HUNGRY GERALD

BSK has a way with chicken. Roast spatchcocked chicken. Breaded chicken breast cutlets. Chicken sauté with garlic and rosemary. Chicken sautéed with 40 (that’s right) cloves of garlic. And, more. Last night, there was a dinner party for five and, as usual, BSK rose to the occasion. First, there were toasts with glasses of Gruet Sparkling Rose and nibbles of Feridies Five O’Clock Mix. Everyone took their seats as BSK placed a steaming pot on the table. It contained a new chicken dish: Greek Chicken Stew with Cauliflower and Olives (Recipe by Martha Rose Shulman of the New York Times.). Besides the cauliflower and olives, the dish contained crushed tomatoes, onions, garlic and a plethora of herbs and spices including smoked Spanish pimenton. The diners topped their bowls with chopped Bulgarian goat feta and added harissa for further heat. BSK served the savory autumn dish with pearl couscous and accompanied it with a salad of thinly sliced baby turnips, radishes and fennel. All drank much Spanish Tempranillo and Argentine Malbec. The meal concluded with carrot cake (a creation of HG/BSK’s neighbor, Karen K., The Dessert Queen) and vanilla ice cream. HG/BSK and their pals have enchanting meals in The Land of Enchantment (among other virtues, polls indicate that New Mexico is solidly behind Hillary).

La Mamounia in the magical, mysterious Moroccan city of Marrakesh, is the best hotel in the world. At least it’s the best hotel HG and BSK ever stayed in. Art Deco deluxe. Don’t take HG’s word for it. It was Winston Churchill’s favorite hotel and he spent happy times painting in the hotel’s lovely gardens. When not rummaging in Marrakech’s souks, bargaining for rugs and inspecting masterpieces of Islamic architecture and garden planning, HG and BSK swam in the vast hotel pool and sun bathed on the comfortable chaise lounges. The pool area was populated by pert young Frenchwomen. Topless, of course. Their nervous husbands paced around puffing on large cigars and conducting staccato conversations on their cell phones. For HG, the charms of the poolside buffet far outshone the French damsels. Inventive Moroccan salads. Grilled lobster and shrimp. Kebabs of tender lamb fragrant with North African spices. Couscous, certainly. And, much,much more.

HG was reminded of all of this by Florence Fabricant’s baked fish recipe in the New York Times food section. The writer had tasted the dish at La Mamounia and gave it a rave. BSK cooked the dish last night and it will become a household perennial. Essentially, some reasonably firm fish fillets (BSK used catfish) are smothered in a variety of spices; showered with garlic, cilantro, flat leaf parsley; doused with olive oil. vinegar and lemon juice. The fish rests on a bed of sliced potatoes and is covered with sliced red peppers, plum tomatoes and kalamata olives. Baked in the oven for some 30 minutes (or less). Super stuff. HG gave his substantial portion a shot of harissa, the Moroccan fiery condiment composed of chile peppers, olive oil and garlic. The lily was gilded.