HUNGRY GERALD

HG/BSK and Toby, The Wonder Dog, are back in the wondrous Prince Edward Island oceanfront summer home. Weather is eccentric. A day of sunny warmth and—b-r-r-r-!!!–cold and rainy. However, a heat pump and wood stove make life cozy. It was a shock to see the damage the recent hurricane did to the Island trees. Trees were leveled or bent into distressing shapes, Forests were decimated. Many homes were damaged. HG/BSK were lucky. Miniscule damage to their property. Everything looks good and it is a pleasure to look at the sea after being landlocked (Except when looking at the Narragansett Bay from the Riverside, RI, home of gifted daughter Lesley R. and her distinguished husband, Massimo R.) . Hakes are caught locally and are the best in the world. Had filets fried when arriving at PEI yesterday and the fish starred at dinner tonight. BSK preceded the hake with a lobster salad.  BSK poached the hake in a Greek avgolemono and rice soup. Stupendous. Ultimate in briny, lemony comfort. BSK’s birthday is today (The love of HG’s life is growing up). BSK’s sister, Noel, and her husband, Yossi, are PEI homeowners  (On the South Shore) and they braved the rain today by bringing firewood to HG/BSK’s home. Plus–Hooray!!–a yummy carrot birthday cake for BSK. Dinner climax for HG was a wedge of the cake with vanilla ice cream. HG made a wish: “Have many, many, many, many more birthdays, darling BSK”.

It’s asparagus season in PEI! Asparagus is HG ‘s favorite vegetable (Broccoli and zucchini are contenders). BSK does wonderful things with asparagus. Tucks them into a “baveuse” omelet. Adds them to risotto. Stirs them into spaghetti with olive oil, garlic and lemon juice (A tasty sofrito). Cuts asparagus into sections for an Asian stir fry. HG’s favorite: Steamed to crunchy tenderness and doused with melted butter and lemon juice. That’s how BSK made them last night much to HG’s delight. They were accompanied by crisp fried haddock and sheet pan French fries. Remoulade sauce enhanced the fish. Life’s good in Canada’s smallest province–Prince Edward Island.

Grapefruit Bitters is a recent discovery. And, HG is in love with it. HG always has a Negroni before dinner (One part bourbon, one part sweet vermouth, one part Campari). These days, HG substitutes a generous sprinkle of Grapefrït Bitters for the Campari. Cuts the sweetness of the cocktail and gives it a bit of an acidic bite (Appetite enhancing). HG  also uses the bitters with dry vermouth on the rocks (A gentle cocktail). This doesn’t mean HG neglects other bitters. Peychaud Bitters with brandy. Orange Bitters with dry white wine. Angostura Bitters with club soda. Yes, Bitters are a key element in creating a pleasant drinking life.

The Celtics collapsed and the Miami Heat will face the Denver Nuggets for the NBA championship. But, before the Celtics’ dismal end, HG was comforted by lush dinners crafted by BSK. Last night (before the game) there was delicious Farfalle pasta (Garofalo) in a ricotta and bacon sauce. Creamy goodness. And, in the evening before, there was BSK’s version of shrimp and grits (Rivals N’Awlins). And, before that shrimp dinner, there was another–Middle Eastern Shakshuka (poached eggs topping stewed peppers, onions, garlic, tomatoes, olive oil). BSK enhanced the egg dish by adding shrimp (They were given a speedy saute). HG made the traditional sauce of Greek yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, zaatar, cumin,salt and pepper.Harissa on the table for spicy heat. Well nourished HG awaits Nuggets-Heat.

Dinner was the prelude to game six of the Celtics-Heat battle. It was a very comfortable meal crafted by BSK. There was some leftover cauliflower pasta from a previous meal and a wondrous stew (“Fire Chicken”) of cut up chicken thighs in Korean Gochujang sauce enhanced with olive oil and garlic and topped with mozzarella and feta cheese (The cheeses tempered the “Fire” of the sauce). Brandy/Peychaud Bitters in hand, HG watched one of the most exciting (And improbable) basketball games ever. After leading by double figures for most of the game, the Celtics deflated toward the end of the fourth quarter. Jimmy Butler (Heat) finally caught fire and the Heats led by one point with four seconds left. Okay. Nice try, Celtics, but it’s over. But, wait.  The Celtics sent the ball in. Quick unsuccessful 3-point shot. But, miracle of miracles, the Celtics rebounded and scored to win by a point. Did time run out? No. Refs conferred and looked at a replay. There was a fraction of a second left and the shot–and win–counted. Derrick White made the sensational putback. Game seven in Boston Monday night. HG will watch with heart pounding.

