HUNGRY GERALD

Yes, HG felt like an American patriot on the joyous day of the Biden/Harris inauguration. Democracy, that fragile, humane political idea, still lives!! Joe Biden’s speech was moving, healing.Hopefully, wounds will heal and we can go forward (won’t be easy). Kamala Harris looked beautiful and her vice-presidency (a Black/Asian woman in the White House) is historic, timely and wonderful. And, there seems to be truly warm rapport between her and her Jewish husband. Hey, with a Jewish senator from Georgia and a mensch married to a Veep, things are looking up for the Chosen People. Flags, music, brilliant poetry from a very young Poet Laureate. Rousing songs from Garth Brooks, Lady Gaga and J-Lo. Wonderful military precision from marchers that symbolized America’s might. The Fascist stench is leaving the White House and, once more, HG is proud to be an American.

Paul Freeman, 71, HG’s beloved nephew, is dead. He lost his battle–probably the only struggle he ever lost–with a brutally painful cancer. Thankfully, the pain is over and he rests in peace. HG/BSK watched a Zoom of his funeral and were touched by the unlimited love his family had for him and the grief brought about by his passing. Some 20 years older than Paul, HG knew him since his childhood. Paul went through many stages in his life. A warm and loving person, he was no saint. He had to overcome many challenges. And, he did. His devotion to his family never wavered. HG spent much time with young Paul in New York, New Jersey, Fire Island. Always enjoyed his brave, lively, entertaining presence. As time went on, Paul became a very successful investor and real estate developer. HG invested in one of Paul’s land deals and made a generous profit, of course. Paul was a major investor in the New York restaurants of HG’s daughter, Victoria. She was very fond of Paul and described him as the best investor she ever had. HG presumes Paul wrote substantial checks and then let Victoria do her thing. Very typical of Paul. Mies van der Rohe, the great architect, said “God is in the details.” Paul was obsessive about details. This was evident in all the developments and businesses he was associated with. This obsession created lasting quality. His most ambitious project was the St. Regis Hotel in Atlanta. Many difficulties. Paul overcame them and the hotel is an ornament of Atlanta, the city Paul loved. (And, the apartment in the St. Regis he shared with wife, Viki, can only be described as a high rise palazzo). As HG aged, Paul was concerned about HG’s health. HG relished the sound of Paul’s southern voice as he inquired: “Hey, Uncle Gerry, how are you doing?” Paul and Viki’s philanthropies were generous. Viki was always Paul’s stalwart and supportive wife through many decades of marriage. A gallant woman, HG/BSK knows that she and the Freeman family will cherish Paul’s memory (as will HG/BSK). Typical of Paul and Viki, they visited HG/BSK in New Mexico to celebrate HG’s 90th birthday. Photo is of Paul and Viki with HG on Prince Edward Island in 2018. We consumed oysters, drank wine and had, as always, gleeful family time.

HG’s late mother, Ida Kopkind Freeman, lived by this philosophy as she cooked for her family during the dark days of the Great Depression in the 1930’s. Leftovers were never thrown away. They were the basis for subsequent meals. This might explain HG’s aversion to leftovers (not shared by BSK or HG/BSK’s brilliant son in law, Massimo R.). BSK shares the “waste not, want not” attitude with BSK’s late mother in law. Witness what BSK does with a plump spatchcocked chicken. BSK roasts it to a golden brown. The dark meat, wings and drumsticks are delicious with their accompaniment of gravy drenched Prince Edward Island potatoes. The chicken breast is reserved and goes into warming dinner bowls of pho the next day (besides chicken and broth, the pho gets a mix of onions,carrot shavings, garlic, tofu, baby spinach, jalapenos, parsley and lots of wide Chinese rice noodles. Not all of the chicken breast is used for the pho. Some go into luncheon chicken Reubens. Remaining are the bony chicken carcass, chicken skin, the chicken backbone (removed by BSK during the spatchcocking maneuver) and a few stray bones and bits of meat. It all goes into a pot of boiling water with onion, carrots, garlic, celery and parsley. The refrigerator contents are examined by BSK and added to the pot are over the hill greens and vegetables. After hours of simmering and then straining, what emerges is the best chicken stock ever. Pungent. Layers of flavor. Lush. BSK uses the stock in a variety of ways. HG likes the stock in Stracciatella, the Italian soup of cheese, parsley and beaten egg.. Nothing is left of the chicken but happy memories. Inventive and thrifty BSK is a culinary wonder.

Sad, sad news. Sammy’s Roumanian, the New York temple of chicken fat (schmaltz), garlic and vodka has closed. Owners say they will reopen in another location. Won’t be the same as the ramshackle basement on the corner of Chrystie and Delancey on the lower east side. Pete Wells, in a 2014 review (New York Times), called Sammy’s “the most wonderful terrible restaurant in New York.” He added: “Sammy’s is a permanent underground bar mitzvah where Gentiles can act like Jews and Jews can act like themselves.” SJ and HG loved Sammy’s (BSK turned thumbs down). Fueled by vodka enclosed in a block of ice, SJ/HG relished chopped liver (drenched in schmaltz), garlic and schmaltz tenderloin steaks; chopped eggplant (with schmaltz, of course), silver dollar potatoes, kasha varnishkes. Danced the hora. Roared Yiddish songs played by the pianist. Drunk, jolly, Jewish good time. Sammy’s opened in the 1970s and gave its patrons cardiology problems for decades. R.I.P.

Disgrace. Trump American Nazis occupy the Senate (one sits in vice president’s chair) and House. of Representatives. This is what the USA has become after four years of an unspeakable President. This leads HG to wonder. What if these Nazis had been African-Americans protesting centuries of oppression and slavery? HG’s conclusion: There would be many black faces in heaven.

