HUNGRY GERALD

HG and BSK have very few food difference. It is one of the secrets to HG/BSK’s long marriage (55th anniversary July 2). However, there are a few — HG likes steak and lamb chops blood rare. BSK prefers them “bien cuit” (well cooked). BSK does not drink hard liquor (a very occasional snifter of Sambuca is BSK’s only concession. HG is a robust consumer of vodka, bourbon, gin, tequila, scotch, rum, marc, pastis, brandy. (Yes, HG overindulges). Those are the only differences. Except for oysters. BSK likes subtle, medium sized oysters. Prince Edward Island is oyster heaven. While oysters in New York and New England diminish in taste during months without an “R” in them, PEI oysters are splendid 12 months a year. BSK’s favorites are Colville Bay oysters with their distinctive green tinged shells and delicious, subtle taste. HG prefers the very large Malpeques HG purchases in quantity from Atlantic Shellfish (Red Head Lane in Morell). These have a briny taste that is like being hit in the face by a Bay of St. Lawrence wave. And, some are truly oversized. A few nights ago, HG chomped down on a four inch, fat Malpeque. It was like eating an oyster steak. Outside of PEI, favorite venues for oysters are Rhode Island (winter months); Paris (despite the stratospheric prices) and Vancouver. BSK likes the Pacific Kumamotos at Yaletown’s Rodney’s Oyster Bar. While Rodney’s other oyster offerings are very good, HG finds the Kumamotos insipid. The very best oyster centered meal is had at New York’s venerable Grand Central Oyster Bar. Six oysters on the half shell as starters. Then, the signature dish. Rich, creamy, lush Oyster Pan Roast. Nesselrode Pie (don’t know if this is till on the menu) for dessert. The meal is a glimpse of bivalve eater heaven.

Many years ago, New York’s theater district and the cross streets that extended into the far west side were dotted with plain spoken, very traditional French bistros. Hearty, affordable food and rough and ready wine. Close to the waterfront were the rugged bistros favored by French seamen from the ocean liners. Those were the places where young HG first sampled beef hearts, tete de veau and other innards plus long simmered stews. At the classier (but still economical) bistros near the theaters were where HG first tasted frog legs. HG approached the dish with apprehension. But, culinary curiosity forced HG to order a plate. HG was hooked. Whether cooked a la Provencal (with tomatoes and onions) or sauteed in olive oil with garlic and a sprinkling of paprika, HG always ordered them before proceeding to brains, kidneys or boeuf bourginon. Hard to find on restaurant menus these days (even in Paris). Thus, HG was happy last summer to find frozen frog legs in the fish counter at Sobey’s Supermarket in Charlottetown. HG ate dozens (the sautee version) before being admonished by daughter Lesley R.. Because she is the communications and marketing director for a major health care provider in Rhode Island, she is knowledgeable about the harmful effects of certain foods. Asian frog legs are harvested in dirty, fetid swamps and streams and processed in less-than-ideal environs. Eat at your own risk, said she. HG did admit to some queasiness after a big plate of frog legs. HG believes this was due to Lesley-induced fears plus an overindulgence in vodka. With these fragile justifications in mind, HG picked up a half pound of attractive, fresh frog legs at the Atlantic Superstore in C’town.They were meaty, tender, delicious. No bad after effects. Sadly, all of those cheap and tasty west side French bistros have disappeared. Only one remains, the tiny Chez Napoleon. The women who run it feature all of the classics including frog legs and brains in black butter. The menu is a roll call of old time French good things. Plus, you can get a very good souffle if you order it at the beginning of your meal. Chez Napoleon, long may it reign.

Jolly dinner party at HG/BSK’s PEI oceanfront paradise. In attendance were BSK’s sister Noel M. and her husband, Yossi. Thoughtfully, they brought a load of logs to feed the wood stove during this chilly June. Another guest was beautiful neighbor Leslie F. (she brought a crunchy bar of Lindt Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel which went nicely with red wine at the end of the meal). Appetizers were smoked salmon and peppered smoked mackerel from By the Bay Fish Mart. Main dish was BSK’s fabulous stew of cod, mussels, clams, potatoes, onions, garlic and smoky bacon. Simmered in fish stock and white wine, this was a robust blessing from Prince Edward Island’s coastal waters and ponds. Dessert was pecan butter tarts with scoops of vanilla ice cream. HG augmented this with snifters of Jim Beam bourbon whiskey. All of the mussels couldn’t fit in the pot. So, the next night HG cooked twenty in the style of the excellent Paris seafood (and cognac) restaurant,La Cagouille. Known as “burn your fingers mussels”, the dish is very simple and lush. Mussels are placed in a cast iron pan and cooked over high heat until they open. They are plucked from the heated shells and dipped in melted butter enhanced with lemon juice and hot sauce. (Yes, you can burn your fingers during this process). BSK followed this up with some Island codfish cakes and sauteed mini tomatoes. The accompaniment was local mustard pickles (best ever). Fun meal.

