HUNGRY GERALD

Pittsburgh has many folks of Polish and Slovak ancestry. Their hardworking immigrant mothers, fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers, were the workers in the iron and steel foundries that made Pittsburgh famous. They brought to America many hearty East European dishes. Among them was Haluski. You can still find Haluski at mealtimes in many Pittsburgh homes and restaurants. HG made Haluski for dinner last night and enjoyed it at lunch today. Here’s how you do it. First, caramelize a large sliced onion in butter and olive oil. Don’t hurry. The onions have to turn a dark brown. Then add a thinly sliced cabbage (plus butter, olive oil and lots of garlic). Fry a lot of bacon until crisp (reserve the melted bacon fat). Keep cooking until the cabbage is soft and lightly browned. Meanwhile, have a pot of water boiling. Cook pasta (HG likes a small shape like fiorelli or penne.) When cooked, add it to the onion/cabbage mix. Finally, add the crumbled bacon. Pour some bacon fat into the Haluski (this is not a weight watcher dish) and give it a vigorous mix with pepper and salt to taste. HG likes Haluski with a side of sour cream BSK gives it an Italian touch with a dusting of parmesan. Either way Haluski is a lush (and filling) meal.

Yes, that’s how Palestinians spell Palestine (no “P” in Arabic). And, “Falastin” is the name of a wonderful cookbook that celebrates the food and traditions of Palestine food. Recipes sharpen the appetite. The author is Sami Tamimi (with Tara Wigley). Sami is an Arab Palestinian who grew up in Jerusalem and became head chef at a top restaurant in Tel Aviv. Later, he moved to London where with Yotam Ottolenghi, an Israeli, he collaborated in opening the celebrated Ottolenghi restaurants (there are now four and two food shops) plus authoring two cookbooks with Ottolenghi. Sami is head executive chef of all the Ottolenghi locations. BSK was fascinated by the “Falestin” recipe for pan sheet lemon chicken. BSK made it last night. Marinated skin on-bone in chicken thighs in chicken broth, olive oil, and plentiful amounts of lemon juice, garlic, onions. Spiced it up with zaatar, sumac, turmeric, paprika and jalapeno salt (for heat). Topped it with many lemon slices. When the pan came out of the oven the chicken was beautifully browned and happily afloat on vegetables and flavorful sauce. BSK served it with fluffy couscous and harissa. One of the great chicken dishes. Thankfully, there were leftovers so there will be an easy repeat. Many thanks, Mr. Tamimi.

Okay, jazz lovers, here’s some old-time stuff. When HG entered the early teenage years, there were two jazz programs on New York radio. Symphony Sid (think he was sponsored by the Hollywood Al’s clothing store) and Fred Robbins’s Robbins Nest. Robbins was HG’s favorite. With the radio close to the pillows of HG’s bed, HG was beguiled by Robbins’s eclectic array of jazz greats. Billie Holliday, Maxine Sullivan, Anita O’Day were among the female vocalists. Mel “The Velvet Fog” Torme was HG’s male fave (plus the very eccentric Slim Gaillard). Robbins had a wide range. He played Dixieland (mainly Louis Armstrong), mainstream jazz (Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, Don Byas, Red Norvo, etc.) and even some European groups like The Hot Club of France with Django Reinhardt and Stephan Grapelli. The best was Robbins’s emphasis on small groups which he termed: “Intime and On The Beam.” Finally, he was one of the first to play Charlie Parker, Tad Dameron and other bebop pioneers. Fred had a long (and lucrative) career on radio and TV. He hosted game shows and produced and directed much TV. But,it was as a pioneering, adventurous jazz disc jockey that he gave HG maximum pleasure. (As for Symphony Sid: He had a 36 year history on radio–starting in 1937 on radio station WBNX in The Bronx. He was probably the first white disc jockey to play the music of Black jazz musicians. Like Robbins, he was a pioneering advocate of bebop).

