HUNGRY GERALD

Wisps of sun seemed determined to break through the clouds on a breezy Saturday in Prince Edward Island. HG/BSK went off to the Charlottetown Famers Market. HG picked up a bag of tiny (really tiny) potatoes, one of the riches of PEI’s red soil, plus a pound of fresh haddock. These products (plus spinach and cherry tomatoes) would be the elements of the night’s dinner. BSK concentrated shopping on greens, onions, etc., plus a big bone for Toby, The Wonder Dog (he gnawed it happily later in the day). After completing banking and other errands, HG suggested lunch at King’s, a much-touted Chinese restaurant. Prescient BSK was not enthusiastic but agreed. King’s was very disappointing. Chinese families and couples occupied the other tables in the restaurant and seemed to be dining with pleasure. Did HG/BSK order the wrong dishes? Is King’s worth another visit? Only good Chinese food HG/BSK ever ate on PEI was at Summer Kitchen in Charlottetown. It lasted about one year before closing. There are a number of Chinese (and Japanese) groceries on PEI and a growing Asian population. So, why no good Chinese restaurants?

There’s a chill in the Prince Edward Island air and some leaves are beginning to show autumn colors. There are pork chops in the freezer (from organic pigs raised at Ocean Mist Farm). Hey, time for a New Mexico meal, a staple at HG/BSK’s Santa Fe County home. The chops were brined, dried, dusted with Goya Adobo and sizzled in a cast iron pan until the exteriors were brown and the interiors a juicy light pink (overcooking destroys pork chops). BSK prepared sauteed peppers and onions (nobody makes this better than BSK). HG opened a can of Canadian black beans (Goya is not available on PEI but these beans were acceptable). Heated the beans with a squeeze of garlic. Topped them with chopped onions, sour cream and Cajun spices. Salad of local yellow beans, scallions, and feta cheese. Drank a good pinot noir. Happy meal from The Land of Enchantment on The Enchanted Island.

HG has happy memories of perfect New York meals. At Veau D’or: Brains in back butter preceded by sausage with warm potato salad. At The Russian Tearoom: Blini with red caviar, melted butter and sour cream preceded by borscht. At Paul & Jimmy’s: Poached striped bass in brodo with a starter of linguine with white clam sauce. At Christ Cella: Lump crab meat cocktail, New York strip steak, Roquefort cheese salad. At Gitlitz Delicatessen: Pastrami and chopped liver on rye with coleslaw, Russian dressing and pickles. At Delsomma: Penne in broccoli sauce, pork chops with vinegar peppers and potatoes. At Fornos: Margaritas and roast pork with Spanish potatoes and broiled bananas. At Luchow’s: Pfefferlinge (wild mushroom fricasee) and Schlemershnitte (steak tartar covered in Beluga caviar). Blue Ribbon: Grilled bratwurst with sauerkraut and home fries followed by apple pancake. Artist & Writers: Dry martinis and koenigberger klops (meatballs in a dill and sour cream sauce). Paramount Dairy: Warm gefilte fish in fish broth and kashe varnishkes with mushroom and onion gravy. Nom Wah (of yesteryear): Dim sum. (HG has written about HG’s perfect meals at Gage & Tollner in a previous post). These are all joyous meals but they pale compared to the meal HG would relish often at the counter of the Grand Central Oyster Bar. Eight chilled oysters on the half shell. Oyster Pan Roast. Nesselrode pie. The pan roast was prepared behind the counter in a special pot by a dour, unsmiling older Italian. It was incomparable, redolent of the sea and the richness of farmland. For years, HG/BSK have tried to replicate this dish. The ingredients and cooking technique are simple. However, HG/BSK have always failed. Their attempts created a pallid dish, in no way comparable to the Oyster Bar wonder. HG tried again last night using big, plump Red Head Select oysters. The result: FAILURE.

