HUNGRY GERALD

New York’s best and shortest (five foot-two) Mayor, Fiorello Laguardia, deftly steered New York City through the Great Depression, World War Two and the early post-war years. The “Little Flower” presented HG with an award for coming in second place in a city wide American history contest (second place was a big time honor as there were hundreds of entries). Laguardia delighted HG’s late Mom, by saying: “Gerald, you must have a wonderful mother who is responsible for your prize.” When there was a brief newspaper strike in 1945, Laguardia read the comics to young radio listeners (Station WNYC). The Mayor always noted that his favorite dish was “Pastafazoole” and he would relish a bowl after reading the comics. “Pastafazoole” is pasta e fagioli–a delicious  stew of  broth, onions, garlic, onions, tomato sauce, spices –plus cannellini beans and small shaped pasta. HG adds a pour of olive oil and hot sauce, before devouring this cold weather treat. BSK makes a tasty variant of this dish–broth, olive oil, garlic, spices, escarole and bacon. BSK purees the escarole (catering to HG’s constricted swallowing). HG had three bowls of this wondrous soup last night accompanied by an outstanding Spanish red wine. Happily, there was enough left over for some lunches.

HG never orders salmon dishes in United States restaurants. Almost always the fish is over done and tasteless. HG thought about this last night at supper while eating BSK’s sublime dish of silky, almost medium rare, baked salmon flanked by herbaceous small sweet potatoes. The key is BSK’s mastery of timing when preparing BSK’s many dishes.  Scrambled eggs, for example. HG never orders them in restaurants. They do not have the lush and creamy texture of BSK’s scrambles ( Scrambled egg cooking is a family affair–HG, son Jeremy and gifted daughter Lesley R. all cook excellent scrambled eggs). Fish dominates BSK’s cuisine and BSK does wonders with cod, hake, grey sole, haddock, etc. BSK heeds the counsel of the great seafood chef, Eric Ripert. who cautions against overcooking. BSK’s timing is the key. (HG loves simple dishes in Paris where salmon is always cooked perfectly. A good example is Salmon in Sorell Sauce at Le Stella brasserie in the 16th. As for omelets and scrambled eggs–if you want them soft and creamy order them “baveuse” –oozing).

Uni (oo-nee) is now carried at Fearless Fish, the remarkable seafood shop in Providence, RI. (A short drive from HG/BSK’s Central Falls loft). Uni is a unique food from the sea. The Japanese use it on sushi  (Much enjoyed by HG).  So, what is Uni? It is the edible part of the sea urchin–possibly the sea urchin’s gonads. Uni has an unusual taste–velvety,smooth. It’s foie gras of  the sea. BSK bought a small tray of Uni for HG–a sensational taste treat. And, Fearless Fish continues to carry John Dory.. BSK sauteed some filets to follow the Uni. The sauce of butter, white wine and lemon juice was simple–and simply fabulous. Israeli couscous and chopped spinach flanked the filets. HG/BSK drank a lush Pinot Noir. It was a memorable supper.

John Dory isn’t a man. It’s a fish. The name comes from the French name for the fish—-“Jaune Doree” (golden fish)—anglicized to “John Dory”. HG/BSK first tasted the fish in posh restaurants in Los Angeles and Vancouver, B.C. HG/BSK loved it–almost on a par with Dover Sole (the real Dover Sole caught in the Atlantic bordering Europe). Le Dome in Paris is famed for Dover Sole and the price is astronomical. Priced for oligarchs is the fresh Dover Sole flown to New York daily. HG/BSK are not oligarchs or travelers to Paris. So, HG/BSK have fish ecstasy with John Dory. It is not found in most supermarkets—it was a special at Fearless Fish in Providence, RI, a short drive from HG/BSK’s Central Falls loft. The seafood shop is renowned for fresh fish, smoked fish, seafood salads, pickled herring, oysters, etc. BSK bought three John Dory filets there yesterday.  BSK pan fried them in butter and olive oil, adding lemon juice and white wine for a sauce. BSK served the succulent John Dory with smashed potatoes and ratatouille. HG/BSK smiled as they ate. Yes, the John Dory was superlative –BSK liked it more than Le Dome’s Dover Sole which swims in a sea of butter, regarded by BSK as overkill, blunting the sea taste of the fish.  John Dory isn’t cheap (What is these days?) but it’s affordable. HG/BSK will rejoice when it appears at Fearless Fish (hope it’s often).

When HG lived in Santa Fe and Colorado, HG could drive.  This meant HG could motor to excellent Vietnamese restaurants and enjoy super size bowls of Pho, enlivened with a handful of greens and herbs. Happily, there were almost a score of  good Pho restaurants in Denver (most located on or near Federal Boulevard.)  In Santa Fe, HG lunched very often at Saigon Cafe, excellent food and efficient service.  These days in Rhode Island, HG is a bit too handicapped to drive. BSK is the chauffeur de luxe. One problem.  BSK (despite HG pleading) refuses to stop at any eatery–Vietnamese, Japanese, Mexican, etc.. BSK makes up for it by making wonderful Pho with leftover Bell & Evans chicken, rice noodles, and a host of vegetables, spices and herbs. HG  had two big bowls of BSK Pho last night. Joy!! BSK made enough for an HG supper next night (if BSK protests, BSK will freeze wonder Pho).

