Family, fun, food and wine pleasures began on Thanksgiving Day. Crisp autumn day. Sunshine. Early afternoon there were cups of steaming squash soup enriched with dollops of sour cream. Pure comfort. This is a family Thanksgiving tradition started many years ago by HG’s beloved late sister, Beulah Naomi Freeman Katz. HG/BSK’s gifted daughter, Lesley R.’s version had an underpinning of piquant spice. A nice touch. In attendance at the festivities were Lesley R. and Massimo R.’ s (Profesore M. is L.’s husband) beautiful and brilliant daughter Arianna R. (flew in from her home in Colorado). A guest was Coppelia, a distinguished academic colleague of Profesore R. So, this was a group that liked to eat (and drink). L. & R.’s Riverside RI home was the welcome venue. On to the feast: A big, burnished turkey with a juicy breast and flavorful thighs. Mashed potatoes. Stuffing. Cranberry sauce. String beans. Roasted fennel. Macaroni and cheese (created by Arianna). And–happy day!!–lots, lots, lots of sublime gravy. Massimo kept glasses full of outstanding red wines. (servers forgot a wonderful Moroccan cooked carrot salad–not to worry—saved it for the next day). Desserts included Coppellia’s apple tart and L.’s wondrous pumpkin cheesecake. At meal’s conclusion, the group’s collective tummies were close to happy bursting. The dinner was repeated the next night though HG limited himself to sliced turkey breast (afloat in gravy), mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and the forgotten Moroccan carrots. And, on Nov.26, HG’s daughter, Victoria Freeman, and her husband, Marc Meyer arrived in Rhody. V. and M. are in a partnership that owns and runs five successful New York restaurants–Cookshop, Shukette, Vic’s, Shuka and Rosie’s. Marc is a renowned chef, a pioneer in the farm-to-table movement. V. and M. drove to HG/BSK’s spacious loft in Central Falls,RI. As anticipated,they were astonished at the size, light, and huge windows of the loft. Even though the living room is still a bit of a jumble, we all were comfortable sitting there, chatting and catching up with family news as we sipped white wine. (in some months, V. and M. will become grandparents). Then off to L & M’s Riverside home for a seafood feast. Generous Victoria and Marc, as usual, did not come empty handed. Two big tins of caviar and a large baking dish of Marc’s brandade (more about the brandade in a moment). Meal began with a platter of chilled Rhode Island oysters (expertly shucked by Massimo and Marc). Then on to the caviar and accompaniments (wine was chilled Prosecco). Third course was Marc’s brandade. HG was ecstatic.. This is the best brandade in the world. Marc uses fresh cod rather than salt cod and browns the brandade under the broiler after making a decorative pattern on the top. A creative touch. HG would happily eat Marc’s lush dish every night of HG’s life. Last course was not an anti-climax (even though the brandade is a tough act to follow.) Lesley enriched her fish stew with an abundance of Rhody clams (best in the USA). So, the feasting finally ended. Early the next morning, V. and M. drove back to New York and their many responsibilities. A brief but glowing visit.
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