06.10.2014 – Siciliansk squash - kikärtsgryta

We worked two hours in the garden and then he came to the house and in that piercing tone said: “I´m hungry!”

He uses it for saying things like: “Daví? What shall we eat?” or “Daví is going to cook me something…” and when he´s too desperate he just says: “Auuch…” which means he is so hungry that it is almost aching. His stomach is aching, so to speak. 

Today I had plenty of time to cook so I did this wonderful stew from vegetables and some cinnamon, it tastes like Afrika and it´s from Sicily and from my Jamie´s book. And he was asking me all the time while we were eating:

“Daví, tell me something about this food. How did you do it?”

And I´m little bit sceptic about it, cause I remember how he asked me once to tell him what I was going to cook and I told him the whole recipe, maybe ten minutes of talking, every minor detail and then, when I finished, satisfied with myself that I remember the recipe so well, he turned to me and said: “What was it you should do after you chopped the onions? I stopped to listen after that…”

Well, do I really have to tell you that the onions’ part was actually the very start of the recipe??!

Since that I don’t like telling him my cooking procedures.

But at the same time you can´t ignore him. So I told him and then I told him what I changed from the original recipe and after he finished his meal he took my cookbook and said: “Now I will test you…” he list the book. “Daví? What is that?” “White yoghurt… I didn´t  used that as well…” “But you didn’t tell me!”

And John comments it that I changed almost everything but told him only about one or two changes I considered important.

Then David looked at all my recipes I did for him from Jamie’s book and noticed my notes and that I actually wrote down what he told about the meal.

“So now I have to tell something about this one as well!” he laughs. 

And in the evening, he suddenly comments my food. “Made my day.” And he smiles mischievously. As if he knew I´m writing about him. 

Sicilian stew with squash (vegetarian)

1/2 squash 

olive oil

2 onions

fresh coriander (if you wish)

40 g raisin

1 tsb cinnamon

1/2 chilli

1 can crushed tomatos

1 can chickpeas

1 stock cube

1 cup of couscous

Chopp the squash into small bites and fry it on the pan with little bit of olive oil until it gets little bit more tender about 5 minutes. 

Chopp the onions and put it into the pot with some olive oil, add the raisin and most of the cinnamon, coriander and chopped chili. Cover with the lid and reduce the heat, let it be for 20 minutes and check it sometimes, if needed add some water (you don´t want to have ii burned). 

After 20 minutes you should have the squash ready, add it to the onions and add also tomates, chickpeak, stock cube, 5 dl of boiling water and let it cook for almost 40 minutes. 

Ten minutes before the stew is ready, prepare the couscous. Just folow the instructions on the package or put the couscous into the pot and cover with boiling water, let stay for ten minutes until it´s tender. 

Serve the stew over the couscous. 

I added some fresh basil over it:-)

Enjoy! Hope it will make your day!