HUNGRY GERALD

Music is very much part of HG’s Prince Edward Island life (and in New Mexico, bien sur). HG’s days and night are accompanied by the glorious sounds of Mozart, Bach, Vivaldi, Haydn and Scarlatti. Interpreters are Yo-Yo Ma, Pierre Fournier, Heifetz and Piatigorsky (wonders all). Sometimes, if the mood is right, HG switches to jazz voices: Ella Fitzgerald, Mel Torme, Louis Armstrong, Johnny Hartman are all obligatory. But, there are others. The soulful Ernie Andrews accompanied by his accomplished instrumentalists. The late Jackie Cain. a superb jazz vocalist and HG//BSK’s pal and admirers of many years, commented about Andrews: “He’s got that black ‘thang’. Pure soul.” Add to the mix, Fats Waller (voice and piano). HG achieves instant happiness from Fats. Chet Baker (voice and trumpet). Unique. Individual. HG often mused how such a handsome, magnetic, supremely talented man could follow a path of such flagrant self-destruction. Back to Jackie Cain. Silver voice. Perfect diction and phrasing. As a birthday gift, Jackie sang “Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe” for HG. Unforgettable. Thankfully, HG possesses many CDs by Jackie and her late husband, Roy Kral. Jackie and Roy (as they were billed) were the ultimate jazz duo.

HG is fond of pancakes and BSK caters to this appetite with variations on the traditional “diner-style” offerings: Corn or blueberry or strawberry crispy wonders. Drenched in Canadian maple syrup, of course. A nice dinner main dish is a platter of Korean pancakes accompanied by crisp lettuce leaves. Korean scallion pancakes are offered at Korean restaurants, side dishes for bulgogi and other regional specialties. Typically, BSK adds a special twist to Korean scallion pancakes. The traditional batter is flour, a beaten egg, ice water, salt, oil, garlic, corn starch and lots of chopped scallions. In New Mexico, BSK adds chopped cabbage and jarred raw oysters to the mix. Last night, on Prince Edward Island, BSK substituted bok choy for the cabbage and sea scallops for the oysters. BSK found the scallops (frozen) at the Co-Op supermarket in the nearby town of Morell. (15 minute drive from HG/BSK’s oceanfront home). Surprisingly good. BSK likes Bulldog Sauce (a sweet and pungent Asian concoction) with Korean pancakes. Not available. HG/BSK made do with Chinese sweet and hot chili sauce plus sambal oelek. BSK’s pancakes always have the right balance of crisp and fluffy. Good stuff.

Sure, buttered ears of fresh corn (Blum’s of Montague, Prince Edward Island, best corn in the universe), are a treat. However, there are a multitude of other ways to enjoy corn. This morning, BSK used much leftover corn for a hearty breakfast of corn pancakes with Candian maple syrup. Warm sun, clear skies, calm sea, pancakes with maple syrup. Perfect way to start another happy day at HG/BSK’s PEI oceanfront paradise. A few more weeks of corn season. HG looks forward to a cod, mussel, bacon chowder replenished with corn kernels. There’s also a Chinese soup of chopped chicken breast, corn kernels and swirled egg HG/BSK might try. And, of course, more corn on the cob and pancakes. Farewell to corn and oysters when HG/BSK return to New Mexico. For HG, there will be a consolation: Green Chile Menudo, the incomparable tripe stew available at El Parasol, the friendly eatery close to HG/BSK’s Jacona home. In HG’s opinion, this spicy wonder is better than French, Italian and Spanish tripe stews. As HG’s New Mexican neighbors might say: “Viva, el Norte !!”.

Long, arduous air travel from New Mexico to Rhode Island. HG/BSK awoke at 4:30 AM (ouch!!) for an early flight from Albuquerque to Providence on Southwest. Layover in Baltimore, so arrived in Providence after 5:00 PM for pickup by gifted and super helpful daughter, Lesley R. Took every precaution while on the plane and in airports. Face shields. Face masks. Sanitary spray. Sanitary wipes. So far, so good. Hope health stays okay (knock wood, cross fingers). Delighted to see masked Lesley husband, Massimo R., and equally masked brilliant granddaughter, Arianna. Another incredible al fresco meal on the R.’s flower-lined deck with lovely evening views of Narragansett Bay. Dinner food was equally spectacular. Starter of smoked bluefish. Then a platter of succulent, spicy shrimp This was followed by linguine with a sauce ( Sicilian?) of juicy swordfish cubes, tomatoes, olives, garlic, etc. A seafood extravaganza, tribute to coastal living. Expert Massimo picked the wines, all winners. After a bowl of vanilla ice cream, HG hit the comfy bed for a long slumber…

Beautiful night. Gentle breeze. BSK has festooned the spreading branches of HG/BSK’s dining terrace tree with tiny sparkling electric lights. Perfect setting for an outdoor New Mexico dinner. Gorgeous (and brilliant) granddaughter, Sofia R., and friend, Anton, are at HG/BSK’s home so a celebration is appropriate. (Toby, The Wonder Dog, is overjoyed to be with Sofia). BSK served a lush Jerusalem dish of ground lamb, cherry tomatoes, poached eggs `with HG’s special Greek yogurt sauce. Both the lamb and sauce utilized a wide range of herbs and middle eastern spices. Social distance was maintained. HG/BSK dined at one table and the young folks were at another table a few yards away. The sun set. And, then the evening skies turned a miraculous Yves Klein blue (check out his art). Magic. Yes, New Mexico is The Land of Enchantment.

