Virtual Gourmet

❖❖❖

THIS WEEK
WHAT DID FOODS TASTE LIKE
IN THE DISTANT PAST?
By John Mariani

NEW YORK CORNER
MARIGOLD
By John Mariani

THE MAGDALENE LAUNDRIES
CHAPTER FIFTY
By John Mariani

NOTES FROM THE WINE CELLAR
GAVI DI GAVI
By GEOFF KALISH

❖❖❖

WHAT DID FOODS TASTE LIKE
IN THE DISTANT PAST?

By John Mariani

Alyssa Landi and Victor Mature in "One Million BC" (1940)

I’m sure most people believe that our access to such an abundance of food filling every stall, counter and casement of every supermarket carrying tens of thousands of products means we eat better than our ancestors––“better” being a relative term for food that has been so processed and full of chemical additives that they could be deleterious to our health. Frozen, Cryovac-ed, dehydrated and sprayed to give them what the industry calls, rather unappetizingly, “shelf life.”

Assuming our ancestors could eat above a subsistence level, they probably had an array of healthier, certainly fresher foods than we eat today. Of course, humans did learn how to preserve foods through salting, smoking and freezing foods that would otherwise rot. On the other hand, it was the predilection of the wealthy to go out and shoot game birds then leave them to hang, sometimes weeks (left), till the flesh rotted and gave off a distinct odor and taste they found somehow appealing. Items like caviar, truffles and foie gras were not for the common people of Europe. In Japan There was no bread, and rice noodles became kitchen staples only as of the 14^th century; there was also no meat until the Portuguese introduce it and even then was not much consumed until the 19^th century.

Neither were there any chile peppers anywhere in India or Asia until brought from the New World in the 17^th century, along with new foods that included strawberries, potatoes, tomatoes, turkeys, pineapple, squash, vanilla, cocoa and wild rice; in exchange Europeans brought to the New World chickens, pigs, cows, bananas, barley, garlic, oats, rye, rice and sugar cane.

Up until this so-called “Columbian Exchange” and the Industrial Revolution that invented canning, all people ate along with the seasons and availability. Chickens were for laying eggs, not for eating until they were old and tough. When President Herbert Hoover’s Republican campaign (referencing a declaration by the 17^th century King Henry IV of France) during the Great Depression promised Americans a “chicken in every pot”, he was promising a great deal indeed. When asparagus came in the spring, people gorged on them, and the running of salmon was cause for feasting––all of it as fresh as the morning it was collected or caught.

Salt was not always abundant, and cutting off a supply of salt during a war was a way of keeping the enemy from preserving their meats.

The Roman ruling class ate very well indeed, and the more exotic the food the better: Lucius Licinius Lucullus (left), who gave us the term “Lucullan” for an extravagant meal, a general and politician of the 1st century BC, delighted in showing off his wealth, more than once spending 50,000 drachmas for food and wine for a single meal at a time when a common workman made about one drachma per day. Heliogabalus (218-222 AD) exceeded his predecessors for lascivious banqueting, serving his guests peas laced with gold, lentils with onyx, beans sauced with amber, fish with pearls, and one dish created by his cooks required 600 ostrich heads.

What may surprise you, though, is how well our most ancient ancestors ate. One reason they led quite a healthy life was that they lived in one place for tens of thousands of years, free from the Pandora’s Box of modern maladies that include malaria, cholera, plague, polio, smallpox, poor diets, bulimia, anorexia, poisoned air and water.

Prehistoric humans had a subsistence level of food, and were, overall, fairly healthy. Both Neanderthals and the more advanced Homo sapiens had more or less the life expectancy of 20th century humans around the world––the age of 45. Yet in the far more advanced civilizations of Ancient Egypt and Rome, people would have been lucky to live past 30, and not much longer in the 19^th century.

DNA evidence can now tell us what a person from the Paleolithic age had for breakfast on the day he died, as well as the soundness of his heart and condition of his molars. The evidence shows that Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens ate a steady omnivore’s diet within small territories where they could count on food being available. They also developed gastrointestinal microbes that allowed them to digest a wide range of fibrous foods in huge quantities.

