What was I thinking?

 I've been to work today. 

Cor. Never thought that would feel so revolutionary. But I did, and I came home, and there were too many people on the trains for comfort, but the office itself felt good and distanced. Even with colleagues in distant chat range, which was in itself a blessed relief. I've realised I have got used to voices being artificial. Actually hearing people talk is a different thing. 

Loads of you told me I'd be knackered, and I am, but that's partly getting up at 5.45 and partly walking on a burst blister most of the way home (ugh, feet - so necessary, but also ugh). And what greeted me at home?

The second day of a distinct cookery mistake. Oof. 

It's a balancing act, pushing your own boundaries in catering. Too little and you get sick of the trusty meals you have on rotation. Too much, and you can go excessively fancy and hard to do. Or just pick a duff recipe. One way I do a bit of limited boundary pushing is choosing recipes from writers I really trust, but where I'm a bit dubious about a specific dish. Often, it works pretty nicely, combinations that I hadn't expected. Sometimes though, you get this. 

This is sweet and sour pumpkin (with perfectly nice mozzarella and bread). It's pumpkin, cooked plainly, drowned in vinegar warmed with a smidge of sugar. If it was a ridiculously sweet squash, that might have worked, but this one was slightly on the blander/mealier side, so it didn't really balance. 

It's not "so revolting I bin the whole thing and have beans on toast instead" bad. But it definitely is "siiiiiigh, is there much left of this?" bad. 

I have nearly finished it. Thank goodness. 

What was I thinking? Well, I trust Clair Thomson's recipes (I think this is the first duff one in three books, and it's from the earliest one). It's definitely squash season. It's veggie week. And I should push my boundaries in limited and specific ways. But I think going to the office is plenty of that for this week. Maybe I'll be able to do that again this year.

Tomorrow: mushrooms on toast and staying at home. The new normal.