Been windy, rainy and cold on Prince Edward Island. Beautiful vistas of whitecaps. Invigorating salt air. But, Br-r-r-r. Big time turnaround today. Sun. Blue skies. Summer time. HG/BSK visited the Charlottetown Farmers Market. Much improved and expanded. Big seafood counter with young guys shucking oysters, making lobster rolls, grilled scallops wrapped in bacon. Lots of other good things including lobster quiche. Of course, The Gouda Lady is selling her incomparable cumin and fenugreek gouda plus other cheeses. The Taylor’s group is doing brisk business selling a variety of grilled sausages topped with mustard relish or fried onions or sauerkraut. BSK picked up some of their organic chopped pork and Black Forest ham. BSK’s favorite veggie man had sugar snap peas, mushrooms and pea shoots. HG stood between two stands. One dispensing Chinese chicken egg rolls and the other freshly made pierogis, stuffed with mashed potatoes and covered in sour cream. A quandary. HG chose the pierogi, the best ever. Then, it was off to the beach in front of HG/BSK’s oceanfront home. Toby, The Wonder Dog, was in ecstasy. He frolicked in the sea, rolled in the sand, checked out the remains of washed up lobsters. Pooch heaven. HG/BSK walked, waded, picked up beach glass for the family’s vast collection. HG absorbed much sun while reading Adam Gopnik, HG’s favorites essayist. Hot shower (outdoors). Vodka and Aperol before dinner (Ma Po Tofu, utilizing Taylor’s pork). Drank splendid Gahan’s PEI ale. After dinner, drank Bagaco, a local marc, while watching the long lingering sunset (it sets until 10 PM) and listening to Scarlatti (as interpreted by Neville Marriner and the St.John’s in the Field chamber orchestra; Jessye Norman; Blossom Dearie. A perfect day.
Chong Qing House in Seekonk, Mass., is a quick ten minute drive from the Riva family residence in Riverside, R.I.. It is a small Chinese restaurant occupying a space in a nondescript strip mall. Blink and you’d miss it. That would be a misfortune if you are a fan of authentic Szechuan and Hunan food. HG likes it better than any Szechuan-Hunan restaurant in New York or Vancouver. (In the absence of a trip to Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Chinese mainland, these cities have been HG’s ideal of fiery Chinese food heaven. Oddly, tiny Seekonk has displaced these metropolises in HG’s dreams of Szechuan-Hunan). Today, granddaughters Arianna and Sofia R. joined HG at Chong Quing for a festive, fiery luncheon. As usual, HG over-ordered: Spicy Lamb in Casserole (two red peppercorns denoting level of heat); Salt and Pepper Shrimp (This was the best ever version of the dish. Juicy shrimp delicately breaded and served on a bed of crispy rice noodles dotted with diced scallions. No red peppercorn designation); Shredded pork with smoked bean curd (no peppercorns); Sour String Beans with minced pork (no peppercorns); Steamed Pork Dumplings (no peppercorns). Despite the lack of peppercorn designations, every dish (except the dumplings) packed loads of tongue tingling heat. HG wanted some fish dishes but his companions are not big fish fans. Heat didn’t overwhelm the authentic .savory flavors. The only dish on the extensive menu that garnered four peppercorns was Wild Pepper Fried Frog. HG will pass on that one. HG is adventurous but not brave enough to try these delicacies: Sauteed Bullfrog with Chili Sauce; Marinated Pig Feet Shanghai Style; Spicy Pig Intestine in Casserole. HG could not figure out two dishes: Chong Qing Stew The Cock; Mixed Meat Chaff with Chong Qing Style Spicy Dried Chili. Hot stuff. Both rate three peppercorns.
