Rhody and Nantucket Scallops

May 24th, 2019 § 0 comments § permalink

HG/BSK are very fond of sea scallops. Of course, nothing quite compares to Nantucket Island bay scallops Their season is brief and they lose a lot of flavor when they leave the Island. Freezing turns their delicate flesh into little balls of cotton. Best eaten raw, minutes after they are pulled out of the bay. HG/BSK get misty-eyed when HG/BSK recall their residence on Nantucket. Caretaker/friend Al K. was an expert scalloper (family had been on Nantucket for many, many generations). Carrying a big bucket of bay scallops harvested minutes before, he invited HG/BSK to an outdoor feast. Armed with glasses of chilled white wine, HG/BSK ate dozens of the raw, sweet morsels. Al shucked. HG/BSK ate. Bivalve heaven. HG/BSK also reached celestial climes at the Riverside, RI, home of the R. family, night before battling traffic jams on the way to granddaughter Sofia R.’s Columbia graduation in New York. It seems that Rhode Island not only has the best clams and squid, but the biggest, juiciest, most flavorful sea scallops HG/BSK ever tasted. Gifted daughter Lesley R. exalted these sea wonders in a chowder (no milk or cream) of fish stock and clam juice flavored with garlic, saffron and many herbs. Added a bit of cod. Cooking perfection. The meal concluded with a cheese platter. HG was enthralled by the ripe robiola and a blue cheese (gorgonzola ?). HG added a bit of sweet to HG’s cheese assortment. Armenian preserved pumpkin in syrup (a gift of an R. friend/neighbor). Superb climax.

Worth The Wait

May 23rd, 2019 § 0 comments § permalink

Final travel to Riverside, Rhode Island, was short (in terms of mileage but very long in time (traffic jams, construction, etc. on New England Thruway). Arrival at the home of daughter Lesley R.; son-in-law Massimo and granddaughter Arianna, was festive. Toby, The Wonder Dog, had a joyous reunion with Pip. the R. family’s super-intelligent and gentle dog. HG/BSK were refreshed with steaming cups of tea (and some yogurt and honey for HG). Appetites raged as the family arrived at O Dinis, the joyous, noisy, no-reservations restaurant in East Providence. Every table was filled with happy, hungry folks eating hearty O Dinis cuisine. A half hour wait. Cane-wielding HG turned down many kind offers of a seat but finally succumbed to sitting on a bench and sipping white wine provided by thoughtful Lesley. (HG thanked a diner for his concern about HG. Before leaving, the gentleman sent a glass of red wine to the Freeman/R. table.) Food was spectacular. Juicy shrimp in a spicy sauce. Steamed littleneck clams (Rhody clams are the best) in a lush sauce of garlic, herbs, olive oil and clam juice. The O Dinis specialty: Pork and clams. A surprise was a dish of grilled tuna belly with boiled potatoes and a wondrous sauce. One of the best fish dishes. Lots of wine and Portuguese bread to soak up the many fragrant garlic juices. (Dracula wouldn’t stand a chance when confronted with O Dinis food). At bedtime, HG sipped some Kentucky bourbon. A most happy fellow.

Road Cuisine (Day Four)

May 21st, 2019 § 0 comments § permalink

Destination: Lewisburg, Pa. (Site of a federal prison and nearby Bucknell University, the late Philip Roth’s alma mater). Hunger seized HG on the road. Not much dining available. Settled for Burger King. Don’t scoff. The burgers are the usual crap. However, the fish sandwiches are a treat. Real fish (not “fish product”) crisply fried. No grease. Bun is layered with lettuce, tomatoes, pickle chips and an adequate tartar sauce. No, not as great as the haddock sandwiches at Rick’s Fish and Chips in St. Peters, Prince Edward Island. but, quite tasty. Stayed at an upscale Holiday Inn. BSK worked out in the fitness center and followed with BSK’S usual super hot shower. HG swam many laps in the warm indoor pool and soothed HG’s mature muscles in a hot tub. HG/BSK took their raging appetites to the Reba and Pancho Restaurant. Shared a “Skinny Pizza.” Super crisp and topped with a quality mix of mozzarella and tomatoes. BSK followed this with gently sauteed haddock served over a salad of Canellini beans and fried Calamari. It was knit together with a sauce of mint, parsley, olive oil and butter. BSK pronounced the dish inventive and delicious. On PEI, fresh haddock will get this treatment. Can hardly wait. HG dined on a juicy crab cake floating on spicy chile broth enriched by a julienne of garden vegetables. Drank Spanish Rioja. Back at Holiday Inn, HG completed a perfect day by sipping bourbon and watching the Warriors snatch a victory in the NBA playoffs after falling far behind.

