You know how one thing leads to another? I went on a stupendous rabbit hole research expedition after writing about Keith Michell’s Avocado With Sauerkraut Dressing last week. My googling to find out if avocado and sauerkraut was a “thing” (it is) led me to the discovery that Cameron Diaz is quite a whizz in the kitchen.
Before I go any further, I should add a disclaimer. I don’t often write about modern movie stars, and when I started this blog 15 years ago, I was focused on stars of the golden era, but bear with me.
Ordinary folk wanted to know what film stars liked to cook from as early as the 1910s and this is the earliest collection of ‘actor-folks’ recipes I know of – published in 1916.
Obviously, people are just as nosy in the 2020s and we still want to know what movie stars eat. Actors and actresses continue to share their favourite recipes with magazines and cookbook compilers. In some cases, they put their names to whole books of them.
I know that a lot of people SCOFF at Gwyneth’s cookbooks but I don’t have a problem with them, especially as her co-writing food writers get a decent credit. Equally, I don’t have a problem with Cameron showing us how to make a roasted corn summer salad on her Instagram feed because she is really funny and warm, she swears a lot (at one point making me laugh out loud) and the salad is fabulous. If Cameron ever puts her name to a cookbook I will buy it the minute it comes out. Plus I don’t think I will ever grow tired of the way she pronounces Maldon and her total love of their sea salt. As an Essex girl myself (the salt is produced in Maldon, Essex, hence the name of the company), it tickles me every time she says it.
I love the fact that for her this is a SNACK. For me it was a divine lunch and although I hate it when food writers say “it’s going on rotation” (when they are producing a gazillion recipes so why would they ever repeat one?) this WILL be going on rotation at Silver Screen Supper Towers. Here’s how mine turned out. It was one of those things that had me licking my lips and talking out loud to myself about how good it was. A really lovely fresh flavour combination.
I made a batch with one ear of corn and about 1 cup of snap peas and that ratio seemed about right.
Cameron eye-balls the amounts for her vinaigrette so do watch the video for guidance by clicking on this link – it’s from her Instagram channel and I can’t work out how to embed it here. Plus I predict you will laugh out loud at least once when Cameron is talking about Maldon and how much she loves it.
Cameron Diaz’s Roasted Corn Summer Salad
Ingredients
Ear of corn
Handful of snap peas
Feta cheese (crumbled)
Orange juice
Garlic clove
Champagne vinegar (I used white wine vinegar)
Olive oil
Salt
Method
Make the vinaigrette. Roast corn in the olive oil. Slice the peas and add them and some crumbled cheese to the corn. Add vinaigrette and stir together. Eat!
I am not trying to be rude but Cameron Diaz is not silver screen or TCM material. I can get her recipe anywhere. Its a duplicate online
Thanks Jaclyn – I have written about over 1,000 movie star recipes on this blog, perhaps you will find something else of interest here.
I love this salad and I get so excited when corn season arrives…it is so delicious and crunchy…the citrus dressy makes it.
I totally agree Catherine, I’ve had it twice already this summer! Jx
Didn’t watch it all, but okay, so how are we ‘supposed to’ pronounce Maldon? I would probably start by saying it more like Malden.
Haha – you have got it VT. The Essex accent is quite flat and Cameron puts a heavy emphasis on the O which brings me great joy.