The Catskill Chronicle

By Jude Waterston

By “number one” I don’t mean that I had the best vacation of a lifetime. It was swell, sure, but I’ll be having vacation number two at the end of August.  Number one took place the week of July 4th and, though it consisted of nine full days and ten nights in the country house I share with my sister, Janet, it whizzed by more quickly than most in memory.

We had lots of plans and even made a list. We collect birdhouses and many posted on the property are weatherworn and in need of replacement. First on our “to do” list: we would paint some of the wooden birdhouses we’ve picked up over the years at craft stores. They sit bare and unadorned on a shelf in the basement. We would do writing exercises together, perhaps some provided in the books by Natalie Goldman, a writer and teacher who urges folks to free the writer within, and we would each work on a new piece for the online paper, “The Catskill Chronicle,” for which we write. We would refinish a coffee table our brother, Buzz, made for us some 20 years ago and stain the little round picnic table next to the driveway where we play word games and have cocktails as the sun sets. Janet would rewrite her phone book, which is falling apart, and I’d design a poster for the Riverfest auction which took place the last Sunday in July in Narrowsburg, NY. One or both of us would work on our photo album, which we haven’t updated in over a year. And one evening we had tickets to see Santana at Bethel Woods, and there were a handful of restaurants at which we wanted to eat, so I wouldn’t be cooking constantly on my vacation and because it would be a treat.

Before we got to anything on our list, two unforeseen occurrences visited us during the week, and one was a gingery orange cat who was with us the entire nine days, albeit outside the house. I protested when Janet began calling the animal Peaches, mostly because I thought it was a wussy name for any beast and, anyway, we weren’t sure if she was male or female. At first she meowed often and loudly and was ravenously hungry, proving this by killing, guarding and eating a chipmunk directly under the front deck of the house, and jumping onto the picnic table during our al fresco meals, even burying her head deeply into a bowl of popcorn Janet was enjoying during a tournament of the word game, Big Boggle. She was also extremely affectionate, rubbing up against our legs and jumping directly onto our laps anytime either of us took a seat, though she would nip us whenever we stopped petting her, indicating she wasn’t finished being stroked.

The other surprise of the vacation was the torrential downpours we experienced. They brought the most frighteningly loud thunder claps I’d ever   heard and bright white streaks of lightening that shot through the sky. The rain poured down in buckets, and we lost the power momentarily during a game of Scrabble, lit some candles, and carried on in silence, the Brazilian music on the stereo having abruptly shut off mid-song. At one point I looked out the dining room window to see marble-sized balls of hail raining down. We walked to the sliding glass doors that lead to the back porch and watched as the ice spheres hit the picnic table like hundreds of tiny ping pong balls. At the front door, we saw them forcefully hitting the wooden floor of the deck before skittering off in all directions.

When the rain finally let up, we heard a faint meow and ran to the front door to find Fuzzbee – the new moniker Janet had come up with – staggering around the front porch, her fur matted flatly against her flanks and head. She wouldn’t come in to be dried off but gladly accepted a full can of Fancy Feast served in a vintage yellow Fiestaware bowl from the 1940’s.

I can’t say where the time went that was supposed to be devoted to our projects. Janet did start updating our photo album and managed a few pages of her phone book, while I worked on my poster for Riverfest, spending half a morning methodically gluing colored buttons of various sizes into the shape of a fish on a sheet of blue cotton felt, only to decide that the outcome was so awful it had to be dumped in the garbage can. Diligently, I spent the rest of the afternoon designing and executing a new poster that I felt I could live with. It was whimsical and more in line with the other dozen posters I’ve donated to benefit the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance. I get almost sick with worry during the actual auctions, doubtful that my posters will bring in any money and embarrassed in anticipation of the outcome, which is almost always better than I’d imagined.

