What's In A Name: Leroy, Olivia

Leroy-This name comes from French "le roi," meaning, "the king." It "may" have been used for people associated with the king. "Roi" comes from Latin "rex" (king), a word that goes back to Indo European "reg," which had the idea of "move in a straight line;" thus also, "direct in a proper way."  This gave its Latin offspring "regere," which meant "to guide, to direct;" thus, "to rule/govern." From this came Latin "rex," meaning "king," and also, "regina," meaning "queen." Latin-based French rendered the word as "roi/roy" (Italian has "re," Spanish has "rey" and Portuguese has "rei"). 

Olivia-This female name means "olive," but its spelling was popularized by Shakespeare in the early 1600s. For the history of the word "olive," here is the link to the article with that Word History: http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2013/06/good-provencal-like-dip-or-spread.html

I consulted the following, so for more information on the names see, "A World Of Baby Names" by Teresa Norman, published by Perigee/Penguin Group, New York, 2003. 

WORD HISTORY:
Parlor (British spelling: Parlour)-The first part of the word, "par," which is distantly related to English "for" and "fore," both from native English forms of Old Germanic, goes back to Indo European "per/pr," with the notion of "forward, off, away from, beyond, beside." This gave transliterated Greek "para," meaning "beside," a word/prefix borrowed by Latin as part of the transliterated Greek compound "paraballo" (meaning "comparison"), borrowed by Latin as "parabola" (also meaning "comparison"), which then produced the verb, "parabolare," meaning "to speak using metaphors/parables." This then produced Latin "paraulare," simply meaning, "to speak." This was passed on to Latin-based French as "parler," with the same meaning. From this came the noun "parleor," meaning, "room for legal proceedings," and also, "a room in a monastery for speaking with visitors." The word was taken to England by the Normans as "parlur," by which time the meaning had expanded to, "room in one's home for talking with guests." English borrowed the word about 1200.

The Former Confederacy & Modern American Politics, Part Twenty

Mid 1991 saw George H.W. Bush's nomination of Clarence Thomas for a seat on the Supreme Court. Thomas was a black conservative Republican judge chosen by Bush to replace retiring black progressive justice, Thurgood Marshall; thus, shifting the Supreme Court to the political right. Interest groups from both sides of the political spectrum mobilized over the Thomas nomination. The nomination hearings reached fever pitch, with millions of Americans tuned in, when Anita Hill, a lawyer who had worked with Thomas when he was her supervisor, testified that he had made inappropriate sexual remarks to her, perhaps constituting sexual harassment. President Bush, pressed by conservatives to stick with, and to fight for, the nomination, did so. The bitter process ended with Thomas winning confirmation by a narrow margin, as eleven Democrats voted for his confirmation, while only two Republicans opposed it. Senators from former Confederate states voted 14 to 8 in favor of Thomas's confirmation.

With the economy in recession, Bush's popularity tumbled, giving Democrats hope of defeating the incumbent president. Hard line conservative Pat Buchanan entered the Republican nomination process and criticized Bush for working with Democrats and for breaking his "read my lips, no new taxes" pledge. Buchanan made a strong showing in New Hampshire, but Bush won and he continued on to a relatively easy renomination, but the attacks from Buchanan took a toll, as a part of the conservative base of the Republican Party remained unenthusiastic about George Bush. To placate conservatives, Bush gave Buchanan the keynote address spot at the Republican National Convention in Houston, Texas. In that speech, dripping with venom, Buchanan attacked the Democratic nominee, Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary, and Democrats in general, who, he said, were in a fight to take over the soul of the country by advocating abortion, gay rights, and a diverse society. Buchanan obviously forgot his own mixed background of Irish, Scottish and German.

Democrats nominated Bill Clinton of Arkansas and that state's governor. Clinton did well in all of the primaries in former Confederate states. He chose fellow Southerner Al Gore of Tennessee as his running mate, as the Democrats pitted a Southern ticket against the Republicans and Ross Perot, a billionaire businessman who entered the race and quickly became a favorite of many disgruntled Americans. The thing was, while Perot started off well, as with his own money, he didn't need big campaign contributions. Increasingly large sums of money in the political process was something that had become a growing concern among some Americans. Further, his use of charts and pointers about certain issues also played well with many voters, but he later began to display some erratic behavior, at one point even withdrawing from the race, only to later say he had dropped out because Republicans had planned dirty tricks to disrupt his daughters wedding. Further, Perot asserted that the CIA was involved in trying to destroy his campaign by tapping into his stock trading program to prevent him from financing his campaign, and there were other unsubstantiated charges of assassination plots, etc. The White House and the Bush campaign leaders called it all nonsense. Perot's poll numbers tumbled and Bill Clinton's rose, putting the Democrat ahead of the field. Later Perot decided to get back into the race. On top of the display of paranoia, Perot had selected retired, highly decorated Vice Admiral James Stockdale as his running mate. During the vice presidential debate, Stockdale, who had had little time to prepare for the debate, looked into the television cameras and asked, "Who am I? Why am I here?" Stockdale's apparent confusion and lack of focus throughout the debate produced a series of one liners from comedians and it further called into question the judgment, if not the very sanity, of Ross Perot. The thing was, Perot's paranoia and conspiracy theories played right into the minds of a number of Americans obsessed with such things, and to whom Republican tricks were assumed to be commonplace, no proof required.

Clinton and Gore put the South back into play for Democrats, and Bush seemed to be mired in low poll numbers. On election day, the voters had their say: Clinton/Gore received 43% of the popular vote and 370 electoral votes, including those of former Confederate states Georgia, Louisiana, Arkansas and Tennessee. Bush carried the other states in the South, but he received only about 37 1/2% of the national popular vote. Perot won no states, but he received about 19% of the popular vote. In the U.S. Senate elections, Republicans gained a seat in a close election in Georgia, and defeated the Democratic incumbent in North Carolina, too. In elections for the House of Representatives, based upon redistricting from the 1990 Census, Republicans gained a seat in Alabama, making that delegation 4 Democrats and 3 Republicans; in Arkansas, Republicans gained a seat to make the delegation 2 Democrats and 2 Republicans; in Florida, a state which saw an increase in representation because of population growth, Republicans won 13 seats to 10 for Democrats; Georgia added one new seat and the new delegation was 7 Democrats and 4 Republicans; Louisiana added an additional seat and the new delegation was 4 Democrats and 3 Republicans; Mississippi's delegation remained totally Democratic, with 5 Democrats; North Carolina gained one seat and after the election the delegation was 8 Democrats and 4 Republicans; South Carolina saw Republicans gain a seat to make the delegation 3 Republicans and 3 Democrats; Tennessee remained steady at 6 Democrats and 3 Republicans; Texas added new seats, and after the election, the delegation was 21 Democrats and 9 Republicans; Virginia added one seat, and after the election the delegation was 7 Democrats and 4 Republicans. In elections for governors of former Confederate states, the only change was that Democrats won the governorship from Republicans in North Carolina.   

WORD HISTORY:
One-This word, closely related to original English words of Germanic derivation "only," and to the second part of "alone," ultimately goes back to Indo European "oinos." The Germanic branch of Indo European continued with "ainaz." This was passed down to Old English and Old Frisian as "an" (long "a" sound). There seems to have been a wide variety of pronunciations for the English word, and it later tended to have a long "o" sound for quite some time in many areas of England. The "w" sound, however, seems to have developed in western England, and it eventually was accepted as "standard," although not until the 1700s. The Indo European word was also passed along to other branches of its family, as Latin had "unus," for example, and that word further developed into French "un," and Italian and Spanish "uno." The other Germanic languages have: German "ein," Low German Saxon "een," Dutch "een," West Frisian "ien," Danish "en," Icelandic "einn," Norwegian "en," and Swedish "en" (Swedish also has "ett").

What's In A Name: Elmer, Ellen

Elmer-This is a name from England, originally a family name, which began as "Aethelmaer," with "aethel" meaning noble (see Word History below) and "maer" meaning "famous, renowned." This name contracted to "Aylmer," then to "Elmer." Not a common name anymore, but a next door neighbor many year's ago was named Elmer, and one of his sons was named after him.

Ellen-This name is really a form of "Helen," which goes back to Greek "Helene," and seems to have had to with "bright, shining." "Ellen" was the more common spelling in English until the 1600s, when "Helen" became more common, likely from the influence of Latin and French.

I consulted the following, so for more information on any of the names see: 1) "A World Of Baby Names" by Teresa Norman, published by Perigee/Penguin Group, New York, 2003. 2) "A Greek-English Lexicon," by Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, Roderick McKenzie, and Eric Arthur Barber, published by Oxford/Clarendon Press, 1940. 

