If I were his World Cup Chef: Kaka' (Brazil)

This story is #4 of 32, in my new "If I were their World Cup Chef" series. Each post will honor one world football player from each of the 32 countries going to the World Cup in South Africa this summer. As my muses, each will inspire a recipe that I am privileged to offer as my gift ... to thank them for making the world more beautiful.

If you are following the Original LA Farmers Market/Monsieur Marcel recipe series, please find grocery shopping tips at end of recipe.

Everyone who has wondered who I’m doing for Brazil is very much on board with my unwavering selection of Kaka’ (pronounced phonetically, accent on second syllable).

He is one of our planet’s finest human beings and one of the world’s most renowned and revered athletes, with a variety of awards and accolades to his credit. Now with Real Madrid, at age 28, this will be his second World Cup as attacking midfielder for the Brazilian national team. I especially love him because he was one of Italy’s darlings during his six spectacular seasons with AC Milan, my favorite club.

Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite is his full name. Kaka’ is his nickname since as children, his younger brother couldn’t pronounce Ricardo. Kaka’ is also a typical name of endearment in Brazil for men named Ricardo.

His stellar career began in Sao Paolo when at age 8, he began playing with their youth clubs; he signed as a pro at age 15. In 2000, before he made their first team, he suffered a severe spinal injury that threatened life paralysis. In this very short and touching video, his voice and hand-drawn images storytell of ten+1 goals he wanted in his life; he realized all eleven. He credits his phenomenal life to the love of God, and is so committed to his Christianity that during championship matches especially, he flashes his I belong to Jesus undershirt with tremendous joy to celebrate goals and victory.

As an inspiration to children of all ages, he was called to respond in person, to a young boy’s plea in San Marino (landlocked country within Italy). In a letter about living in a tiny country while dreaming of being a major footballer, the child asked the superstar what advice he could lend. Two years ago, the adidas film project Dream Big sent Kaka’ and others like Youann Gourcuff from France (hint, hint) to four tiny countries including San Marino to prove that Impossible is Nothing. On the home turf of this little boy, Kaka’ offered private lessons on how he trained as a child, and further coached the boy and his teammates that, we are not single players, we are a team.

In 2008, he was named to to TIME Magazine’s list of the Top 100 Most Influential People in the World. On the same list was Oprah and Angelina Jolie and for some, Kaka’s inclusion was suspect. At that hour in a story I wrote, I applauded him to say that he is an exemplary citizen, athlete, husband, father, teammate, celebrity, model for youth and, a peacemaker in his own right. How rare to be all of these things in life at once, while in the public eye.

He and his wife Caroline have a little son, Luca. The couple have modeled together for Armani and when he left Italy, Armani said no one will miss Kaka’ more than us. He has also teased that his learning English is, for Hollywood. He is most recently seen, half-clad, in June’s Vanity Fair issue.

If I were his World Cup Chef, I would want to offer him something sweet, to honor his homeland and remind him of Italy. A mix of cultures influence foods in Sao Paolo; two of its strongest lend their gifts here. In this dessert, Brazil brings the fruit, which is cooked in butter, sugar and a pinch of spice as a nod from the Middle East. When juice is added to create a syrup, it renders an exquisite sundae topping for the best Italian vanilla gelato one can ransom.

Now as his Chef, I am just hoping that his fans are pleased with what I’ve done for Brazil ;-).

Plantain and Mango Sundae, for Kaka’

1 just-ripe plantain, peeled
2 Manila mangos
2 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup mango or papaya nectar
Vanilla gelato or fine vanilla ice cream

Cut plantain on the diagonal, into 1/2” slices. Skin/slice mango flesh from sides of fruit along pit. Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon; coat fruit pieces on both sides. Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Cook coated fruit for 2 minutes on each side, until lightly browned. Pour nectar in pan around fruit. Allow juice to thicken slightly. Pour fruit and syrup over individual servings of gelato to serve.

Yields 4 servings.

Where to shop ~ for specialty ingredients and pantry staples, I love Monsieur Marcel; for produce, Farm Fresh and Farm Boy Produce; for breads, Thee's Continental Pastries, Monsieur Marcel, Breadworks; ice cream, Bennett's Ice Cream.