HUNGRY GERALD

If you follow HG’s blog, you know that HG loves HG’s gifted daughter, Lesley R. HG considers her to be a modern day renaissance woman. She has a demanding career as Communications Director for one of Rhode Island’s largest health care providers. For years she has been the family cook for husband, Profesore Massimo, and their two daughters (now grown  up women). She has also catered the many academic social events hosted by Massimo. Lesley is a brilliant cook (swift and efficient). And though her daughters are adults engaged in business and academic careers, they rely upon their Mother for advice and counsel on everything from cooking to “relationships.” And, Lesley is active in managing the family’s finances and home repair projects. Tonight, Lesley. used her culinary skills to enhance supper at the family’s oceanfront home on Prince Edward Island.  Yes, on PEI dinner is called “supper.” Lesley shucked Colville Bay oysters as a starter. (this was the first  time shucking for Lesley and, no surprise, they were done perfectly and were delicious). This was followed by Lesley’s crisp and delicious zucchini blossoms. Heavenly. Main dish was BSK’s potato and leek soup, BSK, also a very talented cook, enhanced the dish with bacon bits and baby sweet peas  HG, still recuperating from hip surgery, ate well and admired the two remarkable women. 

HG is always saddened by the sight at a supermarket checkout counter of a woman (children trailing) pushing a market stroller filled with large amounts of Coke, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, Sprite, etc. Not an ounce of nutrition in any of this junk—just sugar and chemicals. Fattening fluids that sugar coat the tongue. It was a pioneering man in the long ago midwest named F.W. Kellogg who encouraged Americans to abandon their grease bomb breakfasts for his corn flakes. Now, take a look at dry cereal shelves at your local store. More than a score of brands, targeted at kids and advertised to them, are filled with gross amounts of processed sugar i.e. corn syrup. This is the tiny tip of the iceberg. The American diet is based on processed, sugary food. The result is a prevalence of obesity and other health challenges related to the ludicrous American diet. Yes, there’s been new interest in eating natural-no chemicals or “additive”–foods. But, all this good stuff applies to the better educated (and more prosperous) part of the population.–and not the overwhelming majority. That’s why working  class families (who work at more than one job) are forced to rely on “fast food” and processed junk food to stay alive. A note from gourmand HG: Chinese food is getting sweeter. Ouch!

No actor influenced HG more than Bela Lugosii. HG’s beloved late sister, Beulah  (then aged 12)  and HG (aged 5) went to the Loew’s Ellesmere movie theater (Working class East  Bronx) for a showing of “Dracula”. Talk about scary!! Bela Lugosi’s portrait of the undead Count scared the hell out of little HG; and, it left HG with a neurotic fear of bats. BSK cured the fear by telling HG that bats were efficient mosquito killers. Horror movies? Only “Psycho” provided on par chilly thrills (made teenage BSK and boyfriend frozen with fear) . Lugosi was buried in his “Dracula Cape”. Lugosi’s widow and an ex-wife paid the funeral expenses; however, Frank Sinatra visited Lugosi when Bela was hospitalized before his death and sent him a $1,000 check. Hey, what’s that lurking in the clouds???

There’s an old saying (French, possibly): When we think of the past we regret and when we think of the future we fear. True. That means the present is what we have.  HG has voluminous regrets about HG’s past. However, the past is gone. “Swept into the dustbin of history” (Trotsky). Dear friend Rev.DeForrest “Buster” Soaries would always stress “Meantime” in his sermons. He would note that  prayers would help his parishioners reach heaven, but that’s a long process. In the “Meantime” he called for direct action in terms of voting, community actions, jobs, housing, police activity, etc. Frightening future–Trump Fascism, climate warming, nuclear war. Italians put it this way when thinking about the fearful future: Life is short. The end is ugly and frightening, So, in the “Meantime” let’s have a good meal. Good meals and thoughtful care are among the many wonderful things BSK and Lesley R. do for old (and presently recuperating from surgery) HG. Though HG will be 94 in November, HG does little contemplating about the inevitable beyond hoping it will be swift and relatively painless. At this moment (2PM, Sept. 10), HG is writing and looking at the  sea panorama from HG/BSK’s Prince Edward Island home. HG has  “Today”—and, it’s grand.

