HUNGRY GERALD

All good things (and, thankfully, bad things) must come to an end. And, so HG/BSK and Toby, The Wonder Dog, are wistful as they say farewell to Prince Edward Island. A saving grace as HG/BSK and Toby motor to Riverside, R.I., is that Toby will have a chance to romp with Pip, the Riva family’s talented dog. And, HG/BSK will join in a birthday party for Brilliant Granddaughter Arianna. The site will be Los Andes, a great Peruvian restaurant (HG has praised it in a recent post). Looking forward to New Mexico and the colorful turning leaves of autumn; swims in HG/BSK’s heated indoor pool; seeing the fish gambol in the Koi pond; watching light flicker and change across the Barrancas (colorful cliffs and mesas). Much of New Mexico’s air will be scented by roasting chilies and BSK will make good use of them in flavorful dinners as piñon logs blaze in the fireplace. These last days on PEI have been busy with a variety of household chores, packing, etc. HG said goodbye to Gladys and Sheryll, the gracious ladies of By the Bay Fish Mart, who keep HG/BSK supplied with good things from the sea throughout the PEI summer. HG/BSK ate a big platter of By the Bay’s Malpeque oysters. (These will be much missed. Both for their taste and modest price.) Had a very good (and very big) piece of fried haddock and crisp fried onions at Rick’s Fish and Chips in St. Peters. HG had been concerned that Rick’s might be going downhill but it seems to have recovered its mojo. HG will miss PEI seafood but will be consoled by menudo and a host of other Northern New Mexico treats. Tonight, HG/BSK will dine at the delightful 21 Breakwater Restaurant in Souris. In the meantime, off to the Land of the Brave, Free and Trump (plus many other Republican dimwits and lunatics).

HG/BSK’s oceanfront Prince Edward Island home provides an ongoing avian show. Double-crested Cormorants flock together on a rock formation in the sea, looking very much like a convention of black cloaked elders. They jump as they dive for a fish. There are many Gulls soaring through the air, gracefully riding the air currents. Herring gulls, Ring-billed Gulls and Great Black-Billed Gulls are among the species. There are numerous Herons with their distinctive long necks and elongated flight patterns. Along the shore are Plovers and Sandpipers scurrying about on their skinny legs. And, on the lawn leading to the sea are Robins, a wide assortment of Wrens and an occasional Hummingbird. HG/BSK’s favorite bird is the Osprey. They fly through the sky and then, like a helicopter, hover in space. In spectacular fashion they dive feet first and often come up with a fish and carry it off in their talons. HG/BSK reserve their hatred for Crows. These smart, loud mouthed birds perch outside HG/BSK’s bedroom and make piercing wakeup “Caw-caw” sounds. A few days ago, angry BSK hurled a tennis ball at them before returning to a warm bed. They have another unpleasant habit. They are “purple poopers.” They gobble up blueberries from an adjacent field and then stain the deck with their purple droppings. Bad birds. Being a gourmand rather than an ornithologist, HG prefers birds cooked. Favorite bird is the chicken (Especially when marinated/spatchcocked/roasted by BSK). Next favorite is the duck in many forms. The breast seared rare (served as “duck steak” at the Chez Georges bistro in Paris). As duck confit In Paris or barbecued in numerous Chinese restaurants. Best duck dish is Peking Duck with its separate services of crisp skin and juicy meat. HG often enjoys pigeon (served blood rare) in Paris bistros and squab (baby pigeon) that has been barbecued and glazed. Best version is at Vancouver’s Sun Sui Wah restaurant. HG has no desire to eat the tiny Ortolans favored by French gourmets. The French, a people much admired by HG, have some odd food choices. Ortolans and foul smelling chitterling sausages are among them

