HUNGRY GERALD

During the Great Depression HG’s Mom got many uses out of one chicken. Boiled as a main dish. Chicken soup. Chicken fat. Crisp and salty fried skin (in Yiddish: “gribenes” or “grieven”).Chicken feet (nasty) were added to a carrot dish called “tzimmes” to give it a gelatinous quality. BSK is more modest with BSK’s splendid spatchcocked (and marinated) chickens. There was so much chicken left over from Thanksgiving Day dinner with visitors Stevie and Eric, that the meal was repeated the next night (with no loss of flavor). And, then came one of HG’s favorite comfort foods: BSK’s version of Vietnamese Pho. S. and E. were off to New York. BSK shredded the last bits of chicken. Added them to boiling pho broth. Onions, bok choy, spinach and lots of tofu and Vietnamese noodles were happy additions. HG topped the HG bowl with sesame oil and fiery chili oil. Memorable dinner a deux.

That’s right. Chicken. Not turkey. HG loves BSK’s spatchcocked chickens and finds Thanksgiving turkey a bore. So, chicken is what HG/BSK and New York visitors Stevie and Eric feasted on T-Day. Juicy. Flavorful. Delicious. Two gravies. Stevie’s chicken gravy. And, an HG favorite: Whole Foods turkey gravy fortified with spices. There was a large gratin of cauliflower and potato (lush) to soak up the gravies. There was also a dish of haricots vert and mushrooms (gotta have a veggie). But, the big highlight was the prelude to the meal: A tin of paddlefish caviar (generous gift from HG daughter New York restaurateur Vicki F.) accompanied by New Mexico Gruet Brut sparkling wine (hey, there are some talented vintners in The Land of Enchantment). Truffle cheese and wine, chocolate biscuits, salt caramel gelato, brandy, bourbon, whisky followed. Memorable night.

Wonderful to have Stephanie “Stevie” Pierson with us. Possibly the world’s wittiest woman, she’s the New York-based author of many books, magazine pieces, newspaper articles. Her latest book is “The Brisket Book” containing recipes for the ultimate comfort food. If you enjoy rollicking prose and robust eating, log into Amazon immediately and order this delightful work. Adding to HG/BSK’s holiday pleasures is the presence of Eric Silver, Stevie’s companion. A renowned arts expert and appraiser with years of experience as an antique dealer, you can spot the tall guy on PBS-TV’s “Antiques Road Show.”. Whether examining junk or treasure, his tone is always gentle and courteous. Pre-Thanksgiving dinner featured smoked salmon as an appetizer followed by penne with broccoli (enriched with mozzarella, chopped Kumatoes and parmesan). Stevie and Eric explored Santa Fe and brought back exquisite cheese (goat brie and dolce gorgonzola), a crisp baguette and a size XL bottle of Tito’s Vodka. The cheeses (with a dollop of New Zealand honey) made a fitting dinner climax. Stevie and HG poured the vodka for their pre-dinner cocktails. The darling woman also joined HG in after dinner snifters of fabulous Hibiki Suntory whiskey (a generous gift from Atlanta’s Viki Freeman). Since BSK does not drink spirits (but does drink copious amounts of wine), HG finds it enjoyable to have a sprightly drinking buddy like Stevie.

Two glasses of whiskey on the rocks on a wooden table

Two consummate New Yorkers, Stephanie (Stevie) Pierson. and companion, Eric Silver, have joined HG/BSK in chilly New Mexico. It will be a holiday visit filled with laughter, splendid food and great wine. Stevie is the world’s wittiest woman (in conversation and print). She has kept HG/BSK smiling for almost 50 years. An author of many books, magazine pieces and newspaper articles, her latest is “The Brisket Book.” If you like great food and rollicking prose, log into Amazon and obtain the book, a guide to many hearty meals. Eric is an antiques and fine arts expert. You can see the tall guy appraising on the PBS hit program “Antiques Road Show.” He’s hard to miss. Stevie and Eric did not arrive empty-handed. Brought a nice selection of white, red and sparkling wine. Arrival dinner was BSK’s New Mexican Green Chile Stew served with an array of toppings, condiments and warm tortillas (HG augmented the steaming HG bowl with a pint of El Parasol’s Green Chile Menudo, a Mexican tripe dish much favored by HG but disliked by most unadventurous folk). Hey, it’s mid-November. Drank copious amounts of Beaujolais Nouveau.

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HG delights in BSK’s quick and simple pasta dishes. Tonight, HG roasted some tomatoes. Mixed them with onions, garlic, parley and anchovies. Added some pasta water and cooked it down to a flavorful sauce. With a dusting of parmesan and red pepper flakes and glasses of Georges Duboeuf’s 2019 Beaujolais Nouveau, you’ve got a feast. BSK also makes a perfect dish of linguine aglio e olio (oil and garlic). The garlic is browned and never burnt. Parsley is chopped adroitly. (Sometimes BSK adds anchovies, the little fish that makes everything taste better). HG is fond of BSK’s bowl of Garafolo orzo mixed with mushrooms, garlic, onions and a bit of chicken stock. (Parmesan on top, of course). Must mention that tomatoes are not in season now, so roasting them is the way to go. When beefsteak tomatoes are ripe (the best are from New Jersey), BSK cuts them into chunks and covers pasta with the raw, juicy goodness (Often adds fresh mozzarella). Top flight extra virgin olive oil. Sea salt. Ground black pepper. Quick, simple and a glimpse into heaven.

HG sees no benefit in drinking high priced vodka. The taste difference between the posh stuff and lower-priced brands is very slight, says HG. So, HG is perfectly content to drink Smirnoff, Skyy, Svedka, etc. They are the base for HG’s pre-dinner, after exercise cocktail. Lots of ice. Lots of lime (or lemon) juice. A dash of Campari. Generous pour of vodka. Happy drink. Sometimes HG has a Negroni (inexpensive Jim Beam bourbon, sweet vermouth, dash of dry vermouth, Campari). After dinner, HG sips modestly priced Presidente Brandy from Mexico (HG adds some New Orleans Peychaud’s Bitters). None of this means that HG doesn’t relish gifts of pricey spirits. With characteristic generosity, Viki Freeman (wife of nephew Paul Freeman), gave HG a memorable 90th birthday gift: Suntory Hibiki Japanese Harmony Whisky. Liquid gold in a beautiful bottle. It is HG’s once a week special treat. As for wine, BSK is the expert. The Wonder Woman manages to put splendid bottles on the dinner table. Modest prices and lush, mouth filling tastes.