By the Bay Fish Mart in St. Peters (a few minutes drive from HG/BSK’s oceanfront home), is now open. Picked up some of their super fresh, super good Atlantic fillets of sole. Much better product than the Pacific sole HG buys at the Santa Fe Whole Foods market. Fried or steamed, the Atlantic sole retains a firm, juicy taste. Last night, BSK made one of HG’s favorite dishes: One pound of sole steamed over a bed of spinach. In producing this treat, BSK relied upon some of the techniques BSK learned from daughter-in-law Maiko Sakamato, an exquisite, talented chef. BSK softened chopped fennel, shallots, ginger (plus thinly sliced garlic) in vegetable oil. Topped the mix with spinach. Added discreet dashes of soy, mirin and chile oil. After spinach had wilted, BSK carefully dried the sole fillets, placed them on top of the spinach. Covered the pot and steamed the sole to silky perfection. Accompanied by a bowl of Vietnamese rice noodles flavored with sesame oil, soy and sambal oelek, this was eating that left HG wholly satisfied without feeling stuffed.

This is one of HG’s favorite dishes. Al dente slim strands of pasta with a sauce of clam broth, garlic, white wine, onions, olive oil, parsley. Topped with an abundance of steamed little neck clams (quahogs as they are dubbed on Prince Edward Island) which add their juices to the simmering sofrito. A dusting of dried chile peppers, of course. HG has had linguine con vongole in many Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island restaurants. Fancy places. Plain spoken joints. Eateries favored by “goodfellas.” Supped on the dish during visits to Italy. Sicily, Naples, Palermo, Rome. Venice, Florence, the Friuli region and points in between. Yes, HG will say it. Forthrightly, and not fearing abuse or contradiction. BSK makes the best linguine con vongole in the universe. BSK honed her skills during many family summers at HG/BSK’s dune house on Fire Island, the famed barrier beach between Great South Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. After a day of sun, kadima and frisbee, HG and pals would venture into the Bay (this was before pollution) and using their feet and hands would score dozens of incomparable clams. HG was in charge of clam opening. A dozen or so were eaten raw. Three dozen were prepared by HG. These were given a dash of bread crumbs, a piece of bacon, a few slices of garlic, olive oil. Popped in the oven for a brief broiling and then served on the rear deck of HG/BSK’s home with chilled white wine and icy martinis (guess which beverage HG preferred). Much joy as a dramatic sunset illuminated the skies. Then came the climax. BSK’s linguine con vongole. Yes, the fresh clams were delicious (only matched by those in Rhode Island). But, it was BSK’s artistry that made the dish enter the Fire Island Culinary Hall of Fame. BSK made the dish last night with three dozen clams from PEI waters. Did a creative variation. Added chopped fennel to the sofrito and used chives instead of flat leaf parsley. Oddly, Italian parsley doesn’t seem available in PEI supermarket or farm stands. BSK sneers at curly parsley. Parsley in BSK’s herb garden hasn’t bloomed yet. However,the dish was superlative. HG was drenched in bivalve delight. BSK rules.

Wonderful, happy welcome home meal at the verdant farm of Noel (BSK’s sister) and her husband, Yossi M. This is truly a Garden of Eden on PEI’s southeast coast (close to Panmure Island). Fruit trees, berries in abundance, vegetables (agriculturist Yossi has turned his Israeli kibbutz experience to good use). There are also happy pigs, sheep, goats and one horse (HG predicts the horse won’t be lonely for too long). At dinner was another Israeli, Amram T. He is an M. neighbor who cultivates an organic farm. Amram has had a colorful life. Among other things, he was a successful farmer in Turkey. An odd, but fortuitous coincidence, that two former kibuttznicks should wind up as agriculutural neighbors in far away Prince Edward Island. At dinner, the conversation was spirited (Amram has a delightful intensity). The food: lobster salad followed by barbecued lamb (from the Y & M farm), wild asparagus (also from the farm), PEI potatoes, green salad. And, for dessert, an HG/BSK favorite: Tapioca Pudding, a dish that captured a joy of childhood. So fortunate that we are all together in Canada, a democracy headed by a spirited guy who won’t be pushed around by Der Trumperer.

