Ecuadorian Shrimp Ceviche (Ceviche de Langostinos)

Published 4-24-16, but added 2 photos and "note" 2-16-22 

 

"Ceviche" is traditionally marinated raw seafood in many Latino countries and cultures, but some people now fix it lightly cooked, instead of raw, for safety reasons, which is a good idea in my opinion, especially if you have any immune system problems. Previously, and still used by some today, the raw fish or other seafood was marinated for a number of hours in citrus juice, or a combination of citrus juices. This process "cooked" the fish, because of the acidic juices used, but it was found not to kill all of the potential bad guys, and "on occasion" some people got sick. Variations in recipes are common, but I've kept it simple here, using only shrimp, which makes this something of a shrimp cocktail in Ecuador. NOTE: For those who like chili pepper heat, you can always add some finely chopped red or green chili pepper to this. Further, I'm not particularly fond of sour tastes, and this dish has ketchup, vinegar, lime juice and orange juice, so I add more than 1 tablespoon sugar to suit my own taste, but I neglected to mention that in the original article.

INGREDIENTS (for 4 servings):

1 pound medium cleaned shrimp, cooked in salted boiling water for no more than a couple of minutes (if using cooked frozen shrimp (very common way of selling shrimp in the U.S.), cook until just thawed and tender
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced into rings, then cut into thirds
fresh cilantro, 3 tablespoons
1/2 cup ketchup
lime juice, from 1 lime
orange juice, from 1 orange
3/4 cup frozen corn kernels, cooked for about one minute in boiling water, then rinsed in cold water
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
fried plantain chips*

Fix the shrimp as noted above, drain. In a bowl, mix the ketchup, olive oil, vinegar, and sugar, making sure the sugar dissolves. Drain the shrimp and put into a serving bowl. Add the lime and orange juices, then the onion and corn kernels, mix well. Chill the shrimp in the refrigerator. Add the ketchup mixture and cilantro, stirring well again. You can chill the dish further before serving. Serve with the plantain chips on the side.

* Plantain chips are common in many Latino countries and communities, including among Latino Americans, especially Puerto Ricans, both in Puerto Rico and on the mainland. To make: 2 green plantains, peeled and very thinly sliced. Enough corn oil (I used canola oil) for an inch or 2 in a heavy duty skillet; cast iron is good for this, but not a necessity. Heat the oil, but it should not be smoking hot. Fry the chips in batches, removing them to paper towels to drain them as you go. Add Puerto Rican Adobo to taste. Puerto Rican Adobo is a type of seasoning/seasoned salt, easily available in supermarkets, although perhaps in the "Hispanic/Latino Foods" section. I deliberately put "Puerto Rican Adobo," as "adobo" can mean different things in Latino countries or in the Philippines, a country with Spanish influences (it was once a colony of Spain). The above plantain chip recipe is based on the recipe in, "A Taste of Puerto Rico," by Yvonne Ortiz, Dutton, a division of Penguin Books, 1994

 

 

WORD HISTORY: 

Amigo-This word for "friend" has an uncertain ultimate origin. It is related to "amiable," a word of Latin derivation, borrowed by English from French. While the origin of "amigo" is uncertain, it goes back to Latin "amare," meaning "to love." This then provided the basis for "amicus," meaning "friend," which became "amigo" in Spanish, a Latin-based language. English borrowed the word (via American English) in the 1830s, although it may well have been in use by some English speakers in areas like Texas, then a province of Mexico, with mixed Spanish-English speaking populations.

Stop Illegal & Unwanted Calls

Updated and clarified 7-15-2016

I don't often plug for specific products, but if you are bothered with illegal telephone calls (who isn't?), I think I have a solution for some of you; * at least for the present, AND .... IT'S FREE!!! I heard about this a few months ago, and I was skeptical, but I have to tell you, the number of calls has dropped DRAMATICALLY! Now, the bad guys will always work to find ways around attempts to block them, and since I'm no tech guru, I have no idea how long this will continue to work, but it's been great so far, and you can provide them with numbers to block, after they check them out, so it's an ongoing process keeping telemarketers and scammers from accessing you. Here is the link, and everything can be done online, plus, you've got to love the name, "NOMOROBO" (NO MO ROBO):  http://www.nomorobo.com/

* Some telephone service providers do not yet accept this service, or they may use another similar service (I believe there are such, but I'm not certain). You will be able to find out online if "Nomorobo" works with your specific service provider. Remember, the U.S. national "Do Not Call List" is NOT a call blocking service, and just because you signed up for the list does not mean you won't get calls, because, for one thing, there are exceptions to the "list." The law seriously needs to be updated, as when it was passed, George W. Bush was in his FIRST TERM as president. Just think how technology has changed since then! For more info, here is the link to another article I did about illegal calls, and it contains some links to help you about charity giving and about illegal calls.

 http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2015/02/caller-id-and-spoofing.html

Word History:

Sick-The ultimate origins of this word are uncertain, although a pretty good case can be made tying it to some Indo European form like "seug/seuk," with a notion of "troubled in mind, depressed." Old Germanic had "seukaz," seemingly with the notion, "become weak, become feeble, feel unwell, be troubled in body or mind." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "seoc," with those same meanings. The word later became "sik," before the modern version. The other Germanic languages have: German "siech" (meaning, "extremely ill, wasting away"), Dutch "ziek" (sick), Danish "syg" (sick), Norwegian "syk" (sick), Swedish "sjuk" (sick). Frisian and Low German once had forms, but no longer.