The sometimes cloudy, sometimes sunny September day on Prince Edward Island was marked (So, what else is new ?) with some very good eating.. A favorite breakfast: Corn (from the Blum’s truck in Montague) pancakes gilded with extraordinary maple syrup from Nova Scotia. Then, off to the southeast shore of the Island to inspect a variety of properties developed by Jeff Klein, a former New York investment banker who fell in love with Prince Edward Island and its breathtaking shoreline. (HG/BSK are trying to have restaurateur daughter Victoria and chef/partner./husband Marc M. consider PEI for a vacation home). Jeff recommended 21 Breakwater Restaurant in the town of Souris for lunch. Turned out to be a winner. It’s in a lovely old house and faces Souris Harbor and the ferry that leaves daily for the Madeleine Islands. Splendid view and splendid food. BSK had the house salad (local mixed greens, tiny tomatoes, goat cheese, red onions, green onions in a red wine vinaigrette) with an addition of spicy Portuguese Piri Piri chicken. HG had a big bowl of creamy and buttery sea chowder filled with hake, lobster, potatoes and smoky bacon. Drank good Pinot Grigio. Restaurant is owned by chef Pedro Pereira (he’s from Portugal) and his wife, Betty Macdonald, a native Islander. Many of the house specialties have a Portuguese flavor. HG/BSK intend to be back there for dinner next week and try some more Piri Piri chicken, Portuguese fish and chips and special nachos made with PEI potato chips and aged cheddar. Stopped off at MacPhees Market in Souris and the young female butcher cut HG a 2-inch thick New York strip steak (local beef). Brisk walk on a beach near HG/BSK’s north shore home. For dinner, BSK pan broiled the steak to the proper degree of rareness. Served it with buttery orzo mixed with shallots and chantarelle mushrooms (the mushroom were a gift from neighbors Molly and Peter E.) An onion and tomato salad plus a simple green salad. Drank a good red wine from Newman Estate, a local winery. A tasty day.

Yes, as HG has enthusiastically attested, Prince Edward Island is filled with very good things to eat. Sweet corn (Blum’s is the best); Colville Bay and Malpeque oysters; mussels, strawberries, blueberries; mustard pickles and condiments, jams and jellies (all natural and unsurpassed); Fenugreek flavored Gouda cheese. Breadworks provides baguettes and rustic loaves that rival anything in Paris. What has been overlooked is the excellence of local spirits, wines and beers. Gahan’s beers and ales have an extraordinary depth of flavor and rival any of the better known craft brewers in either Canada or the US. Newman Estate Winery and Matos Winery produce award winning reds and whites. HG (often to BSK’s dismay) enjoys strong spirits before and after dinner. And, here’s where PEI really shines. Myriad View Distillery provides three cocktail hour (or hours, in HG’s case) delights: Strait Gin (unique taste of botanicals); Pastis (a true taste of Provence); Vodka (smooth and pure). These three liquors are some of the best of their kind that HG has ever imbibed; HG believes that Myriad View would be much better known if they invested in proper graphic design so that their label’s beauty would match their product’s quality. Now, HG has discovered a great after dinner tipple (with a fine label to match!). It’s Bagaco, distilled by the Matos Winery. Colorless and potent, it’s distilled from pomace, the solid remains of grapes after pressing for juice. Pomace contains skin, pulp, seeds and stems of the grapes. Italians use pomace to distill Grappa, the French distill Marc and Portuguese distill Bagaco. HG’s favorite is Bagaco, smooth and strong. Provides a pleasant ending to a meal. Jaime and Heather Matos run the eponymous winery and distillery. Both were born on the island of Pico in the Azores (Acores in Portuguese). Their heritage is reflected in their delicious Bagaco.

Pork bellies!! These two words spell disgust, antipathy, revulsion for millions of Muslims and observant Jews (as well, of course, for vegetarians and cardiologists). Defiant HG loves them. (However, being reasonably prudent, HG eats them only occasionally). Last night was one of those occasions. BSK made a rustic curry of spinach and tomatoes substituting firm tofu for traditional paneer, the Indian cheese. This is one of Vikram Vij’s home cooking recipes. HG was in charge of the pork bellies. Cut the slices into two inch squares (Pork belies are economical. Available at all Prince Edward Island grocers, a package enough for two diners is $1.60 US). Fried them at medium high heat until they browned and crisped and released most of their fat. Put them aside to drain in a bowl lined with paper towels. When pan cooled, wiped out all fat with some more paper towels. Put the pork bellies back in the pan and glazed them over gentle heat in a mix of grated garlic, soy sauce, oyster sauce and honey. HG/BSK each filled a bowl with rice. Topped the rice with spinach. Placed the crisp pork on the rice. A dusting of Japanese pepper mix. Sublime. Made a great meal with the curry and plenty of crispy papadums. Exquisite Maiko, brilliant chef and HG/BSK’s adorable daughter-in-law, makes a lush Japanese dish called Buta no Kakuni with thick pork bellies, soft boiled eggs and stewed daikon. This is a two day dish. The pork bellies are first seared, then cooked at a low boil with ginger, scallions, sake and water. Finally they are left in the pot and refrigerated overnight. In the morning, all the fat is removed and the pork is simmered together with mirin, sugar, soy sauce and dashi broth — the daikon and the eggs are also added. Ah!!!

