HUNGRY GERALD

The Super Bowl (now an American holiday) can be tedious. Not this time. Even though (in HG’s opinion) Philadelphia was the better team, Patrick Mahomes was miraculous and led Kansas City to a last second win. Exciting. HG/BSK television watched with gifted daughter Lesley R.and her brilliant husband, Massimo R. All was enhanced by tasty food and ample beer and wine. Massimo brought pizza from the prize winning Pizza Marvin in Providence, RI. Ate some lush slices in the comfortable living/media room of HG/BSK’s Central Falls, RI, loft. More food. BSK made green chile pork stew with chiles obtained from New Mexico via the internet. They were labeled (in terms of heat) “Medium”. “Medium”? The purveyor must be kidding. This was the most fiery chile stew HG ever tasted (and HG has much picante tolerance). It became edible when topped with ample sour cream. So, HG presumes the brand’s “Hot” chile would boil HG’s tongue. The next night, BSK added canned San Marzano tomatoes and frozen corn kernels to the leftover fire chile. Good idea. HG had a big bowl of altered chile før dinner. Spicy. Not for the timid. But, not crazy hot.

BSK enjoys doing “one pot” dinners, convenient and less work. That’s why sheet pans are indispensable. Last night BSK cooked an excellent dinner–sheet pan chicken with potatoes, leeks and garlic yogurt. Here’s how BSK did it: Chicken thighs and sliced potatoes were showered with pepper and salt. A mix of olive oil, harissa (piquant Moroccan paste),cumin and oil were poured over the chicken in a bowl and kept at room temperature for 30 minutes. In another bowl, sliced leeks, lemon zest, salt and oil were mixed. Oven was heated to 425 degrees. Chicken and potatoes went on the sheet pan in a single layer and roasted for 15 minutes. Leeks mix was scattered over the pan and all was roasted for another 30 minutes. Chicken became golden and the potatoes came to a desired texture. This was topped with yogurt (from The Food Market) mixed with garlic. Heat loving HG added harissa to HG’s plate and the result was zesty,flavorful eating. Red Montepulciano from Abruzze was the accompaniment. BSK scores again.

BSK likes Japanese soba noodles. They are tasty and healthy noodles (made of buckwheat). Last night, BSK was attracted to a New York Times recipe: “Soba Noodles With  Shiitakes, Broccoli and Tofu”. So, BSK mixed chicken stock,rice wine, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger, salt, red pepper flakes. BSK set his fragrant mix aside and blanched chunks of broccoli in a pot of boiling water. BSK removed the broccoli and cooked the soba in the boiling pot. Took out the cooked soba and mixed it with sesame oil. In wok added canola oil until it sizzled. Stir fried the mushrooms. Broccoli was added for additional cooking. Finally, tofu was added plus the chicken stock mixture to heat.  Oh, my!! Sublime. In a daze of happiness, HG drank more than HG’s usual two glasses of red wine. Slept like a happy baby.

There are few things more comforting on a cold winter day than a steaming bowl of chili (Texas style, no beans). And, that’s what BSK served gifted daughter Lesley R. and Lesley’s brillânt husband, Massimo R., when they came to dinner. a few nights ago. Rhode Island was shivering in an Arctic below zero chill.  But, all was warm and cozy at HG/BSK’s Central Falls, RI, loft.   BSK has often made chili from the Wick Fowler mix but this time she made the dish from BSK’s own blend. So good and modestly picante. Grated cheddar, chopped onions and Mrs. Renfrew’s Salsa topped the steaming bowls. Everybody had second (and third) helpings. BSK made a large pot of the good stuff so there was an ample amount leftover for dinner and lunch the next day. HG has always loved chili. When HG was eight, HG would earn tips from errands at Kingsbridge Road markets, the Bronx neighborhood where HG’s family lived. HG took his pennies (1937, a Great Depression year) to a local diner.  “Bowl o’ Red,” the little guy ordered. Big bowl of pleasure for a dime. Years later when HG was a journalist headquartered on Manhattan’s E. 45th Street, HG would dine at a local chili “parlor”. A bowl cost a few dollars and an option was to have it over spaghetti (a very filling meal). Many pleasant memories.

A joyous evening. Gifted daughter, Lesley R. and her husband, the distinguished Profesore Massimo R., were at HG/BSK’s Central Falls, RI, loft for the alternate weekend dinner. (Next weeked HG/BSK will sup at L. & M.’s Riverside home).  They brought Toby, The Wonder Dog, and Pip. the Gentle Genius female dog. Tummy,rubs, frolics, pats. Happy,happy!! BSK made a big pot of gumbo.HG has noted that BSK gumbo is better than anything served in New Orleans. It is an appetizing dark color. A roux and sprinkles of File powder thicken the texture. It is full of chicken, shrimp, okra, and chorizo. Also chopped onions, garlic, celery, peppers. Outstanding. Even with second and third helpings, there was ample leftover. That means gumbo for dinner tonight plus lunch tomorrow.

