Hamstering⎬ verb

“The act of being busy and spending a lot of time on something, but not getting anything accomplished, just like a hamster exercising on a hamster wheel.”

“When a person or company tries to get out of a situation, by finding a loophole to get through, or coming up with some kind of bullshit excuse. Much like a hamster tries anything to escape its cage.”

“The Act of going into towns and begging for food until your packs and bags are full, similar to how a hamster stuffs it’s cheeks with food.” (def. Urban dictionary)

Although not approved by spell check, hamstering is a word with multiple meanings in various contexts. I use it to add connotational hint of desperateness and also emphasize the meaning of gathering, accumulating and hoarding everything precious and remotely potentialy practical. The autumn is the peek season to visit Hamster Islands where everything is fully loaded and waiting for the perfect occasion worthy of the hidden jewels.

With desperate trials to keep the fresh ingredients lasting as long as possible each year I stock on pumpkins. Being so versatile and delicious in almost every form, plus very durable in the pantry, makes them the ultimate hamster treasure. The stocks usually last till early spring and roll around forgotten, after cocky first fresh asparaguses appear. And again I have to remind myself to enjoy things in the present moment without fear of running out of the good stuff, as there always are new coming our way. Enjoy them now when they taste best with this simple single pan dish.

Roasted panceta wrapped pumpkin with chestnut and shallots

Cut the chesnuts and put them in salted boiling water for 30 minutes. Peel and set aside. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees (400F).  Mean while cut bigger sized pumpkin in the 1,5 cm thick wedges, add peeled shallots and garlic in roast pan. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper and dash of nutmeg. Put in the oven for 20 minutes, adding the cooked chestnuts in the last 10 minutes. Serve straight from the oven and enjoy the buttery creaminess, with crunchy panceta and sweet nutty flavor of chestnuts.