HUNGRY GERALD

HG is a lucky man. While HG gets great gustatory pleasures eating at restaurants throughout the world, it is the meals that HG eats with his family that transport him. Yes, HG is blessed with a family of great chefs; and chefs whose influences and talents are truly global in scope. Take the two meals HG ate over the past week: Dinner in Brooklyn Chez SJ and Exquisite Maiko. Their pals Jay and Maya were present. Jay is an outstanding wit and guarantor of laughter. So, fun was guaranteed. A bottle of Tito’s Hand Made Vodka was on the table. The meal started with French smoked herring and smoked salmon. Rich, unusual tastes. Then, wielding chopsticks with her usual grace, Exquisite Maiko transformed into a master of Japanese style BBQ, grilling marinated short ribs and thin slices of pork belly to perfection on a table top barbecue. The crisp, sizzling pieces of meat were placed in cold lettuce leaves accompanied by EM’s extraordinary sesame oil and scallion dressing, onion sauce and discreet dabs of wasabi. With sips of cold vodka, the meal turned into a paen to the real flavors of beef and pork where richness was counter-balanced with the lighter, healthier touch of EM’s Japanese presentation.

Onto Rhode Island where comfort may be the last word one associates with the ever turbulent, bloody and embattled Middle East. But, the word is appropriate when applied to Brilliant Daughter Lesley R.’s riffs on dishes from that region. Lesley R. made her own version of little kefta (middle eastern stuffed grain and lamb meatballs). The ingredients: Ground lamb. cumin, smoked Spanish paprika, chopped almonds, chopped onions, garlic and raisins. Beaten egg as a binder. The mixture was formed into balls (about the size of a golf ball) and baked on a cookie sheet. When done, these were popped into steaming lentil soup. The ingredients: Red lentils, chopped onions and garlic, cumin, finely chopped carrots, chicken stock. Salt and pepper, of course. The savory bowls of soup and meatballs were topped with scoops of Greek yogurt and sprinkled with cayenne. To complete this filling and heartening one dish meal there was cheese, green salad and very superior bread from the Seven Stars Bakery in Providence. Needless to say, there was ample wine.

Yes, verily, verily — there’s no place like home.

Last night HG watched the Japanese firm, Jiro Dreams of Sushi. This is an appetite honing and thought provoking documentary about sushi chef Jiro Ono. Jiro, a spry and spruce 85-year-old gentleman owns and runs a sushi restaurant in Tokyo that has legendary status and three stars from Michelin. There are 10 seats and despite the fact that a sushi meal there costs each diner, at minimum, $300, reservations must be made months in advance. Essentially, this is a film about one man’s lifelong, obsessive search for perfection. And, it seems he has achieved it. He has also left a tough legacy to his sons (also sushi chefs) who strive to live up to his reputation while creating their own identities. The film left HG musing. Why are the two best food films (the other is Tampopo, an ode to ramen) Japanese? What is there in the Japanese character that drives a person to devote a lifetime to making the perfect pot, the perfect piece of calligraphy, the perfect flower arrangement — or the perfect portion of sushi? HG has the great good fortune of having a Japanese daughter-in-law, Exquisite Maiko. No, EM is not a slightly mad obsessive like Jiro Ono, but she is a mighty serious lady in the kitchen. HG has marveled at her knife skills when she worked wonders with a fresh filet of mackerel. HG has noted the symphony of sizzle as she prepared lighter-than-air tempura and the deftness of her fingers as she shaped wondrous gyoza and her patience in treating pork bellies to a three fold preparation technique culminating in an earthy, soul warming dish. EM’s performance is a one-woman show. It is wise not to get in her way. HG enjoys a dual pleasure. HG watches EM’s kitchen ballet. And, then he eats HG’s food. And, she doesn’t charge him 300 dollars.