Heavy rain is washing away the salty residue (from Hurricane Dorian) on the windows of HG/BSK’s Prince Edward Island oceanfront home. It’s time for a comforting breakfast. HG mixed the kernels of last night’s leftover Blum’s sweet corn into pancake batter and sizzled a batch of pancakes which were doused with Canadian maple syrup. Glasses of orange juice and multi cups of steaming coffee. Comfort achieved. HG usually has a spartan breakfast of Greek yogurt and fruit (nectarines rule). However, rain and cold call for warming breakfasts. These are some HG favorites: Grits topped with poached eggs (as only BSK can make them). Egg noodles with butter, salt, pepper, and ricotta cheese. Oatmeal with dried fruit. Wheatena (a childhood cereal favorite) accompanied by cups of hot chocolate (using Droste’s cocoa). Beautiful Vancouver has many rainy days. Locals call Vancouver, with affection, “Rain City.” When HG/BSK occupied a loft in the colorful Mt. Pleasant neighborhood, HG would have the ultimate rainy day breakfast at Congee Noodle House restaurant on Broadway. Big bowl of congee (rice porridge) topped with nuts. Rice crepes with barbecued pork and shrimp. Thin-skinned juicy wontons floating in a bit of chicken stock. Many cups of hot tea. HG intends to have that savory breakfast when HG/BSK visit Vancouver this November (an HG birthday–90–treat). Rain is anticipated and welcomed.

Hurricane Dorian dealt Prince Edward Island a blow. No, not like the Bahamas. No houses were blown away. No injuries. No fatalities. A store in the small town of Montague lost its roof; trees were uprooted blocking roads and damaging electric wires. The sea in front of HG/BSK’s oceanfront home was a white froth of churning waves. The rain was intense. Winds howled ferociously knocking out the electricity so no lights, water or internet — resourceful BSK planned wisely for this eventuality, stockpiling candles, lanterns and bottled water. Though the storm sounded ominous, HG/BSK kept snug and dry. Morning found the house un-damaged; the same could not be said for BSK’s carefully tended vegetable garden which was torn apart by the winds. With the power still out, BSK/HG kept informed by battery-operated radio. Grateful for the gas stove so HG/BSK had plenty of hot coffee, ate much Blum’s sweet corn and enjoyed pasta dishes smothered in vegetables — all by the romantic glow of candlelight. HG/BSK had blissful hot showers last night (Sept. 9) after power and water were restored. Internet became functional an hour ago (Sept.10). Today, the sea is calm, the sun is bright. Perfect day for a walk along the bluffs with Toby, The Wonder Dog.

Delightful guests. Rob H. and wife, Kimber W-H, arrived at HG/BSK’s Prince Edward Island for a two or three-day visit. Rob and Kimber are New Mexico neighbors. Rob was the very effective leader in defeating the efforts of a Texas company to build dangerous electric power lines in the serene and scenic Pojoaque Valley where HG/BSK and gifted, creative neighbors live. (BSK describes her role in the successful campaign as “minor”). Rob flies his own plane and he and Kimber landed in Charlottetown on Thursday. Pleasant locavore dinner of sweet corn (Blum’s best) and fried hake with tomato/onion/feta salad. Canadian butter tarts with vanilla ice cream for dessert. Meal was enhanced by their gift of Rodney Strong cabernet. Snifters of local Myriad View Moonshine was the after-dinner finale. A happy time dining and conversing with erudite, interesting, charming (and kitchen helplful) Rob and Kimber. Alas, their visit was cut short. Friday was sunny and BSK, K. and R., enjoyed walking on beautiful Greenwich beach followed by lunch at the Lobster Shack in Souris. But, Hurricane Dorian was threatening so Rob and Kimber deemed it prudent to fly to Bangor, Maine, while the weather was still good. Wished their visit was longer. The consolation: HG/BSK will see them in New Mexico.