Looking back at the vacation, what I recall most are the meals we ate, both at home and at various restaurants in the Catskills. I have lately been on a Vietnamese food kick and own three cookbooks devoted to the subject. My favorite dish, and one we even brought to the Santana  concert, packed in large, shallow plastic containers, is a room temperature glass (also called cellophane or rice vermicelli) noodle salad comprised of various crunchy julienned vegetables plus grilled pork or chicken. On a bed of the cooled noodles, each component is laid out in little bunches abutting each other. Then a piquant dressing called nuac cham, made of Asian fish sauce, fresh lime juice, rice wine vinegar, sugar, chili garlic sauce and grated ginger is poured over the salad. It is garnished with chopped fresh mint, cilantro and Thai basil, and as a final ode to taste and texture contrasts, a handful of chopped salted peanuts. We eat this flavorful, clean-tasting, healthful meal with chop sticks and even as someone who craves variety, I can partake of this meal often in the heat of summer.

We visited the consistent and innovative Matthew’s on Main in Callicoon for lunch. Though over the years we have had many unusual offerings there, particularly for a comfy, local haunt, the hamburgers are something to which we return. They are always cooked to our specifications: “as rare as possible without being cold in the center” and the sweet potato fries are also perfectly cooked, meaning a little well-done and crispy.

Late in our upstate life, we discovered Bubba’s BBQ on White Lake and have been making up for the lost time in spades. Sitting on the outdoor deck, we have a tranquil view of the shimmering water. We just about always order (and share) two sandwiches, hold the buns. We get the “smoked overnight and hand pulled” shredded pork, and boneless ribs, slicked with tangy sauce. We reserve our carb intake for the fries, both cut into long, thick wedges: one of sweet potatoes and the other steak fries, which I believe are dusted lightly with a spice and herb mixture.

Finally, we reintroduced ourselves to The Local Table and Tap (photo left), a top-notch restaurant (with an interesting and well-executed menu) overlooking Kauneonga Lake, and discovered Henning’s Local  (photo right) located in the former Eldred Preserve space; it is also an exceptional dining establishment with a charming outdoor patio nestled amid the lush grounds. Both are on my list to write about in depth. And this list is one I hope I will not overlook. There should be enough time on my number two vacation. Fingers crossed.

Vietnamese Glass Noodle Salad

Serves 2 as a main course

Glass or cellophane noodles are also known as bean thread vermicelli. They are sold in tight white bundles that resemble wiry white knitting yarn. You can find them in Asian markets, particularly Chinese ones, or order them on-line. You could also substitute soba or udon noodles, often sold in heatlh food stores.

This is the basic vegetarian version. I always add a protein such as boneless sliced chicken breast or thigh, tenderloin of pork, skirt or hanger steak. Other vegetables, such as par-boiled asparagus or sauteed baby bok choy may be added as well. Though not traditional, I like to add a bit of sweet chili sauce and grated ginger to add a little zip to the nuac cham.

For Nuac Cham Dressing:

Makes about 1/3 cup

3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce

Juice of 1 lime

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon water

1 teaspoon sugar

¼ – ½ teaspoon chili garlic sauce

¼ teaspoon freshly grated ginger

¼ – ½ teaspoon sweet chili sauce (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir until sugar dissolves.

For Rice Noodle Salad:

2 bundles cellophane (glass) noodles

1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil

½ large red (orange, or yellow) bell pepper

2 medium carrots

¼ of a head savoy cabbage

½ English hothouse cucumber

¼ cup chopped roasted, salted peanuts

½ – ¾ cup finely julienned or chopped mint, Thai basil and cilantro

Place the noodles in a shallow bowl and cover completely with boiling water. Let sit for about 4 minutes. Using a large scissor, slice the noodles in half or thirds. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain again and pat dry. Place the noodles in a large bowl and drizzle with the tablespoon of oil. Toss well and set aside, covered with cellophane wrap. Peel the carrots and cut each into thirds. Slice the carrot thinly, then julienne each strip. Do the same with the bell pepper. The julienne should be quite fine. Cut the cucumber into two or three pieces and stand each piece on end. Slice off a strip or two, turning the cucumber as you go and discarding the inner piece that contains seeds. Julienne each strip of cucumber. Slice the cabbage as thinly as possible. To assemble the dish, place a pile of glass noodles onto the bottom of two large shallow bowls. In sections, place a pile of carrots, then bell pepper, then cucumber, then cabbage on top of the noodles. If you have prepared a protein, place a pile of it next to the vegetables. Pour the nuac cham evenly over the two bowls. Scatter the herbs evenly over the salads. Place a pile of chopped peanuts in the center of each bowl. Serve immediately.