HUNGRY GERALD

Daffodils. Tulips. Forsythia. Hyacinths. Greening grass. Budding trees. Green willow fronds. Spring is upon us here in New Mexico and it’s Row-Zay time. Yes, it’s time to sit outdoors beneath brilliant blue skies and drink lots of friendly rose wine. Hey, that’s what they do in Spain and HG enjoys paying homage (if it involves drinking and eating) to New Mexico’s Hispanic heritage. Ancona almonds. Kalamata olives. Piquillo peppers. Anchovies. Thin slices of a ciabatta loaf. These are nice accompaniments. French Tavel is HG’s favorite rose but it has become too pricey for everyday drinking. HG makes out just fine with six bucks-a-bottle La Ferme Julien (French) and Albero (Spanish). California’s despicable White Zinfandel has given rose a bad rep. Ignore it. Buy HG recommended roses and have lots of fun in the sun.

There are times when HG and BSK can be found at the Farmer’s Market choosing only the freshest, local produce and humanely raised local meats. At those times our carbon footprint is so light as to be negligible; other times the supermarket shelf is our larder and our footprint is more like a size 13 combat boot — RIght now is one of those times! Delicious jars of Piquillo Peppers from Spain are starting to appear on supermarket shelves. Take advantage. These are much better than Italian roasted peppers. Wonderful with anchovies or some chunks of fresh mozzarella.

HG has fallen for a sweet treat that can be found at Trader Joe’s — Petit Palmiers. A palmier is a delightful, lacy, crisp cookie made from puff pastry. Nice with morning coffee, dessert ice cream or as a companion to the evening’s last glass of red wine. In Paris, HG always nibbled at his Petit Palmiers with morning cafe au lait, finding them preferable to croissants. Yes, you can still get a good baguette in Paris but croissant baking seems to be a declining craft.The palmier has much in common with “kichel”, the sugared pastry that was produced by Bronx Jewish bakeries and consumed in quantity by HG’s father accompanied by many cups of very strong tea.

An old friend, the multi-talented Donald M., reported that he has planted fig trees in his Nyack, NY, garden. Donald has Italian ancestors so HG presumes figs will soon appear. In The Bronx of HG’s youth, many Italians grew figs in their back yards — and in fact SJ reports that the yards of his Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn neighborhood are dotted with fig trees. Cold climates are not hospitable to figs so the Bronx Italians carefully wrapped them and nurtured them during winter months (presume the same care occurs in Brooklyn).. HG understood all the loving care and attention when he tasted his first plate of San Daniele prosciutto and fresh figs. A sexy dish by all counts and pure bliss to devour. HG will indulge when the figs come to market here in Santa Fe. A cold bottle of Prosecco awaits to awaken the senses even more.

March was NCAA Final Four time and soon the NBA will start in with the playoffs. This is B-Ball heaven for HG which demands some serious marathon TV viewing. And, other than HG’s beloved son and B-Ball maven SJ, the best companion for watching hoops madness is a hearty plate of Posole A La HG. Here’s how you do it: Brown ground pork with a whole diced onion and four cloves of chopped garlic. Saute until the pork is evenly browned and the onions are starting to get transparent. Season with a healthy dusting of Goya Adobo powder and add a drained can of posole (white hominy) plus a can of magical RoTel Diced Tomato & Green Chili. Toss in some canned chipotle peppers (this will add heat and smokiness). A few pinches of dried Mexican oregano is a good idea. Heat some good chicken broth (HG likes Trader Joe’s Free Range Chicken Broth) and add it to the pork mixture. Add enough broth to bring the dish midway between a soup and a stew. If you want more heft, you can add a can of drained Goya Black Beans. Garnish with avocado slices, chopped raw onions or scallions, lime wedges, more chipotles and oregano to taste. HG likes to top his bowl with Fritos or Tom’s Corn Chips.To drink: Shots of tequila chased by Corona or Tecate beer topped with lime. Hoops Heaven.

James Naismith - Father of Basketball

HG (or was it some Frenchman?) has often said that a meal without an appetizer (or “starter” as the English characterize it) is like intercourse without foreplay. Pardon the naughty allusion. Anyway, HG’s favorite appetizer is a few oysters and bulots (sea snails) washed down with chilled Muscadet. However, when dining at home it is much more easy to procure and prepare a Middle Eastern array of excellent nibbles collectively called Mezze. Mezze is a staple in restaurants in Lebanon, Greece, Turkey, Iran, Iraq. etc. Yes, these folks set a nice table when they’re not busy going bankrupt or blowing each other up. Mezze is simple, just an array of tasty small plates. This was the Mezze HG and gifted granddaughter AR faced last night: Kalamata olives, Greek pickled peppers, “gigante” lima beans in vinaigrette, sliced kumato tomatoes, feta cheese, mozzarella cheese and a luscious baba ganoush. A word about the baba ganoush: Usually, HG makes this from scratch but Alwadi canned baba ganoush is a very good substitute. Nice natural ingredients. AR, who recently visited Istanbul, made HG envious as she described the lavish hot and cold Mezze at even the most modest Istanbul eateries. Must visit that magical city.

