HUNGRY GERALD

At a fancy dinner party, an elegant lady asked Babe Ruth why he didn’t eat asparagus. The greatest Yankee of them all responded: “Because they make my pee smell funny.” HG/BSK are not concerned about the after effect of asparagus. They are now in season and BSK prepares the delicious vegetable in many ways: Roasted on the grill; gently steamed; mixed with garlic, ginger and a bit of soy sauce in a Chinese stir fry; as the filling in an omelet. Last night, BSK steamed a batch and seasoned them with melted butter and lemon juice. They proved a worthy companion to HG’s preparation of Coho salmon a la unilaterale. A very simple dish. HG melted a mix of butter and olive oil in a cast iron pan. When quite hot, HG placed the salmon in the pan skin side down. A minute of high heat; covered the pan and turned heat to medium low. After four minutes, HG checked the fish. Found it rare (but cooked to HG’s liking). Placed it on a warm platter (like a steak, grilled salmon continues to cook after its removal from heat). Sauced the fish with melted butter, lemon juice and a dash of cayenne. Asparagus and salmon: A perfect marriage. (like HG/BSK). Tossed salad in a pungent vinaigrette provided a healthy finale.

Thursday was Cinco de Mayo, a major fiesta in Hispanic New Mexico. HG celebrated at El Parasol, the delightful little restaurant on Highway 285 in Pojoaque (six minutes from HG/BSK’s home). HG’s favorite dish there is green chile menudo but, given its high cholesterol level, HG has to limit the intake of this lush treat. So, HG had a big bowl of the home made green chile stew with warm tortillas. Fiery and savory. HG ate on the sunny restaurant terrace with Toby, The Wonder Dog, at HG’s side. Little fellow was much admired by staff and diners. Toby accompanied HG to the bank where he was given a substantial dog biscuit as a Cinco de Mayo treat. The doggy is now a fan of the financial sector. The dinner theme tonight was Japanese/Chinese. BSK sliced a pork tenderloin into thin slices. Further thinned them by putting them between sheets of wax paper and pounding them with a rubber hammer. Now they were ready to become Tonkatsu. BSK dipped the thin little cutlets in beaten egg and panko crumbs. Fried until golden in hot canola oil. Meanwhile, HG made a “Chinese Grandmother’s treat.” Boiled some wide egg noodles. Sauced them with a hot/sweet sauce of green onions, butter, garlic, oyster sauce, Maggi seasoning, brown sugar and a discreet amount of sambal. BSK added crunch to the meal with a salad of sliced fennel and radishes. HG drank Guiness Stout. Perfect quaff with this collaborative effort between HG and BSK.

Back home in The Land of Enchantment (AKA New Mexico). Rainy and chilly. Welcome after baking in the Florida sun for a week. Rummaged through a week’s worth of catalogs, junk mail, bills and magazines. HG/BSK decided to eat out of the freezer. Long flight to Albuquerque led the duo too tired to shop. HG lunched on a package of pierogi that had slept in a corner of the freezer for a year. HG ate one. Vile. Left the rest for Toby, The Wonder Dog. He’ll find them yummy. BSK found some very tasty feta and spinach chicken sausage in the freezer. HG plucked some Louisiana boudin sausage that had found a home beneath a bag of corn niblets. Package prose vouched for its “Genuine Cajun Taste.” While these frozen foods thawed, HG swam many laps in HG/BSK’s heated (80 degrees) pool. Felt like the Gulf of Mexico. The exercise sharpened HG’s appetite. Blaze in the fireplace chased away rain dampness. HG sipped a new cocktail (drunk in Brooklyn and Paris); The Chin Up. Gin, dry vermouth, slice of cucumber crushed with a pinch of salt, Cynar (the French artichoke aperitif). A refreshing and not too inebriating drink. BSK grilled the chicken sausages and served them with a robust green salad enriched with roasted peppers and BSK’s super savory blue cheese dressing. Good eating. HG grilled the boudin. Turned out to be a mushy, tasteless horror. In the future, HG will stick to the French versions of boudin—boudin noir and boudin blanc. Of the two, HG prefers noir, a hearty blood sausage. Accompanied by sautéed apple slices and a rough red wine (HG likes Cahors) this is French down home cooking at its best. HG will leave true southern version of boudin to the Cajuns. The stuff doesn’t travel well. Doggy gourmand Toby will gobble up the left over terrible boudin and bark his appreciation.

