Full house at the HG/BSK/GDL/SJ residence on Prince Edward Island. SJ and family (Exquisite Maiko, son Haru, daughter Teru and nephew Taku) have arrived joining HG/BSK and the Riva family (Gifted Daughter Lesley; Profesore/Ufficiale Massimo, daughter Sofia). Much laughter; gaiety, sea, sun, ocean winds, rain quickly leading to sunshine and multi-lingual conversation (English, Italian, Japanese, fragmented and newly remembered Yiddish). It all comes together at joyous family feasting. Fortunately, the group has a collective hearty appetite, serious food knowledge and cooking skills to match. The acknowledged Queen of the Kitchen is Exquisite Maiko. Talented EM has a set of razor sharp Japanese knives (dangerous in ordinary hands) and EM slices and dices with precision and art. An EM dish is not only filled with fresh flavor, it is a visual wonder. As is EM’s PEI custom, EM drove to the port of Naufrage and picked up a dozen mackerel — so fresh they were frozen in rigor mortis. The fishermen refuse to charge EM for the the mackerel as it is a plentiful but not a favored fish on PEI. Strange, because few fish are as delicious as fresh (really fresh) mackerel. Dinner started with sashimi, beautifully sliced raw mackerel adorned with shavings of scallion, herbs and cherry tomato. This was followed by another EM signature dish: Sole filets sautéed and steamed in sake and a bit of soy. EM added another texture and burst of flavor by topping the sole with crisp fried garlic chips and shio kombu – a type of salted, preserved Japanese seaweed. Lesley and BSK contributed to the meal with some lovely side dishes of snap peas and yellow beans (just arrived into season). HG accompanied the food with Shochu, a potent and flavorful Japanese spirit distilled from sweet potatos. A thoughtful gift from EM’s sister, this is a magical brew. Unfortunately, according to SJ, high quality Shohchu is not available in North America. Just as well, commented BSK, since HG doesn’t need to add another strong spirit to the HG arsenal of beverages.
Leave a Reply