HUNGRY GERALD

BSK’s dinner cuisine is inspired by many regions, countries, and cities. On successive nights BSK cooked: Gumbo (New Orleans); Moussaka (Greece);Tagine (Morocco —This was a simmered dish of chicken, garlic, onions, caulîflower, broth, olive oil and loads of middle eastern spices  (Including pungent  cinnamon). On another night there was no cooking for BSK. Gifted daughter, Lesley R.; her extraordinary husband, Author/Professor/Intellectual Massimo R.; their remarkable daughter, Sofia (HG/BSK granddaughter who has inherited beauty and brains ) brought fiery Szechuan Chinese food from Chengdu Taste. Set Massimo’s mouth ablaze. Cured by glasses of icy milk.

Cruising the Market Basket supermarket in Providence, BSK noticed some fresh, just picked okra. It’s a key ingredient in gumbo–the hearty New Orleans/Louisiana stew. Abundant okra went into BSK’s version of the New Orlean classic—plus a carefully swirled roux, shrimp, chunks of chicken thighs, chorizo sausage, file powder, cayenne pepper (just a pinch), salt, garlic, onions, celery and other tasty bits and flavor enhancers. Son Jeremy’s gumbo is world champion but BSK’s is a worthy challenger. Gifted daughter Lesley R., her erudite husband, Profesore Massimo R; and their  brilliant daughter (HG/BSK’s granddaughter) Sofia, had designated Saturday night for Christmas tree trimming at their home. So, BSK made everyone happy by bringing a big pot of leftover gumbo. Splendid meal. Beautifully decorated tree. Prone on the living room sofa, HG watched all of the activity while getting a neck massage from a device  Arianna gifted HG some years ago. Bliss.

Many years ago, HG commuted to an HG/BSK summer home in scenic New Paltz (Upstate New York). This was a historic (Filled with antiques) French Hugenot stone dwelling with a guest cottage and a chilly water swimming pool for a very modest sum. New Paltz is a one and a half hour drive from New York so HG commuted there by express bus. When working late HG skipped home cooking for a meal at a Greek restaurant on the second floor of the Port Authority Bus Terminal (Eatery is long gone). A HG’s favorite meal was Moussaka and multiple glasses of retsina (An acquired taste). Retsina is a pungent pine flavored wine and Moussaka, cooked in the oven, is served in the pottery dish it was cooked in. Bubbling hot. Essentially, the dish consists of ground lamb enriched with seasonal vegetables and herbs and spices. Topped with a thick layer of bechamel. BSK made a big baking dish of it two nights ago. Hearty and delicious. Much left over so HG/BSK brought the baking dish to Gifted daughter Lesley R.’s home. Happy festive dinner for five hungry adults. Much praise for BSK. And, what are HG/BSK eating tonight for dinner? You guessed it. Moussaka (The last of it). Here’s a sidebar: One night.HG was busy with a spinach pie at that Greek eatery and Mel Brooks was seated at an adjacent table with friends. Upon seeing HG, Mel embraced HG and shouted “It’s the great actor Boris Thomashefsky !!! One of my heroes.” HG admitted that HG was that actor (Of course, Boris had been dead for many years. He was a flamboyant (hammy?) star of the Yiddish stage.) HG had much funny Yiddish/ English badinage with Brooks. No tape or any other record of those moments exists. Too bad. HG had a mane of white hair in those late 60’s–thus the purported resemblance to Boris.

HG/BSK’s family (gifted daughter Lesley R., her husband, Profesore Massimo R; HG/BSK’s spectacular granddaughter, Sofia  R.) came for dinner last night. The generous group brought a fabulous Chinese feast from Chengdu Taste restaurant (Providence). Foods included wontons in hot (blazing) sauce; crystal shrimp dumplings ; pork soup dumplings; ma po (silky bean curd, ground pork, hot sauce) stew; eggplant; string beans; pork belly; fish prepared in two ways. Big container of white rice. Poor Massimo. He swallowed a wonton drenched in blazing sauce. Like many Europeans,he has a problem eating heavily spiced foods. The wonton was a flamethrower.   A glass of ice cold milk cured him. He managed to do justice to a carrot cake dessert.             

These were the dishes HG ate on date night with HG’s beautiful teenage girl friend. Neighborhood Chinese restaurants were cozy, welcoming—and cheap. HG would order pork chow mein and HG’s shapely companion would order shrimp chop suey.  We shared. This was preceded by egg drop or won ton soup. Dessert was almond cookies. Cost for the meal: $1.00 (Fifty cents each). HG found the food delicious and would bring back memories by ordering yummy and messy chow mein sandwiches at the Nathan’s outpost near Times Square (Even Mimi Sheraton, the former NY Times food critic, wrote nostalgically about her Brooklyn chow mein of the past and wished it would return.) Chop suey and chow mein were introduced to America by the Chinese cooks feeding the workers building the cross country western railroads.