Eiskaffee (Ice Cream Coffee)

Eiskaffee, pronounced as if, "ice-café," is a common beverage in German and Austrian coffeehouses and in many restaurants (I'm not sure about in Switzerland or in other German ethnic-linguistic areas in Europe). It is quite simple to make.

For 2 servings:

2 cups black coffee, chilled
sugar to taste (optional)*
2 large scoops or 4 smaller scoops, vanilla ice cream
whipped cream, ahh, no limit!
chocolate shavings
rolled cream filled wafer cookies

This is not usually served in coffee cups, but rather in tall glasses, or you can use glass mugs (with handle). Make the coffee by whatever method you choose, but boiled coffee gives better flavor, in my opinion, and I don't mean just for this recipe, although I also use a coffee maker, sort of alternating between the two methods. If you boil the coffee, you will need to use a fine strainer to catch the grounds. Chill the coffee in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours, but better if even longer. Put the ice cream into the glasses/mugs, pour the cold coffee over the ice cream. Pile on the whipped cream ... ah ... I mean, judiciously add whipped cream to the top .. oh the hell with that! PILE ON THE WHIPPED CREAM! Add some chocolate shavings. It is very traditional to serve rolled cream filled wafer cookies (or just wafer cookies) with Eiskaffee.

* If you prefer sweeter coffee, add the sugar after brewing the coffee and stir to dissolve, before chilling the coffee. Remember, however, the ice cream and whipped cream will give sweetness to the coffee, but a little sugar is not a bad idea for those who are accustomed to such.

Add the ice cream to the glass ...

Add the cold coffee ...

Add the whipped cream and chocolate shavings ....

Don't forget the rolled cream filled wafer ....

WORD HISTORY:

Swart-This now archaic word goes back to Indo European "swordo," which had the notion "dark:" thus also, "dirty." This gave its Old Germanic offspring "swartaz," which meant "dark, black." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "sweart," which meant "black, lacking light," and also the figurative, "wicked, evil." It then became "swart," but another English word, "blæc," overtook the color meaning of "swart" in the 1300s, and modern English knows this form as "black." While now confined to some poetry and literature uses, "swart" has limited use, but the derived adjective, "swarthy," is still alive and kicking, more typically used in reference to people of "dark" complexion. Forms of "swart" are THE words for "black" in all of the other Germanic languages: German has "schwarz," Low German has "swatt" and "schwoat," depending upon dialect, with the "r" sound obviously having died out, West Frisian has "swart," Dutch has "zwart," Luxemburgisch has "schwaarz," Icelandic has "svartur," Norwegian and Swedish both have "svart," Danish has "sort," with the "v" sound having died out, and Yiddish has "shvarts."

Beans With Bacon and Spices

Ingredients (for 1 can):

1-15 1/2 Oz can kidney beans (I use dark red), drained
3 strips smoked bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 small onion, chopped
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon olive oil

I use a skillet to fix this. Heat the oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and onion and sauté for about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low and add the beans, seasoned salt, chili powder and turmeric, stir well to combine. Add the water and stir well again. Cook until the mixture begins to lightly bubble.

WORD HISTORY:
Bacon-The ultimate origin of this word, closely related to "back," is unknown. Old Germanic had "bakam," which meant "back," and from this came "bako," which meant "meat from an animal's back." This gave Frankish, a Germanic dialect, "bako," which meant "cured meat from the side of an animal, (usually from a swine)." Old French, a Latin-based language, absorbed the word from Frankish as "bacon," and English borrowed the word in the 1300s.

Rocky & Bullwinkle, A Favorite TV Show of the Past

Rocky the Flying Squirrel and Bullwinkle Moose first entered the hearts of many a kid in the early 1960s. I say "first entered," because their show continued in reruns (syndication) for many years thereafter. You don't have to be a kid to like Rocky and Bullwinkle and the cast of characters from other segments of their show. No, I still like them! And you wouldn't believe how many other people, long removed from their childhood years, mention their fondness for the cartoon series.

Originally airing during the Cold War era of espionage and spies, Rocky and Bullwinkle usually found themselves involved trying to evade the evil clutches of Boris Badenov and Natasha, both complete with Russian-like accents (the Soviet Union was THE adversary, in those days), who were under the direction of one "Fearless Leader," a scar faced, Nazi-type military uniform wearing caricature, who was anything but "fearless," as he gave orders, but seldom, if ever, endangered himself.

The show was divided into other segments, or features, besides the adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, and there was a group of these features that sort of rotated over the course of episodes. These segments were: Dudley Do-Right of the Mounties, who, along with his girlfriend Nell, and Inspector Fenwick, the commander of the RCMP post (Royal Canadian Mounted Police), did constant battle with ruthless Snidely Whiplash, who twirled his long black mustache as he did evil to the world. Then there were Mr. Peabody and Sherman, who used the "WAYBAC machine," to travel to notable events in mankind's history. Further there was Aesop and Son, which featured a take on fables from the famous Greek, as he tried to teach his son lessons about life. Then there was "Fractured Fairytales," a feature which appeared, I believe, in EVERY episode, as it was not part of the rotating features mentioned above. It was narrated by actor Edward Everett Horton and this feature was always a favorite of mine, as it related a fairytale, but with twists on the original, thus, "fractured." Rocky and Bullwinkle also appeared in other segments of the show, unrelated to their adventure part of the episodes. These segments included Bullwinkle reading poetry or famous stories, although with all of the fumbling and humor we had come to expect from the moose, and this was called "Bullwinkle's Corner." Then there was "Mr. Know It All," where Bullwinkle tried his "expertise" at a variety of subjects.

