Chinese Cucumber Salad

This dish is also at times called, "(Chinese) Smashed Cucumber Salad." Like most popular dishes, the recipe for this cucumber salad can vary a little.

Ingredients:

2 English (aka seedless) cucumbers
3 garlic cloves, chopped
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 to 1 teaspoon fresh hot red chili pepper, finely chopped* 
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon salt

Wash the cucumbers very well and dry them. Cut the ends from the cucumbers and then very loosely wrap the cucumbers in plastic wrap, but do not peel them. Use a kitchen mallet or a heavy skillet and hit the cucumbers until they are split (now you see why the salad is often called "smashed cucumber salad"). Remove the cucumbers and slice them lengthwise a couple of times, then cut those long pieces into pieces of about 1/2 inch or so. Put the pieces into a strainer and add the salt and sugar. Put the strainer over a bowl and let the cucumbers drain for about 30 minutes. In the meantime, mix the other ingredients together well. Add the drained cucumber pieces to the mixture and stir well, making sure all of the cucumber pieces are coated. You can serve the salad immediately or refrigerate it for about an hour.

* Instead of fresh chili pepper, you can also use chili pepper flakes or sambol oelek chili sauce (Sambal Oelek is an Indonesian chunky hot chili pepper sauce. It should be easily found in the Asian section, or in the hot sauce section, of supermarkets). If you don't like any heat, just use some red or yellow bell pepper.

WORD HISTORY:
China-This word's history is a bit uncertain, although it "seems" to go back to the "Qin" dynasty, which ruled in China during and around 220 B.C., although the word "might" predate that time. This then was taken by Sanskrit as "cinah," and "cinas," as the name for the people of the area of China; thus, this would also be the direct ancient source of "Chinese" in English and other European languages. This "likely" became part of Hindi, as transliterated "cin" (long "i"), and this was picked up by the Portuguese as "China," as they explored, traded and set up outposts in the Indian subcontinent. The Portuguese took the word back to Europe, where it was taken by English in the first half of the 1500s. The 1600s saw the term "china" used for porcelain dishware in English, as these were originally brought in from China. 

Trinidad & Tobago Dish: Pepper Shrimp

Trinidad and Tobago is a Caribbean nation of two main islands and several other smaller islands, with Venezuela as the country's closest neighbor. It was a British colony from the early 1800s until the early 1960s, when the islands gained independence. The islands have a highly diverse population of slightly less than than 1.5 million, with many people descending from slaves or laborers from Africa and India. English is the official language of Trinidad and Tobago, although other languages have influenced the spoken form of English, as the original native people, along with Europeans who spoke Spanish, Portuguese and French, all have made contributions to the language and culture of the islands. This shrimp dish shows the Chinese influence on Trinidad and Tobago, but also how the island culture has added its own features to the recipe, one of which is the use of ketchup.

You can make this is as hot and spicy as you choose, but it's my understanding the islanders like it very spicy hot, even providing bottles or dishes of hot pepper sauce (made from scotch bonnet or habanero chili peppers) for those who want to intensify the heat. Calm down if you don't like the heat. I've added some notes on how to lessen the fiery tastes. I've only made this dish once, but I intend to make it again... and again. All of the ingredients are readily available in supermarkets, although on the islands, a healthy dose of "green seasoning" would replace some of the individual ingredients. Green seasoning is a mixture of seasonings, with various green elements, like cilantro, being the main component. Ah, so that's why they call it, "green seasoning!" They can't fool me. Trinidad and Tobago "green seasoning" is not necessarily something you will find easily on a worldwide basis in supermarkets, although I bought some I found online. I also bought some real Trinidad and Tobago hot pepper sauce, which has some mango and other ingredients. After first tasting just a small drop, I wondered, at what temperature does glass melt? But the bottle survived and feeling returned to my mouth after a short time. 

Ingredients:

1 pound large or medium large shrimp, already cooked shrimp sold in markets are fine
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
1/2 cup chopped onion
2/3 cup mild red pepper (red bell pepper is fine)
1 habanero or scotch bonnet, finely chopped*
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 garlic cloves, chopped
half of a well chopped green onion (primarily the light green part)
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2/3 cup tomato ketchup
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
2/3 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
garnish with 3 chopped green onions (scallions), with some green

Mix the lemon (or lime) juice in with the rinsed and well drained shrimp, set aside. In a skillet, heat the oil over medium heat, then turn the heat to low. Saute the onion, ginger and hot chili pepper for about 2 minutes. Now add the cilantro, the garlic, the green onion half and the thyme leaves; saute a further 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce, the ketchup and the sesame oil, mix in well. Now add the shrimp with the lemon juice. Mix and turn the shrimp to coat with the sauce. Make sure the shrimp get heated through, then season with salt and pepper. The sauce was nice and thick, but don't be afraid to adjust it to the way you want it. You can add a little water to thin it (many of the recipes I checked used some water), or you can add a little more ketchup or even some cornstarch and water to thicken it. Garnish with chopped green onions and serve with rice.    

* If you like "some" heat, but not an inferno, use just 1 teaspoon finely chopped habanero or scotch bonnet. If you don't really like much heat at all, skip the fresh chili pepper and just add a good pinch of cayenne pepper. When mixed in with the other ingredients, this should keep any serious heat from the dish. As I've noted here before, chili peppers can vary tremendously in heat, even habanero type chilies, with some being mouth numbing, while others lack much heat intensity.

