HUNGRY GERALD

Exquisite Maiko, HG’s daughter in law, brings an arsenal of knife skills and Japanese flavors to the kitchen. Speed. Timing. Precision. These were all in evidence last night as EM prepared a soba and tempura feast. Typical of EM, the soba was presented on a platter in sightly individual whorls not in a big, ungainly clump. The soba went into individual bowls with broth and topped with finely chopped scallions. Wasabi and a citrusy Japanese pepper mix were on the table. On to the tempura: sole, cod, haddock, scallops, shrimp, mushrooms, sweet onion slices. All were dipped in EM’s special batter and received a brief cooking in hot oil. The result was, as usual, sublime. There is no tempura quite like EM’s. Spectacularly light and greaseless, every bit of seafood and vegetable flavor retained and enhanced. EM added an original tidbit: corn tempura. EM cut rectangles of corn kernels from some cold, cooked cobs and gave them the tempura treatment. Mouth heaven. The crispness and sweetness of the corn gave it a dessert like quality. Of course, this is a highly unfair meal. Tempura goes straight from the pan to the dish. No waiting. This means everyone is scaling the culinary heights while EM is in constant motion at the gas range. Only a momentary pause to snare a few chopsticks worth of food. Recognizing this inequity, sensitive husband SJ prepared some pre-dinner clams casino for EM (one of her favorite dishes). The only problem with EM’s cooking is that it dims the luster of HG’s favorite Japanese restaurants.

HG/BSK’s dear friend Jackie Cain (one half of the marvelous jazz vocal and music duo of Jackie and Roy) has always looked beautiful and slightly ethereal but her tastes in food are robust. Cooked some powerful Polish and Czech specialties for her husband and musical partner, the late Roy Kral, and fortunate HG/BSK. While presenting a lush platter of long cooked spicy beef (or pork), puddles of spicy gravy and nicely absorbent dumplings, Jackie would say: “I just had a taste for it.” If it were a lush and savory noodle kugel (or the Polish equivalent of the dish), Jackie would introduce with the same words: “I just had a taste for it.” A few years ago, BSK enjoyed a hearty bowl of deeply spiced short ribs and soba noodles swimming in a fragrant broth. It was a temporary offering at Bones, the very good Asian fusion restaurant in Denver. Well, it seems that the dish had been haunting BSK. So, BSK did some intensive research (no recipe available at Bones) and found an approximation in the archives of Food & Wine Magazine. The dish, “Five-Spice Short Ribs With Udon Noodles,” is fairly labor intensive but BSK was up to the task. Chinese five-spice powder, garlic, thyme, red wine, chicken stock, ginger, celery, carrots, onions, daikon, mushrooms and konbu were involved. Meaty short ribs were browned and then simmered. Finally, the bowls of meat, noodles and vegetables were topped with poached eggs. Spectacular dish. Layers and layers of flavors. Exotic and earthy. HG expressed fervent gratitude. Said BSK: “I just had a taste for it.”

As reported in an earlier post, SJ and family are in New Mexico for Passover/Easter vacation. Exquisite Maiko, HG’s favorite cook, prepared dinner and it was a miracle of Japanese simplicity and light, healthy eating. Appetizer was a giant steamed artichoke served with a mustard-based vinaigrette. This was followed by a platter of Icelandic cod in a soy and white wine sauce. EM sautés (and lightly steams) the fish to bring out natural succulence. The cod was adorned with crisp garlic chips and little tangles of fried seaweed. HG contemplated an unusual phenomenon. HG was enjoying the ultimate seafood in the high desert of landlocked New Mexico. EM magic. Accompanying the fish were haricots vert and lush mushrooms (a tasty variety of oyster mushrooms). Just a sprinkle of soy sauce enhanced the flavors. Simple, simple food made memorable by EM’s Japanese genius.

The following night, EM took to the kitchen once again for a feast of tempura. Now, HG thinks of himself as a gourmand, a person who relishes good food and wine. And, he believes his choices are guided by judgment and experience. Decidedly not a glutton dedicated to the “grand bouffe.” There is an exception to HG’s self regarding analysis. That’s when HG is confronted by a tempura dinner created by Exquisite Maiko. Mad gluttony takes over. Excess rules. No chopsticks for HG. Knife, fork and spoon are wielded with speed. At times, HG wishes for a small shovel in order to engage the largest amount of EM’s tempura with dispatch. So, here’s what EM prepared last night. Each diner got a bowl of soba in soy broth (the fried items were dipped in this and the noodles slurped happily and noisily). Bowls were continuously replenished. The tempura included shrimp, bay scallops, mushrooms and asparagus. There was also a dish of Japanese eggplant — elegantly cross-hatched with knife cuts — nestled in a sweet and rich sauce, dusted with bonito flakes. A dish of Age Dashi Tofu. Condiments for the meal included wasabi, finely chopped ginger and sliced scallions. Only a poet could describe EM’s tempura adequately. Alas, HG is just a pedestrian proseur. HG can only stress that EM’s tempura is crisp, light and greaseless. Miraculously, EM’s swift frying doesn’t obscure the natural flavors of the ingredients, only enhances them. Two nights and two lovely examples of EM’s Japanese kitchen artistry.