Passover is upon us and HG is filled with memories of the traditional food and drink from the Seders of HG’s youth. The Seder is the traditional meal at the beginning of Passover when the family reads from the Hagadah, a celebration of the escape by the Jews from Egyptian slavery. (HG, in previous posts, has recalled raucous and irreverent Seders of the past). The food most identified with Passover is the matzo, the unleavened bread that sustained the Jews during their hasty exodus. HG’s late Mom always insisted on Streit’s, a matzo baked for decades in antique ovens on Rivington Street in the Lower East Side. Founded in 1915, Streit’s closed its Rivington Street factory in 2015 and moved to New Jersey, ending a 90 year Manhattan history. Wasn’t gentrification. For years, the family turned down numerous offers to sell their property to real estate developers. The old ovens didn’t work anymore and no one knew how to repair them. Mom always insisted on Horowitz-Margareten egg matzos (HG’s favorite). Horowitz-Maragreten disappeared from New York and (along with Goodman’s, another New York matzo company) was bought by the giant Manischewitz company. Manischewitz’s is owned by Bain, the Boston investment firm once headed by Mitt Romney (Oy Vey!!). Schapiro Wine Company was another Rivington Street landmark. Founded by Sam Schapiro in 1899, the company closed its Lower East Side winery in 2000. Had a brief run as a winery in Monticello, N.Y. Schapiro wine was very sweet (loved by HG’s Mom and despised by HG’s Father). Its motto: “Wine So Thick You Can Almost Cut It With A Knife.” The cool, cool Lower East Side is now filled with expensive condos, art galleries, trendy bars and restaurants, cutting edge fashion shops. The only remnants of traditional Jewish eating are Katz’s Delicatessen, Russ & Daughters Appetizing Shop and Cafe, Yonah Shimmel’s knishes and Economy Candy. A bit of happy news. Kossar’s Bagel and Bialy Bakery has re-opened (after closing for a few months) in totally refurbished premises at 367 Grand Street. Traditional products like bialys and pretzels (onion rolls) are still great but there are some aberrations. Apple/cinnamon bialys, alas.

Yes, HG loves New Mexico and the four season weather. (Winter is brief and mild. Summer can be fiery so HG/BSK spend that season beside the Prince Edward Island sea. Spring and Autumn are the seasons dreams are made of). The Land of Enchantment weather god changes her/his mind quite often. Take today, for example. HG awoke to spring weather. The gardens were ablaze with daffodils, hyacinths, tulips. (Peonies will soon be on their way). BSK’s herb garden was sprouting rosemary,thyme, sage, mint, tarragon and parsley. The apple trees were in full bloom. Trees were beginning to green. The meadows looked colorful. HG sat under the wisteria pergola, sipped morning coffee and enjoyed the action of the fish in the HG/BSK Koi pond. (Industrious BSK keeps the finny fellows healthy and active). By noon, summer had arrived. Bright sunshine. HG changed into shorts. Strolled with Toby, The Wonder Dog. Sunbathed on the pool house sun deck. Hot. Hot. Sizzle time. Into the pool for a cooling 20 laps. Out for more sun. Back in the pool for another 20 laps. A bit more sun. Hot shower. Dried in the sun. A true recipe for relaxation. Glass of Campari and soda in hand, HG watched the sun disappear. Temperature zoomed downwards. Time for a blaze in the fireplace since it was now late autumn. Splendid dinner. Watched DVD’s of “Mad Men” (missed it when on TV). Off to bed. Would not be surprised to see dusting of snow in the morning.