Of course, there were times of scarcity, but a 2023 study in Science Advances showed that a butchered 11-ton elephant––the “biggest calorie bomb”––was capable of yielding more than 2,500 daily portions of 4,000 calories, feeding an extended family of 25 for three months. Being omnivorous, with a very long and efficient gut, humans coped better than other mammals in the face of pestilence and drought, the better to ensure our survival.

The ostensible healthfulness of early Homo sapiens has most recently been exploited in fad diet books like The Paleo Diet (2010), whose author claims that the consumption of whole, unprocessed “paleo” foods can lead to better overall health and weight loss, while eschewing many foods later cultivated by humans. But critics of this diet have pointed out both its similarities to other low carbohydrate diets as well as a lack of long-term clinical studies to prove its claims.

For ninety-five percent of our human history, we were hunter-gatherers, their needs met by the bounty of the land and sea. Sharing of food was critical for the tribe’s survival.

Just as important to our brain development as refinements in hunting and gathering was the appearance of fire as a cooking method, between 40,000 and 50,000 years ago. Now, not only did Homo sapiens find that cooked meats tasted better, thereby increasing the pleasure in consuming a meal, but that domesticated plants like wheat, barley, rice, millet, rye and potatoes—some toxic when raw—were made both edible and more digestible by cooking.

The creation of tools like spears, knives and ceramics made gathering less arduous and much faster, fires were maintained throughout the day for cooking and warmth, containers were now used to transport food, storage facilities were constructed and social rules and routines were set for mealtime. Farming developed much later in tropical zones because digging up plants with tools from soft, warm, moist soil was so much easier than in climates with harder, drier soil that required irrigation. It would turn out that one acre of land was capable of producing a hundred times more food than hunter-gatherers could provide.

A sufficient supply of food for everyone was of critical importance, so, as communities grew, storage and allocations needed to be overseen and managed by certain members who earned salaries, perhaps in the form of extra food, that enabled them to become wealthier than others. The wise storage of grain could help a population through famine.

Then––as always seems inevitable––tribal leaders came to realize that grain, not wild game, could be taxed, and the more of it produced, the more taxes would fill the tribal coffers for other needs and projects. As Jared Diamond suggests in Guns, Germs, and Steel (1997), the skill of writing appeared about 3,000 BC in Sumer (left) because it “served the needs of those political institutions (such as record keeping and royal propaganda), and the users were full-time bureaucrats nourished by stored food surpluses grown by food-producing peasants.” Hunter-gatherers had never needed such a skill.

For such reasons, expanded agriculture would begin to have lasting, often dire effects on the rest human history. The more people a tribe could sustain through efficient management of grain and plant food, the more the tribe could grow in numbers, requiring more food, more grain, more meat and fish to thrive, even to survive on. Land would become valuable, and if it became scarce, the acquisition by force of another tribe’s lands became the only way a people could grow and survive. In more ancient times tribes had fought over relatively small sections of land within a territory. But by the end of the Neolithic Age, with a world population of 100 million, the stakes were much higher, requiring more than a few warriors as well as strong leaders to subdue, even enslave, other people. And to the victors would go the spoils. It seemed that gluttony was now an inevitable step in the process of becoming civilized.

So, here we are in 2024 where millions are without sufficient food, where millions more gorge on junk food, and where chemicals pollute much of the food we eat. People in advanced civilizations eat more, not better. In fact, it was discovered that during World War II, when people were forced to eat much less, they were actually healthier than before the war when they had plenty.

Next time you go to the supermarket, then, ask yourself what your ancient ancestors would have bought––fresh fruits and vegetables, chemical free chickens and beef, cheeses from small farms with long histories. Maybe they’d try a bottle of beer or wine. But for a while, they would probably be eating better than most of us.

❖❖❖

NEW YORK CORNER

MARIGOLD

434 White Plains Road

Eastchester, NY

914 202 9455

By John Mariani

Butter Chicken at Marigold

It would be unusual for just about any suburban town in the U.S. not to have an Indian restaurant, though most serve a screed of dishes that seem ladled from the same all-purpose sauce pot––chicken masala, beef masala, shrimp masala and so on.