Nestled in a convenient corner of HG/BSK’s refrirgerator is the bright red squeeze bottle (adorned with a rooster) of Huy Fong Sriracha. And, wow, does that bottle get a lot of use. Sriracha adds a tangy zing to everything from eggs to soups, hamburgers, stews and much more. At first, the sauce was intended to enliven that essential dish of Vietnamese cuisine — pho. Vietnamese in the USA latched on to Sriracha but it soon burst out of any ethnic pigeon hole. Though based on Asian hot sauces, Huy Fong Sriracha is an All-American sauce created by David Tran, a Vietnamese emigre. Virtually every American chef, including such luminaries as Jean-Georges Vongerichten, adds it to a host of dishes. As a condiment, it is probably only surpassed by ketchup, mustard and, maybe, Tabasco.

The Thai gentleman who invented Red Bull, the energy drink, died recently. His net worth was estimated at $5 billion. Don’t know David Tran’s net worth but presume it must be substantial. Capitalism works (sometimes).

Had some great New York strip steaks last night (bought the meat at Whole Foods). BSK does the steak in her own original way. Cast iron pan, of course. Thin layer of kosher salt. BSK turns the heat to high. Heats the pan for a few minutes so its hot enough to create a good, crusty sear. On go the steaks, a minute on each side. Then, innovative BSK begins turning the steaks every forty seconds or so. When BSK thinks they’re ready a small cut is made in order to be sure. The end result is a steak that is dark, reddish pink throughout. Not bloody, but, rare and juicy. Bovine heaven. Good companion to a big red wine from the State of Washington. Last night’s choice was The Velvet Devil. Yum.

Onions, shallots and garlic get some very intensive use in the HG/BSK kitchen. They enhance and augment everything except ice cream. Sarah N., the long, lean, lovely Executive Director of the Santa Fe Farmers Market Institute, recently sent HG information about the health benefits of the onion family. Good for lots of stuff that ails you. The shallot is the most potent cancer fighter but onions and garlic also aid the immune system. Garlic has a side benefit. It is useful in banishing vampires. So, take that, Count Dracula. You won’t take a nosh from HG’s neck.

The unintended consequence of the micro-green revolution that has landed a Mesculun salad mix in produce sections across America is that Iceberg lettuce has become reviled as tasteless; detractors call it edible packing material with nary a trace of nutritional benefit. HG thinks this is an unfair overstatement. Iceberg can be good in a variety of ways. HG likes it shredded over spicy chili stew or posole (with chopped onion, sliced avocado and Mexican oregano). It is the indispensable crunchy ingredient in a BLT sandwich. Iceberg leaves are very useful in scooping up many Chinese stir fries. And, a quartered head of Iceberg covered in a chunky blue cheese (Maytag, please) or roquefort dressing, can be a very pleasing companion to a rare, pan broiled steak.

When HG is declared, by universal acclaim, Food Dictator of the USA, every Pizza Hut, McDonald’s, Arby’s, Taco Bell, etc. will be demolished.The only food chain left standing will be Chipotle: Fairly healthy, reasonably pleasant environment and their carnitas are pretty exceptional. All other fast fooderies are horror shows. Vicious food caricatures. What would replace them under the HG regime? Indian food (samosas, tandoori breads and curries). Souvlaki, Kebab, Shawirma and Felafel pita with tzatsiki, lettuce, onions and hot sauce is good and fast eating. Dim sum (Yes, making dim sum fresh is preferable but HG encountered lots of frozen dim sum in Vancouver, B.C. and it was very tasty). Hot dogs. (Yes, good quality, beef hot dogs with sauerkraut or Chicago style or covered in spicy chili or melted cheddar or Joisey style with fried onions, potatoes and peppers). Borscht. Schav — ice cold sorrel soup. Piroshkki, those flaky, meat filled Russian pastries, boiled potatoes and sour cream). Yes, that’s a bit of a stretch. But, while HG is fantasizing — how about a chain called Yiddishe Mama? It would serve only blintzes, knishes and guilt.