WORD HISTORY:
Noble-This word, distantly related to "know" and "can" (the verb), both original English words of Germanic derivation, and to Latin-derived "notice," a word borrowed by English by way of French, goes back to Indo European "gn(oh)/gn(eh)," which meant, "to know." This gave Latin "gnoscere," meaning, "to come to know." This gave Latin the adjective "nobilis," meaning, "well known, renowned;" thus, "famous," with the further implication of "of good and high quality birth." This passed into Latin-based Old French as "noble," with the "of good and high quality birth" meaning becoming primary, and also, "having outstanding qualities." English borrowed the word in the early 1200s, and the noun for a man of high social rank "seems" to have been derived from that a few decades later, but likely with reinforcement by French, and probably by Latin, too. "Noble" replaced the native English word "aethel," which had become "athel." Close relative German still has "Adel," meaning "nobility," and "Edelmann" and "Edelfrau" meaning "nobleman" and "noblewoman," respectively.

Penrose Hot Sausages

Some of you may remember the large jars of Penrose sausages that sat on the counters in little neighborhood stores and bars years ago. The sausages were pickled, perhaps symbolic of what happened to some of the bar customers, too. Depending upon the time frame, the sausages were a nickel or a dime, and some neighborhood bars sold the little sausages on a slice of bread. It was not uncommon for the bars to pickle eggs in the spicy brine after the sausages were all sold. In with the sausages were always a few small fiery red chili peppers. Like my grandfather, I liked spicy food, and the other kids would love to see me eat one of the hot chilies with the sausage. The bar owner would use a long spoon or tongs to get one of the sausages and then to land one of the peppers to go along with it. The people in the bar, all of whom knew my grandfather, would often watch too, as I chomped on the pepper all by itself. No bite of bread or drink of water for me.

From what I understand, they stopped selling the sausages in jars a number of years ago. If I remember right, they had smaller jars for sale in grocery stores, but now they sell them in plastic packets, but I'll bet they don't have any little chili peppers in them. Time changes us and the things from our lives, but we still have the memories, including of those wonderful Penrose pickled sausages with chili peppers.

WORD HISTORY:
Tongs-This word goes back to Indo European "denk," which meant, "to bite, to sting." This gave its Old Germanic offspring "tango," with the notion of, "to grip by biting down." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) the noun "tange," meaning, "pincers," which later also came to be used by some to mean "pliers." Relatives in the other Germanic languages, all meaning "pincers, tongs, pliers:" German has "Zange" (the "Z" is pronounced "ts"), meaning, ""pliers, pincers, tongs;" Dutch and Low German Saxon have "tang" (pincers, tongs, pliers); Danish has "tænger;" Norwegian "tenger;" Icelandic "töng;" Swedish "tång."

Blueberries & Cream Pie

I've known and used this recipe for more than 25 years, but how I got it, I don't recall, and I don't even have it written down. Over the years, besides blueberries, I've done this pie with strawberries, peaches, blackberries, and one time, I even used pineapple. It was good! I've simply chosen to use blueberries this time, because that's what I just bought at the market. The pie has no crust for the top. Very simple to make.

Ingredients:

2 cups blueberries, well rinsed and drained
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup heavy cream + 1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
9 inch pie shell (homemade or store bought)

Heat the oven to 375 F. Place the pie shell in the oven for about 6 or 8 minutes, to firm it up for the cream/milk component that will be added. Remove the crust from the oven and add the blueberries. Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the blueberries, then do the same with the cinnamon. One more time, sprinkle the flour evenly over the top. Mix the cream and milk and then gradually pour it over the pie. Some berries may not be fully covered, but do not fear, civilization has never ended over such trivial things. Bake the pie at 400 F for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the cream has essentially set (it should not be runny). Let the pie cool a bit, then place in the refrigerator to chill it, before serving, as it will set further as it cools/chills. 

 WORD HISTORY:
Bramble-This word, related to "broom," goes back to Indo European "bhrem," which meant, "bristle, thorn, sharp-pointed object." This gave Old Germanic "breme," meaning, "bush with thorns (often specifically used in reference to the blackberry bush)," and the extended, "bremel," as a diminutive form.^ This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "bræmel," with the same meaning. The "b" appeared to make the word, "bræmbel," but still with the "thorny bush" meaning, including the reference to "blackberry bush," and the derived word "bremel" was compounded with "berie," the then form of "berry," to make the Old English word for "blackberry."^^ "Bræmbel" then became "brembel," before the modern version. Forms in other Germanic languages have tended to remain connected to words for "blackberry" in modern times: German "Brombeere," Low German Saxon "Brummelbeer," West Frisian has "brommel" ("seems" little used nowadays), Dutch "braam" (meaning, "blackberry"), Danish "brombær," Icelandic "brómber."   

^ A diminutive is a form that conveys a sense of something as smaller or dearer.

^^ Besides "bremelberie," the color of the berry brought about the development of "blaceberian," also, "blæcberie," both of which are forms of modern "blackberry," but "bramble berry" also developed. German too has had various names for the blackberry, with "Brombeere" being proper, but there are many dialectal forms, a few of which are: "Schwarzbeere" (literally "blackberry"), "Dornbeere" (literally "thornberry"), "Brommelbeere" ("brambleberry") and "Kratzbier/Kratzbeer" (barb berry, after the thorns/barbs. "Kratz" is related to English "scratch").

Cranberry & Chili Sauce Meatloaf

This was the first time I had ever tried this, but I had seen several recipes for a sauce or glaze of cranberries and chili sauce used with beef or pork, or a combination of the two. If you like "heat," you can add more cayenne pepper, but if you don't like "heat," unless you have super hot cayenne, 1/4 teaspoon won't bother you, but it adds just a little spiciness.

Ingredients:

For the meatloaf:
1 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck
1 package (12 to 16 ounces) ground pork sausage (sage type)
3 slices stale/dried white bread, torn or cut into small pieces (lightly toasted sandwich bread is fine)
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped mushrooms
1 tablespoon seasoned salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 eggs
2 tablespoons dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried savory
3/4 cup plain bread crumbs

For the sauce:
1  14 ounce can whole cranberry sauce
1/2 cup Heinz chili sauce 
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar (light or dark)
1/4 to 3/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, to your taste 
2 tablespoons cornstarch + 3 tablespoons water

Begin heating oven to 350 F. For the meatloaf: In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients. Mix well by hand, kneading the mixture to make sure the ingredients are dispersed throughout. Form into a loaf and put into a baking pan or casserole with a lid or foil. Make sure there is room for the juices as the meatloaf bakes. Bake at 350 F for 1 hour 45 minutes, uncover. Carefully pour off as much of the juice as is safely possible,* but leaving a little of the liquid will help to keep the sauce from burning. Smear the cranberry/chili sauce over the meatloaf, keeping some of the sauce to spoon over the meatloaf as it bakes further. It's okay for some of the cranberry mixture to fall or run into the pan/baking dish with the little amount of juice left in the pan. Bake uncovered another 35 to 45 minutes. Check every 10 minutes.

As the meatloaf bakes, mix together all of the ingredients for the sauce in a sauce pan, except the cornstarch/water. Bring to a simmer over medium low heat. Mix the cornstarch and water well. With the sauce bubbling lightly, drizzle in some of the cornstarch/water mixture, stirring constantly. Continue gradually adding the cornstarch until the sauce thickens. Turn off the heat. The sauce will thicken even more as it cools.  

* I used the juice over the mashed potatoes, but I first separated out the fat.   

A nice end piece of the meatloaf, with mashed potatoes, cottage cheese and corn ...

WORD HISTORY:
Cranberry-This word was borrowed from the Low German compound "Kraanbere/Kraanbeere" circa 1650. Low German "Kraan" is closely related to English "crane." "Supposedly" some believed the plant to resemble the bird, a crane. Another possibility is, cranberries often grow in and around marshy areas, where cranes live; thus, the possible association. For its history, see the "Word History" at this link: http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2016/01/homemade-liverwurst.html
Of course, Low German and German "Bere/Beere" are close cousins to English "berry." For the history of "berry," here is that link: http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2008/10/finance-basics-part-three.html

Mexican Breakfast: Chilaquiles

Chilaquiles (pronounced as if, "chee-lah-key-lays") is a common dish in Mexico, especially for breakfast. It can be made with red sauce or green sauce. I've streamlined the process here "a little," as traditionally, Mexicans have used tortillas and chicken leftover from the day before to make this dish. The tortillas were cut into wedges or pieces and then fried until crisp. Store bought tortilla chips cut down on the time needed. You can find cotija cheese in many supermarkets, cheese shops, or most certainly in Latino shops, but you can easily substitute feta cheese. Further, Mexican Crema is commonly used, but again, if you can't find it, the mixture I've listed is a quick and easy substitute.