I'm sure I haven't touched on every aspect of the show, but hopefully I brought back some memories to some, and perhaps I made younger folks a little curious about the show, enough to check it out.

Photo is of Season 1 of the 2012 Classic Media DVD release of "Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends, The Complete Series"

WORD HISTORY:
Sky-This word goes back to the Indo European root "skeu," which had the notion "to cover." This gave its Old Germanic offspring "skeujam," meaning "cloud." This then gave Old Norse, a Germanic language, "sky," meaning "cloud." It also gave Old English "sceo," then the word for "cloud" in English. When North Germanic invaders settled in eastern England and southern Scotland, especially beginning around 900 A.D., they brought along "sky," which still had the meaning "cloud," as it likely joined with and reinforced the native English word "sceo," by about 1100 or 1200, with the spelling "sky," prevailing. The meaning, "the vast space above the Earth," did not begin until the 1300s, and "sky" gradually overtook the ancestor of modern "heaven" (Old English "heofon," then "hevin"), which meant both "sky and home of God, or the gods," in that meaning, leaving "heaven" to the religious abode meaning. For the "Word History" of "cloud," see my article at this link:  http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2012/11/its-about-coalitions-not-purity-part_24.html

Spiked North German Coffee: Pharisäer

As the story goes, this drink started circa 1870 as a way for some Lutheran parishioners on one of the North Frisian islands to fool their devout, anti-alcohol pastor. North Frisia, "Nordfriesland," in standard German, is located on the eastern edge of the North Sea, just below the border with Denmark.* The region is battered by the winds and the waves from the North Sea, making alcoholic beverages a part of life for the people there, as they try to take the chill off of the often windy, damp weather. The pastor fervently tried to reform his alcohol drinking flock, holding regular religious meetings in a pub, where only coffee would be served to attendees. To get around the "coffee only" meetings, the men of this North Frisian island added rum to their coffee, then topped the cup with whipped cream to hold down the smell of the rum from the pastor's nose. At some point, the pastor got a whiff of the rum and shouted, "Ihr Pharisäer!" ("You Pharisees!") This biblical reference gave the name to the drink, "Pharisäer." (Pronounced as if, "far-ee-zay-ah")

Ingredients (per cup):

6 oz. strong hot coffee
3/4 oz. rum
1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste
whipped cream

Pour the coffee into a cup, add the sugar and stir, then add the rum. Top with a thick layer of whipped cream. (The amount of sugar can be adjusted as you like.)

* The boundaries of what has been called "North Frisia" have changed somewhat into modern times, although the basic area is the same. North Frisian, a dialect of a general Frisian language, another West Germanic language, has a long history in the region, but Low German Saxon has also been present in the general area going well back in history, and it gradually lessened the number of North Frisian speakers, although a number of North Frisians speak both North Frisian and Low German. In modern times, standard German, based upon High German dialect (technically, "middle high"), has been taught in schools and is spoken and understood by everyone, so many North Frisians are, therefore, tri-lingual, and some few even speak a fourth language, Danish, or Danish dialect. The overall Frisian language is often mentioned as the closest living language to English, with Low German also being very close, but this is not all that surprising, as Frisian, more especially the North and East Frisian dialects, and Low German Saxon, occupy the area of the ancestral homeland of English, the land of the Angles, Saxons and Jutes (see note below). The Angles seem to have totally picked up and sailed to Britain, along with a large contingent, but not all, Saxons and Jutes, and also many Frisians, where these Germanic people founded England, and where their dialects melded into English. (NOTE: The Jutes have long been seen as a distinct Germanic tribe, but some historians have thought them to be a part of a broader "Saxon" Germanic tribe, or at least affiliated with a Saxon-led confederation of Germanic tribes.)

WORD HISTORY:
North-This word, for one of the directions of the compass, "likely" goes back to Indo European "ner/nert," which meant "left." This then gave Old Germanic "nurtha," meaning "north," with the idea being that when facing the rising sun to the east, north is the direction to the left. This gave Old English "norþ," with essentially the "þ" symbol being the modern equivalent of "(e)th," and indeed, as English and the other Germanic languages adopted the Latin alphabet, the spelling became "north." The other Germanic languages have: German "Nord," Low German Saxon "Noord," West Frisian "noard," Dutch "noord," Danish and Norwegian "nord," Swedish "norr," and Icelandic "norður" (equivalent to "northur"). A special note, Old French borrowed the word from English as "north" (modern French "nord"), and Italian (nord), Rumanian (nord), Spanish (norte) and Portuguese (norte) all borrowed their forms from French, making English the common source.

Apricot-Chili Chicken Wings

A number of cultures around the world mix hot chili peppers with sweet or sweetened fruit. I like such things, and this is one recipe I especially like. You can use peach or mango preserves too.

Ingredients:

24 chicken wing pieces, the store bought frozen wing pieces
1 tablespoon seasoned salt
1/2 of an 18 oz. jar apricot preserves
1 or 2 chili peppers, depending upon desired heat level,* chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons butter

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Spread the wing pieces out on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Sprinkle each piece with some seasoned salt. Bake for 40 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the preserves, garlic and chili peppers in a pan. Over medium low heat, cook until bubbling lightly, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and let gently cook for a few minutes to soften the garlic and peppers, and to mix the flavors. Turn off the heat. Pour 1/2 of the sauce into a bowl, keep the other 1/2 in the pan. Add one teaspoon of butter to the sauce in the pan, stir well to melt and mix. Add the other teaspoon of butter to the sauce in the dish, stir well to melt and mix. After 40 minutes in the oven, remove wings and toss them in the sauce in the pan to coat, return them to the baking sheet and bake another 5 to 7 minutes. Serve with remaining sauce on the side.

