HUNGRY GERALD

How to explain HG’s passionate attachment to vodka? There was a time when HG was the spokesman for Vodka Wyborowa, the superior Polish vodka. HG always had a plentiful (gratis) supply available. Those were the days (1959-1963) when Russian cavIar was cheap. (Caviarteria was HG’s source). Buttered toast (Pepperidge Farm thin sliced white toast) topped with a big spoonful of Beluga. (No lemon or other useless condiments.) Vodka Wyborowa from the freezer. Ah!!!! HG’s vodka love can be traced back to HG’s Belorussian ancestry (HG’s ancestors distilled vodka as part of their mill operations.). Strangely, HG never saw his beloved father, Hershele Zvi Freimann, ever drink vodka. His alcoholic indulgences were Park & Tilford rye whiskey, home brewed cherry brandy (Vishniak), and Slivovitz (fiery plum brandy). Unlike his son, Hershele had a happy time but never got drunk.

Chanukah. Christmas. Kwanza. Yes, it’s holiday time. Won’t let Trumpery put a damper on family fun and feasting. HG/BSK will be in Providence (and three days in New York). Alas, Toby, The Wonder Dog, will be in in New Mexico. But, happily he will be in the loving care of Vicki, our house sitter, and her dog, a Toby buddy. In New York, HG will have his annual (Is this the sixth?) holiday lunch with restaurateur daughter Victoria (Rosie’s, Vic’s, Hundred Acres, Cookshop). It will feature fruits de mer and Muscadet at Balthazar. In Brooklyn, HG/BSK will celebrate SJ’s birthday at Mister Hotpot with Exquisite Maiko, Handsome Haru and Teru, the little queen of cuteness. In Providence, HG will lure gifted and busy daughter, Lesley, to a big time a deux feast of oysters and Rhode Island clams at Hemenway’s. A visit to HG’s favorite Szechuan restaurant (In Seatucket, of all places) is obligatory. There may be a Peruvian feast in the offing. And, on Christmas Eve (and Christmas morning) there will be blini, caviar, smoked salmon, potato pancakes, cream cheese, sable, herring, etc. SJ is an early standby on the Russ & Daughters line on Christmas Eve day and motors these wonders to the Providence table. Massimo R., HG/BSK’s much loved son-in-law, will adorn the holiday dinner table with great cheese, bread and wine. And, what will be the feast on Christmas Day? Turkey, brisket, roast beef, osso bucco? Whatever. Be assured. Lesley will make it memorable.

One thing New Mexico does not have is Dim Sum. There are fewer happier sights than a well lit, vast, busy Chinese restaurant serving weekend dim sum. Everything is savory, inexpensive and the little tastes provide a multitude of Asian flavors. So HG is left thinking of his recent trip to Vancouver’s Dynasty Restaurant . The place was jammed when HG/BSK, Karen C. and Jamie S. arrived for a noon feast. There were big tables seating multi generations of Chinese. Other big tables seating a variety of ethnicities. Vancouver is one of the world’s most cosmopolitan cities and this is reflected in the staggering array of restaurants. A unifying element is that the entire population is obsessed by good food. The HG/BSK party relished shrimp dumplings (har gow); steamed pork buns; turnip pancakes; black truffle dumplings (a first); scallop and tobiko dumplings; pastry stuffed with ground pork; steamed spare ribs with lychee and peppers; fried eggplant with fish cake. Dessert was mango pudding and coconut cream pastry. November rain (as usual) dampened the Vancouver streets but Dynasty was a dry, warm haven of joy.

Oh, joy. HG/BSK are in Vancouver, the beautiful, cosmopolitan city in the land of liberty–Canada. Living in a high floor of a glass and steel tower adjacent to the city’s hockey stadium, home of the Vancouver Canucks. Wonderful views of skyscrapers and city lights plus a little terrace facing the mountains and English Bay. Good workout area (BSK’s domain) plus a 350-foot long pool and whirlpool (HG’s hangout). Exercise is necessary since Vancouver is food city of renown. The Asian food is the best on the continent. On arrival, HG/BSK dined at Congee Noodle House. Bowls of steaming congee with sliced scallops and mushrooms. Small plates of “Chef’s Special Chicken”, barbecued duck and, for HG, pork and shrimp wontons. Next day went shopping on Fourth Avenue in the Kitsilano neighborhood. (The most beautiful women in Vancouver shop on this lively avenue)). Lunched at Peaceful Restaurant. Szechuan Ma Po Tofu and string beans with shredded pork. Very tasty with restrained notes of heat and oil. Beautiful, well designed place. Election gloom is beginning to lift from HG/BSK.

SeaBus crtossing Burrard Inlet, Vancouver BC

Yes, Trumpland is a very strange land. HG/BSK have just completed a three day road trip to Vancouver, B.C.. Glad to be in HG/BSK’s favorite Canadian city (HG/BSK were part time residents for more than 10 years). HG/BSK’s drive took HG/BSK through some of the most exciting landscapes in North America (Utah’s Canyonlands; Washington’s Yakima Valley; the rivers and hills of Oregon; the mountains, waters and low hanging clouds of the Seattle area). Sadness. The land is beautiful but, unlike Canada, liberty has screeched to a halt. Der Trumperer has been quite nasty about Mexicans. However, when it comes to their tummies, his mindless hordes are lovers of Mexican cooking. At every gas station exit on the major highways, there is a taco chain restaurant. Indeed, the taco seems to be running neck and neck with the hamburger as traveling America’s favorite food. Pizza is a distant third (according to HG’s highway observations). HG/BSK stopped for chicken enchiladas with tomatillo sauce at Chavalos in Mancos, Colorado. Good stuff. Sweet service. BSK steered into the Mexican part of town in Yakima, Washington. The brilliant woman (who has developed a talent for spotting down home road food) parked at Taco El Grande. Real Mexican food. No concessions to the gringos. BSK had a fabulous cheese and pork quesadilla with tomatillo sauce. HG had carne adovado and lengue (tongue) tacos. Home made corn tortillas. Drank ice cold Mexican pineapple soda. Perfect. Thanks, BSK.

