never cooked before, let alone experimented with. Actually, that’s a lie. I cooked it once for a Trinidadian friend when I was working in Aberdeen. But that was over ten years ago.
A few weeks ago I read a fabulous, as always, piece by Nicola Miller for Suffolk News. Included is a recipe for a Triple Corn Tender Cake; apparently a lover of the company of ham, pork and bacon. I bought the ingredients straight away and then when I made the choice to make Nigella’s Gammon with Pineapple I knew I had to make the corn tender cake too.
Flavour musings
Cooking the gammon in pineapple imbues the meat with a richly sweet tone that is just delicious with the smokiness from the curing, and the sharp, sweet, zesty, coriander-laden pineapple is just perfect with the saltiness of the meat.
Nic’s Triple Corn Tender Cake was a great trimming for this; its fluffy sweetness lush with the tang of the pineapple, the heat of the chilli and the saltiness of the ham.
You can find the recipe for Nigella’s Gammon with Pineapple in Summer/Forever Summer.
