HUNGRY GERALD

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.

Nobody’s close. The best dinner guests are HG/BSK’s gifted daughter, Lesley R. and her brilliant husband, Massimo R. One of the joys about living in Rhode Island is that HG/BSK are a 15-20 minute drive from HG/BSK’s Central Falls loft and L. & M.’s Riverside home. So, the families alternate weekend dinners at the respective residences. HG/BSK’s turn last Saturday. Before BSK could begin cooking, Lesley phoned and said she was bringing a Chinese feast from Chengdu Restaurant and she was paying for it. (Typical L. & M. generosity). And, what a feast it was!! Big container of rice. Fried shrimp. Shrimp dumplings. Hot and sour soup (special treat for HG). Eggplant in an unctuous sauce. Fish filets in a chile accented sauce. Glass noodles with vegetables. Drank cold Narragansett beer. Dishwasher needs repair so Profesore Massimo handwashed all of the dishes and glasses. HG wasn’t kidding. L. & M. are the ultimate. And, to top it off, there were enough savory leftovers for HG’s dinner the next night. (Toby, The Wonder Dog, and intelligent and gentle Pip were in attendance and enjoyed the reunion of loft romps and tummy rubs`).

Getting wintry in Central Falls, RI. But, in HG/BSK’s super spacious, super comfortable loft, it is late summer. Comfy rules. Thanks to BSK, dinner is always a delight. One dinner was a very picante Korean stew of chicken thighs cut into small pieces flavored with onions, garlic, ginger and fiery Korean pepper pastes. (No, this wasn’t “Fire Chicken” but a lusty variation) . BSK paired it with quinoa which did a good job in sopping up the molten sauce. Another night, BSK fried fluke to a crisp. Spinach on the side. Plus, BSK’s wondrous oven baked pommes frites. Local goodness. Last night, BSSK mixed shrimp and finely chopped spinach with orzo. Joy. HG finished every meal with a mound of Clement Faugier chestnut puree topped with whipped cream. Small snifter of Laird AppleJack as a climax. Need HG say more. It is: The Good Life.

Beautiful, brilliant, stylish granddaughter Sofia lives in Padua, a scenic Italian city. Sofia is studying at graduate school there (the talented woman is fluent in English, Italian, French and has a smattering of Spanish from her residency in New Mexico. Sofia came back to Rhode Island for the Christmas extravaganza staged by her parents, Lesley and Massimo R. (with helping hands from HG/BSK plus fabulous granddaughter, Arianna, and her friend, Adam). Fun, feasting and presents galore. Sofia smuggled some tasty Padua food treats including truffle cheese, asiago, porcini (dried) risotto mix and more. Much more. Last night, BSK cooked the risotto mix and added many sliced shiitake mushrooms. Butter and loads of parmesan were added when served. Wonderful dish. HG found it a bit crunchier than risotto cooked with arborio or carnaroli rice. BSK saved some of last night’s risotto and will serve it with a pan roasted Bell & Evans half chicken. Thanks, dear Sofia (an adept smuggler).