30 tortilla chip triangles (white or yellow)
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil 
1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce, red or green, homemade* or store bought
1/2 cup crumbled Mexican cotija cheese or feta cheese
1/4 cup Mexican Crema **

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Put the tortilla chips in the skillet and spread them out. Add the enchilada sauce and bring to a simmer then reduce the heat to low. Let tortilla chips soften slightly, remove from heat. Place on serving dishes and add crumbled cheese, then spoon some Mexican Crema over each serving. Serve with fried egg(s), sliced avocado sprinkled with a little lime juice, shredded chicken or bite sized pieces of chicken, or refried beans. 

* For homemade red enchilada sauce:  http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2017/05/red-enchilada-sauce.html

** To make a quick "version" of Mexican Crema, 3/4 cup sour cream thinned with 5 tablespoons of buttermilk and with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt stirred in.

Click to enlarge photo... Chilaquiles with chicken and refried beans

WORD HISTORY:
Corral-This word, distantly related to "car," "carriage" and "course," all of Latin derivation, and borrowed by English, goes back to Indo European "kers," which had the notion of "to run, move swiftly." This gave Latin the verb "currere," meaning, "to run," which produced the noun "currus," which meant, "chariot." Hey, when you've got a chariot, you've got to have a place to park it, and that was a Latin "currale," meaning, "an area for keeping a chariot." This gave Spanish and Portuguese "curral/corral," and it later simply meant, "enclosure, usually for cattle." The word was borrowed by English from Spanish in the late 1500s, with "perhaps" later reinforcement from Dutch/Afrikaans "kraal," in southern Africa, a word Dutch borrowed from Portuguese "curral/corral," as both the Portuguese and the Dutch were involved in southern Africa before heavy British involvement there. "Kraal" meant "a fenced in area for animals."      

The Former Confederacy & Modern American Politics, Part Nineteen

From the time of its founding in the 1850s, the Republican Party and Southerners were not made for one another, as the Republican Party was founded as an anti slavery party, a principle that automatically put that political entity on the opposite side of the South. The feeling of opposition, and outright hatred, toward the Republican Party in the South was so intense, that when the nation's first Republican president was elected in 1860, southern states began to secede from the United States and to join in a new national organization, the Confederate States of America. There was only one thing. The newly elected Republican president said a state could not secede from the United States and he was willing to use military force to prove it. And that's what happened, and hundreds of thousands died during the war. For a hundred years after the war, Southerners remained staunch Democrats, mainly for one reason, the Democratic Party was the opposition party to the Republicans. This commitment to the Democrats was challenged at times, especially like with Al Smith's Roman Catholicism during the 1928 election, as a strong fundamentalist Protestantism ran through much, but certainly not all, of Southern society, and Republican Herbert Hoover won some states of the "old Confederacy" (Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, Texas). The Great Depression and the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt patched up many cracks in the cement between Southerners and the Democratic Party, even though Roosevelt was a Northerner. Hoover's and some Republican's stubborn failure to embrace direct aid to millions of destitute Americans, but their just as stubborn desire to help business people, reinforced the already pro-business image of the GOP left by the Warren G. Harding and Calvin Coolidge presidencies between 1921 and 1929. The image of Republicans as favoring the wealthy over the rest of Americans and of supporting "trickle down economics" * has remained stamped on their party right up until this day. Democratic stumbles and the move by Democrats to firmly become the party of progressive policies has made fear of change a target for Republicans to scare Americans into voting for them, in spite of their finger being on the scale for wealthy interests. When I was younger, if someone mentioned Republicans, there was a good chance you'd hear others immediately say how Republicans were for the rich. Economics can be seen and felt directly by people, and economic events can change people's opinions on economic policies. The Great Depression convinced many people that government was necessary to help regulate some aspects of business and to provide help in economic downturns, something that had been barely tried prior to that time (minimally by the Harding administration in the early 1920s). Franklin Roosevelt and Democrats were seen by many Americans to be the party that was for the average person. This feeling often overcame differences people may have had with some Democrats over many social and regulatory issues, but the moves by many Democrats to speak out for equal rights for black Americans began to split off Southern votes from Democratic presidential candidates, later followed by votes for governors and members of both houses of Congress. The 1980s began the turn of the tide on this political premise, as Republicans implied that many federal payouts went to people who were undeserving, who were cheating the system and, thus, misusing taxpayer money. On top of that, they offered tax cuts to Americans as a way to negate the Democratic economic advantage. Ronald Reagan essentially declared war on the federal government; still, many Americans didn't completely shed their image of the Republicans favoring the wealthy. And so it was with George H.W. Bush.

President Bush's term saw the United States oust Manuel Noriega as the leader of Panama, with Noriega being placed under arrest and sent to the U.S. for trial on drug trafficking charges. In Europe, communism was on its last leg, as communist regimes fell from power, including in East Germany, where the infamous "wall" came tumbling down. In the Middle East, Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein sent troops into neighboring Kuwait, a move that triggered a large scale military response led by the U.S. and Britain, but including Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Syria. The outcome was never in doubt, as Iraqi forces in Kuwait were routed and fled back into their homeland. The military operations undertaken during Bush's first couple of years in office led to a soaring approval rate for the president, but the weakened economy of Reagan's last year or so carried over into Bush's presidency, and was worsened by the impact of high oil and gasoline prices as a consequence of the conflict in the Middle East. So now it came down to economics. The huge budget deficits of the Reagan years also carried into the Bush years. In an effort to take steps to reduce deficits, President Bush made a budget deal with Democrats that was a mix of budget cuts and tax increases. The problem for Bush was his oft quoted, "Read my lips, no new taxes," pledge. The right wing attacked Bush for breaking his pledge. Further, Bush, financially well off, was painted as out of touch with average people. Bush visited a convention of grocers and was shown the latest technology for scanning bar codes on various grocery packaging. His amazement was photographed and written about as if the President didn't know about every day things in American life, although initially the stories did not make clear that the technology demonstrated for Bush was indeed NEW, and not the technology of scanners that had already been in use.

In the midterm election in 1990, there were no party changes to any Senate seats in the former Confederacy. In the House of Representatives, Democrats gained one seat in Arkansas, making that delegation 3 Democrats and 1 Republican; Democrats gained one seat in Florida, making that delegation 10 Republicans and 9 Democrats; Republicans gained one seat in North Carolina to make the delegation 7 Democrats and 4 Republicans; Democrats gained one seat in Virginia to make the state's delegation 6 Democrats and 4 Republicans. The other former Confederate states had no changes in party composition to their delegations. Democrats won the governorships in Florida and in Texas.

* "Trickle down economics" is the idea that if you give benefits to the rich and businesses, that some of that benefit will "trickle down" to those less fortunate.

WORD HISTORY:
Forge-This word, related to "fabric," goes back to Indo European "dhab," which had the notion of "form or fashion something." This gave Latin "faber," meaning "worker in metals; thus, a smith." This then produced Latin "fabrica," meaning, "the workshop of a smith." This passed to Old French, a Latin-based language, as "faverge," which then became "forger." English borrowed the word in the 1300s. The verb form was taken from French "forgier." The idea of "forming, fashioning," came to include the meaning, "to fake or make up something." The derived word "forgery" came into use in English during the latter part of the 1500s.

Mecklenburg Dumplings & Spiced Pears

This is a dessert dish from the region of Mecklenburg, part of the northern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, a large state that runs along the Baltic Sea. In German the dish is often referred to as, "Mecklenburger Klöße mit Birnen" ("Mecklenburg Dumplings with Pears").

Ingredients:

For the pears:
3 or 4 ripe, but firm, pears, peeled, cored and quartered
water to cover
1 cinnamon stick
lemon peel from one lemon
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 4 tablespoons water
pinch of salt

For the dumplings:
1/4 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons cream
2 large eggs or 1 jumbo egg
1 teaspoon sugar
pinch of nutmeg
1/2 cup (more or less) finely ground breadcrumbs

Put the peeled, cored and cut pears, the cinnamon stick, the lemon peel, the sugar and the salt in a pan and add just enough water to cover. Simmer the pears until they have softened, but not so that they are mushy. Add the cornstarch/water mixture and continue to stir until the liquid thickens a bit. It is not supposed to be super thick, however. In the meantime, bring a pan with about 5 to 6 inches of water to a gentle boil. Beat together the butter, eggs, sugar and cream until foamy, mix in the nutmeg and salt. Gradually add the breadcrumbs until a dough forms. If a good dough forms by using less than 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs, that is okay. Likewise, if you need more than 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, add an extra tablespoon at a time, until the dough forms. A "good dough" should be able to hold its shape when put into simmering water. Use a tablespoon to scoop out the dough to form the dumplings and put them into the boiling water. Cook about 5 to 6 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the dumplings. 