HG/BSK awakened 22 years ago in HG/BSK’s Denver bedroom. Horror on TV as Al Qaeda terrorists struck New York’s Twin Towers with two airliners, Another struck the Pentagon in Washington. Brave passengers caused a fourth plane to crash in a Pennsylvania field. Some 3,000 people died in the 9/11 catastrophe. This included firemen, policemen, first responders, etc.  All of the victims are being honored in New York (and elsewhere) ceremonies today. SJ lived near the Twin Towers but, happily, was not damaged by the fallout. Life, inevitably, must go on. Though sobered by the memory. HG enjoyed the tasty breakfast of a smoothie (a BSK creative masterwork), Liberte yogurt with maple syrup, blueberry scone and cafe latte. Lunch featured another BSK winner—creamy zucchini soup made memorable with pinches of nutmeg and cardamon  HG/BSK are following  (with concern) a hurricane that may hit Prince Edward Island next week.

Uncross your fingers, HG came home on Friday morning. Getting up stairs was arduous but as the day progressed, HG began to feel better and better. And, why not? Waiting to greet the old fellow were two of the best women in the world–BSK, love of HG’s life; Brilliant gifted Lesley R., the dream daughter. And, Toby the Wonder  Dog, thrilled at his reunion with HG. This is Saturday and HG is feeling like his old self. Just showered with agile aid from BSK. Bliss. First shower in two weeks. HG was smelling like an old gym sock. Ah, the food ! Fried Hake. Teddy’s  Farmstand sweet corn (Montague). Thai ramen with Tofu. BSK smoothies. Liberte (Montreal) yogurt. Chestnut puree desserts. French Vanilla ice cream with maple syrup. Was the food superlative on the homecoming? You Betcha!! Special Report: Lunch today (For HG) was super baveuse scrambled eggs swirled with a patient, gentle touch by Lesley and mixed with an abundance of butter, goat cheese and a splash of  cream and snippets of chives. Lesley served  it with a buttered biscuit. This was the best egg dish HG ever tasted. Yes! Better than any egg dish HG ever tasted in New York and Europe. HG is on a two week medical teetotal. HG drank a no alcohol Rose. Mixed with a lemon squeeze it is palatable (Barely). As HG writes this post, HG. sips a cocktail hour drink of Pellegrino and a splash of Italian lime syrup. Hey, a teetotal life with BSK and Lesley  R. is delightful.

Staples and stitches will be removed from HG’s surgical hip incision tomorrow. There will be an appraisal of HG/s mobility and other issues on Thursday and Friday. Covid will be checked. (There have been no symptoms since HG was diagnosed positive). Walking, sitting, rising , and the ability to manage toilet functions have all improved. HG thinks some weeks (hopefully) of recuperation are before HG. Lesley and BSK have arranged HG/BSK with all the equipment necessary to keep HG safe at HG/BSK’s Prince Edward Island oceanfront home. BSK (who still has covid) and Wonder Daughter Lesley, have been heroic and caring (no surprise). Great food from home (This supplements hospital food which rivals airline food in succulence). And, they constantly monitor, with medical persons, HG.’s needs and challenges. Not diminishing BSK, but Lesley does all this while working at her important health career many miles from home base. Hospital care–in the Canadian tradition–has been very good. A vigorous  shout of thanks to Montague Hospital nurse, Joshua. An all body scrub by Joshua has been an unexpected pleasure. This optimistic post may be premature—(In Yiddish it’s “Ah kineh hurah”, a predictor of bad luck.) But, what the hell!!