There can be fewer happier and more diverse places in North America than the Saturday Farmers Market in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Jammed with people from all over the world, happy to be meeting friends, buying a variety of organic, locally grown produce and assorted foodstuffs and chowing down on international dishes. HG bought sauerkraut, weisswurst and Black Forest ham from the Taylor’s meat counter. The local company offers more than three dozen varieties of sausage and serves them grilled on a toasted bun from busy indoor and outdoor stands. Lots of other good things to eat: HG had three tasty oysters from New London Bay. Then, a crisp chicken and vegetable spring roll from a Chinese couple who also cook a savory bowl of noodles. Other stands sell Polish pierogi and stuffed cabbage; Indian samosas; Middle East falafel and pita wraps; Mexican burritos; Japanese salads. A very jolly African woman prepares big dishes of spicy chicken, rice and African vegetable stews. There are stands with Island grown beef, lamb and chicken for home cooking. There’s a vendor of good Nova Scotia smoked salmon (with a bow to Noo Yawk, he prepares slices on a bagel with cream cheese.) HG/BSK buy their ground espresso from the coffee man who stocks some two dozen beans from all over the world (he has special rapport with HG/BSK’s son-in-law, Profesore Massimo R., whom he recognizes as a member of the true coffee intelligentsia). For folks who like sweets, there are eight stands with cookies, pastries and chocolates (including one stand that sells interesting Indian sweets). Kids love the stand that employs a fairly wondrous machine that turns out freshly fried little doughnut balls dusted with powdered sugar and the Dutch stand that offers a rich confection of waffle-like pastry, chocolate sauce and whipped cream. While HG was busy noshing and chatting with friends, BSK was selecting sweet corn, kale, tomatoes, greens, etc. and visiting the cheese stand for Island-made gouda and the spice lady for smoked Spanish paprika. And, like any gathering on PEI, there’s always live music at the Market. This time it was a talented young woman fiddler. The vivid lass had bright blue hair. A bit startling, but that’s show biz.

Food Island Day takes place on Prince Edward Island this week, a one-day symposium bringing together PEI growers, food processors, exporters, product developers, etc.. The aim is to share knowledge of emerging food and dining trends plus changing agricultural practices. The keynote speech will be given by Vikram Vij: “From the Kitchen to the Boardroom: Business Entrepreneurship and Cooking with Love.” Of course, daughter Victoria and husband Marc. M. (New York’s Rosie’s, Cookshop, Hundred Acres and Vic’s) are HG/BSK’s favorite restaurateurs, but right after them comes warm, engaging Vikram Vij. He is the owner of Vij’s, the renowned Indian fusion restaurant in Vancouver, B.C. During the ten years HG/BSK maintained part time homes (first a loft and then a modernist town home) in that enchanting city, the duo often dined at Vij’s. No reservations. Madly (and deservedly) popular. You had to join the lineup to get seated when the restaurant opened at 5:30. Filled immediately. And, never an empty seat thereafter. Warm greeting from Vij. Gracious service from a waitstaff of lovely young women. The food was consistently innovative and delicious. Surprising combinations of the very freshest ingredients. Splendidly curated selection of appropriate wines and beers. The New York Times called Vij’s: “Easily one of the finest Indian restaurants in the world.” While HG/BSK, were residents in Vancouver, Vij opened Rangoli, a casual neighboring restaurant that also offered frozen dishes for home consumption. Since then, HG has learned, Vij has opened My Shanti restaurant in the B.C. city of Surrey and has inaugurated a popular Vij’s food truck that roams Vancouver avenues. Vij frozen foods appear in the frozen foods section of a number of Canadian grocers. A new Vij flagship restaurant will open on Vancouver’s busy Cambie Street. Best of all, according to HG’s point of view, Vij and his wife, Meeru Dhalwala (she’s the genius behind all of the Vij kitchens) have authored two cookbooks: “Vij’s: Elegant and Inspired Indian food” and “Vij’s At Home: Relax, Honey.” The recipes are flawless. Last night, HG/BSK supped happily on two dishes from “Vij’s At Home”: Cauliflower “Steaks” and a curry of red kidney beans served over rice. (The Vij “family” chicken curry is a favorite of HG/BSK’s family and friends). When you are in a particularly festive mood and have a good bottle of California Cabernet at hand, cook Vij’s lamb “popsicles,” an HG favorite.