* The heat level of chili peppers can vary considerably, even with the same type of peppers. For the wings in the photo below, I used one mild red chili pepper, a type of pepper that is usually very mild to mild, but on occasion, I'll get one that is hotter than usual. I also used one serrano chili, a pepper type I love, and a type which usually has a fair to above average heat level. I had thought to use a second serrano, but I decided against it, fearing it would be too hot and hide the other flavors. In the end, I was disappointed, because the one serrano I used turned out to a milder pepper than usual (pretty rare by my experience), so the heat level was too low for me. I should have tasted the serrano first to see how hot it was. If you do taste hot chili peppers to check the heat level, take a small piece from near the stem end, where the pepper will be hottest, otherwise you can be fooled by tasting the end of the pepper, which can be very mild, but further up the pepper is much hotter.

WORD HISTORY:
Wing-The ancient history of this common word is uncertain. English borrowed the noun form as "wenge" from Old Norse "vaengr," circa 1200. Old Norse was another Germanic language, thus making it closely related to English, but it was from the North Germanic branch, while English is from the West Germanic branch. Old Norse spawned the main modern North Germanic languages Danish, Icelandic, Norwegian and Swedish. Where did Old Norse get their word "vaengr"? There are theories about a possible Old Germanic ancestor (like 'weingan'), and some theories even carrying an Old Germanic form back to an Indo European root ("we/weh," meaning "to make air move, to blow"), but I'm not completely sold on it; at least, not at the moment. (NOTE: If "wing" does go back to these Indo European and Old Germanic forms, it is related to "wind," a word from the Germanic roots of English.) The verb form came from the noun, but not until the late 1500s or early 1600s.^ Other relatives of "wing" are all from North Germanic: Danish, Norwegian and Swedish all have "vinge," and Icelandic has "vaeng/vaengur." The other West Germanic languages use words related to "fly" as their words for "wing:" German "Flügel," Low German Saxon "Flögel," Dutch "vleugel." Before English borrowed "wing," the word for such was "fiðere" (equivalent to "fithere"), an old form of modern "feather."

^ The verb has a couple of common meanings: "use wings to fly" ("Many birds wing their way northward in the spring"), "wound," likely from hunters hitting fowl in the wing ("The ranch hand winged the cattle rustler as he tried to flee.") The noun also came to be used for parts of large buildings, like the "West Wing" of the White House. The use is often directional, but it can also be by a specific procedure done in a large building, like the "surgical wing" of a hospital, or the "audio-visual wing" of a library.

Hunter's Schnitzel (Jägerschnitzel)

This is something of a classic German dish. I've had it many times in Germany, where I would also have a "Jägermeister" * with it, ahh, for digestive purposes only, bringing the waiter or waitress to always say, "Jägerschnitzel, Jägermeister" (Hey, they thought it was funny, but I wasn't terribly impressed until my third Jägermeister, then I'd laugh like hell! hahaha)
 
Ingredients:

4 veal or pork cutlets, pounded relatively thin
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 lb mushrooms, chopped
2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons oil for frying
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup broth (veal or chicken)
3 strips bacon, cut into about 1 inch pieces**
1/2 cup of cream or half and half
3 tablespoons of flour + flour to coat the cutlets
salt and pepper
parsley, for garnish

Heat the oil and butter over medium heat. Season each cutlet with a little salt and pepper, then lightly flour each. Fry the cutlets until cooked through and browned on both sides. Keep the cutlets warm while you prepare the sauce in the same skillet. Reduce the heat to medium low and sauté the bacon for about 90 seconds, then add the onion and mushrooms, cook until the onion is softened. I sprinkle the flour over the bacon, onion, mushroom mixture, a little at a time, using a fork to thoroughly and quickly mix in the flour, but you can whisk the flour with the wine or broth, then add it to the skillet, stirring constantly. You can always adjust the amount of flour you add, according to how thick you like the sauce. If you sprinkle and mix the flour, then add the wine, stirring constantly, then add the broth, also stirring constantly. Add the cream or half and half, stirring well. Serve each schnitzel with sauce over it, or partially covering it, or even to the side of the schnitzel, then add a little parsley on top. Don't forget the Jägermeister, just for digestive purposes, of course.

* Jägermeister is a German "herbal" alcoholic drink, called a "digestif" (digestive), likely its original purpose, but from the 1980s on it developed an increasing popularity in the United States as a regular bar drink, often by the shot. It also became a mainstay at many parties, even spawning "Jägermeister parties." It is usually served cold. It is made from over 50 herbs and roots.

** There are a variety of recipes for Jägerschnitzel, and some people do not use bacon.

Jägerschnitzel with sliced tomatoes and Rösti, a fried potato dish from the Germans of Switzerland (about 70% of Switzerland is German), although the dish is not completely unheard of in the French and Italian parts of the country. In the United States the potato dish is called "hash browns," and is typically served as a "fried block of shredded potato," whereas in Switzerland, the dish is usually a round portion, from the shape of the pan. The Swiss have variations on the basic potato dish, like the addition of cheese, or onion, or other items. I often ordered Rösti at a restaurant in Wiesbaden, Germany years ago. Rösti is usually a side dish. By the way the word "Rösti" (noun) is simply a dialect form of standard German "rösten" (verb); and therefore related to English "roast." (See Word History below)