In many Asian restaurants HG has consumed, with pleasure, dishes with coconut milk as a major ingredient.  On the other hand, BSK has shunned coconut milk. Presumably, BSK has believed that it resembles dairy sweet cream–which BSK abhors. Meanwhile,  gifted daughter, Lesley R., has used coconut milk in many family dishes she has made in the Riverside, RI, home she shares with husband, Professor Massimo R.  HG/BSK have enjoyed Lesley R. coconut milk dishes and BSK’s aversion to the ingredient has vanished. Last night, BSK made a fabulous stew/saute of swordfish in a coconut milk sauce. The ingredients—slices of swordfish, coconut milk, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, olive oil,turmeric and a spoonful of honey. BSK simmered the swordfish in this flavorful melange–the result was the most delicious fish dish HG ever tasted  (the exception, of course, is the buttery, astronomically priced Dover Sole at Le Dome in Paris). Sadly, HG can’t get to Paris but BSK’s cooking captures the flavors of that city—and BSk’s wine selections turns HG/BSK’s Central Falls, RI, dining room into a Left Bank bistro serving splendid dishes for supper.

HG’s birthday dinner at Matunuck Oyster Bar (name is misleading, it is a large, busy, scenic restaurant) was an epic. It was the best seafood dinner HG ever had–augmented by a Prosecco and a white wine selected by HG/BSK’s favorite sommelier of Italian wines  –son-in-law Massimo R. Meal started with a seafood tower. The wonderful ingredients: tuna poke, a dozen oysters, six littleneck clams, Jonah crabmeat salad, jumbo shrimp, seaweed salad—and a whole chilled lobster. Each ingredient was superlative–tasting like the good things were plucked from the Rhode Island waters in a timely fashion. The Jumbo shrimp were truly Jumbo–one would make a light lunch. The lobster was tender. Precision cooking made it succulent. HG also ate wondrous Oysters Rockefeller and some crispy calamari. HG’s dessert was a chocolate brownie covered in vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, chopped nuts and whipped cream—stupendous!! If HG remains alive, HG hopes to get back to Matunuck. (Just found the name of the white wine Massimo ordered–Alta Mora Etna Bianco. Remarkable wine).

Want to increase your anxiety level? Read Philip Roth’s 2004 novel, “The  Plot Against America”. The novel details what  America would be like if Charles Linbergh defeated Franklin D.Roosevelt in the 1940 presidential election. Lindbergh headed America First, an isolationist (and anti-semitic) pressure group. Lindbergh admired Adolf Hitler and Germany’s rearmament. He met with Hitler and Goering—and praised German air power. The novel details persecution of Jews during Lindbergh’s administration. The novel was an HBO mini-series in 2020. Four years later America got Trump. Did Roth see the future?

Children (for the most part) are not fond of vegetables. They often push them to a corner of the dinner plate and ignore them. :”Eat your veggies !!”, command Moms (BSK among them). No urging necessary last night at supper in HG/BSK’s Central Falls (bordering Providence), RI ,loft. BSK roasted a big platter of olive oil moistened vegetables–zucchini, peppers, onions, garlic cloves, tomatoes and slices of  yellow squash (an unusual squash discovered by gifted daughter, Lesley R.) Sea scallops topped the melange. Super delicious dish with many health benefits. All negative thoughts about veggies vanished.

The word from Yiddish means, roughly, “Jewishness”.   HG’s dining yesterday focused on “Yiddishkeit”. Jewish fruit compote and yogurt for breakfast. (BSK made the lush compote of dried prunes, apricots and pears. Much better than HG’s compote cooking efforts).  Lunch was Manischewitz Superior Gold gefilte fish in jellied fish broth. Gold’s horseradish gave the fish an appropriate mouth tingle. Supper was a triumph of BSK’s affinity for Jewish food (though BSK is not Jewish–100% Canadian Episcopalian). BSK made an HG favorite–Kasha Varnishkes (buckwheat groats and farfalle pasta). BSK mixed the kasha and farfalle with a melange of mushrooms, onions,and garlic. The dish was simmered in a pungent chicken broth. Topped with sour cream and sprinkles of sea salt and coarse flakes of black pepper, this was a BSK masterpiece—better than any Kasha Varnishkes HG ever ate at New York “dairy” restaurants (Ratner’s, Rappaport’s. Paramount, etc, etc).  HG gave it even more flavor by adding spoonfuls of duck fat.  And, sorry, much better than the dish HG’s late Mom produced in her Bronx kitchen. When it comes to cooking,  BSK must have a smidgen of Yiddishkeit in her ancestry.