BSK made Korean “Fire Chicken” last night and it was piquant and delicious. Chicken thighs were cut into small pieces and cooked with Korean baejong sauce. Molto picante!!  The dish got a layer of melted mozzarella cheese which cooled the fire a bit. There were bonuses. Remaining rice was turned into BSK’s perfect congee. (“Jook”). The next night, HG/BSK ate congee mixed with the leftover chicken and Chinese mushrooms. Delicious.  And, in the morning, HG breakfasted on the congee topped with an elegant poached egg and flavored with sesame oil and Sriracha. Congee’s a gift that keeps on giving.

Yes, Thanksgiving dinner is usually a family affair. It is pictured as such in a zillion ads. A nicely crisped turkey is at the center of the table—star attraction. Seated are jolly and hungry Gramps and Granny; Mom and Dad; Children (and spouses); Kiddies; Aunts, Uncles, etc. Big crowd. For HG/BSK it was dinner for two. Family was off to a feast at the spacious Colorado rental home of granddaughter Arianna and her Significant Other, Adam.  Arianna and Adam produced a happy, lush and traditional Thanksgiving repast. No, HG/BSK were not sad and lonely. BSK roasted a specialty–spatchcocked chicken. BSK brined the bird and gave it the special BSK rub of lemon juice, garlic, pimenton, etc. BSK served the juicy, flavorful chicken with mashed potatoes and roasted fennel. There was plenty of gravy to enhance the bird and spuds. Oh my, this was festive eating—better than turkey overwhelmed by side dishes. Drank a lovely, well priced red from the Chateau Laffite neighborhood. Dessert was baklava and (for HG) Tillamook vanilla ice cream. Beautiful music from Andres Segovia wafted through the air. Per usual, BSK was chic and lovely. Fabulous woman. Fabulous cook, Fabulous Thanksgiving a deux.

In recent posts, HG asked two questions. Is Virginia Diner chocolate covered peanut brittle really good (Pricier that the superb Brittle Brothers non-chocolate covered product) or is it a case of “Gilding the lily” ? Answer: It is superb and worth the price. It is now HG’s favorite after dinner accompaniment to a glass of robust red wine.  Question 2: How does BSK make the fabled “Green Sauce”, the sauce that makes almost everything  taste better. The ingredients are shallots, garlic, parsley, olive oil and a package of “Micro Greens”. It all goes into the food processor for a whirling tumble. Voila!! Heaven. Texture and proportions are up to you.

BSK’s “Green Sauce” enhances food. Great on pasta, chicken, beef, pork, etc.,etc. Last night BSK poured some over a platter of sea scallops and linguine.  BSK also added some chopped garlic and parsley; lemon juice and a discreet splash of olive oil. This was one of the great pasta dishes. So, what composes the “Green Sauce”? HG makes a guess that it involves a lot of parsley and other green herbs. Olive oil? Chicken stock? Garlic? Shallots? Have to check with BSK to get the definitive analysis. BSK has always stressed the importance of fresh, no preservatives, and no chemical ingredients foods. The big, juicy, sea scallops BSK procured at a favorite seafood shop lived up to these criteria and were delicious. Of course, BSK is expert at sauteeing scallops to a light brown exterior and a not quite raw interior. Perfectly done pasta. “Green Sauce”. Flavorful sea scallops. What did BSK produce? Superb dining marked by creativity and simplicity. And, wonderful cook BSK is svelte, soigne, chic. Fortunate HG.

HG has always been very fond of peanut brittle. Many Bronx “Candy Stores” sold the good stuff. Young HG ate a lot. Cheap. Tasty. HG’s peanut brittle noshing has become more sophisticated through the years. HG is happy to report that at age 94, HG’s peanut brittle passion is as vibrant and lusty as ever. And–HG has discovered the ulimate peanut brittle—the brand is Brittle Brothers. The Brothers are the champions of the brittle world.  Their product: Not too sweet and super generous amount of peanuts. Yes, the peanut/brittle ratio is life enhancing. HG chomps away at this taste marvel accompanied by glasses of fruity red wine. This is the happy climax to BSK’s creatively crafted dinners. Brilltle Brothers makes equally wonderful Pecan Brittle and Cashew Brittle (Also. Bacon Brittle. HG will pass). Today, HG bought some pricey Virginia Diner chocolate covered peanut brittle. HG wants to discover if this is “gilding the lily”.