HUNGRY GERALD

Hooray and huzzah. Brilliant daughter Lesley R. and husband, Profesore/Ufficiale/Dottore Massimo have arrived on Prince Edward Island. They brought with them an abundance of good things: Wines, olive oil, foie gras, hard-to-find pastas, smoked sea salt, French cheese. Plus, best of all, Pip, their adorable, super-intelligent, female dog. Pip is Toby, The Wonder Dog’s favorite companion. The furry little fellow is overjoyed. Greeted by beautiful weather. Sunny days on the beach with much kayaking, swimming, frisbee tossing, beach glass gathering. Dinners have been festive. BSK’s lavish, smoky seafood stew composed of mussels, haddock, clams, thick cut smoked bacon, PEI potatoes, fish stock, white wine, clam broth, garlic, onions and parsley. This was accompanied by HG’s spicy rouille and a super baguette produced by John the Baker and sold at the Cardigan Farmers Market. On another night, BSK (assisted by Lesley R.) made a memorable pesto of garlic scapes from Ocean Mist Farm. HG’s signature fried hake and seasonal PEI yellow beans. Strawberry/rhubarb pie al la mode for dessert. Joy and laughter.

Cloudy day on Prince Edward Island giving HG a needed respite from blazing sun. HG looks like a piece of mahogany furniture topped with a white doily. BSK says HG looks like a negative. HG settled down in an Adirondack chair facing the sea with an entertaining novel: “Spies of the Balkans” by Alan Furst. Set in the Grecian port of Salonika, the time is the early 1940’s. The usual Furst ingredients: A sympathetic hero, some steamy sex interludes, the convoluted world of shifting loyalties. What gives Furst’s spy thrillers their unique qualities are his capacity for meticulous research, great narrative skills and an accumulation of both tiny and telling details which bring the 1930s/1940s settings to life. In the “Balkans” novel, the Greek hero drinks an abundant amount of retsina and ouzo and nibbles on grilled octopus and dolmas. The thought of these foods brought HG back to the early 1960’s when HG/BSK and baby Lesley summered in an old Dutch Hugenot stone house in Highland, New York. These were summers of swimming in HG/BSK’s cold water swimming pool. Meals and music with friends enhanced by much high grade marijuana. HG would commute nightly to Highland via an hour and a half bus ride from the city. When HG had to work late, HG would dine in a Greek restaurant adjacent to the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Orzo with briny feta cheese, olives and anchovies. Then, a delicious Moussaka or Pasticcio (a sort of Greek lasagna) washed down with plentiful retsina. This was varied by lamb kebabs with grilled onions or a fried porgy. In those days HG sported a 60’s era head of very long white hair. On one such evening as HG sipped an ouzo, Mel Brooks was at an adjoining table with a group of friends. Brooks decided that HG was really Boris Thomashefsky, the flamboyant star of the Yiddish stage. Brooks, in Yiddish, questioned HG about his identity. HG replied, in Yiddish, that he was, indeed, the great actor. In the character of Thomashefsky, HG said he often ate at the Greek restaurant when he wasn’t dining at Cafe Royal or Moskowitz & Lupowitz. Much hilarity and many vulgar Yiddish words ensued.

In a previous post, HG lamented that attempts to duplicate the wonderful Oyster Pan Roast served at The Oyster Bar in New York’s Grand Central Terminal always ended in failure. Tried again last night. HG bought 16 Malpeque oysters at By the Bay Fish Mart near HG/BSK’s Prince Edward Island home. BSK scrubbed and HG shucked. BSK tweaked the recipe from The Oyster Bar cookbook. Used fish stock instead of oyster brine. Mixed Frank’s Hot Sauce with ketchup as a substitute for Heinz Chili Sauce. Added the traditional cream, celery salt and paprika. The result was super good. No, it didn’t taste exactly like The Oyster Bar wonder but it was great in a different way. BSK followed this with sautéed local scallops over farmer’s market greens. Very pleasant summer meal. Appropriate after a day of swimming, walking and paddle boarding on sunny Fortune Beach.

Very wet day on Prince Edward Island. Waves of rain veering from powerful downpour to gentle drizzle. HG/BSK, Handsome Haru and Toby, The Wonder Dog, took off for the nearby town of Montague for needed errands (bank, hardware stores, government services, food shopping at Sobey’s, etc.). Stopped for lunch at The Juice Box. This is a sweet local restaurant that specializes in smoothies, sandwiches, soups and some very generous main dishes. HG/BSK had big bowls of ham, potato and corn chowder. Very comforting after sloshing in the rain. Haru had a deep bowl of mac and cheese (Juice Box uses fusili rather than macaroni. A good idea.). Portions are big at Juice Box (A few weeks ago, HG struggled to finish half a platter of pad thai). Haru did better than that with his mac (fusili) and cheese. Finished three quarters in hearty, growing boy fashion.Toby patiently waited in the auto but was rewarded with a chunk of HG’s blueberry muffin.

