HUNGRY GERALD

Sj sourced organic beef short ribs at the Charlottetown, PEI, Farmers Market and built a spectacular Korean dinner around them. There were three elements to the meal: Korean grilled short ribs; fluffy basmati rice; a fiery version of kimchee jigae that was part traditional Korean and part SJ creativity. Here’s how SJ constructed the soup/stew: First he built a savory broth by simmering the short rib bones,leeks, celery, onions, ginger, dried Chinese mushrooms for hours in boiling water. Strained to get rid of bones but saved bits of the meat clinging to them. The broth was then added to slices of raw pork belly, tofu, cooked kimchi, onions, Korean chili paste and Korean chili flakes. Result was a soup/stew with multiple layers of heat and flavor, all delicious. HG added scoops of rice to give it body. Thankfully, SJ made lots of this dish. Had it for lunch the next day with leftover rice. Crowning glory came a day after. SJ added ramen noodles. Delight.

BSK and SJ form a mighty culinary team. HG benefits happily from their skills and creativity. Dinner last night started with Red Head Select oysters shucked expertly by SJ. These oysters (HG’s favorites), like Johnny Flynn’s Colville Bays, have green-tinged shells. They are plump, briny, delicious. This was followed by an appetizer teaser. SJ cut thin vertical slices of young zucchini (from BSK’s garden). Dipped them in a simple batter and gave them a quick fry. Wow.!! Then BSK took over. Sauteed a pound of Digby Bay sea scallops. Don’t know BSK’s timing secret. But, BSK scallops always hit the peak of tender juiciness. The scallops got a hit of lemon juice and were the preface to the main dish that expressed BSK’s creativity. BSK made an unusual pesto. The ingredients: Garlic scapes, fresh garlic, walnuts, flat-leaf parsley, olive oil, feta cheese, parmesan. Linguine was cooked to al dente perfection. The pesto and pasta created one of the most creamy, fragrant, lush dishes in HG’s long history of pasta eating. Viva BSK!! Dramatic sunset. Ice cream dessert. Climax to a day of beach sun and swimming. That’s life on Prince Edward Island.

Yes, SJ is extraordinary. Multi-talented. HG ranks SJ with Alexander Lobrano as the two best food/restaurant writers. SJ’s blog oishigevalt.com should not be missed by anyone who enjoys dining, cooking and insights into the culture of Tokyo. (that’s where SJ resides with his family). SJ is also an authority on Jamaican music; a former reggae merchant; a much in demand reggae disc jockey (under the name “Scratch Famous”) who has spun before audiences in New York, Brooklyn, London, Paris, Berlin, Manchester, Sydney, Melbourne, Okinawa, Hong Kong and now, of course, in Tokyo and other Japanese cities. SJ is also a publicist and a creator of music-related promotional materials. SJ is a devoted father and husband. SJ is always alert to HG’s disabilities and is helpful and caring. Yes, HG loves and admires SJ. With good reason. SJ is the best son a man can have. Like all members of SJ’s family, SJ loves food, wine and family dining. And, SJ is a very good cook. The other day, SJ and BSK picked up 2 lbs of fresh halibut and 2 lbs of hake. Here’s the Prince Edward Island dinner SJ (with BSK as sous chef) made last night. SJ cooked leeks, peas, spinach, onions, garlic and tarragon (an abundance). This melange was pureed with some olive oil, salt and pepper into a velvety flavorful sauce. The halibut — absurdly fresh — was cut into thick steaks, dusted with flour and fried in olive oil. Lightly browned exterior; juicy interior. Sous chef BSK cooked yellow beans (HG’s favorite vegetable) and boiled some tiny PEI potatoes. The cooked halibut rested on a bed of yellow beans and was covered with the green sauce. The spuds got a sprinkle of parsley. A memorable (and healthy) dining experience.

The next night SJ took on the hake. Hake is part of the cod family and is a wonderful but quite unattractive fish. Doesn’t appear often on American menus although it’s a staple in Spain and France (first tasted it in Madrid and Barcelona). Sometimes appears at Whole Foods and can be found (frozen) at Costco. The filets are wonderful fried, steamed, broiled or baked. Very versatile. HG has praised hake before. Check hungrygerald.com archive: “Hanging With Hake”, Sept. 23, 2011; “Hake The Chinese Way”, June 25, 2014. Here’s how SJ did it. SJ dusted the filets in flour seasoned with a touch of cayenne, white pepper and salt. Dipped them in beaten egg, then rolled them in panko. SJ carefully fried the filets in canola oil. Done in minutes. Before placing the deliciously browned fish on a warmed platter, SJ rested them on a wire rack to let the excess oil drip off onto paper towels. Light. Crispy. Not oily. Best fried fish ever. So good that BSK will double the hake order on next shopping trip.