Click to enlarge... I've left the cinnamon stick and a piece of lemon peel on the pears purely for the photo

WORD HISTORY: 
Pear-The ultimate origin of this word is unknown, but it goes back to Latin "pirum," meaning, "pear," the plural of which was "pira," apparently mistakenly thought of as a singular when borrowed by Germanic, giving Old English "pere," with the ending "e" pronounced as "eh/ah." The term also spread throughout the other Germanic dialects, giving the modern Germanic languages: German "Birne," ^ Low German Saxon "Beer," Dutch "peer," West Frisian "par," Danish and Norwegian "pære," Icelandic "pera" and Swedish "päron."

^ German too spelled the word with a "p" long ago, but the "b" variation came about and became the dominant form. I wonder if some Germans confused the word with "beri," the forerunner of modern "Beere," the close relative of English "berry?" The "n" seems to have appeared in the 1200s.

Mexican Egg Sandwich (Torta)

This is a fried egg sandwich, or "torta," a word that in Spanish often means "cake," but also means "sandwich" in Mexico. Typically, "bolillo" are the rolls used for this sandwich. A bolillo is a type of French bread roll popularized during the heavy French influence in Mexico in the mid 1800s. The sandwich is a fixture in Mexico, but they are also common in the southwestern areas of the U.S., and other areas where people of Mexican background live. If you cannot find bolillos, you can easily substitute sausage rolls or ciabatta rolls. The "torta" can also be made with chorizo. Remember, the word "torta" is a generic word for "sandwich," and there are a variety of "torta" in Mexico, not just with egg. 

Ingredients (per sandwich):

1 fried egg, yolk intact and slightly runny, or yolk broken and mixed in with the egg white
2 tablespoons refried beans
1 or 2 tablespoons red enchilada sauce (store bought or homemade)*
1 bolillo roll, sausage roll or ciabatta roll, split, then toasted
1 or 2 jalapeño or serrano chili slices, for some "heat"
2 slices Monterey Jack cheese or manchego**
1 or 2 avocado slices
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
sliced onion, sliced tomato and extra enchilada sauce, on the side

Spread the refried beans on the bottom of the roll, top with the cheese. Add the egg and top with the chili pepper. Drizzle on the enchilada sauce. Spread the avocado on the top portion of the roll and sprinkle on the chopped cilantro. Press the sandwich together. Serve with sliced onion and tomatoes on the side. If you like enchilada sauce, as I do, put some in a dish for dipping. YES!

* This is the link for my article about enchilada sauce:  http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2017/05/red-enchilada-sauce.html  

** Manchego is a cheese made from sheep's milk in Spain. It has various classifications according to how long it is aged. Mexican manchego is based on the Spanish cheese, but it is typically made with cow's milk and then aged to a point where it is "similar to" Monterey Jack in taste and texture.  

WORD HISTORY:
Fry-This word goes back to Indo European "bher/pher," which "seems" to have had the notion of "fire, heat;" thus also, "cook or roast." This gave Latin "frigere," meaning, "to fry, to roast," two forms of cooking for which we now have separate terms. This passed to Latin-based Old French as "frire," with the meaning, "to fry." English borrowed the word as "frien" in the latter part of the 1200s. 

Breaded Asparagus With Tartar Sauce

This is great as an appetizer or just as a snack. Asparagus is a common vegetable in the German speaking regions of Europe, where this dish is usually called, "Gebackener Spargel." 

1 pound asparagus
1/3 cup flour
2 beaten eggs
3/4 cup breadcrumbs (Panko style, if you like really crunchy)
1/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese 
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika 
1/2 teaspoon salt (the cheese will have plenty of salt)

Tartar Sauce*

Cut or break off the tough ends of the asparagus stalks. Put the flour on a plate, mix in the pepper and salt. In a shallow dish, beat the eggs. On another plate, mix the breadcrumbs, the Pecorino Romano and the paprika. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Heat the oven to 400 F. Rinse the asparagus and leave the stalks a bit damp. Roll each piece of asparagus in the seasoned flour. Then dip each piece into the beaten egg and then roll them in the breadcrumbs. Place the breaded asparagus spears on the baking sheet and bake for about 15 to 17 minutes. Serve the asparagus with tartar sauce.

* This is the link to my recipe for homemade tartar sauce: http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2016/09/homemade-tartar-sauce.html

WORD HISTORY: 
Asparagus-This word for the plant used as a vegetable goes back to Indo European "speregh," which had the notion, "move or hasten upwards." It is related to "spring" (move upward). This gave Greek "aspáragos" for the name of the plant, from the idea, "shoots of the plant moving upward so prominently from the ground." This was borrowed by Latin as "asparagus," but often rendered also in the clipped form, "sparagus." This was borrowed into the latter period of Old English as "sparage," which then became "sparagi." Close English relative, German, also borrowed the clipped form, which has carried into modern times as "Spargel." The English form was altered to "asparagus" from the proper Latin form in the second half of the 1300s.

Yogurt Drinks of the Indian Subcontinent, Part 4 of 4

Here are two more sweet lassis, including the very popular "mango lassi." 

Mango Lassi-This is a very popular sweet lassi, also called a "smoothie" in restaurants or specialty beverage shops in the U.S. There are also commercially bottled versions of mango lassi. How many brands are there? I have no idea, as I "tend" to prefer freshly made foods, but I did buy a bottled mango lassi recently at a South Asian shop. I guess it was maybe ten ounces, but it was far too sweet for me.

Ingredients for 4 servings or 2 large servings:

1 cup plain thick yogurt
1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon or more honey (see below)
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 cup milk
2/3 cup mango (fresh chopped or canned)
ice cubes

If you want to use fresh mangoes, you need well ripened mangoes. In this case too, you will likely want to add more honey, probably at least 1 tablespoon, but that's a matter of personal taste. Lately, I must admit that I've cheated... I mean, I've chosen a streamlined way; that is, canned mangoes, which usually come in a sweet syrup. If you use canned mangoes, you can reduce the amount of honey, but instead, use a little of the syrup, according to how sweet you want the lassi. You can add a little sprinkle of ground cardamom on top. Put all ingredients in a blender and blend for about 30 to 45 seconds, or until smooth.

Turmeric Lassi

Ingredients per large serving:

2/3 cup plain thick yogurt
1 banana (chilled, lightly frozen)
2/3 cup cold water
3 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 teaspoon chopped ginger
2 tablespoons honey
couple of ice cubes

The banana should be peeled and put into the freezer for about 10-12 minutes. Put all ingredients, including ice cubes, into a blender and blend for about 45 to 60 seconds, or until the banana and ice cubes are broken up and mixed in. You can sprinkle a little turmeric on top, as I've done in the photo.

WORD HISTORY: 
Mango-The ultimate origin of this word is uncertain, although it goes back to Tamil, a Dravidian language of southern Asia, especially from parts of India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Singapore. The transliterated Tamil form, "mankay" (like, "main-kay"), meaning, "fruit of the mango tree."This was borrowed into Malay, a language of the Austronesian language family (which includes Tagalog/Filipino, one of the major languages of the Philippines), as "mangga," meaning, "mango." This was then borrowed by Portuguese^ as "manga," and English borrowed the word from Portuguese in the late 1500s, although its use became more common somewhat later, as the English planted mango trees in some of their tropical possessions in the New World.

^ The Portuguese were great explorers long ago, a fact sometimes forgotten, and they controlled East Timor, then called "Portuguese Timor," from the 1500s until 1975. It then became part of Indonesia, before gaining independence in 2002.  