Yes, SJ, Exquisite Maiko, Haru and Teru are off to Brooklyn, leaving behind Prince Edward Island for the harsher realities of school and careers. For HG and BSK this will mean Prince Edward Island quiet and serenity, no sounds but the wind and the sea. Of course, this will mean no extraordinary cuisine from EM. No funny insights, swim companionship, beach walks, book reading and much more from Haru. No delicious cuddles and silly noise making with the enchanting six month old Teru. Tonight, SJ took over the preparation of a farewell dinner. SJ marinated some organic, free range farmers market chicken in a mixture of oil, garlic, adobo, lemon juice, salt and pepper. The chicken went on a charcoal grill and the result was crusty, spicy, juicy hunks of bird. SJ also did the best, simplest summer pasta: A host of chopped herbs from the garden — marjoram. chives, mint, parsley, thyme, rosemary,Thai basil — were mixed with ripe local tomatoes and thin slivers of garlic. These were placed on top a big bowl of artisan pasta from a local market. SJ then heated up hot olive oil (just before the burning point) and poured it (with the appropriate sizzling sounds) over the herbs, tomato and garlic mixture. The heady herbaceous aromas filled the room. Post feast, Haru manged an ice cream bar but the rest of the dinner party could only sip wine and murmur the bittersweet sighs of farewell.

It is early autumn weather here on Prince Edward Island. Bright blue skies and billowing cumulus that periodically blocks the rays. Tingling winds. The taste of salty seas in the air. Weather for robust food. And, that is what Exquisite Maiko is providing. As HG has noted, EM, utilizing her brilliant knife skills, turns out lovely compositions of raw fish, vegetable and herb slivers and more. A magic hand at the the frying pan, the Exquisite one creates the best tempura ever. Lighter than air and totally greaseless. But, there is an earthy side to EM, a love of deeply flavored Japanese soul food, the type of cooking an old fashioned Japanese Mom would turn out for her family. That means long simmered ox tails simmered in salt and peppered water with a dash of sake; deep brown chicken curry; hot and sour soup with lots of mushrooms; pork bellies that have been simmered, marinated, seared and stewed; spare ribs with a unique dry rub crust; pork tenderloin cutlets dusted with panko and deep fried (served on a bed of shredded cabbage and daikon radish); pancakes of oysters, fish, mushrooms, shredded carrot in a batter of flour and baking powder. For cool mornings, EM provides her own version of congee, not a puree like the Chinese but a soupy bowl of rice and vegetables. Given a dash of soy sauce and sriracha, EM congee brightens leaden skies.

Weather has turned rainy, cloudy, windy and cooler on Prince Edward Island. Time to get carnivorous. Exquisite Maiko met the challenge with a big pot of Japanese chicken and vegetable curry. This is robust food with deep, earthy flavors. Comfort eating from the Far East — a real staple of hard working Japanese families. Not blazing hot like an Indian Vindaloo but more like a stew with French influences. BSK countered with a kale and white bean soup. Diced pancetta and Italian sausage gave it meaty body. Also in the future are Vietnamese pork chops. These are chops marinated win brown sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce and lemon rgass and then grilled. HG is the beneficiay of all this savory culinary creativity. HG’s contribution is to clear a few dishes, drink a lot of wine and compliment the cooks.

HG likes barbecued pork ribs. HG has consumed them in Texas, Georgia, North Carolina. HG has had great ribs in Memphis and SJ’s Brooklyn ribs. And, of course, HG has consumed many pounds in Chinese restaurants in New York and Vancouver. HG states that Exquisite Maiko’s ribs are a contender for the title of The Best. Spicy with an indefinable whiff of Japanese scent and flavor. No need for any sauce. Had them last night in PEI. EM marinated the ribs for two days in a mixture of sake, sesame oil, salt and pepper, ginger, garlic, marmalade, honey and an extraordinary secret — Gerber’s Baby Peach Puree. One would never guess. The Exquisite One served them with a big green salad and a very special side dish — edamame grilled in the oven with olive oil, sea salt and Japanese pepper. It was a Japanese version of ribs and beans, a dish HG often relished in Harlem during his college days. EM put nostalgia to rest. The EM version was infinitely better.

