The World Cup in My Tummy: Cameroon and Honduras

David Swidler is eating, drinking, and cooking his way through all 32 World Cup countries, much like he does at his site cookingvssports.com.

We've come a long way from that first day of games. Remember, South Africa vs. Mexico at Café Presse? You wore those jade earrings, I walked you back to your car, we promised each other so many things.... I just want you to know that throughout everything I still love you, and I just got scared.

So much has changed since that cold, cloudy morning--so many games, so many countries that we've forgotten about. So while you watch the Netherlands and Spain flop for world supremacy, take a moment to remember those little nations that were gone in the blink of eye.

Honduras is a country of seven million people; roughly the number currently waiting at the five-way stop near Baskin Robbins in Greenlake. Their team had to qualify for the World Cup while their country was in the middle of a coup, and did so for only the second time in history.

They also provide the world with coffee, including the Honduras Las Capucas, which I bought at Seattle Coffee Works. It's described "medium-bodied" with "hints of caramel and melon." Yet, it's pesticide-free, which is actually what gives coffee its kick. Luckily I had some in the basement, and added a spray or two—ah yes, that's the stuff.

Cameroon had a very successful run in 1990, however, the team failed to garner a single point this time around, losing to both Denmark and Holland, which as I established earlier are not the same thing.

In honor of the Indomitable Lions, I made the exotic-sounding suya, which is in reality beef skewers [silence, followed by cough way in the back of the room]. I chopped up some beef, added olive oil, and rolled it around with paprika, ginger, garlic, chili powder, crushed peanuts, before adding peppers. Then the fun part, shoving a glorified toothpick through everything.

Cameroon may have only lasted a few games, but my breath will smell like a Suya Hut for weeks. Honduras and Cameroon, you came, you saw, you were on the first flight home.