BSK’s talents are endless. Brilliant in art, cuisine, design, architecture, light construction, home repairs. Also a superior professional political, economic and environmental strategist (Hey, BSK saved a scenic Colorado canyon from being turned into a gravel pit!). Here, on Prince Edward Island, BSK has surrounded HG/BSK’s oceanfront home with a beautifully composed and colorful garden of flowers and shrubs. And, next to BSK’s studio/garage, BSK has cultivated flourishing crops of zucchini, cherry tomatoes, lettuces, and herbs. During SJ’s recent PEI sojourn, SJ beguiled his family with fried zucchini blossoms and slices from the garden. Last night, HG/BSK kept things local for a pleasant dinner. HG shucked Red Head Select oysters (big and juicy). BSK pan-broiled lots of cherry tomatoes in olive oil, parsley, garlic (from Ocean Mist Farm). It was served over tagliatelle and sprinkled with torn basil, red pepper flakes and parmesan. Sublime. HG finished the meal with a snifter of moonshine from the Myriad View distillery in Souris. Locavore luxury.

From the 1920’s into the late 50’s Jews –as fighters, managers and promoters–were prominent in the world of professional boxing. The lighter weight divisions were dominated by Jews like Benny Leonard, Ted Kid Lewis, Ruby Goldstein, Abe Attell and many others. Later. in the heavier divisions there there were the Brownsville Brooklyn battlers like Al “Bummy” Davis, Morrie Reif, “Schoolboy” Friedkin and others, Also, heavyweights like Maxie Rosenbloom, Max Baer and “Kingfish” Levinsky. Jewish managers like Al Weill and Mike Jacobs dominated. Post World War Two America brought prosperity and opened opportunities for Jews that had been restricted by quotas and restrictions. Young Jews became lawyers, doctors, etc. Like Jewish criminals (Lepke Buchalter, Buggsy Siegel, Arnold Rothstein, etc. ,etc.), the Jewish world of boxing faded into the past, only remembered by nostalgic oldsters. An old guy like HG remembers watching Jewish battlers in New York at St. Nicholas Arena, Broadway Arena, the Forum. There was a belief that African- American fighters shrugged off blows to the head. Jewish fight fans would shout to their favorites: “Hit’em in the kishkes!!”. The Yiddish word “kishkes” means stomach or belly. The Jewish fighters followed this advice. Often misguided.

BSK makes many great soups. There’s zucchini soup (topped with Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of cayenne). Sorrel soup (unadorned if hot and mixed with a dollop of sour cream if cold). Garbanzo and rosemary soup (a pour of olive oil and a sprinkle of parmesan). “Green Heaven Soup” (numerous fresh veggies in the fridge pureed and unadorned except for salt and ground black pepper). Italian escarole, bean and bacon soup (big splash of olive oil and lots of parmesan). Today, BSK added another soup to her repertoire. Green tomato soup. During HG’s year living in Georgia (when very young), HG often ate slices of green tomato slices that were first dipped in a peppery batter and fried in lard. (a very tasty memory). BSK’s green tomato soup matched it in terms of culinary pleasure. BSK cooked the green tomatoes with onions, garlic, chicken broth and a fiery jalapeno pepper. Pureed it with an immersion blender. Many levels of flavor. All delicious.

HG has often been asked to name a favorite restaurant. The answer is simple: The long closed Gage & Tollner on Fulton Street in downtown Brooklyn. The restaurant had a long run, 1879 to 2004. The interior featured dark wood panelling, patches of stained glass and colorful tiles. Gentle, flattering gas lamp lighting. The waitpersons, mainly dignified, courtly African-American males, were Gage & Tollner veterans, their years of service marked by bars on their uniforms. The menu tilted toward seafood but also had world class steaks and chops. HG always started the HG meal with either oysters or little neck clams on the half shell. Followed by incomparable “clam bellies” sauteed in butter. Main dish was a tender, medium rare mutton chop accompanied by corn fritters. In the spring, HG enjoyed shad and shad roe with crisp bacon and boiled potatoes. Dessert was Nesselrode pie. Not surprisingly, HG’s current New York favorite restaurants are those owned and run by HG daughter, Victoria, and husband/chef Marc Meyer (Vic’s, Cookshop, Shuka and Rosie’s. The opening of a fifth restaurant, Shukette, is imminent). HG’s favorite food city is Vancouver, B.C. Wonderful Asian food and the splendid Granville Island Public Market. Runner up is not Paris but Reims in champagne country. Perfect oysters, sole, etc. at a fraction of Paris prices.