A Negroni is the best cocktail. Subtly sweet. Pungent. Sharpens appetite but doesn’t blunt. For years, HG favored  a Martini as a pre-dinner joy. But, a Martini is a left hook to the jaw. A Negroni is an urgent caress. The late, great wit Dorothy Parker characterized the Martini perfectly: “One Martini. Two at most. Three Martinis, I’m under the host”.  Indeed. The classic Negroni is one part gin, a lesser amount of sweet vermouth and a splash of Campari. Many drinkers substitute Scotch for the gin. Others substitute bourbon or rye whiskey. HG chooses bourbon. The Negroni is so  good it leads to temptation.. HG once had three Negronis before dinner. Not as lethal as Martinis, but left HG quite thick tongued and tipsy. Beware. Pleasure can be overdone.

BSK has discovered another good food source near our Central Falls, RI, home (a 3,200 square foot loft)—The Market Basket. Among many other things (especially cheese) BSK buys an unusual Greek yogurt that provides the topping for many chicken and lamb dishes. Keeping HG’s swallowing problems in mind, BSK gets HG containers of home made soups. Broccoli Cheddar, Italian Minestrone, Tomato Vegetable. All comforting in chilly weather. Desserts are not neglected. Sweet Scoops is the brand of a creamy yogurt that tastes like ice cream, (without the calories, fats, etc.). As for ice cream, there’s Edy’s. So far, HG has tasted the salt caramel and vanilla flavors. Lush. And, far less calories than conventional brands. Savvy shopper BSK scores again.

BSK went to a local (Central Falls, RI) supermarket yesterday and brought back a dessert treat for HG. It was a small piece of Junior’s cheesecake called “Little Fella”. This is the best cheesecake in the world. Yes, it’s better than the legendary cheesecake that was served at the long closed Lindy’s in Manhattan. Junior’s is a landmark restaurant on Brooklyn’s Flatbush Avenue. It has a wide ranging menu, everything from egg salad and tuna salad sandwiches to burgers and Roumanian tenderloin steaks (abundant garlic). But, Junior’s claim to fame is its cheesecake. Incomparable. During HG’s college years (CCNY), HG had a Brooklyn girl friend. Before or after a movie in downtown Brooklyn, we dined at Junior’s and relished the restaurant’s famous cheesecake. Many, many years later, HG was an expert public relations counselor with many important real estate clients. One of them, a real estate developer, was trying to market a vast amount of office space in a Brooklyn neighborhood just over the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges, It might as well have been Siberia. Nobody wanted to move to Brooklyn. To pique interest, HG sent a Junior’s cheesecake to two dozen leading Manhattan commercial brokers with the message: “If you think this Brooklyn cheesecake is sweet, wait till your clients see the fantastic office values at (name of the development). And, your clients can have Junior’s cheesecake every day.” Yes, it did spur some interest. As for the developer, his holding escalated in value over the years. He and his son are now multi-billionaires.

Gifted daughter Lesley R. and her brilliant husband Massimo R. are in New York for a needed weekend of fun. So, HG/BSK are dog sitting–Toby, The Wonder Dog ,and Pip-(Gentle Genius)-at their Riverside, RI, home. With L. & M. gone, BSK explored their pantry and found a bag of Red Mill cornmeal (Red Mill is the best brand of natural grains, etc.) and picked up frozen shrimp at Shaw’s (local supermarket). BSK sauteed the shrimp in oil and garlic and served them over smooth and creamy polenta. The side dish was spinach. Perfect rainy night meal. Enhanced by Pike Road Pinot, a Sommelier BSK discovery. After dinner HG/BSK watched “Slow Horses”, an English TV spy series. HG sipped Larceny bourbon, another discovery by The Wonder Woman. Larceny is flavorful, inexpensive and better than Jim Beam. Meanwhile in New York, L. & M. dined at Shukette, and had an extraordinary meal, tasting more than a score of dishes. (They received special treatment because Shukette is one of HG daughter, Victoria Freeman and her husband, Marc Meyer’s group of very good Manhattan restaurants. The others are Cookshop, Shuka, Rosie’s and Vic’s.). A benefit of L & M.’s Riverside home is watching sunsets over Narragansett Bay and morning swan flotillas. And, just out on the deck are scores of birds enjoying the abundant bird feeder.

Indeed!! BSK’s gumbo is better than any gumbo HG ever tasted in New Orleans, the alleged world leader of the dish. HG relished BSK’s version last night. BSK made a definitive roux and filled a pot with chicken, chorizo, okra, olive oil, stock, crushed dry thyme and the Louisiana “holy trinity” (onions, garlic and peppers). Some tomato paste was added for color and taste. The star of the gumbo was the shrimp (previously frozen) that BSK bought at The Market Basket, the outstanding food emporium in Providence. BSK added the shrimp at the last moment to the bubbling pot so they were not overcooked but tender and juicy. The gumbo was served on a bed of rice. HG had two big helpings but there was much left in the pot, So, the dish is a doubleheader. HG/BSK will dine on it again tonight after BSK refreshes the dish with more shrimp. Heaven!! Accompanied the gumbo last night with excellent Rose’ from southern France. Not too sweet. Just right. Tonight we’ll drink pinot noir selected by sommelier BSK, The Wonder Woman (for real). Confession: HG was concerned about the gumbo because the traditional thickener, File powder, wasn’t in the pantry. But the excellent roux and crushed dried thyme gave the gumbo perfect texture.