Indian Lamb Kebabs (Shami)

While many people likely think of "kebabs" (also spelled "kabobs" and "kababs") as being on skewers, they don't really have to be. These are delicate lamb patties with great flavor. Recipes vary somewhat, with the "bean" component sometimes being chickpeas, some type of lentil, or mung beans, with the latter being my choice for this dish. I've seen a recipe or two without any bean component. Beef is also used, but remember, practicing Hindus do not eat beef, but the substantial Muslim population of the Indian subcontinent does eat beef, and from what I understand, these kebabs are often made with beef in Muslim-majority Bangladesh, where they are very popular. Since the ingredients will be put into a food processor, it is not really necessary to finely chop everything. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds ground lamb
1 or 2 tablespoon oil or clarified butter (ghee)
1/2 cup yellow lentils or split mung/gram beans
water for cooking (about 1 1/2 cups, but whatever is needed)
1 cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1  2 inch piece of ginger, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2/3 teaspoon turmeric
3 green chilies, chopped (jalapeño or serrano chilies are fine)
1/4 cup mint leaves, roughly torn or chopped
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (also called fresh coriander or green coriander)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 to 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (according to your preference for heat)
2 teaspoons garam masala
lime wedges, onion cut into rings, mint chutney

Soak the beans for 20 to 30 minutes. Rinse. In a pan, add 1 or 2 tablespoons oil or clarified butter and heat over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, saute for 1-2 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger, stir well, then add the ground cumin, turmeric, green chilies and mint, saute about 1 minute. Add the beans or lentils, and add water to just cover. Turn down heat to medium low and cook at a gentle simmer until the beans/lentils are tender and the water is essentially gone. Let mixture cool a bit, then put it into a food processor. Add lamb, 1/4 cup cilantro, salt, cayenne pepper and garam masala. Process until all is well mixed and fine. Mix in the 2 tablespoons cilantro, but do not use the processor, so that it remains in larger pieces. Heat oven to 350 (F). Form the mixture into patties. Place patties on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake patties for 45 to 55 minutes. If you want the patties a little crisp, pour off any grease and then place them under the broiler for about 45 seconds to a minute on each side. Often served with lime wedges, raw onion rings and/or mint chutney,* but accompaniments vary, often regionally. 

* You can find mint chutney in many supermarkets, but definitely in Indian/Pakistani grocery stores, or you can make your own. Here is the link to my recipe for mint chutney, which is very easy:  http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2017/07/indian-mint-chutney.html

WORD HISTORY: 
-stan-This is the word forming element for geographical entities, like "Pakistan." It goes back to Indo European "sta/steh," which had the notion of "stand, set in place." It is related to a large number of both original English words from Germanic like, "stand" and "stead," as well as borrowed words like, "stay." It is related to German "Stadt," originally meaning, "place," and then "city." The Indo European root produced Indo Iranian "sthanha," which meant, "place where one stands;" thus also, "where one dwells." This passed to Persian as, "stana," and to Sanskrit as "sthana," and eventually was used in Urdu and Hindi in India well before Pakistan and India separated. The meaning came to extend more directly to "place of," "home of" or "homeland of." Exactly when the term started to be added as a suffix to form geographic descriptions is unclear to me, but such are numerous: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Baluchistan (also spelled Balochistan), Uzbekistan, Hindustan and others.

Great Spices and Herbs of the Indian Subcontinent, Part 2

This is the second part about spices and herbs used in the dishes of the Indian subcontinent. I should note, while I've specifically named India, Pakistan and Bangladesh in the first part, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka are also parts of the Indian subcontinent, and while dishes in those countries may have a few other ingredients, many of these general herbs and spices are commonly used in food preparation in these countries too. Readers from those countries, give me some time, because my plans are to do specific dishes from your homelands too.   

Fennel seed-also called "saunf/sonf"-an anise/licorice (British: "liquorice") flavored seed, sort of a gray color (British: grey colour). Besides their being used in recipes, they are sometimes chewed by people on the Indian subcontinent after a meal to aid in digestion, as they are said to be good for the digestive system. Some, but certainly not all, use them in making "chai" (spiced tea). See "Word History" below

Fenugreek-This is a plant, also called "methi," with both the leaves and the seeds used in food preparation on the Indian subcontinent. I have never bought the leaves, nor the whole seeds, but the ground seeds, sometimes called, "fenugreek powder," are easily obtainable in spice shops and in Indian/Pakistani grocery stores. 

Garam Masala-This is a ground spice mixture of many different variations often including, but not limited to, cloves, cinnamon, coriander, black pepper, cardamom, nutmeg. 

Ghee-also known as "clarified butter," is butter with the milk solids removed; thus, the remaining butterfat can be heated to a higher temperature than regular butter. The term "clarified butter" was certainly popularized in the U.S. (and perhaps elsewhere) by English cook Graham Kerr.*

Ginger-also known as "adrak," and also sometimes referred to as, "ginger root." Ginger is a stem-like group of roots and nodes that have a fresh, sharp taste. It is VERY common in many Asian cuisines, and especially so on the Indian subcontinent. It has a light brown skin that must be peeled off, and ginger is often grated or chopped before being added to recipes.

Mango powder-also known as "Amchur," is a golden or light brown colored powder of ground, dried unripened mango. It is sour in taste.

Mint-also known as "podina," is a fragrant herb, with a sort of warm taste, used in cooking, but which can also be used fresh in salads, and it forms the basis of menthol for breath fresheners and toothpaste. It is a common herb used in some chutney or in certain lassi yogurt drinks (smoothies) on the Indian subcontinent.  

Mustard seeds-also called "sarson," are typically the yellow variety in the U.S., and they are commonly used in pickles (cucumbers or other vegetables) and of course, they are ground and used in a popular condiment... "mustard." On the Indian subcontinent, black mustard seeds are more commonly used, and mustard seeds are usually put into hot oil until they "pop," before other ingredients are added or they are removed and added to a recipe. You may well find black mustard seeds in some supermarkets, and more likely in spice shops, and definitely in Indian/Pakistani shops.

Nigella seeds-also known as "kalonji," "black caraway seed," or "black cumin." They are often dry  roasted briefly in a skillet and they are commonly used in recipes, including in, or on top of, some regional naan bread, a common flatbread of the Indian subcontinent. Some spice shops should have these seeds, but they will definitely be available in Indian/Pakistani shops.

Nutmeg-also known as "jaiphal," is a common spice used in cooking, especially in sweetened baked goods. It is available as a rounded whole seed, which you will then have to grate as needed, or it is available in ground form in jars or cans. The ground form can be found in any store that sells even a limited variety of spices, while the whole nutmeg is available in spice shops and many supermarkets.    
Panch Phoron-sometimes as, "Panch Phora," is a mixture of five spice seeds especially common in the Bengal region of India and Bangladesh. I have never bought this, but I'm pretty sure I've seen it in an Indian grocery. 

Parsley-This is a common green herb used in recipes and as a garnish. It should hardly need an introduction to you, and it is sold fresh in just about any produce store or supermarket.  

Pickles-I've included pickles, because on the Indian subcontinent they are common, but these are NOT the pickles you find on your hamburger at the corner hamburger place, but rather a variety of fruits and vegetables that are combined with oil and spices, either individually, or in some combination. They have "heat," and some even have a lot of "heat." I like "mixed pickles." (See photo below)

Pulses-While these are not spices or herbs, they are a common ingredient in food for the people of the Indian subcontinent. They are legumes of peas, beans or lentils, which when split, are known as "dal," Mung beans are also known as "moong beans" or "green gram," are a type of bean/pea, but with the green skin removed, exposing their inside light yellow color. When split, this makes them another type of "dal." Such legumes are common on the Indian subcontinent for everyone, but especially for the many vegetarians there, primarily in India. Lentils come in several varieties, with the dark-colored type the most common in the U.S. On the Indian subcontinent, "red" lentils are commonly used, but they are really an orange color. 

Rose Water-is a flavoring agent made by soaking rose petals in water. It can be found in spice shops or Middle Eastern grocers or Indian/Pakistani grocers. It is often used in sweet foods or drinks.

Saffron-also known as "kesar/kesari," saffron is from the flower of the crocus plant. It is likely the most expensive of all spices. On the Indian subcontinent the threads of saffron, which are typically red or orange in color, are briefly roasted in a skillet, then soaked in warm water or warm milk, giving the liquid a orange to yellow color. The liquid is then put into whatever recipes is being prepared. You will likely find saffron in supermarkets, but definitely in spice shops and Indian/Pakistani grocers.    

Tamarind-is a fruit pulp with a sour taste used in some curries, chutneys and sauces, including steak sauces or other food seasoning sauces. Tamarind can definitely be found in Indian/Pakistani shops, as well as other Asian grocers, but some supermarkets likely have it too. 

Turmeric-also known as "haldi," is an orange/golden colored ground spice that is said to be good for digestion and to fight inflammation. It adds an orange or yellow color to dishes. 

* Graham Kerr was born and raised in England, but he later lived for several years in New Zealand and Australia. He did a television show recorded in Canada for about three years from the late 1960s into the early 1970s. The show was broadcast in the United States, and it was called, "The Galloping Gourmet," and Kerr often mentioned and cooked with, "clarified butter," between gulps of wine... ah, I mean, sips of wine. I watched the show faithfully, and the guy was a hoot, and I swear he was about half tanked by the end of some shows.


