HUNGRY GERALD

Paris has the reputation of being rude to foreigners. The reverse has been true for HG/BSK during the 55 years they have visited the glorious city. In clothing and shoe shops; drugstores, bakeries, groceries, wine stores., etc., HG/BSK have always been treated with courtesy and smiling service. Best of all have been bistros, restaurants and brasseries. Many decades ago, famished HG/BSK arrived during a crowded lunch hour at Chez Georges on Rue du Mail. No reservation. Chez Georges was well regarded then but it has gone on to great fame (and escalating prices). The then owner shook hands with HG and said: “Very short wait. Have a glass of Fleurie and enjoy.” And, HG /BSK did enjoy a meal of traditional French bistro classics and had numerous happy meals at Chez Georges over the years. On a first visit to Paris, the gracious maitre d’ of a restaurant on Boulevard St. Germain (before luxury merchants and high rents chased restaurants away) saw that HG/BSK needed menu assistance and composed a perfect meal for them: Fresh white asparagus with sauce mousseline followed by tender slices of leg of lamb and crisp French fries. Then, camembert and a small green salad. Dessert was wild raspberries with lightly whipped cream. Wine was Beaujolais. Paris perfection. On another foray on the left bank, HG/BSK had couscous at a small place owned and run by a rambunctious, lively woman. HG received a warm hug from the lady and HG/BSK had a generous meal of couscous and chicken stewed with preserved lemons. When the couscous began disappearing it was immediately replenished and given a pour of vegetable laden broth and a big spoonful of fiery harissa. This couscous experience was replicated a few years ago at the equally friendly Jour et Nuit restaurant in an Arab quarter of Montmartre. For many years, HG/BSK’s favorite dining place was Brasserie Le Stella in the tony 16th. Oysters, bulots, racks of lamb were superb and served with grace and sly humor. But, the best thing about Stella was Maitre d’ Christian. Grace and elegance personified, Christian was always ready to greet HG/BSK with double cheek kisses and complimentary flutes of champagne. More than a professional, Christian became a friend. Ah, Paree!! (Look at the illustration. Christian is at the rear of the photo with his arm around the chef).

BSK’s sister and brother in law, Noel and Yossi R., hosted a lively and tasty dinner at their blooming Ocean Mist Farm on the southeast shore of Prince Edward Island. First, there was an appetizer of hummus (Israeli flavor) and Noel’s home baked, zaatar covered pita (far superior to the supermarket version). Noel drank tea but Lesley and Massimo R.; Yossi, HG/BSK, enjoyed icy white wine. Lesley acted as sous chef by cooking linguine to Massimo’s demanding Italian standard. The pasta was covered by Noel’s clam sauce made with fresh local bivalves. HG relished a generous bowl sprinkled with red pepper flakes. Briny deliciousness. More white wine and a green salad. Then, a dessert of vanilla ice cream with Ocean Mist raspberries. Oh, my!! HG sipped after dinner red wine and contemplated HG’s good fortune at being alive on PEI.

Fishers snare many splendid tuna in the waters surrounding Prince Edward Island. Unfortunately, the fish are almost never found on PEI dining tables. They are purchased by Japanese buyers and flown immediately to the Tokyo fish market. So, if you are eating first class tuna sashimi or sushi in Tokyo, you are likely eating a PEI product. However, there was happy news yesterday. Julio’s Fish Market in St. Peters called and said they had scored some fresh tuna. BSK picked up some pounds and there was a joyous dinner. HG was a purist. HG’s feast was lightly seared, rare tuna which HG dipped in soy sauce and dotted with wasabi. This was accompanied by room temperature rice vermicelli flavored with sesame oil and soy sauce. The drink was cold white wine. Heaven.

HG has never been enthusiastic about most cooked oyster dishes. Yes, there are exceptions: Fabulous oyster pan roast at New York’s Grand Central Oyster Bar (Is it still operating?); fried oyster po’ boys in New Orleans. Don’t like Oysters Rockefeller and think San Francisco’s Hangtown Fry is overrated. HG’s preference is for chilled, freshly shucked Prince Edward Island oysters: Malpeque Choice, Red Head, Savage Harbor, Rollo Bay. Nothing added. Just briny heaven at 75 cents (US) each. But, last night, Gifted Daughter Lesley R. made a startling dish of stove top hot oysters. HG is a convert and can eat this dish every night. Lesley used HG/BSK’s cast iron oyster pan (It has 12 indentations to house a dozen oysters). Son in law Massimo R. shucked deftly 13 Red Heads (One raw specimen was saved for HG as a special treat and the remaining dozen went into the pan). Lesley made a miso butter mix (White miso, lime juice, butter, sriracha). These topped the oysters, The mix melted as the oysters cooked into succulence. Oysters were removed with tongs. “Fabulous” is an understatement. Baguette soaked up the savory juices in the pan. Wow!!

Very happy HG/BSK. Daughter Lesley, son-in-law, Massimo; adorable dog, Pip, have arrived. For over a year, HG/BSK have been living on Prince Edward Island with only each other for company, conversation and comfort. It Was wonderful. But, hey, having this delightful group here is a big time treat. They brought some good things: Big can of Italian extra virgin olive oil and an array of Italian cheeses. There have been tasty dinners: BSK’s inimitable “green soup”, mussel stew, etc. HG is contemplating BSK and Lesley, talented home cooks, at the range and oven. Savory dishes will soon be on the dining table. And, Massimo will do his after dinner thing. World’s most talented dishwasher stacker.

