If I were his World Cup Chef: Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon)

This story is #7 of 32, in my "If I were their World Cup Chef" series. Each post will honor one world football player from each of the 32 national teams at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. 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.

It’s been an emotional week for Samuel Eto’o Fils, Cameroon’s star striker and team captain. The way I see it, we have time sensitivity issue and an urgent call for what I call angel food (food that heals hearts and spirit).

Considering he is a world-class act and the most decorated African athlete in history, it would be a tragedy if he followed through with his heated threat of leaving the national team. Just after harsh criticism from his childhood idol, Cameroon football legend Roger Milla, Eto’o was red-carded during an international friendly match.

As his fan, I will first bring light to his greatness, while he returns to a calm center. Then, I’ll cook.

Most of his spectacular career has been spent in Spain. Last summer, he was transferred to Italy’s InterMilan club from Barcelona. He had contributed greatly to Barcelona’s earning a Continental Treble last year, which is three major championship cups in the same season.

Italy was thrilled to receive him last summer and he did so phenomenally well with his new club, InterMilan earned its own Continental Treble last month. I’m quite certain no player has ever accomplished this in two back-to-back seasons, with two different clubs.

His reign with Cameroon’s national team equals a 2000 Olympic Gold Medal, 2 African Nations Cup Championships (he has played in five and is this tournament’s all-time leading goal scorer), three African Player of the Year awards, and two World Cups ... the total of all his glory would take all day to mention.

I love that universally, all my fellow tifosi love and respect Eto’o. He is an elegant, intelligent, gentle man who typically behaves accordingly in life, both on and off the field. His longtime love is his wife Georgette, and they have 3 children. While he has been subject to and spoken out against racial abuse throughout his career, his manner (perhaps also his fabulous smile) makes him an exemplary athlete and equally important, a leader.

All I know, is that his millions of supporters can’t be wrong about one of this World Cup’s finest men. I just found the letter (in its entirety it made me cry) he wrote in response to Mr. Milla; this is an edited excerpt:

“Then I saw this picture of me wearing the flag of Cameroon on my shoulder last May 22 in Madrid after the victory in the European Cup ... I’m going to the World Cup because I love Cameroon ... I know that you count on me and because I have the patriotic duty to assume my role as captain, even amid the storm. Someone told me the other day when he arrived in some countries it is easier to explain your origin by saying “I am from the country of Roger Milla” or “I am from the country of Samuel Eto’o ....”

If I were his World Cup Chef, I’d divine something to keep that amazing spirit alive in him. Something that tastes like heaven, to comfort and heal everything that might be hurting.

Based on my experience of who he is, I get that this man is very European. I’d bring that home with something familiar, like bananas and plantains which are bumper crops in his native Cameroon. I’d make and serve him the world’s best banana muffins with a little Euro accent, still warm from the oven. One taste ought to make everything right with him again.

I am counting on it because the World (and its Cup) needs Samuel Eto’o at his best.

Banana-Nutella Muffins for Samuel Eto’o

1 cube unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cups white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 vanilla bean, scraped
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas or plantains (2 or 3)
1 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
1 cup Nutella

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 12-cup muffin pan with paper cups or coat with cooking spray. With electric mixer, combine first 6 ingredients until smooth. Sift flour, soda, salt three times, then combine thoroughly into moist ingredients. Divide batter into muffin cups and bake for 25-30 minutes until lightly browned. Place Nutella in zipper bag, squeeze out excess air, cut tiny hole at edge of bag. While warm, make shallow slit in each muffin with sharp knife. Squeeze a bit of filling into each muffin. Repeat with remaining batter. Yields 16 muffins.

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
for fresh seafood, Bob Tusquellas Seafood Market
for meats, Huntington Meats, Marconda's Meats
for things hot, Light My Fire