HUNGRY GERALD

Sometimes you want a quick and comforting dinner. Little chopping. Few ingredients. Ingredients from the freezer and fridge. Ravioli “stracciatella” with vegetables is the fix. Here’s how you do it: Boil chicken broth. Swirl beaten egg into the broth to make “egg threads.” Add some baby spinach (from the fridge) and ravioli (from the freezer). On Prince Edward Island, HG favors Ziggy’s Cheese and Spinach ravioli. Toss in some frozen peas (from the freezer, obviously). When all is done, pour into heated bowls. A sprinkle of Parmesan is optional, A grind of black pepper and a sprinkle of sea salt are essentials. Healthy, convenient dinner. Try it and enjoy.

Yes, if you’ve got a can of beans, you’ve got a meal. In the early days of courtship and marriage some 57 years ago, super lovely young (22 years old) BSK would open a can of Campbell’s Baked Beans. BSK would enhance them with fried onions and ketchup. The beans were served with grilled kosher frankfurters. Besotted with love and lust, HG would pronounce the dish a gourmet treat. Last night on cold and snowy Prince Edward Island, BSK made a side dish of cannellini beans mixed with onions, garlic, finely chopped baby spinach and lots of herbs and spices. Lush. BSK says that a similar stew with garbanzo beans, carrots, spinach, etc., is in the future. When living in New York many years ago , HG consumed many bowls of Moros and Cristianos (savory back beans and rice). These days (when in New Mexico), a favorite HG/BSK meal is Trader Joe’s pork chops, flavored with Goya Adobo spice and fried. The chops are accompanied by a melange of sauteed peppers and onions. Obligatory is a bowl of Goya black beans topped with chopped raw onions and a dollop of sour cream. Pass Frank’s Hot Sauce.

HG/BSK have almost 50 feet of windows facing the sea (like much of Prince Edward Island the sea is presently covered with a sheet of ice and snow). HG has the perfect vantage point to watch sunsets as the sun continues to move to the northwest. The colors fascinate. The sun becomes a blazing orange disc.Then, there are shadows of violet with glimpses of tiny bits of blue sky. Pale green shadows appear. Intense pink takes over that is very similar to the French designer Elsa Schaparelli’s “shocking pink” (Yves St. Laurent called it “warrior pink”). Gradually, the skies fade to a very gentle pink before fading into darkness. Fortunate HG, pre-dinner cocktail in hand, watches this color cavalcade almost every night (rain, snow or heavy cloud cover can eliminate the viewing). Sunsets are better than TV. Can’t beat Mother Nature.

Had a lush dinner last night of BSK’s creamy (lots of blue cheese and feta) cauliflower with penne. Chased away windy Prince Edward Island chills. This is just one of BSK’s delicious vegetable pasta dishes. Others are pasta al la norma (eggplant); pasta with zucchini and ricotta (sometimes crisp bacon is added); unsurpassed pasta with broccoli (on a par with the dish served at the lamentably closed Delsomma Restaurant in New York’s theater district.) BSK also makes pasta with finely chopped baby spinach, much garlic and onion, all gilded with Sicilian olive oil; pasta with green peas and parmesan; pasta with extra garlicky broccoli di rabe. BSK has noted a pasta dish with brussel sprouts leaves but hasn’t cooked it yet. HG’s all time favorite pasta dish is spaghetti aglio e olio (olive oil and garlic). A few anchovies and chopped flat leaf parsley give it extra zest. BSK cooks this to flavorful perfection. (This is a favorite dish of Romans after a night of drunken carousing).

Spring and daylight savings time are arriving. However, even though the sun intermittently shines through and sunsets are spectacular, the weather has taken a turn for chill and wind. Time for a hearty, sustaining Prince Edward Island breakfast. Wonderful BSK got busy and prepared delicious buttery grits topped with perfectly poached eggs. A sprinkle of sea salt. A grind of black pepper. A modest splash of Frank’s Hot Sauce. Heaven in a bowl. BSK used Red Mill Grits and they were almost as good as Geechie Boy grits. (Geechie Boy grits with saucy Cajun style shrimp is great eating.).

BSK is an adventurous, creative cook. BSK is apt to mix culinary traditions from various cultures, use a variety of spices from different nations, pay little attention to directions for heat or methods. BSK’s rules are her own and the result is delicious, comforting food BSK shares with HG every day. A few nights ago, there was a cannellini, rice, vegetable stew improvised from handy ingredients. HG was sure to eat his bowl with a spoonful of spicy sambal oelek. One of HG’s favorite BSL cultural crossovers is “fire chicken”. Chicken thighs are cooked with spicy Korean chili paste and chili flakes. Then they get the Italian touch of being topped with mozzarella slices which melt into lushness. Koreatalian??

HG grew up in The Great Depression of the 1930’s. In little HG’s home, HG’s Mom made sure no drop of food was wasted. (In those days a penny bought one cigarette or a small handful of pignoli nuts in the shell). When she peeled a banana there was a bit of banana in the tip of the fruit. Mom called it the “crychik” (Yiddish) and squeezed it out and added it to HG’s breakfast of cereal and sliced bananas. HG does the same today, adding the “crychik” to HG’s daily breakfast of yogurt, banana and maple syrup. BSK tosses the “crychik” with the rest of the banana skin. And, that’s the difference between growing up in the 30’s and the more prosperous 40’s and 50’s. HG does not accuse BSK of lack of thrift. Little goes to waste in BSK’s household management and BSK finds bargains galore in everything from snow boots to cosmetics. But, BSK wastes the “crychik.”

This Catalonian city is one of HG/BSK’s favorite destinations. Strolling on the lively Rambla. Eating tapas in numerous little bars and restaurants. The incredible food market with its encyclopedic array of sea critters, vegetables and astounding cuts of meat;and the bar dispensing beautiful plates of seafood. Architecture ranging from Gaudi to Mies van der Rohe (yes, that’s where his “Barcelona Chair”, a staple of modern interior design came from, a Barcelona World’s Fair). And, of course, there are many wide, sandy beaches, perfect for lounging after a dip in the sea. Some decades ago, HG/BSK were at a fashionable bistro. Seated at the bar were two elegant women. HG/BSK saw the bartender present them with generous, steaming plates (appeared to be a stew). The ladies ate with happy gusto and drank many glasses of white wine. HG told the waiter: “We’ll have the same.” Turned out to be a bake of fresh cod, sliced potatoes, peppers, onions, garlic, fish broth, olive oil and dashes of hot sauce. It was great . BSK has made many versions of the dish on Prince Edward Island where fresh (not previously frozen) cod is available. Ate it last night with happiness. HG/BSK refer to the dish as “Barcelona joy.”