BSK’s sister Noel and husband Yossi came to dinner last night. It was a pre-birhday dinner for Yossi and a farewell feast for SJ and Adorable Teru who voyaged back to steamy Brooklyn this morning. Robust eating. BSK made a savory, smoky fish stew of haddock, mussels and clams. HG made a rouille of mayonnaise and sriracha. Spoonfuls added heat and lushness to the stew. SJ cut some pork tenderloins into slices for schnitzel. Then pounded them thin between sheets of waxed paper. Dipped them first in flour, then in egg, rolled them in bread crumbs and fried them to crisp deliciousness. This was accompanied by a “risotto” of cauliflower. SJ steamed a head of cauliflower until soft, mashed it into to a steaming saute of anchovies, garlic and herbs. Sublime. Green salad of produce from N and Y’s Ocean Mist Farm. The chic couple (both sported becoming haircuts) also brought fresh garlic, garlic scapes, horse radish and organic PEI oats for oatmeal on chilly mornings.Handsome Haru provided dessert: Pina Coladas a la Haru. Lovely finale.

Last night, HG, BSK, SJ and Handsome Haru all contributed to dinner and the results were spectacular. At the age of four, Adorable Teru did not cook but admired the activity. (Wait till next year). Meal started with Haru’s olive oil, anchovy, caper, parmesan and lemon over slices of baguette as an appetizer. Then, HG dipped haddock fillets in egg and then rolled them in a fish fry mix. Fried them to a crisp in hot canola oil. For Haru, HG topped some filets with cheddar cheese. They were then tucked into toasted hamburger buns with lettuce, tomatoes and Russian dressing. Thumbs up from Haru. BSK made a tasty salad of local yellow beans with garlic scapes. SJ’s contribution was rich, smashed PEI potatoes. SJ enriched the spuds with butter, sour cream, garlic, garlic scapes, green onions, white pepper and a touch of dijon mustard. Haru made the dessert: Creamy and ice cold Pina Coladas. The handsome 10-year-old used a recipe from “Mocktails–The Complete Bartender’s Guide” by Kester Thompson. The guide provides recipes for scores of tasty non-alcoholic drinks. HG poured a plentiful amount of rum into HG’s Pina Coladas. This alcohol consumption, combined with pre-dinner gin and vermouth cocktails, led to early bedtime for bibulous HG.

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Long beach walk on the sunny, windy shoreline near HG/BSK’s Prince Edward Island oceanfront home. HG/BSK, SJ, Handsome Haru, Adorable Teru were on the hunt for beach glass to add to the family collection. Found much. One misfortune, however. SJ tweaked his back while picking up an elusive specimen so was moving a bit gingerly after. Back home there were welcome hot showers. A few gin and vermouth cocktails for HG. SJ put a Beatles compilation in the CD player. The family exploded into hilarity. Teru and Haru proved expert dancers and Haru did a very melodious singalong. BSK, a great dancer, proved she’s still got the moves. The lady rocked out. An hour of music, dance and song. Great preview to a knockout dinner. Despite back pain, SJ produced spectacular linguine with clam sauce. (Using clams plucked from the shore of St. Mary’s Bay the previous day). SJ is not a hidebound traditionalist in the kitchen. His innovations are taste treats. First SJ chopped five pieces of bacon into one inch strips (SJ would have rather used pancetta!) and crisped them in a touch of olive oil. The bacon was then removed and set aside to drain and half of the bacon grease was discarded. Into the pan went a heap of garlic and a minced half of a sweet onion alongside more olive oil. When soft, SJ added about a cup and half of white wine and six halved cherry tomatoes. The clams were then layered on top of the sofrito, and the pan was covered. As soon as the clams opened, SJ plucked them out, made sure any clam juice was saved, and separated meat from the shell (shells were discarded). As soon as the pasta was nearing al dente, it was transferred to the pan with the clam meat to absorb the abundant clam juice/wine/garlic sauce (the large clams dug up at St. Mary’s provided an abundance of juice although their meat had to be chopped up to avoid any toughness). Right at the end, SJ tossed in the crisp bacon, chopped parsley and a hit of olive oil. The result was a silky masterpiece, fragrant with the sea; the clams were perfectly cooked with the bacon creating an undertone of smokiness and the tomatoes adding a hint of needed acidity. The pasta was followed by green salad with chunks of good blue cheese. Assorted sweets for dessert. Another happy day and night.