WORD HISTORY:
Lent-This noun, related to "long" and "length," both words from the Germanic roots of English, goes back to Indo European "dlonghos," which meant, "long." This gave Old Germanic "langaz," with the same meaning, and this was coupled with the Old Germanic word "tinas/tinaz," which meant "day" (it is related to Latin "dies") to form, "langitinaz," literally, "long(er) day," which was the West Germanic word for "spring" (the season), as it referred to the lengthening amount of daylight during that part of the year. This gave Old English "lencten," which meant, "spring." By the 1100s, the English had used the term to designate the 40 days of fast before Easter and the word had by then become "Lenten," and the meaning for "springtime" began to be overtaken by "spring" by about 1400. To my knowledge, English is the only Germanic language to have used the word with the religious meaning. By about 1400 the word had been often been shortened to "Lent," but English retained both forms. The other West Germanic languages have: German "Lenz," Low German "Lent" (whether this spelling was influenced by English, I'm not sure), Dutch "lente." I could not find a form in hard to research Frisian. These Germanic forms all mean "spring," although only Dutch uses it as their standard word for that time of year. By the way, German once used "Lenzing" as its word for the third month of the year, before settling on "März," as the standard word. Like its English cousin "March," März is a word going back to Latin and relating to the Roman god "Mars." 

Indonesian Chicken

I'm calling this "Indonesian Chicken," as it is based upon some recipes I've seen from that island nation. It is a good dish for a slow cooker. By the way, Indonesia is a group of islands; that is, it is an archipelago. It consists of more than 17,000 islands, although many of the islands are uninhabited. The best known islands are Sumatra, Java, Bali and New Guinea, although only Western New Guinea is actually part of Indonesia. Indonesia's capital city of Jakarta is located on Java, and that island's name was applied to coffee from there, and this was taken by American English to eventually become a slang term for coffee in general, as "Java coffee" arrived at West Coast American ports. Much of Indonesia was a Dutch colony (called the Dutch East Indies) until the area was overrun and occupied by the Japanese during World War Two, and the end of that war brought Indonesian independence. How many Indonesians died as a result of the Japanese occupation is unclear, but it certainly seems to have been in the hundreds of thousands, and perhaps even a couple of million. The long association between the Netherlands and Indonesia gave many influences to Dutch cuisine still in evidence to this day.

I highly recommend boneless chicken for this recipe, as when I first made this, I used whole chicken legs and it left small pieces of bone in the finished dish, and that's not fun.

Ingredients:

8 chicken thighs (preferably boneless) or whole chicken legs
1/2 cup ketjap manis (or substitute*)
1/4 cup water
1 heaping teaspoon sugar
4 garlic cloves, chopped
juice of 2 limes
6 green onions, chopped (with green)
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
1 chili pepper, finely chopped
2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons water
1/4 chopped parsley

Add everything, except the cornstarch and water and parsley to a slow cooker. Put on "high" for one hour, then turn the setting to "low" and cook for about another 3 to 5 hours. Add the cornstarch/water mixture and stir it in, as best you can. The liquid should begin to thicken almost immediately, but let everything cook for a few minutes before checking to see if the sauce has thickened enough. Serve with rice and with the parsley sprinkled on top.

* "Ketjap Manis" is Indonesian soy sauce, which is syrupy and sweet. Some supermarkets or Asian markets will likely have "ketjap manis," but the keyword here is, "some." You can substitute regular soy sauce with some molasses, or even brown sugar, cooked together for just a few minutes.

I had the chicken with rice, raw carrot pieces, tomato slices and fresh basil leaves...

WORD HISTORY:
Parsley-This is a compound word, with the first part related to the name "Peter," and the second part related to "celery," a word borrowed by English from French, which borrowed it from Italian, which got it from Latin, which got it from Greek (whew!). "Parsley" goes back to transliterated Greek "petrosélinon," which meant "parsley" (literally, "rock/stone parsley," because it grew on rocky slopes). This came from Greek "pétros," which meant "rock, stone," but where Greek got the word is unknown. The second part came from Greek "sélinon," which meant "celery." "Sélinon" is also a word of unknown history. Latin borrowed the compound Greek word as "petroselinum," which then became "petrosilium." This was borrowed into English as "petersilie," meaning, "parsley." Meanwhile, the Latin form was passed to Latin-based French in the abbreviated form "peresil," which heavily influenced the English form (essentially merged with it) in the 1300s. The other Germanic languages all use forms from the Latin; and in fact, German uses the same form as English once had, "Petersilie." 

Colombian Red Beans: Frijoles Rojos Colombianos

You can use dried beans and then soak them overnight, but it is much easier to use canned kidney beans, a VERY common food product in the United States, and in many other countries too. There are variations for this dish; and in fact, some people serve fried ripened plantains* on the side, rather than using plantains in the actual beans. I likely checked about 12 to 15 recipes, and all but 3 or 4 had no meat, with one of those using smoked pork, and the 2 or 3 others using chorizo (sausage).

Ingredients:

3 cans (15.5 to 16 ounces each) light red kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, chopped
3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1 green plantain, peeled and chopped 
2 packets Sazón Goya with annatto **
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2/3 teaspoon salt
cubed avocado sprinkled with a little lemon juice for a garnish
green onion, chopped, garnish

Put the chopped plantain into a pan with some water over medium heat. Cook the plantain until softened. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and add the onion, bell pepper and carrot. Saute for about 3 minutes, then add the garlic and saute further until the vegetables are softened. Add the tomatoes and cook just a couple of more minutes. Add the drained and rinsed beans, the cumin, the Sazón Goya with annatto, the cooked chopped plantain and the black pepper; mix together and add the chicken broth, stir well again. Increase heat to medium until it begins to simmer. Adjust heat to just maintain a simmer and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the chopped cilantro and the salt and stir. Serve the beans in bowls, adding some pieces of chopped avocado and some chopped green onion on top, and serving some rice along side.  

