HUNGRY GERALD

When HG lived in Santa Fe and Colorado, HG could drive.  This meant HG could motor to excellent Vietnamese restaurants and enjoy super size bowls of Pho, enlivened with a handful of greens and herbs. Happily, there were almost a score of  good Pho restaurants in Denver (most located on or near Federal Boulevard.)  In Santa Fe, HG lunched very often at Saigon Cafe, excellent food and efficient service.  These days in Rhode Island, HG is a bit too handicapped to drive. BSK is the chauffeur de luxe. One problem.  BSK (despite HG pleading) refuses to stop at any eatery–Vietnamese, Japanese, Mexican, etc.. BSK makes up for it by making wonderful Pho with leftover Bell & Evans chicken, rice noodles, and a host of vegetables, spices and herbs. HG  had two big bowls of BSK Pho last night. Joy!! BSK made enough for an HG supper next night (if BSK protests, BSK will freeze wonder Pho).

In many Asian restaurants HG has consumed, with pleasure, dishes with coconut milk as a major ingredient.  On the other hand, BSK has shunned coconut milk. Presumably, BSK has believed that it resembles dairy sweet cream–which BSK abhors. Meanwhile,  gifted daughter, Lesley R., has used coconut milk in many family dishes she has made in the Riverside, RI, home she shares with husband, Professor Massimo R.  HG/BSK have enjoyed Lesley R. coconut milk dishes and BSK’s aversion to the ingredient has vanished. Last night, BSK made a fabulous stew/saute of swordfish in a coconut milk sauce. The ingredients—slices of swordfish, coconut milk, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, olive oil,turmeric and a spoonful of honey. BSK simmered the swordfish in this flavorful melange–the result was the most delicious fish dish HG ever tasted  (the exception, of course, is the buttery, astronomically priced Dover Sole at Le Dome in Paris). Sadly, HG can’t get to Paris but BSK’s cooking captures the flavors of that city—and BSk’s wine selections turns HG/BSK’s Central Falls, RI, dining room into a Left Bank bistro serving splendid dishes for supper.

HG’s birthday dinner at Matunuck Oyster Bar (name is misleading, it is a large, busy, scenic restaurant) was an epic. It was the best seafood dinner HG ever had–augmented by a Prosecco and a white wine selected by HG/BSK’s favorite sommelier of Italian wines  –son-in-law Massimo R. Meal started with a seafood tower. The wonderful ingredients: tuna poke, a dozen oysters, six littleneck clams, Jonah crabmeat salad, jumbo shrimp, seaweed salad—and a whole chilled lobster. Each ingredient was superlative–tasting like the good things were plucked from the Rhode Island waters in a timely fashion. The Jumbo shrimp were truly Jumbo–one would make a light lunch. The lobster was tender. Precision cooking made it succulent. HG also ate wondrous Oysters Rockefeller and some crispy calamari. HG’s dessert was a chocolate brownie covered in vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, chopped nuts and whipped cream—stupendous!! If HG remains alive, HG hopes to get back to Matunuck. (Just found the name of the white wine Massimo ordered–Alta Mora Etna Bianco. Remarkable wine).

Want to increase your anxiety level? Read Philip Roth’s 2004 novel, “The  Plot Against America”. The novel details what  America would be like if Charles Linbergh defeated Franklin D.Roosevelt in the 1940 presidential election. Lindbergh headed America First, an isolationist (and anti-semitic) pressure group. Lindbergh admired Adolf Hitler and Germany’s rearmament. He met with Hitler and Goering—and praised German air power. The novel details persecution of Jews during Lindbergh’s administration. The novel was an HBO mini-series in 2020. Four years later America got Trump. Did Roth see the future?

Children (for the most part) are not fond of vegetables. They often push them to a corner of the dinner plate and ignore them. :”Eat your veggies !!”, command Moms (BSK among them). No urging necessary last night at supper in HG/BSK’s Central Falls (bordering Providence), RI ,loft. BSK roasted a big platter of olive oil moistened vegetables–zucchini, peppers, onions, garlic cloves, tomatoes and slices of  yellow squash (an unusual squash discovered by gifted daughter, Lesley R.) Sea scallops topped the melange. Super delicious dish with many health benefits. All negative thoughts about veggies vanished.

The word from Yiddish means, roughly, “Jewishness”.   HG’s dining yesterday focused on “Yiddishkeit”. Jewish fruit compote and yogurt for breakfast. (BSK made the lush compote of dried prunes, apricots and pears. Much better than HG’s compote cooking efforts).  Lunch was Manischewitz Superior Gold gefilte fish in jellied fish broth. Gold’s horseradish gave the fish an appropriate mouth tingle. Supper was a triumph of BSK’s affinity for Jewish food (though BSK is not Jewish–100% Canadian Episcopalian). BSK made an HG favorite–Kasha Varnishkes (buckwheat groats and farfalle pasta). BSK mixed the kasha and farfalle with a melange of mushrooms, onions,and garlic. The dish was simmered in a pungent chicken broth. Topped with sour cream and sprinkles of sea salt and coarse flakes of black pepper, this was a BSK masterpiece—better than any Kasha Varnishkes HG ever ate at New York “dairy” restaurants (Ratner’s, Rappaport’s. Paramount, etc, etc).  HG gave it even more flavor by adding spoonfuls of duck fat.  And, sorry, much better than the dish HG’s late Mom produced in her Bronx kitchen. When it comes to cooking,  BSK must have a smidgen of Yiddishkeit in her ancestry.

