HUNGRY GERALD

Blood Orange Bitters are a magical addition to cocktails produced by a company called Stirrings. HG buys it at the Kokoman wine and liquor store in Pojoaque, a few miles from HG/BSK’s residence. Kokoman has a big selection of bitters as well as an encyclopedic range of beers (domestic and foreign), fine wines, single malt Scotch, etc. Yes, there’s more to New Mexico drinking and dining than Budweiser, tacos and green chile sauce. HG uses the Blood Orange Bitters in a self invented, pre-dinner cocktail HG has dubbed “The Gerald.” It is composed of freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice, vodka, the bitters and a splash of Topo Chico sparkling water. Served on the rocks. Stimulating beverage. The Stirrings company also recommends adding the bitters to the usual whiskey and sweet vermouth for a superior Manhattan. They also suggest putting a sugar cube in a flute, soaking it in the bitters and adding chilled Champagne. Sounds nice. HG will try it with Prosecco.

Looking forward to dinner tonight of New Zealand lamb chops (from Trader Joe’s) accompanied by roasted Kumatos and fingerling potatoes. HG/BSK will be drinking The Velvet Devil Merlot from the blessed state of Washington. Yes, HG loves lamb chops (called them “ompa lomps” in his childhood). HG has posted many appreciations of lamb (see HG archive). TJ’s and Sam’s Club carry excellent racks of lamb from New Zealand. Sometimes, BSK separates the rack and makes “lamb popsicles” using Vikram Vij’s recipe. Lush heaven. The only lamb stew HG ever enjoyed was Spring Lamb Stew (Navarin Printanier) prepared by the late Sandra Segal (she learned to cook in Paris). Back to lamb chops. Best ever were the triple thick beauties served at Leon Lianides’s Coach House in New York’s Greenwich Village (long closed and replaced by Mario Batali’s Babbo’s) (see HG archive for more on Coach House). Perfect meal at Coach House was starter of crab cakes or black bean soup (accompanied by corn sticks); the great chops; pecan pie with vanilla ice cream. A few times a year, Lianides made a Greek tripe stew. Alas, HG was not a tripe fan in those days and so missed the treat.

Yes, HG loves alcohol in all its delightful forms. HG’s passion probably leads to excess but so do all passions (including love). This is HG’s drinking routine: (1) Drink before dinner, but after swimming 30 to 40 laps in HG/BSK’s pool house (the 45-foot pool is heated, thankfully). (2) One half bottle of red wine or one bottle of beer with dinner (3) One or two after dinner drinks. HG is inventive with pre-dinner drinks. Glass of 1/2 tequila and 1/2 dry vermouth. Vodka (3/4) and Aperol (1/4). Bourbon (1/3, Sweet Vermouth (1/3), Campari 1/3. Vodka with splash of orange bitters. Vodka (1/2, grapefruit juice 1/2. Vodka with Boker’s Bitters. All of these beverages require plenty of ice and lemon juice. After dinner drinks are bourbon, brandy (with splash of Peychaud’s Bitters), Sambuca, icy Limoncello. Irish whiskey (Jameson’s or Bushmill’s) with a teaspoon of maple syrup. HG’s regimen does not have the Health Police Seal of Approval. But, at age 88, HG declares: WTF??

Yes, HG has consumed lots of sauerkraut through the years. Have loved the choucroute at Paris brasseries topped with delicious pork products, accompanied by boiled potatoes and enhanced by sharp mustard. Cold beer has been the beverage, of course. However, the very best sauerkraut, bar none, is cooked by BSK. Here’s how BSK prepared it for dinner last night. A jar of kraut was rinsed. Sliced onion and apple gently sauteed in a sauce pan with olive oil. This was added to the warming kraut with a dash of olive oil and a pour of dry white wine. The result was magical. Layers of flavor. The topping was browned beer bratwurst and veal bratwurst. Keen’s English Mustard, Maille Dijon Mustard, Prince Edward Island mustard pickles, dill pickles on the table. Lots of Sierra Nevada IPA. Great cold weather meal. At one point, a beer bratwurst slipped off BSK’s serving fork. Toby, The Wonder Dog, snatched the morsel out of mid-air, devouring the tasty food in seconds. This resulted in a very minimal breakfast for the greedy boy next day.