Road Cuisine (Day Three)

May 18th, 2019 § 0 comments § permalink

Destination: Ashland, Ohio. HG/BSK motored through the territory of BSK’s teen-age (and pre-teen years). Mansfield. Galion. Bucyrus. Crestline. Lakes and parks where BSK frolicked with BSK’s first boyfriend. No nostalgia from BSK. Just kept accelerating. Still lunching at the chains. This time it was Chick-Fil-A. HG must confess. Enjoyed it. Big bowl of chicken soup. Lots of shredded chicken. Firm, not mushy, pasta. Pleasant vegetables. BSK had a chicken sandwich and liked it. Downside was the potatoes. These were “waffle fries.” Not crisp. Not hot. Zero taste. However, the service was extraordinary. Efficient but super friendly and caring. HG left with a tip-top vanilla milkshake to be consumed while driving. Made the miles skip by. Dinner in Ashland was at Jake’s, a local steak and casual food chain. BSK said this was Amish country and the steak was bound to be good. HG was dubious. As always, BSK was right. BSK had a big-time, medium rare sirloin. Gave HG a taste. Superior. BSK accompanied the steak with onion rings and Caesar salad. HG had a burger with pepper jack cheese and fried jalapenos. Adequate. Not sensatiônal. There were consolations. HG’s side of mac and cheese was among the best ever and HG’s icy black-and-tans (glasses of half Anchor Steam Beer and half Guinness Stout) brought back HG’s happy nights in New York’s Third Avenue Irish bars of long ago.

Road Cuisine (Day Two)

May 17th, 2019 § 0 comments § permalink

Destination was Collinsville, Ill. (some miles east of St.Louis). Always stirring to gaze out the auto window and see the mighty arch and the Mississippi River. Lunched at reliable Waffle House. A big bowl of buttery grits with two runny poached eggs. That’s how you spell All-American comfort. HG topped it off with a waffle, orange juice and many cups of coffee. Chicken fancier BSK had her usual chicken salad (WH does it with grilled chicken and holds off on ladles of mayonnaise). Dinner in Collinsville was Bandanas, a local bar-b-q chain. Big, juicy pork ribs. Very flavorful. Didn’t need any sauce. Fine cole slaw. Sweet potato fries. Savory beans. Icy beer. HG is very fond of the barbecue belt that runs through Missouri into southwestern Illinois. Calvin Trillin, a devotee of Arthur Bryant’s Barbecue in Kansas City (his favorite is “burnt ends”), might sneer at Bandanas. But, HG/BSK had a rollicking good time there.

Road Cuisine (Day One)

May 15th, 2019 § 0 comments § permalink

Yes, HG/BSK (plus Toby, The Wonder Dog), are on the road again (thanks, Willie). Destination: Prince Edward Island and HG/BSK’s ocean front paradise. But, first HG/BSK will stop at Providence, the base for HG/BSK’s New York/Atlanta festivities (you will learn more in coming days). First-day lunch was a Subway wrap consumed in the car. Messy. Never again. Hate eating in the car. Food dribbles on HG’s clothing. Dinner was at Kwan’s Kitchen in Quail Springs, an Oklahoma City burb. Was great on the last visit. Now it’s uneven. Had super-sized pork pot stickers. Flavorless. Peking duck. Excellent thin pancakes to wrap the meat which, alas, was quite dry. BSK liked a platter of fried string beans with gently fried rectangles of potato.HG thought it so-so. The bonanza (at least for HG ) of the evening, was a platter of shrimp dim sum. Shu mai. Shrimp balls. Other fried and steamed shrimp delights. Best dim sum ever (and HG has consumed much New York, Brooklyn and Flushing dim sum). Sadly, BSK is allergic to shrimp (and other crustaceans) so BSK could only observe HG’s pleasure, Did that with customary grace.