* The ripened plantains, which usually have a blackened peel or a peel with black spots, are peeled, sliced and sweetened with sugar (often brown sugar) and fried in some oil.

** Sazón Goya is a Latino seasoning that is easily obtainable in the Latino section of the supermarket or any Latino market. I bought a small box of 8 packets for about $1.75. There are different types, but the one with coriander and annatto is the one you need. Annatto is a seasoning and food coloring product from the seeds of the achiote tree. It is commonly used in dishes from the Caribbean and Central and South America.

WORD HISTORY:
More (2)-English has a couple words of this spelling, but this is the noun, which was long the English word for "carrot," until replaced as the main word by that borrowed word, "carrot." It goes back to Indo European "murk/mrk," which meant, "edible root." This gave Old Germanic "murhon," ^ with the more specific meaning "carrot," but also, "parsnip." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "moru," with those same meanings. This then became "more" (likely pronounced as if, "mor-eh"/"mor-ah"). "Carrot" began to overtake it in the early 1500s. It is still used as a dialect word in parts of the UK. Low German and Dutch both had "more," but it was overtaken by "wortel," a word related to English "root" (likewise with West Frisian "woartel" ^^). German still has "Möhre," but it shares the meaning with "Karotte," also borrowed by German, and both forms are commonly used.    

^ This may have been a West Germanic survival from Old Germanic, as I could not find any forms in the North Germanic languages or in Old Norse from centuries ago, except as a borrowing.

^^ Low German and Dutch "wortel" and West Frisian "woartel" (German has "Wurzel") are related to Old English "wyrtwala," which meant "root, lower part of a plant." Old English "wyrt" itself meant, "herb plant," which were also used to flavor old forms of beer, and the term is still associated in English with beer making to this very day, as well as with certain plants like, "Saint John's Wort."

A Bomb For Hitler: "Valkyrie," 2008 Tom Cruise Movie

I've done a few articles on the subject of the attempt on Hitler's life and this one provides an overview to the actual historical events, if you are interested: http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2011/08/german-question-part-one-hundred-fifty_29.html

The problem with these kinds of pictures is that they are based upon historical events; thus, we already know the overall outcome. It's like with the various pictures about the Titanic, the ship hits an iceberg and sinks. It always ends the same. Damn! You'd think after the first movie, they'd know to stay away from icebergs! With the July 20, 1944 attempt on Hitler's life, the subject has been covered, in whole or in part, in numerous films dating back decades. Perhaps we need to have new versions to continue to show younger generations that resistance to fascism did exist, even in a totalitarian system like that of Germany under the Nazis. Notice too, I said, "based upon historical events." This doesn't mean that the movies are documentaries, but rather, that they contain scenes depicting, "to some degree," events that actually took place historically.* Movies are written, filmed and released to make money and in many cases the overall real historical events wouldn't keep people in their seats or make them want to buy tickets to a movie theater, so..... things get spiced up to hold the attention of the audience; or at least, that's what the movie studios hope. So it is with this film, "Valkyrie," although you must admit, planting a bomb near Hitler and then trying to take control of Germany from the Nazis is a story that should hold the attention of most viewers.  

"Valkyrie" (German: "Walküre")** comes from that word's use as a German code name for a military plan to secure parts or all of Germany due to any threat to German government control for any reason, including rebellion. A number of the officers with responsibilities for carrying out any such military operation were anti-Nazis, and they cleverly decided to use the plan to take over the German government FROM the Nazis, once Hitler was either arrested or killed.     

There is a large cast for this movie, and some of  the main cast members are: American actor Tom Cruise as Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, British actor (from Northern Ireland) Kenneth Branagh, as Colonel (later General) Henning von Tresckow, English actor Bill Nighy as General Friedrich Olbricht, English actor Terence Stamp as General Beck,*** English actor Tom Wilkinson as Colonel General Friedrich Fromm, German actor Thomas Kretschmann as Major Otto Remer,**** English actor Jamie Parker as Stuaffenberg's military aide, Werner von Haeften, and last, but not least, The Wacko-in-Chief, Hitler, is played by English actor David Bamber.

This version of the nearly successful attempt to kill Hitler begins with Claus von Stauffenberg serving with the German army in Tunisia, where he is severely wounded. The scene shifts to Hitler visiting a group of officers, including then Colonel, and soon to be General, Henning von Tresckow,  on the Eastern Front in Russia. When Hitler boards his plane to leave, Tresckow asks one of the officers who will accompany Hitler on the flight to take a package containing a bottle of liquor with him to be delivered to another officer. The package indeed contains a liquor bottle, but it is specially fitted with a bomb. The plane flies off, and later Tresckow learns that it lands safely; that the bomb failed to go off for some reason. The bomb must now be retrieved, lest the plan by Tresckow and others be discovered. He contacts the man with the "package" and he then makes the trip to get the bomb back into his possession. When he arrives, he learns from General Friedrich Olbricht, that one of the other conspirators has been arrested for unknown reasons, but Tresckow retrieves the package containing the bomb without incident. This whole segment shows how dangerous it could be to plot against Hitler.

The badly wounded Stauffenberg is released from the hospital, minus his right hand, two fingers on his left hand and his left eye. Stauffenberg, a devout Catholic, meets General Olbricht in church, where Olbricht tells him the resistance movement needs someone like him. Stauffenberg tells him that as he lay on the ground badly wounded in North Africa, and thinking he would die, he hung on because he says he thought, "If I die, I will leave my children nothing but shame," but he also tells Olbricht that if any plot against Hitler fails, that he fears for what will happen to his wife and children at the hands of the Nazis. Stauffenberg goes to a meeting of a number of army officers of the German resistance, but he doesn't like their lack of a plan for what they will do if Hitler is successfully removed from power, as other Nazi leaders will be able to step in; so, he leaves the meeting without making a commitment to the resistance. Afterwards, Stauffenberg sees his wife and children, but the air raid sirens sound and Allied aircraft drop bombs in the area, which helps to convince Stauffenberg that something has to be done.