BSK’s birthday was a few days ago and HG/BSK celebrated with an improbable, totally crazy, insanely happy dinner celebration. The place was the bar of the Holiday Inn Conference Center and Hotel near Allentown, PA. The dinner marked the near end of HG/BSK’s cross county voyage. For her birthday, HG presented BSK with an array of gifts: Thingumajigs, folderol and tchachkes. They were well received. Dinner consisted of glasses of Chardonnay (meh), Cabernet (very drinkable); Seared, rare Ahi tuna (passable) ; fried calamari with a wasabi sauce (quite good). The happy pair then shared a big platter of strip steak, mashed potatoes and cauliflower/broccoli. The steak presented a problem: It was cooked perfectly. Seared nicely. Cooked medium rare (on the rare side) as requested. BSK sliced the steak. That is, BSK tried to slice the steak. The energetic lady sawed away without much result. HG sawed. Yielded a few rosy slices. They looked good; however, they were tougher than shoe leather. Tougher than an IRS special agent.(Okay, be HG’s guest and choose a simile). Meanwhile, a dozen TV screens were playing events ranging from X-Games to slasher and vampire movies, Strobe lights were flashing overhead. Heavy metal was blasting from mega-speakers. The combination of the steak and the scene was so over the top ludicrous that HG/BSK shook with laughter. It was one of the happiest birthday dinners ever. Toby, The Wonder Dog, was treated to a chunk of the steak. Not too tough for the little guy. Toby loved it. HG/BSK finished the evening with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and a Hershey’s Chocolate Almond Bar. Perfect accompaniment to Spanish Lorca Monastrelli red wine.
HG/BSK are luxuriating in a La Quinta hotel on highway I-55 In Collinsville, IL, just a few miles east of St.Louis. Have completed half of the 2,100 mile trip to Providence. The road amenities in the United States continue to delight HG/BSK. La Quinta is the favorite road lodging. Big, clean rooms. Comfy beds. Flat screen TV. Hot shower with good water pressure and lots of fluffy towels. WiFi, of course. Ice maker just a few steps down the hall. Civilized living at a modest price (Free breakfast, too). This a far cry from the hotel accommodations in France and Italy. Tiny rooms. Big prices. Inferior plumbing. Plus, a free, ample supply of cockroaches. That’s why HG/BSK always rent apartments when abroad. Another great American road classic is Waffle House. Always a joy. Today, HG lunched on some savory high cal stuff: Two buttery, softly scrambled (as requested) eggs; greaseless and crisp hash browns topped with fried onions; bowl of grits; toast; jam, orange juice; a few cups of coffee. Weight watcher BSK had a salad topped with grilled chicken. BSK lauded the chicken as flavorful and juicy plus the salad was dressed with a pleasant vinaigrette. Drank unsweetened ice tea. (In mid-America and the South, ice tea is served unsweetened or sweetened. The sweetened is cloying.) Next La Quinta visit is tomorrow night in Columbus, Ohio. Midpoint between St.Louis and Columbus is Indianapolis, home of Shapiro’s Jewish Delicatessen. Looking forward to an old fashioned heartburn.
The psychological state known as depression is frightening. It is a plunge into a black hole of despair. It has nothing to do with a person’s real life accomplishments or happy human relationships. Winston Churchill suffered from depression. He called these periods “the black dogs.” Depression caused the distinguished author William Styron to become suicidal and thus hospitalized. During HG’s younger years, there were intermittent periods of depression. Happily, no depression for many, many decades (due to BSK’s loving help and companionship plus some very modest pharmaceutical aids). However, the current state of American politics (Does Trump foretell the end of our Democracy?); the bloody maelstrom of the middle east; American racism and Islamic craziness, all make HG gloomy. No, not depression. Just bouts of the blues. For HG, the cure is Youtube. An interlude of watching some favorites chases away the blues and restores HG to HG’s usual happy state. Permit HG to recommend some to you: Young Robert Morse in excerpts from How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and old Robert Morse doing a charming song and dance version of “The Moon Belongs To Everyone, The Best Things In Life Are Free,” from the Mad Men series. Donald O’Connor doing his madcap version of “Be a Clown” from Singing In The Rain. Liza Minelli and Mikhail Baryshnikov “On Broadway.” The dazzling Nicholas Brothers dance routines from various movies. Nina Simone singing and playing My Baby Only Cares For Me. Eddie Cantor singing same song in a movie excerpt plus his version of “Making Whoopee.” Al Jolson and Ruby Keeler in a surreal film version of “A Quarter to Nine.” Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner, masters of improv. Madeline Kahn doing a Marlene Dietrich satire, “I’m Tired”, in “Blazing Saddles.” Ending the list is Myron Cohen, the all-time best teller of jokes and the supreme Jewish dialectician. The little bald guy with the big ears always makes HG laugh.