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.

SJ, Exquisite Maiko and the dynamic duo, six year old Haru and four month old Teru, have joined HG and BSK on Prince Edward Island. Family fun. Much frolicking on the beach and in the sea. Sand castles, sand fortresses plus ambitious water works. And, of course, when Exquisite Maiko is present there is extraordinary food. Tempura is wonderful stuff but in Exquisite Maiko’s hands it verges on the sublime. Light. Greaseless. Crispy exteriors enclosing lush interiors. Slices of fresh haddock. Scallops from the waters off Nova Scotia. Shrimp. Whole cremini mushroom caps. Cauliflower and broccoli. EM served these delights with bowls of cold soba noodles in mentsuyu broth. The soba was topped with slivers of nori and chopped scallions. Very pungent horseradish and Japanese red pepper mix added some fire. How does EM do it? Just Far East magic.

The shoreline of HG and BSK’s ocean front home on Prince Edward Island is often laden with seaweed. Alas, not of the edible variety. HG implores those who do not imbibe of seaweed to explore. Plenty of tasty Chinese, Japanese and Korean seafood recipes on the internet. HG loves the seaweed salad that’s available at Whole Foods. HG likes to cut slivers of dry nori over cold soba noodles. Some Hawaiian Mochiko chicken recipes call for combining nori with marinated chicken in a savory fried chicken dish. HG loves the fried seaweed served in many London Chinese restaurants (a passion shared by the great journalist, Calvin Trillin).

A big plus. Not only is seaweed delicious, seaweed is good for you. REALLY good for you. The Japanese eat lots of it and some nutritionists credit seaweed with lowering the rate of colon cancer in Japan. So crunch away on a sheet of roasted, Korean Nori, toss a few Sea Berries in your mouth and nosh on a fine dish of wakame salad — your taste-buds and and your colon will thank you!

HG loves squid. Tasty. Healthy. Low calorie. Most restaurants serve calamari as a deep fried mess that tastes something like a KFC chicken that drowned in the Atlantic. In a previous post, HG noted that the key to tasty squid is quick cooking. Here’ a nice Summer salad idea from HG. Cut squid into rings and tentacles. Bring a pot of water to a raging boil. Toss the calamari into the pot for one minute. Retrieve the calamari and plunge the rings and tentacles into icy water to stop the cooking. Throw some Soba noodles (or vermicelli) into the boiling water and cook until tender. Drain and rinse in very cold water to stop the cooking. Top the noodles with the squid and gently toss with sesame oil, fish sauce, chopped herbs (parsley, basil, cilantro, mint). Squeeze some lemon on the dish. Have some invaluable sriracha on the table for a squeeze of heat. Serve with sliced cucumber and top it all with scallions. Icy La Ferme Julien rose would be a nice companion.

Fresh Sole is usually available at your local fish monger or supermarket. These are very thin fillets and can easily fall apart in the cooking. Here’s what HG does with this very fragile fish: Start by asking your fish purveyor to give you the fattest fillets. Like his mother, HG is demanding when purchasing food. HG rejects the skinnies. Once you have the pudgiest Sole in your hands, dust the fish with some flour (or my favorite Zattarain’s Fish Fry). Heat safflower oil or grapeseed oil until quite hot. Put a serving platter to warm in the oven. Saute the fish very quickly. Maybe 40 seconds per side. Don’t worry about them being under-done. You’ll pop the fillets into the serving platter and they’ll finish cooking in the slightly warm oven. You might want to put some paper towel on the platter to drain any excess oil.

HG likes to serve this Sole with Japanese Soba (buckwheat) noodles. The noodles cook rapidly, typically in five or six minutes. When done, put them in a colander and give them a rinse in cold water. These noodles are best at room temperature or cold. Put them in a bowl. Add sesame oil and a squirt of sriracha. Serve alongside your Sole with a mache salad and you’ve got yourself a nutritious, low calorie meal.

Like his mother, HG worries about your health.