Can’t have any alcoholic solace in HG’s Montague Hospital (Prince Edward Island) room. HG misses (to understate it) the daily alcoholic beverage routine HG has followed since becoming an adult. In days gone by, HG preceded dinner with dry Martinis. Lethal. Led to many mishaps. HG switched to vodka on the rocks. Not as dangerous as Martinis but plenty risky. Saving grace: They made HG so drowsy HG couldn’t do damage. (HG thinks the smidgen of vermouth in Martinis or vodka is the killer). In recent years HG has switched to civilized Italian Negronis–modest amount of gin, sweet vermouth, splash of Campari or Aperol. The thinking person’s cocktail. HG has (pre accident) switched to PEI gin mixed with Italian lime syrup and a squeeze of lemon. Less alcoholic. A friendly sip. At dinner, HG usually drank two glasses of wine–and  a third with HG’s daily dessert of chestnut puree and whipped cream. All of the wines were selected by BSK, an adroit sommelier who finds a wide array of tasty wines at modest prices. Nightcap: Jack Daniel’s. HG will have to radically adjust this routine when HG leaves the hospital–walking but still unsteady.

HG’s love for herring is inherited from HG’s late father, Harry Freeman. After all, HG’s beloved Dad’s first meal in the United States was schmaltz herring, half an onion, pumpernickel bread and a glass of beer. Before being anglicized, “Harry” was Hershele Zvi Freimann. Throughout his life, upon coming home from work Father poured “ah brumfen” (shot of rye whiskey) and ate a hunk of herring on pumpernickel.  As he got older, HG joined him in this pleasant ritual. When Father and son dined alone, Father made a big bowl of lettuce, tomatoes, onions and herring. Both drank beer. After decades and decades of herring fressing, HG’s favorite is raw herring from Holland. It is a seasonal treat and HG first tasted it in Amsterdam. The herring is sold by street vendors, The gutted herring is dipped in chopped onions, eaten whole and, of course, with a bottle of beer in hand. Incomparable. Fortunately, New York’s Russ and Daughters imports the herrings and thoughtful SJ always dispatched some to HG. HG is fond of herring in every guise–pickled, fried, smoked.–and in every type of sauce. HG’s present day favorite is Russ & Daughters schmaltz herring, HG’s favorite meal: Schmaltz herring, chopped onion, sour pickle, pumpernickel bread, icy Polish vodka and chilled beer chasers. When dining thus HG drinks much, much vodka. Seems like a nutritious meal, but oddly, BSK doesn’t approve.

When HG was in college (CCNY graduate 1950) and in the immediate years thereafter, HG ate in cheap, tasty ethnic restaurants. HG knew all of the ethnic neighborhoods. Rough hewn French food favored by the crews of French liners was found near the docks in the West 40’s. Eel stew, Pig’s feet. Offal. There was very cheap Spanish food on West 14th Street. German food in Yorkville. Hungarian food (splendid duck) on First and Second Avenues in the 90’s. Ukrainian pierogi and other filling dishes on First and Second Avenues on the Lower East Side. Fried catfish, ribs and soul food classics in Harlem. Italian food on Mulberry Street in Little Italy. There was only one Mexican restaurant in Manhattan and it was terrible. Good, inexpensive Greek restaurants in the West 40’s and West 30’s. The great multitude of Irish “Bar and Grills” throughout Manhattan served corned beef and cabbage of varying quality plus hard boiled eggs and pickled pig’s knuckles. There were two Japanese restaurants–one near Columbia and the other in the East 30’s. Chinese food was centered in Chinatown. An encyclopedic array of flavors and texture–Plus shockingly cheap. New York was quite Jewish in the 40’s and 50’s. Hundreds of Jewish bakeries, delicatessens (pastrami and corned beef heaven); “appetizing stores”; “dairy” restaurants. And, more. Much, much more. There was an exodus to the suburbs. The city, the food and restaurants all changed. New York now has an astounding number of ethnic eateries. Every continent with its tumultuous cities and groundbreaking cuisine is represented. Raise your forks (or chopsticks) !!