The sun is shining and light breezes chase away insects. Prince Edward Island paradise at HG/BSK’s oceanfront home. Seated on the sofa, HG recalls last night’s excellent dinner of local mussels and linguine. (BSK enriched the broth with onions, garlic, cherry tomatoes, white wine, clam juice). So, what can go wrong in paradise? Well, HG is awaiting a telephone call from Dr. Daniel Costa, a PEI urologist. Some months ago, a Ct Scan revealed polyps on HG’s kidneys. Dr. Costa ordered another Ct Scan recently. This was to determine if the polyps had expanded. If so, there would be further examination to see whether they were cancerous. HG wasn’t too concerned, but still….
Dr. Costa called. No growth in polyps. Will take another look in a year. HG gave a modest sigh of relief. The old guy is lucky to have Dr. Costa in PEI and the skilled urologist, Dr. Eric Anderson, in New Mexico. Their attention, BSK’s devotion , and Canadian health services, keep HG alive and joyous.

Alternate Sunday dinner at Ocean Mist Farm, the colorful, fertile south shore Prince Edward Island home of Noel and Yossi M. (BSK’s sister and brother in law). Noel served a lush, soft polenta covered with a lusty ground pork sauce. So good!! It was reminiscent of the polenta and sausage dish HG enjoyed some years ago in the Trastevere neighborhood of Rome. Noel climaxed her meal with bowls of vanilla ice cream smothered with Ocean Mist strawberries. Splendor!! BSK simmers polenta with a chunk of cream cheese to give it a creamy texture (a trick learned from gifted daughter Lesley R.). BSK serves the polenta topped with poached eggs for the world’s best breakfast. Sometimes, BSK adds strips of crisp bacon. A nice touch.

The wonderful, rollicking Rollo Bay Fiddle Festival, situated on a scenic field near the Town of Souris, Prince Edward Island, is back. Always held on the third Saturday of July, it was canceled last year because of Covid-19. PEI is healthy (mask wearing is not required) so the musical festival flourishes once more and HG/BSK were in attendance on a sunny, slightly breezy day for the 5PM to 8PM show. Perfect weather and a show that explored the musical heritage of PEI and the other Canadian Maritime Provinces. First was a group that played its own compositions, all based on Prince Edward Island, its dirt roads, rivers, lakes and shoreline. Then, there was a surprise. Abegweit First Nations from Lennox Island performed on a cluster of drums and accompanied the beats with rousing song. HG had never heard live First Nations music. Exciting. Then a group that focused on Irish, English, and French songs with a lagniappe of step dancing. The program concluded with very lively French Acadian music featuring a young woman who was a virtuoso fiddler. All of the seating, food, and beer was handled efficiently. And, the spectators were appreciative, responsive and courteous. Ah, it’s good to be in Canada.

The late, great French gourmand, Curnonsky, proclaimed: The greatest dishes are simple. Yes, BSK, the best home cook, follows that admonition. However, tasty simplicity can only be achieved by emulating BSK’s focus on cooking details. Last night, BSK made a “simple” fried haddock dinner. It was sublime. Here’s how BSK didi it. Fresh from the sea haddock filets (yes, you can’t have exemplary cooking without exemplary ingredients) were dipped in beaten eggs and rolled in a good supermarket fish fry mix. A trusty cast iron pan was heated and given a splash of safflower oil. The fish was fried to a crisp and blotted with a paper towel to remove any excess oil. Simultaneously, BSK boiled mineral rich little potatoes from Ocean Mist Farm, the verdant Prince Edward Island paradise of BSK’s sister, Noel M. and brother in law, Yossi M. (yes, basic ingredients are important). When almost done. BSK sauteed the spuds with Ocean Mist Farm garlic scapes and abundant ground pepper and sea salt. On the table were fresh cherry tomatoes, Hellman’s Tartar Sauce, Frank’s Hot Sauce, Lemon wedges, Himalayan Pink Salt and sour cream ( reflecting HG’s Belorussian heritage, HG likes a bit of smetana with spuds). Dessert was Clement Faugier chestnut puree with whipped cream (HG first tasted sweet chestnut paste with whipped cream at London’s lamentably closed Gay Hussar Restaurant). Wine with the meal was pinot noir. After dinner beverage (for HG): JB Wiser Canadian whiskey. Simple. Perfect.

BSK was a fashionable delight yesterday in a Liebman’s Kosher Delicatessen T-shirt (a gift for BSK from–sadly–the late, brilliant, much beloved Adam Schlesinger). Adam grew up with HG/BSK’s son, Jeremy ( Adam called him “Jerums” and they were as close as brothers during Adam’s all too short life). HG/BSK always considered Adam to be their second son. And, thinking about Liebman’s made HG/BSK realize how much Adam (and his musical genius) is missed. Liebman’s (founded in 1953) was much enjoyed by Adam, Jeremy and HG. Located on Johnson Avenue in the Riverdale section of The Bronx, HG ate there frequently when living in Riverdale in the 50’s. Adam and Jeremy continued the tradition when Adam lived in Riverdale in order to be close to his daughters. Liebman’s may be the best traditional Jewish deli in New York. Encyclopedic menu of greatest Jewish culinary gems. Pastrami and corned beef, of course, but also: Knockwurst, matzo ball soup, gefilte fish, chopped liver, chicken in the pot, farvel and mushrooms, kasha varnishkes, etc., etc. Adam was a big pastrami fan so it is sad that he is unable to taste the great pastrami served at Freeman Shokudo, Jeremy (and wife Maiko’s) barbecue izakaya in Tokyo. So good that if Adam tasted it, he would have wanted to establish a residence in Tokyo.