HUNGRY GERALD

That’s the name of the author of a very useful cookbook, “Simple Chinese Cooking” (photo of attractive Ms. Kwong is on the book jacket). The book is well organized. The recipes are foolproof (of course, BSK always adds a tasty tweak). Last night, BSK used a well-seasoned wok to cook “Mum’s Stir-Fried Chicken Fillets”. Sliced skinless, boneless chicken thighs were marinated in a mix of mirin, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil and grated ginger. Then stir fried in vegetable oil, stock, onions, scallions and plenty of Szechuan pepper. Bowls of jasmine rice. Delicious meal. Thanks, Kylie.

Chilly New Mexico night. Bright sun during the day but temperature drops in the eve. HG desired a comforting dinner and that’s what HG got through the culinary mastery of BSK. “Comfort food” is usually fat filled, high carbo dishes. Health conscious BSK will have none of that. BSK knows how to combine low cal ingredients with judicious use of spices to create tasty dishes that satisfy. Witness BSK’s “green soup” that soothed and comforted HG last night as logs burned in the fireplace. BSK simmered spring onions, carrots, garlic, parsley, broccoli (florets and stems) and spinach in chicken stock. Grated lemon peel into the mix. Spices were nutmeg and cardamom. Salt and black pepper plus a dash of Aleppo pepper for some heat. All was smoothed into a puree with an immersion blender. The steaming bowls of green soup were adorned with swirls of Mexican crema (and a dusting of more Aleppo for HG). Ahhh!! Comfort, indeed. And, healthy.

HG is not fond of Starbucks or its egocentric founder. HG misses the old fashioned coffee shops of HG’s New York years. No, not the arty Greenwich Village espresso joints where the espresso was bitter, the girls were lovely and the poetry execrable. HG refers to the coffee shops (often Greek owned) that dispensed tunafish sandwiches, pancakes, scrambled eggs, soup (and endless cups of coffee). When HG/BSK lived in a spacious rent controlled ($275 a month for a four bedroom, three bath, separate formal dining room, 30-foot living room with Hudson River and Palisades views) on W. 79th Street, HG would often skip breakfast at home. Instead, HG would pick up the New York Times on the Broadway corner and settle into the smoke-filled adjacent coffee shop for HG’s usual healthy morning repast of black coffee and numerous Marlboro cigarettes. Other favorites were the coffee shop at 57th (near Broadway) for the ultimate BLT; Fourth Avenue and 25th Street for a great tuna fish sandwich on pumpernickel) 55th Street east of Madison for perfect softly scrambled eggs with a warmed buttered bialy. HG misses these joints and the New York of yesteryear.

Franny’s was (closed 2017) a Brooklyn restaurant that received acclaim from dining critics and discerning New Yorkers. Best pizzas. (Only one to match those delights were the grilled pizzas served at Al Forno in Providence, R.I.). Franny’s also gave pleasure with inventive pasta dishes and house-made cured meats. The Franny’s cookbook is packed with good recipes. Even though the restaurant no longer exists, a creative cook like BSK can still bring Franny’s flavors to the table. Last night was an example. The Franny’s recipe was entitled “Farro Spaghetti With Anchovies, Garlic and Chillies.” No farro spaghetti available so BSK used a wheat germ pasta from Morelli’s, an Italian firm from Pisa. The pasta was part of a big gift package from BSK’s Colorado nephew, Matthew, and his beautiful companion, Allison. The cooked pasta was mixed with, you guessed it, anchovies, garlic, red pepper flakes and a half cup of parsley. An additional half cup of olive oil was used to make the sauce. At table, the pasta received a drizzle of more olive oil plus grated pecorino Romana. A squeeze of lemon made this dish sing. Thanks, Matt, Allie, and Franny’s.