It is no secret, there are certain ingredients and techniques that make a meal delicious, easy to prepare, and appealing to most people:

Fresh Fish

If you enjoy fish, there’s nothing quite like freshly caught fish. The mere knowledge of its freshness enhances its taste. In Westhampton Bay, the most prized catch is fluke—a “summer flounder” that can grow quite large. These fish are often called “doormats” due to their size. While there are size limits and most fishing is catch-and-release, my cousin and his friends used to prefer “fillet and release.” Regardless of size, even if you’re not typically a fish enthusiast, you’ll likely enjoy well-prepared, fresh fluke.

Butter and Garlic

This winning combination is central to many popular dishes worldwide. However, not everyone appreciates this savory duo. My aunt once claimed she was allergic to garlic. When my cousin took her to a Wolfgang Puck restaurant in Los Angeles, she became tearful because she couldn’t find anything on the menu she could eat.

Fresh Herbs

One of the joys of summer in Westhampton is my mother’s herb garden. Despite losing some plants during the house reconstruction, the core of the garden remains intact. Adding fresh chives, dill, thyme, and basil can elevate any dish.

Mashed Potatoes

Few people dislike mashed potatoes—they’re the ultimate comfort food. While we might avoid them due to their carb and calorie content, serve them on a plate and people will happily indulge. Combine them with the flavors mentioned above, and your friends and family will be delighted.

Garden Salad

It may sound cliché, but summer salads are simply superior. Local lettuce from the farm stand tastes noticeably better. Home-grown tomatoes in August are a real treat. Ironically, both my son-in-law and daughter-in-law dislike tomatoes. I can’t explain how that happened, but it’s their loss—more for the rest of us!

Mise En Place… the key ingredients

Ease of preparation is also key. The French concept of mise en place works wonders. Having all your ingredients prepared in advance is crucial:

• Fish brought to room temperature and seasoned with salt and pepper
• Olive oil at hand
• Potatoes boiled until fork-tender, with milk, butter, salt & pepper ready
• Butter
• Garlic, diced
• Herbs, chopped
• Salad prepped and vinaigrette at hand

With your preparation complete, you can enjoy your adult beverages by the pool with a light appetizer. Give your guests a 15-minute warning and recruit three assistants:

1. One to mash potatoes
2. Another to toss the salad
3. A third to open and pour the wine

Delegation works well—people like to help, and with a little direction, a meal can come together beautifully.

Here are some closing statement options to wrap up your crowd-pleasing meal:

• Express gratitude: Thank your guests for coming and your helpers for their assistance in preparing the meal.
• Share a toast: Raise a glass to good food, good company, and the simple pleasures of life.
• Invite feedback: Encourage your guests to share their favorite part of the meal or any new flavor combinations they enjoyed.
• Plan for next time: Suggest making these gatherings a regular occurrence, perhaps with rotating hosts or themes.
• End with a light dessert: Offer a simple, refreshing dessert like fresh fruit or a small scoop of sorbet to cleanse the palate.

There is one more secret that we should remember, the key to a memorable meal is not just the food, but the warmth and hospitality you provide. A relaxed host creates a relaxed atmosphere, ensuring everyone leaves with fond memories and full stomachs.

My connection to the Seinfeld series came years after the show aired. My dad had a friend, Dr. Nick Catalano, who was a professor with him at Pace University in New York City. Nick told the story of how, as a young professor, he was also a musician who played in comedy clubs, where he got to know Larry David (creator of Seinfeld) when he was a young, struggling comedian.

Larry David went on to become the co-creator and writer for the Seinfeld television show. Several retrospective pieces have been done on what the Seinfeld show was based on. The joke was that it was the “Show about nothing.” The truth is that most of their shows were about real-life experiences that Seinfeld, and mostly David, had had.

The following clip explains how most Seinfeld episodes are based on real-life experiences:

https://youtu.be/qYBaJe_0cz4?si=ivT2VIPOxlP0egA6

After watching the Seinfeld episode about a dentist, I am convinced it is based on the real-life story of Dr. Marvin Toucher, (Name has been changed to protect the guilty)  a dentist I caddied for. I worked as a caddy all through high school, college, and business school. Dr. Toucher played golf regularly in a group we called the “gamblers” as it was common to have a couple of thousand dollars change hands. I used to caddy for Dr. Toucher a lot. (He once claimed he put me through business school). Marvin was a larger-than-life character, whose “locker room banter” included stories of sexual exploits. As a young, innocent caddy, what did I know? Then Marvin  got arrested for putting his female patients under with gas and then molesting them. The District Attorney got him on videotape with a police officer. He did real time in jail. It made national news. Johnny Carson even did a parody on it.

After Marvin was convicted, he came back to the club for a round of golf. One of his longtime playing partners, with a Henny Youngman-type sense of humor, came up to him and said: “Marvin, I want you to know that you have ruined it for millions and millions of American children. They grew up wanting to be doctors. So now they want to be dentists…”

The real-life punchline is that while Marvin’s case was out on appeal, he performed in a local summer stock play. The New York Times did a review of his performance. They said Marvin Toucher, the dentist being prosecuted for sexual malpractice…amongst his many talents, can also sing and dance. (This, you can’t make up)

https://youtu.be/WS0P9XkWNoQ?si=5wEDw0p3Idc-Ope_

Bryan Cranston (the actor who later starred as Walter White in Breaking Bad) tells great stories about his experiences as a young actor playing the dentist on the Seinfeld series. He explains how taking a hit of gas became part of the bit in the episode where Jerry Seinfeld is convinced he was sexually molested by his dentist. In retrospect, this episode is a direct parody of “Dr. Toucher’s” real-life story.

https://youtu.be/HsfFYm1NROA?si=ZpA1-L2pTrRGiUsC

While I haven’t seen Nick Catalano in years, I am looking forward to sharing this story with him. Who knows, he might even be able to reach out to his old friend Larry David

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