Stauffenberg is assigned to the German Replacement Army (German: Ersatzheer), which the Germans used to induct, train, equip and then dispatch men to combat units in need of replacements. This substantial military force also acted as a "home army," with the general assignment to help keep public order or quell any rebellion. Several officers of the Replacement Army were anti-Nazis, with some being active members of the resistance. Stauffenberg meets with a couple of high ranking resistance officials and proposes using the army plan for securing Germany during a rebellion, but to use the plan AGAINST the Nazis. The idea was that once Hitler was killed, that the resistance would tell the German military and the German public that the Nazis and Heinrich Himmler, the head of the notorious Nazi SS, are the ones responsible for Hitler's death; thus, the army will oppose the Nazis and the SS out of German patriotism. One person they will need is Colonel General Friedrich Fromm, as he is the head of the Replacement Army and he will be needed to issue orders if this plan is to be put into operation. Stauffenberg and Olbricht go to see Fromm and they make "obvious hints" about him becoming a high official in any post-Hitler army. Fromm listens, understands the "hints," but he tells them that they have all sworn an oath of loyalty to Hitler, and that as long as Hitler is alive, he will remain loyal, and that he will forget that this meeting has ever taken place. This leaves a major lose end, but the plotters move on with their plan for the use of the army to suppress the Nazis and the SS and they lay out an actual assassination plan to kill Hitler. Further, they establish who will form the new German government to replace the Nazis.
  
Stauffenberg goes to meet Hitler and takes a bomb along in his briefcase. The plotters hope to kill Hitler, Göring and Himmler at the meeting, but Himmler is not present, so the plan is canceled.***** A few days later, however, on July 20, 1944, Stauffenberg attends another meeting with the intention of carrying out the assassination, regardless of which other Nazi leaders are there. Stauffenberg puts his bomb laden briefcase under the conference table with Hitler nearby and then he leaves the room for a prearranged telephone call. The bomb goes off and Stauffenberg and his aide, Werner von Haeften, manage to get through security and head to a waiting plane to fly to Berlin, where Stauffenberg believes that "Valkyrie" is being put into effect. Once back in Berlin, nothing has happened, as none of the leading conspirators were bold enough to act, because there was no confirmation that Hitler was dead. In fact, reports come in saying that Hitler is alive. The order for Valkyrie is given without Colonel General Fromm's actual signature, and in fact, Fromm is arrested by the conspirators. Various scenes show the army forces rounding up Nazis and SS personnel, but Berlin itself is not under the control of the army as yet. An order goes out to arrest Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi propagandist and one of Hitler's chief subordinates. The "Grossdeutschland" Battalion is mobilized to take Goebbels into custody and to help secure Berlin.****** As the unit arrests Nazi officials, the unit's commander, Major Otto Remer, receives a new, but conflicting order to arrest Colonel Stauffenberg. Remer and his battalion go to the Goebbels residence to arrest the Nazi. Goebbels watches the army troops arrive and he places a poison capsule into the side of his mouth. He then telephones Hitler's headquarters so that, when Remer comes into the office, Goebbels hands him the phone. On the other end is Hitler himself, who orders Remer to take the conspirators alive. When Remer leaves, Goebbels pulls the poison capsule from his mouth and swallows hard.

Like Remer had been, other army officers are left with a decision to follow the orders coming from Stauffenberg and his associates in the War Ministry in Berlin, or to follow orders from Hitler's headquarters, where communications to elsewhere have resumed after being shut down in the aftermath of the explosion. More and more officers choose the latter, as word spreads that Hitler is not dead, as Stauffenberg had believed, although Stauffenberg at first remains in denial. The army communications center cuts the phone lines from the War Ministry and the main participants of the plot are now isolated. Remer and his men arrive and take the anti-Nazi officers into custody. Colonel General Fromm is released and he orders that the arrested officers be shot. The men are taken outside and one by one they face a firing squad. (Note: I've read somewhere, but I don't recall where, that before filming of the scene began, the film crew and actors observed a moment of silence for the real plotters executed in the scene, as the scene was filmed on the exact location of the executions in Berlin.)

* While not terribly important, I caught a mistake early on in the film. The scene showing Stauffenberg being wounded comes before the scene of the attempt to blow up Hitler's plane with a bomb hidden in a liquor bottle. In fact, the attempt on Hitler's life came in March 1943 and Stauffenberg was wounded in Tunisia in April 1943, just 4 to 5 weeks before the surrender of the Germans and Italians in North Africa to the British and American forces there. 

** "Valkyrie" is a term from Old Germanic, "perhaps" more specifically from Old Norse, for female subjects of the god "Odin"/"Wotan" who led selected fallen warriors to "Valhalla," a large hall ruled by Odin; thus, they are "super heroes." The Old Norse mythology has endured to the present, but it seems that the various gods and characters in these stories were widespread among the Germanic tribes, not just the Norse. English once had several words for "Valkyrie," including "wælcyrie," and "wælcyrge." Just my opinion, but the first seems to be more of a true English form, while the second may have come from the closely related Old Norse form "valkyrja." Old Norse and English are related languages, and Old Norse had many influences on English, as the Norse and the English often clashed. Norse speakers conquered and settled in large parts of northern and eastern England; thus, many Norse forms of existing English words, and some new words, came into English.      