Cold Weather Street Treats

May 14th, 2019 § 0 comments § permalink

HG was five years old, living with his parents in a fourth floor (no elevator) apartment in the southeast Bronx. It was minutes from the Bronx Zoo and HG slept with the soothing sounds of roaring lions in the background. City boy HG saw lions, elephants and tigers long before HG saw a cow. Horses were familiar. Manned by Italians, they hauled vegetable and ice wagons. (Refrigerators came later and were advertised as a luxury). With a few pennies in his pocket, HG would race down to the street to join his small pals in fun and games. Favorite street food treat was a “mickey.” This was a potato (stolen from a greengrocer stand) and roasted in a wood fire in an empty building lot. Pennies bought other cold weather good things. An old, bearded Jew wheeled a cart and yelled “Hayseh ahrbis !!.” He sold hot garbanzo beans bathed in chicken fat and dusted with kosher salt. A penny bought an overflowing cup and a toothpick Another cart sold sweet potatoes with a pat of butter melting inside. The eating utensil was a tiny wooden paddle. Cost: Two or three cents. Warm weather was the season for Italians and their carts. They sold cups of ices and slices of coconut. The weather turned cold in New Mexico yesterday. Alert to the weather, BSK baked some lush sweet potatoes. As good as yesteryear.

Collard Greens and Georgia Memories

May 11th, 2019 § 0 comments § permalink

When HG was a little boy, HG left The Bronx with his Mom and lived for a year in an Athens, Georgia boarding house. Mom was there to help nurse HG’s late brother, Bernard, who was recovering from a leg amputation after a terrible barnstorming plane crash which killed the pilot and Bernard’s fiancee. Bernard was the only survivor. It was a sad time but HG received much comfort from the boarding house cook. HG recalls her as an ample African-American woman who gave HG many much-needed affectionate hugs. Her cooking was sublime and gave HG a lifetime delight in old fashioned southern cuisine. Steaming grits. Ham and eggs with gravy. Fried pork chops smothered in caramelized onions. Cornbread. Biscuits. And, collard greens. Ah, those collard greens. They were cooked into tenderness with ham hocks. A bowl of the good stuff was given a topping of vinegar mixed with incendiary red peppers. After hearty meals, HG played with her joyous children. These experiences influenced HG forever. They left HG with a hatred of any form of racism. Food comfort was often associated with African-American cooking and a large cast iron pan. Well, last night it was BSK who used a big cast iron pan to pan-broil juicy pork chops. They were accompanied by collard greens. BSK chopped the frozen greens and cooked them in olive oil with lots of chopped onions and sliced garlic. Added chicken stock as they steamed into tenderness. Final touch was some Frank’s Hot Sauce. Brought back Georgia memories.

The Supreme Burger

May 10th, 2019 § 0 comments § permalink

Unlike most Americans, HG is not a big fan of roadside hamburgers. Some 45 years ago, HG sampled a burger at McDonald’s. Horrible, One bite and spat it out. Same thing at Burger King. However, a proper burger cooked by BSK in a hot, seasoned cast iron pan is a revelation. (BSK sprinkles Malden sea salt flakes in the pan before searing the meat). The ground beef BSK uses comes from Hutterian Farms (through Crowd Cow) in Washington. The farm is run by the Huttite religious community and the cattle get gentle care. Grass fed and grain finished. No hormones. No unnecessary antibiotics. The dry aged meat is robust and delicious. Tastes the way beef tasted many decades ago. Last night, BSK pan broiled two half pound Hutterian burgers. Dark crusts and juicy, beefy interiors. The best. The burgers were covered in green chile sauce (medium hot). Accompanied by Moros y Cristianos (black beans over rice with a garnish of chopped onions and sour cream). Avocado and blood orange salad. Drank fruity Malbec red from Argentina. Hearty eating in New Mexico, The Land of Enchantment (and green chile sauce).

Brooklyn Teenage Date

May 7th, 2019 § 0 comments § permalink

Teenage HG traveled from The Bronx to Brooklyn by subway for HG’s Saturday night date with his first girlfriend, the lovely Joan Z. (Subway cost five cents and HG had a book to ease the long trip). HG always wore a jacket with a shirt and tie. Joan would be in high heels and a dress. No jeans in those days. One dressed in style. Off to a movie. Much canoodling in the darkness. Then, post entertainment dinner in a Chinese restaurant. Egg drop soup or won ton soup. Shrimp chow mein or pork chop suey. Almond cookie or vanilla ice cream for dessert. Many cups of tea. Total cost of date: $1.85. Itemized: Ten cents for subway round trip; Fifty cents for the movie ( tickets were 25 cents each); Chinese dinners were 50 cents each with a quarter tip for the waiter. Fervent intimacies with Joan. Priceless.

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