HUNGRY GERALD

Cold winds and thunderstorms racing through Prince Edward Island this morning. Time for a comforting breakfast. And, what could be better than grits topped by softly scrambled eggs and Frank’s Thick Hot Sauce? Because of thoughtful and generous SJ, a bag of Geechie Boy Mills stone ground white grits was at hand. From Edisto Island, South Carolina, these grits are the real deal, infinitely superior than the bland stuff available at supermarkets. Geechie Mills is a farm-stand and traditional mill house and their grits have a sublime texture and the stone grinding (as opposed the industrial methods of milling which “cook” the corn through heat friction) preserves all the natural robust corn flavor. Eating this goodness from Geechie Boy made HG recall the time he spent on Edisto Island almost 70 years ago. Edisto is a barrier beach (very similar to HG/BSK’s beloved Fire Island) a short drive from Charleston. HG stayed in an oceanfront dune house (owned by HG’s late brother Bernard’s friend). HG retains some very pleasant culinary memories from that visit. A large African-American woman fried succulent fish in a spicy batter. This was served with grits and bacon gravy plus a side of collard greens enriched by smoky ham hocks. Young HG ate this savory food and drank sweet iced tea while watching whitecaps on the Atlantic Ocean. A fortunate fellow.

Kale seems to be the trendy, green, leafy vegetable of the moment but HG still prefers spinach. HG did not always love spinach. As a little fellow, HG expressed negative opinions regarding spinach. A believer in the nutritional value of the leafy, green wonder food, HG’s cunning Mom would enclose spinach in a mound of buttery, creamy mashed potatoes. She called the dish “buried treasure.” The romantic name — evoking pirates, the Spanish Main and wealth beyond imagination — convinced HG the vegetable was good stuff. These days HG associates spinach with many splendid restaurant dishes. Creamed spinach of sublime quality would accompany a thick cut of savory boiled tongue (plus a boiled potato and fiery English mustard) at Al Cooper’s Restaurant (long closed) in New York’s Garment Center. Creamed spinach was very good at Ben Benson’s Steak House (also closed) in midtown New York. Palm Restaurant (branches all over the country) serves whole leaf spinach sauteed in high-quality Italian olive oil and plenty of garlic with its steaks and hash browns. The Compound, in Santa Fe, flanks its Chicken Schnitzel in parsley caper sauce with some leaves of sautéed spinach. When HG lived in Colorado he lunched daily at 240 Union, the very good restaurant in Lakewood. The chef at the time, Matthew Franklin, would nest broiled or sautéed fish on a mound of spinach. There was always a plentiful amount of mashed potatoes. What made the dish sing was the abundance of melted butter. Cooking at home, HG likes to place a grilled paillard of chicken breast on some spinach cooked with oil, garlic and a tiny bit of nutmeg. A spinach risotto is a comforting dish as is a rice pilaf mixed with spinach. A very simple dish is some good tortelloni or ravioli plus spinach in steaming chicken broth. Popeye was right. Spinach makes muscle. Take that, Bluto!! Wham ! Bam ! Kazam !

Exquisite Maiko, HG’s daughter in law, brings an arsenal of knife skills and Japanese flavors to the kitchen. Speed. Timing. Precision. These were all in evidence last night as EM prepared a soba and tempura feast. Typical of EM, the soba was presented on a platter in sightly individual whorls not in a big, ungainly clump. The soba went into individual bowls with broth and topped with finely chopped scallions. Wasabi and a citrusy Japanese pepper mix were on the table. On to the tempura: sole, cod, haddock, scallops, shrimp, mushrooms, sweet onion slices. All were dipped in EM’s special batter and received a brief cooking in hot oil. The result was, as usual, sublime. There is no tempura quite like EM’s. Spectacularly light and greaseless, every bit of seafood and vegetable flavor retained and enhanced. EM added an original tidbit: corn tempura. EM cut rectangles of corn kernels from some cold, cooked cobs and gave them the tempura treatment. Mouth heaven. The crispness and sweetness of the corn gave it a dessert like quality. Of course, this is a highly unfair meal. Tempura goes straight from the pan to the dish. No waiting. This means everyone is scaling the culinary heights while EM is in constant motion at the gas range. Only a momentary pause to snare a few chopsticks worth of food. Recognizing this inequity, sensitive husband SJ prepared some pre-dinner clams casino for EM (one of her favorite dishes). The only problem with EM’s cooking is that it dims the luster of HG’s favorite Japanese restaurants.