*** Terence Stamp became a sensation in his first major film in the title role of "Billy Budd," a movie I went to see with my father when it was released in the early 1960s.

**** Remer survived the war and promoted right wing, fascist-like, political stances.

***** This part of the movie goes partially against history, as Stauffenberg did indeed meet Hitler, but it was at his villa above the town of Berchtesgaden in the Bavarian/Austrian Alps, not at his military headquarters in a forested area near Rastenburg in northeastern Germany. Hitler had remained at his villa, because his headquarters was being strengthened against attack. The meeting took place, but the bomb plan was called off, because Heinrich Himmler was not at the meeting. Not long thereafter, Hitler did, indeed, leave for his military headquarters where the assassination attempt would take place a few days later.

****** The "Grossdeutschland" Battalion was an elite German army unit that provided security in Berlin. It also provided personnel for ceremonial purposes in the capital. It was part of a very large overall military formation that also provided Hitler with an army security detail, as well as combat units for the front during the war. The name is usually rendered as "Greater Germany" in English, but it literally means, "Large Germany," as it goes back in German history to the debate over whether the German states would unite into a modern nation with Austria (known as the "large Germany" plan) or without Austria as a constituent part (known as the "small Germany" plan; "Kleindeutschland"). The Habsburg family that then ruled Austria had amassed a large number of territories populated by non Germans, which made this a contentious issue. After Austria was incorporated into Germany in March 1938, the term "Grossdeutschland" came into more use.     

Photo is from the 2009 2 disc Special Edition United Artists/MGM DVD 

WORD HISTORY:
Cost-This word is a contracted form of a previously prefixed word beginning with the common Latin prefix "co/con/com," which had the general meaning, "with, together." The second part is from Indo European "sta," which meant, "to stand," and it is the ancestor of a whole series of words in English and other Indo European languages, including original English word "stand," which is from its Germanic roots. The two parts gave Latin "constare," which meant, "to stand at/with;" thus also, "to consist of," ("components which makes it stand/be firm") and "to cost" ("a set/standing price or cost for something"). This then became "costare," and it passed into Latin-based French as "co(u)ster" (to cost) and the noun "co(u)st." English borrowed the noun in the early 1200s, but when the verb was borrowed is unclear to me (1390s?). An interesting tidbit: German also borrowed the verb, as "kosten," with the same meaning, "to cost," but the noun form, "Kost," by its older meaning in German of "a cost in money or effort for food" saw the meaning transfer to "food," and it is one of German's words for "food." 

Spanish White Wine Sangria

Besides the traditional Spanish red wine beverage "Sangria," along came a white wine version. Most recipes say to use a dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio, but I've used Moscato and it was great.

Ingredients:

1 bottle white wine
1 cup apple juice
1/2 lemon, sliced
1/2 cup strawberries, quartered
1 cup peach, chopped
1 cup apple, chopped (I use a green colored apple, and I leave the peel on)
1 cup pear, chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1 or 2 leafy sprigs of mint
(optional) 1/4 to 1/2 cup apple brandy or apple schnapps
ice

In a pitcher, add the strawberries, the peach, the apple, the pear, the mint, then squeeze a little of the juice from the lemon slices on top (this will stop the apple from starting to turn brown), then add the actual lemon slices, then sprinkle the sugar on top. Let the fruit sit for about 10 minutes (the fruit will start to release juice), then add the apple juice and the wine. Stir well and refrigerate for a few hours. Add the brandy or schnapps and stir again before serving in glasses with some ice cubes in each glass.

WORD HISTORY:
Prose-This word is formed with the fairly common Latin prefix "pro," meaning "in front, before, forward," which is related, through Indo European, to English "fore" and the prefix "for-," which are original English terms from its Germanic roots. The other part of the word goes back to Indo European "wer," which meant, "bend, twist," which makes it a relative to original English word "warp," a word from the Germanic roots of English. The Indo European form gave Latin "vertere," which meant, "to turn." Its participle form "vorsus" ("turned") was combined with the prefix to produce, "provorsus," meaning, "moving straight on or ahead," perhaps from the idea of moving forward after a turn or change? This produced "prorsus," which meant, "direct, straight forward," a form of which was "prorsa," which produced the shorter form "prosa," with the same meaning. This term was paired as "prosa oratio," meaning, "direct or straightforward speech." The word "prosa" passed into Latin-based French as "prose," meaning, "speech or written language without poetry;" that is, "straightforward speech, commonplace speech or writing." This was borrowed into English in the first half of the 1300s.  

Peruvian Potatoes In Creamy & Spicy Sauce

This is a common Peruvian dish called "Papas a la Huancaina" ("Potatoes of Huancayo") in Spanish. Huancaina refers to the city of "Huancayo," which is located in the middle part of Peru.
 
Ingredients (about 6 servings):

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (I used the golf ball size potatoes)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 heaping teaspoon ground turmeric
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound queso blanco, crumbled*
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or, if you're ambitious, 1 teaspoon Amarillo chili paste **
3/4 cup canned evaporated milk
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
pitted cured black olives
hard boiled eggs, halved
red or yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into rings or strips
lettuce leaves

Wash and rinse the unpeeled potatoes, then put them into a pan and cover them with water. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat, so that the potatoes simmer until just tender, but NOT mushy or ready to crumble. Let the potatoes cool a bit, if you want to peel them, but I prefer to leave the skins on. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for two or three minutes before adding the turmeric and cayenne pepper (or chili paste), stir well. Cook for just one minute. Turn the heat to low and add the evaporated milk. Let the milk heat briefly (do not boil!) and add the cheese. Stir to mix well and continue stirring slowly until the cheese melts. Now stir in the mustard, salt and pepper. The sauce should be yellowish. You can put the sauce into a blender or use a stick blender to make the sauce very smooth. Place a lettuce leaf on each plate and serve some potato slices on the lettuce. Spoon some of the sauce over the potatoes, then top the potatoes with a few cured black olives, hard boiled egg halves and a couple of yellow bell pepper rings.

