HUNGRY GERALD

Many years ago, HG commuted to an HG/BSK summer home in scenic New Paltz (Upstate New York). This was a historic (Filled with antiques) French Hugenot stone dwelling with a guest cottage and a chilly water swimming pool for a very modest sum. New Paltz is a one and a half hour drive from New York so HG commuted there by express bus. When working late HG skipped home cooking for a meal at a Greek restaurant on the second floor of the Port Authority Bus Terminal (Eatery is long gone). A HG’s favorite meal was Moussaka and multiple glasses of retsina (An acquired taste). Retsina is a pungent pine flavored wine and Moussaka, cooked in the oven, is served in the pottery dish it was cooked in. Bubbling hot. Essentially, the dish consists of ground lamb enriched with seasonal vegetables and herbs and spices. Topped with a thick layer of bechamel. BSK made a big baking dish of it two nights ago. Hearty and delicious. Much left over so HG/BSK brought the baking dish to Gifted daughter Lesley R.’s home. Happy festive dinner for five hungry adults. Much praise for BSK. And, what are HG/BSK eating tonight for dinner? You guessed it. Moussaka (The last of it). Here’s a sidebar: One night.HG was busy with a spinach pie at that Greek eatery and Mel Brooks was seated at an adjacent table with friends. Upon seeing HG, Mel embraced HG and shouted “It’s the great actor Boris Thomashefsky !!! One of my heroes.” HG admitted that HG was that actor (Of course, Boris had been dead for many years. He was a flamboyant (hammy?) star of the Yiddish stage.) HG had much funny Yiddish/ English badinage with Brooks. No tape or any other record of those moments exists. Too bad. HG had a mane of white hair in those late 60’s–thus the purported resemblance to Boris.