There is no better dessert than a ripe Comice pear paired with parmesan, roquefort or gorgonzola cheese and paired with a glass of fruity red wine. There is a cynical Italian saying: “Don’t tell the peasants about pears and parmesan.” BSK is expert at picking out the best Comice specimens at Whole Foods and bringing them home to reach peak ripeness. BSK learned about Comice delights when HG/BSK lived on New York’s upper west side more than a half century ago. HG/BSK were steady customers at a Mom-and-Pop fruit stand on 80th Street and Broadway. When shopping there one day, the Mom of the store rummaged around the pears and found a ripe Comice. “You don’t know about Comice pears, young lady. Take this home. Wash it. Eat it. You will have pleasure.” BSK followed the Mom’s instructions. Voila!! Comice rules the fruit world.

Texas barbecued brisket deserves its fame. (On HG/BSK’s annual motor trip to Prince Edward Island, Tyler’s Barbecue in Amarillo, Texas is an obligatory stop). Carolina barbecued brisket (drenched in the unique regional mustardy sauce) is splendid. Calvin Trillin, a favorite food writer, swears by the Kansas City product of Arthur Bryant. However, HG prefers above all others, Jewish style, gravy heavy brisket. Not barbecued but cooked in the oven for lots of hours with onions, garlic, carrots, beef stock and tomato sauce. HG’s late Mom called it in Yiddish: “Gedempte fleysch.” HG called it delicious and that’s what helped HG grow into manhood. (You will find a brisket recipe similar to Mom’s in Joan Nathan’s “Jewish Cooking in America”, Knopf, 1964). HG/BSK were in the mood for brisket last night but didn’t have the time for hours of cooking. So, BSK used the Instant Pot, and–hurrah!!– in one hour there was brown on the outside, lush in the inside, home style brisket. BSK was disappointed in the gravy. Thinner and less flavorful than BSK’s ideal. HG thought it was fine and it went well with a platter of kasha (buckwheat groats) and fried onions. Thankfully, there’s enough brisket left over for dinner tonight. HG will cook Italian farfalle shaped pasta to add to the remaining kasha converting it into “kasha varnishkes.) With harissa and sour cream on the table, HG looks forward to more meaty ecstasy. (For brisket lovers there is an essential for the culinary bookshelf: “The Brisket Book–A Love Story With Recipes” by Stephanie Pierson. A long time pal of HG/BSK, Ms. P. is witty, erudite and eminently readable. You will be tempted to browse the book at bedtime. But, then you’d have to arise for a quick nosh. That’s what the book does to appetite.)

Yes, Santa Fe has some very high end restaurants (Geronimo is the best). But, HG/BSK are not customers. The problem is wine (and spirits). BSK is a hearty wine drinker (can knock off more than a half-bottle with a meal). HG drinks much wine but also likes vodka before the meal and brandy after. This amounts to big bucks at a good restaurant. Cost of wine and spirits can be more than a hundred bucks (sometimes $150). And, then there are three courses of food plus tax and tip. Excessive expenditure. So, dinner is confined to lusty home cooking plus wine and spirit values from Kokoman and Trader Joe’s. BSK confines lunch to leftovers but HG prefers noshing at casual, inexpensive eateries. El Parasol (in Pojoaque and Santa Fe) for menudo and tacos; Saigon Cafe (Santa Fe) for chow fun and pho; Whole Foods for a container of jambalaya; Tune Up for a breakfast burrito smothered in green chile. Best of all are the numerous food trucks. One of them serves foot long hot dogs covered in super hot green chile sauce. A happy way to achieve the ultimate in heartburns. Pass the Tums.