HG has never enjoyed the Eggplant (or chicken) Parmigiana served at “red sauce” Italian restaurants. Mushy. Messy. Eggplant and cheese flavors lost in an ocean of inferior olive oil. Last night, BSK used a Jamie Oliver recipe for the dish as a starting point for her own creation. BSK grilled slices of eggplant in a cast iron pan. No oil. Sizzled the slices until lightly charred. Made a sofrito (sauce) of onions, garlic, olive oil, jarred tomatoes (from The Italian Corner in East Providence, RI) oregano, ground black pepper, basil and a dash of red wine vinegar. Put some sauce in an oval casserole pot. Layered the eggplant slices with sauce and slices of mozzarella. Topped it with more mozzarella and a dusting of parmigiana. Into the oven. Watched carefully until just done. Served with buttered penne and a green salad. Finally, a delicious Eggplant Parmigiana, non-oily with the eggplant keepings its integrity.

Potatoes (that’s why they call PEI “Spud Isle”); oysters, tuna, lobsters, scallops and, of course, mussels. Prince Edward Island has all of these wonderful tastes from the red soil earth, the bays and inlets and the surrounding sea. HG/BSK utilize the products for dining pleasure. But, no tuna, alas. HG/BSK watched tuna being unloaded from fishing boats at the docks in the port of Naufrage. These fish are immediately purchased by Japanese, flown to the Tokyo fish market and provide delight to knowing sushi and sashimi consumers. PEI mussels are the best and are identified as such by New York restaurants, Whole Foods fish counters, etc. HG picked up some pounds ($1.30 a pound US) at PEI Mussel Kings on Red Head Road in the town of Morell. BSK steamed them in fish stock and white wine. Chopped onions, garlic and fennel were softened in sizzling olive oil and added to the pot. Further enhancements were a few sprigs of Italian saffron and chile pepper flakes. This topped linguine pasta. Ciabatta rolls for dunking in the intense broth. The mussels were big, plump, juicy. Plucked from nearby St. Peters Bay, the mussels provided a lush welcome home to PEI for HG/BSK.

HG has some food obsessions: Chinese food (as noted in a previous post); Japanese food (specially when prepared by the genius chef, HG’s daughter in law, Exquisite Maiko); oysters. When not resident on glorious Prince Edward Island, HG never feasts on an abundance of oysters. That’s because they are so expensive. They cost $2.50 to $3.00 per oyster in New York ($4.00 per in Paris). Happily, oysters are very affordable on PEI. Plus, big, briny, meaty Malpeques (or subtle Colville Bays) are better than any oysters HG has ever consumed in the USA or Europe. Yesterday, HG visited Atlantic Shellfish, major oyster wholesaler located on Red Head Road in the town of Morell. Customary friendly PEI welcome. HG learned that the company sells a variety of oysters, all delicious: Malpeque, Red Head Select, South Lake, Savage Blonde and Tuxedo. HG specified two dozen of the best Malpeques. The price (given the favorable balance between the USA and Canadian dollar) was about $.74 an oyster. At dinner, HG shucked a dozen (BSK limits herself to three oysters). Accompanied by a snifter of icy vodka, HG ate nine. Sublime.

Arrived at HG/BSK’s Prince Edward Island home with its sweeping ocean views. Housekeepers did a good job. All was spic and span. Much accomplished. The exterior of BSK’s newly built studio has been shingled and attached to a water line. In the main residence, washing machine and dryer has been moved to a lower level location leaving room for much needed additional shelving in the pantry. And, the rotting and dangerous deck has been replaced. It is now sturdy and beautiful (a bit concerned about how much it will cost). Dinner was very special BSK linguine with Italian canned tuna, tomatoes, garlic, oil, anchovies and capers. The next day was brilliantly sunny and hot. BSK went to the town of Montague to fill the refrigerator and add to the overflowing pantry ( more shelving, please). Dinner was spectacular. An herbaceous spatchcocked chicken plus smashed PEI potatoes (BSK enriches the mineral rich spuds with chicken stock and scallions). Local yellow beans and a salad of avocado, sweet onions and kumatoes. Happy meal in a happy place.