SJ introduced the assembled Freeman/Riva clans to Alabama White Sauce Chicken sandwiches last night. A wonder of a dish, just right for happy, informal family feasting. It was accompanied by lots of first of season hot buttered corn on the cob. As HG’s late Mom would say when she wanted to describe the ultimate in deliciousness: “Nu, nu, don’t ask!!” The chicken and corn were preceded by some “Kyoto” style, pickled mackerel sashimi. As previously reported, when Exquisite Maiko first arrived on Prince Edward Island, she picked up numerous fresh mackerel right from the fishing boats at Naufrage harbor. Some were eaten that first night with scallion and ginger, others were air-dried and salted for grilling and a portion were marinated and slightly pickled. They were equally delicious as first-night sashimi with the mackerel flavor intensified by the marinade and the texture gaining a firmer mouth-feel. But, the SJ chicken was the star; Here’s how SJ made the wondrous Alabama Chicken:

Okay, SJ here. This post, by the way, marks the 1000th HUNGRY GERALD post so it is rightfully a collaborative posting between HG and myself (I humbly “edit” HUNGRY GERALD and provide the illustrations to HG’s wonderful writing). Sooo….I first heard of Alabama White Sauce Chicken sandwiches in Saveur Magazine (complete with recipe). It sounded so delicious but oddly none of my friends from Alabama have ever been able to confirm that this dish is actually a part of Alabama’s culinary heritage. Whatever the case, it is a delicious sandwich and this is how I go about making it: spatchcock a chicken (or two) and cut into quarters. Mix a tablespoon each of salt, cumin, coriander, black pepper, garlic powder, celery seeds and a teaspoon of cayenne. Take half this mix and rub into the chickens — when done wrap in plastic and let sit in fridge for a couple of hours. Meanwhile, prepare the white sauce! Take 2 cups Hellman’s Mayo and mix the remainder of the spice mix into it. Then add a half cup of the STRONGEST white horseradish you can find and a quarter cup of apple cider vinegar. Add 2 tablespoons sugar. Mix it all up well. Divide the sauce in two dishes (one for basting the chicken and one for serving with the chicken) After about two hours take chicken out and let it come to room temperature. If you have a smoker, get it ready or if you have a bbq and can get some nice hickory or apple wood chips in there, do that! If you only have an oven, then…you know what, use that as it will still be great. Cook your chicken low and slow at about 225 degrees basting it every 30 minutes with your white sauce. After about 2 hours it should be ready. Shred the chicken discarding the bones (feel free to munch on the skin) and serve on a hamburger bun with dill pickle chips, cole slaw and a hefty dollop of the white sauce! Enjoy!

HG misses a champion quality warm weather dish: the Gefilte Fish prepared by HG’s late Mom. Often maligned due the rubbery, jellied, mass produced version served from a jar on Jewish holidays, Gefilte Fish means “stuffed fish.” But, this is misleading. The Gefilte Fish that we have come to know consists of chopped freshwater fish combined with matzo meal, eggs, grated onion and white pepper. This forcemeat is formed into balls, poached in strong fish broth and served cold with the jellied broth and strong horseradish — essentially a Jewish quenelle. Egg bread (challah) is the appropriate accompaniment. Little HG often acted as Mom’s sous chef in the preparation of Gefilte Fish. HG grated onion and horse radish and tried not to inhale the pungent fumes or scrape his knuckles on the box grater. Removed the fish heads and bones from the fish stock and dumped them in the garbage can. HG’s Mom chopped four varieties of fish — carp, pike, whitefish and buffel. This last fish, buffel, was a mystery to little HG. Years later HG learned this was a reference to Buffalo Fish. Buffel was the Yiddish translation (or Yinglish). These days Buffalo Fish can only be found at fishmongers in New York’s Chinatown. HG’s Mom used a high proportion of carp. This gave her fish balls a richer flavor and a much darker color than most other versions. Carp is native to China and was brought to Europe in the 17th Century by Jewish traders (and others) working the silk routes. Jews began cultivating carp in special ponds and it quickly became a significant holiday dish in Eastern European homes both Jewish and Gentile. Its popularity spread and “Carpe a la Juive” (jellied carp prepared in the Jewish style) rated four entries in France’s encyclopedic Larousse Gatronomique. HG’s Mom often prepared it. Not an HG favorite. HG preferred her rich and velvety Gefilte Fish — a humble and delicious dish with a sullied reputation.

Lots and lots of tasty food at Gifted Daughter Lesley R.’s birthday dinner at Terre Rouge in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. One of the star features was a gigantic, roasted marrow bone (see the photo of the scooped out bone) ordered by Profesore/Ufficiale Massimo R. The treat was the size of a dinosaur femur and was served with parsley caper salad, duck fat toast, shallot marmalade and a fried egg. Much more food. Roast pork, Smoked potatoes. Buttery mashies. Arctic char. Chicken liver pate. Cod fritters. Mushrooms on toast. Beet salad. Three flavors of ice cream to finish. Muscadet and pinot noir were the beverages of choice. Yes, there was lots to eat and drink following HG’s dining strategy: When in doubt, over order. That’s why doggie bags were invented.

