10.10.2014 – Salmon in Panko bread and some sötpotatis with it

      "But it's rude to the cook not to take another portion. Like that it seems that I didn't like it cause I won't have some more but I loved it. It's just that the cook is dreaming about having the meal left to another day…”

       “No, he isn't …” I say because I really want him to take another dish.

       “So maybe, just a little bit. Only half of this? And just so very little… “ He carefully takes little spoon of my sweet potatoes mash and he parts the salmon in two halves. 

        So we have some meal left for tomorrow. But he still insists that he loved it, it's just that he made this promise not to eat more than just one bowl or in this case one plate. 

        We are having salmon in panko Asian crumbed bread and sweet potatoes with it. Just an idea that came to my mind when I was planning the weekly menu. 

       When I was finishing the cooking I wanted to sprinkle the salmon with some fresh lemon juice but I couldn't find the lemon which I KNEW we had in the fridge, so I asked the boys and David immediately looked very much guilty.

       “It was already smelling bad..” So I know he threw it away. Never mind. But then he says in the middle of the eating: “I bet you didn't even know that you had this lemon…”

       “Of course I knew! I'm the cook, I know perfectly well what I have in the fridge.”

       “Really? I will test you but after I finish my meal.” He says and really, when he eats the last bite, he runs to the fridge. “So start.”

       “Should I say it in some order? Well, ok then. In the door we have milk, half of the orange, parmesan cheese… then we have juice, there was some wine but obviously it isn't right now. Then eggs, rest of the salmon we are having now, four yoghurts you have bought today… and in the freezer we have the ice cream and corn…I don't know. What else?”

       “Two more things. I let you think.”

       “I have no idea…”

       “Butter… and…syrup!”

       “I really didn't know.”

       “But then, there were only two things you missed…”

        I guess I passed the test.

       Today we went for a walk and David suddenly burst out: “But maybe we have enough of flour for the pancakes.” I must add we were walking in the very idyllic nature reservation. The sun was shining, the tree leaves were on the ground and floating in the air, everything was so yellow and autumnal. And we were enjoying ourselves, the quiet, relaxation… “I have so many thought in my head right now...” he explains. That he's telling the truth we can see after a while when he says: “I really wish you would buy me some yoghurt…” (We actually did. He has four in the fridge right now, as you can guess from the previous lines.) After a while of walking he finally adds: “Will you buy me some sandwich later?”

        Yes, that was today. David wished so very much to have funny and nice day that he was constantly talking about it and annoyed everyone, I guess.

        We ate the sandwich and chocolate mousses in our favourite coffee shop then cycled home and ate the salmon.

        The day really was nice after all. 

Salmon in Asian Panko Bread and smashed sweet potatoes 

2 - 3 sweet potatoes

some milk

pinch of butter

salt, pepper

salmon (how much you will eat)

Panko bread (from Asian section of my local grocery shop)

2-4 eggs

flour

oil for frying the salmon

1. Peel and Cook the sweet potatoes for a while. I have this method to cut them into smaller pieces so they cook faster.

2. Bring to Boil a little bit of milk. (about 1 dl)

3. Smash the potatoes with a fork or if you have a blender, use it now. Add the hot milk and pinch of butter (one tbsp) and continue mixing until it has nice creamy texture.

4. Prepare the salmon. (I had some salmon fillets so I just cut out the skin.)

5. Prepare three bowls. Into one break 2 eggs and stir. Into the second one put some flour and into the third one Panko bread. 

I can´t tell you exact measures as you will see yourself how much of it you will need. You will find out what is needed to be add.

6. Start with the flour. Dip the salmon fillet into the flour, press little bit so it catches the flour nicely. 

7. Continue with the eggs. Dip the salmon into the egg mixture.

8. And in the end dip into the Panko bread. 

9. Repeate the whole proceduree again.

10. Fry on the oil until it´s nicely done and crispy. 

11. Serve with potatoes and salad if you wish so.

12. If David didn't throw away the lemon, splash the salmon fillets with some lemon juice. 

09.10.2014 – Home-Made Ice cream (chocolate)

When we leave the boat, he immediately catches Markus by his hand and with a sweet tone repeats his name. And Markus knows. He always knows. And he is always prepared to act. And willing. He loves to do whatever David wants from him. Yes, I said it before, he is never sick of him.

We walked to our favourite coffee and David ordered some sweet bakery and tea. His happiest moment. That was why he was repeating Markus' name. The urge to have sweet.

Earlier that day I cooked something from the rests I found in the fridge. Not really my day, I must admit. But he loved it. Pasta with pepper and carrot. (Yes, he loved it even though there was carrot involved!) And he liked the way I cut the carrot. Jamie taught me. You just use the peeler and the result is some nice thin slices instead of boring squares.