Big eggplant in the fridge. HG peeled the big boy and cut it into chunks. Spicy Chinese eggplant was dinner tonight. Here’s how HG did it. Browned the eggplant in sizzling canola oil. Removed the eggplant chunks when they browned and slightly softened. More oil in the pan. Added two thinly sliced onions. When they softened added chopped garlic (much) and ginger (much). When they cooked slightly, it was time to add soy sauce, oyster sauce, some water, dash of maple syrup (classic recipe calls for sugar but HG prefers maple syrup). Lusty spoonfuls of sambal oelek (HG likes it a bit mouth burning). Put the eggplant back in the pan to simmer and absorb all the flavors. When all was soft and lush, HG topped it with a film of sesame oil and grinds of black pepper. This was served over sushi rice (rinsed thoroughly by BSK before cooking). Fabulous eating. There was leftover rice. Congee in the future?

HG is a very old guy (91 in November, hopefully). Despite all of the infirmities of advanced years, HG is a very happy man, Why not? HG lives in beautiful places (New Mexico and Prince Edward Island); HG is in the 58th year of marriage to the best woman in the world, the beautiful, caring, talented BSK. And, HG has the endearing companionship of Toby The Wonder Dog (miss the little fellow who is happy with glorious granddaughter Sofia in New Mexico while HG/BSK frolic by the sea in PEI). Culinary highlights: Oysters and seafood in PEI and green chile menudo and enchiladas in The Land of Enchantment (New Mexico state description). Despite so many delights, HG’s spirits lag at times (Trump-induced). HG chases the blues away with music. Fats Waller, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald bring joy. Jackie Cain and Roy Kral riffing on “Mountain Greenery” always lift the spirits (and bring back good memories of these HG/BSK pals). Yo Yo Ma, the cello genius, is a pleasure and when in need of laughter, nothing beats watching W.C. Fields on Youtube. Godfrey Daniel!!

The idiot neo-fascist in The White House thinks he looks like the fictional Lone Ranger when he wears a disease-preventing mask. Of course, the Ranger wore his minimal mask over his eyes — a useless device during the pandemic, and questionable as an effective disguise. Typical of Trump that he’s concerned about his personal appearance rather than the health of Americans. Egocentricity verging on madness. Anyway, it made HG think back 80 years. Home from school, HG had a snack and listened to radio serials before joining HG’s friends in street games. The Lone Ranger and his companion, Tonto, were favorites (BSK recalled that actors Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels portrayed these western heroes). Other favorite serials were “Jack Armstrong, The All-American Boy” and “Renfrew of the Mounties” (Renfrew was the beginning of HG’s love for Canada). Best of all radio personalities was “Uncle Don”, a precursor of “Mr. Rogers” of TV. HG recalls the song young HG sang with Uncle Don: “Hippity gitz hotsah rimboree sibonyeh skippity,high low dee, honeykodoke and nalacazon, sing this song with Uncle Don. We’ll buy stamps and war bonds too; to Uncle Sam we’ll be true blue; We’ll show Hitler we’re no saps; Stamp on him and lick those Japs.” World War Two patriôtism with a touch of ethnic slurs.

Surprise (a happy one). Prince Edward Island’s Atlantic Superstores in Prince Edward Island offers sublime, perfectly aged gorgonzola cheese–both “dolce” and “picante”– imported from Italy. This is a favorite cheese and HG/BSK use it in a variety of ways. HG likes to climax dinner with gorgonzola spread on crackers with a side of local strawberry jam. Goes nicely with a glass of robust red wine. HG/BSK like to spread the cheese atop a pan-broiled steak or hamburger. BSK adds it to BSK’s sublime cauliflower sauce for pasta. HG adds gorgonzola to softly scrambled eggs. Also, mixes the cheese with melted butter and many grinds of black pepper into a bowl of egg noodles. BSK adds gorgonzola to BSK’s green salads (they taste much like the Roquefort salad that accompanied HG’s rare steaks at New York’s legendary, long closed, Christ Cella steak house). Gorgonzola enhances life.