During HG’s young years, HG’s late, beloved father, Hershele Zvi Freimann (anglicized at Ellis Island to “Harry Freeman”), would arrive home after work in a breathless state. It was a long, uphill trudge from the Bronx’s 170th Street subway station (later the Kingsbridge station). Hershele hung up fedora and coat. Opened the refrigerator to get a piece of schmaltz (or home pickled) herring. Tore off a hunk of pumpernickel bread (Pechter’s or Stuhmer’s). Poured a substantial glass of Park & Tilford rye whiskey (tiny glass for little HG). Hershele and HG clinked glasses and said: “L’chaim !! (To Life). Hershele knocked off the big glass in one mighty gulp and followed it with the herring/pumpernickel chaser (HG opted for a small piece of bread). Yes, immigrant Jews like Hershele enjoyed alcohol. The pre-dinner drink was known as a “brumfen.” At the end of dinner, a dessert of fruit compote was served with a glass of home brewed “vishniak” (cherry brandy). Thus, HG grew up believing alcohol was part of dining. Hershele (and HG in later life) always accompanied spirits with food. HG sips bitters and soda before a meal with one or two shrimp, ceviche from the Pojoaque (New Mexico) Super Market, or a simple, salted cracker. Wine accompanies dinner and HG sips an after dinner TV-watching-snifter of brandy (or Scotch) with a sweet: peanut brittle or Belgian Butter Cookies. Tonight, HG’s meal will be an homage to much missed Hershele. There will be a bottle of icy Aakavit on the table plus dark ale brewed by New Mexico monks. Two kinds of herring: Pickled and Matjes. Gefilte fish and Jewish Rye Bread (both from New York’s Zabar’s via visiting Peter Hellman). Sliced sweet onions (from Texas). Boiled potatoes. Sour cream. For dessert: a thin slice of New York cheese cake with a snifter of brandy. HG will raise his glass of Aakavit and say “L’chaim !!. With a second glass, HG will raise it and say: “To your blessed memory, beloved Hershele.”

Lucky HG/BSK. Peter Hellman, the distinguished journalist/author/wine authority arrived from New York for a brief visit to the HG/BSK New Mexico compound. And, with him was his son, Jake, an original and cerebral young man who is engaged in doctorate studies at the University of California/San Diego. Peter has been a pal for many, many decades so there was much to talk about. Peter and wife, Susan, are consummate New Yorkers and happy beneficiaries of the rent control system. They occupy a spacious Riverside Drive apartment (excellent river and Palisades views). HG/BSK are pleased that the rent control system enables some writers, artists and intellectuals (too few, alas) to enrich the Upper West Side with their presence. Peter brought with him some Zabar’s (the famed Broadway food and cooking utensil emporium) specialties: A jewish rye bread (with caraway seeds); whitefish salad; gefilte fish. Susan (who, sadly, couldn’t make the New Mexico trip because of work pressures) contributed some goodies from an Italian gourmet shop: A pork-wine-fennel dry sausage and a wedge of superior Pecorino cheese. Peter and Jake did some exploring in the Los Alamos/White Rock area, swam in HG/BSK’s pool, attended a wine tasting at the unique Kokoman shop in Pojoaque. Some very hearty feasting at home. Chicken curry one night and New Mexico pork green chile stew on the next. Farewell brunch was poached eggs (done perfectly by BSK) atop cheese grits. Jake proved to be the ideal house guest. He cleared the dining table after each meal. Scrubbed pots. Stacked dishes in the dishwasher with precision and efficiency (a worthy rival of HG son-in-law, Profesore/Dottore/Uficiale Massimo R., North American champion dishwasher stacker). Peter bought one of BSK’s sculptural pots (a tribute to the Native American and Hispanic cultures of New Mexico). Absent Susan got a gift of a Daumier-influenced head. HG is glad the striking works of art will have a salubrious home in New York.

