HUNGRY GERALD

It has been a joy having a wonderful daughter, Lesley R., in Prince Edward Island with HG/BSK. Lesley’s presence illuminated every day at the family’s oceanfront home ( great sea views). Her cooking made every supper a feast. And, of course, she did the heavy lifting in getting the PEI home in order after a long, rainy drive from Rhode Island. Bad news: Lesley left for Rhody this morning. Good news: She’ll be back in a few weeks. Pip, Lesley and husband Massimo’s gentle and intelligent female dog, and Toby, HG/BSK’s Wonder Dog, are bereft at Lesley’s absence and affectionate cuddles and tummy rubs. Pets and people are looking forward to a big, jolly family reunion on the Island this summer.

Gifted daughter Lesley R. and BSK shared a long and rainy drive to their family oceanfront home on Prince Edward Island. HG/BSK and Lesley are glad to be in this green and gentle island of beautiful beaches and a population that values diversity, helpful cooperation and democratic principles.  All arrived exhausted and hungry. Lesley quickly cooked a Chinese egg drop, vegetable, noodle soup. Very comforting. On the next night, after a day of unloading the car, putting the house in order, etc., dinner was a tasty collaboration of Lesley and BSK —Spaghetti Arrabiata. Drank much red wine. The delightful doggie companions–Toby and Pip–were very good auto travelers and were overjoyed to be on PEI where they look forward to much beach romping. The human arrivals are looking forward to oysters and other sparkling seafood from Juilo, the nearby seafood merchant.

When HG was six years old, HG and Mom lived in an Athens, GA., boarding house. HG’s late Mom was there to help nurse HG’s older brother, Bernard, after his leg was amputated following a barnstorming plane cras). The boarding house cook was an amiable Black woman (HG played happily with her kids). She was a gifted cook and fried everything in lard. Breakfast was fried eggs with grits. Lunch and dinner featured fried fish, pork and savory stews and vegetables. Little HG’s favorite veggie dish was a melange of okra, corn kernels and tomatoes. Grits and sweet potatoes with everything. HG has happy nostalgia about this down home southern cuisine. HG/BSK share a fondness for okra. BSK usually buys fresh when it appears at markets. Happily, it’s now in season. That means it’s time for BSK’s tasty version of gumbo. The ingredients: okra, shrimp, onions, peppers, olive oil, garlic, fish broth and andouille sausage (Schaller & Weber). HG  made a sauce of mayonnaise and hot sauce and added spoonfuls to HG’s steaming bowl. Fabulous eating. BSK’s cooking sometimes has a deep south edge bringing back memories to HG/BSK’s Central Falls, RI, loft.

Salty, flavorful anchovies enhance many dishes (best are jared and not tinned). HG loves them and uses them frequently. Yes, there are folks who hate them. They often ask that anchovies be eliminated from Caesar Salad (the request makes the salad insipid). A favorite HG appetizer is roasted, peeled red peppers spread with anchovies and gilded with olive oil and grinds of black pepper. This was featured in Italian restaurants (don’t know if they are on menus now). One of HG’s favorite pasta dishes is linguine with a sauce of olive oil, garlic (much), anchovies and chopped parsley.  Perfect food after a rowdy night of alcohol and loud music. The French often lard a leg of lamb with anchovies before putting it in the oven. BSK has never done that but HG presumes “gigot” in this manner is yummy.

HG first tasted hake, a lush and economical fish, in Madrid many years ago. HG recalls thick filets sauteed in olive oil and garlic, served on a bed of rice, and finished with melted butter, lots of lemon juice and a sprinkle of hot sauce. Very savory eating. HG recently observed that John Dory was HG’s favorite fish–an expensive treat—$34 at the Fearless Fish seafood shop in Providence . HG has changed HG’s mind–the new favorite fish is hake from the Atlantic Ocean bordering Rhode Island. When prepared by BSK, the hake is juicy, cut into silky slices and can be sauteed, fried, steamed, and cooked in the oven on a sheet pan. Yes, it’s versatile—and best of all, it’s affordable. BSK buys excellent hake for $11 a pound at Tony’s Seafood in East Providence. Last night, BSK made a happy meal of sauteed hake in butter sauce with sides of quinoa and delicious asparagus. Once more, BSK created a healthy and very delicious meal. Wonder Woman scores again. Dinner at HG/BSK’s  Central Falls, RI.,loft is a daily pleasure (only marred sometimes by HG’s bad temper as HG struggles with infirmities).

There are many tasty foodstuffs available through the Manischewitz brand. However, since it was acquired by Kayco (0wner of all Jewish brands–except for family owned Streit’s Matzos). HG is not sure what is actually made by Manischewitz or outsourced elsewhere and branded Manischewitz (the brand was favored by generations of Jewish mothers including HG’s beloved late Mom, Ida Kopkind Freeman).  HG is not concerned about the origin of Manischewitz gefilte fish. It is the best (comparable to Mom’s version). HG had a happy lunch today of the fish smothered in jellied broth and pungent and fiery Kelchner’s Horseradish. Alas, there was no challah available to sop up the fragrant juices.  HG’s late Mom would enhance the meal by covering HG’s challah with a layer of chicken fat and coarse kosher salt–a happy memory.