WORD HISTORY:
Roast-The history of this word is a bit sketchy, but it "seemingly" goes back to Indo European "reus/rews," which had the notion of "sizzle, crackle." The actual form derived from the Indo European "may" have developed in the West Germanic dialects, with a form meaning  "to cook by the fire," or  "to cook on a metal sheet or grate." That form gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "rostian," with the same basic meaning. Whether the word died out, or remained in use only among the common people in England is unclear, but French, a Latin-based language, but with much Germanic vocabulary, especially centuries ago, had "rostir" from Germanic Frankish. This certainly reinforced any such existing English word, and brought it into broader use, but it may well have reintroduced it to English in the 1300s, when the word was "rosten,'' prior to the modern form. Other forms in the Germanic languages: German "rösten" (also in limited use by Low German Saxon, but apparently a borrowing from standard German. Previously Low German had "rost"), Dutch "roosteren." I could not find a form in Frisian, nor in any of the North Germanic languages (primarily Danish, Norwegian, Icelandic, Swedish), thus the "possibility" of the word developing in West Germanic.

Schnitzel Holstein

Now, there is a special Schnitzel with added serving items called "Schnitzel Holstein," named after Friedrich von Holstein, a member of the German diplomatic corps in the late 1800s and very early 1900s. He was known for being a man in a hurry, and he frequented a Berlin restaurant where he had schnitzel with various appetizers. Eventually, in order to speed up the process, he had the restaurant put the appetizers right on the schnitzel and on the same plate, thus the dish was named after him. I've had Schnitzel Holstein (also known as "Schnitzel a la Holstein") numerous times, including in Germany. When I've ordered in the U.S., it was always Wiener Schnitzel with the added toppings and sides, but in Germany, I seem to recall that restaurants did not fix the veal for the dish with breadcrumbs, only lightly coating the veal in flour before frying. Anyway, I fix it by flouring the veal. Top the schnitzel with a fried egg (traditionally fried sunny side up in butter) and some capers in butter.* In addition, each plate gets two anchovy filets (often placed on top of the egg), white bread toast wedges, with one topped with smoked salmon, and one topped with a sardine in oil. In addition to the toppings and sides, it is traditionally served with fried potatoes, beets and mild dill pickles.

Ingredients:

4 veal cutlets, 4 to 5 oz. each
flour for lightly coating the cutlets
4 eggs, to be fried slowly in butter, to keep them tender
butter, for frying the veal, for frying the eggs and for the capers, about 5 tablespoons total
2 slices of white bread, toasted, then cut into quartered wedges
8 anchovy filets
4 pieces of smoked salmon
4 sardines, traditionally in oil, but in water is fine
2 tablespoons capers
2 tablespoons of oil to mix with butter for frying

It is probably best to heat your oven to about 200 degrees and use a couple of platters to keep the finished cutlets and eggs warm while the others cook (you don't want the eggs to cook further to harden the yolks, so be careful). Pound the cutlets between wax paper or plastic wrap to tenderize and thin them. Coat them lightly with flour. Heat the oil and melt two tablespoons of butter in a skillet that can hold two schnitzels at a time. Fry over medium heat until nice and brown on both sides. Meanwhile, fry the eggs in butter, over low heat, sunny side up. As the schnitzels and eggs near completion, put the bread into the toaster. Each schnitzel will get some buttered capers and an egg on top, plus two anchovies laid across the eggs. Place a sardine on 4 of the bread wedges and some smoked salmon or other smoked fish on the other 4 wedges. If that's not enough, you can always serve those fried potatoes, beets and dill pickles. That von Holstein must have had quite an appetite.

* For the capers (for 4 servings), 2 tablespoons of capers (drained), 1 tablespoon of butter. Heat ingredients together in a small skillet or pan. Spoon an equal amount over each piece of fried schnitzel.

(Photo) Schnitzel Holstein: I trimmed a bit of the egg away to show the veal schnitzel and I added a couple of capers on the egg, but the anchovy filets are clearly visible. I did not have smoked salmon, so I substituted smoked herring, and the sardine (on lower toast wedge) is in water, not oil. That is a fresh spinach salad, with warm bacon, onion and mushroom dressing. I put the salad on the plate, simply to get it into the picture easily, as it should be on a separate plate.

WORD HISTORY:
Veal-This word, distantly related to English "wether," ^ goes back to Indo European "wet," which meant "year." This gave Latin "vitulus," meaning "calf, yearling." This spawned Latin "vitellus," meaning "small or young calf." This gave Old French, a Latin-based language, "veel," which had come to mean "the meat from a calf," from the name of the animal. The word was carried to England by the Norman invaders, but it wasn't until about 1400 that it was borrowed by English as the word for "meat from a calf."

^ For the history of "wether:" http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2012/06/erased-wealth-for-some-gains-for-guess.html

Schnitzel with Creamy Mushroom Gravy (Rahmschnitzel)

German "Rahmschnitzel" is veal cutlet (or pork, or turkey) served with a cream-based mushroom gravy. "Rahm" is one of the words for "cream" in German (see the Word History, below, for the English version of the word).