You can click on any picture to enlarge it. These are "mixed pickles," my favorite, which I bought at an Indian grocer, but I've also bought similar at a spice shop. This brand has mango (unripened), limes, carrot and green chilies, beside the oil and various spices, including red chili powder (like ground cayenne pepper).

This is rose water, which I bought at a spice shop. This happens to be from Lebanon.

Clockwise from the top: ginger, cumin seeds, black mustard seeds, yellow mustard seeds and nigella seeds (also called, black cumin or black caraway seed)

Clockwise from top left: fresh mint, fennel seeds, mango powder (Amchur), turmeric and saffron.

Clockwise from top left: cilantro (also known as "fresh coriander"  or "green coriander"), ground coriander (from the seeds, listed in "Part 1"), ghee (also known as "clarified butter"), ground fenugreek, tamarind paste/concentrate.

Top, nutmeg; bottom left, red lentils; right, split mung beans

WORD HISTORY:
Fennel-This word for a plant used as a vegetable, an herb and a spice (the seeds), and distantly related to "fetus," goes back to Indo European "dhei," with the notion of, "to nurse, to suckle;" thus also, "to bring up (a child), to produce;" thus further, the result of those actions; that is, "a yield, product, produce." This gave Latin "faenum," which meant, "hay," the diminutive form of which was "faeniculum," ^ meaning, "fennel," from the little "tufts" on the plant that reminded people of "hay."  The Latin spelling later changed to "feniculum." English borrowed the word in the 1200s, as "finel/finol," perhaps initially directly from Latin, but most definitely reinforced by Old French "fenoil," which Latin-based Old French used as its form of the Latin word.

^ A diminutive is a form of a word that conveys a meaning of "smallness" or "dearness." 

Ironside: Memorable Raymond Burr Role

Canadian born actor Raymond Burr was well known to the American public, and even somewhat to the international public, by the mid 1960s, after a long stint of portraying defense attorney "Perry Mason" in the CBS television series of that name. But Burr was also known for numerous movie roles prior to his television duties, especially in Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window," which starred James Stewart and Grace Kelly, in which Burr played the murderer, and also when he played the lead as a reporter in one of the best known monster pictures of all time, "Godzilla, King of the Monsters," not uncommonly just called "Godzilla" by the public. Raymond Burr's personal life only garnered much attention after he died in the second half of 1993. He had had a quiet, long term relationship of more than 35 years with a man named Robert Benevides, to whom Burr left everything.

Right after "Perry Mason" ended its run, Raymond Burr took on the character of Robert T. Ironside, the former chief of detectives in San Francisco, making him known to many associates simply as "Chief." Ironside is confined to a wheelchair after being severely wounded in his spine by a sniper. He subsequently becomes a special adviser to the San Francisco Police Department and its commissioner, played by Gene Lyons. As support, Ironside has a detective, Sergeant Ed Brown, played by Don Galloway, and Officer Eve Whitfield, played by Barbara Anderson. Further, he has Mark Sanger, played by Don Mitchell, as his own personal live in aide, who helps take care of Ironside and who drives his specially equipped van. Sanger, who is black,* is a young man turning his life around from crime to student, and Ironside's confidence in him helps to keep Mark moving forward. Ironside is a stern, blunt and sarcastic leader for his little group, as he tries to teach his knowledge of detective work and life to his "students." He angers them at times, and ruffles their feathers, but they see and understand his purpose, so his cantankerous personality becomes an endearing element to them as the "Chief." After four seasons, Barbara Anderson chose to leave the series and she was replaced by Elizabeth Baur, as Officer Fran Belding.

I regularly watched "Ironside," which was on NBC on Thursday evenings, except for one season, when it aired on Tuesday evenings. The series began in 1967 and ended in early 1975. I recently bought the first season of the show, and remarkably, I recalled one of the episodes, not in great detail, but the gist of it. It certainly fits in with today and all of the events of the last couple of years about people shot by police and police shot by criminals, sometimes in ambush. It dealt with Officer Whitfield shooting and killing a robber who stops to fire at her while fleeing with his older accomplice. It turns out, the guy is only 17 years old and his mother is embittered at Whitfield, who is distraught over the boy's death, even though he fired at her. While not always so easily seen in real life, the episode clearly shows Officer Whitfield fired and killed the man as he tried to kill her, but the 1960s were tense times, as civil rights marches and anti Vietnam war protests developed into violence at times, bringing confrontation between demonstrators and police, and the then inevitable charges and counter charges. Remember, no camera phones in those days to show what had happened, and unless a reporter with a camera crew was lucky enough to catch the events on film, it often came down to one side's word against the other, with no pictures or film to support either side's claims.

The theme song of the series was composed by Quincy Jones.

Since I have only watched the first season, I may do another article later, as I plan to watch the other seasons of the show too.

* During the 1960s, Hollywood began to make more of an effort to use black American performers in more than just little roles. Some examples: Bill Cosby was given a starring role alongside Robert Culp in NBC's "I Spy;" Diahann Carroll got the starring part in NBC's "Julia;" Ivan Dixon played Sergeant Kinch Kinchloe in CBS's "Hogan Heroes;" and comedian Flip Wilson made regular appearances on NBC's "Laugh In," before scoring big with comedy recording albums and then his own television show on NBC in the early 1970s. Black performers also began to get more guest appearances on television shows.      

Photo is of the Shout! Factory Season 1 DVD Box Set

WORD HISTORY:
Stern-English has two words of this spelling, but this is for the adjective, meaning "strict, hard, tough, very serious in behavior." It is related to "stare," "start," "startle," and "stark," all original English words from Old Germanic. It goes back to Indo European "ster," which had the notion of, "stiff, tight, rigid." This gave Old Germanic "sturnjaz," which meant, "astounded" (that is, "serious expression firmly fixed with amazement"). This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "styrne," meaning, "strict, hard, severe." This became "sterne," before the modern form. "Stern" is closely linked with forms of "stare" in the other Germanic languages, which makes it somewhat difficult to separate them, but Dutch has "stuurs," meaning "harsh, unkind, rough, brutal," German has "stur," meaning, "pigheaded, stubborn, obstinate," and also, "störrisch," meaning, "stubborn, mulish, hardheaded," Swedish has "stursk," meaning, "impudent, arrogant." 

Azerbaijani Herb, Yogurt & Rice Soup: Dovga

Azerbaijan is a country of about 10 million people located in the Caucasus region just north of Iran. Its capital is Baku. The primary language is Azerbaijani, one of the Turkic languages. It was part of both the former Russian (Tsarist) Empire and of the former Soviet Union. Azerbaijan is pronounced as if, "awzer-buy-zhawn." I can happily say I have met an Azerbaijani, a man who was attending one of the universities here in Cleveland.

This is a tangy soup, which can be served hot or cold.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup rice
1 2/3 cups water, more, if needed (for rice, more, see below)
1 beaten egg
2 1/2 cups thick yogurt (Greek or Indian style)
2 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped mint leaves
1/4 cup chopped spinach
1/4 cup chopped dill
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt (to your taste)

Rinse and drain the herbs, remove any big stems, then chop the herbs, set them aside. Add the rice and the 1 2/3 cup of water to a pan (I actually used a large skillet). Cook over medium heat, uncovered, until the rice is tender. If you need to add a little more water to finish cooking the rice, do so. Let the rice cool down, then add the well beaten egg and stir it into the rice (if the rice is still hot, it will cook the egg). Stir in the yogurt a little at a time, until it is all mixed well with the rice. Add 2 1//2 cups water, over low heat, bring just to a boil, stirring constantly. Add the herbs and mix well, cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and then add salt.

Click to enlarge

WORD HISTORY:
Patent-This word is distantly related to "fathom," a word from the Germanic roots of English, and to "pace," a Latin-derived word borrowed by English. "Patent" goes back to Indo European "pethe," which meant, "to spread open, to spread out." This gave Latin the verb "patere,"  which meant, "to be open, to lie open;" thus also, "to be evident/obvious, accessible." Its present participial form, "patens," was used as an adjective to mean, "open, lying open," and it became part of the expression, "litterae patentes," meaning, "letters lying open (for public view);" thus, the use of letters (documents) to grant certain privileges. The "patentes/patens" form became a noun in its own right, and it was passed to Latin-based Old French as both a noun and as an adjective as "patente," along with the expression, "lettre patent." English borrowed the word in the second half of the 1300s.