The divergence from such repetition is one of the best aspects of the year-old Marigold in Eastchester, New York, in the county of Westchester. Here the menu is concise and the food gives every indication it is made with careful differentiation of one dish from another. The favorites are all here––kebabs, tandoori items, vindaloo, dals, butter chicken and biriyanis––but they are commendably diverse in their spices and textures, thanks to chef-owner Hemant Mathur (right) and his chef partners Ravinda Bisht and Chander Mohan, who own five Indian restaurants in the region.

There is certainly a panoply of regional Indian dishes to choose among, from appetizers through house-made desserts. This aspect of making everything on the premises is evident in the samosas (below), which elsewhere may be purchased in bulk; here their flakiness shows finesse and the fillings are very savory, served with two dipping sauces on the side. A trio of them ($12) are filled with potato and peas, lamb, jalapeño and cheese. Pani puri shots are little pastry cups filled with potatoes and chickpeas, served with tamarind and masala water ($10).

Vegetable dishes are a critical part of an Indian menu and Marigold’s are very fresh and never smothered in sauces that mask their essential flavor, so that paneer kundan kalia ($18) has a tender spinach and sweet raisin stuffing with a black pepper-tomato sauce, and there is a lovely tomato rice ($9) in addition to coconut and other basmati dishes.

India has myriad curries throughout the subcontinent, and the region in the Sivaganga and Pudukottai districts are particularly well known for their masala spices which go into the chicken curry with coconut milk here ($20).

Every Indian restaurant is doing butter chicken now, and Marigold’s is very carefully rendered so that the meat is tender and very juicy and the creamy onion-tomato sauce lashed with fenugreek ($22) is absorbed with the cooking process.

Kashmiri cooks created rogan josh for Mughal royalty, and I think they would have been very happy with the way Marigold does its goat version, slowly braised with Kashmiri chillies and yogurt. A simple seafood dish is garlic pepper crab ($17), a cake patty whose peppers do no overwhelm the crab, while the mango shrimp ($16) are expertly battered, seasoned and very crisp and tasty as a starter. Shrimp, of course, also comes in a smoky tandoori version ($26). So, too, lamb chops are truly enhanced by the masala potato and pineapple chutney ($32).

Lentil dishes are a staple in India, and dal makhana is quite special, a northern dish made from black lentils pumped up with ghee (clarified butter) and cream for a sumptuous vegetable dish. I once had this and other similar dishes in a vegetarian restaurant Jaipur many years ago and was so full after lunch I could not eat till the next day. Marigold’s version ($15) is a little lighter but every bit as savory.

Indian breads are among the world’s greatest, from the flat paratha to stuffed naan given a pizza-like scorching to create pockets and black bubbles in the crust, and balloon-like poori. The breads can so easily dry out but at Marigold they come hot, fresh, fragrant and pliant as they should be ($6 for a basket).

I’m sometimes disappointed that Indian restaurants give you so little meat or chicken in their sauced dishes, but at Marigold the portions are very generous, so that I made two large lunches from the leftovers I took home.

It is not a given at many Indian places that desserts are made on premises, but one taste of Marigold's ras malai, made with creamed cheese in rose-water scented cream proves the kitchen take as much care with sweets as with savories.

Marigold carries two Indian beers and a modest wine list, with a cocktail bar to one side. The single long room is bereft of those clichés of Air India travel posters and hanging paisley fabrics in favor of bright colors, handsome wooden tables with their own lamps, and brass wheels serving as sconces.

The owners, who come and go from their various restaurants, are always palpably delighted when new customers come through the door and like nothing better than to tell you why Marigold is special and different, certainly among the best in the county and as good as the more distinctive in Queens, New York, and Manhattan.

Open for lunch and dinner daily; brunch on Sat. & Sun.