Thursday was Cinco de Mayo, a major fiesta in Hispanic New Mexico. HG celebrated at El Parasol, the delightful little restaurant on Highway 285 in Pojoaque (six minutes from HG/BSK’s home). HG’s favorite dish there is green chile menudo but, given its high cholesterol level, HG has to limit the intake of this lush treat. So, HG had a big bowl of the home made green chile stew with warm tortillas. Fiery and savory. HG ate on the sunny restaurant terrace with Toby, The Wonder Dog, at HG’s side. Little fellow was much admired by staff and diners. Toby accompanied HG to the bank where he was given a substantial dog biscuit as a Cinco de Mayo treat. The doggy is now a fan of the financial sector. The dinner theme tonight was Japanese/Chinese. BSK sliced a pork tenderloin into thin slices. Further thinned them by putting them between sheets of wax paper and pounding them with a rubber hammer. Now they were ready to become Tonkatsu. BSK dipped the thin little cutlets in beaten egg and panko crumbs. Fried until golden in hot canola oil. Meanwhile, HG made a “Chinese Grandmother’s treat.” Boiled some wide egg noodles. Sauced them with a hot/sweet sauce of green onions, butter, garlic, oyster sauce, Maggi seasoning, brown sugar and a discreet amount of sambal. BSK added crunch to the meal with a salad of sliced fennel and radishes. HG drank Guiness Stout. Perfect quaff with this collaborative effort between HG and BSK.
The sun sizzled on St. Pete Beach today but it did not dull the appetites of HG/BSK and family. Brunch at The Frog Pond. Big plates of waffles, pancakes, eggs and grits (best grits ever), quiche, biscuits and gravy. Big culinary departure for HG who usually breakfasts on juice, coffee and oat cereal. Doesn’t eat until dinner. In and out of the warm sea all day. Splashed among the gentle waves with Haru, Teru, SJ and BSK. The essence of innocent fun. Despite the big brunch everyone was ready for some big time eating when the sun went down. Off to Cedars Restaurant in the Seminole neighborhood. Down home Lebanon cuisine. Halal meat. Hookahs on the outdoor tables. Wanted to taste everything so ordered baba ganoush, labneh, feta cheese with chopped tomatoes, hummus, tabouleh, salads. Excellent tastes. Perfect after toasting on the sunny beach. Main dish was kebabs (chicken, beef, ground lamb) on a bed of rice with grilled vegetables and a bowl of tzatsiki. Much, much food. All good, The garlicky chicken and the rare grilled steak were solid winners. Drove back to our vacation condo for salt caramel gelato and (for HG) a nightcap of Jim Beam bourbon. Nice finale to our last beach day. Back to The Land of Enchantment tomorrow. Hope Toby, The Wonder Dog, hasn’t lost his heart to Ina G., the charming jewelry designer, who has been HG/BSK’s temporary house sitter. HG/BSK miss Toby, their feisty, furry little friend.