* Queso blanco is literally "white cheese," which it is, but it can vary somewhat in texture and taste from country to country. It is a mild fresh cheese with a salty and slightly tangy kind of taste and it generally crumbles pretty easily, and that is the type most used in Peru, where it is extremely common. Queso blanco is easily available in many supermarkets and Latino grocery stores, and some likely even have Peruvian queso blanco, if you seek authenticity.

 

** Amarillo chili paste is often available in Latino grocery stores, or in Latino food sections of some supermarkets, as well as from online sources.

WORD HISTORY:
Prompt-This compound word is formed with the fairly common Latin prefix "pro," meaning "in front, before, forward," which is related, through Indo European, to English "fore" and the prefix "for-," which are original English terms from its Germanic roots. The second part goes back to Indo European "em," which had the notion, "to take, to take on." This gave Latin "emere," meaning, "to take by acquisition;" thus also, "to buy." The two parts gave Latin "promere," meaning, "to take or bring forth, to bring into the open." Its participle form was "promptus," which meant, "evident, visible," and this gave Latin-based French the adjective "prompt," but with the meaning, "ready, quick" (from the idea of "brought forth, made visible"). English borrowed the word in verb form as "prompten" from Latin in the mid 1300s, and meaning, "to lead (bring) someone to do something." By the 1400s, the additional meaning of, "to help someone recall words in a play" ("to help them bring forth words") was added. The adjective form seems to have been borrowed from French (perhaps with Latin reinforcement?) in the first half of the 1400s, with the meaning, "quick, ready to do something," which then also provided the meaning, "on time," as in, "Please be prompt for work." 

Sangria, A Refreshing Drink Of Spain & Portugal

Sangria is a Spanish and Portuguese drink of wine (originally red wine) with fruit or fruit peel, as well as sugar, added. There are variations of ingredients, including the addition of brandy or rum, or sometimes also cachaça in Portugal.* Since the wine will be flavored with other ingredients, I suggest you choose a wine of  modest price, and if you want authenticity, use a Spanish "rioja," but a cabernet sauvignon or a merlot, both easily available, would be just fine. You certainly can vary the amount of sugar to your own taste  

Ingredients:

1 bottle red wine
1 lemon, sliced
1/2 orange, seeded, chopped with rind
1/2 peach, peeled, pitted and chopped
6 to 8 seedless red grapes, halved 
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
4 tablespoons sugar
ice
(optional) Triple Sec or Cointreau (these are orange flavored liqueurs)*

In a pitcher, add all ingredients, except the wine and ice. Mix everything together well, and you needn't be gentle in your stirring of the fruit, as extracting a bit of juice and softening the fruit so that it emits more juice into the wine will only make for a better sangria. Cover the pitcher and let it sit for about 30 minutes. Add the wine and the ice and stir well. For those who like it with more alcohol, when serving, you can add a small amount of Triple Sec or Cointreau to each glass, then pour in the Sangria and stir. If everyone prefers more alcohol, you can just stir a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of Triple Sec or Cointreau right into the sangria. 

* Cachaça is a rum-like alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane in Brazil. Brazil was once a colony of Portugal. Cachaça is the main ingredient in Brazil's well known "caipirinha cocktail." 

** Cointreau is from France and is 40% alcohol (80 proof) and Triple Sec was originally produced in France, but it is now produced by distilleries outside of France, including in the United States. The alcohol content varies, but it is usually between 30% and 40%, depending upon brand. 

WORD HISTORY:
Peach-The ultimate origin of this word is uncertain, and no one theory has exactly convinced me. It goes back to transliterated Ancient Greek "mêlon persikón," which meant, "Persian apple." The peach tree was brought to Persia from China, thus giving the Greeks the association of the tree and fruit with Persia. This was borrowed by Latin as "malum persicum," which later became just, "persica," which then became "pessica," meaning "peach," or "peach tree." This then became "pesca" in Latin, and passed into French, a Latin-based language, as "pesche." English borrowed the word as "peche," in the early 1400s, although there may have been some use of the word even about a century earlier.

Thailand... A Win For Humanity!

The rescue of 12 boys and their soccer coach from a cave in Thailand is a highly visible win for humanity, but there are other wins EVERY DAY, performed by any number of people, although we may not hear much about them. The nastiness of the few makes the news, and at times, it may make things seem that the world is crumbling, but there are still MANY good people, people who put themselves in danger for others, with some suffering injury or even death in their efforts to do good. The need for such efforts is never ending, so while this is a moment to cheer for the task just accomplished, goodness cannot take a bow for long, as there are so many other challenges to be overcome in all parts of the world.

WORD HISTORY:
Cave-This word, closely related to "cavity," a word of Latin derivation borrowed by English, goes back to Indo European "keuh," which had the notion "to swell, to grow larger;" thus also, "to hollow out, to make deeper." This gave Latin the adjective "cavus," which meant, "hollow" ("hollowed out"). This then provided Latin with the noun "cavea" (a hollow). This gave Latin-based French with "cave," which meant, "underground chamber, cellar." English borrowed the word "seemingly" in the first half of the 1200s, but quickly developed the meaning, "underground hollow, underground room." Whether this meaning was influenced by Spanish "cueva," which meant "cave, underground den," is unknown to me, but it is certainly possible, and perhaps even likely, given that Spanish was spoken along the then southern colonial border regions in Florida and Texas. In spite of the similarity, it is not related to English "cove," an original English word from its Germanic roots. The verb form of "cave" developed in the early 1400s, initially as "caven," and meaning, "to hollow out," but by circa 1700, the meaning, "to fall in, to collapse," "seemingly" developed in the American colonies from the idea of the "a collapse forms a hollow."     

