Austro-German Creamed Green Beans: Rahmbohnen, Rahmfisolen

"Rahmbohnen" are literally, "ream-beans" in English, with "ream," in this case, being an old word for "cream," now pretty much confined to dialect in the UK. The standard German term for "green beans" (plural) is "Grüne Bohnen," a term closely related to its English cousin's term, but German speakers also say "Gartenbohnen" (garden beans), and they have "Brechbohnen," literally "break beans," which corresponds to the English term "snap beans," and also "Stangenbohnen" (literally, "pole beans," and English once had the closely related noun "steng," which meant, "pole, rod, bar, staff," and German "Stange" still means all of those things. A derivative of English "steng" is still with us in the word "stinger." Then regionally there are a number of German dialect terms: "Fisolen," a word borrowed from Latin, which had gotten it from Greek, and used in much of Austria, but "Strankerl" in the Carinthia region (German: Kärnten), with "Strankerl" being a word borrowed from Slovenian, "Fasäli"in Frankish (German: Fränkisch), "Buanschoan" in Bavarian, which is spoken in much, but not all, of Bavaria and Austria, in general, but with many regional variations.

This is a very easy dish to make, and there are some variations in Germany and Austria, but I like this version, which has Hungarian influence, with a hefty dose of paprika. 

Ingredients:

1 to 1 1/4 pounds green beans, rinsed and trimmed, then cut into about 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup onion, finely chopped (red, yellow or white onion)
1/4 cup butter
1 cup beef stock
2 tablespoons sweet paprika (Hungarian paprika is authentic for this dish and it has a smoky taste)
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional, if your beef broth has substantial salt)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons flour (depending upon how thick you want the sauce)
1 cup sour cream (reduced fat type is fine)
1 to 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Melt the butter in a skillet or a pan over medium heat. I use a skillet, because its wide opening and shallow depth makes it easier to stir things and to maneuver, in general. Add the onion and let it cook, stirring it around, until it softens a little (you don't want the onion to be golden brown). Add the green beans, then pour in the beef stock and stir to mix. Mix in the paprika and black pepper (also the salt, if using). Let the beans simmer (you can adjust the heat downward a little, if you'd like). Simmer the beans until they reach the point you like them (I like mine to be a little crisp). Mix the flour and sour cream together well. "Gradually" add tablespoons of the sour cream/flour to the simmering beans, mixing well to blend it in. The sauce will begin to thicken. Continue to add sour cream until you reach the thickness you desire for the sauce. Sprinkle in the chopped parsley and stir it into the beans and sauce.

WORD HISTORY:
Steven-This is not the name, but rather it is a word now confined to dialect, although it once was far more prominent. It goes back to Indo European "stomen," which meant, "mouth, opening, muzzle." This gave Old Germanic "stemno" and also the variant "stebno," both of which meant, "voice;" that is, "the sound that comes from the mouth." These forms gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "stemn" and "stefn," both meaning, "voice, sound from the mouth or muzzle of a creature." The two forms became one as "steven," meaning, "voice, strong voice (thus, "command"), a say in a matter." The word lost ground quickly to "voice," a Latin-derived word borrowed by English from French. The verb form was derived from the noun with the meaning, "to speak forcefully, to give an opinion, to vote (often done by shouting one's choice at public gatherings in times past)." Relatives in the other Germanic languages: German has "Stimme" (voice, vote) and "Stimmung" (mood, public opinion), Low German has "Stimm" (voice), Dutch "stem" (voice, vote), West Frisian "stim" (vote, voice), "stimming" (ballot, mood). Danish and Norwegian "stemme" (vote, voice), Swedish "stämma" (meeting; that is, "a place where thoughts and opinions are expressed," voice, a legal order), Icelandic "stefna" (a legal order or notice, a summons, a public meeting).