So after my pasta, we took our old bikes and cycled to the boat and ended up in the coffee shop having roll. Well, David ended up having roll.

Back at home I decided to make home-made ice-cream. Chocolate, to be precise. First he hesitated to help me, he was busy with the internet, but then I started to slice the dark chocolate and he heard the noise and innocently asked: “What was that?” So I was forced to give him some and he was forced to help me. Wisp the cream and licking the bowl, I mean.

When the ice cream was ready I leave it in the freeze and now we all are waiting for the result. Some of us more than others. And David very often offers to mix the ice cream for me since that also means he can lick the spoon each time.

What will come out of it? 

Recipe for the Home - Made Ice Cream (Chocolate)

2 - 3 dl milk 

30 g cocoa

150 ml heavy cream

50 g sugar (preferably brown if you have)

100g baking chocolate (break into smaller pieces)

1. Bring the milk with the sugar to boil and then add the baking chocolate pieces and cocoa. 

2. At this point, set aside the liquid from the heat and continue stiring until the chocolate is completely melted. 

3. Allow the liquid to cool.

4. Once it's cool, add the whisped heavy cream, mix properly and put into bowl and into the freezer to freeze for at least five hours. 

5. Mix it every half an hour just to prevent the ice to settled down into it.

08.10.2014 – Gnocchi alla Davide

  "Auuuch…" he says. But I can't cook anything since he has to work for one more hour and I'm going to run. My regular run. That was actually David's and Daniel's idea. Daniel is a sport maniac and David needs to stay fit. (And to lose weight into XXXXXS jeans, I suppose.)

So I'm preparing him some corn flakes and he says: “And will I get my own bowl?!” he's scared that I'm planning to eat it with him which I won't. “You know that I'm going to run, are you? I'm not going to eat, this one's just for you.” He signs with relief. Then he waits till I put his yoghurt on his corn flakes and open a bottle of nuttela. And Daniel is watching us with his critical eye as if he was saying: “What's the point in trying anyway?” but he's silent.

What I definitely need to mention is that David isn't retarded! He's incredibly sexy and hot. He really does look GOOD. He's handsome. Blond, tall, skinny. He has the cutest smile in the whole world. He has dark eyes and is so sweet when he's laughing.

And he's great in bed. Period. (This is the last time you hear me saying something like that.)

He can be serious, he really can. And attractive. But most of the time he deliberately chooses to act silly. As a child or rather as someone who can afford to act in a childish way and still remain absolutely irresistible.

Yes, sometimes he gets on my nerves. (Only mine because Markus is never fed up with him.)

And yes, sometimes he gets lost in his own plays and games and forgets to be “normal” again. But this is David. This is him. It belongs to him. To be the centre of the attention. All the time. (He competes with his best friend Victor though. Sometimes they even fight who gets more attention for longer time.)

Back to Gnocchi.

I put the Håkan Hälström CD into the player and I call for David to help me with making home-made gnocchi. He can do that. He helped me many times. We cooked the potatoes. Now we are making the pastry. And David has to separate the yolks and he hates eggs. Very sad since Markus, his boyfriend adores eggs. He needs to have at least one every day. So David is making sounds of discuss and I´m ignoring him. 

“Asch eggs…. And asch meal….” 

“But you love them to eat.” I remark. 

“Sure but they are discussing…” 

After that we have to make some “snakes” like we call it from the pastry and cut it into pieces. David invented cool method how to make round gnocchi, so he does them and he throws them into the boiling water in a way the water jumps from the pot everywhere, on the walls and also on him. He doesn’t give a shit. Throwing gnocchi is certainly more fun that just insert them carefully to the hot water. I'm careful not to say anything, he is allergic on critic. I can't say anything. I tried once or twice and you can't imagine the crazy reaction and anger. Must be some issue from his formative years.

“Finally you're cooking me something from potatoes, again.” He comments. Which sounds like he who loves potatoes so much never gets them and it's only me who choose the meal. Partly true.

While we're doing this monotone activity, Håkan is playing some romantic songs and it's everything so very romantic. Me and David and pastry everywhere and Håkan sings: “I'm twenty one….” And David adds: “No you are not…” and when the CD continues and Håkan has the courage to repeat his thoughts again: “I'm just sixteen..” David gets almost irritated. “What's his problem? He's old, isn't he?” and there is no point in explaining that this is just poetic licence of him, cause David hates Håkan from some reason and make me hard time right now. 

“Are you going to make some sauce as well?” he asks and I will, so he leaves me and goes to check instagram or facebook or whatever and when the meal is finished I'm so tired that I am hardly able to eat. And when he finishes first his portion he looks at me suspiciously: “I must have given you one gnocchi more, since you haven't finished yet.”

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!