HUNGRY GERALD

Lucky Peach describes itself as a “cult food magazine” born out of Chef David Chang’s Momofuku empire. The magazine has published its first cookbook: Lucky Peach presents 101 Easy Asian Recipes. The book is a winner. Don’t miss it. Peter Meehan is the writer. He is one of HG’s favorites, a very down to earth guy with a delightful wit. Loves food (and drink). With HG daughter Victoria and Victoria’s husband/chef Marc Meyer, Meehan authored Brunch: 100 Recipes From Five Points Restaurant, published by Rizzoli. In the Lucky Peach book, the recipes he presents, created by the Lucky Peach editors, reflect the realities of present day life: “We chose favorite dishes and recipes that were naturally simple. We tried to put together a folio of kitchen ideas you can turn to for easy eating on a real-life schedule and budget.” There are cold dish appetizers — “Chineasy Cucumber Salad” and “Silken Tofu Snack” are two. Great group of Asian pancakes including “Apam Balik”, a semi-sweet treat that utilizes brown sugar, corn and chopped peanuts. Lots of soups including “Slow Cooker Pho.” HG’s faves are the vegetable dishes featuring asparagus, string beans, celery, bok choy, eggplant, etc. HG/BSK will be doing lots of all vegetable dinners (plus a pot of rice) using these recipes. And, when feeling carnivorous, HG/BSK will dig into Meehan’s “Cumin Lamb.” Chinese egg noodles and a bottle of California Cabernet will accompany.

Recently, HG did a post entitled: HEALTHY (ALMOST) RAMEN. To accompany the post, HG’s adroit editor and collaborator, SJ, sourced a video on ramen that featured David Chang, the renowned chef and founder of the Momofuku restaurants, making the wonderful Italian pasta dish, cacio e pepe, with instant ramen. HG followed Chang’s technique with some Korean instant ramen. As Chang noted, an Italian might be horrified by the dish. HG ate it with delight and gusto. So, what should this riff on Italian food be called? Japanalian? Korealian? So, go to the HG archive and log into the post. Give Chang’s dish a try and have a happy surprise.

For a few years, one of HG’s favorite lunchtime treats has been a big, steaming bowl of instant ramen–specifically hot and spicy Shin Ramyun Noodle Soup, created and manufactured in Korea and consumed throughout the world. Low in calories. No cholesterol. Healthy stuff, thought HG, until Gifted Daughter Lesley R. pointed out that a package contains 1040 mg of sodium. That’s a super abundance of salt. Not helpful for high blood pressure. Instant ramen has been under attack from American nutrition scientists (causing consternation in Seoul). With all of this in mind, HG has not given up on Shin Ramyun but has made (HG believes) beneficial modifications. Each package of Shin Ramyun contains a little package of dried vegetables and a package of soup flavoring. These are the villains, HG surmised. The noodles themselves are just a modest source of carbohydrates. So, HG tossed those packages (but adding a 1/2 teaspoon of the soup flavoring for color). HG provided taste by putting some tablespoons of healthy kimchi (sourced at Whole Foods) in the ppt with the water and noodles. Turned out great. HG has been experimenting. Tofu and a smidgen of soy sauce to the noodles. A beaten egg swirled in the soup and a dash of Frank’s Louisiana Thick Hot Sauce or Sriracha. In the future is noodle soup with a poached egg and bacon (low sodium chicken broth instead of water). Also the soup with watercress and snippets of ham. David Chang, the eminent chef and founder of the Momofuku restaurants, demonstrated that ramen translated perfectly into a Roman style cacio e pepe; then again, Chang likes to munch on the uncooked noodles as a snack. HG will take a pass on that one.

New York Times had a story on the duck lunch at David Chang’s Ssam Bar and the “duckavore” dinner at Wong in the West Village. Duckalicious. The descriptions of the ducky delicacies were so riveting and appetizing that HG was tempted to leave for The Big Apple post haste. However, HG stayed put and ransacked his memory for tasty webbed foot treats.

Best duck dish ever was the braised duck with olives at the late Le Pavillon. Crisp and juicy, the abundant richness of duck fat cut by the sting of the olives. A runner up was the crackling Peking duck at the Peking Duck House in New York’s Chinatown. When in Paris, HG often indulges in the ubiquitous duck confit; however, the best HG has ever tasted came not from Paris, but was found behind the counter of Oyama, the great French-oriented charcuterie and cheese shop located in Vancouver’s Public Market on Granville Island. In Chinatown (both in New York and Vancouver), HG often does a simple (and cheap) lunch of barbecued duck and pork plus a bowl of rice and pot of tea.

During their ten years of residence on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, HG and BSK had a tradition of late Sunday dinner a deux (little ones safely snoozing). The duo devoured a rotisserie barbecued duck from the Bretton Woods Butcher on W. 86th Street accompanied by a salad of sliced orange, sweet onion and avocado. Then, a crusty baguette, runny brie. Two bottles of red wine. A nice way to close the weekend.

Yes, Sunday was a day of indulgence in HG and BSK’s rent controlled paradise. The day began with a breakfast of Zabar’s smoked salmon, sable, scallion cream cheese, bagels and bialys. The fat Sunday Times on the table. It was all worked off with long bike rides in Central Park. SJ strapped to HG’s back. Little Miss LR in a kiddie seat. Peaches, The Wonder Dog, racing along on a leash. Happy memories of food, fun and family — a ducky time, indeed.