❖❖❖

THE MAGDALENE LAUNDRIES
By John Mariani

CHAPTER FIFTY

         “So who exactly is SMERSH in all this?” Katie said.
         “I’m not really sure,” said David. “The Network, which definitely seems to exist? The Archdiocese of Dublin? The Vatican in Rome? Are they all working together?”
         “I’d have to think so, even though McInerney said that various orders like the Jesuits have their own jurisdiction over their members.”
         “I doubt the Jesuits have jurisdiction over threatening journalists.”
        “Well, look how the Boston Church managed to kill the Boston Globe story. The power seems pretty well spread around.”
          “So, Katie, what else are you thinking about investigating at this point. Frankly, much as I love following you around the world, I think I’ve done about all I can on this project. Maybe it’s time I head back to the States.”
         “I’d hate to lose you. But I have to admit you’re right. My leash is already getting short with Alan, and I’m thinking we should both go back and I can continue to work on the deeper aspects of this story from there. I’d like to show the folder to Joseph and Sipe and maybe make a trip to Boston to show it to Cardinal Law.”
         “The one who shut down the Boston Globe investigation?”
         “Exactly. I suspect looking at this folder will make his eyes roll.”
         “So what do we do about Owen Dugan? I’d hate like hell if he committed another attack and we didn’t alert the police.”
         “I know. It kept me awake all last night thinking about it. But I’m sworn to secrecy, and if no more attacks take place, I’ve gotta follow the rules of the game. We already gave the folder to the Garda, and they have to figure out what they’re going to do with it.”
         “I’m pretty sure they’ll get around to Dugan,” said David, “but proving he’s the attacker’ll be tough without more evidence.”
         “So we go home?”
         “Guess so. Sorry to leave the old sod, but I’m dying for some decent Italian food. Even some corned beef and cabbage, which I never did get to eat here.”
         Katie said she’d make arrangements with the airline and they could leave in the next couple of days. She’d make some last calls to many of those she’d already spoken to for updates, and the rest she’d handle when she got back to her office.

         Later that day Katie received a phone call at her hotel from a man who said his name was Darby and that he was an associate of Archbishop McInerney, who had requested Katie and Mr. Greco come to the hospital outside of Dublin where he was being cared for. Darby said there were some things McInerney wanted the American to know about both the Liddy case and his own.
         “How do I get to the hospital?” she asked.
         “Oh, no worries, mum. I’ll be happy to pick you up and drive you out there and back. Would four o’clock be good for you, Miss Cavuto?”
         Katie agreed. Darby said he’d wait outside her hotel for her in an old brown Ford Escort.
         The man named Darby looked about David’s age, with a paunch and long brown hair. He identified himself and said, “Sorry for this old heap but the diocese uses a lot of donated cars. It’s clean though.”
         “So where’re we going?” asked David.
         “Oh, not too far out of town,” said Darby. “Along the seaside, out to Houth, a very lovely ride on a day like this.”
         “Is the Archbishop feeling well enough to meet us?” asked Katie.
         “Ah, the poor man has suffered terribly, and the healin’ is very, very slow. But he was insistin’ he needed to see you two in case you were thinkin’ of leavin’ Ireland.”
         David said softly to Katie, “Maybe he doesn’t want us to leave. Telling us what he knows may be the only way to give out his side of the story.”
         “So you think he’s not behind our getting mugged so far?”
         “I don’t know. Guess we’ll find out more when we meet him.”
         The street signs out of Dublin showed they were headed in the direction of Houth, a long finger of land along Dublin Bay, and as they left the city behind, the scenery was quite lovely, the ground still not surrendering its green color to late autumn, with a lightly clouded sky picking up the silver of the sea and the gold hues of a nearing twilight.
         “This is the Ireland we never had a chance to see,” said Katie. “It’s very beautiful. I’d like to come back on vacation.”
         David thought that idea might well include the lawyer guy, and he let his mind wander into his own dream of a non-working trip with Katie some day. And the thought of leaving Ireland the next day made him slightly melancholy about parting yet again in New York. But then, they could have dinner together whenever Katie was free. That wasn’t often, of course, but maybe he’d even be magnanimous and invite Katie and the lawyer guy up for dinner at his house on the Hudson. It would be a nice gesture. He just hoped he wouldn’t hate the guy.