SJ has arrived from Tokyo with tall, grown-up son, Haru, and long-legged adorable daughter, Teru. They joined gifted daughter, Lesley R., her husband, Massimo, and beautiful/brilliant daughter/granddaughter, Arianna. Missing are Exquisite Maiko; granddaughter, Sofia R.; GF’s daughter, Victoria, and her husband, Marc Meyer, the noted chef. Maiko has professional chef obligations in Tokyo and Victoria and Marc are in New York working to complete their new restaurant, Shukette. However, the bulk of HG/BSK’s family is together on Prince Edward Island so there is much joy. (Toby, The Wonder Dog, is happy to frolic again with Pip, the R. family’s delightful doggy). Sunny, warm beach days with much swimming (water is unusually, warm). The group is feasting. Seafood galore. Massimo has been shucking scores of Colville Bay, Malpeque, Red Head Select and Savage Harbor oysters. (The Professor is an expert shucker as well as being the world champion dishwasher administrator). SJ has fried some of the larger oysters dusted in Japanese Panko. Delectable. BSK has made creamy brandade using fresh cod that has been poached in bonito flake broth. Outstanding. There has also been a large bowl of lobster salad ready to be packed into toasted rolls. Linguine with white clam sauce and clams casino. (Clams harvested by the family in the waters of St. Mary’s Bay). Crispy, fried haddock. And, Prince Edward Island mussels, of course. Unexpectedly, little Teru is a big fan of mussels and can put away happily a big bowl. Lots of laughter, lots of food, lots of wine, beer, gin, and savory Scotch liqueur. And, best of all, lots of love.

HG’s family likes to eat big bowls of leafy green salad dressed with a good vinaigrette. HG rarely indulges. That’s because throat cancer surgery decades ago has interfered with HG’s swallowing apparatus. Crispy, crenulated leaves cause nasty coughing. Two salad exceptions: Daughter Lesley R.’s Newfoundland baby shrimp salad and BSK’s yellow and green bean salad. They were both part of last night’s dinner and HG swallowed much with pleasure and ease. Don’t see yellow beans in many USA supermarkets but they are grown in many farms here on Prince Edward Island. (See Hungry Gerald post Aug. 31, 2014 for an appreciation). Paris bistros should take bean cooking lessons from BSK. Traditional bistros serve haricot verts and string beans cooked to a mush and modernist bistros serve them raw and inedible. Here’s how BSK cooked yellow and green beans last night. Boiled until they reached the perfect al dente crunch. Then a rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Dressed with olive oil, lemon juice, Maldon sea salt, smoked black pepper and a shower of herbs. A delight. Meal began with crisp fried zucchini blossoms from BSK’s garden; shucked Colville Bay oysters (distinctive green tinged shells); Lesley’s shrimp salad. This was followed by steamed soft-shell clams, green salad, bean salad, cups of Andrew MacDonald’s lusty mussel chowder. Nice anthology of PEI sea and farm treats.

Joy!! Gifted Daughter Lesley R., her husband, Massimo, and HG/BSK’s brilliant and beautiful granddaughter, Arianna R. are with HG/BSK at the family oceanfront home on Prince Edward Island. And, with them is endearing Pip, their very intelligent dog. Toby, The Wonder Dog, is overjoyed at the companionship. Only R. family member missing is Sofia, who is sweltering in New York. Sunny, warm days on PEI. (As HG writes, HG gazes at Lesley and Massimo in kayaks on a calm sea). Yesterday was a scorcher so there were many swims interrupting beach lounging. Returned home from the beach parched and sunbaked. Comforting showers and cold drinks (a large Negroni for HG). Appetites kicked into high gear. BSK’s sister, Noel, and husband, Yossi, arrived for dinner bringing a rack of lamb, many vegetables, a large bunch of fragrant lavender, all from their verdant Ocean Mist Farm. (Noel and Yossi are super industrious and athletic, top flight equestrian and horse trainers as well as being farmers, builders and livestock breeders. Despite advancing maturity, they seem to be constructed of steel and copper wire). For dinner, Lesley (with BSK as sous chef), prepared a lusty Basque influenced casserole. Onions and garlic were softened in olive oil (big Creuset baking dish was used). White wine and stock were added to a few layers of thinly sliced potatoes plus browned fennel sausage and chopped Kalamata olives. When the potatoes were just about cooked, sliced tomatoes were added. Finally, the delicious melange was topped with two pounds of haddock filets. Brief baking to keep the fish cooked but firm and juicy. Then under the broiler for a brief glaze. The result was a culinary masterpiece. A baguette from the Cardigan Farmers Market soaked up the savory juices. Big green salad followed. Copious wine (red and white) was drunk. Finale was Lebanese “Halwa.” HG sipped Portuguese Bagaco (marc) from a local vineyard. The end to a perfect day.