Off to Noel (BSK’s sister) and husband Yossi’s Ocean Mist Farm in Gasperaux (southeast side of Prince Edward Island). N and Y have created a green wonderland on their acreage. Big vegetable garden. Potatoes and garlic scapes are standouts. Rainier cherry tree. Apple trees. Strawberry plants. Currants. Grapes. And, more. Much more. In addition, there is livestock: Lambs, calves and four adorable piglets. Plus Sophie, a happy, friendly dog. Toby, The Wonder Dog, was beguiled by the piglets and quickly made friends with the little oinkers. Much for Haru and Teru to taste and experience. An Israeli-influenced lunch in N and Y’s big (Noel is expert at knocking down walls in farmhouses to create lofty areas) sunny dining room. On the table was Noel’s signature hummus. Sliced tomatoes. Olives. Cheese. Sausage. Icy beer and cider. Delightfully nourished, the group was off to the calm waters and the clam filled shore of St. Mary’s Bay. Teru had a happy time floating on her life preserver in the warm sea. Noel, Haru (and later, Yossi and BSK) were off on their paddle boards where they stood up and paddled with the tides. Haru, a beginner, proved remarkably adept. Not surprising. Handsome Haru, on a New Mexico visit, proved equally precocious on skis. The 10-year-old is gifted with a good sense of balance. When not in the water, the group raked for clams (garnered some four dozen). HG, once a champion clammer with gifted feet, has lost the ability. Contributed only two clams. But, had a joyous time swimming and floating. Back home for a lusty dinner of fried hake (an HG culinary specialty), local string beans and Yossi’s incomparable little spuds. HG preceded dinner with a large Myriad View gin and tonic. The United States (and much of the world) seems to be going crazy, fixated on violent death and racism, Prince Edward Island remains a civilized haven of gentle manners, lively music, warm seas, broad beaches, green farms and great seafood. HG and BSK are glad they have created a family retreat here.

SJ, Handsome Haru, Adorable Teru left the burning heat of Brooklyn for breezy, sunny Prince Edward Island in time for Haru’s Tenth Birthday party. But, first there was an excursion to a broad nearby beach for kite flying, boogie boarding and swimming. The birthday party was festive, built around Haru’s wishes for “surf and turf”–lobster and green chile cheeseburgers. BSK’s sister, Noel, and husband Yossi, joined in the dinner bringing bags of potatoes and greens from their thriving farm. BSK’s burgers were declared the best ever and BSK’s dill laced potato salad and pungent slaw quickly disappeared. Lots and lots of lobster. Enough left over for lobster salad the next day. BSK baked a chocolate birthday cake, heavily frosted and, at Haru’s suggestion, dotted with M & M’s. Surprisingly tasty. The major gift for Haru was a paddle board and oar. So, the next day the group was off to Fortune Beach on the south side of PEI to test the board. Calm and warm waters. Haru proved to be an adept paddle boarder. Excellent balance. Deft hand with paddle. Home to a dinner of pounds of steamed mussels, lobster salad and a big, juicy roast chicken. Fun in the sun. Hearty dining. Life doesn’t get much better.

Toby, The Wonder Dog, doesn’t have much of a chance to dine out. Exists, with plentiful energy, on a wholesome, organic dry dog food mix enhanced with protein (cheese, left over chicken, etc). Unlike civilized Paris, well behaved dogs are not welcome in most American restaurants (with the exception of New York City). Today, Toby had a happy time on the outdoor deck of , the busy, casual seafood restaurant overlooking St. Peter’s Bay in northeast Prince Edward Island. The food at this emporium is on the upswing. HG enjoyed a lunch of crisply fried fresh haddock on a mountain of French fries alongside tangy cole slaw. Rick’s French fries are exceptional. Fresh cut from excellent, mineral rich PEI potatoes. HG fed some to Toby and the little guy was ecstatic. A cute young lady at an adjoining table saw Toby’s delight and asked permission (granted) to feed Toby some spuds. Rick’s, for good reason, is a happy place for Toby. Henceforth, Toby will do some loud barking, urging HG/BSK to stop whenever Rick’s is in view. Can’t blame the canine gourmand.