Spanish creativity and Swiss business acumen are responsible for a year round culinary treat: The Kumato. Kumatoes are reddish brown, juicy, tomatoes. They are a hybrid developed in Spain and patented by Syngenta, a Swiss agribusiness. No, you can’t buy Kumato seeds and grow your own. Under a rigorous process, Syngenta sells seeds to one major greenhouse grower in a country. (Kumatoes are now grown in 12 countries. HG/BSK eat Kumatoes cultivated in Canada and Mexico). Kumatoes are very tasty (Okay, not as good as a seasonal New Jersey tomato). HG/BSK enjoy them in a variety of ways. Silced with fresh mozzarella. With Portuguese sardines, slices of sweet onion and a big squeeze of lemon juice. Baked in the oven and topped with olive oil and chopped garlic and parsley. In a BLT. A favorite HG snack: Lightly toasted sourdough bread rubbed with garlic, sliced Kumato, olive oil, kosher salt. And, of course, a glass of red wine.

As followers of HG know all too well, HG loves oysters. When on PEI, HG devours scores from Malpeque and Rollo Bays. In Paris, favorite venue is Le Stella, the delightful brasserie in the staid 16th. Plenitude of riches in New York: Grand Central Oyster Bar; Daughter Victoria’s Cookshop Restaurant on 10th Avenue in Chelsea; a plateau de fruits de mer at Balthazar (a feast shared with Victoria); In Rhode Island, there’s the great Bristol Oyster Bar plus Hemenway’s in Providence. So, where does HG indulge oyster craving in landlocked New Mexico? Oysters are served at some Mexican seafood restaurants. They are on the menu at a few upscale places. Best of all, Friday is oyster night at the cafe in Santa Fe’s Whole Foods market. (Sometimes, there’s a “buck a shuck” offering). There are four varieties of oysters (including Malpeques) at the fish counter. Happily, there are well priced containers of shucked Pacific oysters. These are big, juicy specimens which BSK uses in oyster pan roast (mentioned in previous post) and congee made in the Instant Pot. BSK adds chopped oysters to robust congee flavored with clam juice, garlic, onions and Vietnamese Fish Sauce. Steaming bowls are topped with chopped scallions and salted peanuts after getting a dash of sesame oil and sriracha. Yes, the delightful bivalve is alive and well in The Land of Enchantment.

New York has changed so much that HG/BSK have little desire to live there (even part time). However, great to visit (stated like a true “out of towner”). HG loves eating at daughter Victoria’s downtown restaurants (Rosie’s, Cookshop, Shuka and Vic’s). Of course, there are the wonderful museums (and sharing a plateau de fruits de mer with Victoria at Balthazar). And, Chinatown. But, when HG becomes nostalgic, HG longs for the oyster pan roast at the Grand Central Oyster Bar. Oysters, butter, half-and- half, clam juice, celery salt, Worcestshire sauce, Heinz Chili Sauce (might be missing an ingredient) cooked in a unique steam kettle and served over white bread toast. Sprinkle of paprika. IN HG’s day, the steam kettle was utilized by an aged, unsmiling Italian. HG would often precede the pan roast with a dozen shucked oysters, drink Ballantine’s IPA and have Nesselrode Pie for dessert. Yesterday, while the East Coast shivered, HG/BSK enjoyed typical New Mexico winter weather: 50 degrees, blue skies, brilliant sun. Gets colder at night so BSK made a pot of comfort: the BSK oyster pan roast. Used big, plump, Pacific oysters (modestly priced and sold in containers at Whole Foods). Most of the traditional ingredients but substituted whole milk for the cream mixture. No, it didn’t quite reach the heights of the Grand Central version, but it was very tasty. Cold Pouilly Fuisse was the right accompaniment. Cambazola cheese with ripe Comice pears for dessert, With this kind of food and this kind of weather, Noo Yawk nostalgia is blunted.