ケープタウンを出る前に「着いた日の夕食はどうする？」と夫に聞いたら「僕がつくるよ！」と言っていました。「え〜、ほんとに？」と言ったのですが、「イエス！」という返事だったのでそのままに。なのに、家についてお昼前に「今日のご飯どうする？」と。いやいや、あなたが作るって言ったよね？

When we were leaving Cape Town I asked my husband what he wanted to do about dinner on the day we arrive (today) and he said “I’ll cook!”.  I did say “Are you sure?” but he said “Yes”.  Well, once we got home a little before lunch time he says to me “What shall we do about dinner tonight?”

最終的に、わたしがアシスタントに入って一緒にミートボールパスタを作ることになりました。「Cooking with you is one of the most enjoyable things for me!」なんて言われてしまったら、アシスタントに入らないわけにいかないですね（笑）。

In the end we agreed that we cook pasta with meatballs together – me being his assistant.  He says ” Cooking with you is one of the most enjoyable things for me!”  Who can say no to that request?

いつも揉めるのがこのミートボールの大きさ。わたしは一口で食べられるように小さくしてほしいのですが、夫は面倒臭いと倍くらいの大きさにしてしまいます。今日は一緒に作っていたので、わたしが希望する大きさに。「小さい方が食べやすいし美味しいね。」と夫も言っていたので、これからはこの大きさにしてね。（前にもそう言っていたんですけどね。）

One thing we always argue about with this dish is the size of the meatballs.  He follows Delia Smith’s recipe and her meatball size is huge, but he has reduced the size to about a half.  I want much smaller than a half of the original – small enough to eat in one mouthful with some pasta comfortably – but my husband doesn’t want to make them so small because it takes him ages.  As we made them together today, we made them the size I want – and once we were eating them my husband said “This size is better, much easier to eat.”  I hope he will make them this small next time.

食事の間はもちろんケープタウンの話が続きました。泊まったホテルはどこも良かったこと、夫が心配していたような危険性は全く感じなかったこと、食事代が安かったこと、などなど話は尽きず。しばらくは、食事中の話題はケープタウンのことになりそうです。

During the dinner, of course we talked about our holiday in Cape Town non-stop.  How all the hotels were good – some excellent – how Cape Town didn’t seem as dangerous as my husband expected, how eating out was so cheap etc etc.  Plenty of things to talk about – I expect we’ll be talking about our holiday for a while to come.