HG meals in Paris or Rome (or Florence) were always predictable. In Paris, meals always started with oysters (plus whelks and mayonnaise if extra hungry). Dessert was creme brulee. In very special restaurants HG chose ile flottante or baba au rhum (doused in rum and smothered in whipped cream). The baba choice was rare since it seemed a bit exuberant after a sumptuous meal. In Rome and Florence, the starter was fresh, hand-pulled mozzarella with endive (a la Caprese) or mozzarella splashed simply with fruity olive oil and accompanied by good bread. Dessert was gelato purchased at one of the exemplary gelaterias (espresso was sipped at a bar). So, how to approximate these treats when resident at HG/BSK’s oceanfront home? Oysters, of course, are no problem since PEI, in HG’s opinion, is the oyster capital of the world. Only insipid factory mozzarella is available. HG may be spoiled by the many years of eating the supreme smoked mozzarella from Joe’s Dairy (alas, now closed) in Greenwich Village or fresh, milky mozzarella from Belgiovine’s in Montclair, N.J. On PEI, HG/BSK replace the cheese starter with corn on the cob or other vegetable treats. Good news is that HG/BSK can now finish their Island dinners with the appropriate sweets discovered this week at the Sobey’s Supermarket in Charlottetown. For HG that means Marie Morin creme brulee (manufactured in Quessoy, France). For BSK, it’s Fiasco salt caramel gelato (manufactured in Calgary, Canada). HG states, with some hesitation, these are as good as any version HG ingested joyously in Europe.
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