19.10.2014 – Kari

It happens when we are about to land, the plane is going rapidly down and the feeling is so scary, then David leans to me and says -And what about the Kari? You promised me to tell me the recipe. How do you make it?

-You want to hear it now? I ask disconcerted.

-Yes. He smiles. And I know it is a trick. A trick how to distract me. Distract me from the fact we are actually flying above the ground. So I start telling him the Kari recipe and he is asking some details in order to prolong it. Such as -How long fry the onions at the beginning? What kind of vegetables add to it. How much of a yoghurt?

He seems to be very focused, which is unusual for him in this situation (see - me narrating him my recipes). And just like that I survive the landing, we are on the firm ground and I don't know how this actually happened because I spend those minutes preparing Kari with David.

The Kari story has a part two, obviously.
He decided to cook it for his father while he was visiting him and obviously he forgot the whole procedure completely. He was probably not so focused on the recipe as I initially thought, but more focused on the fact we are landing. He knew I was panicking and he was just trying to save me. 

Anyway, I´m preparing this big dinner with some other friends, I promised to cook for them Pad Thai and pizza. I choose Gennaro Contado's recipe for home-made pizza, I'm making it for the first time, I'm cooking for six people and I'm trying to make an impression, the kitchen is so small (as usual) and I'm not really nervous, yet uncertain. Thai Pad – I've never done it, I've been only eating it with John. This pizza dough is with yeast. And I don't really enjoy working with it, so yes, I'm stressing a little bit and in that moment David calls me. 

- Davi, any idea what to cook for my father? He has had Kari three times this week already! I'm covered in flour and I'm thinking really fast and then I remember I have one recipe from Jamie, I took a photo from his book at home, but first I have to check the photo on my phone and call back to David. I repeat this procedure three times, because every time I read the recipe I forget something and at the meantime I'm cooking.In the end I have four huge pizzas from the Gennaro's dough, way too much for six people and Pad Thai noodles are glued together and the wok isn't really wok but small pan, so I have to use two of them and calling David in the same time dictating him the recipe. The mobile, me, the kitchen, all is covered in flour and noodles and soya sauce but eventually the meal is ready and I drink one glass of red wine after another, thinking about how David's doing. 

And even though his meal is still not ready after four hours, he's doing certainly great and he has cooked perfect food for his posh father. I'm sure.

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!