HG/BSK are not big time New Year’s Eve celebrators. Too much frenzy and drunkenness. So, happy to be alone in HG/BSK’s Prince Edward Island home. Wood stove warmed and BSK’s cuisine delighted. Dinner was Moroccan chicken stew simmered with preserved lemons and served over fluffy couscous. Drank pinot noir and clinked glasses with toasts of love and hope. New Year’s Day was a long, delightful day of college bowl football. Surprisingly, all of HG’s favorite teams won. Georgia won a nail biter over surprising Cincinnati. Northwestern demolished Auburn. Alabama beat Notre Dame. No contest. Finale was Ohio State battling favored Clemson. Ohio State demolished Clemson with a record performance by quarterback Justin Fields (he threw six touchdown passes). Dinner was an HG delight: Linguine with garlic, anchovies and chopped parsley. Marked a perfect day.

The joint, pokey, slammer, bars. These are all nicknames for prison. There are more, all dismal. Prison is abhorrent. Even the toughest guys; murderers; seasoned mafiosi; drug lords, do their utmost to avoid being behind bars. And, that includes informing on their closest friends and associates in order to have criminal charges dropped. “Omerta” ?? Fuhgeddaboutit!!! The Nazi pig in the White House is like any other criminal. He will do anything to avoid imprisonment. HG/BSK believe this is the reason the swine is trying to demolish the structure and traditions of American elections. When oink-oink is an ordinary citizen, not protected by Presidential immunity, he would probably face a tax evasion indictment.. And, possibly other indictments stemming from his business indebtedness. Plus, illegal Presidential actions. While the foundations of the American democracy are being shaken, HG/BSK remain at their Prince Edward Island oceanfront home, possibly the safest pandemic free place in America. And, of course, comfort reigns at dinner. Two nights ago, BSK cooked Pappardelle alla Norma from Ottolenghi’s recipe. Lush. And, the luncheon leftovers were good. Last night, there was the ultimate comfort food: Bowls of steaming chickpea soup. BSK ignored Marcella Hazan’s excellent recipe and made BSK’s inventive variation. BSK hit a soup home run (with bases loaded).

The Nazi/Fascist in the White House specializes in “the big lie.” Pandemic as a Democrat fraud. Obama birthing scandal. Russian influence in 2016. “Fake News” as a label for the media mentioning him and his policies unfavorably. FBI, the “deep state” and intelligence community plotting against him. Etc., Etc., Etc. But, his big lie about Biden/Harris winning the 2020 election is very dangerous. His continuous campaign charging a rigged, illegal election (He’s raised more than $170,000,000 to fight this battle) attacks a linchpin of democracy—the free electoral process. This is one more effort to use Hitler’s tactics to create an American autocracy headed by him. The German journalist Jochen Bittner wrote an illuminating article in the New York Times: “1918 Germany Has A Warning For America.” He pointed out that the rise of Nazism was based on “the big lie”: Germany was not defeated in World War One. It was the victim of a “stab in the back” by social democrats and, of course, Jews. Hitler’s message to the German people was only the Nazis could make Germany great again and avenge the cowardly “stab in the back.” The Germans swallowed Der Fuehrer’s Kool Aid. Despite the popular vote, despite the defeat of his legal challenges, despite the certification of his loss in key states, the Nazi/Fascist Trump continues to trumpet his election big lie. And, millions of Republicans are swallowing Trump’s Kool Aid. The Nazi/Fascist may be doing irreparable harm to American democracy.

Yes, HG/BSK are overjoyed by the Biden/Harris victory. But, gnawing doubts about the future of American democracy remain. Trump is the internet age, twitter, social media version of Hitler. Just a Nazi without a brown shirt. But, 70,000,000 Americans voted for this pig. While the Nazi played politics with the pandemic, more than 200,000 Americans died of Covid-19. And, some 1,000 a day are perishing now. Remember: He allegedly called the pandemic a “Democratic hoax.” He wouldn’t wear a mask and encouraged his fellow citizens to do likewise. He downplayed Covid-19 relentlessly because he thought it was impeding his support among working-class Americans. Given a choice between a politics that spelled death or a politics that could save lives, the Nazi chose death (Hey, that was always Hitler’s message). Hitler demanded loyalty to himself –Der Fuhrer–not Germany. And, the Republican party has become a Trump cult just like Hitler’s Nazi party, not a traditional, rational, conservative political party. HG foresees many dark days ahead and a continuous battle to keep American democracy alive. Our democratic institutions have remained sturdy despite the Nazi attacks. For how long?

Panettone, the Italian sweet bread/cake is a holiday treat. Happily, it appears at Christmas and New Year celebrations. Panettone, which originated in Milan. is accompanied by sweet wine in Italy. (HG first tasted it that way at a New Year’s Eve visit decades ago with son in law Massimo R.’s parents–Gianni and Franca–at their home in Portogruaro, Italy. Massimo’s brother, Stefano, served HG while setting off firecrackers and rockets). Unforgettable night. Panettone is studded with raisins, candied orange, citron and lemon zest. HG likes it at breakfast, slightly warmed and covered with strawberry jam. The best use for the treat is as a base for French toast. Thick slice is dipped in a mixture of beaten eggs and milk flavored with cinnamon and nutmeg. Fried in butter until golden brown. Gilded with Canadian maple syrup. Weather at HG/BSK’s Prince Edward Island oceanfront home is chilly. Will make this comforting dish next week as election tensions escalate. Challa, the Jewish/Russian egg bread can be substituted for panettone. There’s a loaf in the freezer, a Canadian Thanksgiving gift. Looking forward to much goodness.