Today, HG is a venerable age–95. Never in HG’s wildest dreams did HG ever think HG would live so long. Some 50 years of two pack a day cigarette smoking (plus cigars). Heavy drinking—Martinis at lunch and cocktail hour. Radical cancer surgery. Nevertheless, HG is still alive–infirm but hungry–looking forward to a celebratory dinner (hosted by gifted daughter, Lesley R., and her illustrious husband, Professor and author Massimo R.). Matunuck Oyster Bar is the destination. The reason for HG’s longevity–BSK. The glorious woman has given HG 24/7 care for many years. Vitamins and medications, healthy and tasty meals, help in walking, dressing, etc. The list of things BSK does for HG is encyclopedic. This has meant sacrifice for BSK. Meeting HG’s demands gives BSK little time for BSK’s creativity–painting and pottery. Obviously, the solution is grim–farewell to HG life. HG doesn’t want that to happen –yet. And, BSK battles to keep Mr. 95 alive.

HG’s favorite New Yorker cartoon—Penne on the telephone:  “Fusilli, you crazy bastard! How are you?”. For some obscure reason, HG has never liked Fusilli, the corkscrew shaped pasta. Why? A mystery–since HG loves every other pasta shape–long,short or chunky. Last night, BSK cooked fusilli with a savory sauce of olive oil, zucchini, chicken broth (modest amount) , feta cheese, garlic and bacon. The Fusilli gathered each bit of the sauce and each bite was heavenly. So, you crazy bastard, all is forgiven. BSK has made Fusilli a supper treat.

Glad that HG/BSK live in Rhode Island. While America voted for autocracy, Rhode Island stayed true to its traditions and elected a Democratic Senatorial candidate as well as other Dems running in the election (Of course, Harris won big in Rhody). A visionary minister and theologian, Roger Williams (1603 was expelled from Massachusetts because he believed that “liberty of conscience” be espoused by religion. He also believed in freedom of religion, separation of church and state, fair dealings with Native Americans.) .He founded Providence Plantation (later the State of Rhode Island) based on these principles. (Obviously, Rhody still believes in them.) George Washington summed it up in a letter to the Touro Synagogue in Newport –“to bigotry no sanction—to persecution no assistance.” Touro Synagogue, a national historic site, is still standing. Completed in 1763, Touro is the oldest synagogue in the United States. Rhody is a very diverse state–many working class neighborhoods (with immigrant majorities). Mansions galore ($10,000,000 to $29,000,000–Newport started it all). Elegant, affordable houses with water views. With water power available, Rhody was part of the industrial revolution. The loft buildings that once were mills have been converted to loft condominiums—HG/BSK live in a 3,200 square foot loft in Central Falls–loads of light from giant windows. The State is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and intersected by numerous bays and rivers. It is a seafood paradise–world’s best oysters, clams and squid (Calamari and hot peppers is the official Rhody dish). Loads of fresh fish–many line caught. There are also homey clam shacks and oyster bars for casual noshing. There are ethnic restaurants by the dozen–Portuguese, Cape Verde, Mexican, Spanish, Italian, Asian, etc. In Central Falls where HG/BSK live, Central American cuisine reigns. You won’t go  hungry in Rhody–valued stronghold of Democracy and Democrats.

When son Jeremy lived in Brooklyn with his family, he introduced HG/BSK to his version of New Orleans gumbo. SJ’s gumbo was filled with good things (chicken, sausage, okra, shrimp. the New Orleans “Holy Trinity” of celery, peppers, garlic, etc.) and thickened with  File spice. HG/BSK relished every bit of it. Noting the pleasure,  SJ made the dish many times. He and wife, Maiko, now live in Tokyo with son, Haru, and daughter, Teru. They have just celebrated the fourth anniversary of their busy izakaya, Freeman Shokudo, and gumbo is on the menu (along with pastrami and other much lauded barbecue specialties.) To honor the occasion, BSK made BSK’s own version of SJ’s gumbo using Bell & Evans tender chicken drumsticks, shrimp, spicy andouille sausage, okra, chopped spinach and fennel—plus the “Holy Trinity”. Fortunately, BSK made a big pot–a “double header” of BSK’s gumbo sensation—enough for two suppers and one or two lunches at HG/BSK’s Central Falls, RI, loft. Weather is turning chilly in Rhody but BSK’s gumbo warms body and soul.