Full house at the HG/BSK/GDL/SJ residence on Prince Edward Island. SJ and family (Exquisite Maiko, son Haru, daughter Teru and nephew Taku) have arrived joining HG/BSK and the Riva family (Gifted Daughter Lesley; Profesore/Ufficiale Massimo, daughter Sofia). Much laughter; gaiety, sea, sun, ocean winds, rain quickly leading to sunshine and multi-lingual conversation (English, Italian, Japanese, fragmented and newly remembered Yiddish). It all comes together at joyous family feasting. Fortunately, the group has a collective hearty appetite, serious food knowledge and cooking skills to match. The acknowledged Queen of the Kitchen is Exquisite Maiko. Talented EM has a set of razor sharp Japanese knives (dangerous in ordinary hands) and EM slices and dices with precision and art. An EM dish is not only filled with fresh flavor, it is a visual wonder. As is EM’s PEI custom, EM drove to the port of Naufrage and picked up a dozen mackerel — so fresh they were frozen in rigor mortis. The fishermen refuse to charge EM for the the mackerel as it is a plentiful but not a favored fish on PEI. Strange, because few fish are as delicious as fresh (really fresh) mackerel. Dinner started with sashimi, beautifully sliced raw mackerel adorned with shavings of scallion, herbs and cherry tomato. This was followed by another EM signature dish: Sole filets sautéed and steamed in sake and a bit of soy. EM added another texture and burst of flavor by topping the sole with crisp fried garlic chips and shio kombu – a type of salted, preserved Japanese seaweed. Lesley and BSK contributed to the meal with some lovely side dishes of snap peas and yellow beans (just arrived into season). HG accompanied the food with Shochu, a potent and flavorful Japanese spirit distilled from sweet potatos. A thoughtful gift from EM’s sister, this is a magical brew. Unfortunately, according to SJ, high quality Shohchu is not available in North America. Just as well, commented BSK, since HG doesn’t need to add another strong spirit to the HG arsenal of beverages.

No, HG is not referring to HG’s 51 years with BSK (although that too is a monument to happiness). HG is referring to the joyous affinity zucchini has with mint. BSK tends verdant herb gardens in New Mexico and Prince Edward Island so there’s an abundance of mint. BSK does something original. BSK makes a pesto of mint with garlic and good olive oil. Roasts, peels and seeds red peppers. Sautes chunks of zucchini. Fries some bacon or pancetta. Mixes it all with the pesto and al dente tagliatelle. A lovely,unique taste of summer. BSK grates parmesan on her plate. HG chooses only salt, pepper and an additional splash of olive oil. Doesn’t want to adulterate the mint pesto vibrancy.

Resting under some heavy weights in a corner of the refrigerator is a slab of Nova Scotia farm raised salmon. BSK is making gravlax, Swedish dill-cured salmon, a favorite summer appetizer. HG/BSK were introduced to gravlax some 47 years ago by Bibi, our delightful Swedish au pair. (As a side note, Bibi made the best dessert we never tasted: A 3 layer cake of whipped cream and fruit. Beautiful. Unfortunately, we turned our backs for a moment and our chronically misbehaving pet poodle, Peaches ate the entire masterpiece.) Typically, HG isn’t fond of farm raised salmon but this Nova Scotia variety (purchased at the By the Bay Fish Mart in St. Peters, PEI) is superior. BSK rubs a filet with salt, pepper and a bit of sugar and covers the entire thing with fresh dill. Places it on a plateand then covers it with a board and weighs it down with some big cans of beans and tomatoes. Lets it cure (flipping it over a few times) for a few days. HG makes a dressing of Dijon mustard, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, salt and chopped dill. Thin slices of gravlax topped with the dressing and accompanied by icy vodka or white wine is a nice way to usher in a summer dinner.

Yesterday, HG picked up a big box of first-of-season strawberries at a roadside stand on Prince Edward Island. Took a big breath and inhaled sheer magical goodness. Out of season strawberries (imports from Mexico, Chile, etc.) are tasteless with a cottony texture. These local strawberries, grown in the good red earth of PEI, are a world apart, full of juice, flavor and fragrance. A favorite dessert is a bowl of these berries sprinkled with a bit of sugar and covered with sweet cream. Very nice macerated with a bit of kirschwasser. BSK is planning a compote of rhubarb and strawberries. When HG was a little fellow enjoying summers is Rockaway, Italian truck farmers would arrive and shout: “Stromberry!!” That shout announced that strawberry season had arrived and for days and nights HG would enjoy big bowls topped with sour cream. In the kitchen of HG’s Mom, almost everything edible received the inevitable (and delicious) dollop of sour cream. In the here and now, HG/BSK are breakfasting on the berries with Greek yogurt, walnuts and honey. In a few weeks, heaven will get a new dimension. That’s when the local raspberries and blueberries appear. HG/BSK and famille pick them every day from the bushes surrounding the HG/BSK home. Salt spray from the sea seems to give them another delightful dimension.