Asians use rice as a nourishing and integral part of their cuisine. Of course, their rice is not the same as American rice found in supermarkets. HG has written often about the pleasures of rice porridge (“congee” or “jook”). BSK makes the best congee, enriching it with scallops, mushrooms, garlic, turmeric and numerous herbs and spices. BSK uses sushi rice to create this epitome of comfort food, satisfying for breakfast, lunch or dinner. HG uses Italian rice (Arborio or Carnarolli) for HG’s lush risotto, often mixed with in-season asparagus or all-season baby spinach. Last night, BSK used a David Tanis/New York Times recipe for a delicious rice dish that is midway between congee and risotto. The rice is mixed with English peas plus a sofrito of garlic, onions, olive oil, etc. BSK used basmati rice for the dish and, upon serving, mixed in butter and parmesan. Healthy grinds of back pepper. Joy!!

When HG/BSK began their marriage (57th anniversary this year), great wine was cheap. One could buy superb bottles for less than five dollars. HG/BSK began married life on W. 67th Street (just off Central Park) on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. The 67th Street Wine and Liquor Shop was on the northwest corner of Columbus and 67th. If dining at home during the summer, HG/BSK began dinner with cold splits of very good champagne. Price was $l.50 each. As a weekend house guest in West Hampton, HG/BSK brought a case of Chateau Mouton Rothschild as a gift. Went nicely with grilled sirloin. Price was was less than 50 bucks for the 12 bottles. During early courtship. HG/BSK once had a casual meal of Zito’s bread, ripe French camembert and Irish ham. Drank a bottle of Chateau Margaux ($3.00). These days in New Mexico, BSK acts as wine selector. BSK finds superb values in the nine to thirteen dollar range. BSK favors Pinot Noir from France and California but finds values in Australian Shiraz/Cabernet, Spanish Tempranillo, Italian Chianti, Argentine Malbec, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Annoying aspect of life on Prince Edward Island is the high price of wine (due to tax policies). Makes HG/BSK lower HG/BSK’s drinking standards.

COPD is the lung disease which affects HG, the residue of almost a half-century of cigarettes (HG started puffing at age 12). Nicotine addiction led to throat cancer, survived by HG through the skills of a remarkable surgeon, Dr. Victor Schramm. There’s no surgical intervention for COPD. It just calls for steady maintenance to keep it in check and leave HG capable of enjoying the beauties of HG/BSK’s New Mexico and Prince Edward Island homes; the love of HG’s family and the delights of food, wine and Negroni cocktails. So, four times a day, HG inserts ipratopium bromide into a breathing apparatus called a nebulizer and breathes the solution for 10 to 15-minute sessions. To ease boredom, HG watches The Food Network while nebulizing. HG’s favorite programs are “Carnival Treats”; “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives”, “The Best Thing I Ever Ate”; “Man, Fire, Food”; “Burgers, Barbecue and Beer”; “Restaurant Impossible.” The personalities are engaging (even flamboyant Guy Fieri) and there are many useful recipes and cooking tips. However, The Food Network has one vile program which should be banished, the despicable and disgusting “Man Vs. Food”. The program consists of an unattractive man messily eating an enormous amount of food during a short time while being cheered by onlookers. A very unappetizing spectacle. HG has no idea why this glorification of gluttony appears on a network that touts the splendors of food and cooking.

HG is very fond of Greek feta cheese. A pleasant lunch is the cheese (happily, a top quality Feta is available in New Mexico); sliced ripe tomatoes (HG loves the “Kumato” brand); Kalamata olives; scallions; a few anchovies—all enhanced by olive oil and a squeeze of lemon, Trader Joe’s demi-ciabatta and a glass of cold rose (with ice) goes nicely with this. If it’s summer dinner, HG/BSK follow this with many ears of buttered, super fresh corn on the cob. Curiously, one of the best feta dishes in HG’s memory was served at Pete’s Diner on Denver’s gritty Colfax Avenue. It was a large, soft omelet filled with melting feta. The French call the omelet’s unctuous interior “baveuse”. Pete’s served the dish with home fries and a dollop of Greek yogurt. Diner cuisine that echoed the owner’s Greek heritage.

Raw Organic White Feta Cheese for Crumbling

HG, a passionate fan of seafood, has never liked halibut, whether at home or in a restaurant. Dry, tasteless, coarse-textured. Well, due to BSK’s culinary artistry and bargain hunting, HG has had a radical change of mind about the fish. Last night, HG ate pan-seared marinated fillets of halibut. Raising a glass of pinot noir to BSK, HG praised BSK’s kitchen artistry and proclaimed the halibut the best fish dish ever (on a par with the pompano served at Stone Crab Joe’s in Miami Beach). BSK’s halibut was juicy with a silken, buttery texture enhanced by a lemony, herbaceous sauce. Fabulous. BSK had marinated the fillets for an hour in a mix of olive oil, garlic, basil, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Pan-seared the fish in olive oil while basting it a few times with the marinade. BSK was inspired by a New York Times recipe but BSK (as usual) added some tweaks. Pan broiled cherry tomatoes, seared baby spinach and boiled fingerling potatoes completed the meal. A happy note. Halibut is usually expensive. BSK bought it at Whole Foods at a bargain sale. Thanks, Jeff Bezos.