HUNGRY GERALD

Errands brought HG/BSK into Charlottetown on a sunny, brisk day. The capital city is becoming a foodie destination due to Prince Edward Island’s surprisingly diverse population (PEI has given a warm welcome to a large number of Syrian refugees, shaming the so-called Christian country to the south). On the downtown streets there are Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai, Japanese and Lebanese restaurants. Also an Asian grill and a traditional English fish-and-chips joint. Naturally, there are lots of eateries dispensing mussels, lobsters, scallops and other local PEI treats. HG/BSK lunched at Sadat’s Cuisine, an Afghan/Middle Eastern restaurant serving halal kebabs and many vegetarian dishes. HG/BSK had splendid steamed ground lamb dumplings in a yogurt and pea sauce. Also, sauteed eggplant slices and a robust platter of delectable stewed spinach with outstanding rice mixed with raisins and carrot slivers. Home made pita, tstaziki, hot sauce. Pot of steaming green tea. Smiling, gentle service. Modest prices. HG/BSK will be back.

Dramatic sunsets viewed from the living room of HG/BSK’s home on the Prince Edward Island oceanfront evoke many favorite painters. J.M.W. Turner, of course, with his mastery of sea, mist and sky colors. Kenneth Noland and strong horizontal bars of color. Mark Rothko and his homages to color. Also Milton Avery, Albert Pinkham Ryder and Arthur Dove with their unique images of sea shores. All of this musing about color led BSK, with BSK’s remarkable eye and background in art history, to closely examine Toby, The Wonder Dog: And, voila!! Toby’s black splashes of colors resemble Robert Motherwell’s monumental “Elegy to the Spanish Republic”. That painting and Picasso’s “Guernica”, are two of the greatest paintings of the twentieth century, fitting commentaries on the tragic events of the pivotal Spanish Civil War. “No pasaran” was the motto of the Republican Loyalists fighting the Fascists. “They shall not pass.” Unfortunately, with the aid of Hitler and Mussolini’s aircraft, the Loyalists were defeated leading to decades of General Franco’s dictatorship. With the markings of Motherwell’s painting upon him. Toby gives HG/BSK hope that the current American Fascist wave will soon recede and disappear.

Yes, HG is obsessive about Toby The Wonder Dog. Fearful when Toby is missing for a more than ordinary length of time. (Coyotes, raccoons, bobcats, rattlers and other predators?). Very concerned when Toby shows signs of an upset tummy. Yes, HG has become a doting, over-protective parent once again. For most of the year HG’s handsome little companion has a dense, curly coat which makes him resemble a little lamb. Keeps him warm and snug when weather becomes inclement. However, grooming is necessary when coat becomes tangled and filled with objectionable smelly bits picked up in his wanderings. Now that we are in the summer solstice, shearing has become necessary. So, BSK made an appointment with a very good, young groomer on the south side of Prince Edward Island. Toby anticipated his fate (smart dog) and didn’t like it. So, the winter coat came off and what emerged was an unhappy, skinny, vulnerable pup. Tough time for Toby. The weather turned wintry. Cold, incessant driving rain, strong winds. With no coat to protect him, the little guy had a serious case of the shivers. Thoughtful BSK wrapped Toby in towels after his necessary trips outside to do his necessities. BSK assured Toby that sunny, warm (even hot) beach days were in his future and he would be happy not to be steaming in his fur coat.

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That’s the claim of The Guardian, Prince Edward Island’s much loved daily newspaper. HG/BSK’s breakfast is incomplete without a reading of The Guardian. The front page is always arresting. This one expresses joy and preparedness for Oct. 17, the happy day when cannabis becomes legal in Canada. And, there’s an unusual tale of a guy who got a two year jail sentence for stealing more than 100 pairs of underwear from PEI women. The undies were kept in re-sealable plastic bags labelled with the women’s names. A stimulating story (that is, if you find lady’s knickers, scanties, thongs, a matter of more than cursory interest). There’s little local stuff The Guardian doesn’t cover: Meetings. Legislative matters. The environment. Seas. Tides. The lobster and oyster fisheries. Weddings. Births. Obits. Sadly, the paper no longer has a restaurant reviewer. The last one, a man who dined with his wife, had a sunny disposition. Never tasted anything that he and spouse didn’t like. His prose became lyrical when he described a tunafish sandwich on whole wheat toast.

Traditional “red sauce” Italian restaurants have lost ground to “Northern Italian” places that limit the use of tomatoes and garlic in their cuisine. But, “red sauce” dishes still carry a powerful culinary punch. Sunny, warm weather at Prince Edward Island yesterday. But, the night turned chilly. HG/BSK desired something hearty. And, that’s what they got. BSK created a sauce of tomatoes, onions, garlic, peppers, olive oil and four Italian sausages (two mild and two hot). HG cooked (al dente) excellent Garafolo tagliatelle. With plenty of grated parmesan, red chile flakes and an accompaniment of Chilean red wine, HG/BSK were a happy duo as they ate and watched a dramatic, lengthy sunset. Must confess the sausages were just okay. They lacked the fennel zest of true Noo Yawk Italians. It seems unlikely that Esposito’s will open a branch on PEI. But, HG can always dream.

Among the many wonderful things about Prince Edward Island is the fact that you can buy wondrous seafood at laughably modest prices (given the favorable ratio between the dollar and the loony). This was evidenced by the super lobster feast at the home of Noel , BSK’s sister, and her husband, Yossi. At dinner Chez Martonovich last night,HG/BSK sat down at a table centered on a platter of six steamed lobsters. (sadly, BSK is allergic to crustaceans but had the pleasure of PEI sauteed scallops). There were tiny, flavorful buttered PEI potatoes on the table plus plentiful wine and local beer. Yossi said he bicycled to a nearby harbor and bought the lobsters from an incoming boat. Very modest cost, he said. In any case, HG had an exuberant feast. There is a real difference between a fresh-off-the-boat lobster and those that have been dwelling in a tank for long periods; the flesh is sweeter, more tender and less prone to become rubbery. Much to HG’s delight, there were a number of female lobsters providing plentiful roe. Thoughtful Noel provided a big bowl of melted butter for dipping. She topped off the the festivities with a dessert of tapioca pudding and vanilla ice cream. Are you turning green with envy?

Tiny shrimp are rarely tasty, Flaccid. Mushy. The fortunate exception are the cold water baby shrimp sold at By the Bay Fish Mart in St. Peters, PEI. They are harvested in the icy waters of Newfoundland. Shelled. Steamed. Flash frozen and off, via air transport, to Prince Edward Island. They are a succulent delight. HG alternates the shrimp with Malpeque oysters as a nightly appetizer. HG mixes some spoonfuls with olive oil, sliced garlic and red pepper flakes (the way “Marco” Scungilli Salad is prepared at the Belmont Tavern in Belleville, NJ.). Or, HG gives the shrimp a hit of lemon juice and Island Shellfish lime and cilantro hot sauce. Or, Chinese style with sesame oil and blazing hot chile oil. All yummy. Gifted daughter Lesley R. makes a lush salad with the shrimp, mixing them chopped celery, onion, lemon juice and mayonnaise. By the Bay’s shrimp are one of the reasons HG is fond of Newfoundland. It seems the local population handles the very cold temperatures with strong drink, robust food, music and jollity. HG/BSK hope to visit the capital city of St. John’s one day. Reputed to be very lively, very colorful. Symbolic of St. John’s is the calendar propped in HG/BSK’s Santa Fe kitchen. The months are marked with photos of brawny, shirtless, much tattooed, bearded St. John’s guys bedecked as mermaids. Makes HG/BSK smile.