Ingredients (4 servings):

4 veal cutlets, pounded relatively thin (each can be cut into a few smaller pieces if you'd like)
salt
pepper
1/4 to 1/2 cup flour
1/4 lb Crimini mushrooms, cleaned and quartered, or smaller ones halved
1/4 lb white button mushrooms, cleaned and quartered, or smaller ones halved
2 tablespoons butter + 2 tablespoons canola oil, for frying
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon butter, for the gravy
2 tablespoons flour, mixed with 2 tablespoons of water
1/2 cup dry white wine ( or if you prefer, veal broth)
3/4 cup heavy cream (or half and half)
parsley for garnish

Melt the butter with the oil over medium heat in a skillet. Hopefully you have a skillet which can fit two cutlets at a time, but if not, that's OK, just remove each fried cutlet to a platter in your oven, which you will need to do anyway, while you fix the remaining cutlets and then the gravy. The oven should be set at 200 degrees or a little less. Salt and pepper the cutlets, then lightly flour them on both sides. Fry the cutlets until lightly browned on both sides. When the cutlets are done, keep them warm in the oven. With the heat at medium low, add the tablespoon of butter to the skillet. Add the onion and cook for about 1 minute. Add the mushrooms, stir and cook for one more minute. Stir in the flour and water mixture, stirring very well to prevent lumps. Cook another minute. Add the wine, stirring to loosen any browned bits from the skillet, and to mix all ingredients together. Add the mushrooms and cook until they are softened. Add the cream and stir well. Cook for a couple of minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened. Serve each cutlet with gravy over it, and sprinkle with a little parsley. Serve with noodles, spätzle, or my favorite, mashed potatoes, any of which should also get a dose of gravy.

Rahmschnitzel with mashed potatoes, fresh spinach and tomato, and a brown ale! WOW!

WORD HISTORY:

Ream-English has more than one word of this spelling, this word for "cream" is pretty much out of use in what I'll call "standard" English, but it is still used in some dialects of northern England and southern Scotland. To my knowledge it is not used in the U.S. at all, and "likely" not in Canada. Its ultimate origin is somewhat questionable, although it "seemingly" goes back to Indo European "reugh," which had a notion of "fatty, thickened liquid." This then gave Old Germanic "raumaz," which meant "cream." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "ream," also meaning "cream," and it then became "reme/ream," but English borrowed a form of the word that became modern "cream" from French in the 1300s, and this eventually pushed out the native word, except for some dialectal remnants today. Some forms remain in other, but not all, Germanic languages: German "Rahm," ^ Low German Saxon "Rohm," Dutch "room," Icelandic "rjómi," Norwegian "rømme" (sour cream).

^  In more modern times, "Rahm" (all German nouns are capitalized) is primarily used in Switzerland, Bavaria and Austria. The standard German word for "cream" is "Sahne," a word borrowed from French, and tracing back to Latin. There is also the word "Schmand," which means "cream" or "sour cream" in some dialects. It has an uncertain history, either coming from the Old Germanic form that gave modern English "smooth" (thus a form of which later developed a notion in German of "smooth=creamy," and then the noun form), or it was borrowed from a Slavic language or languages, a belief I tend to share. Then there is also the word "Obers" used in Bavaria and Austria, and also meaning cream. It comes from the same general Germanic roots that produced English "over," and indeed, German "ober" means "above, over, upper." The use for cream comes from the idea of "the cream rising to the top; so in the upper part of a container."

Wiener Schnitzel, Fried Veal Cutlet

Wiener Schnitzel (pronounced as if, "vee-ner shnit-zel"), is a famous fried breaded veal dish. "Wiener" is simply the German word for "Viennese," and "Schnitzel" means cutlet of meat. The Austrians likely took the recipe from Italian "Veal Milanese," although some Austrians apparently dispute that, but for whatever reason, "Wiener Schnitzel," generally speaking, became far better known internationally than the Italian version. The Habsburg rulers of Austria also controlled large areas of northern Italy for quite some time. The dish spread throughout many of the other German states, and it is a staple on many restaurant menus throughout Austria and Germany to this day. Real Wiener Schnitzel is made with veal, but it can also be made from the far less expensive pork or turkey, but it is then referred to as "Schnitzel nach Wiener Art" (Schnitzel, Viennese style). Many years ago a German friend of mine told me that in Germany the dish is always referred to as "nach Wiener Art" (Viennese style) out of respect for the famous cutlet from Vienna. Whether that is true, I really don't know, but I've had the dish in Germany many times, and I do believe it was always on the menu as "Viennese style," so perhaps he was right. For those unaware, Vienna was long the de facto capital of the old German empire, until its dissolution in 1806. The German word "Schnitzel" is not just used for "Wiener Schnitzel," as there are a number of other dishes of meat cutlets in Germany and Austria, and in other German-speaking areas. I plan to be doing recipe articles on two or three more Schnitzel recipes shortly. While the recipe for Wiener Schnitzel is simple, the high cost of veal has always made it a bit of a luxury food or special occasion dish for many. Getting the schnitzel cooked properly is the main challenge, as the meat should only be breaded right before it is fried, as once cooked, the coating should be able to be easily pulled away from the cutlet, and the meat should be cooked through and tender. Controlling the temperature of the oil/butter is essential to keep the breading from burning or darkening too much if the oil is too high, but on the other hand, if the oil temperature is too low, the breading will absorb the oil and become greasy.

