HUNGRY GERALD

Big, flavorful festive family feast (nifty alliteration). Nephew and wife–Erik and Lisa M.–plus Nicole C., friend and fellow performer in their exciting equestrian show, “Gladius”, are visiting Prince Edward Island. Staying with Noel and Yossi M. (Parents of Erik and sister and brother-in-law of BSK) at their verdant Ocean Mist Farm. So, three generations of Freemans and Martinoviches got together for dinner at HG/BSK’s oceanfront home. Feast started with a salt cod brandade. BSK used Pierre Franey’s recipe from the New York Times food archive. Calls for numerous changes of water to remove excessive saltiness. Milk replaces cream as one of the ingredients (others are garlic,olive oil and potatoes). BSK dusted it with plentiful grated parmesan and a sprinkle of Aleppo pepper. Served it with an array of pickles and toasted baguette. Spectacular. Perfectly balanced. (Next morning had some fried with a poached egg on top. Wow!!). The main dish was not an anti-climax. Invented by Brilliant Daughter Lesley R., this was a lush surf and turf stew served over smashed potatoes mixed with chicken broth and scallions. The stew was composed of browned Cajun sausages (made locally by Taylor Meats), many pounds of mussels and fresh clams. The sauce utilized clam broth, tomatoes, onions, wine, loads of garlic and parsley. It was attacked with vigor. When HG examined the pots and serving bowls, HG noted that not a drop was left. Erik, Lisa and Nicole can make some major inroads on groceries. They are world class athletes based in Las Vegas. They do daring acrobatics and ballet atop galloping horses. Erik opens the “Gladius” show by standing atop a team of charging, giant horses. You must be powerfully muscled and strong to control these beasts. Erik makes Arnold Schwarznegger (when he his was in his body building prime) look like a frail lyric poet. Lisa and Nicole are strong and shapely women (Lisa’s tummy of rippling muscle is a wonder). HG/BSK felt a bit flabby and effete around this powerhouse crowd.

There are idiosyncratic dining customs in the HG/BSK family. Christmas eve dinner, of course, is a Feast of the Seven Fishes (done Eastern Europe/Jewish style). On Christmas Day, after a mad, 5-hour present opening session (it is a generous family), cooking doesn’t seem like a good idea so it is a time for enjoying the smoked fish wonders left over from the Christmas Eve feast. Thus, the big time dinner takes place on the night after Christmas. And, at this event Gifted Daughter Lesley R. strutted her stuff. Read and be envious: LR made a brandade that was the ultimate. Creamy. Garlicky (but not too). Popped in the oven to give it a crisp brown crust. Served with toasted bread and (an HG innovation) endive spears. Next course was papardelle (from The Italian Corner in East Providence) in a sauce of exquisitely sautéd mushrooms (a mixture of varieties – some fresh, some dried). Brilliant LR sautés them for various amounts of time to insure their moisture disappears and their flavor remains). A reasonable family might call it quits after the pasta. Not the HG/BSK Clean Plate Warriors. LR made exquisite veal rollatini (thin scallopine rolled around prosciutto, gruyere and sage). Browned and then finished in the oven. Accompanied by ultra lush braised fennel. Dessert was flan and Italian nougat. Sheer happiness.

Big birthday dinner for Brilliant Daughter Lesley R. Up from New York, and leaving behind their trio of New York restaurants (Cookshop, 100 Acres, Five Points), are Restaurateur/Daughter Victoria and husband/chef Marc Meyer. Armed with Prince Edward Island’s auspicious sea bounty, Marc made the ultimate brandade for the birthday dinner — screamingly fresh haddock poached in milk and whirled in the blender with olive oil, garlic, boiled potatoes and a bit of sweet cream. Then popped under the broiler to develop a brown crust. Magic. Better than classic salt cod brandade in Paris or creamy mantecato in Venice. Marc has the touch. There was also lots of lobster and steamed soft shell clams. Melted butter. Lemon juice. Tabasco. A jolly family time as all wished BLR scores of happy returns.

Yes, salt cod is spelled in different ways in Portugal, Italy, Spain, Brazil, France and other countries where it is enjoyed and appreciated. It needs a good soaking in many changes of water before it can be cooked but that’s time well spent because it is a staple of many wonderful dishes. An HG favorite is Brandade, a puree of salt cod, potatoes, sweet cream and garlic — lots of garlic. HG eats it with slices of garlic rubbed, toasted sourdough bread. Cold Muscadet or Macon-Village Chardonnay is a pleasant accompaniment. HG likes the Brandade at both Balthazar, the busy New York brasserie and Jonathan Waxman’s Barbuto Restaurant in Greenwich Village.

Salt cod has an affinity for garlic. The Provence feast of poached salt cod and vegetables (cooked and raw) is served with an abundance of aioli, a garlic enriched mayonnaise. HG is looking forward this weekend to BSK’s Basque salt cod (cooked with olive oil, white wine, tomatoes, capers, parsley and, of course, garlic). BSK will serve it with her smashed potatoes gilded with Sicilian olive oil. And, to make sure that vampires are kept at bay, HG will make plenty of aioli (HG will add some cayenne for a bit of a bite).

While no garlic was served in the dish, SJ once made HG salivate with a description of an improvised feast in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica consisting of chunks of sat cod and yam roasted over an open fire with a hefty dose of margarine. And in Rome’s Campo Di Fiori there is a busy, little joint that apparently serves salt cod fritters to die for. HG bets there is garlic in those fritters.

In the Italian-Irish-Jewish Bronx nabe where HG was reared, lengths of dried salt cod were displayed like cord wood in every Italian food store. Now you can find it in cute little wooden boxes at the fish counters of supermarkets. Progress: The wooden box salt cod has less bones.