Great Spices and Herbs of the Indian Subcontinent, Part 1

The people of the Indian subcontinent are not shy about the use of spices in their recipes. More and more, people in other parts of the world are discovering the cooking techniques and flavors of far off lands on a regular basis, instead of just on an occasional visit to a restaurant. Such is true with the foods of the Indian subcontinent, and with the spices and herbs that go into providing those foods with their lively, and often fiery, flavors.   

I once made my own naan bread, but I also saw it made in a real Indian tandoor oven in an Indian restaurant here in Cleveland about 1979 or 1980. The place had Indian food displayed right in the window, but it's been so long ago, I just forget everything. That got me interested in Indian food and history, which then was reinforced by the movie "Gandhi" in the early 1980s.

This is most certainly not an all inclusive list of herbs and spices used on the Indian subcontinent, but it will more than adequately cover a wide swath of recipes from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, as well as provide good coverage of many recipes of some other countries of southern Asia. I've tried to add other names for many of the spices and herbs, but the Indian subcontinent is home to MANY languages and dialects, literally hundreds of languages and dialects,* and what is called a particular name in one area, may be called by a totally different name in another region, and by still another name a little further from that, so I'm not claiming that the forms I've listed are the definitive terms. 

Asafoetida-also called "Hing"-a light yellow powder (you might also find it in chunks in some specialty stores or shops). It is from a plant related to fennel. It is known for its strong smell, and it is usually sold in jars with a small sealed opening that has to be punctured to sprinkle the contents, then another top on the jar seals off the opening to keep the smell from escaping. Used in a number of vegetarian recipes by first putting just a small amount in hot oil for just a couple of seconds, which totally mellows the smelly spice.

Black Peppercorns-also called "Kali Mirch," peppercorns are commonly used in many countries, so they are readily available. The popularity of cooking shows on American television in the last couple of decades has made the use of pepper mills to grind peppercorns much more common than they had been, although I'm sure the already ground black pepper in cans still sells very well. Grinding your own pepper makes the pepper fresh and more flavorful and you can make the grind as you want it, from coarse to fine. Peppercorns are also used whole, at times, in certain recipes in various cultures. 

Black Salt-also called "Kala Namak," is a type of salt with a sulfur smell. I have black salt from Hawaii, and it is in small granules, which are truly black in color. I also have a package of black salt from India, and it is mainly powdered, but with some small pieces of the salt left in. It is sort of a light purple or pink color.

Cardamom- also called "Elaichi," can be bought in brown or light green to grayish colored pods that contain seeds that are used to flavor a variety of dishes, among which are sweet dishes and baked goods, including such outside of the Indian subcontinent. Some recipes call for whole cardamom pods to be used and the pods are cracked or smashed first, as this allows the flavor of the seeds inside the pods to season the cooking food (the pods themselves are not eaten). Cardamom is also sold in ground form, which has a gray color. The ground form is readily available in supermarkets and spice shops, while the whole pods are available in Indian/Pakistani shops, and likely some spice shops. The seeds are also sold, but I have never bought cardamom that way.

Chaat Masala is a ground spice mixture, and thus its ingredients vary. Readily available in Indian/Pakistani shops, and in some spice shops.

Chilies-both fresh and dried. You'll see a number of recipes call for "green chilies," and green jalapeño or serrano chilies are fine. Other recipes will call for red chilies, and fresh cayenne chilies are great in this role. Often too, recipes call for dried red chilies, and you want to get dried chilies that give heat and flavor. A number of months ago I bought a bag of dried red chilies, but they turned out to be useless, as the chilies had neither heat nor much flavor. The best thing is that once you find a good dried chili product, stick with it, but unless you fix food with chilies on virtually a daily basis, or unless you regularly fix food for a 10,000 person military base nearby, you're not going to be buying dried chilies every other week. If you go to an Indian/Pakistani grocery store, I suggest you buy the dried chilies there, and give Kashmiri dried chilies a try from there too. They are a deep red color, with moderate heat. Some recipes may say to soak the dried chilies in water, while others may say to put the chilies into hot oil for a minute or so, before adding other ingredients and proceeding with the recipe.

Chili powder (of the Indian subcontinent)-This is not the chili powder used to make Texas or Southwestern chili, but rather it is ground red chilies, like what we call "Cayenne pepper," or "ground red pepper." It is hot, and it's supposed to be. Cayenne pepper is, of course, readily available in just about any store, and you may well already have some on hand in your kitchen cabinet. 

Cilantro-also known as "coriander" or "green coriander," or "Hara dhaniya," is an herb readily available in supermarkets or produce stores. Also common in Mexican and other Latino cooking in the U.S., where the name "cilantro" is most often used. 

Cinnamon-also called "Darchini," is typically used in curled cinnamon stick form on the Indian subcontinent, although the ground form is much more common in the U.S. Further, cinnamon comes from a few variety of trees, and there are differences in how strong the taste is. What is termed "true cinnamon," or "Ceylon cinnamon" is touted as the best variety health wise, but it is also much more expensive. Typically the cheaper cinnamon, called "Cassia" is what you get in supermarkets or grocery stores, and it is no less "true cinnamon" than the Ceylon type, except by name. Readily available in any store that sells spices, but the Ceylon cinnamon will more likely be found in good spice or health food stores, or in Indian/Pakistani grocery shops. 

Cloves, also known as "Laung," are another spice often used on the Indian subcontinent in whole form, although the ground form is readily available. Cloves are actually the powerfully flavorful and aromatic bud of a tropical tree flower. The taste of cloves can overwhelm a dish if you aren't careful, so use sparingly in either the whole form or the ground form. Readily available in just about any store that sells spices.

Coconut milk-This is the product of coconut flesh and water, not the coconut water from the coconut itself. It is used in sweet dishes. It is easily found in cans in many stores, including Latino shops and Indian/Pakistani shops. 

Coriander-also known as "Dhaniya," is often used in the seed form on the Indian subcontinent, where it is first roasted briefly and then ground for use, but it is also commonly sold already ground, which can be roasted right before use. Many supermarkets should have at least the ground form, and spice stores and Indian/Pakistani shops will almost certainly have the seed form also.

Cumin, also known as "Zeera" or "Jeera," is a highly common spice in recipes on the Indian subcontinent, where the whole seeds are roasted and then ground, although the already ground form is also used, and it too can be roasted briefly before use. The seeds look very much like its relative, caraway seed. It is also common in some Latino cooking, especially Mexican. It is readily available in ground form in just about any store that sells spices, but the seeds are easily found in Indian/Pakistani grocers and well stocked spice shops.

Curry leaves-also known as "curry patha," are often used fresh on the Indian subcontinent, where the tree commonly grows. They may be fried briefly in oil and then ground, or chopped and added to recipes. I use leaves that are already ground, which are available in spice stores and Indian/Pakistani grocers. The fresh leaves do not keep well, and while I've never bought the frozen leaves, I've read mixed reviews about them. Finding either fresh or frozen could prove to be a challenge in many countries.

Curry powders-These are spice mixtures with a variety of ingredients (there is no ONE recipe for curry powder), often mixed together for commercial sale, as people on the Indian subcontinent generally add each of the spices to dishes according to their own recipes. It is "my understanding," that curry powder was developed for sale in Britain when much of the Indian Subcontinent was a British colony, as this made it easier to combine spices into mixtures for sale, than to try to transport and sell the individual spices in Britain 200 to 300 years ago. This mixing of spices into "curry powder" has lasted right up to the present, and you can easily find curry powder in supermarkets, spice shops and Indian/Pakistani grocers, often with various brand names, varied ingredients and varied "heat" levels. 

* The main languages of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are Hindi, Urdu and Bengali, respectively. They are all from Indo European and are, thus, related to English, although further down the family tree. Some other languages, primarily in India, but also to some extent from the island of Sri Lanka, are from the Dravidian family of languages. English is often used in governmental matters and in higher education; however, English is not universally spoken on the Indian subcontinent. 

From top left, clockwise: Cinnamon (Cassia), cloves, black peppercorns (click to enlarge)

From top left, clockwise: fresh green and red chilies, dried red chilies, Kashmiri dried chilies

Jar of asafoetida.

WORD HISTORY:
Fetid-The ultimate origin of this word, related to the second part of "asafoetida/asafetida," is uncertain. It goes back to Latin "fetere," which meant "to stink, to smell badly." This produced the adjective "fetidus," meaning, "stinking, foul smelling." This was borrowed by English circa 1400. 

Yogurt Drinks of the Indian Subcontinent, Part 3 of 4

This is what some term "a sweet lassi."  It is not quite as thick as some other lassi drinks.