Mock Turtle sang to Alice: “Soo-oop of the e-e-evening, Beautiful, Beautiful Soup.” True in Wonderland. True on Prince Edward Island. This was HG’s thought as he spooned some of Exquisite Maiko’s Hot and Sour Soup into his bowl. Hot and Sour Soup is a staple on the menus of many Chinese restaurants and it is usually an oily mess thickened with corn starch into an almost paste-like consistancy. Not Maiko’s. Her soup, dotted with Napa cabbage, mushrooms and bean sprouts, was light and invigorating; the veggies kept their integrity and the broth was fiery without being numbing. BSK is another master (or should it be mistress?) of soup. When HG has had some minor illness HG has been sustained by BSK’s bowls of chicken broth into which she has beaten an egg and enriched with parmigiano cheese. BSK makes great zucchini, spinach, broccoli and sorrel soups. She never uses cream and enhances her soups with a wise variety of herbs and spices. Great hot or cold and always delicious with a dollop of Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of cayenne. Thrifty BSK makes a green soup which utilizes all the leftover vegetables (cooked and raw) in the refrigerator. All are chopped up and go into a kettle of steaming chicken broth (BSK favors Trader Joe’s Organic Free Range Chicken Broth). After a puree in the food processor it becomes magical stuff with heady overtones of adobo, cayenne and cumin. For a flavorful late night meal all that is required is the addition of a cheese board, good bread and lots of red wine.

HG loves scallops and eats them often since BSK is allergic to crustaceans (shrimp, lobster, crabs). Luckily, bivalves (oysters, clams, scallops) create no problem for the beautiful lady. BSK lustily indulges in all other sea creatures (with the exception of eels and Chinese jelly fish salad). The waters between Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia contain superb sea scallops. BSK honors them in the kitchen by giving them a quick saute resulting in a crisp exterior and a lush, juicy interior. Last night BSK prepared two pounds of scallops flanked by steamed bok choy. Exquisite Maiko added to the festivities by preparing cold soba in mentsuyu broth. There were a host of toppings — slivers of egg crepes, scallions, cucumbers, nori, tomatoes, garlic scapes. Perfect summer dining.

The best scallops in the world are Nantucket Bay scallops. Unfortunately, the season is very short and when frozen these morsels quickly lose their flavor and texture. HG and BSK owned a Nantucket home many years ago. They had a friend, a Nantucket native (family had lived on that magic isle for countless generations). who often went scalloping. He once invited HG and BSK to enjoy his catch in the traditional Nantucket way — raw, straight from the shell, no seasoning. Unforgettable, tasty experience.

Classic summer day on the Prince Edward Island beach. Blazing sun. Calm seas and, thankfully, warm currents. Sun bathing, strolling for beach glass, reading and many sea swims. Paradise. HG was a very hungry old boy when dinner time arrived. HG had his usual exuberant cocktail of vodka and Aperol (the delightful Italian bitters that is a favorite in Venice) as he listened to Mozart and watched the drama of light over the sea in the lingering northern early evening. Exquisite Maiko prepared a big platter of scallop pancakes (chopped scallops, mushrooms, cabbage, bok choy, scallions, flour, eggs and sesame oil comprised the batter). EM also did her signature dish of fresh, lightly cooked sole with fried, crisp garlic chips. This was accompanied by farmers market snow pea pods. As is the family tradition, the meal ended with a cheese platter, sweet butter and a baguette only hours from the oven. There was a nice surprise. Brilliant Lesley R. and husband Massimo had brought back from their year-long Italian stay a unique (and expensive) treasure: Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale Di Modena D.O.P. This is the real stuff, balsamic vinegar that is more syrup than vinegar and produced by a time honored, highly regulated processes in the households of Modena. Italian culinary craftsmanship at its best. The balsamic vinegar sold in the United States (and which has destroyed millions of salads) is some kind of adulterated crap that bears the same relationship to the real stuff that Velveeta does to parmigiano reggiano. Anyway, Brilliant Lesley put a tiny drop on a chunk of cheese and this provided a flavor explosion. Can’t wait to put a drop on a bowl of fresh raspberries. Viva Italia!!

Blustery winds and bright sun on Prince Edward Island today after a night of heavy rain. Invigorating walks by the sea and through the blueberry fields. Exquisite Maiko made a lush Japanese version of Pad Thai for lunch. DInner was a platter of EM’s marinated mackerel with cherry tomatoes and slivers of cucumber. BSK blackened and peeled some peppers. Added anchovies from a crock SJ brought from Brooklyn. Meaty anchovies, not too salty. Much better than the tinned variety. Then, a steaming pot of BSK’s kale, onion, garlic and bean soup enhanced by local back bacon. BSK added chunks of Cajun sausage and Hungarian garlic sausage. Hearty eating. Green salad. Canadian cheeses (a remarkable blue from Quebec) and some PEI plum jam. Watched a very dramatic sunset and so to bed to sleep the sleep of the righteous and the full tummied.