North German Pancakes: Pannkoken

This pancake dish from northwestern Germany is a good one. This area is the land where the people speak East Frisian and/or Low German as their daily language, but where standard German is learned in school. East Frisian is a dialect of the general Frisian language, along with West Frisian, spoken in northern Holland, and North Frisian, spoken in northern Germany, including in part of the area of the German-Danish border region. Frisian, Low German and standard German are all close relatives of English, and this overall general area is the ancestral homeland of English, as the Germanic tribal elements that sailed to Briton and founded England lived here, just as many of their descendants still do. Here, an "apple" is an "appel" in Low German and East Frisian ("Apfel" in standard German), and in English it was once spelled "eppel" and "appel." The other fruit compote I chose to serve is blueberry, which is both "Blaubeere" and "Heidelbeere" in German, but "Bickbeer(e)" in this area of northern Germany, and indeed, it is a common pairing with these pancakes. Notice, unlike American pancakes, there is no baking powder or baking soda; thus, these pancakes are not as "fluffy" as their American counterpart, but rather a bit more to the dense side. I served mine with bacon, so I simply fried the bacon and poured off the fat from frying, then I added some of the grease back to the frying pan for cooking the pancakes. If frying the pancakes in bacon fat troubles you, you can mix some of the bacon grease with some canola oil, or regular olive oil, but at least use a little of the grease for each pancake, as it does add to their flavor, which helps to make them special. Now, you can most certainly use some preserves or jam, but the compotes are very easy to make.       

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3 cups milk
4 egg yolks
4 egg whites, beaten to stiff consistency
1/2 teaspoon salt
bacon fat/grease*

Mix together the flour, whole wheat flour, egg yolks, milk and salt. Beat the egg whites to a stiff consistency, then fold them into the main mixture. Heat the bacon fat in a skillet over medium heat. Add enough batter to make a nice size pancake and fry until golden on both sides. Germans typically fold the pancakes over for serving. You can serve the compotes on the side or you can serve each pancake with a good spoonful of compote right on top.  

* Whatever term you prefer. When I was a kid, you seldom, if ever, heard it referred to as "bacon fat," rather only as "bacon grease." "Bacon fat" was fat still attached to the bacon.

Apple Compote:

2 cups chopped apples, ^
3 to 4 tablespoons sugar (per your taste)
1/2 cup apple juice
1 to 2 tablespoons cornstarch + 2 to 3 tablespoons apple juice
(optional) 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a sauce pan over medium heat, add the chopped apple, sugar and apple juice. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce the heat so that the mixture maintains a gentle simmer. Cook for about 12 to 15 minutes, or until the apples reach the texture you prefer (soft or still a bit firm). Mix together the cornstarch and apple juice, then gradually add it to the simmering apples, stirring constantly, until the compote is at the thickness you desire. If you'd like, you can add the ground cinnamon, but myself, I prefer the apple taste without the spice. But go ahead and add cinnamon... see if I care! I may just report you to the Apple Police! You can serve the compote with the pancakes while it is still hot, or you can let it cool a bit first. If you refrigerate it, you can always pop it in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds before serving it.

^ You can use red, green or golden, as it doesn't really matter, except I wouldn't recommend that you use a sour type of apple, unless you like that kind of tartness. Technically they should be peeled, but you can certainly leave the peel on for nutritional purposes if you'd like. If the "Apple Police" get you, it's because they're rotten to the core. Ah, "Apple  Police"... "rotten to the core"... If I have to explain it to you, I hope you get arrested by the Apple Police and you are condemned to listen to, "One bad apple don't spoil the whole bunch..." ten times daily for a month, or five times daily for good behavior.

Blueberry Compote:

2 cups blueberries (you can also use frozen blueberries)
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 to 2 tablespoons cornstarch + 2 to 3 tablespoons water

Rinse and drain the blueberries. In a sauce pan, add the berries, water, sugar and lemon juice. You can use medium heat to bring the liquid to a slight boil, but then turn the heat down to where the berries just simmer. Cook for about 6 to 8 minutes, then gradually add some cornstarch mixed with water, stirring constantly, until you get the thickness you desire for the compote. The berries must be kept at a light simmer to thicken properly. The compote can be served hot, or cooled a little.

WORD HISTORY:
Compote/Compost-These two words are really the same word. They are closely related to "position," "composition," "component," "composite" and "compose," all words of Latin derivation borrowed by English. The prefix "com-" is a common prefix for words of Latin derivation going back to Indo European "kom/ghem," with the notion of, "by, with, near, beside;" thus Latin "com" (and its variant form "con") which has the meaning, "together, with." The origin of the rest of the word is uncertain, but it goes back to Latin "ponere," which meant, "to put into place;" thus also, "to arrange, to set in order." The two parts then gave Latin "componere," meaning, "to put together or arrange in order;" thus also, "to build or construct." Its participle form, "compositus" (meaning, "put or arranged together"), which gave Latin-based French "composte," meaning, "a blend, a mixture," which then became "compost," and came to be applied to "a mix of various fertilizing agents," but also, "a mixture of fruits cooked together;" then later, the altered spelling, "compote," was used for the fruit mixture. English borrowed "compost" in the 1390s, and it borrowed "compote" in the second half of the 1600s.   