Mint Lassi (Borhani), for 2 large servings or 3 or 4 smaller servings

2 cups thick yogurt
2 cups water
1/4 cup fresh mint
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon chopped green chili pepper (serrano or jalapeño, is fine)
2 tablespoons ground black salt (see note below)
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Blend all ingredients for about 45 seconds. You can always put a couple of ice cubes in the blender to chill the drink. NOTE: About the black salt called for in the one recipe, there are a couple types of black salt you might find in large supermarkets, spice stores or, certainly, in Indian or Pakistani grocery stores: one is truly black in color, which often comes from Hawaii. The Hawaiian black salt I have is in small pieces that are about half the size of caraway seeds. I put whatever amount I want on a completely dry paper towel or napkin, then I fold the towel over and smack it with a meat mallet. I also have the type from the Indian subcontinent, which is already in powdered form, with some larger pieces of salt mixed in. It is like a pink or light purple color. Black salt has a sulfur smell to it.

Butter Lassi (Makhaniya lassi)

This is a rich drink, although you can always thin it out by reducing the yogurt amount somewhat and replacing it with milk.

2/3 cup thick yogurt
1/3 cup milk
several saffron threads in 2 tablespoons warm water
2/3 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon butter (technically should be unsalted butter, but I won't tell if you use salted butter)
ice cubes

Blend all ingredients, except butter, for 30 seconds. Pour into a glass, add butter on top. The ice cubes should be blended with the ingredients too, to chill the drink.

WORD HISTORY: 
Blend-This word, related to other Germanic words "blind" and "blond," goes back to Indo European "bhel," with the idea of, "to shine, to be bright, to be light in color." This gave its Old Germanic offspring "blandanan," which meant, "to make light in color, to make cloudy/murky;" thus also, "to mix (to make something light or cloudy)." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "blandan" (also the prefixed form, "geblandan"), which meant, "to mix, to blend;" thus also, "to mingle." Further, Old Norse, another Germanic language, was brought to eastern and northern areas of England by people collectively called "Danes" by the English, although they were not all from Denmark, and they brought their form of the same word (with the same general meaning), as "blanda." Together these became "blenden," before the modern version. The noun came from the verb in the mid 1800s. Several related forms in the other Germanic languages have died out, but German has "Blendling" (noun meaning, "mongrel," but now a bit outdated); Danish and Norwegian have "blande" (verb) and "blanding" (noun); Icelandic "blanda" (same form for both verb and noun ), but also "blendingr" (meaning "mixture, hybrid"); Swedish "blanda" (verb) and "blandning" (noun). 

The Former Confederacy & Modern American Politics, Part Eighteen

As Ronald Reagan's time in office drew near its end, his vice president, George H. W. Bush, made his own run for the presidency. While Bush was born and raised in New England, and his wife, Barbara, was born in New York City, they had made their permanent residence in Texas for several decades, and raised their family there (future president, George W. Bush, however, was actually born in Connecticut). Hardcore conservatives were uneasy about Bush, as he had opposed Reagan in the early primaries in 1980, and the term, "voodoo economics," about Reagan's economic plans, was used by George Bush in that primary campaign against Reagan. One of the major controversies for Bush was his role in "Iran-Contra." * Bush's defense was that he "was out of the loop;" and that he hadn't known about the illegal diversion of funds from the sale of weapons to Iran to Nicaragua. Since Reagan was then president, the main focus of investigation into the affair was to determine his role in it, as well as that of the active participants, and the independent counsel investigating the matter later admitted that Bush was not given the scrutiny he should have had. (More on this in the next part)

No question about it, racial issues were the initial matters that pulled Southerners into the Republican column over the decades, but another major issue to develop was over abortion. With religious fundamentalism so prominent in many parts of the South, and with Roman Catholicism having many adherents in Louisiana and Florida, the more Southerners who switched to the Republican Party, the more socially conservative the party had to become, and the more diminished social conservatism became in the Democratic Party. While this isn't always easily proven, politicians of whatever political party will say a lot of things just to get votes, or to mute criticism, even though their personal feelings may well be indifferent to a particular subject, or perhaps even on the other side of an issue. It's always been my feeling that Reagan announced conservative positions on some issues, because he and his advisers felt he had to do so, not because he necessarily agreed with a particular position, or that he was passionate about his "announced position." We saw that he would mention abortion in some speeches, but he never terribly pursued the issue in his policies. Still, fundamentalist religious people, led by Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, both from former Confederate state, Virginia, never abandoned Reagan. On the other hand, Robertson actually entered the 1988 Republican presidential race, which included Senator Bob Dole of Kansas, besides then Vice President George Bush. Bush had been more to the pro-choice side of the abortion issue, and, over time, he and his family had generally supported family planning, an issue that was highly controversial in the United States in Bush's younger days, as contraception was illegal in many states and the promotion and mailing of contraceptive literature or devices was long against the national law (Comstock Law), and Catholicism and some Protestant fundamentalists were against contraception. Even sex education was not always supported by some. In the Republican primaries, George Bush, who had, at least nominally, gotten on board the anti-abortion wagon while serving under Reagan, had to declare his opposition without hesitation. Lee Atwater, who was born in Georgia, and who lived much of his life in South Carolina, was Bush's campaign manager. Bush easily won the Republican nomination, and he ran well in the former Confederate states, even though Pat Robertson remained in the race until mid May. To shore up his conservative credentials, and to appeal to the young conservatives of the 1980s, Bush chose Dan Quayle a senator from Indiana as his running mate. While a controversial pick, in that Quayle did not have much experience, he was very socially conservative.
   
On the Democratic side, Senator Al Gore of Tennessee dropped out of the race in April, although he won primaries in North Carolina and Tennessee. Jesse Jackson, of South Carolina, won primaries and caucuses in: Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas (a primary and caucus state, where he split with Dukakis. Michael Dukakis of Massachusetts, won only in Florida (and split in Texas) in the South, but he won a large number of states in the northern and western parts of the country to clinch the nomination. In an effort to appeal to Southerners, Dukakis chose Senator Lloyd Bentsen of Texas as his running mate.

In the general election campaign, Republicans tagged Dukakis, who was the governor of Massachusetts, as a "liberal," a word that had been so besmirched by conservatives during the 1980s, that some Democrats tried to avoid it, giving Republicans the glee of pointing out what they came to refer to as, "the 'L' word." Democrats took many a swipe at Dan Quayle for his inexperience and that, if the Bush-Quayle team were elected, that Quayle could turn out to be president. Bush appealed to the growing conservative element in the Republican Party by trying to assure doubters about his commitment to not raising taxes by saying, "Read my lips... no new taxes." There were other aspects to the 1988 campaign, but there is no point in going into detail, as Dukakis was very unlikely to carry southern states, and in the November vote, that proved to be the case, as Bush swept the states of the former Confederacy by wide margins. In total, Bush received about 53 1/2% of the national vote, to 45 1/2% for Dukakis. In the all important Electoral College, Bush won in a landslide, 446 to 111, and 1 for Bentsen, as one Democratic elector in West Virginia (a state carried by Dukakis/Bentsen) abandoned his pledge to support the Democratic candidate, and chose to vote for Bentsen for president.

In the U.S. Senate races in former Confederate states, Democrats captured a Republican seat in Virginia, while Republicans won Democratic seats in Florida and Mississippi. Overall, Democrats gained one seat nationally. In the House of Representatives in former Confederate states, Republicans gained 2 seats in Florida, making the delegation 10 Democrats and 9 Republicans; Democrats gained a seat in Georgia, making that delegation 9 Democrats and 1 Republican; in Texas, Democrats gained 2 seats to make the delegation 19 Democrats and 8 Republicans. Nationally, Democrats netted a 2 seat gain. Only North Carolina had a 1988 election for governor in the former Confederate states, and Republicans held that governorship. 

* I covered the basics of "Iran-Contra" in Part Seventeen" of this series. This is the link: http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2017/11/the-former-confederacy-modern-american_12.html

WORD HISTORY: 
Abort-This compound word, the second part of which is related to Latin-derived words borrowed by English, "origin," "original" and "originate," and now almost always used as a verb, but once used somewhat more commonly as a noun, goes back to Indo European "heri," which had the notion, "to spring forth, to arise:" thus by extension, "to come into existence, to be born." This gave Latin "oriri," with the same meanings. The "ab" part of the word is related to words of the Germanic languages meaning "off" and "of" (including these two English words) through Indo European "apo," which meant "away from, off (from)." The combined terms gave Latin "aboriri," meaning, "to miscarry, to end a pregnancy, to disappear." Its participle was "abortus," which was borrowed by English as "abort" in the mid 1500s.