Ingredients:

4 thinly sliced 4 oz. veal steaks, pounded even thinner using a kitchen mallet
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons milk (I use evaporated milk, known as "canned milk," to some, but just regular milk is fine)
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cups breadcrumbs (regular finely ground bread crumbs is traditional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons butter
lemon wedges

First, place some paper towels onto a platter or baking sheet. Heat your oven to no more than 200 degrees. As you fry the schnitzels, you will remove each to the platter to drain off any excess oil and to keep the schnitzels warm. Spread the flour onto a large plate, lightly beat the eggs and milk together in a shallow dish (one large enough to fit the individual pieces of schnitzel), and put the breadcrumbs into another large plate. The three dishes should be close to one another and also close to the stove. In a heavy duty skillet, heat the oil/butter mixture over medium heat for about 60 to 90 seconds. Meanwhile, lightly salt each cutlet (hey, a 1/2 teaspoon of salt isn't going to go too far). Dredge the first cutlet in the flour on both sides, shaking off any excess flour. Dip the cutlet into the egg, then into the breadcrumbs, making sure there is a coating on both sides. Gently shake off any excess breadcrumbs to minimize their falling off in the grease and smoking/burning. Put the schnitzel into the hot oil/butter and fry about a minute to a minute and a half per side, until nice and brown. Remove the schnitzel to the oven platter, then repeat the same process with each of the other three remaining schnitzels. When the last piece is finished, remove the platter from the oven, and serve each with a wedge of lemon, the juice of which is to be squeezed onto the schnitzels. In Germany, I believe they always served Wiener Schnitzel with fried potatoes ("home fries" to many Americans)* in the places I ordered it, but I could be wrong. Further a side salad was served.

* In German, "fried potatoes"= "Bratkartoffeln"

I had Wiener Schnitzel with fried potatoes (Bratkartoffeln) and a salad...

WORD HISTORY:
To/Too- This word traces back to Indo European "do" (long "o"), with the notion of "toward," with the further extension, "for the reason of." This gave its Old Germanic offspring "ta," with the same meanings. This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "to," still with the long 'o' sound, which later altered to the "u" sound that we still use today, but of course, the old spelling was retained (probably just to confuse people trying to learn English, hahaha!). The form "too," with the same "u" pronunciation, meaning "besides, in addition, also, more," was simply the same word, "to," with the notion, "further on (extending 'toward');" thus, "also, besides, in addition," and meaning "more" or "in excess," when used for emphasis. The spelling "to" was used until the 1500s, when the second "o" was added, differentiating the two words. Relatives in the other Germanic languages are confined to the West Germanic languages (English is West Germanic), as the North Germanic languages (Danish, Icelandic, Norwegian, Swedish, being the primary languages) use a form of English "til" (in "until") in the same way. German has "zu" (pronounced "tsoo," rhymes with "too"), Low German Saxon has "to," Dutch has both "tot" and "toe," ^ West Frisian has "ta."

^ Dutch "tot" means "to, at, until," while "toe" (pronounced similarly to English "to") means "to," in the sense, "the door is to;" that is, "shut, pulled to."

Puerto Rican Rice Pudding (Arroz con Dulce)

This recipe isn't really based upon any one recipe, but the idea came from a cookbook I have: "A Taste of Puerto Rico," by Yvonne Ortiz, Dutton, a division of Penguin Books, 1994

Ingredients (for 6 servings):

2 cups short grain white rice
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 13.5 oz (or 14 oz) can coconut milk
1 12 oz can evaporated milk
2 cinnamon sticks
6 whole cloves
1 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
3/4 cup golden raisins, soaked in a little Puerto Rican rum, light or dark, for about an hour
can add shredded coconut & top with ground cinnamon

In a sauce pan, heat the water to boiling with the salt, cinnamon, cloves and ginger, simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the cinnamon, ginger and cloves, add the rice and simmer until all the water is absorbed. Be aware, the rice will not be done, but do not add more water! Add the condensed milk, the evaporated milk, the coconut milk. Strain the raisins, saving the rum for someone who might like it (I can't imagine who ... hic... 'scuse me!). Add the raisins and stir well to combine. Simmer until all the milk combo is absorbed. Let cool a bit, then chill. Sprinkle each serving with some shredded coconut and ground cinnamon on top, followed further by some whipped cream. If you still have some rum left over from soaking the raisins, woo woo!

WORD HISTORY:
Clove-There are two words of this spelling in English, and in spite of their similarity in meaning, they are from different sources, ^ but this is the name for the spice. It goes back to Indo European "klehw," which meant "peg, spike." This gave Latin "clavus," which meant "nail." French, a Latin-based language, had the term, "clou de girofle" (a type of flower, whose bud bore a resemblance to a nail). English borrowed the word as "clowes" in the 1400s. The whole dried spice bud got the name, as it resembled a nail.

^ For the other form "clove," the past tense form of "cleave," and meaning "a section of garlic," this is the link to the article where that word is covered: http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2013/08/what-we-got-with-obamapart-two-bankers.html

Homemade Thousand Island Dressing

Besides its use for salads, this common salad dressing, which is easy to make, is also good on hamburgers and other sandwiches.

Ingredients (for about 1 cup):

3/4 cup mayonnaise (reduced fat type is fine)
2 tablespoons chopped sweet gherkins (pickles)
3 tablespoons chili sauce (not hot)
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Put all ingredients into a bowl, mix well, cover and refrigerate for a couple of ours. Refrigerate and cover unused portion, but best used within a couple of days.

My homemade thousand island dressing with sliced tomatoes and hardboiled egg.

WORD HISTORY:
Coach-This word, used both as a noun and as a verb, goes back to the town of "Kocs," ^ located in northern Hungary. The town made coaches/carriages a few hundred years ago, which the Hungarians called "kocsi szekér," meaning "carriage of Kocs," and these vehicles became widely known in Europe. German borrowed the term, which eventually became the shortened modern German form, "Kutsche," but there were various spellings originally, some beginning with the letter "c," coupled with the word "Wagen," which means "cart, wagon" (of course, English has "wagon"). French borrowed the word from German as "coche," and English borrowed it from French in the mid 1500s. The word came to be used for modern vehicles, like buses and trains, and the use of the word for an instructor, especially, but certainly not exclusively, for sports teams, comes from the notion, "transporting a person or people to some goal by leadership and teaching."