Though they are now American citizens, Antony and Claudia Cragg retain many engaging Briticisms. Antony has the looks, bearing and accent of nobility. Claudia is in the great tradition of English women with outsized personalities and intellect. Antony is a financial wizard specializing in the Asian markets. Claudia, a journalist and author, is a star interviewer on alternative radio. The Craggs arrived at HG/BSK’s New Mexico home with daughter Cleo (an Oxford student) and her boyfriend, Jason (a Nottingham University student). Engaging and attractive young people. Happily, the Craggs also brought their two delightful dogs, Boodles (a female Labrapoo) and Genghis (A Havanese cross who looks likes a smaller version of Toby, The Wonder Dog). Toby was in heaven. Playmates!! Toby and Boodles formed a romantic relationship while feisty little Genghis bounced around like an animated toy. There was a splendid welcoming dinner on Friday night. HG’s guacamole as a starter. Then, a traditional meat loaf prepared from the many decades-old Craig Claiborne New York Times Cookbook recipe. Wrapped in thick strips of bacon, the loaf was juicy and herbaceous. Accompanied by perfect haricots vert. HG prepared a massive amount of thinly sliced potatoes fried in duck fat. Alas, HG overcrowded HG’s cast iron pan and the potatoes were rather greasy and not crisped enough. The courteous Craggs ate them without complaint. Dessert was chocolate biscotti dipped in red wine. There was a special treat. After dinner, Cleo, who is a member of Pink, an a cappella vocal group, sang for the dinner group. Sheer joy. The evening continued by the fireside, with snifters of Sabroso, a Mexican coffee liqueur. HG topped the drinks with a pour of sweet cream. Better than a sundae. On Saturday morning, the Craggs swam in HG/BSK’s pool and then were off to stroll the colorful streets of Santa Fe. They returned in the afternoon for a brief rest and change of clothes. Then back to Santa Fe for a five o’clock visit to Meow Wolf. This is a mind-blowing, multi-level art installation that uses dazzling resources of sound, light, color, paintings, sculpture and decor. Both adults and children are lost in a world of wonder. You are introduced to Meow Wolf by a parking lot that sports huge metal sculptures of a robot, a dog and a spider. Meow Wolf is witty, original, creative. It should not be missed by any visitor to Santa Fe. Dinner at The Compound, the very good restaurant on Santa Fe’s Canyon Road. HG and BSK each had a perfect meal. One starter to begin. Another starter as the main. A shared plate of a special–morels in a light cream sauce–and a shared dessert. BSK began with tuna tartare with preserved lemon, walnut bread, caviar. Perfectly grilled, plump sea scallops as a main. HG stated with a salad of crisp fried frog legs, radicchio and watercress. HG also chose the scallops as a main. The shared dessert was tart key lime cheesecake in a graham cracker crust, key lime curds and coconut sorbet. Drank an abundant amount of Gruet sparkling wine. Everyone at the table was equally pleased with their choices, which included roast duck, chicken schnitzel with caper sauce, papardelle in duck ragout. Brunch was at the HG/BSK home Sunday morning. BSK’s tasty egg, cheese and bacon casserole. HG’s shrimp and grits with a sauce of shallots, butter, olive oil, smoked Spanish paprika, smoked black pepper. Sad to see the Craggs leave. Toby, The Wonder Dog, was desolate. Farewell to playmates and the abrupt end to romance.