HG grew up amid crowds of people. Bronx streets and apartment houses were noisy and full of folks. Subway cars and trolleys were jammed. Education at De Witt Clinton High School (6,000 students) and City College of New York (24,000) was not a lonely experience. Journalism career centered around noisy newsrooms (clattering typewriters and teletype machines before the computer age). When the owner of a prospering public relations firm, HG had to deal with two dozen contentious (often neurotic) employees and colleagues. Given this background it should come as no surprise that HG often relishes a day of solitude. And, there is no better place to enjoy solitude than the beach in front of HG/BSK’s oceanfront home on the northeast shore of Prince Edward Island. HG’s family, respecting HG’s need to be alone, opt for a beach 200 yards west. Thus, HG has total privacy. Just HG, the gulls and ospreys. Yesterday, the sun shone and the sea was warm, crystal clear and calm. HG, a natural man, removed swim togs. Reclined in a back rest and basked the old, nude body. Read The Lay of the Land by Richard Ford. This the third of Ford’s fictional trilogy about the life and times of Frank Bascombe, a favorite HG character. (Book was Christmas gift from Lesley and Massimo R.) Superb writing. Wry and witty observations of contemporary American life. HG’s beach program: Thirty minutes of reading and then a 15-minute swim. After some five hours, HG showered in the outdoor enclave. Poured tequila, lime juice and orange bitters over ice. Drink in hand, HG was glad to see the family. Given the heat of day, HG had EM’s signature dish of sautéd sole with bok choy and garlic chips. A sprightly bean sprouts salad. Perfect conclusion to a perfect day.

A few decades ago, HG/BSK and HG’s late sister and brother-in-law, Beulah and Daniel K., were seated in Le Vaudeville (Then very good. Now downhill.), the beautiful art deco brasserie opposite the Paris Bourse (stock exchange). Following some glorious appetizers (oysters for HG/BSK and Baltic pickled herring with warm potato salad for other duo), HG sipped chilled Muscadet and examined the carte. Saumon a l’ oseille was featured. This was grilled salmon with sorrel sauce, a dish made famous by chefs Pierre and Jean Troigrois at the brothers’ Michelin three-star restaurant in Roanne. Everyone at the HG table ordered it and it was a revelation. Salmon and sorrel were meant for each other. The slightly bitter and herbaceous sauce seemed the proper counterpoint for the rich (cooked semi rare) salmon filet. Sorrel is a rarity in American food markets. Here on Prince Edward Island, BSK cultivates a big crop of sorrel in the BSK herb garden. That means abundant sorrel soup and sorrel sauce. Salmon, of course, is the problem. Wild salmon has become ridiculously expensive and farm raised salmon is pumped full of artificial coloring, flaccid and tasteless. (HG/BSK are spoiled by their years in Vancouver where wild salmon is always available, inexpensive and delicious). The salmon HG/BSK purchase at By the Bay Fish Mart in St. Peters is farm raised in Nova Scotia in an apparently natural environment. Not as good as the wild but still tasty. HG/BSK grilled a big slab for dinner last night. BSK made sorrel sauce (sorrel, shallots, chicken broth, butter, egg yolks). Sublime. There were other good things on the table. Grilled asparagus. Fresh sweet corn (in season at last). Little potatoes dug from the Noel and Yossi M. garden earlier in the day. EM styled crisp fried pork bellies and mushroom caps smothered with chopped scallions and herbs. Another spectacular PEI dinner.

Days of family feasting and then everyone departed, leaving HG/BSK in a suddenly quiet home with not a kiddy toy, book or article of clothing in sight. HG/BSK are left with many happy memories as Prince Edward Island gently segues into early autumn. On a more mundane (but tasty) level, the family feasts have left HG/BSK with a refrigerator nicely stocked with lush leftovers. HG/BSK’s lovely neighbor, Lesley F., dined with the duo and was fed Marc Meyer’s incomparable brandade and savory clam-corn-potato stew. A great meal redux. (Marc’s leftover pasta with broccoli and chickpeas has been reserved for a future lunch). Yesterday was a day of unrelenting rain so HG spent time indoors with his two favorite Canadian women: BSK and Alice Munro. Few writers have received as many honors as Munro (Nobel, Man Booker, etc.) and, surprisingly, these have never been the subject of controversy in the usually rancorous literary world. It’s simple. She is universally acknowledged to be the greatest contemporary master of the short story.(This may be literary heresy, but in HG’s opinion, Munro surpasses Chekhov in the scope of her imagination and her ability to shift past and present in a single story giving it the depth of a novel). HG took time out from literature to pluck every speck of deliciousness out of leftover lobsters. This meant, for HG, lobster rolls for dinner (BSK, alas, is allergic to crustaceans and had to make do with grilled sea scallops served over garden greens). HG rounded out the meal by frying some of Yossi M.’s little potatoes. HG’s lobster rolls were state of the art. Good toasted hot dog buns from a local baker. The buns were lined with garden greens (to prevent sogginess and enhance flavor). Super generous filling of lobster. Melted butter (no mayonnaise for HG), squeeze of lemon, bit of Tabasco. Perfection. HG/BSK drank a BSK discovery: Newman Estate White 2014. An unoaked Chardonnay, this is a blend of Ontario and PEI wines. It’s a revelation.