HG/BSK’s dear friend, the late Michael Small (very much missed) introduced us to Delsomma Restaurant on New York’s W. 47th Street (long closed and also missed). Michael was a talented composer and pianist and had wide ranging erudition (plus he was very amusing). You’ve heard Michael’s music since he composed the scores of numerous movies and television shows. HG/BSK dined with Michael and his wife, Lynn, after the premiere of “Marathon Man” (Michael composed the score for the movie which starred Dustin Hoffman and Laurence Olivier). And, it was at that dinner that HG/BSK first tasted penne with broccoli sauce. Since then it has become one of BSK’s signature dishes. It’s a “go to” dinner when HG/BSK need comfort. Best of all, BSK makes enough for dinner two nights in a row. BSK cooks the penne very al dente for first night. Reheats beautifully (penne softens) in the microwave for second night. One of BSK’s original riffs is to shower the bowls at table with cubes of mozzarella and fresh tomato. HG gilds the bowl with Sicilian olive oil. BSK opts for grated parmigiano. At each of the meals, HG/BSK raise their glasses of pinot noir and drink a toast to the memory of Michael Small.

These are tense days for HG/BSK. There is the distinct possibility American democracy may end with the Presidential election of a racist, misogynist demagogue. In HG’s memory, Der Trumperer is the first Presidential candidate in modern times to receive the endorsement of the Ku Klux Klan. HG/BSK battle anxiety by long pre-dinner swims in the lap pool. A gaze at the colorful autumn landscape of New Mexico. Then, pre-diiner drinks (Tito’s Vodka for HG and white wine with a dash of Aperol for BSK) before the flames of piñon logs in the fireplace. Mozart on the Bose. Spirits lift. Dinner emphasizes comfort. Tonight, BSK served a long time favorite: Lettuce Packages. BSK cooked a pound of lean ground pork in a sauce pan with loads of chopped garlic, shallots and ginger. Added soy sauce and Vietnamese fish sauce plus pureed cilantro. Brought the pan to the table. HG/BSK folded spoonfuls into crisp leaves of iceberg lettuce. Flavored the “packages” with Hoisin Sauce or Sriracha. Drank cold Vouvray. Living well is the best revenge.

Garlic, capers and anchovies. BSK uses this tasty trio in a variety of dishes. All savory. Last night, BSK put them to good use in a panful of crisp-skinned, golden brown chicken thighs highly flavored with the noble trio and enhanced with much lemon juice. BSK consulted Melissa Clark’s recipe for garlic and lemon chicken from The New York Times. BSK made some changes in ingredients and techniques. BSK added white wine. BSK also cooked the sauce in a separate pan before adding it to the browned chicken. Didn’t want the garlic to burn. Once more, BSK’s attention to details insures dining joy.

BSK has a way with chicken. Roast spatchcocked chicken. Breaded chicken breast cutlets. Chicken sauté with garlic and rosemary. Chicken sautéed with 40 (that’s right) cloves of garlic. And, more. Last night, there was a dinner party for five and, as usual, BSK rose to the occasion. First, there were toasts with glasses of Gruet Sparkling Rose and nibbles of Feridies Five O’Clock Mix. Everyone took their seats as BSK placed a steaming pot on the table. It contained a new chicken dish: Greek Chicken Stew with Cauliflower and Olives (Recipe by Martha Rose Shulman of the New York Times.). Besides the cauliflower and olives, the dish contained crushed tomatoes, onions, garlic and a plethora of herbs and spices including smoked Spanish pimenton. The diners topped their bowls with chopped Bulgarian goat feta and added harissa for further heat. BSK served the savory autumn dish with pearl couscous and accompanied it with a salad of thinly sliced baby turnips, radishes and fennel. All drank much Spanish Tempranillo and Argentine Malbec. The meal concluded with carrot cake (a creation of HG/BSK’s neighbor, Karen K., The Dessert Queen) and vanilla ice cream. HG/BSK and their pals have enchanting meals in The Land of Enchantment (among other virtues, polls indicate that New Mexico is solidly behind Hillary).

Among other advantages, New Mexico smells good. Days are invariably sunny and the air has mingled scents of pine and sagebrush. In the autumn, the air is alive with the scent of roasting green chiles, At night, the air is perfumed by the smoke of piñon logs blazing in fireplaces. When spring comes around, HG/BSK’s oasis compound is fragrant with the scent of a variety of flowers in bloom. In springtime Santa Fe, the predominant smell is the sweetness of lilac bushes. This autumn, BSK is banishing the election tensions with green chile pork stew. This is supreme comfort food. BSK uses a variety of freshly roasted chiles–mild Big Jims and some fiery varieties. The stew contains sliced potatoes, pork, onions, garlic and a variety of spices (cumin, coriander, Goya Adobo, etc.). BSK exercises judicious restraint. BSK tastes as she cooks to achieve the perfect balance of hot and mild. The result is a stew that has hot New Mexican authority but won’t blister your lips. Another BSK triumph.