Mischa is a restaurant that recently opened on Manhattan’s E. 53rd Street. It is not a kosher or Eastern European restaurant. (Pork bellies, shrimp, etc. are featured). But, there are some Jewish dishes on the menu  (These often appeared on HG’s late Mom’s Bronx dinner table).  Hot dog. Kasha Varnishkes. Iceberg lettuce with Thousand Islands dressing. The prices are astronomical and would not be comprehended by HG’s late Mother and Father, immigrants from Belarus. Hot Dog–$29. Yes, it’s eight inches long and composed of beef and (“Shandeh”!!)  pork. However, 29 bucks for a hot dog is crazy. But, no crazier than $19. for iceberg lettuce. And, craziest of all: Kasha Varniskes-$29. So, a meal of all three items with tax,tip and beverage would cost more than $100. HG would skip dessert. Don’t want to revel in excess.

BSK has been dog/house sitting  in Riverside, RI, while gifted daughter Lesley R. and husband, Professor Massimo, are in Padua, Italy. (They have made an offer on an apartment there. Glorious river views. Hope their purchase succeeds). So, BSK, Toby, The Wonder Dog and Pip, the gentle, brilliant female døg, came to HG/BSK’s Central Falls, RI, loft in time for dinner last night. BSK brought a pot of asparagus risotto, a leftover from BSK’s previous night’s dinner in Riverside. HG was concerned that the second day risotto would not be good. Not to worry. Warmed in the microwave with a bit of broth added, it was delicious–not mushy and just firm enough. BSK added to the dining pleasure by topping the risotto with some lightly browned, plump and juicy sea scallops.  Utilizing the “”waste not, want not” philosophy, BSK created a dinner that was lush. Much appreciâted by HG. (Latest news: Lesley and Massimo’s offer was accepted and now they are owners of a beautiful Padua residence).

In HG’s mature years, HG has become very fond of animals. During the time HG/BSK made HG/BSK’s home on a 130 acre ranch high in the Rocky Mountain foothills in Golden, Colorado, HG’s beloved companions were the horses–Peaches and Twist. Miss those guys. Now HG makes do with smaller animals–Toby, The Wonder Dog; Pip, the gentle and intelligent female dog; Mintern, the handsome cat. HG  admires cows, lambs, pigs, rabbits. HG is made queasy by seeing slabs of beef. The other animals butchered and flattened for the grill create a grisly sight. Little meat in HG’s diet. Principal foods are fish and shellfish; pasta in vegetable sauces (broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, zucchini) are big winners; chicken cooked in many ways (Spatchcocked roast is the winner), Soups–:”Green” soup and sorrel soup are exceptional. HG hasn’t given up on meat. Relishes innards (offal)–livers, brains, sweetbreads, tripe, kidneys (the preparation of offal in Paris bistros has given HG much joy for many years. “More Fleurie, waiter, please.”). BSK uses ground pork in BSK’s sublime Mapo Tofu and Green chile stew. BSK’s ground beef spaghetti sauce and meatballs are noteworthy. BSK grills ground lamb kefta (served with HG ‘s middle eastern yogurt sauce). Tasty lamb dinner accompanied by eggplant. HG/BSK have made an appropriate balance between meat and other foods.

That was the lament of HG/BSK’s live-in housekeeper when HG/BSK left HG/BSK’s Montclair home for a dinner party, restaurant meal, movie or play. HG/BSK now live in a spacious (Beautifully interior designed by BSK) loft in Central Falls, RI. BSK has been house and dog sitting in Riverside, RI, while gifted daughter, Lesley R. has joined her husband and daughter in Italy. So, HG is often (All Alone). Not sad, however. Much to keep HG occupied. Exercise. Reading. NBA playoffs (Yay, Lakers!!). Internet surfing. Neck massages. Meal preparation. Dinner last night was Rao’s tomato soup (HG likes Rao products). This was followed by two softly scrambled eggs cooked with feta cheese. Dessert? You guessed it. Gay Hussar inspired chestnut puree with whipped cream Many glasses of Argentine Malbec. HG misses BSK, the love of HG’s life. But, solitary living has some virtues. Nobody monitors the volume of HG’s pre_dinner Negronis.

Market Basket is a New England chain of supermarkets. Thankfully, one is a quick drive from HG/BSK’s Central Falls, RI, loft. The markets are huge and house a voluminous amount of products. Everything is fresh, high quality and well priced. BSK shops there frequently. Yesterday, BSK picked up some haddock filets and sweet potatoes for dinner. Considerate BSK also bought some jars of Rao’s Wedding Soup. This is HG’s favorite meal when dining alone. Dash of olive oil, a few drops of hot sauce, dusting of parmesan. A delight. For dinner, BSK roasted the sweet potatoes (They spent some time in the oven). When the sweet spuds were almost done, BSK dipped the filets in an egg and fish fry batter and fried them to succulent  perfection. Better than any fish and chips dish. (The filets were thick so they combined crisp exteriors with lush, not overdone, interiôrs. Deft touch at the skillet by BSK). The potatoes got a hit of  butter (for HG) and·sour cream (for BSK). There was creamed spinach for HG and a green salad for BSK.  Much Chilean red wine. HG’s traditional dessert of chestnut puree and whipped cream.  Rhody gourmands.