^ Pronounced like "kutsh" (the "u" like in "put").

German Meatballs in Caper Sauce (Königsberger Klopse)

These meatballs, called "Königsberger Klopse" in German, originated in Königsberg, long the provincial capital of East Prussia, which was located in northeastern Germany, along the Baltic Sea. After World War Two, the (then) Soviet Union annexed the city and the eastern part of East Prussia, renaming the city "Kaliningrad." Much of the German population had fled the advancing Soviet forces in the waning days of World War Two, and the Soviets resettled some of their own citizens there. Since those times, however, "Königsberger Klopse" have remained relatively popular in other parts of Germany. The basic framework of this dish, but not all of my recipe below, is from a cookbook I've had for more than four decades: "German Cooking," by Ruth Malinowski, Patricia Sinclair and Alinda Nelson; Ottenheimer Publishers, Baltimore, Maryland, 1978. Boiled potatoes and pickled beets are something of the traditional accompaniments for the meatballs.

Ingredients (for 8 meatballs):

For the meatballs:
1 pound ground beef (lean) and ground pork mixture
1/2 cup bread crumbs (I use panko bread crumbs)
3-4 anchovy fillets*
1 small onion, roughly chopped (it will go into the food processor anyhow)
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

For cooking:
water to cover the meatballs (approximately 5 cups)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 medium onion, quartered
8 peppercorns

For the sauce/gravy:
2 1/2 cups beef broth 
1 1/2 tablespoons butter + 1 tablespoon sunflower oil (or olive oil)
2 1/2 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons capers, drained**
juice from 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon brown mustard
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg yolk

To a food processor add the ingredients listed for the meatballs. Pulse until the meat is pretty finely ground and all the ingredients are well mixed in. In a saucepan, heat the water, salt, quartered onion and peppercorns until it begins to boil. Form the meat mixture into meatballs somewhat smaller than golf balls (adjust so that you get eight meatballs). Add the meatballs to the boiling water and reduce the heat so that the water is a steady simmer. Cook the meatballs for about 20-25 minutes, then remove them to a separate dish. Strain the broth into a large cup or dish. Add the butter/oil to the pan, melt the butter, then add the flour, stirring to mix well. Allow to lightly cook on low for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring to keep the mixture from burning or turning too brown. Turn the heat up a bit and gradually add about 2 to 2 1/2 cups of the broth, stirring constantly. The mixture should begin to thicken into a sauce/gravy as it returns to a simmer. Mix in the mustard, capers, and lemon juice, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove the sauce from the heat, take a couple of tablespoons of the sauce and mix it slowly, but well with the egg yolk, stirring constantly, to prevent the yolk from cooking. Add this egg and sauce mix to the overall sauce, stirring well. Return the meatballs to the sauce to reheat them, but do not boil.

* The cuisine of northern Germany, along the Baltic and North Sea coasts, has naturally been influenced by seafood, often mixed with meat, as with this dish above. The few anchovies in this recipe will NOT give a fishy taste to the meatballs.

** Capers are small dark green buds from a plant often from the general area of the Mediterranean. Spain and Italy, especially the Italian Mediterranean island of Pantelleria, are well known for their capers, which are preserved in salt or a salty brine.

I served the meatballs with boiled potatoes (dab of butter on them, as can be seen) and Harvard beets.

WORD HISTORY:
Day-This word goes back to Indo European "dhegh," which meant "burn, hot;" thus some of its offspring came to mean "periods of time when the temperature was hot;" that is, "daylight hours." For instance, Sanskrit, an old Indo European language related to English further down the family tree (and still used somewhat, particularly in India) had the derivative "dah," which meant "burn," and further "nidagha" (first "a" is long), which meant both "heat" and "summer." The Old Germanic offshoot was "dagaz," which meant "day," in the sense "daylight." This gave Anglo-Saxon "daeg," which later came to also be applied to a 24 hour period of time, which was also true of the other Germanic languages. The final "g" sound gradually disappeared in English, but is still alive in close relative German, which has "Tag,"* pronounced similarly to English "talk," and NOT to English "tag," as in "price tag." Other close Germanic relatives of English, Low German Saxon, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish, all have "dag," still with the "g" present; West Frisian has "dei," and Icelandic has "dagur." "DAILY," derived from "day," was originally "daeglic" in Old English, and then "dayly" during the Middle Ages, as the final hard sound of the "c" died out. German has "täglich," with the "ä" pronounced much like our long "a," but they have retained the "ch" sound at the end. Dutch has "dagelijks," West Frisian has "daagliks," Danish and Norwegian have "daglig," and Swedish has "dagligen."

* In the Germanic languages, "d" and "t" were often interchangeable, for lack of a better word, and for example, in standard German and many German dialects, the word for Germany is "Deutschland," but in some dialects it is "Teutschland." This is frequently attributed to what linguists call "sound shifts" within languages, or closely related dialects, and this is what happened to German not long after the dialects that became English left the Continent; giving German what came to be "high" and "low" dialects (there are really "middle" dialects, but you rarely hear the term used, except by linguists). "High" means from generally higher altitudes (located mainly in the south), and "low" means from plains/flatter terrain (located mainly in the north, including the ancestral homeland of English). The term "High German" also has come to mean "high socially;" that is, "standard, school-taught German" ("Hochdeutsch" in German) as opposed to the many dialects, and many German speakers thus grow up speaking both their local dialect and standard German, which can be "quite" different, by the way. No question about it, while German dialects are still around the German speaking world, they are not as prominent as they once were, with some exceptions, but education is so widespread that everyone learns standard German.