Fall River, MA (once a major whaling port), is a short drive from HG/BSK’s Central Falls, RI, loft. It is home to Portugalia Marketplace, a vast market specializing in everything Portuguese–tinned fish, slabs of dried salt cod, cheese, wine, breads and more—much, much more. In size, scope and variety, it resembles Zabar’s, the New York City gourmand landmark. BSK buys tinned sardines there–the incomparable Conservas Santos (skinless, boneless, in organic extra virgin olive oil). BSK mixed the fish with fennel, onions, garlic, capers and olive oil and sauteed them to make a lovely sauce, This was mixed with fettuccine–robust eating. HG/BSK  first tasted this dish in the beautiful Italian coastal city of Taormina (a vacation destination favored by Winston Churchill). Last night’s BSK version was better. 

Many, many years ago, HG/BSK toured the beautiful Italian province—historic Sicily. Unfortunately, Sicily’s image has been tarnished by the Mafia–in reality, in fiction and in memorable movies. But, it’s much more than that.  Its history is unique. Moorish/Arab,French, Greek occupiers. All have left their mark on the island’s architecture, cuisine and culture. There are many magnificent ruins of Greek temples with soaring columns–visual delights. Our guides to Sicily were daughter, Lesley, and her husband, Massimo Riva. HG/BSK were fortunate. Massimo is Italian and an academic luminary (tenured professor at Brown University in Providence). His achievements—many books, international lectures, bringing Italian culture into the internet age, cinema programs in Providence and Bologna–have been honored by the Italian government. (His latest book: “Giochi d’ombra”, has just been published by Einaudi). Charming, modest and knowledgeable about every aspect of Sicily–he was a dazzling, erudite guide.(Massimo was born and grew up in the Sicilian coastal city of historic Siracusa, once an importantt Grecian city, second only to Athens. Massimo left the city for university and the beginning of his academic and tennis careers). One sunny Sicilian day, Massimo led us to the terrace of a hilltop restaurant overlooking Greek temple ruins. Drank copious amounts of chilled white wine and after a modest appetizer all ate Spaghetti a la Norma—the sauce was composed of eggplant, tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and tomatoes. Wondrous. BSK has made this many times while HG/BSK have lived in the United States and Canada. Last night, comfy in HG/BSK’s Central Falls, RI, loft, BSK served the Norma dish with a bottle of Malbec, fruity robust Argentine red. Pasta was farfalle and the sauce: San Marzano canned tomatoes, cubes of eggplant, olive oil, garlic,herbs and much Asiago cheese. Stupendous—better than Sicilian. However, no Greek temple views –just weathered industrial loft buildings (most converted to condos).

The glorious city of Paris is an HG favorite–architecture, colorful streets, avenues and boulevards; museums and art; dining, style and a unique civilized ambience plus superior people watching. Sadly, HG can no longer visit. At 95, long air travel makes visits too difficult. However, HG can still recall wistfully the joyous meals HG had at enticing brasseries, First brasserie meal was at Le Vaudeville, housed in a wonderful art deco space near the Bourse. HG ate, with pleasure—a dozen oysters, grilled cod with truffled mashed potatoes and an ile flottante for dessert plus much chilled Muscadet. Unfortunately, Vaudeville went downhill after being taken over by a chain,  Good news. Bought and polished by top flight restaurateurs, Vaudeville is back to glory (recent review by  Alec Lobrano). Too bad HG can’t sample it. Le Stella in the 16th is still operating . HG/BSK ate there many times —oysters, bulots, soupe de poisson, steak tartare, rack of lamb, ile flottante. Traditional French food cooked to perfection,  A very happy memory. There are two new brasseries that sound very good—Astair and Bellanger. Very extensive menus including Frog Legs Provencale. Moderate prices. HG can only sigh.

Founded in 1871, Rokeach is still in business and sells a variety of kosher foods (including marshmallows). HG often orders their very good borscht and chicken soup—don’t like their too sweet gefilte fish. HG’s late Mom always had Rokeach soap (kosher lettering through the bar) in the kitchen sink. And, that’s how the New York company got its start. Kosher immigrant Jews couldn’t use American soap because it was made with lard and other “trayf” (unkosher) ingredients.  Rokeach solved the soap problem by using coconut oil in its manufacture. It was a huge success. The company also used coconut oil flavored with onion as a cooking oil. Since it was vegetarian it was “pareve”–meaning it could be used in cooking both dairy and meat products.  Another huge success. It’s now called “Nyafat” and is distributed by Manischewitz. Mom also ordered Rokeach candles for festive illumination and religious observance (they were minimal in HG’s socialist family). Kayco now monopolizes the online kosher food market after acquiring Manischewitz, Rokeach, Horowitz-Margareten, Mother’s, Mrs. Adler’s and other brands. Only independent left is Streit’s–succeeding generations keep manufacturing matzos. Founded in 1925, Streit’s also makes excellent mushroom and barley soup, noodles and other products. Their onion egg matzo is a year round treat.