❖❖❖

NOTES FROM THE WINE CELLAR

GAVI DI GAVI

By GEOFF KALISH

While not as well known as other Italian whites, Gavi di Gavi (sometimes Gavi dei Gavi) usually provides a dry, flavorful wine with vibrant acidity, perfect to enjoy as an apéritif or as accompaniment to a wide range of fare. Of note, not unlike the situation with Chianti vs Chianti Classico, Gavi (produced from the Cortese grape) is allowed by regulation to be made anywhere in the northwestern Piemontese Province of Alessandria, but Gavi di Gavi must be made from grapes grown in a “delimited” area surrounding the town of Gavi, located in the Apennines Mountains, which took its name from the 6^th Century Princess Gavi, who hid in the town’s castle to avoid her father’s wrath for not marrying the man of his choosing. And, of importance to consumers, most bottles of recent vintages sell for under $30.

As to production, grapes grown in clay-limestone soils are usually hand harvested, with fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks with minimal skin contact and aging (for a few months) also in stainless steel tanks. Based on a number of recent tastings, in general, for the wine to exhibit maximal bouquet and taste it should be chilled before serving but not icy cold. And, while most bottles age well over 5-10 years, adding additional depth of flavor, the wine is easily enjoyed young (1-3 years after vintage).

The following five were my favorites.

2022 Gavi del Commune di Gavi “Mainin” LaGhibellina ($22)

This certified organic bone dry, light, fruity wine shows a bouquet and taste of green apples with hints of nectarines and honeydew in its crisp, nutty finish. It mates well with halibut and Chilean sea bass as well as grilled calamari.

2023 Tenuta Gavi di Gavi San Giacomo ($23)

Biodynamically grown grapes from a 50 acre vineyard owned by the 3^rd generation of the Bergaglio family were used to produced this wine. Following harvest grapes were fermented at a cool temperature in stainless steel tanks and aged for a few months in stainless steel before bottling. It has a floral bouquet with notes of grapefruit and almonds, with a dry somewhat nutty taste. Its perfect to pair with a range of hors d’oeuvres like hummus or olive tapenade on toast, deviled eggs and smoked salmon, as well as grilled pork.

2022 Bricco dei Guazzi Gavi di Gavi ($22)

Fashioned from estate-grown grapes from a hillside vineyard, this wine shows a floral bouquet and memorable taste of apples and pears, with notes of ripe melons, citrus and almonds in its finish. Its ideal to enjoy with seafood pasta and cacio e pepe as well as grilled swordfish and steelhead trout.

2023 Villa Sparina Gavi di Gavi ($17)

Made from grapes from 30 year-old vines grown on a hillside in clay soil, this versatile wine was fermented in stainless steel tanks over 3 weeks and aged for a few months before bottling. It has a bouquet and taste of pineapple and lemons with hints of almonds in its crisp finish. It makes excellent accompaniment for appetizers like grilled and fried calamari, bruschetta, avocado toast and main course items like shrimp scampi pasta primavera.

2022 La Scolca Gavi di Gavi “Black Label”($40)

While priced higher than most Gavi di Gavis, this wine was made from 60 year-old vines, with aging on its lees following cool fermentation. While less assertive than many Gavi di Gavis, this wine shows a bouquet and elegant taste of apples, pears and lemon zest, with a memorable lingering flavor of hazelnut and ripe honeydew melon. It marries harmoniously with a range of sushi, well-aged cheddar cheese, pasta with mushrooms, risotto with seafood and grilled tuna.

MARIANI'S VIRTUAL GOURMET NEWSLETTER is published weekly. Publisher: John Mariani. Editor: Walter Bagley. Contributing Writers: Christopher Mariani, Misha Mariani, John A. Curtas, Gerry Dawes, Geoff Kalish. Contributing Photographer: Galina Dargery. Technical Advisor: Gerry McLoughlin.