Though there are scores of food trucks in New York offering a wide array of top-quality food from around the globe, the Sabrett “dirty water” hot dog still flourishes. Are they good? No. They are boiled and float in salty hot water. When still wet, they are plunked on a mediocre roll. However, when this soggy mess is topped with mustard, sauerkraut and the concoction known as “pushcart onions” it appeases hunger. A culinary mystery. The best NYC hot dogs exist off the street. Papaya King (various locations) still rules. And, happily they are available online. So are the very good hot dogs served at Katz’s old-time deli on Houston Street. Schaller and Weber, the great German sausage and pork store, ships wieners (and knockwurst) so that true hot dog (or choucroute) feasts are now available for HG to enjoy in New Mexico and PEI. (BSK is ambivalent about these enticements). Strange fact: Best New York hot dog and kraut was served at a long-gone fast food counter in the Port Authority Bus Terminal on Eighth Avenue. With memory clouded by nostalgia, HG longs for the “specials” (bigger than a frank, smaller than a knockwurst) that were served many decades ago at the Tower Delicatessen and Restaurant on Kingsbridge Road in The Bronx. Long replaced in the neighborhood by Leche y Miel Dominican restaurant and other ethnic eateries (as HG has noted in a previous post). Hey, a Shrimp Mofonguito (lush) at Leche y Miel is a tasty sign of cultural and culinary diversity, says HG.

HG has always enjoyed Chicago food. When SJ lived there, excellent son led HG/BSK to wonderful eating experiences. Now closed, Soul Kitchen served splendid oysters and the best ever shrimp and grits adorned with fried sage leaves. Cafe Ba Ba Reeba pleasured HG with hearty blood sausage (morcilla)and cannelloni with tuna and a creamy vinaigrette. Funky Korean and Mexican joints. And, Frontera, refined Mexican cooking. SJ/HG/BSK were not fond of Chicago’s deep dish pizza. Allegiance was to New York and New Jersey. Street food was sublime. The two famous (deserved) examples are the Chicago Hot Dog (Vienna Brand frankfurter, yellow mustard, green pickle relish, pickle spear, tomato wedges, pickled sport peppers, dash of celery salt) and the Italian Beef Sandwich (slices of Vienna brand beef with a lush brown gravy enriched with Worcestershire Sauce, wine and bacon fat). These good things are tasty but messy. Cover up when eating. A tarp would be helpful. When in Chicago on business, HG ate often at traditional Gene & Georgetti. “Garbage Salad” to start (shrimp, onions, tomatoes, garlic, olives, etc.). Main dish was calf’s liver grilled medium rare and accompanied by thick-cut bacon, fried onions and garlic mashed potatoes. Finale was grappa. Happy memories.

The west edge of New York’s theater district was once filled with inexpensive French bistros serving robust versions of traditional dishes (Chez Napoleon is the last survivor). These days it’s difficult to find their specialties on restaurant menus. (a victory for the Health Police). Some examples: Kidneys in mustard sauce. Calf’s liver grilled medium-rare. Head cheese (bits of the tongue, brains, etc. in aspic). Brains in black butter. Tripe. Jambon persille (an aspic filled with ham and parsley). Cardiologists don’t approve of these dishes. Further west near the Hudson River waterfront there were rough and ready bistros catering to sailors from the French ocean liners plus seamen who liked hearty dishes and pitchers of cheap wine. This was where HG first tasted a Matelote (sailor) seafood stew. An HG favorite was a matelote with eels. The eels were stewed into tenderness in fish stock and red wine filled with carrots, onions, garlic (much) and herbs. There was also a matelote made with pollock or cod (delicious). These bistros were always fragrant with the aromas of long-simmering stews of beef, pork and chicken. Perfect dining for people with big appetites and small purses. A filling meal with a pitcher of red wine cost less than a dollar.

Sometimes HG/BSK break classic culinary rules and enjoy a dinner folks may think odd. Last night, for example. With a pleasant cocktail in hand (tequila, dry vermouth and lemon juice), HG shucked and devoured some Malpeque oysters (BSK drank pinot grigio on the rocks). HG switched to the white wine for the second course of softshell clams dunked in broth and melted butter. For the main dish of sweet potatoes, both HG and BSK switched to a robust Argentine Malbec. BSK’s sweet potatoes are peeled, sliced into batons and baked to a crisp with olive oil, garlic and herbs. That’s the way BSK likes them. Meanwhile, for HG a big (scrubbed but not peeled) sweet potato baked in the oven for more than an hour. The result was a soft, lush sweet potato. HG sliced it open and added butter, sea salt and ground pepper. Celestial. Brought back memories of the sweet potatoes sold on Bronx streets when HG grew up during the Great Depression. Glad that sweet potatoes are a popular street food in Japanese cities.