Harvey Wallbanger

This drink with the interesting name was popular in the 1970s, when, unless you were hiding under a rock, you couldn't help but hear or see the name, even if you may not have remembered exactly what went into the drink. Its popularity waned, but it has lasted into the present (see Word History below for the verb, "to last"). One of its ingredients is Galliano, a liqueur invented in Livorno, Italy in the mid 1890s, which, according to their website, is made from a variety of herbs and spices, including cinnamon, anise, peppermint and vanilla, and it is 42.3% alcohol. The actual recipe for Galliano is a closely guarded secret. "Harvey Wallbangers" are commonly served in a variety of taller glasses. If doctors tell you not to drink, tell them this is a good way to get orange juice, and don't forget the orange slice!  

Ingredients:

1 1/2 ounces vodka
5 ounces orange juice
3/4 ounce Galliano
orange slice
ice

Add ice to a glass, add vodka and orange juice, stir to mix. Float the Galliano on top. Garnish with an orange slice.

Some of the ice cubes glistened when I took this picture ...

WORD HISTORY:
Last-English has more than one word of this spelling, but this is the verb meaning, "to endure, to hold out, to continue on." It is distantly related to "learn" (an original English word from its Germanic roots) and it goes back to Indo European "leis/lais," which had the notion, "to track, to trail." This gave its Old Germanic offspring "laistijanan," ^ with the same meaning; thus also, "to follow." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "læstan," meaning, "to follow;" thus also, "to take on and do a task." Later, the idea of "following a path or course of action until a task was complete" provided the meaning of, "endure, hold out, bear, continue on," as the "do, perform" meaning began to fade from common usage. It then came to be spelled "lasten," before the modern version. The other Germanic languages have: German "leisten," meaning, "to do, to perform, to achieve (which carries the notion of "completing something;" thus, "enduring to the end"), to afford;" some Low German and Dutch have "leesten," meaning, "to fulfill, to carry out," (seemingly also, "to pay," but likely now archaic), some Frisian "laste/leste," "to fulfill," to pay (for fees)."  

^ I found no forms in the North Germanic branch of Germanic, only in both West and East Germanic branches.

Make Sure Your Vote Counts!

As we approach the 2018 elections on November 6, be sure to follow the laws and procedures of the state where you are registered to vote. If you are not registered to vote, DO SO NOW, don't procrastinate! Call your local election office, or check for their website online, so that you know EXACTLY what you need to do to be properly registered to vote. You can also check with your state's election office. "Typically" a state's chief election officer is that state's "secretary of state," and I'm sure they all have websites. Remember, in the United States, election laws are set by the individual states, the District of Columbia, or U.S. territories (like Puerto Rico or Guam, for example). For more information to help you register to vote, or for other election questions, here is the link to the site for the "League of Women Voters:"  http://www.vote411.org/

If you have already registered to vote, it is a very good idea to check your registration, even if you just voted in an election within the last few months, and even if your information has not changed. Some states have ways of doing this online, but just as with registering, call or check online for ways to verify or update your voter registration. Remember, even if you move just a block or two away from the address shown on your voter registration information, it might change the ward or some voting district, so keep your information up to date. Further, there are occasional mistakes by election offices, and I'm not meaning "deliberate mistakes," but there are potentially those kinds of mistakes too, so you don't want to show up to vote, only to be told that your name is not on the voter rolls, or that you are listed in another precinct or whatever. TAKE NOTHING FOR GRANTED! REMEMBER, the Trump regime in Washington DC, along with their participants and collaborators on the state and local level, will do ANYTHING to disqualify you from voting, or to see that your vote does not count. There have always been charges leveled at both major political parties about election shenanigans, BUT we have never had the threat to our democracy in modern times that we face now. CHECK YOUR REGISTRATION, DON'T WAIT, DO IT NOW!

If you are in a state that uses early voting by mail, and that is your preferred method to vote, be sure to follow your state's regulations for requesting a ballot, and then follow proper procedure for filling out and mailing in your completed ballot. This is perhaps the most important election in the history of this country. If Democrats do no make sufficient gains to rein in Donald Trump as president, you may not get another chance to vote. Earlier this year in Wisconsin, Republican governor, Scott Walker, faced with Republican losses to Democrats in special elections to fill vacant elective offices, tried to stop such elections from taking place! Thankfully, a judge, who was appointed by Walker, ordered the governor to hold the elections. And let's not EVER forget Mitch McConnell, the most EVIL man to EVER serve in the United States Senate, refusing to hold a vote on Barack Obama's selection for the Supreme Court in 2016. That appointment was instead held for Donald Trump. Now Trump will appoint another judge. If you want to live in about the 1400s (maybe even 1400 BC), you'll love all of these Trump picks, and there will not be any legal thing you can do about them. You could well lose your rights very soon.

BE SURE YOUR VOTE WILL COUNT!

WORD HISTORY:
Ballot-This word, closely related to "ball" (round object),^ goes back to Indo European "bhel," which had the notion, "to swell, to blow or puff up/out." This gave Old Germanic "balluz," "a swollen or bloated object;" thus, "a round object, a ball." This was borrowed by Latin and then emerging Italian from the Germanic dialect "Lombardic" as "palla," but also more properly as, "balla," both meaning, "ball." This gave Italian "pallotta/ballotta," diminutive forms meaning, "small ball." The ball was used in secret voting, often with white colored balls registering as a "yes," and black balls registering as a "no;" thus the term, "blackballing someone." English borrowed the word from Italian in the first half of the 1500s, and when paper ballots came into existence, the word "ballot" simply was transferred to the new voting method.

^ "Ball" is an original English word from its Germanic roots.