A happy time. BSK’s sister, Noel, and brother-in-law, Yossi (plus their amiable dog, Sophie) are with HG/BSK for a New Mexico visit. Much fun and feasting. Spatchcocked chicken; spinach and mushrooms; smashed potatoes; Middle Eastern lamb burgers with “eggplant caviar”, Israeli couscous, yogurt spiced with zaatar and sumac. Plus an Asian dinner featuring Japanese dumplings, Chinese pork buns and Vietnamese pho with chicken and cellophane noodles. N and Y are an interesting duo. Noel (in her late sixties) looks 30. Lean, fit, very strong, sun bronzed. A forthright, direct, scrupulously honest and handsome woman. HG estimates Noel spends about $1.47 a year on beauty aids and apparel. Looks great. Yossi, a bit older, is equally fit and wiry. Both are celebrated equestrians and teachers of equestrian arts. Noel has been a leader in the popularization of vaulting (acrobatics on a swiftly moving horse). Once an obscure activity, vaulting is now a World Equestrian Games sport. They have been married some 46 years. After her third year of college, Noel took a break and traveled to an Israeli kibbutz. Shortly after her arrival, she was startled and shocked when a young American girl resident at the kibbutz had her leg blown off when she stepped on a mine. Welcome to Israel. Yossi was a “sabra,” born on the kibbutz, Shaar Hagolan, located close to the Syrian border and the Golan Heights. Not a serene and peaceful neighborhood. Yossi was in charge of banana cultivation. Noel, with Yossi’s aid, began an equestrian program for handicapped Israeli war veterans as a way of helping restore their confidence and physical skills. Besides his agricultural expertise, Yossi is a paratrooper veteran of the Six Day War and an accomplished trumpeter, singer and choral leader (he had earlier visited the United States as a member of The Grand Musical of Israel). Noel and Yossi married on the shores of the Sea of Galilee and took off on a honeymoon camping trip (with a Uzi assault weapon strapped on Yossi’s shoulder). This was followed by a stay in Tel Aviv and then emigration to the United States (Cincinnati) where Noel completed her college education and went on to receive a Masters in special education. Yossi took graduate courses in music and education. While in Cincinnati, they lived on a farm in Kentucky, a few miles across the Ohio border. While living there, they studied equestrianism under Bill Beckman, a former member of the US Cavalry Demonstration Team. They credit Beckman as being a major influence on their lives and equestrian careers. Yossi and Noel moved to Colorado (Golden Gate Canyon in the foothills between Denver and Black Hawk) where they rented a house on a horse ranch. Yossi was now an accomplished horseman and they combined equestrian training with teaching (Yossi at a Jewish primary school in Denver and Noel in a Golden public school). Some decades ago they decided they wanted a ranch of their own and bought acreage (scenic views) near White Ranch Park (just a few miles below HG/BSK’s Colorado ranch). They then accomplished an impossible, arduous, herculean task. While living in a trailer and then in the saddle and tack room of the barn they built, they constructed, from scratch, a beautiful log home (and then a guest cabin). They peeled logs, hauled them in place, laid a foundation, etc., etc. All of this was done without electricity (for the most part) and two young children, sons Erik and Matthew, to be cared for. And, winter in the Colorado foothills is cold and snowy. It took them three years before they took occupancy of their home. When HG queried Noel about the hardships, she answered with two words: “Never again!!”. Before long their property sprouted into Little Spring Ranch, a renowned center for equestrian training and vaulting (their son, Erik, is a vaulting champion and an equestrian showman in Las Vegas). A year and a half ago Noel and Yossi, (both retired as special education professionals) decided to change their arduous lifestyle. Sold Little Spring Ranch to son Matthew, a forensic engineer, and bought a lushly fertile property near the south shore of Prince Edward Island (just a few miles from Panmure Island). They love PEI (as do HG/BSK) but they are not having a lazy time. Yossi is growing very tasty potatoes (they are a favorite of HG/BSK grandson, Haru) and other vegetables (including a giant pumpkin which won a prize at a PEI provincial fair). Noel is engaged in construction, making their farmhouse comfortable and rebuilding a giant barn. Both (often accompanied by HG/BSK) do productive clamming in the nearby waters. Yossi is a rarity, a truly charming Israeli. Thus, he has made numerous local friends (happily including lobstermen and gatherers of sea scallops). HG, BSK, Y and N enjoy many savory seafood feasts together. During the winter, Y and N hitch up their trailer and tour through the southwest and that’s what brought them to New Mexico on their way back to PEI. Lucky HG/BSK.

HG has been looking at the March 21 cover of The New Yorker for some days. Each look brings a smile. The cover, “Spring Forward,” features a gentleman with a green mustache; pink, white and green blossoms; a small black and white dog. The artist is Maira Kalman, an HG favorite. A joy looking at the cover and walking in HG/BSK’s gardens alive with daffodils, hyacinths and golden forsythia. Spring is alive and well in New Mexico. Maira Kalman is a delightful, multi talented artist, illustrator and designer. Born in Tel Aviv in 1949. Came to USA when she was four. Lives in Brooklyn (of course). She was married, until his untimely death (at age 50) to Tibor Kalman, founder of the very successful cutting edge design company, M & Company. Maira Kalman shares HG’s love for dogs and Pete, a cute little guy, was her companion for many years. Maira is prolific. More than a score of books, a number of New Yorker covers and illustrations for other magazines. Wrote a blog for The New York Times, “Principles of Uncertainty” which was later published as a book. She’s done a number of very funny books of illustrations featuring, Max, The Poet Dog. These including “Max in Hollywood, Baby” and “Ooh, La, La , Max Is In Love” (in Paris). HG/BSK’s gifted daughter, Lesley R., introduced HG/BSK to Maira with a Christmas gift of Beloved Dog, a charming book inspired by Pete and dedicated to Maira’s children. Buy it if you enjoy dogs, quirky and witty art, life. Published by Penguin Bookis