Perfect beach day. Bright sun. Cloudless blue sky. Modest breeze making the heat comfortable. Inviting sea. Gentle waves and warm water. HG read Hemingway’s book about Paris, A Moveable Feast. Conclusion one: F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ford Madox Ford, Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound were all certifiably crazy. Conclusion Two: HG admires Hemingway’s prose craftsmanship. His account of a trip with Fitzgerald is brilliant. His generosity toward that troubled man is admirable. Despite that, HG finds Hemingway personally unpalatable–homophobic, ludicrously suspect macho. HG/BSK, Haru, Teru and SJ spent much time carousing in the gentle sea. HG ended the glorious beach day with a soak in the hot tub. HG and family were ravenous after hours of fun. So, it was back to reliable Keegan’s in the Indian Shores neighborhood of St. Pete Beach. Seated immediately. HG had the stupendous sea scallop ceviche washed down with an icy beer, Followed by charbroiled octopus. Best ever. Superlatively tender and full of flavor. SJ had a cup of the creamy She Crab Chowder. The group devoured Prince Edward Island mussels, conch fritters, fried calamari, grouper sandwiches, loads of French fries and cole slaw. HG had a generous platter of warm Gulf shrimp dipped in melted butter and dotted with Keegan’s hot sauce. Finished with hearty gumbo. Wonderful food. Friendly, efficient service. Keegan’s never disappoints.
Dinner at Guppy’s On The Beach Seafood Grill (in the Indian Rocks neighborhood of St. Pete Beach) was an up and down (mostly down) experience. Guppy’s is a large, popular restaurant with outdoor and indoor seating. HG chose indoor (an error). Seated in a bleak air conditioning chilled room. Historic photos on the wall of historic Indian Rocks bathing beauties (in one piece suits) was a nice touch. Ordered a pitcher of sangria. Eeks, horrors!! The restaurant tampered with the classic recipe and added loads of cinnamon (also some cloves). Smelled like a men’s room deodorant with overtones of potpourri in a New England tourist gift shop. Undrinkable. Replaced the witches brew with cold Stella Artois beer. After a lengthy wait HG and SJ were served bowls of hot and spicy fish chowder. Caribbean tastes. Heartening. Twenty minute wait. A bowl of plump, tasty Prince Edward Island mussels in a broth enhanced by tomatoes, greens and garlic finally arrived. Light at the end of a tunnel. Mood became optimistic. A 25 minute wait quenched the happy mood. HG rose to complain. Waitperson said she’d inform management. Rest of the meal arrived in a rush. Strange food. The dishes were over elaborate with too many ingredients on each plate. Festoons of shaved carrots. Slivers of olives. Sauces that did not enhance. Truffled mashed potatoes that tasted chemical. Fried green tomatoes and fried oysters destroyed by heavy breading. Broiled octopus (tender and good quality) that were savory after all the redundant sauce was scraped away. “Lobstercargot” failed. This was a dish served in a traditional escargot plate, little chunks of lobster in a traditional garlic and butter sauce. Something went wrong. Cheese (possibly cream) was added to the sauce. Glop. At end of the meal, very personable manager appeared and removed sangria and chowders from the bill. Apologized for the delays. Consolation for the bad meal was the very modest expense.
HG/BSK plus SJ, Handsome Haru and delicious little Teru, are busy having sun and sea fun at the RAM SEA CONDO complex in the North Redington Beach neighborhood of St. Petersburg, Fla. The group has a nice and big beachfront space (three bedrooms and two bathrooms plus laundry room) with a spacious terrace overlooking the sea. Only thing missing is Exquisite Maiko. HG/BSK’s talented daughter-in-law is running ONI SAUCE at the Brooklyn Smorgasburg and delighting the crowds with her fabulous Japanese fried chicken, Gobo Chips and Beef Skewers all drenched in her incredible Chili (Rayu) and Onion sauces (also for sale). So, Florida fun this year without EM. Lots of sun and swimming today. Ocean water is warm and friendly. Ended sun fun with a hot tub soak and bracing shower. Raging dinner appetites. Off to Keegan’s Seafood Grille for a feast. Scallop ceviche. Conch fritters. Steamed, warm Gulf shrimp with melted butter. Gumbo. Broiled grouper with cole slaw and French fries. Fried calamari. Oysters–raw and steamed. (This was only disappointment. Not as tasty as last year’s bivalves. Must be getting them from another source). Back to the apartment for salt caramel gelato, almond honey crunch and bourbon whiskey. Joy. Joy. Joy.
