HUNGRY GERALD

Stormy night in Prince Edward Island. Torrents of rain splashing against the windows of HG/BSK’s oceanfront home. Toby, The Wonder Dog, doesn’t appreciate rain, snow or gusty winds. Like HG, Toby is a civilized fellow who enjoys a warm wood stove and a sofa lounge. However, nature does call. BSK picked up the little fellow and deposited him outdoors for a few minutes. Appropriate. Dinner guest was Leslie F., the beautiful, talented neighbor. BSK rose to the occasion. The trio dined on Shakshouka. This is a middle eastern dish that is an Israeli favorite. It is a stew of red peppers, onions, garlic(much), olive oil, tomato puree. Flavored with coriander, cumin, paprika, lemon (or lime) zest, salt, pepper and a bit of sugar. When the stew has achieved the right lush texture, eggs are cracked into it. Heat is lowered and the eggs are cooked until the whites are cooked but the yolks are still runny. The side dish is an HG specialty. Greek yogurt and sour cream are mixed with cumin, Spanish Pimenton, zaatar, sumac, olive oil, a generous amount of smashed garlic and the juice of one large lemon, Harissa is on the table to give the Shakshouka some heat and warmed pita is there for the dipping. Fresh chopped cilantro tops the Shakshouka. Some Israelis like to add feta cheese and strips of serrano peppers. HG/BSK and Leslie devoured the dish. BSK got applause. Dessert was homey tapioca pudding (HG added vanilla ice cream). Rain outside. Golden sunshine at BSK’s dinner table.

Rains gathering in the Prince Edward Island skies. Time for a hearty dinner. Lamb chops from Ocean Mist Farm. Roast tomatoes. Sweet potatoes. HG brined the chops. Long procedure. Boiled the brine. Brought it to room temperature. Added the chops. Refrigerated for 90 minutes. Removed from fridge. Once more brought chops to room temperature. Washed off the brine. Dried with paper towels. Pan broiled. The result: Juicy, succulent lamb chops. Some of the best ever. Sweet potatoes got two treatments. For BSK: Peeled and cut into rectangles. Olive oil. Garlic. Pimenton (hot Spanish paprika). Salt. Pepper. Baked into spicy goodness. For HG: The classic Bronx street treatment. Scrubbed potato. Into a 425 degree oven for 45 minutes. Potato was cut open. Lots of butter, salt and pepper. Heaven. Tomatoes got the BSK treatment of coring and garnishing with olive oil, garlic and basil. A tomato homage. Drank pinot noir. Let it rain or shine. If BSK is mine, every day is a holiday and every meal is a feast. Lucky HG.

The Prince Edward Island Town of Montague contains many pleasant surprises: A shop specializing in hot sauces. Pickups in a parking lot that (when in season) offer the best sweet corn ever. A waterfront dotted with extraordinary sculpture. A truck selling fresh fish. And, Red’s Grill (more about Red’s in a moment). HG/BSK were in Montague yesterday. Mundane errands. Fish guy was in business. Bought one pound of sparkling fresh haddock. Peckish HG/BSK lunched at Red’s, a food truck perched on the waterfront. Ordered fish tacos. Generous crisply fried haddock filets rested on soft tortillas containing an original slaw of red peppers, onions and lettuce. Pungent creamy dressing. Outstanding fish tacos. And, an eye-opening bargain. Two tacos to an order. About six dollars (US). And, the tacos were large. One order would have been sufficient for two hungry people. More fried haddock for dinner with asparagus and baby potatoes. Preceded by a dozen Malpeque oysters. Oh, well, muses HG. It’s a life. Somebody’s got to live it. Might as well be HG/BSK.

On Prince Edward Island, lunch is “dinner” and dinner is “supper” and both tend to be delicious. Last night, HG/BSK, had a splendid lobster supper at BSK’s sister, Noel M.and her husband, Yossi’s Ocean Mist Farm. It is a fertile, rustic wonderland filled with fruit trees, a huge vegetable garden, grape vines, strawberries, and bushes loaded with raspberries, blackberries, and currants. Plus happy animals: Three handsome horses, a flock of sheep and three pink pigs. The property features a huge barn, assorted outbuildings and a charming farmhouse that have all been lovingly and tastefully renovated in a testament to Noel and Yossi’s endurance, strength and skills. Before moving to PEI, they built a log home and spacious barn in the Colorado Rocky Mountain foothills. Last night’s supper: Appetizers of hummus and local goat cheese with zaatar dusted pita (baked by Noel). Then on to much lobster (bought directly from friends who own a lobster boat), potato salad and wild asparagus from the Ocean Mist fields. Drank French rose. Ice cream for dessert and Bagaco PEI marc for after dinner sipping. Another happy time.

Canadian-born BSK has many links to English culture and customs. BSK’s Mom was born in England and BSK’s Dad was the son of English emigrants to Canada. Thus, BSK was raised with a liking for “a cuppa” of tea. That is, a cup of properly brewed tea served from a teapot adorned with a heat retentive “tea cozy.” BSK scorns the American custom of putting a tea bag in a cup of hot water. (Feh!!). During many visits to London, HG/BSK enjoyed afternoon tea at Browns Hotel. Seated in comfortable armchairs, HG/BSK indulged in strong tea, cucumber sandwiches, scones with clotted Devonshire cream and jam, pastries. The tea appeased appetites until theater time. Post theater, HG/BSK favored the glamorous Savoy Grill for smoked salmon and Dover sole. (London was affordable in times past). BSK, to HG’s delight, has revived the afternoon tea tradition in Prince Edward Island. HG skips lunch in favor of a hearty breakfast. So, HG gets peckish in the afternoon. Voila!! A steaming “cuppa.” Plus the great Canadian pastry, Butter Tart. Shortbread-like round tart encloses a filling that resembles American pecan pie without the nuts. Never see Butter Tarts in the USA. Canadians won’t let them travel.

Using the recipe from Vij’s cookbook as a guide, BSK often cooks comforting family style chicken curry. (Vikram Vij is a much-celebrated master of Indian fusion cuisine. His Vancouver restaurant is an HG/BSK favorite). For convenience, BSK usually cooks boneless/skinless chicken thighs. Last night, BSK decided to follow exactly Vij’s recipe. It called for cooking skin on/bone in thighs. When done, the skin and bones were removed and the chicken was shredded. It made a difference. This was curry, accompanied by fluffy jasmine rice, that called for second and even third helpings. Chutney, Prince Edward Island mustard pickles, sriracha were on the table as enhancements. Gahan’s Ale (brewed on PEI) was the beverage. Thankfully, there was leftover rice. That meant congee (rice porridge) for breakfast. BSK flavored it with grated ginger and mushrooms (Chinese dried) and added sliced sea scallops. Topped with a dash of chile oil. With steaming cafe latte, this was a great way to start the day. (This is how HG breakfasted with tea at Congee Noodle House when living in Vancouver, B.C. HG will revisit in November).